“I’ll go help carry everything.” Alex jumped to her feet and raised her arms, flexing her biceps.
“Okay. I’ll see you all later, then.” Kelly waved to her friends and retreated to her cabin. She had a new romance novel she’d started and looked forward to getting back to it.
Kelly watched the police cruiser inch past the cabin as she sat with her feet propped on the front deck railing. She wondered if the police presence had anything to do with the man she saw Josie talking to at the powwow. More likely it was a routine service the police provided to property owners. She made a mental note to ask Josie about it and went back to reading. She was so engrossed in her book she didn’t hear anyone approach and was startled when the shadow fell over her book.
“Kelly. Hello.” Barb leaned on the step railing, arms folded. She smiled and pushed off toward her.
“Barb? Hi. I didn’t expect to see you until Friday. Where’d you come from?” Kelly stood to look for another vehicle but stepped back when Barb sprang up the steps.
“I could lie and say I couldn’t wait until Friday to see you again, but I’m here to see Josie. This is just a welcome surprise and I thought I’d pop over and say hey. But I’ve got to run. I’ll see you Friday.” She bounced off the deck and headed to the lodge.
Kelly sat back in her chair bemused. This date will be interesting.
“Who is she?” Alex asked as she climbed the steps to her porch.
“Her name’s Barb. I met her a few days ago when I went into town. We’re going out to dinner on Friday.”
“Ah. I hope she’s as nice as she is hot in her uniform. You ready to go?”
“Sure. Did you get everyone’s order?” Kelly set her book inside her cabin and followed Alex to her car, wondering what business Barb had with Josie and why she cared.
It was nearly dark by the time Kelly and Alex returned from picking up more pasties, and Kelly presumed the car parked next to the lodge belonged to Barb. She had no reason to go to the lodge but scrambled for an excuse as she walked toward it. If Alex’s raised eyebrow was any indication, she didn’t buy it, but she waved her off as she went to take the food to the rest of the group. Kelly entered the large room and saw Ruth sitting in her usual spot on the couch. “Hey, Ruth. How’re you doing today?”
“Kelly! I’m so glad you came by.” Ruth patted the seat next to her on the couch. “Please sit.”
“Is everything okay?”
“I think so, dear. Barb and Joslyn have been in the office for a while now. I’m not sure what’s going on.” Ruth looked nervous.
“Is it about the man I saw talking to Josie at the powwow?”
“I don’t know. It could be. He was scary.” Ruth wrung her hands in her lap and clutched the emergency button pendant hanging from her neck.
Kelly took Ruth’s hands in hers. “I’m sure Josie’s doing whatever is necessary to keep us safe.”
“I know she is. I just wish there was something I could do to help. This guy wants to buy the cabins and we don’t know why.”
“Huh. I’m sure Josie will figure it all out. Don’t worry. Have you had dinner? I picked up a bunch of pasties today. Can I bring you one?”
“Thank you, but Josie’s made stew tonight. I’ll just have a bowl later.”
“I can get some for you now, if you like? We don’t know how long Josie will be.”
“I can get it, dear. I’m sure you have other things to do than wait on me.” Ruth stood and stepped toward the kitchen, but looked unsteady on her feet.
“You relax. I’m going to the hot tub shortly and the kitchen is on the way. I’ll bring you a bowl, and you can eat while you wait for Josie to finish her business.”
“Thank you, Kelly. You’re a sweetie.” Ruth sat with a groan, looking tired.
Kelly filled a bowl with stew from a covered pot. She left a note for Josie so she’d know what was going on and took Ruth her dinner. “I’m going to be in the hot tub. If you need anything, just find me there.”
“I’ll be fine, you go. Josie’ll be back soon.” Ruth picked up her spoon and waved Kelly away.
