Unraveled

by Heidi McCahan

  Blake could see Shannon holding one end of a long yellow ribbon that marked the finish line. Susannah cried out in pain and fell to the pavement, clutching her calf muscle. Lauren hesitated for half a step and then blew past her. The ribbon curled around her abdomen and she thrust both arms in the air.

  Blake turned to Jeremy. “Unbelievable.”

  Jeremy grinned. “I knew she could do it.”

  They jogged down the edge of the street, eager to celebrate their win. Shannon was clapping and jumping up and down when the rest of the team surrounded Lauren.

  “Great race!” Shannon squeezed Lauren’s shoulder. “I’m proud of you.”

  Lauren hugged her back, smiling as she tried to catch her breath. “Thanks.” She panted and looked back at Susannah.

  “Don’t worry about her,” Shannon said, following her gaze. Susannah had grasped the hands offered and stood. “She’ll be fine.”

  Jeremy pumped his fist in the air. “Nicely done, Lo-lo. Way to take out your opponent.”

  Lauren cringed. “I didn’t take her out. I think she cramped up.”

  A lop-sided grin spread across his face. “You know I’m kidding.”

  “Great race, girl.” Jess gave Lauren a high five and then bumped fists with Blake. “Nice work out there, dude.”

  “Thanks,” Blake said. “We were quite a team today.” He stared at Lauren while she took a long sip of water from the bottle Shannon offered. She lowered the bottle, wiping the sweat from her brow with the sleeve of her shirt. She turned to him and smiled. His pulse surged in response.

  “Thank you for cheering for me. I wanted to give up and you kept me going.”

  Their friends stared expectantly, watching this brief interaction with great interest. While he cheered for her in hopes that she might win the race, they obviously had loftier expectations. Take it easy, guys. Blake cleared his throat. “Happy to help.”

  “I’m taking my girl out for lunch. Anybody want to join us? We can celebrate, just like the glory days.” Jess slung his arm around Shannon’s shoulders. Blake waited for Lauren to respond first. She glanced in the direction of her family. “I don’t think so. I’d like to spend some time with my Granny this afternoon.”

  Shannon nodded. “Of course. It’s so great to see her out here today.”

  “I’ll take a rain check, too. There’s stuff to do at the shop,” Blake said. Jeremy had convinced him to close down for the festival and the race. While his shoulder appreciated the rest, he was afraid to see what lurked in his inbox and voicemail.

  “Catch you all at the dance tonight, then.” Jess said. “You’re going, right, Lauren?”

  Lauren hesitated. “Maybe. Why?”

  “You have to. The winning team always makes an appearance. It’s tradition.” Jeremy and Shannon exchanged glances. “Besides, Blake needs somebody to dance with.”

  Lauren tipped her head, green eyes dancing as she studied him. “I’m sure he’ll have plenty of willing partners.”

  “You know there’s only one he wants,” Blake said, enjoying the blush that crept over her cheeks at his bold statement. He hoped he didn’t run her off. She’d made her feelings crystal clear. But if she was going to look at him like that, he wasn’t going to pass up a chance to tell her how he felt.

  “Whew.” Shannon fanned her face with her hand. “Is it getting warm out here or what?”

  “This is one dance I don’t want to miss, I can tell you that.” Jeremy pointed at his eyes then at Blake’s, a knowing smile on his face.

  “Stop.” Blake slid his arm around Jeremy’s head and tugged him into a headlock, rubbing his knuckles against Jeremy’s sweaty scalp. Just what he needed, another smart remark to make the situation even more awkward.

  They all laughed, easing the tension.

  “I need to speak to my family.” Lauren waved. “Thanks for including me on your team. It was fun.”

  Jeremy freed himself from Blake’s grip and scooted away. “See ya later, bro.”

  Jess and Shannon stood beside him, watching him watch Lauren walk away.

  “I’m proud of you, Blake,” Shannon said. “I knew you wouldn’t give up on her.”

  Blake shook his head, still staring after her. “I couldn’t if I tried, Shan.”

