Chapter 17
The shaking in Vanessa’s hands refused to stop even after she and Dax spoke with the sheriff’s deputy and were safely back in her home. She sat in the living room with a throw blanket wrapped around her shoulders.
Frankie stayed glued to her side, as if sensing her turmoil and wanting to comfort her. She loved the little guy, but even he couldn’t take away her anxiety.
Dax returned from the kitchen with two coffee mugs.
She scrunched her nose. “I don’t want any coffee, but thanks.”
“Good, because this is whiskey. Don’t worry, I just poured a little bit. I just couldn’t find any other glasses.” He offered her the cup then sat beside her. He took a sip. “Your grandpa had some good stuff in there.”
Bringing the mug close to her face, she sniffed the pungent alcohol before taking a small sip.
The liquid burned her throat all the way down until it settled in the pit of her stomach.
She coughed, clearing the bitter taste as much as she could.
“If this is good, I’d hate to try what you think is bad. ”
He took another swig. “Not a whiskey girl, huh?”
“No,” she said, shaking her head. “Give me a margarita any day of the week.”
“Well, if I knew how to make one, I would.”
“Mom and I used to just buy it premade and pour it from a bottle. Easy peasy.” She fell back against the soft sofa. “That seems like a lifetime ago. Hell, my entire existence in Chicago feels like it took place in another dimension.”
“And what would you be doing in Chicago right now?”
She considered the question and a wave of homesickness washed over her. She glanced at the old grandfather clock in the corner. “I’d be finishing a yoga class. Probably planning on grabbing coffee or making dinner plans with Alicia.”
“Who’s Alicia?” Dax settled in beside her, casually draping an arm over her shoulders.
She tucked her feet under her and leaned against him.
“My best friend. I taught at her studio, and she was a lifesaver when my mom was sick. She’d stop by the apartment with food or card games or anything else she could think of.
And since Mom passed, she’s made sure to drag me out and stay a part of the living.
Reminding me that my mom would want me to be happy. ”
A longing to hear her best friend’s voice tightened her chest. She made a mental note to call her in the morning to check in. With so much happening, she’d barely had time to catch her breath let alone fill her friend in on the crazy details consuming her life.
“She sounds great,” Dax said. “I hope I get a chance to meet her someday.” A beat of silence passed before he asked, “Have you considered teaching yoga in Cloud Valley? I mean, I can’t say for sure, but I don’t think there’s anyone doing that around here.”
Sighing, she ran through the logistics in her head. “I’d love to, but that actually makes it a little harder.”
Dax frowned. “What do you mean? I’m not a business expert, but wouldn’t it be better if the market wasn’t saturated with the service you’re providing?”
She grinned up at him. “You sound pretty savvy to me, and usually, yes. Providing a service no one else is would be a positive. But in this case, if someone already had a yoga studio, I could be hired as a teacher. Make the money without the overhead of renting a space and all the start-up costs.”
“Then do it here,” he said with a shrug. “I’ve heard of some crazy fad where people use goats while taking a class or something.”
“Oh my gosh.” She sat up straight. “How did I not think of that? Goat yoga! I wonder if people would actually come out here for something like that.”
“Why wouldn’t they? You wanted a place for the community to come. Lure them here with goat yoga and whatever other wacky practices you provide.”
Laughing, she playfully slapped his arm. “Yoga isn’t wacky. It’s good for you.”
“But then you add the goats and the wackiness kind of follows, doesn’t it?”
She rolled her eyes. “Sure, whatever you want to tell yourself. If I can figure out a way to teach here, I’ll make you be my first client.”
“Deal. But honestly, I think it could be cool. There’s a large section of the barn that’s not being used. We could spruce it up a bit. I’m pretty handy with a hammer.” He gestured at the new window as if to make his point. “And I know a few people who always love to lend a hand.”
“You really think something like that could work?”
“I do. You should talk to Lily. She transformed her family’s dude ranch into one of the most coveted wedding venues in the area. She might have some good ideas.”
The chill clinging to her bones since being forced off the road by some brute behind a steering wheel finally melted away, and it had nothing to do with the whiskey.
“I’d love that, and focusing on the positive will help keep me from going crazy with everything else happening.
As scared as I am, I don’t want to put my life on hold.
