Christmas Blackout

by Maggie K. Black

  “Don’t touch me.” Gavin stepped back, his eyes darting from Benjamin to Piper. “I’ll sue you. And I’ll press charges for assault if he dares lay a hand on me again. Trisha and I own a successful law firm in Ottawa, and you can’t afford the legal bill of making us unhappy. I saw that newspaper article last fall. I know you’re saving up for some major renovation, with a ground-floor suite for some disabled relative. You can’t afford the lawsuit we’ll drop on you. You can’t afford to make an enemy of me. Because we don’t even need to win to ruin you.”

  A cold, threatening smirk crossed the young man’s lips. But she didn’t break his gaze.

  “I’m sorry you feel that way. Now, I’m going to go talk to the police. Tomorrow morning I’ll serve breakfast and then do my best to find you and your wife a suite somewhere suitable, especially as Trisha doesn’t seem well. Then I’ll expect you to pack up and kindly get out of The Downs.”

  * * *

  The morning sun woke Benjamin. It was bright, glaring and shining down on him through the huge, towering windows of The Downs living room. He threw one arm over his eyes and stretched his legs, feeling for the large mass of heavy dog he’d gotten used to feeling curled up on his feet.

  No dog. Then he remembered. After helping Piper replace her door with the one that had been on an upstairs linen closet, he’d insisted Harry bunk in Piper’s room. After the police had taken statements and Blondie’s gun, the rest of The Downs’s residents had gone up to bed. But Benjamin had fallen asleep on the couch, fully clothed and with a full view of the entire second-floor landing, the front door and the front and back windows. All the bedroom doors were still closed. He reached for the lamp on the end table behind him and barely managing to stop himself from slipping off the narrow couch and landing on the floor.

  He flicked the switch. Nothing happened.

  The Downs was still without power.

  The old grandfather clock in the corner of the living room said it was a quarter to nine. So, he’d had five hours of sleep, then. Well, he’d survived before on less. Soon enough, he’d be living full-time on a sailboat and would have to get used to grabbing sleep when he could.

  A smile crossed his lips. Tomorrow was Christmas Eve. Only two days left until he got on that plane and left the bitter cold of Canada behind for the glorious heat of an Australian summer. Of course, he should really trim his beard before his sister’s wedding rehearsal tonight, not to mention get a haircut, too. Before that, he’d need to collect his truck. And say goodbye to Piper.

  Through the window he could see a thin layer of ice coating the world outside. Dazzling blue sky peeked through the glistening branches. Lord, there’s so much more I wish I could do to help Piper before I go. Help me do the best I can, in the short time I have left. That was a good prayer and one that made him feel better. He’d never be able to solve everything and it never hurt to remind himself of that. But there was always something he could fix.

  Starting with coffee.

  He threw a couple of extra logs into the fireplace then walked into the kitchen. No power meant no coffeemaker. But the burner on the gas stove turned on without a hitch and a quick rummage in the cupboard beside the sink turned up a couple of solid pots plus a large skillet. There was a loaf of fresh thick bread in the bread box, real maple syrup in the walk-in pantry, and butter and a carton of eggs in the fridge, which was still fairly cold. He piled his finds on the counter and started a pot of water boiling for coffee. Wouldn’t be much of an outdoorsman if he didn’t know how to brew a decent cup over an open flame and this morning, campfire coffee would have to do. He ground some coffee with a mortar and pestle, and then added it to the boiling water. A blob of butter went into the hot skillet on the stove. He’d just started whistling when he heard noise behind him.

  “Where’s Piper?” Gavin stood behind him, scowling.

  Benjamin wondered what had brought him and Trisha to book their holidays at The Downs, anyway? As much as Gavin had protested about moving out, neither of them seemed happy staying here, either.

  A warm smile crossed Benjamin’s face, learned by years of customer service. “Good morning. I’m not quite sure where she is. But there’s some fresh coffee brewing if you’d like a mug. Did you sleep well?”

  The young man snorted. “The power’s still out.”

