“I hope we can figure something out . . . this is driving me crazy.”
Chapter 52
Gift of Loyalty
“So you gonna tell me what the deal is with Matt?” Jess asked when Renee went in to start the oven and Matt made a trip out to his rental to grab his luggage.
“I would if I knew what the deal was, but it’s . . . complicated. We met in Fiji when I locked my keys in the car—he’s a sheriff there—and I saw him a few more times while I was on the island. We exchanged contact information and have been talking on the phone about once a week or so. Sometimes we email, too. He’s a nice guy. I didn’t know if I would ever get a chance to see him again.”
Jess nodded, but she was still suspicious of Matt. “What kind of family emergency brought him to the States?” she asked.
“His father died. Matt’s sister asked him to come home because their dad was failing. Matt managed to see his dad shortly before he slipped into a coma. He took a month off from work for personal leave, but it didn’t take him the whole time to settle his dad’s affairs so he decided to surprise me.”
“How much do you know about him?”
“Well, as I said, I know he’s the sheriff in the area where we stayed back in Fiji . . . he has contacts in law enforcement back here . . . he even helped me out with a little situation I had with Robbie a while back. He was married, back when he was a cop on the East Coast, but he’s been divorced for years. No kids.”
“Don’t you think it’s odd, him showing up here like this?”
Jess cut off her interrogation when the front door slammed. “Where should I put my suitcase?” Matt asked good-naturedly.
“Julie’s fine with you staying in her room. To the right at the top of the stairs. Why don’t you put your stuff in there and come join us?” Renee suggested.
Matt joined them in the kitchen a few minutes later. Jess was leaning against the sink, leveling a less-than-welcoming look at Renee’s visitor.
Renee shoved a frozen pizza in the oven, set the timer, and tossed her hot pad on the counter.
“As you can see, my sister here has suspicions as to your character and reason for showing up here unannounced,” Renee said to Matt, nodding her head in Jess’s direction. “It’s hard for her to grasp why a man might be interested in paying me a visit.”
“Oh, that is bullshit and you know it, Renee,” Jess declared. “I never said that. I’m just trying to protect my sister. You have to admit, there’s been some weird shit happening around here lately . . . and then this guy shows up out of the blue, who I’ve never heard a word about before today . . . Can you blame me?”
“You raise a good point, Jess,” Matt agreed. “You should be skeptical, given what’s happened. Renee updated me this afternoon. She agreed to let me go visit the local sheriff tomorrow to see if they’re any closer to some answers. If you still have reservations about me, come along and have Sheriff Thompson check into my background.” Matt nodded at her. “I like you. I like your attitude.”
Jess continued to stare pointedly at Matt for another minute, then pushed off from the sink.
“All right, as long as you don’t say or do anything that seems out of line, I am going to accept you at face value. Renee isn’t stupid. I trust her to be a decent judge of character.”
“Don’t mind her,” Renee said to Matt. “She’s just mad at all men today.”
Now Renee was on the receiving end of Jess’s glare. But Renee knew her sister would come around, so she took Matt’s hand and pulled him out the back door onto the patio, leaving Jess to sulk in the kitchen.
“Sorry about that . . . Jess isn’t usually so cynical.”
Matt chuckled. “Don’t worry about it, she’s going through some tough times right now. I show up unannounced . . . I get it. My plan is to enjoy some time with you before I have to go home. I promise not to do anything to upset your family.”
“Does spending time with me include helping me get a couple cabins ready for new guests coming in tomorrow? Because that was how I was planning to spend my evening.”
Matt beamed, spreading his hands in a welcoming gesture. “You bet!”
***
True to his word, after dinner Matt accompanied Renee to clean the cabins. He was impressed with how Renee, along with help from Tabby and her family, had cleaned up the resort. He remembered the “before” pictures she’d emailed him, so he could tell they had made lots of progress since early spring.
