by Ellery Adams
Cooper stood and stretched her legs. “I agree with what you said, Savannah. About knowing us better. I enjoy those moments, too. I get to see what really makes everyone tick.”
“Agreed,” Quinton said. He stood up. “Now, who’s ready for a swim?”
While the guys returned the coolers and basket to Quinton’s car and brought the swimming gear back with them, the gals scouted a place in the woods near the picnic table to change into their suits. There was a restroom on the other side of the lake, but nobody wanted to make the trek, so by the time the guys returned with swimsuits and beach towels, Cooper and Trish had found a nice secluded cove surrounded by ivy-covered crab apple trees and tall witch hazel shrubs.
Everyone took turns changing, except for Savannah and Jake, who opted not to swim. When Cooper emerged from the cove, Nathan, Bryant and Quinton were already in the water, tossing around a beach ball. Trish floated near the pier on a pool noodle, talking to Jake and Savannah, who sat at the end of the pier and dangled their feet into the water.
Nearly an hour passed as the group swam and splashed, relaxing in one another’s company in the cool lake, and for almost another hour after that they all joined Jake and Savannah on the pier. They talked about family, church, and work, and then for a short while they just sat, listening to the sounds of nature.
Quinton returned to the table for a few minutes and began to write something on a napkin. Cooper watched him curiously, wondering what he was writing, and why it couldn’t wait. When he rejoined them on the pier, she noticed that he held pen and napkin in hand.
“What do you have there?” she asked, pointing to the napkin.
“Oh, this?” Quinton looked down at his makeshift notepad. “I just had an idea I wanted to write down.”
“What kind of idea?”
“A song idea.”
Savannah smiled. “How wonderful! Do we get to hear it?”
Quinton hesitated. “It isn’t finished. I’d feel weird reading it.”
“We’d still love to hear what you have,” Savannah insisted.
Cooper nodded. “And I’d be glad to read it so you won’t feel weird.”
Quinton handed over the napkin to Cooper, and she read:
Creation is kneeling
At the foot of Your throne,
And lifting up praise,
Every river and stone.
Creation is worshipping,
As one it sings
Glory and honor
To the great King of Kings
From sunrise in summer to felled leaves of fall,
From sweet forest zephyr to great ocean squall,
The mountain so high, and the creature so small,
They bow down before you, the Maker of All
Savannah wiped a tear from her eye. “That was lovely, Quinton. Simply lovely.”
“Yeah, it’s good,” Bryant agreed. “I like it.”
“Like I said, it isn’t finished,” Quinton replied. “I just wanted to write that much down before it slipped my mind.”
Cooper returned the napkin to him. “Thank you for sharing it with us.”
Finally, they took turns changing back into their regular clothes in the secluded cove, carried their now dry swimsuits back to the parking lot, and meandered over to the lawn near the amphitheater, to where the rows of booths were swarming with customers. Cooper spotted the Sphinx group on the lawn, playing some kind of team-building game. She waved, but Christine was too busy to see her.
By the time they reached the booths, Savannah was nearly giddy. Here, local artists and artisans eagerly showed off their wares—sculptures, scarves, candles, toys, soaps and so much more. Savannah engaged at least half the artists in conversation about their work and purchased more than a few items. Cooper wound up with rose petal bar soap for Ashley and a doll for Hannah.
Bryant suddenly winced with pain and put his hand to his neck.
“You all right?” Nathan asked.
“I think I got a sunburn,” Bryant replied. “Would you take a look for me?”
Nathan and Cooper looked more closely at the back of his neck, and Cooper saw why Bryant was wincing. The skin between his hairline and shirt collar was purple.
“You got one heck of a sunburn,” Nathan told him.
Trish gave Bryant a reprimanding look. “I offered you sunblock.”
Bryant shrugged, immediately grimacing as the movement caused his collar to rub on his neck. “I don’t usually burn.”
“Well, you did this time,” Nathan said. “Trish, do you have any aloe in that bag?”
Trish shook her head. “I don’t, but I saw a first aid and security tent between the booths and food trucks. I’ll bet they have something that’d help.”
