Hope Harbor

by Jill Sanders

  She knew he didn’t like making a scene. He had never liked being the center of attention.

  “You know why I left,” she said softly, looking at his hand. “Besides your control issues and inability to fight fair, I won’t take second billing to anyone. Especially after the string of women you’ve… charmed.”

  He shook his head. “It wasn’t like that, baby…”

  “You’ll want to let go of me now,” Eve said calmly. “I may have fallen for your lies and charm in the past, but my eyes are wide open now.”

  He dropped his hand, and she watched him change before her eyes, like the spell had been broken or a switch had been flipped. All Brent’s cavalier charm melted away, replaced by distaste and loathing all aimed directly at Eve.

  “You think this is a joke?” He stood and moved closer to her. “My family doesn’t play games like yours does. They’ve earned their position and know just how to take down their competitors.” His smile turned into a twisted sneer. “Last chance. Sit back down and make a deal.” His eyes narrowed slightly. “Or I’ll ruin you.”

  She smiled as she jerked her arm free one more time. “You’ve threatened me with ruin before. I can see how far you got with that. I’ll expect you to finish your little trip without incident and, once you leave here”—she leaned closer—“I never want to see you back here.”

  Without waiting for him to respond, she walked out of the dining hall and made her way towards the stairs.

  “Eve.” Genie rushed over to grab her. “We got a call that someone broke into the boathouse last night. Brandon claims there’s broken glass everywhere. He was too busy clearing the snow off the walkways to go in and figured you would want to head down there when you got in this morning to see if anything had been taken.”

  Eve held in a groan. If it wasn’t one thing, she thought as she grabbed her coat and snow boots. “I’ll head out there now.” She sat down and pulled off her heeled boots to pull on the rubber ones.

  “Want me to call Dylan? He could go with—”

  “No, he has his work, I have mine.” She waved off Genie’s concern. “Besides, whoever or whatever broke in will be long gone by now. Last time this happened it was a family of racoons trying to nest in there for winter.” She smiled at Genie, remembering the mess the little buggers had caused.

  “If you’re sure” she said, biting her bottom lip.

  “I’ll be fine,” she assured her, and headed towards the back of the building.

  The inn had been built on solid rock. The lower levels had been drilled and, if the rumors were true, dynamited out of the solid stone base. The entire inn sat about thirty feet above the shoreline, and the three-story boathouse, which went from water level far below to the ground floor of the inn sat off near the back of the property.

  Weaving her way down the snow-cleared pathways, Eve enjoyed the bite of the wind. The path snaked through the gardens and a small labyrinth of bushes and trees that in the spring and summertime bloomed with a million colors. She pulled out her keys for the boathouse.

  Brandon had left the short pathway to the boathouse untouched. Eve noticed there weren’t any footprints by the shattered window. Most of the glass was on the outside of the building, telling her something had tried to get out instead of in. An animal had most likely been locked inside.

  She hadn’t been lying. All throughout her childhood her grandfather had struggled with keeping rodents from the building. She expected it was due to the fact that most guests didn’t take out the kayaks and canoes housed inside during the colder months. The building was used to store outdoor furniture, which was hardly used after the temperatures dropped. The wedding was probably the last time they’d be used until spring next year.

  Thankfully, there wasn’t anything worthy of stealing inside, except for the small craft. Eve hoped to purchase a few jet skis next year to add to the inn’s list of fun activities when it warmed up again.

  But Eve knew she needed to focus on the interior of the inn first.

  Needing to see if the creatures had destroyed anything inside, she unlocked the door and stepped inside. From the look of the broken shards of glass lying around the building, she couldn’t tell if it had been a big animal or a smaller one.

  Stepping inside, she flipped the lights on and called out.

  “Hello?” She held her breath, listening for the sounds of scurrying feet from critters. “Please, god, don’t let it be rats,” she said under her breath. She glanced at the window again and laughed. “Those would have to be some big rats.” She shook her head as she moved into the room.

  The top floor of the boathouse was filled with picnic tables, lawn chairs, and other yard items that were put away during colder weather. She’d seen Brandon and the two high school boys he had working under him part time pulling everything they’d used for the wedding inside the building over the past two days, making sure it was all put away before the weather turned.

  She couldn’t see problems on this level. Using the narrow spiral staircase, she headed down to the bottom floor, where most of the watercraft were kept. A large glass garage door kept the building safe from the outside elements. There were two large docks, both filled with the boats used to drag water skiers around the harbor during warmer months.

  Here, the overhead lights were too weak to shed much light. The dark skies didn’t allow much light through the glass doors. The place was full of shadows and dark spots. She felt a shiver race up her back.

  Stacks of bright yellow kayaks leaned against the south wall, while the larger green canoes hung from the rafters on ropes or hooks. Life vests hung on hooks on the back wall.

  “Hello?” she called out again, moving around to ensure that nothing was missing or damaged.

  She was just about to head back upstairs when she heard a noise. Not a scutter of tiny rodent feet, but something scraping against wood. She froze and glanced around as she held her breath, listening for any more noises.