Matt vacuumed while Renee cleaned the bathroom in the first cabin. When she went to strip the bedding, he offered to help. Dirty linens were tossed in a large hamper, and before Renee could wrestle the clean sheets onto the mattress, Matt managed to pull her down onto the bed to steal a few kisses.
The sound of footsteps on the front steps and the slap of a wooden screen door had them both scrambling to their feet, giggling and adjusting their clothes like a couple of guilty teenagers. It was Julie, bringing in clean towels. If she noticed anything, she didn’t let on.
It didn’t take them long to get the two cabins ready. It was still light outside, so Renee took him over to the lodge next, chatting excitedly the whole way. She really did feel like an excited teenager all over again. A feeling she hadn’t experienced in . . . God knew when.
“We’ve been doing some brainstorming the past week or so,” she explained to him as they walked, “and have some ideas we want to pursue. If we only rent out the five cabins—and no one will rent out here in the dead of winter—there won’t be much income left over after covering expenses. Celia ran the resort with just the cabins, and only in the summer, but she also had a day job. This was more like a hobby for her. And on top of everything, property taxes have really gone up, too. So I am seriously considering hosting retreats here. We would need to make some significant upgrades to the lodge, but I think we’re on to something.”
As Renee walked Matt through the lodge, she went into more detail around their preliminary plans. She told him about Susan and how her business helped people set up retreats to assist women in various aspects of their lives. She showed him where they were thinking about building in sleeping rooms and expanding the bathroom on the first floor, then took him upstairs.
“I’d love to build huge windows into this wall facing the lake and add a library down on that end, with a crackling fire and shelves full of wonderful books . . . just imagine it,” she said, sweeping her arms in wide arcs to emphasize her big dreams.
“Wow, Renee, you’ve put some thought into this, haven’t you?” Matt replied as he wandered through the upper level with her.
“We started brainstorming about this a few days ago. But I have to tell you, between wanting to find out whether or not we could make a go of some type of retreat business plus the strange crap that has happened lately, I’m not sleeping much.”
“For the record, I’m happy to help keep your mind off your troubles tonight if you aren’t able to sleep,” Matt teased, reaching for her.
Renee laughed. Matt’s hands glanced off her shoulders as Renee took a quick sidestep, pretending not to notice his attempted embrace. Damn, it feels good to flirt like this. Much better than over the phone, she thought, not wanting to come across as too eager—but not refuting his idea for a nighttime distraction, either. “It would be a welcome diversion,” she assured Matt with a wink.
Now it was Matt’s turn to laugh as he followed Renee back down the stairs. “Seriously though, you have me intrigued with your retreat concept,” Matt said. “Tell me more. What kind of retreats?”
Renee halted, considering his question. “Well . . . we still have lots to figure out, but our initial thought was to offer retreats for women to assist them in different areas of their lives. We’re thinking things like finances, relationships, healthy living . . . you know, that kind of thing. I really want to help people before they hit rock bottom.”
This time when Matt reached for Renee, she didn’t avoid him.
“I like it,”
he said, pulling her close. “Lots of women out there could benefit from a helping hand, before they find themselves in a really bad place.”
A shadow passed over his eyes; Renee could tell he was remembering a few of the many tragedies he must have witnessed on the job.
Renee wrapped her arms around Matt’s waist and held tight for a minute. It felt good to be in his arms. Eventually she stepped back, walking over to flip on a light. The sun was setting, casting the interior into shadows.
“Jess wants to help. My brother, Ethan, is a contractor and offered to help me make the physical changes to the building. My other sister, Val, is an awesome cook and she’s been playing around with the idea of starting some type of catering business. She offered to help me provide meals to retreat guests.” Renee led him into the kitchen. “And, of course, my parents want to help, too. There is so much to think about and figure out, but I’m excited.”
Matt glanced around the large kitchen.
“I love how you think outside the box to find ways to make this resort work for you. I take it you’ve decided you’re not going back to an office job anytime soon?”
