Whispering Pines (Celia's Gifts Book 1)

by Kimberly Diede

  “I tell you what, here comes our meal. Don’t say anything more about it right now. Take a little time to think about it. Hell, I’ve had weeks to think through all the implications of taking the job, but I’m just springing it on you now. Let’s enjoy our dinner and talk about less heavy subjects. We can talk about this again later.”

  Matt gave Renee’s hand a quick squeeze before she had to pull it back to make room for her entrée. They kept the conversation light for the rest of the meal, but Renee was more reserved than usual.

  “What would you like to do now?” Matt asked as they walked back to the pickup, hands loosely linked.

  “Would you mind terribly if we called it a night? I feel a headache coming on, and I want to get back. I know we only have a few more days of your visit, though, so I don’t want you to be upset if we make an early night of it.”

  “Renee, don’t be silly. I completely understand. I dropped a bomb on you in there. You want time to think, and you want to be sure everything is OK with Julie. I’m tired, too. I’ll take you home so we can both get some rest.”

  She squeezed his hand. “Thanks, Matt. I appreciate how you always seem to get me.”

  As he walked her to her side of the pickup, he gave her a light kiss before he opened her door and said, “Hey, what’s not to get?”

  ***

  The resort was quiet when they got back. The duplex lights glowed through the trees.

  “I’ll walk you back to your place, all right?

  Renee tried to laugh. “I could pretend I’m a big girl and perfectly comfortable walking back there in the dark by myself, but I don’t like to lie. Yes, I would love for you to walk me to my door.”

  As Renee hopped off her seat onto the gravel, Matt took something out of his glove compartment. It was dark as they walked around the far side of the lodge.

  “You need to get a couple lights installed back here, Renee.”

  “Tell me about it . . . Was that a flashlight you grabbed? Can you shine it out in front of us so we don’t trip?”

  “Here, use my phone,” he said, handing her his phone with the flashlight app turned on. The beam wasn’t big enough to provide much light, but it helped. As they climbed the stairs to her front door, they could hear the television and voices inside. Matt pulled Renee up short before she could open the door. “Sounds like everything is fine in there, so I’ll head on out. Can I at least have a goodnight kiss? I think I might have earned one after a full afternoon of running errands with you,” he said with a chuckle. “Tomorrow, I get to pick what we do for at least part of the day, deal?”

  Moving into his arms, Renee sighed. “God, you feel good,” she said, raising her face for a kiss and wrapping her arms around his waist.

  Her hands met cold metal. “What the hell?” She flinched hard and pulled away.

  Shit, Matt thought, catching her by the wrists before she tripped on something and fell backward.

  “Relax,” he tried to assure her, “it isn’t a big deal.”

  “What do you mean, ‘it’s not a big deal’? Have you been carrying that in your waistband all day?”

  “No.”

  Renee paused. “Oh . . . that’s what you grabbed out of the truck, isn’t it? Not a flashlight like I thought. Why? Do you think that’s necessary?”

  He regretted tucking his gun into his waistband. Now he’d spooked her. “Mostly force of habit. But sometimes the boogey man does hide in the shadows.” His joke fell flat. “Sorry, I shouldn’t joke about that.”

  “Matt, do you think it’s dangerous out here?”

  Letting go of her wrists, he linked his fingers loosely with hers, swinging their hands softly side-to-side. “No, Renee, I don’t think it is. Honestly, I grabbed it without thinking. I almost always carry a gun. When I’m not in the States, I’m usually on duty. I feel a little naked without it. Don’t worry. I’m sorry if I freaked you out.”

  She wanted to believe him and slowly let herself relax against his chest. This time she kept her hands at his shoulders, not wanting to brush against that cold, hard metal again. At first he kissed her softly, but then he kissed her like he had been wanting to all day. She gave in to the sensations, and they made out on the porch like a couple of teenagers—until the porch light flicked on and off, and she could hear laughter inside.

  Pulling back with a groan, Matt started to laugh, too.

  “Oops . . . busted. Gotta go,” Renee said, turning away with a little wave and opening the front door, letting out more sounds of laughter and pattering feet.