  “Well, then it’s a good thing you and Trisha will be moving to a new hotel.”

  Gavin’s forehead furrowed. Benjamin had seen that same overly worried look before. Usually on the face of someone who was thinking twice about his decision to book a tandem leap after the plane had reached altitude and a parachute was already strapped to his back. Not from someone about to be asked whether they’d prefer milk or sugar. Benjamin’s gaze ran from the man’s overly styled hair down to his designer boots. If he had to guess, he’d peg Gavin as someone who’d come from the expectation of money, but actually lacked a decent jingle in his pocket.

  Gavin’s eyes narrowed in return as if he didn’t appreciate the appraisal. “Tobias said your last name was Duff. Are you the same Benji Duff who nearly killed himself because he didn’t know how to drive a motorbike? We had to watch some stupid documentary about you every single winter in school assembly, from like grade seven onward.”

  Benjamin remembered when one of the national television current-affairs shows had done a sensational hatchet job, heavy on the scare tactics. Schools loved it.

  “That’s me,” he said, “but it was a snowmobile accident actually. And the friend I was riding with died. His name was Chris.” He turned his back on Gavin, cracked eight eggs in a bowl and whisked them until they were frothy.

  “Gavin, my good man! Good morning! How did your wife sleep?” Tobias’s voice boomed through the doorway. “I do hope the fact breakfast is late isn’t a sign some tragedy has befallen poor Piper.”

  Did he mean some new tragedy besides everything that happened yesterday? Benjamin gritted his teeth. He didn’t know how Piper did it. Sure, as a sports instructor he’d dealt with his share of difficult people. But not the self-centered kinds like these.

  “Trisha isn’t feeling well this morning,” Gavin said. “Headache.”

  Which considering whom she was married to wasn’t a surprise.

  Tobias clicked his teeth. “Well, it’s no wonder. Studying for a university degree can be very stressful on a young woman, not to mention quite expensive.”

  Pregnant, a lawyer, studying for a university degree and married to Gavin? Yeah, that would be more than enough for anyone. Benjamin tuned the conversation out, slid a large knife from the cutting board and sliced the bread in quick, even strokes.

  “What university do you attend, young man?” Tobias hovered over Benjamin’s shoulder. He couldn’t help but notice the older man had shown up for breakfast in a tweed jacket, bow tie and fedora.

  “I never went to university.” Benjamin dipped the slices of bread in the eggs and laid them in the skillet. “I was a lifeguard and camp counselor as a teenager, then went straight into working for a sports store after high school, while taking some business courses by correspondence.” He flipped the bread. It was golden brown. “Opened my own business when I was twenty-three.”

  Tobias sighed pityingly. He laid one hand on Benjamin’s shoulder and leaned in as if delivering terminally bad news. “Well, not everyone has what it takes to handle academia.”

  “Guess not,” Benjamin said. He dropped the piece of French toast onto a plate, just barely managing to keep from swatting the pompous older man with the spatula. “I mean, getting offered a full scholarship to both McGill and the University of British Columbia because of my straight A average was sweet. But my sister was dealing with some personal stuff and I didn’t want to leave her. Now, if you want to have a seat at the dining-room table, I’ll be out with a pot of coffee in a second.” Benjamin pushed the jug of maple sy
rup into older man’s hands and handed the younger one a fistful of cutlery. Then he turned back to the stove.

  “Benji’s unflappable!” his big sister, Meg, liked to say, as if being steady was some magical power he possessed, instead of a side effect of growing up with an anxious sister, a distant father with a heart condition and a hysterical mother. Someone had needed to bring some calm into that house. Besides, why get all flapped up about something as minor as somebody else’s bad attitude? There were already too many things in life you couldn’t control and only a few that actually mattered.

  Once breakfast was made and served, Gavin took some up to Trisha in her room, and then sat with Tobias who cheerfully showed off what looked like a replica World War I hand grenade that the author wore on a loop on his belt. It was almost ten by the time Benjamin was alone again. He hadn’t seen Piper yet. But last summer it had been pretty clear she wasn’t really much of a morning person.