“Believe me, I’ve given it serious consideration throughout these past few months. But I keep coming back to how awful I felt when I was laid off. I want to try to do something totally different. I figure, if it doesn’t work out, that can be my Plan B. For now, I want this place to be my Plan A.”
It was getting darker and Renee wanted to get home to the kids. They locked up and headed back to the duplex. Robbie was in his room listening to music, and Julie was over in the other unit hanging out with Jess and Lauren. Renee pulled two beers out of the fridge and sat down at the kitchen table with Matt.
“I still can’t believe you’re sitting here, having a beer with me in my kitchen,” Renee said, reaching across the table to Matt.
He took her hand, tapped his bottle to hers, and took a pull of the icy cold beer.
“Yeah, it’s been crazy. It seems surreal to me to be sitting here, too. All I’ve been doing since you left is working. When I first started working in Fiji most of the crime was low-level stuff. But it’s ramped up—more drugs, some violence . . . more of the shit that pushed me out of the force years back. At first I loved the beautiful weather and beaches, but now . . . I don’t make time to enjoy it. I go home after a shift but only my dog is there to greet me.” He looked into Renee’s eyes. “I look forward to our talks. Thank you for staying in touch.”
“Are you kidding? I love our talks, too. I should be the one thanking you. Matt . . .” Renee stared down at her beer. “I have to ask. Do you date at all?” Before waiting for an answer, she went on. “Of course, it’s OK if you do. We never talked about it. I know we live so far apart—it isn’t realistic to think we can have a real relationship.” She finally looked up at him. “But I do wonder about it sometimes.”
Matt smiled, calming her racing heart. “Renee, you’re wrong—I do think this is a real relationship. At least, it feels like the beginning of one to me. Yes, it’s hard living so far apart. But you’ve kept my interest from the day I met you. I did go out a time or two, shortly after you left, but I was never interested in going out with anyone a second time. It’s been . . . God, months since I even did that. You?”
Renee shook her heard. “Well, as you know, my life’s been full since the beginning of the year. I don’t know that I could have found time to go out with anyone even if I’d wanted to. My weekly calls with you have been the sum total of any romance in my life lately.”
Matt stood and set his beer on the table. He pulled Renee up into an embrace, tilted her head back with a finger under her chin, and kissed her softly.
He pulled away after a moment. “Thank you for bringing this up. To be honest, it’s been bugging the hell out of me. Some nights I would lie in bed and wonder if you were seeing anyone. I hated the thought but knew there wasn’t a damn thing I could do about it if you were. Your life is here, and mine is there. But all of this with my dad is making me do some serious thinking. Maybe my life isn’t meant to be in Fiji. It’s definitely been a nice three-year hiatus, but it might be time for me to come home. My niece and nephew are growing up so fast. I want the chance to be part of their lives, not someone they see once a year, ya know?”
Renee looked up at him, surprise registering in her eyes. “You’re considering moving back to the States?”
“Yeah, I’m considering it . . . haven’t made up my mind yet. Maybe I could move back and live at my dad’s farm. We don’t want to sell it.”
“If you lived somewhere within driving distance, even though it would be a long drive, we might actually get to see each other once in a while.”
He pulled her in closer. “We just might at that. I could certainly get used to this . . .”
And they were kissing again. Standing in the middle of her kitchen, no less, with her kids not far off—but Renee didn’t care. He deepened the kiss and she welcomed it, desire again coursing through her. A thud from above broke them apart. Matt had a way of both exciting her and grounding her at the same time. She had pretty much convinced herself she would always be on her own. Now she was starting to remember what she had been missing.
Chapter 53
Gift of Concern
Matt’s time at the resort passed quickly. Unfortunately, not all of his short time could be spent behind Renee’s closed bedroom door; some of it was spent cleaning, getting to know everyone . . . and searching for answers behind what was going on at the resort.
