Finding Abby: A Romantic Suspense set in the Colorado Mountains (Whispering Pines Mysteries)

by Rhonda Blackhurst

  “Fine.”

  She knew she owed him an explanation, just not yet. Not until she figured out the best one possible. “Go ahead and get in the car and buckle up. I’ll be there in a sec.”

  She exhaled in relief when he didn’t give her so much as a sideways look but quietly did as she requested. The relief was short-lived when she felt her phone vibrate with another text message. She inhaled sharply and glanced down at the screen. Another blocked number. You can run but you cannot hide.

  The first thing that had to happen when they got to their new home was to get her number changed. Cooper’s too, just in case. If Hunter was going to track them down, she wasn’t about to make it easy for him.

  6

  Hunter tossed his phone onto the bar in front of him and took a swig of his beer, the long neck of the bottle between his fingers. He’d just attempted the third phone call to Abby since his release, peppered between texts, all from numbers she couldn’t trace. Sooner or later, she would have to answer one of his calls. Maybe he shouldn’t have sent the text messages first. Then she wouldn’t suspect the calls were from him and would answer. Whatever. What’s done is done.

  She thought she was so smart by moving. Did she really think he didn’t have connections in the law enforcement industry to help him track her down? She stayed working in the same school for crying out loud. How smart was that if she was trying to escape from him? That was like begging him, taunting him, to come and find her. Several of his buddies had been all too willing to keep tabs on her for him. All he had to do was convince them he was worried about her. They’d been so easy to convince. The cherry on top was the heads up about her friend at the school. And, boy, was she a looker. Not only was it easy getting her to agree to a date with him, it would be worth it. Easy. That’s what he was counting on, and she played right into his plan. Leave it to a woman.

  Abby had no right keeping his boy from him. How dare she play the holier than thou woman? Like she wasn’t to blame for putting him in prison for five years, taking him away from his kid? And now she had the nerve to take his kid away from him. She just didn’t know when to stop.

  He felt his heart rate quicken. He tasted bitterness rise up in the back of his throat and his fingers tightened around the Pabst Blue Ribbon bottle.

  “Sam, one more,” he called to the bartender who was hitting up some girl at the end of the bar. Didn’t he know that women were trouble? Hunter shook his head and frowned. “Sam!”

  “Comin,’ man.” Sam stayed a moment longer, said something to the woman, rapped the knuckles of his right hand on the bar and grinned at her. His white teeth flashed in contrast to his coffee-colored skin. She tossed her head back and laughed, flirting.

  Anger began percolating in the pit of Hunter’s stomach, certain whatever Sam had said to the woman was at Hunter’s expense. He brought the bottle to his lips and drained the last of the contents, grimacing at the warm liquid. He was turning into a wimp. He used to finish off a bottle before it got warm. That was before Abby changed his life not once but twice. Stupid women.

  His mind traveled to the first time she’d suckered him in. The moment he saw her at a Pearl Jam concert he was at with his then-girlfriend, Ginger, he knew Abby would one day be his wife. He’d sent Ginger off to get him a drink each time he needed a fresh one, as he hung back, watching Abby with her friends. She’d had that carefree, hippy-type look that he found irresistible, with her faded jeans, ripped at the knees, thick long hair hanging in one sheet to the middle of her back, and flip-flops. When he finally had enough looking from a distance, he pushed his way through the crowd in an attempt to get closer to her, turning back once to see Ginger scanning the crowd looking for him, holding his cold beer in her hand. He briefly thought about turning around to get his beer but decided against it. He would just buy his own, and one for the hot hippy chick he’d been keeping his eye on. The one who would become his, even though she hadn’t noticed him yet. He’d felt a brief stab of guilt for leaving Ginger high and dry, but it didn’t last long. He was certain she wouldn’t have any problem finding a ride home. It just wouldn’t be from him is all. If he’d only known then what he knew now, he would have been better off if he’d turned around and went back to Ginger. Abby’d been nothing but trouble.

