“Oh, stuff it.” Cooper’s agitation was on full display. “If it’s meant to be, it will happen. In fact ... .” Whatever he was going to say died on his lips when the wind started again. This time, it brought a ball of dust with it.
Tyler instantly went rigid. “That can’t be good. I think you were right about the storm. I don’t think it’s a normal storm, though.”
That was the same conclusion Cooper had come to. “No,” he agreed, sliding through the opening of the fence. “Get the animals inside. I think most of the guests are already heading down, but I need to house the rest of them inside until this passes.”
“Be careful,” Tyler called out. “Make sure you find Hannah, too. She won’t know how to deal with a dust storm.”
Cooper’s mind had wandered straight to her. “Keep Jinx with you. I don’t want her worrying about him and going on a hunt.”
“I’ve got him. You just worry about the new boss.”
That’s exactly who Cooper was fixated on. He had a job to do and it included keeping Hannah safe. He wouldn’t fail her twice.
2
Two
Hannah was lost in her own little world in the saloon and didn’t notice how dark it had gotten outside. She was getting better at serving drinks — something she never thought she would be interested in doing — and was becoming more comfortable in her environment.
Well, except for Cooper of course. He turned her insides into jelly with a smile, something she wasn’t expecting. But she wasn’t sure it was a good idea to get involved with anyone so soon after her most recent relationship had imploded. She’d thought Michael Dawson was a good catch when she met him in college. He came from a good family and was on the fast track to partner at his father’s law firm. That’s why she dropped out of college, like a complete and total ninny, and hitched herself to his wagon train.
It turned out to be a mistake, and then some.
Michael was the reason she lost her job at his father’s law firm, although only after negotiating a solid severance package. She was still finding herself after spending years with him, years looking the other way as he cheated. Her self-esteem was in the toilet when she arrived at Casper Creek. She wasn’t keen on trusting another man. Of course, Cooper wasn’t Michael. She recognized that from the start. She had no doubt she could trust him. He wasn’t the sort of man who would betray her. That made their flirtation even more nerve-wracking. If she could trust him and she ended up falling for him — a man who had his own set of issues with betrayal — what would happen if things fell apart?
She pushed the idea out of her mind almost as soon as it entered. She was getting ahead of herself. A flirtation was not a relationship. There was every chance they would date a few times and find they didn’t even like each other as more than friends. That happened to people all the time.
Of course, if she was being brutally honest with herself, she didn’t think that would happen to them. There was too much chemistry for it to suddenly disappear. Still, she was unbelievably nervous around Cooper ... and excited. Her heart turned to mush in his presence and her stomach was filled with butterflies. She was just as eager as she was reticent.
Quite frankly, she had no idea what to make of any of it.
It appeared now wouldn’t be the time for her to dwell on it either. She knew the second the saloon doors flew open that something was wrong. The look on Cooper’s face was one of relief, although it was quickly replaced with annoyance.
“What are you doing just standing there?” he barked, catching her off guard. “Get behind the bar and hunker down. Things are about to get ugly.”
Hannah was confused. “I don’t understand.”
Cooper had already focused on something else so he didn’t answer. “Rick, help me close the big doors,” he ordered to Hannah’s fellow bartender. “A dust storm is rolling in and it looks to be a doozy.”
Hannah’s eyes widened. “A dust storm? But ... how? This is Kentucky, not Arizona. How can there be a dust storm?”
“It’s a fluke of the geography,” Rick explained. “It doesn’t happen a lot, but it’s been known to occur this time of year, especially if we go a week or two without rain ... which is exactly what we’ve been dealing with over the past two weeks.”
Hannah quickly looked out the window, fear clouding the clear blue of her eyes. “I need to get Jinx.” She started toward the door, but Cooper shot out an arm to stop her. “He’s out there,” she snapped. “I’m not leaving him.”
