Secrets at Sweetwater Cove

by Sally Roseveare

  Aurora started back inside, then stopped and listened. She was sure she heard a dog bark. She pulled the door shut and ran down the hill to the dock.

  Across the cove, buzzards circled Smith Mountain’s shore. Aurora froze, called again for the dogs. Nothing. She looked back at Robert’s house. Should she ask him to help? Wait, that was definitely a bark. It sounded like Little Guy—a frantic Little Guy. If anything has happened to the dogs….

  All thoughts of calling Robert gone, she unlocked the storage room on the dock, put on her life jacket and grabbed the oars to the rowboat. For a moment she stood on the floating dock and looked across the large cove at the buzzards. She shoved the rowboat into the water and headed for the opposite shore. She dreaded what she’d find.

  When she discovered the buzzards were interested in a dead catfish instead of her beloved King, Aurora started to push the rowboat back into the water. Then Little Guy dashed out of the woods. He barked, ran a few steps, barked again. Aurora hesitated, looked at her watch. Should she follow him? Sam would be home soon. If she’d brought her cell phone she could call him, tell him to come in the pontoon boat, ask him to bring her jacket and a flashlight. She thought about going for help, but if she left to get Sam or Robert, she would lose valuable time, time that could be important to King’s life. If she followed Little Guy now, he might lead her to King. She chose not to go back to the house.

  “Okay, Little Guy. I’m right behind you.” Dog and woman vanished into the woods.

  Aurora slipped on dry leaves, grabbed a branch to keep from falling. Little Guy disappeared in the brush. Which way had he gone? She called; he didn’t come.

  Aurora had no desire to wander aimlessly through the woods and brush, especially in the dark. Darkness scared her, always had, and if she were out here much longer, night would overtake her. She knew wild animals roamed the mountain. She’d seen bear, bobcats, coyotes. Even mountain lions had been sighted by boaters, hunters and four-wheelers. She needed a plan.

  Unless she heard or saw Little Guy again, Aurora decided she would stick close to the shore. That way, she could retrace her steps and eventually return to the rowboat. And if she needed help and if a boat happened by, maybe the occupants would hear her shouts and come to her aid.

  Too many “ifs.” But she had no choice.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE

  Wednesday, 5:15 p.m.

  At The View, Dixie Lee punched the stop button on the elevator and loaded the four bags of groceries she’d just bought. Friends often asked if she had trouble getting her purchases all the way to the top floor of her building. Usually all went well. She learned early on to carry an armload or two of groceries inside the building and deposit them close to the information desk. When she finished unloading all the bags from the car, she moved them beside the elevator and took them all up at the same time. Once on her floor, she’d unload them into the hall before relinquishing access to the elevator. Maybe she should buy one of those small pull-behind-you grocery carts. She’d look into that.

  The two pumpkins she’d picked from the Morgan farm came next. She set the big one beside her door in the hallway to celebrate the fall season, her favorite. She liked the crunch of leaves underfoot when she walked in the woods, the brilliant colors in the leaves, the promise of a restful winter coming when she could snuggle up by the fireplace and read good books.

  Books. She’d left the two books she’d bought earlier from Kitty’s Little Book Shoppe in the car. She started to hit the elevator button and go fetch them, but remembered that she still had to finish David Baldacci’s latest novel, and Charlie was coming for dinner. The books could wait until tomorrow. Right now she needed to concentrate on dinner.

  Charlie. What great times she and Ernie had enjoyed with Charlie and Annie. Funny how things work out. She wondered if she and Charlie had a future together. She believed they did; she hoped he felt the same. Ernie and Annie were gone now, but she knew they’d want Charlie and her to be happy. She looked at her watch. Charlie would arrive in an hour. Should she use the small pumpkin to make her famous curried pumpkin/apple soup or her homemade pumpkin pie? By the time she’d reached the kitchen, she’d decided on the soup, which would go well with the pork tenderloin, twice-baked potatoes and fresh green beans. For dessert she’d serve a couple of scoops of vanilla ice cream with raspberry sauce dribbled over it.

  CHAPTER FORTY

  Wednesday, 6:00 p.m.