  His cell phone rang. It was his sister, Meg. Also, he’d apparently missed a call from the mechanic. “Hello?”

  “Benji! How are you? I got your message about last night. Where are you?” His sister spoke so quickly her voice was almost breathless.

  The familiar gnawing of guilt filled his gut immediately. Meg might be four years older than him. But she was also a tiny slip of a thing who’d been fighting an anxiety disorder for years. She was on the verge of getting married and he was still a seven-hour’s drive away.

  “I’m so sorry, sis. I’m still at The Downs.” He ran his hands down his jeans. “Just finished making the guests French toast and coffee. You’d be impressed. I used a mortar and pestle and everything. Even added some cinnamon. Or nutmeg. Not sure which. Piper doesn’t exactly label her spices.”

  There was a slight pause on the other end of the phone. “Where’s Piper?”

  “I don’t know. Thought I’d let her sleep in. Haven’t seen Harry yet and the two of them are sharing a room.” He ran his hand over the back of his neck. “But I promise, I’ll do everything in my power to be at the rehearsal tonight.”

  “Whatever you do, don’t leave too late. There’s a wickedly heavy snowstorm scheduled to come in later tonight that could cause all types of chaos on the roads. They’re already pretty terrible as it is. Black ice, strong winds, accidents everywhere. If anything goes wrong, call me. There’s still something major we need to talk about. It’s kind of important, but I’d rather do it in person and it can wait for tonight.”

  “Don’t worry. My truck has four-wheel drive and really great snow tires. There’s nothing better I could be driving. I’ll take it really slow and drive safely, I promise.”

  After another long pause on the other end of the line he was sure something was wrong. He and his sister had shared a house and each other’s lives ever since their parents had moved to Florida years ago. He could read trouble in her silences at a dozen paces. Please, Lord, protect her from having another panic attack. Not over this. Not because of me. “Look, sis. I know you’re worried, but it’s going to be okay. You’ve got a great man by your side and people who love you—”

  A laugh echoed down the line. Gentle. Genuine. “No, no, bro, I’m fine! I’m better than fine. I’m really excited about getting married tomorrow. You are the one I’m worried for right now.”

  “Me?” Benjamin blinked. “What? Why? I’m just fine...”

  “Are you sure? You’re standing in Piper’s kitchen, making breakfast—”

  “Because this is a bed-and-breakfast. I’m just being a good friend.”

  Last summer his sister had totally misread his friendship with Piper. He could still picture the way Meg had looked up at him over her coffee mug and said, “You really like Piper. I do, too. Just be careful there, okay? Don’t hand your heart away to someone here if you’re planning on heading overseas. I’d hate to see either of you get hurt.” He’d already caused more than enough hurt to the people he loved, enough to last a lifetime. That very night when he and Piper had gone out to dinner he’d explained to her, in no uncertain terms, that he’d decided he’d never have the kind of close relationship with anyone where they’d be relying on him for their security or happiness, including a wife or family of his own.

  Still, when he’d first told Meg that he’d asked Piper to give his dog a good home, he’d gotten a whole new warning for his troubles.

  Looked as if he was in for round three.

  “You got a call this morning from your friend in Brighton,” Meg added. “He’s flying out from England to Australia on the twenty-sixth to join your sailing team. Also, the final payment went through on the boat—”

  “Wonderful. Honestly, Meg, I can’t wait to hop on that plane Christmas night. Stop worrying, okay? I’ve been waiting and saving all my life for this. I’m not about to let the dream go now. Not for anything—”

  “But, Benjamin, are you sure?”

  He opened his mouth to argue. Then shut it again. His sister was so concerned she’d actually called him Benjamin—not Benji, bro, or any number of the other things she called him from time to time. He gripped the counter with both hands. “I don’t get it, sis. Why are you being like this? You’ve never once given me grief about a woman before.”