“I don’t need anything,” Bryant said. He turned and looked at the amphitheater, and his collar again rubbed against his burn. He sucked in his breath. “Then again, maybe I do. It’s only five now. I’ll come find you.”
“We probably need to find seats and get food,” Jake replied. “Just look for our place on the lawn, by the amphitheater.”
While Bryant hurried to the first aid tent, the rest of the group settled on a portion of unclaimed grass with a clear view of the amphitheater. Quinton saved the group’s seats, allowing the others to head over to the food trucks to find some supper.
Cooper was surprised to see twenty different food trucks in the designated area of the parking lot with fare as varied as the cars parked nearby. They served everything from pulled pork to panini, from Asian fusion to fried candy bars. Cooper glanced at her watch. Plenty of time to peruse her options before the opening band played.
Savannah and Jake broke away from the group first, heading to a truck emblazoned with the tagline “Just Like Mama Used to Make.” Trish left next, drawn to the smell of barbecue from a truck with a giant smiling pig painted on the side.
Cooper and Nathan walked hand in hand, and he told her which trucks sold the best food. Suddenly, his wrist began to vibrate, and Cooper stared down, surprised.
“What on earth . . .” she began.
Nathan laughed. “My Fitbit. It’s just telling me I hit another ten thousand steps for the day.”
“Another ten thousand?”
“Yep. I’m at twenty thousand so far.”
“Oh, good.” Cooper rubbed her hands together. “That means I get to eat whatever I want for supper.”
They passed by a few more trucks when they saw a long line at the panini truck. Lamenting the number of people already waiting for food, Cooper forgot to watch where she was going and accidentally walked through the middle of the line, stepping on a woman’s toes as she did so.
Cooper backed away quickly. “Sorry! I guess I need to watch where I’m going.”
The woman looked up, surprised, from her nails, which she’d been filing with a Swiss Army knife. “It’s all right. Everybody’s bumping into everybody in this madhouse.”
“Hey!” came a shout from farther back in line. “No cuts!”
Cooper turned to see a tall man staring angrily at her and Nathan. Nathan donned his most innocent smile. “We’re not cutting, sir. Just klutzy.”
The woman was staring at Cooper. “Don’t I know you?”
“I don’t think so,” Cooper replied, although at a second look, the woman was familiar. No, it wasn’t the woman, but her apparel—a blue Sphinx Digital Systems and Solutions shirt with a little gold sphinx pin. “Wait . . . do you work with Christine?”
The woman snapped her fingers as the lightbulb flashed on in her head. “That’s right! We met on the trail! You’re her brother and her brother’s . . . friend. Is that right?”
“Close,” Cooper said. “I’m his fiancée. And you are?”
“Mandy. Mandy Reed. Sphinx customer liaison. And a hungry one at that. I don’t know why these lines take so long. I’ve been waiting here forever.”
“You’re here all by yourself? I thought you were eating together.”
Mandy
rolled her eyes. “We did everything together until a couple hours ago. The boss released us to do whatever we wanted, and now we’re supposed to meet up again to eat. I was supposed to meet Christine here at six.”
Nathan tapped his Fitbit and it displayed the time. “It’s a little after six now. It’s not like her to be late. Do you have her number?”
“I’m here!” The voice came from behind Cooper. She turned to see Christine jogging toward them. “I got held up. There was a guy juggling chain saws over by the craft booths. At first I was afraid to try and go past him, and then I kinda got drawn into the show. It was quite impressive.”
The same man who had yelled at Cooper and Nathan spoke up again. “No cuts!”
“Yeah, we get it!” Mandy shouted back. She shook her head and turned to Christine. “If you tell me what you want, I’ll order it for you. The people behind me have very definite ideas.” She smiled at Cooper. “It was really nice to see you both.”
Cooper gave Christine a quick hug around the shoulders. “You guys have fun.”
She and Nathan left the panini line and wandered past a few more trucks. Finally, Nathan pointed to one with a sign that read “Best Burgers This Side of the Mason-Dixon.” A good burger. That was just what Cooper needed.