  Usually the drive home from Bedford relaxed Sam. Not today. He felt stressed, worried. Was something wrong with Aurora? He dialed her from his cell phone. No answer. He looked at his watch. Normally she’d be working on dinner at this hour or reading in the sunroom. Regardless, she would be close to a phone. He frowned, accelerated. If anything had happened to her ….

  Gravel flew as he spun into the driveway. He didn’t see Aurora’s Jeep, hoped it was in the garage. He pushed the garage door opener, sighed in relief when he saw her car parked in the usual spot. He pulled his car in beside hers and hurried into the house.

  “Aurora, where are you?” he called. When she didn’t answer, he called again. He searched the upstairs, the main level and the basement. No Aurora. No note from her. And no dogs, either. Her purse and cell phone sat on the shelf in the closet. Strange. He checked the oven to see if dinner was ready. Nope, nothing there. Maybe she’d fixed a salad for tonight. He opened the refrigerator; no signs of dinner were apparent.

  Stepping outside, he called again.

  “Down here,” came an answering voice. The voice wasn’t Aurora’s; it belonged to a man.

  Sam’s spine tingled. Who was at the dock and why hadn’t Aurora answered him? Fear for his wife sent him sprinting down the hill. When he reached the lake, Robert Reeves stepped out of the storage shed.

  “What’s going on?” Sam asked. “Where’s Aurora?”

  “Don’t know. I came down here to look for her and the dogs about five minutes ago. I went to your house first to see if Little Guy and King had come back, but nobody was home.” He explained to Sam that the dogs had run off before lunch. “I figured they’d be home by now.”

  “Did Aurora have any idea where they went?”

  “No, only that they’d been anxious to get out. They headed straight for the lake when she turned them loose.”

  “That’s weird. King’s never gone this long.” Sam paced the dock.

  “The rowboat’s gone,” Sam said, “her life jacket, too.” At least she’s wearing one, he thought.

  “Look,” said Robert. He pointed to the buzzards circling the far shore.

  Sam grabbed the binoculars from the shed. “That looks like our rowboat tied up across the cove. Something’s wrong. I’m going over.” He slid the canoe into the water, grabbed a paddle, tossed a life jacket in the boat.

  “I have my cell phone with me. I’ll call you as soon as I check out the rowboat and those buzzards. What’s your phone number?”

  Robert fished a scrap of paper and a pencil from his pocket and wrote down two numbers for Sam. “One’s my cell, the other is the house phone. Don’t you want me to go with you?”

  “No, it’s better for you to stay here where you’ll be able to get help if I need it.”

  “Don’t you think you should take a flashlight just in case? It’ll be dark soon.”

  “Good idea. There’s one in the shed. Grab it for me, please.” In the canoe he buckled on the life jacket. Robert passed him the flashlight and Sam pushed off.

  The doorbell rang as Dixie Lee turned off the oven. Smiling, she opened the door. Charlie stepped inside and hugged her, kissed her cheek, handed her a bouquet of freshly picked marigolds from his yard. “Hey, Dixie Lee,” he said.

  “Hey, Charlie. Thank you for the lovely marigolds.” She sneezed twice. “Unfortunately, I’m allergic to many flowers. Looks like these are in my sneeze zone.” She sneezed again.

  “Honey, I’m sorry. I’ll take them outside to the trash bins.” He reached for the flowers.

&nbs
p; “Oh, no you don’t. They’re too gorgeous to dump. I’ll put them in a vase and take them out to the porch. That way I can enjoy them but not be exposed.”

  Minutes later they sipped red wine and munched on cheese and crackers. Charlie looked at the lady sitting beside him on the love seat. He reached for her hand. “Dixie Lee, I believe you came back into my life for a reason. I treasure every minute I’ve spent with you, will feel the same way in the future. I honestly believe that Annie and Ernie would be thrilled that we’ve found each other, that we’ve been given a second chance at happiness. I don’t know if you feel the same way, but if you do, then I think….”

  Charlie’s cell phone rang.

  Don’t answer it, Charlie, Dixie Lee thought. Please don’t answer it. My answer to your unasked question is yes. Please, Charlie, don’t answer the phone.

