Chapter 15
It was an agonizingly long night spent at the small, understaffed hospital and sitting through another grueling round of questioning by the sheriff. Risky’s warning that this poisoning might be considered attempted murder proved to be true. Only I was the number one suspect. No matter how many times I asked why I would want to sabotage the business I’d worked so hard to rebuild, I was hit with the undeniable fact that I’d kept the lodge running even though an unknown threat was circling. At the end of the day, I was the one responsible for all those people falling ill. I’d thought I was doing everything right, but it’d all gone so wrong. All I could do was hang my head and take the relentless berating and questioning.
The sheriff planned to keep at it all night, but Risky showed up with a sleepy-looking man in a rumpled suit who claimed to be my lawyer. His gaze was surprisingly sharp and impatient behind his gold-rimmed glasses, giving him a contradictory appearance.
Once there were reinforcements and he knew it would be more of a headache to keep me, the sheriff let me go with a low warning and a taunting, “See you soon, Lucky.”
He was probably right, which I hated down to my core. The lawyer followed us to Risky’s truck, mentioning that any legal communication coming from the guests who had gotten sick should go through him from here on out. He suggested shutting the lodge down until it was clear how so many people had gotten sick, but I was one step ahead of him.
Even though the property was fully booked for the next six weeks, I planned to cancel and refund all the reservations. The financial hit would be a knockout. Even if I sold everything I owned, there was no possible way to make up the difference. I was going to end up leveraging the property to get my hand on enough cash to pay the staff for the season. I’d promised them steady work, and now that the mountain was alive for the winter, they wouldn’t be able to find anything else. I’d put them in an unfavorable situation, so there was no other option but to hold up my end of the employment contract.
I’d never felt so defeated.
Running the lodge was the one goal I’d set for myself. It was the shining light that kept me moving forward when things were at their darkest. Watching it fall apart and fail before I got the chance to make it thrive was a crushing loss. I felt like I’d let my grandparents down—and even worse, proven my parents right. I wasn’t enough. I was in over my head. It didn’t matter that forces were working against me; it seemed like my dream was never meant to be.
Back at the lodge, I spent hours calling guests to tell them their reservations were canceled. I got screamed at, cursed at, hexed. I was told I ruined lives and it was the only family vacation some of them could take for years to come. The verbal abuse was on par with what came from the folks who had been sent to the ER for observation. It was the worst way to start the high season. I knew deep down there was little chance to come back from a blunder as big as this. There was no way to make amends. Once the trust was broken with both my staff and my customers, there was little hope of winning it back. Plus, I couldn’t justify putting people in danger because I was trying to hold on to something that was rapidly slipping through my fingers.
While I battled on the phone, Risky spent the night combing through video footage and grilling anyone who had gone in and out of the kitchen before the tainted dessert was served. It was hectic and exhausting. I was practically asleep at the computer in the lobby. I felt like I’d spent the night getting beaten up, and one wrong word might make me cry. I’d never been in a hole so deep that I couldn’t see the top. And even if I could see daylight, I was too torn down and tired to try climbing my way out.
Absentmindedly, I started making a list of all the things that had happened once I opened the lodge. It was pretty clear there were two lists. One had incidents I had been lucky to survive, like getting shot at, nearly falling off the deck, the car accident. The other had things that had killed my business but left me breathing just fine—the cameras in the cabins, the computer hack, and now someone tampering with the food. Then there was the outlier—the strange scene down by the river that had started this whole mess. I tapped my fingers on the desk, trying to find a thread that tied any of the incidents together.
Life had been quiet and uneventful before I found Risky on the side of the road. Bringing Risky home felt like it was the catalyst for the big, scary things that were honestly less troublesome to me than the targeted attacks on my business.
Other than him, the only other person who was welcome to wander around all aspects of the lodge was Banner.
I frowned and tapped my fingers harder as weblike recollections started to spin together in my sleepy mind.
The night Banner had fought with her husband and came over directly from his place in Denver, I’d let her and the baby stay in one of the cabins because the rooms in the lodge were full. I remembered that I had been surprised she wanted to stay alone when she was clearly so upset. Thinking back to another seemingly innocuous action, I recalled Banner being at the computer when I’d logged her in to look at my interview schedule for new hires.
A feeling of dread filled my belly, and disbelief stole my breath.