  She heard the soft creak of the floorboards behind her and spun around just as a heavy rope twisted around her neck. Its thick scratchy strands stabbed into her skin. Suddenly she was lifted, pulled upward as her feet dangled in the air. She kicked out, trying to find something to hold her weight as her hands jerked up to grasp the rope.

  She couldn’t even scream out, her breath blocked by the tightness of the rope.

  She had a moment, a flash really, as Dylan’s and Palmer’s happy faces filled her mind from a memory, before everything went gray.

  29

  Seconds matter

  He couldn’t stand the suspense. Dylan was finding it hard to focus on the work when Eve was downstairs fending off the advances of her ex.

  After missing a nail for the third time, he tossed the hammer down and called out to Jonas, one of the men from town he’d hired to lend a hand.

  “I’m heading downstairs then taking off for the day.”

  “You’re the boss,” the man joked as he continued to pull up loose baseboards.

  Wiping the sweat from his brow, Dylan tucked the handkerchief into his toolbelt and started down the stairs.

  He was at the base of the stairs and had turned towards the dining hall when Genie called out to him. “She’s not in there.”

  He stopped and glanced over his shoulder. “She’s not?” He frowned and looked down the hall towards her office.

  “No, she went out to the boathouse to check on a break-in we had last night,” Genie said.

  “Damn it. Why didn’t she call me? I would have gone…”

  “I told her that.” Genie threw up her hands. “But she said she could handle it.”

  “Where’s the boathouse?” he asked.

  “Back door.” Genie pointed to the long hallway. “Follow the path to the right. You can’t miss it, just past the gardens.”

  He took off, Eve’s decision not to ask him for help putting him in a foul mood. He walked quickly so that by the time he stepped up to the old building, he was a litt
le breathless.

  “Eve?” he called out after opening the door. He searched for a light switch. The place was dark, damp, and smelled of leather for some reason.

  He’d expected her to call out, but he was greeted with silence. “Eve?” he called out louder, making his way through the maze of lawn furniture. Finding a spiral staircase, he headed down to the next level.

  He stepped into the dark room and blinked a few times to let his eyes adjust. When he saw the dark shadow hanging from the rafter along with several canoes, at first he didn’t believe what he was seeing.

  Then he ran forward, crying out. “Eve!” He held her small body, which had been hoisted more than three feet from the ground.

  Looking around, he tried to find anything to hold her up while he found something to cut the rope that was twisted around her neck.

  Seeing a small stool that had been tossed near Eve’s feet, he kicked it closer and set it under her feet, but her body was too lax to hold herself upright.

  Remembering that he still had on his tool belt, he pulled out a small drywall saw. Standing on the stool, he hacked at the rope above her head while holding her weight. It took him too damn long before the rope gave way. When her motionless body fell, he carried her to the ground and jerked the rest of the rope away from her neck.

  Her skin was red and bleeding from the scratchy rope, as if she’d fought against it. He felt for a pulse, his hands shaking so bad that he couldn’t be sure and had to lean down to place his ear against her chest.

  Nothing.

  When Palmer had been born, he’d taken every first aid class the hospital had offered, including CPR.

  Pulling out his phone, he dialed 911 and placed them on speaker. When they answered, he quickly explained what was going on, telling the woman that he was going to start CPR.

  He counted off the number of times he did compressions on her chest out loud but lost count of repetitions between compressions and breathing into her mouth.

  When he felt Eve’s body jerk and heard her gasp in a deep breath, he cried out and held her as she coughed and coughed. Tears rolled down her face as she looked up at him.

  “Shh,” he warned her. “Don’t try to speak.” He could see that her neck was swollen and knew she was having a challenging time sucking in air. Her chest heaved with each labored breath.

  Lifting her, he glanced down at the cut rope and the stool. Glancing up, he noted the pulley that the rope had been hanging from. The pullies were there to help hoist up the heavy canoes. There were rows of them, most of them currently holding canoes.

  There was no way Eve could have done this herself. There wasn’t enough rope. Someone had tied it off on a peg a few feet away after she’d been hoisted into the air. Then they had probably placed the stool near her feet to make it look like suicide.

  Eve clung to him, her breathing labored. She was still coughing and, at this point, shivering.

  He met the paramedics on the pathway after carrying Eve up the narrow stairs and rushing down the cleared pathway.

  Lying her down on the gurney, he filled the EMT in on how many compressions he’d done and the estimated time he knew that she’d gone without oxygen, and then he stood by as they rolled her through the gardens towards the parking area.

  “What’s going on?” Genie rushed from the back door, a jacket wrapped around her. “Eve?” she cried out, rushing forward. “Is she okay?”

  “I’ll let you know,” he said. Eve remained still. She’d coughed so much before that he doubted she had any energy left to talk. “I’ll call you once I know how she’s doing.” He leaned closer to Genie, so that all the other guests and employees who had gathered at the sound of the ambulance wouldn’t hear.

  “Someone tried hanging her in the boathouse.”

  Genie gasped as tears rolled down her eyes. “Is she…?” The question hung in the chilly morning air.

  “No, I performed CPR. She’s awake, just…” He watched as Eve was loaded in the back of the ambulance. “I’ll let you know.” He handed her his tool belt. “Hold onto this, will you? I’m going to ride with them.”

