Matt stood alone in the low brush and looked up at the second floor of the cabin, his hands casually stuffed into his coat pockets, a baseball cap turned backwards on top of his head...and smiled at me.
***
By the time I flung open the front door and sprinted off the porch steps, he was long gone. I walked back inside and closed up the front door, locking it on purpose for the first time since arriving. Zoey sensed my anxiety and ran around me in circles as I rushed back up the stairs to grab my coat, before I bolted out the front door again, jogging up the trail towards the main lodge. There was no point in telling Fin or Connor that Matt was watching me. I doubted they could even walk in a straight line at that point.
I hiked up the trail so fast that a small sheen of sweat had broken out on my forehead. I stripped my coat off, and tossed it over my shoulder as I walked. The forest around me was still and quiet, but I could hear the sounds of people up ahead. Sure enough, when I hit the fork in the trail I stumbled into Skip.
“Hey there, Riley,” he said, with a big smile crinkling the deep wrinkles around his eyes into little rainbow shapes.
I panted a hello and moved my coat from one shoulder to the other. “Sorry, but have you seen Matt come through here?” I asked him, slightly out of breath.
“Matt? I haven’t seen him since he took off this morning. Why, is everything okay?” He looked at me warily and his smile faded into a frown.
“Oh yes, of course. I just thought I saw him by the cabins. I’m sure I’ll find him with the others.” I tried to smile up at him.
“Okay.” He looked up and down the trail before asking, “How about I come with you?” He smiled at me while we followed the pathway back up to the main building. “I was just checking out the suites. This is a pretty great place.”
I nodded in agreement. “It’s sort of perfect. I hope we can keep it that way.” I looked up at his face, and the wrinkles around his eyes deepened into trenches when he grinned.
“I hope so too,” he said.
We talked along the path and Skip told me how he ran into Jacks at a gas station on the outskirts of the northern part of the county. Kris, the young and quiet girl, and Winchester, the neat accountant, were both with him.
“How did you meet up with the others?” I asked.
“Well, we went back and forth in the City for a while, following your messages.” He paused to bend over and re-tie his shoe before continuing. “And we stumbled upon Matt and the others at the hotel.”
“I’m sorry. For sending you all over like that. It made sense at the time, leaving messages. But I guess it wasn’t the best way to go about it.” I waited for him to pull his sock up and readjust his pant leg before we started walking again.
“Nonsense. Don’t apologize. It’s not like any of us had anything better to do. Plus, it had a happy ending, after all, right?” His hiking shoes were worn and dirty, broken in. But his clothing all seemed new which wasn’t surprising...most of us had raided a store or two in the last few months.
“So, what did you do before...well, before this?” I asked him, to change the subject.
“Me, I was a coach. High school weight training, and a little football.” He stopped abruptly and threw an invisible football through the air, making me laugh. I had almost forgotten why I was walking back to the lodge until I saw the buildings come into view.
“Thanks for walking with us.” I gestured down at Zoey, who was wagging her tail at Skip. “She likes you,” I said, with a laugh when he patted his chest and Zoey pawed at him with her front feet.
“Ah, I miss my dog,” he said sadly. “Roger passed just before my wife and daughter.” He paused before looking at me fondly. “She was about your age I’d guess…you know, you remind me of her a bit.” A far-away look spread across his face.
“I’m sorry.” I hung my head low, suddenly feeling guilty for having Zoey, and finding someone like Connor and then getting Jacks back in my life.
“You’re a lucky girl, Riley. Don’t forget that.” He flashed a genuine smile at me, before patting my shoulder and walking off towards the lodge patio.
I watched Skip’s back as he walked away. I sure didn’t feel lucky and I was starting to wonder if I was cursed...maybe we all were.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
I found Jacks in the hotel lobby speaking with Skip. Kris was sitting in a nearby chair, a small backpack between her feet. She still had the hood of her dark sweatshirt pulled up over her head and she looked tired and a little nervous. Winchester came in the front door, rolling a large black Coach suitcase out behind him. He nodded to me as he passed through the room and took the stairs to the second floor. I could hear each thump of the suitcase as the heavy bag hit step after step.
“Winchester is staying up here?” I asked Jacks.
“Nope. Ana.”
I was beyond thrilled when he went on to tell me that Ana had announced the cabins were too far of a walk for her and that she would be taking one of the large hotel-style rooms in the main building. This was great news for me since I was pretty certain we had nothing in common and I didn’t relish the idea of having her as a neighbor.
“Bobby said he’s staying up here too, and since Alan follows him and Matt everywhere, I’m guessing he’ll be somewhere close.” Skip said.
“What about you?” I asked him.
“Me, if it’s okay with you, I’d love to take a room in one of those cabins.”
“Of course! There’s plenty of room down there...and each cabin has three bedrooms.” I smiled at him, and he seemed to relax a bit.
“Kris,” Jacks turned to face the teenager, “Where do you want to stay?”
She shrugged her shoulders just as Ana came in from the front with a set of more Coach travel bags in her arms and pushed past us to the stairway. I doubt she was entirely out of earshot before Kris spoke for the first time.
“Not here.” She said sarcastically.