  “Oh, man, OK, see you tomorrow. I’ll come back mid-morning, if that works for you,” Matt said as he took the steps down two at a time.

  “It’s a date!”

  “Good night, Matt,” Jess and Julie hollered after him through the open door, still laughing at their attempt to embarrass Renee.

  Chapter 59

  Gift of a Heart

  Matt stopped to visit the sheriff the next morning before heading back to Whispering Pines. Thompson waved him into his office.

  “So does this mean you have an answer for me?” Thompson inquired after he shut his office door, giving Matt’s hand a hearty shake. He motioned for Matt to take a seat.

  “Leaning toward ‘yes.’ I’ll decide after I have a chance to talk with your people tomorrow, but you can probably guess why I’m in town a bit ahead of schedule. Doing a little research on the area.”

  “Might be you came to see a certain resort owner, too,” Thompson said with a grin, “while you’re in town. If I were a betting man, I’d put money on it.”

  “Could be, could be. Gotta look at things from all angles, right?” Matt winked at the sheriff.

  “See, now, that’s why I think you’re the man for the job. I can tell you’re thorough and methodical as all hell. Not one to jump to conclusions without the proper legwork. I did some checking up on you, you know.”

  “I would have been disappointed if you hadn’t. Find out anything interesting?”

  Thompson took a seat across from him. “Maybe. You had an impressive career out East. But then you walked away. Want to tell me about the couple years you took off from law enforcement life? Anything I should know about?”

  “Pretty standard stuff. The job was demanding, didn’t leave time for anything else. My wife at the time didn’t appreciate it, so she dumped me. I was sick of it all, thought I’d try something new.”

  “Simple as that?”

  “Sums it up for the most part. I was involved in a tough case—missing kid—and the end result was . . . bad. Guess it was the final straw. Tried my hand at construction, refurbishing fancy old homes.”

  Thompson nodded. “How did you go from that to being a sheriff in Fiji? Didn’t know that was possible for someone from the States.”

  “Life is like that sometimes, ain’t it? My business partner was getting married on the island. One of those destination package deals. There was trouble even before the wedding, and suffice it to say I saw a side of him I didn’t like. We parted ways. He went back home, still single, and I decided I liked the island life. I bummed around for a couple months, trying to figure out my next step.”

  Matt stood and opened the door, helping himself to a cup of coffee from the old pot just outside Thompson’s office. He poured two, bringing one back in and handing it to Thompson before he shut the door again and continued with his explanation of his recent work experience.

  “Fiji has a large national police force, responsible for providing law enforcement for all the inhabited islands. Pretty big task. With the growth of tourism and influx of more non-citizens moving to Fiji, they were stretched too thin. You have to be a citizen to be on the police force, but—this was five years or so ago, before I got there—the government was getting enough pressure from the tourism industry that they had to do more.

  “They decided to set up supplemental offices in three of the more remote areas seeing lots of growth in tourism. These offices are staffed differently
than the national police force, similar to how county sheriff departments are staffed in the States. You don’t have to be a citizen of Fiji. Thought was, a more diverse law enforcement team might be better able to interact with the changing population and take some pressure off the national force. Anyhow, one of these supplemental offices had an opening. Without any better options, I was hired on as a deputy and eventually moved up the chain a bit.”

  The sheriff nodded at Matt’s story. Matt suspected the old guy already knew most of this if he had actually done his homework. But Matt saw no point in glossing over any of the pain points; honesty was always the best policy, as his father used to say.

  “So why are you so interested in what’s been happening out at Whispering Pines?” Thompson asked. “You’re like a dog with a bone, ya just can’t let it go.”

  Matt considered Thompson’s question before responding.

  “I met Renee and her kids while they were vacationing in Fiji. Guess Renee and I clicked. We didn’t spend much time together—I was working and she was only there a week—but we kept in touch after she left. We talked, emailed often. Still do. When my dad died this summer, I decided to drive up here for a visit after I got most of his affairs settled. I saw how hard Renee and her whole family were working to turn the resort around. It made me furious that someone was trying to throw cold water on their plans. I’ve learned on this job, both from cases out East and in Fiji, that there are some real nuts out there. I’m worried—particularly about Julie. She’s a great kid. They’re all great.”