  Charlie glanced at Caller ID and frowned. Sam had never called his cell before. Something must have happened to Aurora. Oh, Lord, he prayed, let Aurora be safe. Please. All thoughts of the marriage proposal he’d rehearsed flew away. Sam needed him. Precious Aurora needed him.

  “What’s wrong?” he said into the phone.

  Sam hated to worry Charlie, but he prayed Aurora had talked to him earlier, maybe told Charlie what was bothering her, where she was going. “Charlie, have you talked to Aurora today?”

  “No. What’s wrong?”

  “When I got home, she was gone. King and Little Guy aren’t here either. Her purse and cell phone are in the house. Her car’s in the garage. She took the rowboat; it’s beached across the cove. I’m standing beside it right now. It’s almost dark and Aurora is afraid of the dark. I’m surprised she’s not home. Robert Reeves said that Aurora was worried about King and Little Guy. According to Robert, the dogs have been gone most of the day. King is a homebody, likes to be at Aurora’s side. So I’m thinking that something has happened to either King or Aurora. Or both.”

  “Sam, I’m here at the lake, at Dixie Lee’s condo in Sweetwater Cove. What can I do to help?”

  “You’re good friends with Sheriff Rogers, right?”

  “I am.”

  “Do you think you could talk him into organizing a search party to look for her?”

  “Maybe. I’ll call you back when I know something.”

  “Thank you, Charlie. Thank you so much.”

  Robert Reeves checked caller ID and snatched up his phone when it rang. “Sam, have you found Aurora and the dogs?”

  “No. And I need your help. Can you get my pontoon boat out of the boathouse and ready to go? Or do you need to head back to Roanoke tonight? If you do, I’ll understand.”

  “I’ve talked to Jill. Both she and the baby are doing well. Jill will probably be able to come home tomorrow, the next day at the latest. I’m ready to do whatever you need me to do.”

  “Thanks. My plan is to go back to the house, pack a cooler with some food, and take it back over to the mountain. I’ll leave it beside Aurora’s rowboat. If she goes back to the boat while I’m looking for her, then she’ll know that I’m looking and will at least have something to eat. I’ll also leave a flashlight, her cell phone, and a note telling her folks are searching for her and to stay put.” He explained to Robert that Charlie was in the process of asking Sheriff Rogers to send out a search party.

  CHAPTER FORTY-ONE

  Wednesday, 6:30 p.m.

  “I’m positive you’ll be glad you bought this house,” Carole said to Win as she locked the door behind them. “It has the openness you were looking for, plus four bedrooms and four and a half baths. The main kitchen has everything anyone could want. And I love the granite countertops. The view is terrific, and the dock is big enough to house several boats and host a huge party.” She smiled at him. “Yep, it’s a really nice house. Good quality and tastefully decorated. If I could afford it, I would have bought it myself. This one’s been my favorite ever since we first looked at it. I’m proud of you for making a decision, Win, and really glad you picked this one.”

  “Took me long enough, didn’t it? Sorry I’ve had you running all over for days, and finally decided on the third house you showed me. I should have just bought it the first time I saw it.”

  “I can understand that you wanted to see what else was out there, look at all your options. I’d do the same thing if I were shelling out that much money for a house.”

  “You said that most of the furnishings could go with the house if I want them. I like the contemporary style and the colors. How soon would I have to decide if I want the whole package?” Win took her elbow, guided her around a flower pot at the edge of the walkway.

  “Thanks. I didn’t see that.”

  “Wouldn’t be good if you hurt yourself, Carole.”

  “No, I don’t need to break anything, that’s for sure. About the house furnishings—I think the sooner you decide, the better. Do you want the offer to include them?”

  Win looked at his watch. “It’s 6:30. Want to get something to eat? We can celebrate as I sign the papers. By the time we’re finished eating, I will have made up my mind if I want all the furniture or not. You have everything you need in your briefcase, right?”

  Carole laughed. “Guess you’ve gotten to know me pretty well. Yes, I have all the necessary paperwork with me. And yes, a celebratory dinner would be delightful. You pick the restaurant.”