  Several former teachers and a few classmates stopped to congratulate Lauren. She shook their hands and smiled, making her way slowly through the crowd. Granny was surrounded by a cluster of well-wishers and Lauren waited patiently for people to step aside so she could get to her family, three generations of Carters

  celebrating their hometown. His heart ached. Anyone could see this was exactly where she belonged. What would it take to convince her?

  twenty five

  Lauren sat in the middle seat of Matt and Angela’s minivan, wedged between Joshua and Gavin’s car seats. She stared out the window as they drove toward the Inn, her stomach swirling with the same butterflies she carried when she left this morning. What had she agreed to back there? She’d all but promised a dance with Blake. She shook her head. Not a good idea.

  Matt met her eyes in the rearview mirror. “Everything okay?”

  “Yeah, I’m fine. Thinking about the race, that’s all.”

  “That was fun to watch. You all made a great team.” Matt turned up the driveway into the Inn.

  “Are you expecting early guests today?” Angela pointed to a sleek sedan parked out front.

  “Uh-oh.” The hair on Lauren’s arms stood up. “I think that’s Aunt Jane’s rental car.”

  “That’s interesting. I wonder why she’s here by herself?” Matt shifted the van into park.

  Joshua tugged his thumb out of his mouth. “What’s wrong, Mommy?”

  Angela glanced over her shoulder and feigned a reassuring smile. “Nothing, honey. We’re surprised Aunt Jane wasn’t at the race, that’s all.”

  “She had boxes to pack,” Joshua said.

  Lauren’s heart thudded in her chest. “What are you talking about?”

  “She told me. She wanted to pack Granny’s stuff in boxes.” Joshua shoved his thumb back in his mouth.

  “Oh, boy.” Matt opened his door. “I think we’d better get in there.”

  Emmy and Ava started babbling from their car seats in the third row. Gavin’s eyes popped open. He pushed his pacifier out of his mouth and began to cry.

  “Do you want help unbuckling the girls?” She tried to give Gavin his pacifier back but he responded with a louder cry.?”

  Angela shook her head. “It’s too hard to get them all back in their car seats. You go ahead.”

  “I wanna go.” Joshua fussed as Lauren crawled over him and opened the minivan’s sliding door. Lauren hopped out and turned back to speak to Angela. “I can watch him.”

  Lauren could see the tension in the Angela’s rigid shoulders as she sat silently in the front seat, staring out the windshield. Then she nodded. “That would be great. Thank you, Lauren. Be a good listener, Joshua.”

  “Yahoo,” Joshua cheered and popped out of his car seat before anyone could change their mind. Lauren grabbed his hand and helped him jump out of the van. “Come on, let’s go find Mitchell.”

  They set off across the sloping front lawn toward the water. Lauren whistled and Joshua called for him but the only sound they heard was the water lapping against the rocky shoreline.

  “Let’s look behind the house.” They circled around the back of the house, tramping through the bushes and yelled for Mitchell one more time. Lauren longed to go inside and see what Aunt Jane had done in their absence. But it was probably better if Matt handled things.

  The rumble of motors and tires crunching on gravel brought them back around to the driveway. Dad climbed out of his patrol car while two men Lauren didn’t recognize slammed the doors on their Ford Escape. Lauren gripped Joshua’s hand in her own. He rattled off questions faster than she could formulate answers.

  “Who are those guys? Can we see Mitchell now? Where’s Grandma? What
’s Grandpa doing? Is Aunt Jane here?” Joshua’s little hand squeezed Lauren’s tighter and his body hummed with anticipation.

  Lauren smothered a smile behind her free hand. Mitchell came out of the Inn with Matt, bounded down the stairs and proceeded to bark with wild abandon at the strangers in the driveway.

  Joshua fussed and tried to climb up Lauren’s legs. Matt shook his head and rolled his eyes heavenward. “Joshua, come here, buddy.” Matt reached for his son and scooped him up in his arms. “Everything is going to be okay. It looks like Grandpa has a couple of friends with him today.”

  Joshua wrapped his arms around Matt’s neck and clung to him. Lauren glanced toward the Inn. “What’s she up to in there?”

  Matt shifted Joshua in his arms and frowned. “I didn’t speak to her. There are boxes all over the living room floor, labeled like she plans to pack them with Granny’s stuff. Does Mom know about this?”