I was forced to do that once. I won’t do it again. ”
Dax’s face pinched with an emotion she couldn’t quite put her finger on, but he chose not to add anything else to the conversation.
Disappointment pressed down on her shoulders.
Since meeting him, the door to her life had been forced open.
She’d confided so much in such a short time, but she’d be lying if she said she would have been so forthcoming with him under normal circumstances.
She couldn’t expect him to be as open with her about whatever put that look in his eyes.
Dax’s phone rang and he shifted to fish the device from his pocket. “It’s Madden,” he said before answering.
She fixed her attention on Frankie and let her mind wander over the possibilities of creating a studio at her new home.
The barn would provide an amazing atmosphere, but the portion she’d use for classes would need a complete overhaul.
Insulation and heat for winter classes, windows to let in the mountain views, air-conditioning for the warm summers.
And what about parking? Could the driveaway hold enough spots for clients?
Then there was the big issue of how much a remodel would cost. The inheritance she’d received from both her mother and her grandfather was enough to provide her a hefty safety net, but she wasn’t sure spending it all on one big dream was a wise decision.
But if now wasn’t the time to take a risk, she wasn’t sure when was.
Lowering the phone, Dax studied her. “Everything all right?”
“Sorry, I’m just running through some thoughts in my head.
It’s a big decision and one I’m not equipped to make right now.
Especially when there’s so much I don’t even know to consider.
I’ve always taught yoga. I’ve never planned on owning my own business.
I think I’ll take your suggestion and speak with Lily about some ideas. I think it’d help.”
“How about tonight?”
Her mouth fell open. “Tonight?”
He nodded. “Madden wanted an update on what happened earlier. He asked us to meet him and Lily for dinner at Tilly’s. We can chat while we eat, then you can ask Lily questions about her business. What do you think?”
A flutter of excitement blossomed in her chest, one that screamed at her to take the next step with this new idea. Tonight might not be the best time to broach her new idea to Lily, but it was a good idea to get to know the other woman better before pelting her with questions. “Count me in.”
* * *
The dinner crowd at Tilly’s filled the bar and grill, creating the sounds of Dax’s adolescence.
Pool balls bouncing off each other in the corner, country music blaring from the jukebox, and a chorus of voices caught up in conversation.
His stomach growled, and he hoped the kitchen wasn’t too backed up.
Either that, or Eve would give them special treatment. Too bad Reid wasn’t with them, or no doubt they’d get their food fast—or she’d make Reid wait longer to serve her other customers quicker.
They’d take their chances with Nellie as their server.
“You guys know what you want?” Nellie asked. Her brown hair hung in tight curls around her shoulders, half of it pulled back and out of her young face.
Vanessa studied the menu while everyone else placed their usual orders. When it was her turn, she smiled up at Nellie. “I’m new in town. What do you recommend?”
“First off, welcome,” Nellie said with a returning smile. “Second, you can’t go wrong with anything on the menu. Fried pickles are my personal favorite for a side. Burgers are always good, but we’ve got a great chicken club sandwich, too.”
“Then a chicken club sandwich with fried pickles it is. A cola as well, please.”
Nellie collected the menus. “All right. I’ll have this out to you guys as quick as I can.”
Madden waited for Nellie to walk away before asking, “So you’re both okay?”
The question reminded Dax of the tension in his neck that hadn’t quite left and the ache in his head, but he nodded. “Could have been a lot worse. If he’d waited until we were closer to Vanessa’s place, there’s a drop-off on the side of the road. Landing in that ravine could have been a disaster.”
“So scary,” Lily said. “Any idea who’s behind these attacks?”
Dax glanced at Madden, hoping for more news.
Madden sighed. “I spoke with Sanders. No luck on the autobody shops, and the video footage he got his hands on didn’t show much. Flashes of a truck similar to what you described leaving town shortly after you, but nothing to tell us more than we already knew.”
“So, no way to be certain if he followed us from the library or just happened upon us in town?” Dax asked.
Madden shook his head.
“How do we know he’s not outside waiting for us right now?” Vanessa leaned back in her chair and glanced around the crowded restaurant. “Or if he’s in here watching us?”