“He’s with Tyler.” Cooper was calm. He excelled during tense situations, which is one reason Abigail was thrilled to add him to the Casper Creek team when he showed up out of nowhere. “I happen to know that for a fact because I was with Tyler when the storm started brewing. Tyler is keeping him in the barn with him.”
Hannah nodded and chewed on her bottom lip as she watched the two men shut the huge doors that covered the front of the saloon. “What about the guests? Where are they?”
“They’re already down the chairlift. I double-checked as I was going through. There’s nothing to worry about.”
Harper didn’t look convinced. “But ... .”
“Get down behind the counter,” he repeated, softening his stance when he saw the terror in her eyes. “It’s going to be okay. I’ll be right here with you. You don’t have anything to worry about.”
Hannah wanted to argue, but she knew better. She was out of her element and he knew exactly what he was doing. There was nothing for her to do but acquiesce ... so that’s what she did.
THE STORM BLEW THROUGH WITH ENOUGH ferocity that it shook the buildings. Hannah huddled behind the bar and tried to hide her fear from the men with her. Cooper wouldn’t allow her to endure the storm alone, though. Once they were finished with the doors, he joined her in the safest spot in the building. Cooper sat next to her, slid an arm around her shoulders, and tugged her close. His warmth and strength soothed her frazzled nerves, allowing her to relax for the full forty-five minutes they were trapped. By the time they had the doors open again and hit Main Street, she was relatively calm.
“We have to check for damage, right?” she asked Cooper as they exited the building.
“It should be okay,” he reassured her. “All the buildings have dust shutters and we engaged them before I came to you. Don’t freak out.”
She rolled her eyes. “I don’t freak out.”
He cocked an eyebrow, genuinely amused. “Uh-huh. That’s just what I was thinking. You never freak out, which is why you were shaking for the first five minutes we were behind the bar.”
Hannah had news for him. Not all of the shaking was because of the storm. However, she didn’t admit that to him. His ego was big enough for ten people as it was. “I’m fine.” Her eyes flashed with annoyance. “I don’t need to be protected.”
“Of course you don’t.” He rested his hand on the center of her back and prodded her forward. “Let’s check on Jinx first, huh?”
Hannah made a face. It was as if he was reading her mind. “I’m sure he’s okay.” She squared her shoulders as they turned in that direction. “I’m not some helicopter dog mommy who melts down all the time. I’m calm ... and collected ... and totally cool.”
He pressed his lips together to keep from laughing at her reaction. She was, without a doubt, one of the most amusing people he’d ever crossed paths with. She was beautiful, sweet, and said outrageous things. He absolutely adored her ... which made his heart roll with realization. If he was already this attached to her, how much worse would it get? He didn’t want to think about that. “I’m sure he’ll be happy to see you.”
Tyler and Jinx were in the paddock when they arrived and the dog let loose an excited yip when he saw his mistress. He abandoned Tyler without a second thought and barreled toward Hannah’s diminutive form. Tyler looked alarmed until he realized they were no longer alone, his lips curving up when he watched the large dog practically take the legs out from under Hannah as they collided.
“Who is a good boy?” Hannah cooed as she hugged the dog’s scruffy neck. “Were you afraid of the storm? I bet you weren’t. You were brave, weren’t you?”
“He hid with the goats,” Tyler volunteered, smirking when Cooper chuckled. “Actually, he hid behind the goats. I don’t think he’s all that brave when it comes to the elements.”
“He’s always brave,” Hannah countered, momentarily burying her face in the dog’s fur and taking solace in his sloppy kisses. He was fine, so she was fine. He was the one thing she took from her previous relationship that had any value. The dog was her best friend and she loved him like a child.
“He looks fine,” Cooper noted, fondling the dog’s ears. “I told you that worrying was unnecessary.”
“Yes, you know absolutely everything,” Hannah muttered. “I freak out and you’re cool as a cucumber.”
“I don’t particularly consider cucumbers cool.”
“You know what I mean.”
He squeezed her shoulder. “I do. He’s fine. You’re fine. Everything is fine. I told you it would be and I came through on my promise. You have nothing to worry about.”
