CHAPTER TEN
Brody returned to his cabin just as the rain started. Thank goodness he’d run into Alex and gotten a weather report. Without the warning, he would have been in the middle of the lake in a canoe when it hit. He’d have to be better about checking the forecast.
Twenty minutes later, he’d just polished off a sandwich when his phone rang. He was beginning to think Alex had exaggerated the cell coverage issues. At least, he hadn’t had any problems yet.
“Hello?”
“Hey, Brody. It’s Nick. You at your cabin?” His tone had a clipped urgency.
“Yeah.”
“Can I get you to do me a huge favor?”
“Sure,” Brody said. “What’s up?”
“Alex was supposed to call her grandfather when she returned from a run, but never did. With this lunatic on the loose and potentially nearby, he’s really worried.
He called to ask if I could check on her, but my only deputy and I are tied up.
I’m sure it’s nothing, but I was hoping you could verify she made it back?
She usually just runs the trail around the lake. ”
“Oh, um, sure. I guess I can take a look.”
“Appreciate it. I suggest starting with her cabin or the office, but if she’s not there, you might have to walk the trail. Which sucks in this rain. I’ll owe you one.”
“Any news on Dexter? Could he be out this way?” Was he being sent in like a sacrificial lamb?
“I mean, anything’s possible,” Nick said. “If you don’t feel comfortable…” He trailed off, hinting this was a test. Was Brody man enough to hike into the woods unprotected and unarmed?
“Nah, I’m good,” Brody said, jumping into the gauntlet. “Wish I had a raincoat, but I’ll head out now.”
“Thanks, man.”
Brody hung up and put his shoes back on. He had intended to head up to the office first, but as soon as he opened the door, he heard the faint screams. His heart leapt into his chest as he set off at a dead run toward the noise.
It couldn’t have been more than a quarter mile when he found her, the bright pink of her form-fitting sweatshirt sticking out like a beacon among the woodsy browns.
Rain droplets dripped from her hair, and anguish filled her eyes. She was huddled in on herself, trying to stay dry, but one leg stuck out. From the size and color of her ankle, he immediately deduced what had happened.
“At least The Grocer didn’t find you,” Brody said, squatting to check her injury. “When I was tasked to come look for you, I was worried I’d be picking up pieces.”
She huffed out a laugh and shook her head. “I’ve never been so happy to see anyone in my life,” she said, relief flooding her face.
“Looks pretty ugly.” He nodded to her foot. “Can you walk?”
“Not by myself. It won’t bear any weight. But maybe if I use you as a crutch.”
She winced as he helped her to her feet. Their height difference made it hard for her to lean on him. His shoulder was too high, and his waist too low. They struggled to find a rhythm that didn’t cause pain with every step. After several attempts and hardly any progress, he gave up.
“Ah,” she gasped, as he bent and swooped her into his arms. “Put me down!”
“We’ll drown before we get anywhere trying to walk. This’ll go much faster.”
He could tell she wanted to argue, but was also smart enough to realize she had no choice. She didn’t say another word as he started back toward camp. And after a minute, she relaxed and even snuggled into him, probably an attempt to suck up his warmth.
At first, she felt light and was easy to carry, but after a few minutes, he was singing a different tune.
“Okay,” he finally said. He’d been carrying her bride-over-the-threshold style, but his biceps were about to give out. “You may be tiny, but a hundred pounds is a hundred pounds. We gotta switch positions.”
“You don’t have to carry me,” she said impatiently. “Set me down and I’ll walk.”
“You want a fireman carry or good old-fashioned piggyback?” he asked, ignoring her obviously impossible offer.
She jumped on his back, yelping when he boosted her. It was a better distribution of her weight, but even so, his arms and legs burned by the time they reached his cabin. He’d be damned if he’d complain though, and he for sure knew better than to comment on a woman’s weight.
He climbed the porch steps, crouched, and set her down gently.
“Hey,” she said. “Where’d you get the rocking chair?”
“Oh, uh. The Tool Shed. Looked too comfortable to pass up.”
“Ah. That must be how you met Pops.”
“Huh?” He pushed open the door.
“The man you helped with the deadbolt? He’s my grandpa.”
“Oh, yeah? He said he knew you but didn’t say how.”
“I meant to thank you for that, by the way.”
“It was no problem. You should call him. He’s worried about you.”
“I’ll text him. Did he ask you to look for me?”
“He called Nick, and Nick asked me to find you.”
“Makes sense.”
His muscles revolted at the mere thought of picking her up again. “Wait here.” He grabbed a kitchen chair and carried it to the door. “Sit.”
She did, and he dragged the chair over to the table.
“Good thinking,” she said. “Work smarter, not harder. There should be a first aid kit in the kitchen cabinet. All the cabins are stocked with one.”
“Yeah, I saw it the other day. Just sec.” He retrieved the red plastic container and returned to the table. She was tapping buttons on her phone.
“Did you lie to me about cell coverage here?” he asked. “I haven’t had a problem yet.”
“Lie’s a harsh word,” she said, putting the phone to her ear, basically admitting guilt.
“But I suppose it’s the right word. Most of the camp does have very iffy coverage, but for some weird reason, this cabin is one of two that actually has a pretty decent signal. I don’t like to advertise that though.”
He didn’t have time to respond before whoever she was calling picked up.
“Can you come get me?” she asked. “What? Oh, great. All right. I will. Thanks.” She hung up. “The main road to town flooded.”
“What does that mean?” He pulled out the ice pack, broke the mechanism inside that would make it cold, and laid it on her ankle. Her jaw clenched, but she didn’t complain.
“It means I don’t have anyone to come get me. This happens a few times a year when the rain comes too hard and too fast. Once it stops, the road will dry out quickly. Could you drive me to my cabin? I’ll wait it out there.”