“Hon, you’re welcome to bunk with me, but I warn ya, I snore.” Skip laughed.
“Yeah, I know.” She retorted.
“Which is why I’ll stay with Jacks.” Winchester said with a soft laugh as he walked into the room.
“Well, Kris, you can stay with me and Zoey if you want. Seems like I have an extra room available now.” I grinned at her.
She surprised me by smiling faintly back and saying, “Okay, sure.”
“Well, that’s settled then. Now everyone has a place.” I smiled at the small group. “Who needs help with their stuff?”
Winchester pointed upstairs. “She’s the only one that has an actual set of suitcases.” We laughed.
“I’ll show you the way, if you’re ready?” I started walking through the lobby as Jacks snuck up behind me.
He whispered over my shoulder into my ear, “Just remember, I’ll be right next door…in case you need me.”
I didn’t say anything, just nodded and opened the back door. I stood aside while everyone filed out onto the porch. Zoey ran into the grass and rubbed her snout along the ground. Kris laughed and tossed a thick twig across the lawn for the dog to chase. It seemed Kris could smile after-all.
***
I avoided Fin’s cabin, even though the front door was still open and the sounds of drunken laughter could be heard from far up the trail. Zoey ran ahead of us down the path, excited to have people around her again. Skip took a cabin right smack in the middle, number four, and we waved at him as he retreated inside to unpack his things. Jacks was true to his word, and claimed cabin number six, right next door to me. Kris and I hovered at the door for a moment while Jacks and Winchester walked through the lower half of the cabin. The interior wasn’t exactly the same as ours but the same pieces of furniture were inside, only arranged in a slightly different fashion, opening up the living area more, and filling up the walls with seating and tables. The kitchen had the same glass cabinets but I could see that the colors of the dishes were more muted...full of greys, slate blues and darker greens.
For the first time, I realized each cabin had a slightly different color scheme. The sofa pillows were similar to the dishes with the exception of a few bright orange and yellow patterns.
I told the two men that I’d be next door, getting Kris settled in, but that they could come over when they finished exploring their cabin. After Kris quietly followed me next-door, I caught her watching me as I closed the door and peered out the window, and she asked why it had been locked.
“Oh, force of habit, I guess.” I smiled at her, not wanting to explain that I had seen Matt watching me from the woods earlier that morning.
She stood awkwardly in the living room, so I walked into the kitchen and pulled out some snacks and glasses for water. After I had neatly displayed everything on the counter in colorful bowls she wandered over and sat on a stool. She seemed tiny, lost in herself, as she picked at the nuts and granola and cut pieces of fruit while she sipped her water slowly.
We ate in silence for a bit, until I told her about the deer. She perked up, and said she might go for a walk later, and try and spot it herself, and I warned her to stay off the lake, since the ice wasn’t solid enough to walk across it. Fifteen minutes of small talk later we heard Jacks knock on the front door. Zoey barked at him, but was already wagging her tail before I had a chance to open the door.
Winchester and Skip were standing on the front porch steps, looking at the view, talking about the weather. Jacks smiled and leaned seductively against the door frame, and said in an exaggerated western movie accent, “Howdy, neighbor.”
“Howdy.” I said back to him, with a chuckle. He always knew how to make others laugh. It was one of the things I used to love about him.
“Come on in. Want a snack?” I asked the men.
They huddled around the kitchen island and I sat on the counter by the sink, my glass in my hand and smiled at the banter back and forth between the men, with the occasional quip from Kris. The group had obviously gotten close over the last several weeks, though it seemed Kris was considerably more guarded than the rest of them.
“Hey kiddo, why don’t you take your sweatshirt off, it’s not going to rain in the kitchen.” Skip said to Kris.
She sighed, and slowly began unzipping her hoodie, and after she pushed it off her head I could see her thick, mousy brown hair, cut just above her shoulders, and another long, pink scar on her neck. I chewed on my lip, trying not to stare at the injuries. She slumped over a bowl of green olives and began slurping the pimentos out, one by one, never looking up at me. I glanced at Jacks, who shrugged his shoulders and tossed a handful of granola into his mouth.
The mood had darkened a bit so I brought up dinner. “What do you say we eat at the Rec building with the group tonight? They have grills, and an entertainment system.”
Winchester said, “Sure”.
Jacks nodded yes, while still chewing his food.
“I think that sounds like a great idea, Riley.” A familiar voice said calmly from the front door.
Zoey barked, jumped off the couch and trotted into the kitchen. She sat down at my feet and did one of her fake sneezes.
I stared at Matt coolly, before forcing a smile. “Hello Matt. Where did you disappear off to?” I asked as casually as I could manage.
Winchester turned on his stool, with a bowl of pretzels in his hand, holding it out to Matt. “Hungry?” He asked him.
I glared at the back of Winchester’s head, and made no offer to get Matt a glass of water as he walked to the kitchen.
“A little bit, actually.” Matt looked at me while he spoke. “So, dinner in the Rec room tonight, huh?” He smiled broadly but his dark eyes had an icy edge to them.