  Thompson nodded. “Aunt was great, too.”

  “Celia, right,” Matt said. “My gut tells me this situation still warrants our attention. I know there’s only been a few instances, spread out over many months, but I can’t ignore it.”

  Thompson eyed his coffee but pushed it away with a sigh. “Gotta stick to green tea these days, pisses me off. Anyhow, in this case, son, I hope you’re wrong, because I would hate for those nice folks to have any more trouble. But I admire your tenacity. Back in the day, I probably could have been more help to you. But seems like I spend half my time at the damn doctor these days. Just can’t keep up here.”

  “So why don’t you tell me more about what goes on around here? I’ve been straight with you, and I’d appreciate the same candidness.”

  Sheriff Thompson complied with Matt’s request. They spent the next hour talking through the types of cases his office commonly worked on, current trouble spots, and even some of the county politics Matt would get pulled into if he pursued the position. Nothing he shared gave Matt too much consternation.

  “Thank you, Sheriff,” Matt said, rising from his chair. “I’ve taken up enough of your time. I appreciate you sharing with me what I could expect. I also want to thank you for having enough faith in me, even though we hardly know each other, to suggest I consider this. Appreciate it. I’ll see you tomorrow. If your people can get comfortable with me taking over for you, I’ll commit to getting back to you within the week with a ‘go’ or ‘no-go.’ Work for you?”

  “You bet. Sounds fair. You know what answer I’m hoping for. Sure would be nice to spend this winter somewhere away from the snow and ice!”

  As he walked out to his truck, Matt wondered if he was ready to be back in the snow and ice himself. He did miss the changing of the seasons. As he drove back out to Renee’s, he considered what Sheriff Thompson shared. The job did interest him. While they had serious issues here, like most everywhere, he wouldn’t see the daily horrors that had so worn him down out East. Maybe he would even feel like he could make a positive impact here. Make a difference.

  He found Renee painting in the lodge. He could hear her laughing as he walked in. It was hard to believe the transformation happening in the place. Grant was there, too, putting up trim around the windows after Renee got paint on the walls. He must have known Matt was in town, because he didn’t seem surprised to see him—although Matt noticed his smile cooled a few degrees.

  “Hey there, welcome back,” Grant said, giving Matt a quick handshake.

  “Grant,” Matt acknowledged.

  “Good morning!” Renee’s dimples showed as she flashed him a big smile over her shoulder. “I need to get these last three sleeping rooms painted before I even think about doing anything else today.”

  “All right, then, got another roller? ‘Many hands make light work,’ as they say. I’m pretty handy with a roller, if I do say so myself.”

  “Actually, would you mind helping Grant with the trim? That’s a bigger job and two of you could knock that out quicker together. I can handle the painting. It goes quick when I don’t have to worry about keeping it off the trim. You guys can come up behind me after it dries a bit.”

  Matt and Grant eyed each other briefly.

  “You bet,” Matt said, “wherever you need me.”

  “Can you get those trim boards over in that pile cut down to size?” Grant asked, then added dubiously, “You do know how to use a table saw, right?”

  “Yep,” Matt replied. “Done a bit of construction in my day.”

  “Of course you have,” was all Grant said, turning back to finish nailing a piece in place.

  For the first time, Renee noticed a slight change in the atmosphere. She gave both Matt and Grant a thoughtful look and then got back to work. A boom box in the hallway was set to a local rock radio station, playing music from the ’80s and ’90s. The music filled the silence as the three of them got to work, the men talking only when they were giving each other work-related instructions. Renee had to pick up her pace to stay ahead of the two of them. She finished up one room and moved on to the next. She had to be careful of the ceilings, but since the trim was coming up behind her and the floor wasn’t in yet, she didn’t have to be as careful of the floor.