  Sam slid the beer toward Hunter, reminding him where he was. “Here ya go, dude. Last one. I’m cutting ya off,” Sam drawled before sauntering back to the broad at the end of the bar who was now texting on her cell phone.

  Hunter looked at his phone, still lying on the bar where he’d tossed it after calling Abby a bit ago. He drew the bottle to his lips and took a swig, his thoughts returning to Abby. He wasn’t sure if he was still in love with her or if he hated her with the intensity he’d once loved her. There was a fine line between love and that level of hate. How many times he’d been called out to a domestic disturbance and wanted to high-five the guy he was forced to arrest. Sometimes those women just had it coming to them. How hard was it to take care of the house and give your husband a little respect? After working all day, was it too much to ask to have dinner waiting on the table and to listen to him without mouthing off? Apparently, it was too hard for Abby, because he had to keep reminding her of who was the boss. He hated having to do it, but she just wouldn’t learn. Women! He shook his head and tipped his head back, draining half the bottle in one long drink.

  He looked in the mirror that lined the wall behind the bar in front of him, and in the hazy, gauzy smoke-filled air he saw a man come through the door, his teenage son right behind him. Anger bubbled to the surface again as he thought about Cooper. That man and boy could have been him and Cooper if Abby hadn’t sent him to prison.

  He wondered what she told their boy about the man she sent away. The man she insisted on punishing every day. And yet—well, if his own mama would have stood up to his dad instead of turning her head when he beat on him, things would be different. But no, instead of risking being beaten herself, she just let it happen without saying a word to protect her own son. But he’d seen her wince and cower with each yelp he let out. And he was glad. Why should she get off scot-free when he was feeling such horrific pain? In the end, he did have her to thank for him going into law enforcement. No way was he going to allow other men to beat their kids. He’d never, ever hurt Cooper. But Abby wouldn’t give him the chance to prove that. Instead, she took away from him what was rightfully his. She took his freedom, his job, and his son. All because she couldn’t hold up her end of the marriage contract. Taking care of her family right.

  “Sam, another one!” he called. “And leave that woman alone. They’re nothing but trouble, man. Trust me!”

  “Don’t you think you had enough, dude? I said I was cuttin’ you off. How you getting home?”

  “None a yer business.”

  “Go home, Hunter. I’ll call ya a cab.”

  “No, you won’t. You’ll get me another beer, that’s what you’ll do.”

  Sam took the empty bottle from in front of him, tossed it behind him into the recycle can, and turned back to Hunter, both hands resting on the edge of the bar, looking like he was holding himself up. “You’re drunk, Hunter. Go home. I’ll call a cab.”

  “And I said no you won’t. Whatever happened to customer service? Now gimme another one.”

  “No can do.” Sam picked up a wet rag and wiped the bar in front of Hunter, tossing the rag back where it had been. “But what I can do is call a cab.” He reached for the phone.

  Hunter pushed himself back from the bar and stood up, steadying himself before grabbing his keys. “Forget it, man. I don’t need no stinkin’ cab. And I won’t be coming back to your stinkin’ bar.”

  He stumbled to the door, pushing it open, the fresh air and fading orange glow of the sun setting nearly assaulting his senses after the smoke-filled, dark and dingy bar. What in God’s name was becoming of him? He had nothing and now he couldn’t even get a beer when he wanted one because of Sam feeling some sense of moral
obligation. He’d show him a thing or two.

  He got in his car, went to put his key in the ignition of the old Ford pickup he bought when he got out of the pen. He fumbled with the keys, dropping them on the floor. He felt around until he grasped them where they’d landed under the seat.

  This time, he got the key in the ignition, revved the engine and spun out of the parking lot onto the country road that led into town. But he hadn’t gotten more than fifty yards when the familiar lights from one of the cars he used to drive before Abby had taken it away from him sounded its siren and pulled him over. He pounded the steering wheel, cursed a blue streak that made the blue lights on the patrol vehicle pale in comparison, and pulled over, half on the shoulder, half still on the road. She was gonna pay for this.