  “I’ve never seen you look at anyone or talk about anyone the way you do with Piper. This boat, this adventure, is all you’ve ever wanted. You put your dream on hold for me for years, didn’t you? And now, I don’t know what to think. I’d hate to see you give up your boat. But at the same time, I know someone like Piper doesn’t come along that often in a lifetime, and if being with her at that bed-and-breakfast had even a chance of making you happy—”

  “Meg, listen to me.” He was so frustrated with her for inventing a concern like this, especially when she already had more than enough to worry about. Sure, he was attracted to Piper as a person, as a friend. And sure, she was more than a little easy on the eyes. But just because he recognized and admired who she was didn’t mean it was a romantic attraction. Certainly nothing so deep that it would threaten the course of either of their lives. “I promise you, there is no way I see this bed-and-breakfast playing any kind of role in my future. Yes, I spent years living on the island, because I loved you and you needed me. But you’re my sister. Plus, living there allowed me to build an amazing, successful sports business on the biggest freshwater island in the world. I know where I’m going. No pair of pretty dark eyes is ever going to make me give up a dream I really care about to hang out in a stodgy, boring old bed-and-breakfast in a tiny little town, making miserable people eggs and coffee. Being trapped here does not and will not make me happy. I’d rather move back into your basement.”

  There was a crash behind him. He turned.

  Piper stood in the doorway.

  Bright sun cascaded down her wet hair and illuminated her cheekbones. Deep eyes fringed with long dark lashes met his. Shivers ran down his arms, so powerfully that his heart leaped a beat. Okay, so maybe there is a little bit of an attraction.

  And judging by the hurt in her eyes and the broken dishes scattered by her feet, she’d heard every thoughtless word he’d just said.

  SEVEN

  Benjamin spun toward her. One hand clutched a phone to his ear and the other hand waved through the air as if trying to erase the words that had just flown out of his mouth. But it was too late. She’d heard them. What’s more, she believed them.

  There was no way a man like Benjamin was ever going to be happy in a place like The Downs. It would be completely contrary to the adventurous, daring man that she knew. Don’t worry. I was never going to ask you to trade in your dream for me. But she could’ve done without hearing him call her home a stodgy, boring old place for miserable people.

  His eyes met hers for a second with a look so pained it almost bordered on panic. Then he turned back to his phone. “Meg, I’ve got to go. I’ll give
you a call once I get my truck. You, too. Bye.”

  She bent down and started picking up pieces of the broken dishes.

  He bent down, too. “I’m sorry about that. I don’t know how much you just heard. But I think I phrased something really badly. I definitely didn’t mean to imply—”

  “Don’t worry about it.” She stood quickly and dropped the pieces into the garbage. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to eavesdrop.”

  Benjamin stood slowly and walked over to the stove. She grabbed some paper towels and wiped the floor where the dishes had landed.

  “That was just my sister. She wanted to make sure I was still planning on being there for the rehearsal tonight. And apparently I missed a call from the garage.”

  “You should probably call them.” She walked past him to the sink. “Thank you for making breakfast. That was very thoughtful of you.”

  “Well, yeah. Anything I can do to make things easier for you while I’m here.”

  “I know you’re in a hurry to go.” She ran both hands through her hair. It was still damp from the shower. “Just give me a few moments to make some phone calls. Then I’m going to walk into town to visit my uncle and aunt. If you don’t mind waiting, I’ll show you how to get to the garage.”

  “Great. I should really go get changed and pack.” He started toward the living room, then paused. “Oh, and if you’re going to have coffee from the saucepan skim it off the top. The grounds will have settled at the bottom. And I left a couple of slices of French toast in the oven.”

  “Thanks.” She grabbed a bag of dog food from the pantry, then slipped past him to pour some in the bowl by the back door. It was amazing how much two people could move around such a tiny space without touching or even making eye contact.

  She turned back. Benjamin was leaning in the kitchen doorway, one arm up against the lintel. His gaze seemed to sweep over her like an X-ray. “Is everything okay, Piper?”