  Lauren nodded. “We sorted some stuff out last night. I assumed she had Mom’s blessing to keep going. I’m a little concerned she was here by herself, though.”

  “I wonder—”

  “Lauren?” Dad motioned for her to join them. “Matt, will you excuse us for a minute?” Her stomach tightened. She looked at Matt and shrugged. What was this about?

  “I think we’ll head home. See you later.” Matt took a very agitated Joshua back to the car. Lauren walked across the grass and met Dad and the two men in front of the porch. They were young, clean-shaven and wearing jeans and North Face fleece jackets. When they pulled their wallets from their pockets and flashed their badges, she stopped walking. “What’s going on?”

  “I’m Detective Clark, this is Detective Holmes. We’re from the Portland PD and we’d like to ask you a few questions.”

  She swallowed hard. “Okay.”

  “Are you Monique Warren’s roommate?”

  Lauren’s scalp prickled. “Yes. What happened?”

  “We picked her up for selling narcotics to an undercover officer. She won’t say where she’s getting the medication. We thought maybe you could help us figure that out.” The detective’s piercing blue eyes bore into her. Lauren trembled. Oh, Holden. What have you done?

  Dad cleared his throat. “Answer their questions, sweetheart. Do you know where your roommate got the drugs?”

  “Monique had surgery last year. Her orthopedic surgeon prescribed painkillers throughout her recovery.”

  “Did you ever see this surgeon prescribe the medication you’re referring to?” The other detective scribbled notes on a small pad he’d pulled from the chest pocket of his jacket.

  “Yes.”

  “Do you know this surgeon’s name?”

  Lauren hesitated. “Yes. Holden Kelly. He was my fiancé.”

  The detectives exchanged glances. “Was?”

  “Yes. He recently broke off the engagement.”

  “Because he was dispensing medication illegally or is there another reason?”

  A surge of irritation coursed through her veins. “I didn’t say—”

  “Boys, that’s it for today.” Dad held up his hand. “You’ve got enough info there to proceed with your investigation.”

  Detective Holmes pressed his lips into a thin line. He glanced at his partner then at Lauren. “We’re not finished, Ms. Carter. You can expect a subpoena when this case goes to trial.”

  An icy ball of apprehension settled in her stomach. “I—I’ll be back in Portland next week.”

  “We’ll be in touch. Thanks for your time.” They shook Dad’s hand and returned to their rental car.

  “Have a safe trip home,” Dad said. Once the detectives started the car, Dad leaned down and kissed her forehead. “I’m sorry about that. The chief told me they were coming but I didn’t want to interrupt your race to tell you.”

  “I’ve half-expected someone to start asking questions.” She watched the car until it disappeared from sight down the hill. “What will happen to Holden?”

  “Hard to say. They will conduct a thorough investigation, I’m sure.”

  Lauren swallowed against the lump that formed in her throat. She never imagined her relationship with Holden would come to this. “I need to shower,” she mumbled.

  “I need to go pick up your mom. I’ll be back,” Dad said.

  She nodded and climbed the steps, her legs trembling. Turning the knob, she opened the door and went in, closing it quietly behind her. She leaned against it and looked around. Several cardboard boxes were lined up in front of the fireplace, each partially filled with Granny’s possessions. Aunt Jane wasn’t in the living room and Lauren sank onto the couch, her gut twisting in an anxious knot. Monique. Arrested. Where was Holden in all of this? Did she need an attorney? She dropped her head in her hands and groaned. What a mess.

  Lifting her head, three framed photographs stacked on the coffee table caught her attention. She picked up the top one and blew off the dust that had accumulated on the frame. It was a favorite picture of her with Matt and Seth. Pop had taken them fishing in his boat. They were each grinning and proudly holding up silver Salmon on the end of their fishing lines. She couldn’t help but smile. At the time, the fish seemed huge. Seth had talked about that fishing trip for weeks afterward. Miss you, Pop.

  “You can keep it if you want.”

  Lauren squealed and jumped up, her heart pounding. She whirled around. Aunt Jane stood halfway between the kitchen and the couch, holding another cardboard box. “Aunt Jane, you scared me to death. Where did you come from?”

  “I didn’t mean to scare you. I was up in the loft.”

