Lauren frowned and followed Mom down the hall toward the waiting room. Maybe it wasn’t her place to worry about Granny’s meds. She’d only done a short rotation on the Psychiatric floor during her two semesters at Portland Community college and probably knew just enough to be dangerous. But there had to be some explanation for Granny’s cryptic comments.
“Did you hear me?” Mom glanced back over her shoulder, eyebrows raised.
Lauren shook her head. “I’m sorry, I didn’t.”
“I asked if you wanted to drive?”
“Sure.” Lauren pulled the key to the minivan from her bag and followed Mom outside. Fog had rolled in again, hiding the mountains in shrouds of billowing gray and white clouds.
“I really appreciate your help. I’m sure it’s not easy to drop everything and come back home.” Mom climbed in the passenger side of the minivan.
Lauren circled around to the driver’s side, buying time to formulate her answer. This wasn’t the best time to let her parents know that the man who wanted to marry their daughter was quite possibly in a heap of trouble. But the reality was that without Holden, she couldn’t survive in Portland on her own. Sliding into the driver’s seat, she propped her bag on the console between them.
“Is something else bothering you? Besides Granny, I mean?”
Where to begin? Lauren wet her lips. She didn’t have to tell Mom everything. Just enough to get a fresh perspective. “Things aren’t going well with Holden. I-I don’t know where we went wrong. One day I’m dating a handsome, successful surgeon and almost overnight, he morphed into this distracted, paranoid person that I hardly recognize.”
“He’s probably under a lot of stress. Long hours, little sleep. Maybe he needs a vacation.”
“That’s the thing. This trip was his idea. He—” She cut her words short and stole a glance at Mom.
Mom managed a weak smile but the hurt in her eyes was unmistakable. “It’s okay, honey. You’ve made it pretty clear that you don’t want to spend a lot of time here.”
“It’s just … complicated. I’ve been gone so long and things haven’t turned out like I expected. And now I’m not even sure I can marry him. I feel like all of my plans are unraveling.”
A shadow crossed Mom’s face, but she quickly recovered and shaped her lips into a gentle smile. “Maybe the Lord has something better in mind.”
“I doubt it. He’s never seemed too concerned with me.”
“Now you know that isn’t true. Jeremiah twenty-nine eleven is engraved on that locket of yours for a reason. Do you remember what that verse says?”
Lauren’s fingers fluttered to her throat where she found the locket and caressed the tiny letters engraved on the back. She nodded.
“It says ‘For I know the plans for you; plans to prosper and not to harm. Plans to give you hope and a future.’” Mom reached over and squeezed her shoulder. “Don’t give up on Him.”
That verse seemed a long way from her reality now. She deserved to be forgotten, cast aside, after the mess she’d made of things. How could anyone love her if they knew what she’d done?
Her heart as icy as the glacial peaks on the horizon, she turned the key in the ignition. Click, whirrr. Then nothing. Great.
Mom groaned and pressed her hands to her face. “Not again.”
Lauren got out and circled the car, as if the solution would materialize with a quick inspection.
“So this has happened before?” she asked, rubbing her arms vigorously. She hoped somewhere in her overstuffed suitcases she managed to pack at least one sweater. In her rush to get to the airport, she must have left her jacket in the hall closet.
Mom got out of the van, holding her cell phone. “This van is so temperamental.”
“Why don’t you get Chip to look at it?” Chip Harvey repaired everybody’s cars for as long as she could remember. She loved visiting his shop with her Dad when she was a little girl. Mr. Harvey walked with a limp but he always ambled over to the tiny waiting area that smelled like motor oil and Windex to offer her a dum dum. She would snatch the sucker from his outstretched hand, trying to ignore the black grime that caked every fingernail. He always let her watch Scooby Doo on the miniscule black and white TV while they waited.
Mom chewed the corner of her lip. “Chip passed away. His kids didn’t want the shop so it closed. We haven’t made the time to find someone else. Seth can usually get it running again, anyway.”
Lauren swallowed hard. The older Harvey girl was in her class. Beth. She married the Clawson boy right after graduation. She shook her head. It would be hard to lose a parent so young. When things settled down at the Inn she would drop by Beth’s house, maybe bring flowers.
