Chapter Twenty-Eight
Cooper told Anna that they were on their way back from the station. All that did was set my last nerve on edge. Why did they need to go to the station? Did they find out about the private investigator? I can’t afford for them to find it. Literally.
My hands have been wrung so much in the last few hours that they’re sore.
The last time I was this anxious was when I was sitting in a bar bathroom with a positive pregnancy test in my hands.
And I knew who I had to tell. A cowboy with smooth talking lips, and a reputation that got me to fall into his bed for a bit.
Too bad none of the fairytales he promised came true.
Tires crunch down the gravel of the driveway and Cooper’s truck comes into view. My heart drops into my stomach and a cold sweat breaks out covering my skin.
Standing, I watch as Hunter and Cooper step out of the truck. Each step kicks up my nerves a little more.
“Hey, I’m really sorry, Aubs. We’re going to stop these assholes.” Hunter gives me a quick hug before heading into the inn and leaving me alone with Cooper.
He stands on the ground while I stand on the top step. There’s no moves to come closer to me and I instantly know he knows. My skin prickles and goosebumps break out over my arms.
“You wanna go for a ride with me?” he asks.
“I’ll have to ask your Mo—”
“She’s fine. Lily is safe.” Holding his hand out to me, inviting me to come down next to him. “Come on.”
“I really—”
“Aubrey. Please. We need to talk about something and I don’t want to do it in front of everyone, or anywhere they can eavesdrop.” He shakes his hand outstretched toward me. “Please?”
“Okay,” I whisper. Stepping down, taking his hand.
He leads me to the barn where the four-wheelers are, and my nerves are on high alert with the anticipation of what he’s going to say.
“Can you say something, please? I’m dying over here.” I choke out, trying to hold back the sobs.
He stills mid-step. Turning on the ball of his foot to face me. “I’m not… Do you think I’m mad at you?”
“Yes!”
Reaching out he tugs me into his arms. “Never. You did nothing wrong.”
“I know you found the file that was in there. I know you saw it. I’m an awful person!
I hid it all, I didn’t let justice get served because I was too afraid to lose the life insurance money.
He didn’t even know I had life insurance taken out on him.
God, I’m such a terrible human being!” Finally the tears come freely, soaking his T-shirt.
“Gorgeous. Look at me.”
Following his orders, I look up under my lashes, not wanting to make eye contact knowing what I’ll see will break me.
He doesn’t accept that though. With his forefinger he lifts my chin up, bringing our faces together before he presses his lips to mine. Letting our tongues tangle for a brief moment.
“What I saw, what I read, I would never put any of that on you. You did what you had to do for your family. Your husband is gone. And from the sounds of it, that group has cops in their back pocket. What could you have done? What you found, that’s something you never should have been put through.”
“You… don’t think… I’m terrible?” I get out through the sobs.
Picking me up, he carries me over to a workbench and places me down on top, stepping between my legs.
“Of course not. And I didn’t show anyone else. But I need to know if there’s something in there that would make them come back for you. How did they get the files?”
“They didn’t. That was my copy. They must have found it when they were looking through my stuff. When I told the investigator I didn’t want to move forward with anything, he destroyed anything he had and I was left with the only copy. Not even Sophia knows that I had him followed.”
“Are you sure?” He wraps his arms around my shoulders.
“I mean, I didn’t watch him do it, but he was a nice guy. I had no reason to think he wouldn’t. Besides, Ryder would have told Sophia if something that big was going down. If I was that much of a threat to them, Ryder would have known.” Hiccups shake my chest.
“Okay. I believe you. I’m the last person you need to explain anything too. I’m on your side. Now, what I really wanted to talk to you about, I need to know you’re ready to hear it.”
I nod my head. I’m ready. Maybe.
Sucking in a deep breath, he pulls out his phone showing me a picture. “We found two GPS trackers. One on each of our cars. That’s how they knew where we were all the time. Wyatt has them at the station, he’s trying to trace the purchases.”
“GPS trackers.” I don’t know why it hits me so hard that he found trackers. I was expecting something like this. But it still makes my stomach roll to hear it out loud.
“On the cars. He didn’t find any bugs in the house though. So they hadn’t been in before today. I think they were caught off guard when we got home, that’s why they went out the bedroom window and were still here when you were in the bedroom.”