  She felt like a huge weight had been lifted off her. She could pay her mortgage for months off the commission she’d receive from the sale of the $1,299,000 home. She’d expected Win to quibble about the price; he hadn’t. She now realized how tense she’d become. It would be great to unwind with a glass of wine.

  “Why don’t you relax and let me drive. I know exactly where I want to go, but it’s a surprise.” Win opened the passenger door for her. “Your carriage awaits, my lady.”

  Carole smiled as he closed the door, warned herself that he could be charming when he wanted to be. “Afraid this clunker won’t handle like your Porsche, Win. Are you sure you want to drive?”

  “Absolutely.”

  “I just realized that I didn’t see the Porsche when I picked you up. Does the bed and breakfast have a garage where you keep it?” She buckled her seat belt.

  “Yeah, there’s a four-car garage behind the house for guests. I park my car there.”

  “Funny. I’ve walked all the way around that house. I’ve never seen a huge garage back there. Or even a small one.”

  “It’s brand new. The owner said he just finished building it. I’m only the second guest to use it.” Win braked to avoid a skunk strolling across the highway.

  They rode in silence for the next eight miles.

  Carole closed her eyes, dreamed of how she’d handle her commission. Maybe she’d save half, put the other half in checking. Luke was a good businessman; she’d ask him if investing some of the savings in a six-month or twelve-month CD would be a good idea. Guess that would depend on how much interest the savings account would pay and what her estimated expenses for the next year would be. Yeah, she’d ask Luke.

  Luke. How good his name sounded to her. She could almost feel the warmth of his touch, the deep love in his voice, the way he held her when they danced. She could picture the smile in his eyes. She’d call him tonight when she returned home from dinner, tell him that the next week would be for him. No, for them. If he could afford to take some time off, they could drive up the Blue Ridge Parkway, enjoy the changing colors of autumn, behave like silly out-of-state tourists.

  Maybe they could make some detours, stop at Gross Orchard for apples, tour the area wineries. She licked her lips in anticipation.

  Aurora would be thrilled to hear that Win had bought a house and that Carole’s dealings with him would soon end. She and Aurora had been friends since elementary school. Even though they’d not seen much of each other since they went off to separate colleges, they’d remained in touch. In fact, Carole had been a bridesmaid in Aurora and Sam’s wedding. She grinned, remembering the times w
hen Aurora’s vivid imagination had landed the two of them in hot water. When Aurora had warned Carole about Win just because he had scary eyes, Carole had almost laughed. She was glad she hadn’t. Before she called Luke tonight, she’d call Aurora, tell her that all was well, she now had some money and could pay her bills, and she could stop worrying.

  Win looked at Carole. She seemed so peaceful, so happy. Well, she should be, he thought. Her commission on the sale of the house is responsible for that. I’m responsible for that. Carole should be grateful. She should be glad to show me just how grateful. Money. Everything boils down to money. I don’t care how often women deny it, the fact is that money—the more the better—is all-important. More important than love, family, friends, religion, anything. And it doesn’t matter how they get it. Carole thinks she loves Luke, that she wants to spend the rest of her life with him. Love is a bunch of bull. We’ll see what happens when she’s given a choice. For her sake, she better make the right one.

  Most women he’d known chose money over the elusive “true love.” In Win’s circle, those who didn’t choose money often ended up destitute—or dead. Like the real estate agent in Nags Head a year ago, or the realtor in Hilton Head two years before that. And there were more. There’d always be more. Women—naive, gullible, romantic, plain stupid. He sighed. Can’t live with ‘em, can’t live without ‘em.

  If she would play by his rules, dinner tonight would be an incredible experience for both of them. Had Luke ever arranged for a private, catered dinner? He doubted it. Had Luke ever uncorked a $150 bottle of wine for Carole? On his income? Of course not. He pictured what Luke would consider an elegant meal in a restaurant and laughed.

  Carole opened her eyes, looked at Win. “You laughed. What’s so funny?”

  “Oh, nothing. I was just thinking about something. Sorry I woke you. We’ll be there in about five minutes. You can close your eyes again if you’d like.”