The Bigfoot Blunder (A Charlie Rhodes Cozy Mystery Book 1)

by Amanda M. Lee

  Jack scowled as he grabbed my shoulders and shoved me back, keeping a firm grip on the fabric of my sweatshirt and looking over my face as myriad emotions flitted through his eyes. His cheeks were flushed. Sweat began pooling on his brow despite the cool morning air. He looked completely flabbergasted.

  I took it as an insult despite my best intentions. “I take it that it wasn’t good for you.”

  “Stop saying that,” Jack snapped, jerking his hands back the second he realized he was still touching me. He dragged a hand through his long hair – which was unfortunately even hotter when tousled with sleep – and stared at me. “I’m so sorry.”

  Of all the reactions I expected, that wasn’t even on the list. “I … you’re sorry?”

  Jack nodded. “I didn’t mean to touch you. If you want to file a formal complaint with Chris, I understand.”

  He was trying to be sweet and make me feel comfortable. I recognized that, and yet … my fury could not be contained.

  “You’re sorry?”

  “I said it,” Jack said, rolling to a sitting position and glancing around the tent with furtive eyes. “I’m not sure how it happened. I’m so very sorry.”

  “Jack, we slept pressed against each other,” I challenged, my voice dripping with disdain. “It’s not as if you raped me.”

  Jack paled even more, which seemed impossible given his color. “That doesn’t mean this is okay.”

  “What is this?” I let my gaze bounce around the tent, frustrated. “We slept in separate sleeping bags in the same tent and somehow ended up cuddled together. It’s hardly the end of the world.”

  Jack didn’t look convinced. In fact, he looked near tears. It was shocking because I’d never seen him so much as break military character since our first meeting. “I’ll put in my resignation right away.”

  “Oh, well, that did it.” I jerked my foot out of my sleeping bag and slammed it against his knee, causing him to cringe and pull back. “You didn’t molest me! In fact, how do you know I’m not the one who did this? I was afraid.” My mind traveled back to the figure in the woods, the branch I caused to drop. “This probably is on me. I was afraid and shouldn’t have climbed into your tent. If anyone should resign, it should be me.”

  “That’s not right,” Jack argued, alarmed. “You were unsettled. It’s my job as chief of security to take care of you. This is my fault.”

  “No, it’s my fault.”

  Instead of abject horror, anger washed over Jack’s handsome features. Oddly enough the anger made me feel better than the pity.

  “Didn’t I just say it was my fault?” Jack exploded.

  “Why does it have to be anybody’s fault?” I shot back. “You didn’t touch me inappropriately. I’m pretty sure I didn’t touch you anywhere scandalous. We slept next to each other. It’s not the end of the world.”

  “It feels like the end of the world.” Jack was grim. “It feels as if I took advantage of you.”

  “How?”

  “I … don’t know.”

  I narrowed my eyes. “You’re seriously starting to bug me.”

  “Have you ever considered you’re starting to bug me?”

  “I certainly hope so. At least that will stop you from feeling sorry for yourself.”

  I COULDN’T get out of the tent fast enough. I rolled my sleeping bag and tossed it outside, following it with a full head of steam and a truckload of aggravation. I was so lost in my own head I didn’t notice Jack until he was outside. Instead of meeting my measured gaze, he headed to the spot where I had seen the figure the night before, causing my agitation to flare in a different way.

  “Do you see anything?”

  Jack didn’t immediately answer, instead dropping to one knee near the foliage line. He seemed intent, and when I worked up the courage to join him he spared me a reluctant glance. “There are prints, but they’re hard to see. This is a heel here … and the ball of a foot here. I don’t see any treads.”

  “Does that mean it was an animal?”

  Jack shrugged. “I don’t know. Treads would indicate a human wearing a shoe or boot, but they’re not clear enough to definitively call them animal prints.”

  I knelt next to him, keeping distance between us and stared at the fresh prints. “I told you I saw something.” I tried to keep from sounding accusatory. “You didn’t believe me, but … there it is.”