She hurried to her cabin, changed quickly, and went straight to the hot tub. She enjoyed spending time with her friends, but the solitude was nice too. Kelly rested her head on the edge of the fiberglass tub and let the hot water from the bubbling jets flow around her. She closed her eyes and allowed herself a short fantasy of Josie’s naked body sliding over her; the memory of her demanding kiss sent shivers of heat racing to her clit. She opened her eyes to quiet her overactive imagination and focus on the present. Ruth was obviously worried. Whatever was going on with whoever this man was had her and Josie concerned. She tried to convince herself she should mind her own business and let Josie take care of whatever was going on. Somehow, she’d allowed herself to become attached to Ruth and Josie. Being too close to either of them could be potentially painful. She’d be leaving in less than a week, and this vacation would be a fond memory. Even if she was working nearby, that didn’t mean she’d continue to see them. She took a deep breath and released it, vowing to distance herself for the sake of self-protection but unsure if her heart was listening.
“Thanks for getting Nooko dinner, Kelly. I appreciate it.” Josie stood at the entry to the hot tub room.
Kelly faced her as she spoke. “I didn’t mind at all. I was headed past the kitchen anyway. Everything all right?” She winced, realizing she was overstepping her boundaries.
“Yeah. Everything’s fine. I had a few questions for Barb about some guy who wants to buy my cabins, but it’s all good. Enjoy the hot tub.” There were tension lines around her eyes, and her smile was distant. She left before Kelly could say anything more.
She rolled over in the warm bubbling tub and concentrated on relaxing. She lost track of time as she stretched in the tub and slowly moved to the steps. The faint scent of smoke surprised her. The evenings had warmed nicely as the week had progressed, so she doubted Josie would have started a fire in the fireplace. As she stepped out of the tub and wrapped in a towel, she realized the smoke filtering into the area couldn’t be coming from the fireplace chimney. She grabbed her bag containing her robe and cell phone and hurried to the lodge. There was no fire in the fireplace and the room was empty. She turned toward the back door just as Josie rushed in. “Is there a fire somewhere?”
“It’s just a small can fire. Kids do it all the time around here. It’s annoying and a pain in the ass, but it’s contained.” Josie ran her fingers through her hair while her gaze darted about the room. “I just wanted to make sure everything was okay back here.”
“What’s a can fire?”
“Someone, typically a kid, rolls a rusty old oil drum into the woods and fills it with brush and leaves, then starts the thing on fire to watch it burn. It happens a few times every year, and I’m sorry if it interrupted you. It usually only creates a lot of smoke and burns itself out quickly. I’m not sure how they got it so close to my building, but I’ve drowned it with the hose, so it’s not dangerous. I’m going to call Barb to come back as soon as I check on Nooko.” Josie turned and sped toward Ruth’s room.
Kelly dried off and headed back to her cabin to relax some more. She’d been mellow, but Josie’s worry had piqued her curiosity and she couldn’t stop wondering what was going on. She sat on the rocker on the front porch of her cabin watching the red and gold streaks of the sunset spread across the sky. She’d changed into sweats after leaving the hot tub and decided to leave Josie alone with her fire issue, confident she’d let the group know if there was anything they needed to worry about. She propped her feet up on the rail and shifted her thoughts to her upcoming date with Barb.
“Hello again.” Barb stood on the bottom step of her porch smiling up at her.
Kelly shook her head to shake off the surprise of the connection between her thoughts and seeing Barb standing before her. “You do get around, don’t you?”
“I got a call from Josie complaining about hooligans
, so I came to investigate. I better get to it.”
Kelly watched her saunter away and decided to jump on the opportunity. “Wait. I want to see this, too.” She scurried off the porch after Barb.
“Thanks for coming, Barb. You…” Josie turned and stopped talking when she saw Kelly.
“I’m just nosy. I won’t get in the way. But I’ll leave if you want me to.” Kelly turned away to go back to her cabin but Josie grabbed her arm.
“No. It’s okay, Kelly. There’s nothing to see, anyway.”
Barb had moved to the edge of the woods to scrutinize the ground in the area of the now smoldering metal drum with a large flashlight. “Kids usually roll these. It’s part of the fun, I guess, but I think this one was carried.”
Kelly moved closer to look. “How can you tell?”
“See those boot prints?” She pointed the light toward a path in a small opening in the woods. “The footprints are deeper coming in as if they were carrying something heavy. See?” She pointed again and stepped to the side. “The ones going back out aren’t as deep, so I’m presuming they weren’t carrying anything. We lucked out that the area is low enough to have some soft ground.” Barb took out a notebook and pen and made notes as she reviewed the area.