  Genie took the belt, and he rushed to climb into the back of the ambulance.

  Taking Eve’s hand in his, he realized just how cold she was. “Can you throw another blanket over her? She’s freezing.”

  The man unfolded another thick blanket and put it over Eve. “Her vitals are good,” he told Dylan. “We’ll need the doctor to check her out. But it looks like she’s going to make it, thanks to you.”

  Eve’s eyes slid open and searched for him. He noticed they were a little unfocused, as if she was tired.

  “I’m here,” he said softly, rubbing her hand in his to warm it.

  “Dylan?” she mouthed, as no sound came from her as she labored for each breath.

  “Yes, I’m here,” he said softly, tears rolling down his cheek. He’d almost lost her. After losing Kendra, he’d had Palmer to think about, and he’d known there wasn’t anything that he could have done to help his wife. If it hadn’t been for his daughter, he would have lost it. Now, he doubted there would be anything that could drag him from the darkness of knowing he hadn’t gotten there soon enough to save Eve.

  What if he hadn’t gone down to check on her? She’d promised him that she would come up after she’d talked to her ex.

  His entire body shook at a thought. Pulling out his phone, he called the inn and waited as Genie finally answered.

  “Is that bastard still in the dining hall?” he asked.

  “You’re talking about—”

  “Stein,” he barked as Eve’s eyes moved to his slowly.

  Genie set down the phone and disappeared for a moment. When she came back, she was a little breathless. “He’s still sitting in the same spot. I… don’t think he knows what’s happened.”

  “Do me a favor. Get Kathrine up there and have her video him from across the room when you tell him that Eve’s been hurt. I want proof of the bastard’s face when he finds out.”

  “O… okay,” Genie said slowly. “Are you sure? Isn’t that, like, illegal or something?”

  “I don’t give a damn,” he said. “Just do it. Send it to this number when you have it.” He hung up, not wanting the woman to try and back out.

  Eve’s hand tightened on his as she tried to shake her head.

  “Don’t talk,” he said softly. “Whoever did this, I’m personally going to catch the bastard,” he promised.

  “Palmer,” she mouthed.

  “Shh, she’s at school.” He smiled. “I’ll call my dad. She can stay with him for a few nights until you feel better.”

  She relaxed and nodded as she closed her eyes.

  He held onto her hand all the way to the health clinic. When they rolled her back to take an X-ray, he pulled out his phone and filled his dad in on what had happened.

  Just before he hung up with him, his phone chimed with the sound of a new message.

  He watched the short video of Genie approaching Brent. It was a little shaky, but he could see the man’s expression clearly. When Genie informed him that someone had just tried to kill Eve in the boathouse, the man looked shocked.

  There was no faking the concern that had crossed the guy’s eyes. Nor when he’d stood up and demanded to know where they had taken her.

  The video cut off there. He knew that before Eve was done getting checked out, he should expect the man to walk through the clinic doors. He couldn’t wait to interrogate the man himself.

  Thankfully, he was shown back to a private room where Eve sat up in a bed, bandages around her throat as she sipped from a straw.

  When she saw him, she held out her arms and he walked silently into them, holding her as they both cried.

  “I thought,” he said into her hair. “My god, I thought I’d lost you,” he said repeatedly.

  She shook her head and then motioned to her throat.

  “Don’t try to talk.” He sat beside her on the bed. “Did you see who
did this to you?” he asked.

  Her eyes narrowed and she took a shaky breath before shaking her head side to side.

  “Not even a glimpse?” he asked, holding her hands in his.

  Again, she shook her head no as she leaned back in the bed.

  Just then, there was a commotion in the hallway and Dylan heard clearly, “She’s my wife. I demand to be allowed back there with her. Someone just tried to murder her.”

  Eve groaned, the soft sound causing a wave of coughs as he held onto her. When she settled down again, he handed her the water and she drank slowly.

  “I’ll deal with him.” He started to get up just as Brent burst into the room, two nurses on his heels.

  “My god, Eve.” He started to rush to the other side of Eve’s bed, but she held up her hands and motioned for the nurse.

  “This is her ex,” Dylan supplied. “I don’t think Eve wants to see him at the moment.”

  Eve nodded quickly and waved her hand like she was shooing away a fly.

  “As I said, Mr. Stein, there’s only one guest permitted back here at a time,” the nurse said, pulling Brent out of the room.

  “Is she okay?” Brent asked Dylan.

  A little surprised, Brent nodded. “I’ll come out and fill you in when I can,” he said and turned his back on the man.

  Eve looked at him like he’d just grown an extra head as they shuffled Brent out of the room.

  “You should see something.” He pulled out his phone. “You know the guy better than anyone. Think he could be faking this?” He played the video for her and she relaxed back and shook her head.

  “That was real concern and shock?” he asked again. She nodded her head and took a slow breath. “You don’t think it was him?” he asked to clarify. She shook her head no. “Get some rest. I’m going to see what the doctor says about you and see about taking you home.”

  She reached for his hand. “Thank you,” she mouthed. “CPR.” She smiled up at him.

  He nodded, his throat closing, and turned away to find the doctor.