Hannah didn’t immediately respond, which allowed Cooper and Tyler to exchange amused looks. Tyler opened his mouth to say something — Cooper was convinced it would be something obnoxious — but he didn’t get the chance. The sound of someone yelling caught the attention of both men.
“That’s Aiden,” Tyler noted, sobering as he watched the young man dressed as a bank robber race in their direction. “This doesn’t look good.”
With a sinking heart, Cooper silently agreed. He stepped in Aiden’s direction and held up his hands to calm the young man when he finally arrived. “Take a breath. What’s wrong?”
“It’s ... bad.” Aiden gasped and bent over at the waist, resting his hands on his knees so he could suck in oxygen. “It’s really bad.”
Cooper straightened and stared down the street. He didn’t have the best view of every structure, but nothing looked out of place. “What happened? Did something collapse? Has one of the roofs collapsed?”
Aiden shook his head, still sucking in air.
“What is it?” Cooper internally cringed at how sharp the question came out and immediately adjusted. “Just tell me what’s going on.”
“We thought everything was fine,” Aiden started. “Everyone disappeared inside like we usually do during a dust storm. We didn’t see anything until we came outside of the bank.”
“What did you see?” Tyler queried. “Did something happen during the storm?”
Aiden bobbed his head. “Yeah, something terrible happened. There’s a body.”
Cooper’s shoulder jerked. “A body? One of our people? Who is it?”
“It’s not one of our people. It’s a guest.”
“But ... how? They were all gone.”
“I don’t know how, but it’s definitely a guest ... and he’s definitely dead. You have to come right now.”
Cooper nodded without hesitation. “Take me to him. Maybe it’s not as bad as you think.”
Aiden wasn’t about to be placated. “Oh, it’s definitely bad. You’re going to have to see that for yourself, though.”
IT WAS MOST DEFINITELY BAD. The man on the ground, his eyes staring toward the sky although they could no longer see anything, wasn’t a member of the Casper Creek acting troupe. He was dressed like a tourist and somehow had managed to escape Cooper’s earlier search.
Protocol insisted that Cooper call the local authorities. James Boone, the county sheriff, arrived within twenty minutes and immediately headed for Cooper. When he saw the body on the ground, he was grim.
“How did this happen?”
Cooper shrugged and held out both hands palms-up. “I have no idea. We took cover during the storm. He was here when it passed.”
Boone was all business. “Did you search the town for guests before taking cover?”
Cooper bristled. “No, I decided to hide under an umbrella and save myself.”
Boone shot him a chiding sidelong look. “I wasn’t being negative. I’m simply trying to figure out what happened here. You know how this works.”
Cooper heaved out a sigh and let his shoulders sink. “I’m sorry. I wasn’t trying to be difficult. It’s just ... I checked. I don’t understand what he was doing up here.”
“I think I can answer at least part of the question,” a voice announced from the nearby blacksmith storefront. There, Arnie Morton slipped through the door and allowed his gaze to bounce from face to face. “Is everybody okay?” His gaze lingered on Hannah, who had been largely silent since the discovery of the body.
“Everyone is fine,” Cooper reassured him. “Except this guy, who we need answers on. You said you had answers.”
“Not all of them,” Arnie countered. “I just got a call from the bottom of the mountain, though. Ben is running the chairlift today. They took cover down there, too, even though it was nowhere near as bad as here. Communications were down for a bit because the dust wreaks havoc with cell signals, as you well know.”
Cooper feigned patience as he waited. Boone was another story.
“You tell stories like my daughter,” Boone complained “Just get to it.”
Arnie, who had his role as crotchety old man down pat, shot a quelling look in the sheriff’s direction. “I’m getting to it. There’s no need to be a pain.”
Boone rolled his eyes. “Just tell us what you know.”
Arnie nodded, his eyes traveling back to Hannah before ultimately landing on Cooper. “Ben had been calling for a full forty-five minutes but couldn’t get through. He wanted us to know that one of the guests didn’t make it to the bottom of the mountain.