I bury my head in my hands. “I don’t understand what they want. Why are they doing this and not making any demands?”
“I don’t know. But Wyatt is on it now. He’s not going to leave until he has something.” A kiss is placed on the top of my head before I’m pulled tight to his chest.
We sit here in silence, just listening to each other’s breaths in the quiet space.
“What do you think about moving back into a cabin for a bit?” he finally asks.
“They’re totally booked for the wedding this weekend.”
“There’s one left.”
I raise my eyebrow. “There’s not. Emma and I just worked on that.”
“It’s not part of the inn. It’s my house.”
My eyes have to be wide as a bug’s. “What do you mean? You’re renting the cabin behind us.”
“I am. The cabin is in rough shape. It was my grandparents’.
They left it to me. It’s not near the rest of the inn.
When Granddad retired he didn’t want people on his property.
I spent many of my summers working with him to build it from the foundation to the roof.
When he passed away he left it to me. It needed to be renovated, but I was gone so much I never got to it.
We shut off the water but it should turn back on.
And just needs a propane delivery. It might be like living in a 1960’s time capsule right now but no one else knows where it is but my family. ”
My mouth drops open. “No one has ever mentioned it.”
“They honestly probably forgot about it. Or I bet Emma would have tried to convince me to turn it into something for the inn.”
“It sounds really special. I don’t want to make you do that if you aren’t ready. I don’t want them to take anything else from us.”
“You and Lily are special to me. I’d love to share it with you. But it’s not much right now. Lily would have to be in the same room as us for the moment. But if you want, I’ll get Hunt to go over there now with me.”
“Do you think we really need to? You think they’ll come back?” I clearly can’t trust myself to make decisions anymore because I ended up here.
“I think it’s safest for both of you. I don’t want you guys to be where that asshole was. It shouldn’t be long, just until Wyatt can get some information on who this is.”
“I know who this is. Why would they leave the private investigator’s report if it wasn’t the dealers? That was their way to let me know they still want the money, and what they’re capable of.”
“Still. I want proof before I let you out of my sight.”
“Okay, let’s move to the cabin. But I’m helping get it ready.”
He pulls out his phone and types quickly before pocketing it and packing up some tools from the barn.
“Hunter will be here in a minute with Liam, Violet, and Evelyn.” he announces while reaching for a hammer.
“Okay.” Back to wringing my hands, still sitting on the workbench, unsure of what to offer Cooper in the moment. Part of me loves the village I have now, but the other part, the fiercely independent part, hates relying on other people to keep my daughter safe.
I watch as he loads the tools onto the four-wheeler, tying everything down and opening the large barn doors. “Is this a long trip?”
“Not that long. But definitely bumpy. The road there hasn’t been maintained that well over the years. A little overgrown.” He takes his seat. “Come on. Sit in front of me.”
Sliding between him and the steering wheel, I settle back against his chest with my arms resting on his thighs. “Ready?”
“As I’ll ever be.” The engine roars to life in the quiet space.
With a lurch he pulls out of the garage and we follow a well worn path toward his parent’s house.
Continuing on around their backyard, we go through an opening in the treeline where their driveway ends.
The foliage is overgrown, but the path was worn enough to still exist. I can imagine how beautiful this was when it was first created.
Large, tall pines line each edge of the dug in gravel, until they open to a small clearing with the most adorable cottage sitting in the middle.
Sure it looks like it could use some love, but the charm is there. I can see why Cooper loves this place. He comes to a stop as the sound of another four-wheeler comes behind us.
“This place is adorable.” I slide off the machine, taking in the property and walking around.
If I ever had to dream up my perfect property this would be it.
Walking around the back, there’s an old overgrown garden that rests along the coastline, a white arch sits at the entrance with a white picket fence around the whole area. Pink roses are still growing along the arch and fence.
“The roses were for my grandmother. By the time we moved them in, she was in the early stages of Alzheimer’s.
But she always remembered that Granddad planted them for her.
Near the end of her battle she’d sit out here, running her fingers along the edges of the petals and reciting his name over and over again.
It made him the happiest he’s ever been to see her happy.
” Cooper slides next to me, wrapping me in his arms.
“What happened to him?”
“Broken heart. He died within the year after her. They’d been together over sixty years.” He rests his chin on my shoulder.
“What a love story.”