Dax reached under the table and rested a hand on her leg. “You’ve got a lot of people around to protect you. If anyone came after you, they’d regret it.”
“Did the deputy speak with my aunt?” Vanessa wrinkled her nose, as if hating to even ask the question.
“Last we spoke, he couldn’t reach her or your uncle,” Madden said.
Dax frowned. “That’s weird, right?”
Madden shrugged.
Nellie hustled over with a tray filled with drinks. She set them down then hurried away, disappearing among the throng of tables.
Vanessa took a sip of her cola then bobbed her straw up and down in the glass. “I can’t help thinking that what we found about Garrison Steele plays a role in all of this.”
“The boy who died years ago?” Lily asked.
“Did you know him?” Dax asked. “I was too young. I wondered if you two had any memories of the time around his death.”
“He was about ten years older than us,” Madden said. “So, when he died, we would have only been about seven or eight. I don’t even recall when he passed, but that’s probably because I was just a kid caught up in my own life.”
“Same,” Lily said. “Sorry. But at that age, I went to school and played at either our ranch or the McKays’. I wasn’t exactly aware of much else outside that world. But why would you think his death would be connected to someone harassing you all these years later?”
Vanessa gave a brief rundown of everything she’d uncovered since moving into her grandpa’s house.
Dax followed along, mentally trying to make sense of the jumble of information.
He agreed with her that something fishy had happened to set everything in motion, and he wasn’t convinced it was all because her mom got pregnant.
But even he had to admit it all sounded like a mash-up of events that seemed unrelated.
They had to be missing something.
Vanessa sighed. “I wish my mother was here. I’d pry everything out of her.
My uncle’s made it clear he wants nothing to do with me, and my aunt was like a nervous little bird who flew away the minute I ventured into territory she wanted untouched.
I don’t know if it’s because she was afraid of my uncle or scared she’d say something she shouldn’t. ”
“Ethan Scott is the other person who might know something,” Dax said, picking up the story thread. “He was close with Chip and Garrison, and is still close with Chip. Just depends on if he’ll actually talk to us or not.”
“Ethan’s a much nicer guy than Chip,” Lily said. “I used to deal with him when my place was a Dude Ranch. He owns the butcher shop in town, raises a small herd of cattle. When we’d have guests, we’d place bulk orders for meat. If you catch him away from Chip, he might open up.”
Nellie and Eve wove through the crowd, loaded down with plates of food.
“Hey, guys.” Eve set plates on the table. “Thought I’d help Nellie and come say a quick hello while I had a chance. We’re packed tonight. Vanessa, nice to see you again.”
“Same to you,” Vanessa said. She inhaled a deep breath as Nellie slid her sandwich in front of her. “Everything smells amazing.”
Madden picked up his burger. “Perfect timing. We can take a break before diving back in to figuring out how Garrison Steele could play a hand in messing with Vanessa from beyond the grave.”
Eve let out a low whistle. “Haven’t heard his name in a long time.”
“Did you know him?” Dax asked.
Eve rested one hand on the back of Lily’s chair and anchored her other on her hip. “Not really, but my folks had his wake here. Wanted to help his parents and take that burden off their shoulders. I was young, so I don’t recall everything that happened, but I remember it was a real disaster.”
Dax straightened in his seat. “What do you mean?”
“A fight broke out, I think. Shouting and broken glasses. My parents and some other adults had to step in and settle things down. I was shuffled into the kitchen, but I peeked out the door to keep an eye on what was happening. It was a nightmare. Everyone was already on edge after such a tragedy. The disruption at the wake just made everyone even more upset.”
“Any idea who was fighting?” Vanessa asked.
“I can call my parents and find out for sure, but I think your mom and uncle had a hand in things. Went off on each other before your mom stormed out. I’m pretty sure Ethan was there, too, trying to calm them both.”
“Wow,” Vanessa said. “I guess it’s not uncommon for emotions to run away from people at funerals. Grief can make us do crazy things. But up until then, it seemed like my mom and Chip got along so well.”
Dax popped a fry in his mouth and considered the new information.
“You thought something happened between the time Garrison died and your mom left town to put a rift between her and your uncle. Looks like you have another event to place in your timeline. Now we have to figure out if she was just upset about losing a friend or something else had pushed her to her breaking point.”