She veered off in the direction of the burger truck. “I don’t think I can pass up the best burgers in the South.”
Nathan jerked his thumb toward a truck a few spaces down. The artwork on the side depicted a dancing slice of bacon. “If I remember correctly, that truck has an all-bacon menu.”
Cooper cringed. “So for supper you decided to have a heart attack?”
“It’s not as heavy as it sounds,” he replied with a laugh. “They have a tempura-battered fried bacon thing that’s really good. Rich, but good. You have to try some. You’ll love it.”
“All right. You get the bacon, I’ll get the burger. We’ll meet in the middle in”—she looked at her watch, pausing for dramatic effect—“ten minutes.”
Exactly nine minutes later, Cooper and Nathan met and started to walk back toward the lawn and the seats Quinton and Bryant were saving. Nathan carried two brown paper bags, the bottoms of which were quickly becoming dark with grease. Cooper’s stomach turned at the sight.
“Are you really going to eat that?” she asked, her eyes glued to the seeping stain.
“No. We are going to eat it.”
“I wouldn’t be so sure about that.”
“Come on, Coop! Be adventurous! Besides, if you can’t trust your future husband’s food recommendations, whose can you trust?”
Cooper laughed. “Fine! I’ll try your heart attack in a bag.”
Nathan beamed, obviously proud of himself. “What did you get?”
“A good old-fashioned cheeseburger. Nothing fancy.”
Soon they were back at the group’s seats. Savannah and Jake were there, having relieved Quinton and Bryant of their guard duty, and were busy eating fried macaroni and cheese balls and thick slices of corn bread.
As soon as they were seated, Nathan handed Cooper a long piece of fried bacon. “Try this.”
Cooper sniffed it. The smell was pleasant. No, not pleasant. Wonderful. She timidly bit into it. The flavor of the slightly sweet batter and the warm, salty bacon mixed on her tongue and sparked like fireworks. Her eyes widened.
Nathan grinned. “Tasty?”
Cooper nodded, taking another bite.
“I’m glad you think so.” He handed her one of the brown paper bags. “Because I got you a whole order. I knew you’d love it once you tried it.”
“You were right. And I certainly wouldn’t have tried it on my own.” She gave him a quick peck on the cheek. “I’ve learned my lesson. I need to trust my future husband’s taste.”
“We all already knew I had good taste, though,” Nathan quipped. “I’m marrying you, remember?”
Enjoying the flattery and food, Cooper alternated between eating her burger and deep-fried bacon. The day had gotten better and better as the hours wore on. She couldn’t wait to see what the evening would bring. Before long, Trish arrived with a plate of pork spare ribs. With the first bite, her face was covered with sauce. Next came Quinton with a three-cheese-and-ham panini. Lastly, Bryant returned carrying a noodle bowl from the Asian fusion truck.
As they ate, they watched the musicians check their instruments beside the amphitheater stage. Festival staff made last-minute adjustments to speakers and wires. By the time Cooper finished her supper, it was still a good twenty minutes before the music was scheduled to begin.
Nathan leaned toward her, his lips close to her ear. His voice was soft, affectionate. “Care to go for a stroll?”
“Just the two of us?”
He nodded, and Cooper felt a spark of excitement. All day she’d focused on the beauty and calm of their surroundings, and she’d found a great deal of peace in it. Unfortunately, there had been a constant nervous undercurrent, a gnawing curiosity at the back of her mind. Now there was a chance she could still hear Nathan’s news today, and that trumped beauty and calm.
She replied as nonchalantly as possible. “A walk? Sure, why not?”
Nathan helped her to her feet, held her hand, and guided her toward the trailhead.
The sun was low on the horizon, painting the fading blue sky with brilliant orange and red. Light cascaded through the leaves and boughs, spilling onto the path in patches of pale gold. The trees took on a shadowy appearance, their distinguishing features hidden in the low light. It was like a painting.
Together, she and Nathan strolled, admiring the view. When they rounded the first turn in the trail, Nathan spoke. “Thanks for the walk. I’ve been hoping to get some time alone with you.”
“Me, too. All week.”