  Goosebumps shot down her arms. She moved around the couch, gripping the frame so tightly that the wooden edges jabbed against her palms. “You were what?”

  “In the loft, looking for more of Mother’s things to pack up.” Aunt Jane arched one perfectly penciled eyebrow. “I hope you don’t mind.”

  “Um, actually, I do mind. I’d rather you not go snooping around when no one else is here. What exactly are you doing with all of these boxes?”

  “What I should’ve done a long time ago.” Aunt Jane squared her shoulders. “I’m taking Mother back to San Diego with me. It’s obvious you all lack the means to provide for her care.”

  “That is absolutely not true. My parents would move heaven and earth to take care of Granny. Unlike you, who—”

  Aunt Jane snorted, holding up one hand to silence her. “Please. Spare me the tired lecture of how irresponsible I was, running off when things got tough.” She fixed her with an icy stare. “How’s that saying go? ‘People who live in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones’? You are the last person who should be doling out criticism, Lauren.”

  twenty six

  The first notes of Lady Antebellum’s “Dancing Away With My Heart” spilled from the speakers. Several couples strolled hand in hand onto the dance floor. Lauren surveyed the crowd inside the community center. Wow. Packed house. Almost all of Emerald Cove had turned out for the Cove to Creek dance, including one particular blond-haired blue-eyed paddler. She watched him, talking to one of his old buddies. The mirrored disco ball sprayed confetti flecks of light across his broad shoulders. Her eyes lingered, enjoying the way his dark red t-shirt hugged his biceps. Her stomach flooded with warmth. He looked incredible tonight.

  He turned and caught her staring. A knowing smile tipped the corner of his lips. Shoot. He caught me. But she couldn’t look away.

  Blake launched his empty plastic punch glass into the trash can, his form reminiscent of glory days on the basketball court. Her pulse quickened as he made his way across the room. He stopped before her and offered his hand. “C’mon, dance with me.”

  Lauren took a long sip of her Diet Coke, then lowered the can back to the table. “This song’s overplayed. Said so yourself. Besides, I think I strained my hamstring today.”

  He rolled his eyes. “Please. I watched you dancing earlier. There’s nothing wrong with your hamstrings. Or any other part of you, for that matt
er.”

  Her cheeks flushed under his piercing gaze. She averted her eyes and reached for her Diet Coke again. He slid the can out of the way, his eyes never leaving hers.

  “Are you done making excuses?” He grabbed her hand and tugged gently off the stool. Just one song. What could it hurt?

  He nestled their hands next to his heart and drew her in close. She swallowed hard as she felt the warmth of his other hand pressed against the small of her back. Thank heavens for the music because suddenly she was at a loss for words. Shannon caught her eye over Blake’s shoulder and winked, then disappeared as Jess whirled her away. Lauren tentatively followed Blake’s lead, resisting the urge to rest her cheek against his chest.

  “Relax.” He guided them in a slow circle.

  Relax. Right. She would concentrate on the music and ignore that chiseled jaw and perfect lips that beckoned to her. Warning bells rang in her head. Don’t kiss him. That dimple was dangerous. She couldn’t trust herself. One song and she’d find a reason to put some distance between the two of them. She had to.

  Somehow the rest of her didn’t get the memo. Her arm slipped around the familiar expanse of his muscular back and she floated around the dance floor. It was like they’d never been apart. His clean, woodsy cologne enveloped her. I could get used to this.

  The logical part of her brain battled back with facts and details. Portland. Think about Portland. You need a job, remember? Not to mention a new roommate. Besides, staying means telling the truth. She winced. Twirling around the dance floor tonight, she’d forgotten, just for a few glorious minutes, what loomed between them.

  The song ended much too quickly and Blake pulled back, a frown creasing his brow. “As much as I enjoy holding you in my arms, I think your brother needs you.”

  She stiffened. “Right now?”

  “Seth is trying to get your attention.”

  Lacing his fingers through hers, he led her away from the dance floor, the sea of curious onlookers parting to let them through. Seth stood near the door with Molly, his bushy eyebrows knitted together. She shivered, despite the hot, stuffy air in the packed community center. Something was definitely wrong.