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

by Rhonda Blackhurst

  “I feel awful,” Abby’d said. “It feels like we’re coming in from out of the blue and taking over.”

  “You are,” Maggie had said.

  “Maggie,” she said, her voice revealing all of the emotion that Maggie’s lacked, “I’m sorry—”

  “She was kidding, kid,” Simon had said via their conference call. “It’s no matter. Mags and I decided we’re done with the snowbird thing. Taking off to Florida for a few weeks during the winter months and finding someone else to take care of the place—well, that ain’t no life. Soon as we’re done showing you and the boy the ropes, we’re moving on to Florida for good.”

  Abby walked in her wool socks to the main house, her breath reminding her how cold it was as each exhale looked like she’d taken a drag of a cigarette. She took in the rugged mountains that rose up on all sides of her, smoke coming from the chimneys of the occupied winterized cabins, the smoke rising in wispy ribbons, dissipating as it rose higher against the stark blue sky. The tops of the mountains were covered with a thick layer of white, dripping down the sides like icing dripping from the top of a cake. The sky was the clearest blue, not a cloud to be seen.

  She climbed the old wooden steps to the front door and turned the old key in the lock, feeling a shiver of excitement when she heard the click of the lock giving way. She slowly turned the handle and gently pushed the door open, the hinges creaking slightly.

  She poked her head in first, testing to be sure no one was inside. The sharp scent of Pine-Sol and carpet cleaner were the first occupants to greet her. She gingerly stepped through the door, all but closing it behind her, leaving it slightly ajar. Habit forced her to turn around to look behind her as she had been doing for the last several months, and even longer than that, truth be told. She wasn’t convinced that Hunter hadn’t had someone on the outside watching her while he was locked up.

  The house was an odd combination of lonely and welcoming. She assumed the loneliness arose from the loss of Henry. She looked around her wistfully and wondered how long it had been since he’d been here. How long had it been since he’d touched the worn brass handles on the doors or the beautiful Hickory wood cabinet handles? She touched one now, finding comfort as her hand lingered on the warmth of the softly worn wood.

  Reluctantly, she withdrew her hand and looked around the kitchen. She inhaled in awe as she caught sight of the cobalt blue freestanding stove in the corner. She walked over to it slowly, trance-like, and looked at it in wonder. She reached out to run her hand lightly over the nickel-plated trim. She took in the broiler drawer on the bottom with its nickel-plated pull to open it, a similar drawer on the top for storage. It was an absolutely perfect accent to the sunny little room that would hold countless conversations around the pine wood butcher block dinner table. Of that, she would be sure.

  She wished Henry had told her stories of his time here so she would have that to hold onto when she felt like it was just her and Cooper against the world. And her father, of course. Pops and Henry would have had a ball here. And maybe Pops would’ve even stopped drinking. Maybe. The only drawback she could see was that here Holly wasn’t just a few minutes away but a few states. Not that phone lines knew the difference, and rarely did they do anything together outside of work except talk on the phone, but it sure seemed a lot different.

  She leaned toward the stove and closed her eyes, her hands resting on the chrome surface. She inhaled deeply, filling her lungs with the peculiar blend of warmth and the sterility of the Pine-Sol scent, before going any further. It felt a bit as if she were breaking into someone else’s home. She wondered how long it would be until she felt like it was really theirs. And how long would it be until Cooper forgave her for plucking him out of the center of his safe, comfortable life when he was completely unaware of the false sense of safety? Every single day that went by, Abby hoped she was doing the right thing by letting him have that sense of security when safe was the last thing they were, back in Oakland, anyway, rather than rip the carpet out from under him by making him feel the same fear she lived with every day. Each day that went by she hoped she was making the right choice, and now that they were safe, she believed she had. What good could possibly have come from Cooper living in fear from a man that was supposed to keep him safe? The irony was mind blowing.

  Abby heard the door squeak and her breath caught in her throat. She was almost afraid to turn around this time knowing someone was in the unfamiliar house with her in the middle of God knows where.

  “Mom, it’s crazy cold here. Why did you decide we had to move now instead of waiting until summer?” Cooper complained.

  She exhaled a long breath. “You scared me.”

  “It’s too cold to feel anything but frozen.”

  She held her hand out to him and wrapped her arm around his shoulder when he was by her side, resting her cheek on the top of his head.

  “You’ll get used to it. We all will.” She kissed the top of his head and looked around them at walls that begged to be decorated. She walked through the doorway into the living room and began climbing up the stairs to check out where she assumed the bedrooms were. She stopped when she realized he wasn’t beside her but standing at the bottom of the stairs. “What is it?”

  “Nothin’.”