“Let’s track down Dad. He can swing by and give us a ride.”
“I’m freezing, I’ll wait inside.” Lauren said. They abandoned the minivan and scurried back to the hospital as a light rain began to fall.
A carafe of coffee beckoned from a side table in the waiting room. Lauren filled a Styrofoam cup and held it close, letting the steam warm her face. Dad wasn’t answering his phone so Mom had moved on to other options.
The clock on the wall ticked closer to three p.m. and Lauren started to pace. Guests could arrive at any time and the beds still weren’t made. Seth could not be counted on to check anybody in, much less prep the rooms.
“Seth can come get us.” Mom said, dropping her phone in her lap. “Matthew will stay and greet the guests until one of us gets home.”
“I hope Angela gets the kids out of there.”
Mom stared, eyes twinkling. “Do you think my grandchildren are bad for business?”
“Customers invest in an Alaskan vacation. They purchase an experience. I don’t think toddlers eating goldfish crackers appeals to them. We need to manage our presentation. Blow them away with a unique first impression.” Lauren felt her adrenaline pump as she envisioned the possibilities. “What about hors D’oeuvres and complimentary wine in the afternoon? Or a hot chocolate bar and s’mores by the fire pit for a more casual feel?”
“Wow.” The corners of Mom’s lips twitched. “I can see you’ve given this some thought.”
“It’s basic marketing, Mom.”
“And I thought you were a medical assistant.” Mom patted her hand. “I appreciate your input, love. We have always been a family business. Kids underfoot keep me young.”
Mom was missing the point completely. “But I think—”
“Oh, look. There’s Seth’s truck. Let’s get out of here.” Mom was out of her chair before Lauren could finish her objection.
Lauren sat motionless for a minute, teeth pressed into her lower lip. She didn’t expect Mom to shoot her ideas down so quickly. It didn’t take an expert to figure out that the Inn was struggling. Still clutching her coffee cup, she followed Mom back out to the minivan.
Seth had already popped the hood and was leaning over the engine, bushy brows knitted together.
“Thanks for coming, sweetie.” Mom patted him on the arm and leaned in next to him. “What do you think?”
Seth scratched his scruffy chin and shrugged. “Don’t know yet. C-c-could be the starter. Just p-p-put in a n-n-new battery last month.”
Lauren sighed. “Want to try jumping it?”
Seth grinned. “We could give it a shot. You a m-m-mechanic now?”
“No, smarty. I just drive an old car.”
“C-c-cables are in my truck.”
Lauren set her coffee on the hood of Seth’s battered maroon Ford Ranger and opened the rusty toolbox mounted behind the cab. She carried the cables back to the minivan and offered them to her brother.
“You busy later?” Seth clipped the cables on the battery.
Lauren glanced at Mom, who shrugged. “Not really. Why?”
Wiping his hands on his caramel-colored Carhart pants, Seth pulled his keys from his pocket. “P-p-party at Jess’s tonight. I want you to c-c-come with me.”
Lauren’s heart lurched. Two invi
tations within an hour. Were Shannon and Seth in on this together? “I don’t know, Seth. I’ve been gone a long time.”
“Don’t matter.”
The curious stares wouldn’t be a problem. But what if people started asking questions about why she left? That could get dicey. “Who goes to those parties anymore?”
The words were out of her mouth before she even gave them a second thought. Seth’s wounded expression made her wince. “Me.” He brushed past her to lift the hood on his truck.
She groaned and shook her head. “That’s not what I meant.”
Mom slipped her arm around Lauren’s shoulders. “He misses you, you know. Just wants to hang out with his big sister before you disappear again.”
“I’m not going to disappear.”
“He doesn’t know that.”
Lauren watched as Seth fiddled with the cables then turned back to give them instructions. She couldn’t bear to hurt his feelings. Her stomach hardened, but she would take that over the disappointment etched on Seth’s forehead.
“Seth,” she squeezed his elbow. “Thanks for inviting me. I’ll come with you.”