“She’s very thorough, isn’t she?” Josie leaned close, and Kelly caught the spicy scent of her shampoo.
“Yes, and she looks as though she knows what she’s doing.” Kelly responded, unsure why they were whispering but liking it. As though they shared something belonging only to them.
“I don’t know if there’s anything you can do about this unless you catch someone in the act. If you want to make a report with the police, I’ll give them my opinion. Let me know.” Barb put her notebook away and reached for Kelly’s hand. “Shall I walk you back to your cabin?”
“Thanks for letting me butt in, Josie. I’ll see you tomorrow.” Kelly allowed herself to be led away. She resisted looking back at Josie as they walked away but couldn’t shake the discomfort and admitted to herself that she’d rather be holding Josie’s hand.
“I’ve said this before, but I’ll say it again. I’ll see you Friday.” Barb squeezed her hand. “I’m looking forward to it.”
“Me, too, Barb. I’ll see you on Friday.” Kelly grabbed her book and settled in for the evening, wondering whose touch she’d dream of that night.
Chapter Fifteen
“Everything is fine, Nooko. We don’t know who was responsible for the fire in the barrel. There’s no way to prove it was Abe. I’ve got the police patrolling, and Barb’s going to keep her eye out for anything suspicious. It’s probably mischievous kids.” Josie didn’t want her nooko to worry, but she wasn’t sure it had anything to do with kids. She couldn’t figure out why the guy was so anxious to buy her property or why he thought notes and a little vandalism would convince her to sell. “Let’s go get some ice cream.”
Nooko didn’t look convinced but let it go. “Good idea. Is Kelly coming with us?”
Josie had the same thought, although she knew it wasn’t a good idea to keep including her in their plans. “Maybe the whole group will come along. We’ll ask them on our way out.” Josie stopped at each cabin on her way out of the parking lot. Kelly sat on her deck reading with her feet propped on the rail. She rose when she saw them. “We’re headed to the Teepee for ice cream. We were going to ask you all to join us. Where is everyone?”
“They took the dogs to a little park by the water they found yesterday. I’ll join you, though.” She crawled into the back seat and Josie concentrated on driving instead of sneaking glances at Kelly in the rearview mirror.
Kelly settled Ruth at one of the picnic tables while Josie went to stand in line. The small teepee-style building was a popular stop for residents of the island as well as tourists. They sold sandwiches as well as ice cream. She was about to place their order when she felt a presence behind her. “Chocolate, please.” Kelly’s breath tickled her neck, and she fought the impulse to step back into her arms.
“Chocolate it is. Do you want a sandwich or anything?”
“No. Chocolate ice cream is a good start. Your grandmother wants vanilla.”
“Great. I’ll bring them to you if you want to go sit with her.” Josie turned to look at Nooko and started. “What the hell?” Abe sat across from her at their table. She couldn’t hear what he was saying, but she disliked him so close to her.
“What’s the matter?” Kelly asked and looked toward Ruth. “Who’s at our table? Is he the same guy who was at the powwow?”
“Come on.” Josie stalked toward Abe.
“Good afternoon. I was just talkin’ to your grandma here about how foolish you’re bein’ by not sellin’ to me.” Abe’s leer did nothing to quell Josie’s apprehension.
“You need to leave us alone. We’re not selling.” Josie stood behind Nooko with her hands on her shoulders.
Abe narrowed his eyes and stared at each of them. “You ought to be grateful I’m willin’ to make a decent offer. I have rights to this place, so you decide how much you want ’cuz I ain’t waiting much longer.” He turned and walked away.
“Good riddance. Did he touch you, Nooko?”
“No. I’m fine, dear. Abe thinks he knows your father. He kept calling him Jack, though. He said he knew the owner before you, and his name was Jack. I told him the owner was your father, Johnathan Harlow, but he said he didn’t care what we called him. He was here to buy Jack’s land.”