  7

  “Here.” Jeremiah handed over the bourbon bottle and watched as Abby poured out the remainder of its contents. He scowled. “You happy now?”

  “Yup, actually I am.” He was like having another kid Cooper’s age around.

  They’d only been on the road for an hour when Cooper asked, “Mom, how much longer till we stop again?”

  “When we get there.”

  “How long is that?”

  “Another two to three hours. Tops.”

  “I hafta pee.”

  “You’ll have to hold it, honey.” She looked over and saw him through the dim dashboard lights.

  “Hold it?” he repeated, gawking at her. “Seriously, that is the stupidest saying ever.”

  Abby chuckled. “Okay, you’ll have to wait. Is that better?”

  “Sounds better, but doesn’t mean I can.”

  “You’d better,” she warned him. She glanced at him and chuckled.

  “Or what?” he challenged and snickered. His voice sounded so much older than he was. Her baby was growing up before her eyes, and she wasn’t sure she was anywhere close to being ready for that to happen.

  “We’ll stop.” She looked at him again out of the corner of her eye, still seeing innocence despite the changing features that looked more and more like his father every day.

  “Stop looking at me. There’s the exit to that town and you’re gonna miss it.”

  She kept watch on her rearview mirror with one eye, making sure her father didn’t miss the fact that they’d turned off. Mission accomplished, thank goodness. And no more than ten minutes later, they were back on the road. This time, Cooper put in his ear buds, leaving Abby to her own whirring thoughts of whether the phone she’d tucked away in the little side compartment of her car door was receiving any calls or text messages. If it was, she didn’t want to have to feel it buzz, hear it ring, or see the screen light up. Out of sight out of mind. Well, out of sight, at least. But that was better than the alternative.

  As they got closer to their new home, Abby punched the address into her GPS, leading her effortlessly to the sign at the end of a dirt driveway that read, ‘Whispering Pines - Resort to a time of Rest’.

  A shiver of excitement raced through her. “Hey Coop,” she said, nudging Cooper’s sleeping body gently. He groaned and shifted slightly. “Hey, buddy, we’re here,” she whispered, smiling. She looked in the mirror and saw the U-Haul drive in behind her, pulling up right beside her car once they reached the front of what appeared to be the master house.

  Cooper sat up, yawned, and stretched. He craned his neck to look all around him. It was too dark outside to see what they had gotten themselves into. Abby was itching for morning light so they could go exploring. Simon and Maggie, the caretakers that had been running the resort for Henry the past several years, had left the porch light on to the main house and one of the cabins.

  “We’re here?” Cooper asked, finally awake enough to realize what was going on. His voice was thick with sleep.

  “Yup, we’re finally here, buddy.” She smiled to herself and ran a slender finger gently along the side of his cheek. “Come on, ” she said as she opened her door. “Just grab your pillow. We’ll get the rest tomorrow.”

  “But what are we going to sleep on?”

  She grinned, amused. Cooper wasn’t used to roughing it. He had a lot to learn, and she couldn’t wait to teach him. Not that she had full-on experience. Simply the built-in desire and love of living with the bare essentials and without the need for the amenities of a five-star hotel. The simpler the better. She wanted Cooper to have the same ability to adapt to less than ideal conditions. She believed simplicity was good for one’s character. She wanted to help Coop have exceptional character.

  “We’re staying in one of the cabins tonight and will move into the master house over the weekend. Come on,” she said.

  She walked around to Cooper’s door and put an arm around his shoulders when he got out, steering him in the direction of the cabin with the porch light on. She turned around and saw her dad standing in the shadows of one of the yard lights, staring off toward the sky. She wondered if he was thinking about her mother, and her heart ached for him. For all of them from the void that her mother’s absence created in their lives. Her folks had been pretty much joined at the hip since the day they met. For her dad, losing his wife was like losing his right arm and leg. And half of his heart, too, she supposed.

  “Coming Grandpa?” Cooper called over his shoulder.

