“I don’t have any immediate plans to leave the area,” Arianna said. She picked up her glass and took a sip. “Despite what’s been going on the last couple of days, I don’t want to leave yet. You guys might have to evict me.”
“Well, we’re not so hard up for space that we need your room, plus you are a paying guest, so feel free to stay as long as you’d like.” Eli looked like he was about to say something more, but instead, he looked down at his glass, his fingers sliding through the condensation on its edge as he turned it.
“So you’ll let me know what Kieran says?” she asked.
“I’ll give him a call right now.” Eli pulled his phone out, but then, when his mom and Sarah came into the room, chatting loudly, he headed for the back door.
Arianna listened to Sarah and Nadine discuss menus for the week as she waited for Eli to come back inside. She was surprised when Nadine asked her what her favorite food was.
“I don’t really have a favorite food, per se, but when I’ve had a tough week and need something to buoy my spirits, I tend to gravitate toward pizza with a thick crust and lots of cheese.”
“Only cheese?” Sarah asked.
“Only cheese if I really need the pick-me-up. If it’s more of a convenience thing, I like tomatoes and ham or bacon.”
“Mood pizza,” Sarah said with a laugh. “Well, consider me an eating buddy on your worst days then. Leah likes all kinds of stuff on her pizza, but I’m strictly a cheese girl.”
Before Arianna could respond, Eli walked back in with his phone in hand.
“What did he say?” Arianna asked when Eli came to where she sat.
“He gave me the number for the body shop, and I went ahead and called them while I was outside. The guy said to bring your car in tomorrow morning, and they’ll try to get it in right away.”
“Okay, that’s good. Thank you for taking care of that for me.” Arianna waited to feel frustrated that he’d gone ahead with the call without talking with her first, but the feeling never came. “Is there a car rental place near there where I could rent a car to use until mine is finished?”
“I’m not sure, but we can check online and find the closest one.” He hesitated, seeming to have more to say but perhaps feeling uncertain about saying it. “Kieran also said they were able to get fingerprints from the notes, but they didn’t match any in their system. Also, they went to talk to Cece, but she didn’t seem to know anything about the notes, and she was willing to be fingerprinted so they could rule her out.”
Arianna felt alternate feelings of relief and frustration. She was glad it wasn’t CeCe. Not for her own sake, but for Eli and Sarah’s. Of course, that meant that they still didn’t know who was behind the threats, and that was frustrating and a bit scary.
“Thank you for making those calls,” she said. “I appreciate your help with all of this.”
A quick smile lifted the corners of his mouth, his eyes lighting up for a moment. “I’m glad to help you out.”
Arianna found it weird that while she had balked at David trying to do stuff for her, she didn’t feel the same way about Eli. It had always seemed that David was trying to find ways to take control of parts of her life. More than once he’d made calls on her behalf without her permission or even her asking him to do it. It had felt manipulative, like he was trying to make a place for himself in her life where there wasn’t one. Where their agreement had never provided for one.
When Eli stepped in to help her out, it felt completely different. His help left her with the feeling that he was doing what he could to make things easier for her. To take the pressure off her. She didn’t, for a minute, feel like he was trying to grab hold of her life and make himself indispensable.
“So we’ll head into town tomorrow morning with the car and get that taken care of,” Eli said. “And I’ll see if I can find a car rental place close by.”
“Are you sure?” Arianna asked, not wanting him to feel like she was taking advantage of him. “Because I could take care of that myself.”
Eli shrugged. “I know the area, so it will be easier for me to know which places are close to the autobody shop.”
“That makes sense, but what about the painting tomorrow?”
“Don’t worry about that. If you’re still up for it, we’ll start again the day after tomorrow, once the car is taken care of and you have wheels again. That’s more important right now. We still have lots of time to complete the painting of the remaining cabins.”
“Yes, please don’t worry about them,” Nadine said as she moved to stand across the counter from where they sat. “What’s happening with you is far more important than the painting.”
Arianna still felt bad about how this whole thing had interrupted the plans Nadine had laid out for the cabins. If she hadn’t come, they wouldn’t be dealing with any of this. Maybe it was selfish of her to stay when her being there was bringing nothing but hassles for Nadine and her family. Her shoulders slumped as she stared at her half-full glass of water.
She felt a warm pressure against her shoulder and heard Eli say, his voice low, “No. Don’t keep thinking you’re responsible for what’s happening. We don’t blame you for any of this. If anything, we feel bad that it’s happened on our property. It feels like we didn’t protect you well enough.”
Arianna jerked her head around to look at him. “I’ve never felt unsafe here. Both of the cabins I’ve stayed in felt very safe. This isn’t your fault either.”
“Okay, so we’ve decided that it’s not Anna’s fault, and it’s not our fault,” Leah remarked bluntly from behind her. She walked into view as she said, “Let’s just lay the blame where it belongs, and that’s on whoever wrote the notes and damaged the car. End of story.”
The rest of them sat in silence for a moment, watching as Leah went to the fruit bowl and grabbed an apple. Turning and finding them all staring at her, she said, “What? Am I wrong?”
Arianna said, “No.”