“It really was. I’ll have to share it with you sometime. I bet their wedding album is somewhere in there. You’d have loved them, and them you.” He kisses my cheek, leading me back around the front.
Hunter, Evelyn, and Violet are unloading a small trailer that’s attached to one of the four-wheelers. Everything on there ranges from a picnic basket, to a lawn mower.
“Thank you so much for coming. I know that I've ruined quite a few nights tonight and I just want you to know how grateful I am.”
Violet comes over first, pulling me into a hug. “You didn’t ruin a thing. We are all happy to be here for you. No matter what you need or when you need it, I’m here.”
Tears spring to my eyes when Evelyn comes over to join us in a group hug.
The moment is broken when the lawn mower starts up and the two women jump into gear grabbing the supplies and heading inside. I follow them, grabbing the box of cleaning supplies off the back of our four-wheeler.
Pushing open the front door a plume of dust fills the air.
“Cooper wasn’t kidding. This place hasn’t been touched.” The three of us turn around in a circle taking in the space. “At least it looks like Anna covered most of the place in drop cloths.” A sea of white fabric stretches throughout the cabin.
I start by opening windows, getting some fresh air into the space. Violet goes into the kitchen, pulling cloths off the counter.
“Oh my gosh!” she exclaims.
Evelyn and I come running. “What’s wrong?” We ask in unison.
“Do you see this?” She points to a fifties light pink stove, with matching refrigerator across the space.
“A true vintage stove with a matching refrigerator! I’d kill for this setup!”
I’ll give it to her, the pieces are spectacular and adorable for this little cottage.
“Do you think it still works?” Evelyn begins looking behind the stove at all the connections.
“It will once the propane is hooked back up. Which will probably not be for a couple days. But the fridge should be cold soon. Mom had the electricity turned back on this morning.”
I turn to face Cooper. “But we just decided?”
“I had a hunch I’d want to be here sooner rather than later and asked her to make a few calls. That’s why Hunter already knows what needs to be done.” He smiles.
“Okay enough of the love fest. Let’s get to cleaning.” Violet pushes past us, moving with her cleaning bucket to the living room. “I’ve got it in here. You get the bedroom and Eve’s got the kitchen. But we might need all hands on deck, so I called in the rest of the crew except Wyatt.”
Cooper winks at me. “Better let you get to it, gorgeous.” He drops a kiss to my cheek and goes back outside.
I watch him out the window, admiring the way his muscles move under his tee as he works on repairing the deck with some lumber that Liam just brought.
“Enough gawking. That bedroom needs to be sleepable tonight.” Eve thrusts a cleaning bucket in my hand.
“Yes ma'am.” I salute her.
I skip to the bedroom with a smile on my face despite the whole situation. I’m blessed with everyone that I’ve met here. I don’t know what I’d do if I was in Montana alone.
My smile is quickly wiped away when I see the condition of the bedroom. Holes fill the sheet covering the bed and it looks like mice have made their homes inside the mattress.
“Ladies, I think we have a big problem.” I yell.
Both of them come running. “What happened?”
I just point to the bed and watch as their noses crinkle in disgust.
Evelyn speaks first, “Oh, yup, big problem.”
Violet doesn’t say anything, she just goes outside.
“You know that she’s calling on the boys to go get one of your beds… and maybe some rodent poison.” Evelyn’s lips press into a tight line, and I don’t think her nose could scrunch any tighter if she tried.
I can’t stop the laughter that bubbles up. It’s almost as if all the anxiety of the past few weeks and today are finally coming out in the most unexpected way.
“Girl, have you lost it?” Evelyn reaches out to touch my forehead with the back of her hand. “Seriously, are you okay?”
“I’m fixing up an old cabin with mice in the bed because I’m running from my past with my dead husband, while getting to live my dream life with the man I was always meant to have.
Only now we’re on the damn run and being stalked!
” The laughter has me doubled over, tears streaming down my cheeks. “It’s all just so on par for my life.”
“Yeah, you’re gone. I’m going back to the kitchen.” She laughs with me, or at me, before leaving me alone in the room.
Regaining my composure, I look around the room and decide to get the mouse house out of here first.
Rolling up my sleeves, the mattress lifts easy, sheets and all.
For some reason giving this little cottage the fresh start that it needs feels like a fresh start for me too.