  Lost in thought, Renee was about to start her fourth wall in the second bedroom. She stopped briefly to rub a sore shoulder. Matt quietly came up behind her to massage her shoulders. She didn’t hear him coming and gave a tiny squeal of surprise, but leaned back into him when she saw who it was, closing her eyes to enjoy a minute of pampering. When Matt started nuzzling her neck, she shied away a little, turning to face him.

  “Where’s Grant?” she asked. “I don’t want to embarrass him.”

  “He stepped out to take a call. No one’s around but us.”

  “Well, in that case,” Renee replied, grinning up at Matt, “I suppose I can take a little break.”

  He looked as good in the old jeans and flannel shirt as he had back on the island where he’d looked all official and sexy in his uniform. He wasn’t built like a man who spent any time sitting at a desk. While she could see a bit of silver weaving its way through his hair, his body could pass for that of a thirty-year-old. She wished she was as fit as Matt, but she did notice her favorite jeans were almost too big on her these days. They had always been her favorites because they were soft and comfortable, but now they were baggy. All this physical labor seemed to have melted away her hated muffin-top.

  Break ended too soon when Grant and Jess came back through the front door. Jess popped in to say hello and headed upstairs with a huge box of books. Grant lugged a second box up behind her before coming back down and getting back to work on the trim. After a few more hours of work, Renee called it a day—“We all call it a ‘day,’ dear,” Matt teased—happy to have gotten so much accomplished. Grant headed back to his cabin a bit earlier, saying he was on deadline for an article. He had been quieter than usual, Renee noticed.

  Julie made dinner for the four of them, testing out a recipe of Val’s. Together, they all did some work on the design of brochures for their retreats planned for November and December. They wanted to have them available to hand out during the open house. Matt could see he wasn’t going to get a chance to be alone with Renee, and he was tired. It had been a busy day. He said his goodbyes, but not before securing another dinner date for the following evening.

  Renee knew she was going to have t
o talk to Matt about him possibly taking the new job. She wasn’t sure why she had been putting it off, keeping them busy and not allowing much time for the two of them. A big part of her was excited by the possibility he might move closer . . . but she still couldn’t understand why he would want to give up living in Fiji. Was it possible he felt strongly enough about her to give it up?

  What worried her the most was the possibility he would see that her life wasn’t that exciting and become bored with her if he spent more time here.

  ***

  Matt didn’t tell her where he was taking her for dinner, but he asked her to dress up. When he picked her up the following evening, he wore a dark-gray sports jacket over black dress slacks. She was relieved she had opted to wear her little black dress. She grabbed the silk shawl she bought for herself at the market in Fiji. The swirls of brilliant blues and turquoise reminded her of the ocean at sunset. Julie answered the door to Matt as Renee was coming down the stairs. Her heart tripped a little at the dazzling smile he shot her way.

  “Mom,” Julie said, a twinkle in her eye, “Jess bought that new movie everyone was talking about this summer, and I’m going over there for girls’ night. So stay out as late as you want, and I’ll crash over there with her. Don’t worry. Grant said he and Grace were staying in tonight, too, so if I hear anything go bump in the night, I can call him. You two go out and have fun. All you’ve been doing is working since Matt got here.”

  Giving her daughter a quick peck on the cheek and grabbing her purse, she said goodbye and followed Matt out into the deepening dusk, not sure whether to thank Julie or scold her for being so obvious with her insinuations. She decided to let it go—Julie wasn’t a little girl anymore, and besides, Renee didn’t want to worry about anything back here while she was gone.

  She was nervous enough as it was about the upcoming evening.

  Matt was again the perfect gentlemen. His southern upbringing meant impeccable manners when he was on his best behavior, and apparently their date was one of those times. He opened every door for Renee and pulled her chair out for her at the fancy restaurant where he’d made reservations. Renee hadn’t been there before and only knew of it because of research she’d done of the top-rated dining establishments in the area. The food was excellent, and the service wonderful. As the last of their plates were cleared away, Renee had a feeling of déjà vu as she held up her wine to clink glasses with Matt in a silent toast.