“It was just an idea. We’ll see what the other’s say.” I looked down at my feet, where Zoey was sitting, her haunches trembling. I scratched her side with my foot and she looked up at me, her brown eyes anxious, but her tail swished gently on the varnished wood floor, letting me know she was okay.
“I think it’s a fantastic idea, what do you guys think?” Matt leaned against the kitchen island, next to Kris, causing her to jump a little.
“I think it’s up to our hosts to decide.” Skip said, taking a sip of his water glass.
“Our hosts?” Matt laughed, and again, Kris jumped. I looked between the two of them, and wondered what had happened that made Kris so afraid of him.
I felt the color rise to my cheeks, but I kept my voice calm. “How about we meet at the Rec room around 4:00. That gives you time to gather up the rest of the group, Matt. I’ll go let Connor and Fin know.”
“Oh, I’m not sure they’ll make it. They sound like they’re having a great time down there.” He looked over his shoulder, in the direction of Fin’s cabin. “Maybe I should head over, join the party.” He looked at me again with the same piercing stare and fake smile. His short, brown hair had grown out long enough for the edges to brush against his ears.
I swallowed hard and slid off the counter at the same time Jacks stood from his stool. “If you do, let us know how that goes.” Jacks said, without looking up at Matt.
He walked around the island and gave me a quick hug before ushering Skip and Winchester out of the kitchen, and nodding at Matt to follow him.
“Come on Matt, let’s go find your friends, and get some things together for dinner.”
I mouthed a ‘thank you’ at him while he waited for Matt to stroll onto the front porch ahead of him. He nodded a smile at me and stepped outside, closing the door behind him.
“Matt is such an asshole.” Kris said flatly.
I blinked at her with surprise - it was the longest sentence she had said to me all day. When she looked up at me, I stared at her with my mouth wide open, and we both burst out laughing.
***
I left Kris in the cabin to shower and change while I trudged over to Fin’s place alone. The front door of the cabin was still open but it was eerily quiet inside. I stepped up to the doorway, and slowly leaned my head inside. The smell of alcohol filled the living room and something else...a sugary, burnt smell.
I walked inside, stepping over Fin’s boots that had been left in front of the couch, and stood in the center of the room, listening to the silence. As I turned towards the staircase to check upstairs, a metallic sound exploded from the kitchen, making me jump.
“Damn it!” Fin’s voice boomed.
“Don’t move, Fin! Just, stay still!” Connor shouted.
I approached the island barrier of the kitchen carefully and went up on my toes, peering over the unusually messy counter top. Fin was on the ground, on all fours, and Connor was kneeling beside him. They both had their heads tucked inside the cupboard under the sink. Several baking pans were scattered on the ground and two of them appeared to have the remnants of burnt cupcakes inside them still. Flour was everywhere...the counters, the sink, the floor...and all over both men.
Fin slammed the large skillet inside the cupboard again, making me flinch.
“You won’t catch it that way, ye dope!” Connor yelled again, his Irish accent strong.
I felt a giggle rising up my throat and I clamped a hand over my mouth. Fin wiggled around under the sink some more, and slid the pan over to the wall, banging it up against the wood. Connor jerked his head out and held his left ear.
“Ah, you bleedin’ gimp!” He hollered. “You trying to make me deaf?!”
I couldn’t control my giggles anymore and a choking sound escaped from my lips. I gave up trying to hold it in and leaned onto the counter, laughing out loud while tears began filling my eyes.
Connor tried to turn around and slipped sideways in the flour, spinning on his rear and ending up on his back, one arm holding onto the cupboard door, the other flailing about in the powdery mess on the floor. Fin banged his head on the underside of the sink and came out cursing, and also slid in the flour. Both of them stared at me like I was an alien creature for a minute and I dropped my head down into my arms and howled with laughter.
Half of Fin’
s face was completely covered with baking flour and Connor’s dark hair was white with it. Eventually, Fin cleared his throat and used his long legs to push against the island and leaned against the counters by the open cupboard. “What’s so funny?” He said, his voice several octaves higher than usual. When he blinked, white flakes drifted from his eyelashes down his cheeks, like he was crying snow. He wiped at his face casually.
“What, ya never seen a man bake before?” He asked.
The tears from my eyes finally spilled out and ran down my face. “This is baking?” I asked, choking my words out in between bursts of laughter as I waved my hand around the room. “I think the flour has won.”
Fin blinked, dusting his cheeks with more of the fine powder.
Connor pointed like a little boy at Fin and said, “It’s his fault!”
I laughed harder.
“You’re the one that let it go!” Fin snapped back.
They began to argue back and forth, while I continued to laugh. Connor seemed to be insulting Fin with words I had never heard him use before in a very strong Irish accent. When he called Fin a ‘gimp’ again Fin’s eyes widened and he swung at Connor with a towel.
As Connor struggled to get up from the slick floor, a large brown lizard with dark stripes bolted from the open cupboard and dashed across the room, leaving a zigzag trail in the flour with his feet and tail. I walked around the counter and put my foot down, stopping it from running into the living room. When I bent to look under the lip of the island, the lizard was pressed into the small space between the wood and the floor, having wedged itself into the crack as far as it could.
I Hope You Find Me Page 19