  “I didn’t say I didn’t believe you,” Jack groused. “I said I couldn’t see anything and you clearly weren’t attacked.”

  “Oh, whatever.” I crossed my arms over my chest. “The camera is pointed in this direction. Do you think it caught anything?”

  “No idea. I figure we should let Chris go through the footage. He loves that stuff.”

  “I … well … okay.” I couldn’t decide if Jack wanted to hand the task over to Chris because that was the smart thing to do or he wanted to cut short any time we might spend together. I also wasn’t sure which possibility I preferred. “I guess we should start packing, huh?”

  Jack nodded, his eyes narrowing as he focused on something a few feet away. I watched, curious, until he shuffled over to a fallen branch. I pursed my lips, doing my best to remain calm as he tentatively lifted the branch and stared at the splintered end.

  “I think I’m going to start packing,” I offered, nervous.

  Jack didn’t immediately respond, instead staring at the broken end of the branch with such intensity I couldn’t help being a bit worried.

  “Jack, I’m going to pack the tents. Is that okay?”

  “What?” Jack jerked his gaze from the branch and focused on me. “No. Leave the tents up. We’ll monitor this site every night. You can grab the sleeping bags.”

  “Oh, um, we’re going to monitor the site? Does that mean you and I will be doing that?”

  Jack’s expression was unreadable. “I meant the whole group.”

  “Oh, well, good.” I searched for something to say that he wouldn’t find offensive. “That’s probably good, right?”

  “I guess we’ll know when we see the video,” Jack replied after a beat. “Something clearly ripped this branch off the tree. It was high, too.”

  “How do you know that?” I hoped I didn’t come off as panicked.

  Jack pointed to a damaged section of the tree, a good eight feet off the ground. “I don’t know any humans who could rip that branch off like that.”

  Crap! I should’ve thought about that before I used the branch as a distraction. “Maybe it just fell … you know … because it was old or something.” That sounded plausible, right?

  Jack shot me a dubious look. “Do you really think that a tree that isn’t dead sheds branches like a dog does hair?”

  “I’ve never really given it a lot of thought,” I admitted. “What makes you think that branch was pulled down, though? It could’ve fallen.”

  “Look at the end.” Jack held it to my face so I had no choice but to stare. “The ends are ripped, Charlie. This branch was pulled off the tree, and by something extremely powerful.”

  I swallowed hard. “So you think an animal did that?”

  “I don’t think a human could do this,” Jack replied. “I’m not sure what kind of animal we’re dealing with, but no human is tall enough. And I doubt they’d be strong enough.”

  He was right about a normal human not being able to do it. I was pretty far from normal, though. “Jack … um … .”

  Jack ignored the uncertainty in my voice and stood. “Let’s grab the packs and clean up the campsite. Chris will want to hear what happened right away. This is right up his alley.”

  I didn’t have much choice in the matter, so I readily agreed. “Okay. I … let’s do it.”

  JACK WAITED until we pulled onto the long driveway that led to The Overlook to speak, which was beyond frustrating. I wanted to find a way to dissuade him from telling Chris about the fallen branch, but came up empty. He waited until the worst possible moment – of course! – to break from his
taciturn demeanor and turn chatty.

  “We need to have a quick talk.”

  Jack’s tone was dour enough to cause my palms to sweat. I rubbed them against my jeans and flicked a glance in his direction. “Um … okay.”

  “I’m still willing to put in my resignation over what happened,” Jack offered. “You were put in a bad position. That’s not right.”

  “I don’t blame you for that. You’re really starting to irritate me with this martyr act,” I argued. “We didn’t even really touch one another. We just kind of … snuggled. It’s hardly the end of the world.”

  Jack didn’t appear thrilled at the choice of the word “snuggled,” but I couldn’t think of another way to phrase it. “I wasn’t putting the moves on you.”

  “Thanks. I figured that out by myself. I did it long before we accidentally decided to keep warm by sleeping next to each other.”