When the others in the kitchen also said it at the same time, they all laughed. It was a nice release from the tension over everything that had been going on. And Leah was right. They were all busy blaming themselves when, in reality, only one person was to blame, and whoever that was, they weren’t in the kitchen.
The next morning, Eli helped Arianna put the address for the autobody shop into her GPS just in case she got separated from him on the drive over. She was used to driving in LA, so the prospect of making the trip wasn’t too stressful. Still, she was glad to have Eli driving ahead of her and seeming to go out of his way to make sure he didn’t lose her.
For the duration of the drive, she mulled over what she needed to do once she’d finished dropping her car off and picking up a new one. First of all, she needed to get to her PO box because according to the information she’d seen when she checked the tracking website for the packages she’d been waiting for, several were ready to be picked up.
Next up, she had to figure out a video to do. She needed to get more content up on her channel just like she’d promised her fans she would. It would have been easier to film at the cabin, but that wasn’t an option anymore. Hopefully she could work it out in her room. This was when she missed her assistant the most. Rebecca was always willing to jump behind the camera and help with recording the videos that were hard for Arianna to do on her own.
Seeing Eli turn into the parking lot of the autobody shop, Arianna set aside her video musings for the time being. She pulled into the spot beside Eli’s truck, thankful that the lot wasn’t too full. After turning off the engine, she grabbed her purse and got out of the car.
Eli was waiting for her by the back of his truck. “Glad to see you didn’t get lost on the way here.”
“You’re very easy to convoy with. I appreciated you not trying to get through yellow lights and leaving me behind.”
He smiled at her as they headed for the building. “I didn’t want to take the chance that you might not get through behind me.”
The front office was quiet except for music playing softly. Classic rock, if she wasn't mistaken. A young woman with short black hair and small, round, silver-rimmed glasses sat behind the reception desk. She looked up over the elevated front of the desk and smiled when she saw them.
“Hello, there.”
“Hi,” Eli said as he approached the desk. “I spoke to Jay yesterday about dropping off a car for some work, and he said to come in this morning.”
“Kieran referred you?” she asked as she looked at her computer screen.
“Yes.”
“Excellent. I just need to take down some information from you about the car, and then Jay will be out to talk to you.”
Eli turned toward Arianna and held out his hand. “That’s your department.”
Arianna stepped up beside him, feeling the faint touch of his hand on her back. She rested her arms on the elevated counter and looked down at where the woman was tapping on her keyboard. For the next couple of minutes, Arianna answered the questions the receptionist asked then handed over the key for the car.
“I’ll just let Jay know you’re here,” the woman said. “Feel free to help yourself to some coffee or water.”
“Thank you,” Arianna said before turning to where Eli stood silently beside her. “Did you want some coffee?”
“Sure. Why not?” Eli led the way to the seating area where a counter was set up with a Keurig machine and an assortment of pods and mugs.
“I need to run a couple of errands after we pick up the rental car,” Arianna said when they were settled on the padded seats in the waiting area with their coffee.
“Okay. I’m going to head right back after you’ve got your car. I promised Mom I’d try to do a few more things around the lodge. Sarah says I don’t have a honey-do list, I have a sonny-do list.”
Arianna laughed. “That’s a good one. Your mom is fortunate that you’re able and willing to work on a list like that. Not every son would be.”
Eli’s gaze dropped to his cup of coffee for a moment. “After my dad left, we all pulled together, doing what we could. Sarah and Leah have become pretty handy with a screwdriver and hammer too. They just don’t enjoy it the way I do.”
“While I’m handy with a paintbrush, I can’t say I’m the same with tools. The building where I live has a maintenance person on staff, and he takes care of any issues that come up.”
“Arianna? Eli?”
Both of them turned then got to their feet. A burly man with graying hair and tanned skin approached them, a smile on his face. He held out his hand, first to Arianna then to Eli.
“It’s nice to meet you, though I hear the circumstances aren’t the best,” Jay said, a frown creasing his brow. “Want to show me the damage?”
They walked back out of the shop to where Arianna had parked the car. It pained her to focus on the damage. She’d been trying to just ignore it since she’d first discovered it, but there was no avoiding the threatening words when they were focused right on them.
Crouching down, Jay ran his hand over the damage, shaking his head. “That is a real shame.” He straightened and rested his hand on the roof of the car. “I’m sure this has been horrible for you. We’ll try to get the repair done as quickly as possible, but we have a few other jobs underway so it might be a week or more.”
“That’s fine,” Arianna said. “I’m going to be in the area for a while yet, and I’ve made arrangements for a rental vehicle for the time you have my car.”
“Excellent. We’ll take good care of your car, and you’ll get it back as good as new.”
“Thank you so much,” Arianna said. “Did you need any more information from me?”
“Nope. I think Tanya said she’d gotten all she needed.” He held out his hand once more. “We’ll give you a call when it’s ready to go.”
Arianna thanked him again as she shook his hand. Once they’d said goodbye, they got back into the truck.
“The car rental place is just a couple of blocks away,” Eli said as he turned on the engine. “Hopefully you’ll be able to find your way to where you need to go afterward.”