  She watched him tear himself away from whatever it was he was thinking and turn to follow them, head down, hands in his pockets. “Right behind you, Coop.” His voice was quiet, yet gruff.

  By the time Abby finished tucking Cooper into bed, her father settled in the second bedroom. Abby sat on the couch, consciously relaxing each of her muscles. She noticed the fabric on the couch, patterned with bear, moose and pine trees.

  She looked around her, drinking in the smallest details. Loneliness threatened to swallow her for the briefest moment before the exhilaration of a brand new start moved in, pushing any uncertainty away. Not only were they going to have fun, but they would be safe. She wouldn’t have to be looking over her shoulder every time she turned around. And she wouldn’t have to check the doors and windows every half hour to be sure they were locked. She was beginning to think she’d developed a serious case of OCD. Cooper would actually be able to go out and play with friends without Abby waiting for the sky to fall. She hadn’t fully realized until now just how much fear she had been living in.

  As she looked around the cabin, she marveled at the rustic furnishings that filled the room. There was a lot of aspen wood furnishings and leaf accents. She’d heard about the golden aspens around these parts in the fall and now she’d be able to see them firsthand.

  She stretched, looked at her watch, surprised to see it was already two in the morning. It was going to be a long day tomorrow. Or today, rather, since it was already technically morning. It was time to get some shut-eye. She spread two blankets on the sofa, one red and black flannel, the other matching, but fleece. She was out before she fully settled in.

  Abby opened her eyes the next morning to find the sunshine streaming through the open window. The only window on which she’d forgotten to pull the curtains closed. Her pulse ticked up a notch as she caught her unfamiliar surroundings. When she remembered where she was she took a deep breath, grinned, and stretched her arms high above her head. She’d slept more soundly than she had in months and hardly remembered her head even touching the pillow. And not a single dream all night for the first time since … well, for such a long time she couldn’t remember when.

  She folded back the blankets, stood and slowly rotated her neck, applying pressure to the knots that had formed from not moving all night. She peeked in Cooper’s room then her father’s. Both still sleeping.

  A thrill crept throughout her, and she broke into a grin, feeling it all the way to her toes. They were finally free. Free from Hunter’s insanity and attempts at intimidating her. Assuming it was Hunter. Free from looking over her shoulder every time she walked out of the house or out of the school doors at the end of the day, a habit since Hunter’s rele
ase from prison. Now she could finally be free from constant worry whenever Cooper was out of her sight. And as soon as she could get into town to get a new phone, including a new number, she’d be free from those unnerving messages as well. It had to be Hunter. Who else could it be?

  She rolled her blankets into a ball and left them on the end of the couch, piling her pillow on top of them. She quietly closed the bedroom doors before pushing open the curtains on all of the windows, letting the bright light pour in each one, penetrating every corner, nook, and cranny of the cabin save for the two bedrooms. Thank goodness, the cabin was equipped with a coffee maker. Coffee was the barest minimum of what she needed to get her day started. A day already filled with hope and promise.

  While she waited for the coffee to finish brewing, she wandered around in her gray sweats and heavy wool socks she’d slept in. She pulled her long blond hair back into a ponytail, rubbed her hands together, blowing into them for heat. She pulled the flannel blanket from beneath the pile and tiptoed into Cooper’s room, giving him another layer of warmth, then closed the door behind her without so much as a creak of a floorboard or door hinge. She scanned the walls of the living room until she spotted the thermostat. Inside sixty-five degrees, outside thirty-five. So it wasn’t altogether perfect, but nowhere was on this side of heaven. The cold winter and cold early spring were a small price to pay for freedom.

  Ticking the heat up to seventy degrees, she poured a cup of coffee, wrapping her fingers around the toasty warm mug. It, too, was decorated with bear and moose. She found the keys for the master living quarters Simon and Maggie had vacated for her and Cooper. They had moved into another of the four winterized cabins the week before Abby was due to arrive and had the house cleaned from top to bottom.