  “I think it’s somethin’,” she teased.

  “It’s just…”

  “Just what?”

  “It’s kinda spooky here.”

  “Here as in the house?”

  “No, here as in out in the middle of nowhere.”

  “People from the city get used to country living all the time.” She smiled at him, motioning for him to come up to her. “In fact, I’d bet my bottom dollar that by the end of the summer none of us would ever consider moving back to the city.” She waited for a minute until she could see he wasn’t going to budge. “Does this mean you won’t be taking any moonlight walks with me?”

  “Can we get a dog?”

  She feigned hurt feelings. “What? You mean you’d trust a dog to keep you safe but not your big bad mom?”

  “Well?”

  “Well, what?” She turned to finish the ascent to the landing at the top of the stairs.

  “Can we get a dog?”

  “Yes, actually that sounds like a fabulous idea. You and I have both always wanted a dog. Now’s our chance.”

  “When?”

  Abby laughed and turned to look at him still standing at the bottom of the stairs.

  “What’s the rush, buddy?”

  “I want to be sure and get it before you change your mind.”

  “I won’t be. Changing my mind, that is.” She turned the corner, disappearing into one of the rooms, calling behind her, “Now come on. Tell me which room you want.”

  That, it turned out, was the motivation he needed to join her. Claiming the space that would be his bat cave, as he’d called his room back in California, had him scrambling the stairs faster than she’d seen him move since she told him they were leaving Oakland.

  8

  Hunter waited, the phone pressed against his ear. He was getting more impatient with each ring that went unanswered.

  “Come on, Cooper,” He grumbled, drumming the fingers from his free hand on the top of the bar before picking up his Winston and taking a long drag. “Sam! Another one!” he called to the bartender after he exhaled smoke through his nostrils.

  “Hunter, you need to know when to stop, man,” Sam called back to him. “This is getting old. I’m sick a you creating a scene in my bar every time you’re in here. And the day has hardly begun.”

  “Give me some decent service and I wouldn’t have to create a scene.”

  “I’m cuttin’ you off. Go home.”

  “Don’t pi—Cooper?” he asked, surprised when his boy’s voice finally came on the line.”

  “Hey, Hunt—Dad.”

  “What are you doing, son? What took you so long to answer?”

  “I’m picking out my room in our new hous
e.”

  Anger began to well up in the pit of Hunter’s stomach. “Yeah? Where’s this new house at?”

  “I’m not supposed to say.”

  “Coop, I’m your dad. Remember?” He better not forget it. Ever.

  “I can’t talk right now.”

  He could hear the slight quiver in the boy’s voice. “Why not? What could be more important than talking to your old man?”

  “Mom’s coming. I have to go.”

  “Cooper, your mom can’t keep you away from me. I’m your old man. She’s trying to keep you away from me, son. Don’t let her—”

  “I gotta go.”

  The line went dead but not before Hunter heard Abby’s voice in the background. He instinctively tightened his grip on the phone before he finally forced his fingers to relax, letting the phone clatter onto the bar. It might take a little coaxing, but he would get Cooper to see his side of things eventually. The boy would see that his mom was a lying, cheating piece of—

  “Dude!” Sam said, standing in front of him now, his bald head showing a couple days worth of growth. “You’re phones ringing.”

  “What’s it to you?” Hunter shot back.

  “Because it’s loud enough to wake the dead.”

  “Good thing there’s no one dead in here then, huh?” He put the phone to his ear. “’Lo?” he said, a slow, lazy smile playing on his lips when he heard her voice. “Hey, babe.” He watched as Sam chuckled.

  “See if babe can come and pick you up, because you ain’t driving.” Sam scooped up Hunter’s keys from the bar and tossed them onto the counter in back, out of Hunter’s reach.

  “Can you come pick me up?” he asked the woman on the other end.

  “From where?”

  “Sam’s bar.”

  “You’re at the bar again?”

  “Met some of the guys here.” So it was a little lie. She didn’t need to know that. As long as he kept her from talking to Sam, he was in good shape.

  “At ten in the morning?”

  “The wife of one of the guys had a baby last night. We just met for a celebratory mimosa.” Another lie, but it wasn’t hurting anyone. If anything, it would stop the nagging before his head exploded from irritation. “A little boy. The cutest little thing you ever saw.” Huh. Good one if he had to say so himself. “I’ll have to bring you by to see him soon.”

  “I’d love that.”

  He smiled, feeling pleased with himself. It worked. Women always soften and forget about everything else when it was about babies. “I’ll meet you outside in the parking lot. In ten?”

  “I’m on my morning break. I can’t make it until—”

  “I thought you had a free period now. I really need you.”