I was on my feet and searching out Risky before I let any of the suspicions swirling in my head land. It was hard to tell if my hurried actions were fueled by anger or anxiety.
It would make so much more sense if Risky were the culprit behind ruining my life and dashing all my hopes and dreams. He was a stranger. One who had a very shady history that came with who knew how many scorned enemies. He was a drifter and lived his life too carefree. He had nothing to lose if the lodge went under and took me down with it. I wanted to be more distrustful of him, but all he’d done since I’d found him on the side of the road was help me out. I saw the delight on his face as things around the property started to come together and some of the old shine began to show through. I’d never doubted his genuine appreciation for this tiny piece of heaven up in the mountain.
I didn’t want to believe Banner could betray me.
We’d been friends forever, even if we drifted apart after I moved away for college. She’d always been quirky, fun, and mostly reliable. She didn’t have a nefarious bone in her body. Or so I thought.
Banner was the one who had approached me to rekindle our friendship when I moved home. She inserted herself into my life and worked hard to bridge the gap left by my experiences in Denver. She was often my sounding board when dealing with the ever-present trauma gifted by my parents. She knew my strengths and weaknesses better than most, and she’d definitely put in the work to make sure I found her trustworthy and completely nonthreatening.
My chest felt like it was on fire as I stumbled over my uncoordinated feet when I pushed my way into the kitchen.
Risky lifted his head from the phone he had been staring at intently. His eyes widened when he saw my frantic state.
“The video footage from last night—” I panted the words and nearly skidded to a halt next to him. I frowned when I banged my elbow on the stainless-steel counter. “Is Banner in it? When she was mixing the frosting for the cupcakes that made everyone sick, did she put something in the batter?”
His eyebrows lifted, and a flash of surprise crossed his features. “There are too many blind spots in the kitchen. Plus, she went into the walk-in cooler empty-handed and came out with the mixing bowl full of ingredients. Why are you suddenly asking about your friend?”
There was a bite to his tone that made me realize he was further along in putting together the puzzle than I was.
I shoved my hands through my hair in frustration. “There’s nothing on the security footage? That makes things tricky.”
“Lucky, why are you pointing fingers at Banner?”
I sighed and tried to peek at whatever he had been looking at on the phone. “I made a list of all the events leading up to the food poisoning. I was trying to see if I was blind and missing an obvious thread that tied everything together. When it was written down in front of me, the only person who was there at each mishap was Banner. She was alone in the cabin before you found the cameras. She had access to my computer. I watched her help in the kitchen right before everyone got sick.” I shook my head. “I don’t have a reasonable explanation as to why she’d want to see the lodge close again, but it’s too much of a coincidence that her hands were all over the things that have been going wrong lately.”
Risky grunted his agreement and asked, “Why don’t you suspect me? I’ve also been in all the places Banner has been.”
I nudged him with my hip and rolled my eyes at him. “You saved me from getting shot that day in the valley. Why would you save me, then turn around and torture me by ruining my grand reopening? And you’re the only person who suggested moving the deed for the property into a trust. If I do that, no one benefits if I’m gone or the business goes under.” I just hadn’t found a free moment with everything going on to take care of the paperwork and legalities yet.
I must’ve said what he’d wanted to hear because a moment later, he pushed the phone in my direction and tapped on the screen.
“The security cameras didn’t catch anything, but your new chef is a social media star. He’s got a pretty big following that he livestreams all of his kitchen shifts to.”
He moved his finger across the display to fast-forward the recorded stream. He stopped when the image of the chef walking into the large cooler to grab ingredients filled the screen. He slowed the recording down, and I watched with my heart in my throat as Banner guiltily jumped, dropping a small glass bottle. She hurriedly bent to pick up the container and joked with the chef about it being so cold in the cooler that her fingers didn’t want to work. Banner hadn’t realized she was being recorded.
Risky paused the video and enlarged the image so we could look at the label on the bottle in her hand.
“Ipecac.” Risky swore. “No wonder everyone who had a cupcake tossed their cookies. Ipecac is used to induce vomiting if someone’s been poisoned or ingested something toxic. It’s strong, and it works fast, but it’s hard to come by. I’ll track down if Banner or anyone close to her recently tried to get their hands on it.”
I blew out a breath and curled my fingers into a fist. Fury blazed up the back of my throat and nearly choked me.