“Let’s eat our ice cream. That’s why we’re here, right?” Josie went and got their ice cream, her hands trembling. The guy was becoming more than a nuisance, and it was beginning to scare her. But she couldn’t let Nooko, or Kelly, know that. She didn’t want her grandmother upset, and Kelly was a paying guest. The last thing she wanted was a bad review because of some weird guy who had nothing to do with her resort.
“I know it’s none of my business, but sometimes Jack is a short form of John, isn’t it? Maybe this guy only knew your dad as Jack.” Kelly ate a spoonful of ice cream.
“I hadn’t thought of that,” Ruth said.
“No. I hadn’t either.” Josie didn’t recall anyone ever calling her father Jack. But then, she hadn’t known him very well at the end of his life. He’d been distant and different.
“It’s the English short form of a name. Or a pet name such as Nooko for Nookomis. You couldn’t pronounce it as a child so you shortened it.” Kelly smiled.
“Whatever the reason, my property must be important to him. I can’t believe Dad never said anything to me.”
“John’s death was sudden, honey. Maybe he never got the chance to tell you, or maybe Abe didn’t want it back then.” Nooko finished her ice cream and scraped the bottom of the bowl.
“He told me the day of the powwow that he didn’t want it back then. Something sure makes him want it now, though, but he wouldn’t tell me what. Do you want more ice cream? Maybe we ought to get a couple of burgers.” Josie grinned at Nooko’s look of excitement. “Their hamburgers are fantastic, Kelly.”
“Yum. I’ll help you carry them.”
Kelly followed her to the window and Josie pushed thoughts of Abe and Jack aside as she enjoyed the feel of Kelly close behind her. Things would become clear eventually. Or he’d get fed up and go away. But she wouldn’t give him any more time in her head right now.
* * *
When they finally got back after a leisurely lunch, Josie made sure Nooko was comfortable on the couch by the fireplace before heading to check on the buildings. Her encounter with Abe had her concerned, so she took extra time on her usual rounds on the property, stopping to check each cabin and the grounds. She took out the garbage and secured the locks before heading to her studio to unwind. The dream catcher she’d made for Kelly sat in its wrapped box on the corner of her worktable. She’d told herself it was a gift for Kelly’s help with Nooko, but she recognized her self-deception. She liked Kelly more than she acknowledged, and their shared kiss threatened areas o
f her heart protected by fear. The more time they spent together, the more she found that she really liked her calm nature and quick wit. She was intelligent without conceit, caring but not smothering, honest and straightforward, with a sense of humor. When she really thought about it, the best thing about Kelly was the connection she felt to her. It was as if they could talk about anything and comfortably share quiet time together. She trusted her with her nooko, and that was the most important thing in her life.
She picked out several beads to make a rainbow colored line on her worktable and worked on her new design for a large Harlow’s by the Bay dream catcher. An hour later, she stood to stretch and locked up the room. Before she could move away from the door, however, Nooko came hurrying out of the lodge.
“There you are, Joslyn. Kelly came looking for you.” Nooko looked nervous.
“Did she go back to her cabin?” Josie scanned the room.
“No. I’m right here.” Kelly came out of the hot tub room. “There’s something you need to see.”
Josie followed Kelly past the hot tub and into the woods behind the building. “What is it?”
Kelly pointed to the back of the woodshed. “I saw this when I returned from my walk this afternoon.”
A message had been scrawled with red spray paint that dripped like blood below the letters.
I want what is mine!
“I’ll bet Abe did this.” Nooko had followed them out, unnoticed. She leaned on her cane looking alarmed.
Kelly put her arm around Nooko’s waist. “Let’s go back inside, Ruth. I’ll make us a cup of tea.”
Josie caught her eye and smiled a thank-you. “Good idea, I’m going to call the authorities to come out to see this before I clean it up. I’ll be in shortly.” She checked the outside of the lodge and the cabins before heading to her office. There was no envelope and nothing else was amiss, but she was certain it was Abe’s doing.
It took longer than Josie anticipated to finish talking with the officer on duty, so she rushed to the lodge as soon as she hung up the phone, but didn’t see Nooko and Kelly in their usual spots.
Love Came Calling Page 9