“I made sure that the car I rented had a GPS, so hopefully I’ll be okay.”
“Well, just phone me if you get lost.” Eli glanced over at her as he backed out of the parking spot. “Not that I think you’ll get lost or anything like that.”
“Oh, I’m quite capable of getting lost—have no worries—but I’m also pretty good about getting found again. A GPS and friendly gas station attendants usually play a big role in that.”
“What did we ever do without a GPS?” Eli said with a chuckle, turning out onto the road. “I remember when I was younger—pre-GPS—when we’d go on a road trip as a family, at least one time per trip, Dad would get lost. Mom would keep at him to stop and ask for directions, and he’d absolutely refuse, insisting he knew where he was going. Finally, she’d say she had to go to the bathroom and ask him to pull over at the next gas station. He never refused her that request, and strangely enough, as soon as they’d get back in the car after the bathroom break, he’d always know where to go.”
Arianna laughed. “Your mom’s a smart woman.”
“She is,” Eli paused. “So smart and so loving. I’ll never understand why my dad left her. Left us.”
She felt her heart clench at the heartache in his voice. “From what I understand, in situations like yours, the fault lies not with you but with him. There was something within him that made him unable to see what he already had in his life. I don’t know him, of course, but having met you, your mom, and your sisters, I can’t imagine what more he could have wanted that he didn’t already have with you all there at the lodge.”
“Sorry. I didn’t mean to bring that up.” Eli’s voice was rough, and he cleared his throat before continuing. “Usually I can accept that it was his issue that caused him to leave, but every once in a while…I don’t know. I just wonder if it was something we’d done.”
“You’ve never been able to ask him?”
“No. The strange thing was that I fully expected him to just ignore us altogether, but each year on our birthdays, a card would arrive from him with a little cash in it. He also paid the child support that my mom was awarded in the divorce. Mom said he never missed a payment and even paid longer than he was supposed to. So he didn’t abandon those responsibilities, just the role of being an active father in our lives.”
Before Arianna could respond, Eli pulled into the parking lot of the car rental place. After he turned off the engine, she rested her hand on his arm. He turned to look at her, lifting a brow.
“Thank you for taking the time to help me out this morning. I really appreciate it.”
“You’re welcome.” His gaze held hers for a moment before he said, “Do you want to meet up with me for a late lunch at Norma’s?”
“Sure. It might not even need to be too late. My errands shouldn’t take very long, so provided I don’t get lost, I should be back around noon.”
“Okay. Why don’t you text me when you’re headed back, and I’ll meet you at the restaurant.”
“Sounds good.”
Eli got out and came into the rental agency with her, but he didn’t say anything, apparently just there for support this time. When everything was settled, Eli walked with her out to the car that was hers for the foreseeable future.
“If something comes up, let me know,” Eli said as he opened the door for her.
“I will.” Arianna slid behind the wheel then looked up at Eli, wishing that he could just stay with her. Run errands with her. “I’ll see you at the restaurant in a little bit.”
Maybe some day she’d have someone to do that with, but for now, she was still on her own.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
Eli waited until Anna exited the parking lot then followed her out onto the road, though he turned in the opposite direction. He was curious about where she was going, but it was none of his business.
As
it was, he had his own errands to take care of. He’d been trying not to think about where he needed to go later that morning, but Kieran had asked him to come in when he could. The news that they were re-opening the investigation into Sheila’s disappearance had been a surprise...and yet, not.
Coral had been lobbying for that for years, but from what he’d understood, the few leads they’d once had, had dried up almost right away. But now with the ten-year anniversary of her disappearance looming, it was apparent that Coral wanted to have attention focused back on the case.
Eli couldn’t blame her. It bothered him to not know what had happened to Sheila, so he could only imagine what it was like for her parents. Unfortunately, reopening the case meant he was going to be dragged back into the investigation too. He didn’t want to have to deal with it again, and he knew that was in large part because of Anna’s presence. Dragging up that ugly time of his life was the last thing he wanted right then.
As he left the city behind, he rolled his window down and turned up the radio. The crisp morning air felt good and helped to clear his thoughts as he drove the winding road back to New Hope. Usually, driving that stretch calmed him because he was leaving the hectic life of the city behind, but this time, that wasn’t the case.
The closer he got to New Hope, the more the knot in his stomach tightened. He wasn’t entirely sure why he was feeling this way because he knew that he had played no role in Sheila’s disappearance. Unfortunately, there had been a lot of people who believed otherwise, and Eli had no doubt they would once again come forward when they heard about the investigation. It would be just like it had been ten years ago, only worse because he had so much more to lose now.
By the time he pulled into an empty parking spot just down from the sheriff’s office, he was braced for whatever was to come.
“Twice in as many days, Eli.” Lisa greeted him with a smile as he walked in. “What have we done to rate the pleasure?”
“I’m here at Kieran’s request this time,” Eli said.
A look of dismay crossed Lisa’s face. “Oh boy. Sheila’s case?” At Eli’s nod, she said, “I forgot you were part of the investigation.”
A Love So Real: A Christian Romance (New Hope Falls Book 1) Page 19