“All week?”
“Of course all week!” Nonchalance went out the window. “Ever since you told me you have news, I’ve been dying to hear it!”
Nathan smiled slightly and lowered his head in affected shame. “I’m sorry I made you wait.”
Cooper rolled her eyes. “You’re not sorry at all.”
“Okay, not really. I mean, I’m sorry if I worried you, but I really wanted to tell you face-to-face. I’m glad I waited. I hope you weren’t too miserable, though, with the waiting.”
Down the trail, a stick broke on the ground, and the sound drew Nathan’s attention. Cooper ignored it.
“So . . .” she said expectantly. “What’s your news?”
“You know I’ve been working a lot lately.”
“I noticed. I’m proud of you.”
“That means a lot to me, Coop. You see . . .” Another twig breaking. The unmistakable sounds of movement. Coming toward them. Cooper watched the trail. What was making the noise?
Rustling. The crunching of crushed leaves. The crackle of branches being moved. Something was pushing the brush aside. Closer. Cooper tightened her grip on Nathan’s hand. “What is that?”
Quick, loud breathing. Footsteps. Nathan pulled Cooper behind him. “I don’t know what it is, but it sounds big. We should get a security guard.”
“Do you really think that’s necessary?”
His eyes were on the trail. “I don’t know. It doesn’t sound like someone walking. Could be an animal. A cougar or coyote maybe. I don’t like the idea of facing off against either one of those if I can help it.”
More heavy footfalls. Whatever it was was very close, nearly on top of them. Nathan took a quick step backward, shielding Cooper with his body as the noise reached the curve in the path ahead. A figure stumbled out of the shadow and into a shaft of light. For a moment, Nathan and Cooper stared in shock.
Standing before them was no cougar or coyote, but a person, bent forward and stumbling. A woman, eyes wide, startled and afraid. She ran forward, falling into Nathan, her whole body shaking.
It was Christine. And she had blood on her hands.
4
“Christine, what happened?” Nathan asked in a pan
ic, holding his sister up. Her legs were giving out. “Are you hurt?”
She shook her head. “It’s Sinclair.”
Nathan’s expression changed. Anger flashed in his eyes. “Sinclair? Did Sinclair hurt you?”
Christine didn’t answer. She began to cry, tears accompanied by heaving gasps. Cooper put a hand gently on her back. If she kept this up, she’d hyperventilate.
Nathan knew it, too. “Shhh,” he said, hugging his sister close to try and calm her. “Just tell me what happened.”
“I found Sinclair.” Her face buried in Nathan’s shoulder, her words were muffled. “I found him. Nathan, I found him.”
Nathan pulled away and gently lifted Christine’s chin so he could look into her face. “What do you mean, Christine? Was he missing?”
She didn’t respond, but stared in terror down the path in the direction from which she’d come. Nathan put his arm around her waist to hold her up. “Can you show us?”
Christine took a few deep breaths. She nodded and straightened herself, slowing her breathing. She was trying to get control of herself, with little success. Her whole body shook, and her face was wet with fresh tears. Still, she nodded, and with Nathan’s arm around her, she took them deeper into the woods.
Only moments ago the evening lighting had seemed romantic. Now the shadows wrapped around the trail in eerie silhouettes against shafts of light. The woods didn’t seem peaceful anymore. Though Christine, Cooper, and Nathan walked quickly, it seemed to take forever to reach their destination. The path seemed to go on and on. Every shrub and tree was a hindrance, an obstacle trying to prevent Cooper and Nathan from seeing what Christine wanted them to see.
Finally they rounded a familiar willow tree, and Christine skidded to a stop. She slowly raised a hand and pointed into the deeply set cove of wild bleeding heart just off the trail. At first in the dim light, Cooper saw only darkness. But as her eyes adjusted, she saw the outline of the flowers and framed by them, a body.
Christine began to cry again, her legs wobbling beneath her. As her legs gave out, Nathan caught her, helping her slowly to the ground. Cooper approached the body, fumbling in her pocket for her keys. Thank goodness Daddy had made her put a little flashlight on the keychain.