He drove in and met with the sheriff. Renee had called ahead and explained who Matt was to Sheriff Thompson. She gave the sheriff permission to discuss all aspects of the case with Matt. Matt went alone; he wanted to be able to have an open, frank conversation but didn’t want to scare Renee. His gut told him something serious was going on.
A young deputy took Matt back to the sheriff’s office.
“Thanks for taking the time to meet with me, Sheriff Thompson,” Matt said as he shook the older man’s hand.
“Happy to meet with you,” Thompson replied. “I understand you’re a friend of Renee Clements? Shame that girl’s havin’ trouble out there already. I knew her aunt. Celia was a special lady. Hate to think someone might be hanging around, causing her niece trouble.”
Matt nodded—he hated the thought, too. “That’s why I stopped by. I was curious if you’ve come up with any suspects yet.”
Thompson motioned to Matt to take a seat and slowly walked back behind his desk, dropping into a wooden desk chair; the chair groaned in protest, and Thompson groaned from the effort, limited though it was.
“Nah,” he finally answered. “Nothing much to go on. Haven’t had any reports of drifters through here lately. Renee and the rest of the folks out at the lodge didn’t offer up any ideas to go on, either.” His shrug seemed to imply What more do you expect me to do?, although he didn’t say it out loud.
Matt sat forward in his chair, clasping his hands in front of him and leveling a no-nonsense look at Thompson. He really didn’t like how nonchalant this guy seemed to be about the whole thing. “Have there been any other reports of vandalism in the area? Any kids causing problems? Sometimes kids get bored in the summer, start looking for trouble just to have something to do.”
“Look, I appreciate your comin’ down here to see if we have any updates. Celia was a friend of mine, and I’d like to help Renee with this, but like I said, we don’t have much to go on. My crew here is pretty green, and there’s never enough money to put on more staff or hire anyone with any goddamn experience.”
Sounds familiar, Matt thought as he listened to the old man gripe.
Thompson rolled his shoulders and rubbed at his neck. “Sorry, don’t mean to complain. I hate that shit, listening to people complain. Try not to do too much of it myself.”
Matt knew he wasn’t going to get any answers in this office today. He stood. “Tell you what. I’ll talk to Renee some more. Maybe there’s something or
someone behind this she knows and she just hasn’t put two and two together yet. I’ll sit her kids down, too, have a heart-to-heart with them. If they share anything I think might be useful for you, I’ll give you a call.”
Sheriff Thompson rolled back in his chair, preparing to stand himself.
“No, don’t get up,” Matt said. The older man looked beat, and apparently that chair presented a real challenge to him. “I can see myself out.” Matt pulled out his wallet and extracted a business card, handing it to Thompson. “If you do get any leads, give me a call. I’ll be in the States for a few days yet. Appreciate your time.”
“Sorry I couldn’t be of more help,” Thompson apologized, tucking Matt’s card into the chest pocket of his uniform shirt.
***
When Matt got back to the resort, he asked Renee to walk him through the Gray Cabin. He agreed—it looked as if someone had stayed there in secret.
They walked back to the duplex. Together they sat at her kitchen table and carefully reviewed pictures of the vandalism in the other cabin, too. It was cleaned up now and she had a renter there, so he didn’t go into the actual cabin.
“I’m sorry Thompson doesn’t have any answers yet,” Matt said, handing Renee’s iPad back to her after studying the pictures of the damage. “I didn’t get the impression any of this is high on his priority list.”
Renee nodded. “He seemed surprised when I called and said you were coming down.”
“Why don’t we sit down with Julie and Robbie?” Matt suggested. “I think I need to talk to them. See if maybe there’s something they haven’t wanted to mention, or didn’t think mattered. And, Renee, you have to tell Julie about the picture.”
The kids were out back playing fetch with Molly. Matt had noticed they hadn’t been around much while he was here. They were friendly enough, but mostly kept their distance. Still, he needed to talk to them about this vandalism.
Whispering Pines (Celia's Gifts Book 1) Page 31