She shivered violently and was fighting to stop her teeth from chattering.
“You need a doctor,” he said, going to the couch for the big red throw. “And to warm up. Get that wet sweatshirt off.”
She shed the sweatshirt and let him wrap the blanket around her shoulders.
“I’ll make some tea, put it in a to-go cup, and drive you to the doctor.”
“I can drive myself,” she said. “As soon as it stops raining, I’ll have you take me home.”
He stared at her, trying to ascertain whether she was telling the truth. “Are you sure?”
“Yes. It feels better already. I’ve played with worse.”
He raised an eyebrow.
“Fine. Maybe not worse, but I can deal with it.”
“You always this stubborn?”
“I’ve been told it’s one of my best qualities.” She smiled, and something akin to attraction shot through him. Was she flirting with him?
“Oh, yeah. By who?”
“No one you know,” she muttered defensively.
“Ah, ha.” He laughed at catching her in a lie. “I guess your boyfriend left then?” It was a safe bet, since she hadn’t mentioned him as potential help.
“Yup.” She nodded. “Just like all men eventually do.”
“That’s cynical.”
“That’s the truth.”
“Trouble in paradise?”
She rolled her eyes and waved a hand to dismiss the subject.
“You can do better,” Brody said.
“What do you know about it?”
“Never mind. I have my own problems and no room to talk.”
“You got something to say, say it.”
“Fine. I sat behind him on the plane ride up here. He flirted with the woman next to him the entire trip and asked for her number when we landed.”
“Yeah,” Alex said. “That sounds about right.”
“Like I said, you can do better.”
She shot him a look, and he wasn’t certain, but it seemed like maybe they had a “moment.” A sliver of time where they connected. But it came and went so quickly, he couldn’t be sure.
After putting the teakettle on, he went to the bedroom and changed his clothes, bringing her a hoodie when he returned.
“Obviously not your size, but it’s dry.”
“Thanks.” Without warning, she stripped off the wet T-shirt, revealing a hot pink sports bra and a trim waist. He tried to look away but couldn’t. Just stood there staring like a teenage boy who’d never seen a bra before.
She slipped into the hoodie and moaned. “That feels so much better.” And when she noticed him gawking, “Ya good?”
“Yeah.” He blinked.
“Ah, crap,” she said, looking over his shoulder.
“What?” He turned to where she pointed. Water was leaking through the roof right into the sink. “Hey, at least it’s dripping somewhere convenient.”
“I was worried this might happen. It’s why I wasn’t renting this cabin. I’ll call to have it fixed first thing tomorrow.”
He glanced out the window. “The rain’s letting up. Why don’t I just take you to the doctor now?”
She removed the icepack, gently touched her red, angry ankle, and sighed heavily. “I’d appreciate it. Thank you.” Accepting his help seemed to pain her as much or more than her injury.
While he drove, she called Faith to see if she could pick her up if they went to the New Hampton clinic. Apparently, if Faith took a road named Windy Hill Drive, she could get there without using the main road in Green Valley Falls.
Brody helped Alex into the clinic and verified Faith was on her way before he left her. “Thanks again, Brody. I owe you two now.”
Back in town, he stopped at the coffee shop, where a spunky barista took his order.
He found a seat and got out his laptop. His review of Whispering Pines wasn’t due for another two weeks, but he would often enter daily notes to make the final draft easier. He checked the ten-day forecast and killed time checking email while he finished his coffee.
On the way out, he noticed a store called The Outdoor Outpost. If he remembered right, Tess worked there.
Looked like a good place to get a raincoat.
And maybe some better boots if he was going to do any real hiking.
His tennis shoes were okay for the jaunt to the falls, but he’d seen some other, harder hikes at the park he wanted to try.
“Hey, Brody,” Tess greeted when he entered. “Heard you rescued Alex this morning.”
“Rescue’s probably too generous a term,” he said.
“Carrying her out of the woods on your back sounds pretty superhero-y to me.”
He chuckled at the image. “Word sure spreads fast around here.”
“No denying that. What brings you by?”
She helped him find what he needed, and he was in and out in no time. By then, he was getting hungry, so he walked to the diner.
“Brody!” Edna greeted.
Walking into a place and having people know his name felt weird. Weird, yet comforting. After being anonymous and temporary most places he went, he decided he kinda liked it and leaned in.
“Hey, Edna. What’s good today?”
She settled him in a booth and fixed him up with the special—meatloaf and mashed potatoes.
The diner bustled with familiarity. Everyone seemed to know everyone else, and the place was filled with conversation, laughter, and a sense of joviality.
Halfway through his meal, the atmosphere changed on a dime. Brody looked around to see multiple people staring at their phones, the mood instantly somber. Faces fell, shoulders drooped, and the laughter gave way to hushed, serious whispers.
“What happened?” Brody asked Edna when she came to refill his water.
“Oh, honey.” Tears welled. “Just got word there was a fatal crash on Windy Hill Drive—that’s the back way in from New Hampton.”
Before he could ask for details, a man in a red baseball hat raised his voice.
“It’s on the news now, y’all.” He held his phone up as if reading from an article.
“It was a two-car collision. Two dead. One is Sean Dexter, The Grocer.” A collective gasp rang out, but the man hushed the crowd and continued to read.
“They’re waiting to release the other name pending next of kin notification, but they say she’s a woman from Green Valley Falls. ”
There was a moment of silence before everyone jumped into action, texting or dialing frantically, presumably to ensure their female loved ones were okay. A couple of others, including Brody, were on their feet. He threw down a twenty and raced out the door.
Windy Hill Drive was the road Alex and Faith would be coming back on. All of a sudden, he was desperate to lay eyes on the ornery cabin manager.