  Jack rubbed his thumb over his lower lip as he pulled into a parking spot. “I’m not interested in you that way, Charlie. I think you’re a nice girl and you make me laugh sometimes, but … I’m not looking for a relationship. It’s important that you understand that.”

  I knit my eyebrows, annoyed. “I didn’t think you were,” I said. “Why did you just say that?”

  “What?”

  “Why did you warn me that you weren’t looking for a relationship?” I pressed, annoyed. “Do you think I’m looking for a relationship?”

  “That’s not what I said.” Jack shifted on his seat, clearly uncomfortable. “I simply need you to know that there’s no future for us in that manner. I’m not interested in you.”

  It took me a moment to realize what he was saying. “And you think I’m interested in you?”

  “I think that you … are very nice and capable,” Jack replied, choosing his words carefully. “But I’m not part of this group because I plan to date anyone. That includes you. If you’re thinking something is building here between us … I need you to know that’s not the case.”

  I narrowed my eyes, momentarily wishing I could fire lasers out of them to burn him alive. “So you think I have a crush on you? Is that what you’re saying?”

  “It would be normal for you to think that considering the fact that I’m a little older than you and I seem wise because I’ve been with the group longer.”

  “You seem wise?” Oh, well, that was just too much! “You think you seem wise to me?”

  Jack balked. “I think this is coming out wrong. I’m sorry. I’m not trying to offend you.”

  I stared at him for a few beats and then opened the door, hopping out. I maintained my composure – although I have no idea how – and by the time Jack followed me to the walk that led to the inn’s front door I was feeling pretty proud of myself. He was still alive and I wasn’t about to burst into tears. That’s growth, right?

  Then Jack opened his mouth again.

  “You’re an attractive woman,” he supplied. “You’re just not my type of attractive.”

  “Oh, well, that does it!” I planted my hands on my hips as I scorched him with a dark look. “I can’t believe you just said that!”

  “What?” Jack was the picture of innocence as he shifted his eyes left and right. “I was stating a fact. I wasn’t trying to hurt your feelings.”

  “You were stating a fact? You were stating a fact?” I grew shriller by the second. I’d lost the ability to control my temper, a purple tulip exploding in the plant bed behind him. Jack was so focused on me he didn’t notice. I was relieved that I didn’t accidentally cause a tree branch to fly into his head.

  “I … um … .” Jack took an inadvertent step back, his cheeks flushing with color when Bay and Landon appeared on the walkway in front of him. They looked between us curiously as they headed toward Landon’s Explorer.

  “Everything okay?” Bay asked, worried, her eyes briefly touching on the former tulip before locking with mine.

  “Everything is fine,” Jack answered automatically.

  “Everything is pretty far from fine,” I growled, my annoyance taking over. “Jack here was just explaining that he’s not interested in me, so if I’m developing a crush on him I should probably stop.”

  “Oh.” Bay bit her lip, amusement flitting across her features.

  “That’s not what I said,” Jack argued. “I merely said that … if you had feelings … or looked at me with some sort of hero complex … or thought I was attractive … I don’t think I’m explaining this right.” Jack looked to Landon for help.

  “I’d stop digging if I were you, marine,” Landon agreed, his lips curving as he slung an arm around Bay’s shoulder. “You’re tap dancing through a minefield in clown shoes. I’m enjoying the effort, though. It kind of reminds me of when I first met Bay.”

  Bay’s smile was serene as she tilted up her chin. “You were desperately in love with me even though I wanted nothing to do with you.” Landon snorted. “It was the other way around, woman.”

  “It was not.”

  “It was so,” Landon shot back. “You were totally warm for my form.”

  “I was never warm for anything of yours,” Bay argued. “You chased me until I relented and agreed to go out with you. You totally had a crush on me first.”

  “That is such crap.” Landon’s eyes lit with amusement. “You cried when I left.”

  Bay stilled and I could see the revelry flee both of them as Landon’s words hit home. “I was talking about when we first met at the corn maze. I was not talking about when you left.”

  Landon clearly realized his mistake too late. Bay escaped from his grip and headed toward the Explorer. “Oh, sweetie, do we have to fight about this again?” He shot a dirty look in Jack’s direction. “This is your fault.”