“Why?” I barely squeaked the single word out. “What does she get if the lodge goes under?” I exhaled again and turned questioning eyes to the man next to me. “I thought we were friends.”
Risky reached out and dropped his hand on the top of my head. He gave me a pat that was surprisingly soothing. “She was counting on you thinking exactly that. Your walls are so high; you would never let anyone have access to the places Banner needed to get her hands on. But she’s an old friend, so you let her climb over them a long time ago. You were sympathetic because she told you she was going through a rough time. She’d also just had a baby. On paper, Banner’s about as nonthreatening as can be.”
He moved his hand to the side of my face so he could cup my cheek and rub his thumb lightly under my puffy, tired eyes. “If it’s any consolation, I don’t think Banner is vindictive or bright enough to plan a precise and targeted attack like this. She really doesn’t benefit if the lodge shuts down.” He pulled me into his embrace and dropped a quick kiss on the center of my forehead. “We need to take a look at those around her. You said she’s married?”
I wrapped my arms around his waist and leaned my weight against his sturdy body. “She’s getting divorced. But I don’t know if that’s true anymore. Her husband, Grant, lives in Denver. They’ve always been semi-long distance. No one in Blue River likes him.”
He cocooned me in a protective embrace as he rested his chin on the crown of my head. “I’ll look into him. Meanwhile, you need to be on guard with Banner.”
I nodded and felt the tears I’d kept at bay finally break free. I pressed my face into the crook of his neck and breathed in the comfort I felt in his arms. “Business is dead. I failed. There’s nothing else to sabotage. There isn’t anything else she can take from me.”
He cradled the back of my head and pulled me even closer. “That’s not true. You’re still here, Lucky. If anyone can overcome a rough patch, it’s you.”
I cried harder, making the fabric of his shirt damp. I sniffed loudly and muttered, “My list made it clear; nobody wanted me dead until you showed up, Risky. I am still here , but someone wants to change that.” Using his own words felt appropriate because he was the root of this particular problem. “I’m smart enough to know that someone is using me to get to you.”
He shifted so he could see my face. He used the edge of his T-shirt to wipe away the tear tracks covering my cheeks. “You aren’t wrong. I never signed a noncompete clause, but it’s starting to look like the incoming boss didn’t appreciate my resignation. Dealing with the private information of the rich and powerful isn’t a job that’s easy to walk away from. Even more so when the new boss wants to make you heel and sit at her feet.”
He lowered his head and placed a gentle kiss on my parted lips. I knew I had to taste like salt and sorrow.
“I’m going to take care of everything. Trust me.”
Trust. It was so much easier said than done. And yet I had more faith in this man than the friend I’d known since I had been a kid.
“You said there was a difference between bad luck and bad people. I don’t think I would have one in my life without the other.” It was real shitty luck that the person I’d considered my bestie had sold me out for unknown reasons.
Risky heaved a heavy sigh and backed me into the counter. He put his hands under my ass and lifted me until my legs dangled on either side of him as he stepped between them. Then he slapped his hands down next to my hips and leaned so close that our noses nearly touched. I stared into his golden gaze and felt a bit like a snake being charmed as I followed him wherever he decided to lead me.
“There are a lot more terrible humans running around, ruining things, than there are good ones. You’re bound to encounter people who want to bring you down more frequently than those who want to lift you up.” He gave me a toe-curling kiss and whispered, “You’re a good girl, Lucky. You’ve been through a lot, and the only person you ever hold accountable is yourself. I can’t imagine you ever deliberately trying to hurt another person. After the muck and grime I climbed my way out of when I retired, I can’t even explain how alluring your effortless decency is. I know I’m not the best thing that’s ever happened to you. I might actually be the worst. But you are, without question, the greatest thing I’ve ever gotten my hands on. I feel like I struck gold without even trying.”
I wanted to cry again.
I’d had others flatter me and spin sweet words to get what they wanted from me. Baker had often tried to appeal to my ego with boring compliments that did nothing to thaw the deep freeze within my chest.
Risky’s unvarnished claim was like an ice pick knocking away chunks and revealing the tender and vulnerable surface beneath the ice.
I’d never been the best at anything.
Maybe it was because I had been waiting to be the best thing that had ever happened to the man standing in front of me.
It was an accomplishment no one before me could achieve—and no one after me would either.