“A woman is down there, Lindsey Lincoln,” he continued. “She was with her husband and two sons on the mountain. She went down in a lift with them and the husband, Todd, was supposed to follow. He never did.”
Cooper’s eyes moved back to the body. “I’m guessing this is Todd.”
Arnie shrugged. “I have no idea. They’re heading back up to look for him, though. I thought you would want to know.”
Cooper was grim. “Oh, well, that’s just great. That sounds exactly like what I want to deal with right now.”
LINDSEY WAS A SOBBING MESS WHEN Boone intercepted her and directed her toward the saloon. He took the time to check the victim’s wallet to confirm his identity and then broke the bad news to the wife. She didn’t handle it well.
“How is this possible?” Tears streaked her cheeks as she made a series of guttural sounds that ripped Hannah’s heart to shreds. She had no idea what to do regarding the situation, but she felt woefully out of her depth.
“We’re not sure yet,” Boone replied. “We’ll be doing a full investigation. The medical examiner is on the way and he’ll have to conduct an autopsy because there are no obvious signs of damage to the body.”
“What does that even mean?”
From behind Lindsey, two boys — they’d been introduced as Patrick and Logan and looked to be about twelve and ten respectively — remained silent. It was obvious they were bewildered and they had no idea what to do given their mother’s understandable breakdown.
“I don’t have any information for you,” Boone replied. “We’re still confused how your husband managed to go undetected. The town was searched before everyone shut down for the storm.”
Lindsey was incredulous. “Are you blaming him?”
Hannah stirred, finally finding her voice. “Of course not. We would never blame him. We’re simply trying to sort out the facts.”
Slowly, deliberately, Lindsey tracked her eyes to Hannah. There was accusation there ... and unimaginable grief. “And who are you?”
“This is Hannah Hickok,” Boone volunteered quickly. “She’s the owner of Casper Creek ... at least for the past few weeks. Her grandmother used to own the venue and passed it on to her when she died.”
“I see.” Lindsey’s tone wa
s clipped. “I’m assuming this is the woman I will be suing for my husband’s death. That’s good to know.”
Hannah’s heart gave a little jolt. She hadn’t even considered that. “I’m so sorry.” She was at a loss for words. “I know this has to be a trying time for you.”
“A trying time?” Lindsey was practically screeching. “My husband is dead. Two hours ago he was fine. He was supposed to be right behind us on the chairlift. Now he’s dead and I’m a single parent. I would definitely say that’s trying for me.”
Hannah worked her jaw, at a loss.
“Mrs. Lincoln, we can’t fathom what you’re going through,” Cooper reassured her quickly, smoothly sliding in front of Hannah to take the bulk of the grieving woman’s wrath onto his broad shoulders. “There’s little we can say to give you comfort. We would never pretend otherwise.
“I don’t know what to say to you other than we will find out what happened,” he continued. “That won’t make your family whole, but we won’t stop until we have the answers you need. Ms. Hickok is not at fault, though. She didn’t kill your husband.”
“And what did?” Lindsey got to shaky feet and clutched her purse. “Are you saying a dust storm killed him? I have my doubts about that. I think it was your negligence that killed him.”
Cooper looked as if he was going to say something else, but Boone shot him a small, almost imperceptible headshake and Cooper took the hint.
“Mrs. Lincoln, I will be in charge of this investigation,” Boone reassured her. “I will most definitely find out what happened to your husband. Have no doubt about that.”
“That won’t make things better.” She moved toward her children, who hadn’t said a single word since being herded into the saloon. They looked shell-shocked. “You’ll be hearing from my lawyer, Ms. Hickok. I can guarantee that.”
Hannah didn’t say a word. There was really nothing she could say. Instead, she merely stood against the wall, her hands clasped in front of her, and watched as the woman herded her children out of the building.
A Fistful of Demons Page 2