A wide smile broke through the storm cloud hovering on his face. His eyes lit up as they bumped fists. “Sweet. Now let’s get this c-c-car s-s-started.”
She smiled. If only she could cast her cares aside as easily as Seth.
eight
Blake grunted and hauled the last sea kayak onto the rack in the warehouse. He spent the entire afternoon with the newlyweds, paddling all over creation and answering a bazillion questions. Every single muscle ached. A hot shower and some take-out from the Thai place, maybe kick back and catch a few innings of the Mariners game on TV…the perfect end to a grueling day.
Jeremy pulled up in his truck, one arm dangled out the open window and a wide grin stretched across his face. “What up, bro?”
“I’m about to call it a night. What are you up to?” Blake tossed his hat on the hood of the truck and pulled on a well-loved University of Alaska sweatshirt.
“Jump in. Everybody’s headed for a party at Jess’s place.”
“Not everybody. I’m going home. It’s been a long day, man.”
“What if I told you a certain redhead might make an appearance?”
“How do you know?”
Jeremy winked. “Seth sent me a text. Said he talked her into going.”
Blake hesitated. He couldn’t resist. “Meet me at home. I need a shower. And I’m driving.”
Jeremy laughed and drove off, tires spewing gravel.
Blake eased into his favorite spot in front of Jess’s cabin. Close to the bon fire with an unobstructed view of the lake. The water reflected the purples and blues of Mt. Greer, a few dollops of snow still clinging to the mountain’s craggy peaks. Two trumpeter swans glided gracefully near the shore, a fluffy brood of cygnets trailing in their wake. It turned out to be a beautiful evening after all.
Blake grabbed a Coke from the cooler and settled onto his tailgate. Seth Carter’s unmistakable guffaw rang out from the crowd gathered around the fire. He was always the life of the party. Blake watched Jeremy fist-bump and high-five his way to the food.
Shannon came out of the cabin with a tray of cookies and Lauren followed with chips and salsa. Blake’s heart thrummed in his chest as he took in the dark washed jeans and pale blue V-neck sweater hugging her curves. She’d tamed her curls and they cascaded over her shoulders in bouncy ringlets. His eyes fell on the delicate hollow near her collarbone where he used to plant kisses. She caught him staring and a slow heat crawled up his neck. He smiled and raised his Coke in her direction. Real smooth, genius. She returned his smile but remained planted next to Shannon.
“You saved me a seat, how thoughtful!” Tisha plopped down on the tailgate next to him, red wine sloshing out of her glass. “Oops!” She giggled. “Party foul!”
Blake groaned inwardly as she scooted closer. Heavy floral perfume mixed with alcohol descended like a storm cloud. He glanced at Lauren. She watched, eyebrows raised, until Shannon touched her elbow and motioned toward two empty lawn chairs.
“So tell me about growing up in the wilderness of Alaska.” Tisha flung her arm dramatically toward the woods then let her hand linger on Blake’s thigh.
Are you kidding me? The fire popped and crackled, laughter rang out. He watched Lauren nibble on a carrot stick, her plate balanced on her lap.
“You’re a wonderful girl, Tish. But let’s try to keep this professional, shall we?” He removed her hand from his leg and placed it gently in her lap.
“C’mon.” Tisha pouted. “Don’t be a party pooper. Tell me a story and I’ll behave.”
It took every ounce of self-control he could muster not to get up and run. But he couldn’t embarrass her or himself in front of everybody. Besides, until they trained another employee, she was indispensable.
A few of the girls Blake had grown up with gathered around Shannon and Lauren. He could tell by the squeals of delight and Lauren’s extended arm that they were admiring her ring. That chafed him pretty good. “Why don’t I introduce you to some of the ladies here tonight? I’m sure they would love to meet you.”
Tisha wrinkled her nose. “Doubt it. They’re all about that redhead. Who is she, anyway?”
Blake’s chest tightened. He glanced over at Lauren again. Now that was a story, alright. But not one he felt like telling.
“I’ll tell you what. How about—”
“Wait.” Tisha pointed toward the road. “Who is that?”