  “How is this my fault?” Jack was dumbfounded. “I was trying to be a good guy.”

  Landon snorted. “Please. No woman wants to hear she has a crush on you before she admits it to herself.”

  “I do not have a crush on him,” I barked. “I don’t even like him!”

  Landon pursed his lips. “Yeah, you keep telling yourself that.”

  “That’s all I was trying to keep from happening,” Jack offered. “I was trying to be a good friend and co-worker.”

  “You keep telling yourself that too,” Landon said, his eyes following Bay as she pouted in the Explorer’s passenger seat. “If you said it, that means you’re worried about it.”

  “That is a pile of crap!” Jack’s voice took on an uneven edge. “I was trying to be a good guy about this.”

  Landon glanced between us and then shook his head. “You need to figure this out on your own. Keep Bay out of it next time. I don’t like her upset.”

  “I’m pretty sure you upset her,” I countered, crossing my arms over my chest.

  “Charlie’s right,” Jack added. “You upset her.”

  Landon’s frustration was evident as he stepped off the curb. “You’re both on my list,” he muttered.

  “Let’s get breakfast,” I suggested. “I’m starving. We can forget the rest of this ever happened.”

  Jack looked relieved. “Affirmative.”

  It was definitely a plan – and one I had every intention of following. A crush on Jack? Freaking ridiculous!

  20

  Twenty

  I headed straight for the dining room and grabbed an open seat, hoping to focus on breakfast rather than Jack’s oversized ego. Jack ignored the empty chair next to me and took the one next to Tillie – the one I was fairly certain Bay vacated before leaving the inn with Landon. I couldn’t stop myself from smirking at the way Tillie looked Jack up and down.

  “Breakfast looks great,” Jack said, forcing a nervous smile for Winnie’s benefit. “Camping always makes me hungry.”

  “I think that’s your big head,” I countered, not bothering to lower my voice. “It’s so big you probably need extra fuel to fill it.”

  Jack ignored me and grabbed a slice of bacon. I was almost positive I hear
d him grumble the word “whatever” under his breath, but the chatter was too loud to be sure.

  “Did you find anything?” Chris asked, wiping his mouth with his napkin. He looked well rested and keen, two things that irritated me beyond measure given the rough nature of my morning.

  “Well, it wasn’t an uneventful night,” I countered, smirking at the way Jack’s cheeks colored at my intended double entendre. “In fact, last night was the night to end all nights.”

  Thistle, a glass of orange juice resting in front of her, ran her tongue over her teeth as she stared. I could almost see the gears in her mind working.

  “Well, don’t keep us in suspense,” Laura prodded. “What happened?”

  “Nothing,” Jack growled.

  “I think I saw Bigfoot,” I offered, enjoying how Jack shifted on his chair.

  “Do you have ants in your pants, boy?” Tillie asked Jack, seemingly amused by his discomfort. “Camping is rough on delicate sorts such as you. If you have ants in your pants, you might want to take a bath or something.”

  “I don’t have ants in my pants.” Jack worked overtime to keep his voice pleasant and even, but I could read the set of his shoulders and knew he was close to falling off an angry cliff. He would erupt soon if pushed too far. I couldn’t decide if I wanted to see that or avoid it. “My back merely hurts from sleeping on the ground.”

  Tillie narrowed her eyes, dubious. “That’s not why you’re shifting.”

  “Yeah? Then why am I shifting?”

  “I haven’t figured that out yet.” Tillie glanced between him and me, and I couldn’t stop myself from shifting my gaze quickly. “Hmm.”

  As if sensing I was about to melt down myself, Thistle raced to my rescue. “You said you saw Bigfoot. I’m dying to hear … and only partly because I’m going to use it to terrorize Clove until she cries.”

  “You will do no such thing,” Twila chided, scorching her daughter with a hard look. “Clove is a good girl. She has the right to feel safe in her own home. If you terrorize her as you intend, she won’t feel safe.”