Blake turned and looked. A tall, dark-haired guy in jeans and a bomber jacket climbed out of a taxi in Jess’s driveway. He pushed his aviator sunglasses on top of his head, surveying the crowd that circled the fire. When his eyes landed on Lauren, he slammed the door of the cab and started toward her. Somebody had turned off the radio. It was so quiet, Blake could hear the grass squeak under the guy’s fancy brown shoes as he cut across the yard. The hair on the back of Blake’s neck stood up. This looked an awful lot like trouble.
“Lo-lo?” Jess tapped her shoulder. “Do you know that guy?”
Lauren’s heart pounded in her chest. Holden. It couldn’t be.
She dropped her paper plate and it landed face-down, smearing Ranch dressing on the toe of her boot.
Ignoring the mess, she stood and closed the distance between them in several quick strides. A look of fierce determination brewed in his eyes. “What are you doing here?”
“You told me if I was sorry, I’d catch the next plane out. I chartered a flight. We need to talk.” He glanced over her shoulder. “If you aren’t too busy. I wouldn’t want to interrupt. Your mother said I could find you here.”
She stared in disbelief. “When did you talk to my mother?”
“A few minutes ago. I tried to call you when I landed but you didn’t answer. So I went to your house. Very rustic. Too bad I can’t stay.” Holden offered a sad smile.
Lauren swallowed hard. “What do you mean you can’t stay?”
“Can we talk? Privately? Please, Lauren. This is important.”
She glanced around at her old friends, staring, slack-jawed at her fiancé. “C’mon. Jess used to have a couple of chairs down on the dock. We can talk there.”
Holden followed her down to the small wooden dock that jutted out into the lake. Two rocking chairs, sporting fresh coats of white paint, sat side by side. Lauren sank into one of the chairs, her fingers trembling as she tucked a loose curl behind her ear.
“What’s going on?”
Holden still stood, staring out at the lake. “It’s complicated.”
“Is this about you dispensing medication?”
He turned, eyes narrowed. “What did you see?”
The blood drained to her toes. So there was something going on. She swallowed hard. “I’m not stupid, Holden. I watch you. The way you talk to the bartender at Papa Haydn’s. When you take me there for dinner—it’s like you have something that he wants. And he’ll do anything to ge
t it.”
Holden swore and kicked a rock. It skittered off the edge into the pond. “What else?”
She chewed her lower lip, heart thundering in her chest. “What do you mean?”
“What else do you know?” Holden started to pace. “I need to know if you’ve talked to anybody else, seen anyone hanging around your apartment, following you home. Anything.”
Lauren laughed, but it came out nervous and forced. “Have you lost your mind? Nobody’s following me, Holden. That’s crazy.”
Holden stopped pacing and dropped into the chair opposite hers. His eyes darted back toward the crowd. Then he leaned close, his voice barely a whisper. “Here’s the thing. I’m in a little trouble. I need to go off the grid for a while. I hate that I’ve dragged you into this, but I think it’s better if we don’t see each other anymore.”
His news sucked the breath right out of her. “Dragged me into what?”
Holden leaned forward, elbows on his knees. “I’m trying to be honest. Really. But I can’t tell you everything because I need to protect you.”
She snorted. “Please. Do you hear yourself right now?” A slide show of day trips to Cannon Beach and romantic dinners in the Pearl District played through her mind. He was so good to her. And a surgeon, for crying out loud. How could he possibly be in trouble?
Wait. Monique. Goosebumps pebbled her flesh. “Does Monique have anything to do with this?”
Holden dropped his chin to his chest. “Monique’s been addicted to painkillers since I operated on her knee last fall. She promised me she’d quit.”
Lauren gasped. “Holden. How could you?”
He slid from the chair and knelt at her feet. He reached for her hand, but she shrunk back. Her stomach turned. “Believe me, she’s the least of my worries right now. This is exactly why I need to go away for a while. It’s not that I don’t love you, babe. But I’m no good for you. Not like this.”
This couldn’t be happening. Hot tears pricked her eyelids. But she wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of seeing her cry. “Just go,” she whispered.
He hesitated.
Unraveled Page 6