  “Yes, but …” she exhaled. “Fine. I’ll be there in ten. Be ready, though, because I’ll have just enough time to pick you up, drop you off at your front door, and get back to work. How’d you get there, anyway? And where’s your car?”

  If there was one thing he hated more than anything—well, almost anything—it was having to answer for himself. He was a grown man. He shouldn’t have to answer to anyone, especially a woman. “My car’s at my place. Jon picked me up.” He gritted his teeth.

  “Okay. See you in ten.”

  The phone line went dead. What the heck, do people not say good-bye anymore these days, or what? First Cooper, now her.

  “Sam, give me my keys.”

  “No way, man. You’re not driving.”

  “For God’s sake, Sam, now!” his voice was sharp. “I’ve only had a couple, and I’m not driving. Scout’s honor. My girl’s picking me up. I need to move my car to the back of the building for safekeeping. I’ll come back and get it later this afternoon.”

  “I can hardly wait.” Sam reached for Hunter’s keys and tossed them to him. “Scout’s honor, my butt. You better not be lying to me, Hunter.”

  “Would I lie?”

  “You don’t want me to answer that,” he called out as Hunter headed out the door.

  Hunter chuckled. In the last ten minutes, there was probably only one thing he hadn’t lied about. His girl was coming to pick him up.

  9

  Abby and Cooper finished exploring the house and headed back to the cabin. Jeremiah was sitting at the table drinking coffee and staring out the window.

  “Hey, Grandpa!”

  “Where’d you guys meander off to?” Jeremiah asked.

  “What’s meander mean?”

  Jeremiah smiled at Cooper as he plunked down in the chair next to him and began scrolling through his phone. Abby felt a flush of emotion as she watched the two of them.

  “That’s cool man talk for where’d you guys wander off to?”

  Cooper snorted as he laughed. “Yeah, you’re so cool, Grandpa. We walked over to our new house. Mom said I could pick out which room I wanted but when I told her which one she said I couldn’t have that one anyway.” He cast a scowl at her before focusing on his phone again.

  “I told you why,” she said and sighed, shaking her head slightly.

  “Why?”

  She looked at her father and raised her eyebrows? “Really, Pops? I need you to be behind me, not playing devil’s advocate.”

  “Lighten up, Abs. I’m not playing anything. I just asked why?”

  Her shoulders, tense just a moment ago, relaxed the tiniest bit when she realized she was probably being too hard on him. “Because it’s right at the top of the stairs.”

  “You afraid he’s going to sneak out at night, or what?”

  “Or what.” She shot him a look.

  “I’m just asking, kiddo. Even if he did sneak out it’s not like he can go anywhere. Not on foot anyway. We’re miles away from anywhere.”

  “Yeah, Mom,” Cooper said without looking up from his phone.

  Her shoulders tensed up again. Until she looked outside at the majestic wonder that surrounded them, remembering what they had. Part of what they had here was freedom from fear. Suddenly she laughed, and Cooper looked at her and grimaced.

  “Fine, son, you can have that bedroom.”

  “Really?” His eyes grew wide, his voice ripe with skepticism. “Wait a minute,” he narrowed his eyes at her, “what’s the catch?”

  “Yes, really. There’s no catch. But just remember, buster, one time sneaking out and you’ll be sleeping in the cellar.”

  “You wouldn’t,” he gasped, horrified.

  She laughed. “No, I wouldn’t. But I should probably show you where it is just in case.”

  “Not funny.” He looked back at his phone and then jerked his head back up to look at her. “Wait a minute,” his eyes narrowed again, “Are you changing your mind about the dog?”

  “No, we can still get a dog.” She chuckled. “I said there’s no catch. And stop looking at me like that. Like you don’t trust me or something.”

  He looked back down at his phone. “How come I don’t get Internet access up here?”

  “We’ll get Wi-Fi hooked up as soon as we can. In the meantime, try stepping outside and see if it’s better.” She knew it wouldn’t be better, but it was an excuse to get him busy doing something. Maybe, just maybe, there would be something out here to distract him from his phone.

  He slid his chair back, the legs scraping on the tile floor. He shuffled toward the door, never taking his eyes off the phone. She watched him open the door then turn around to look at her, his face scrunched up.

  “It’s cold out there.”

  “How bad do you want better reception? And grab a coat.”

  “Don’t need one. I’ll be back in just a sec.”

  As soon as the door shut behind Cooper, Jeremiah asked her, “So what was that about?”

  “Him not wanting to go outside? He acts like we’ve moved to the arctic.”

  “About the bedroom. And the dog, for that matter.”

  She sighed and sat down beside him, looking in his coffee cup. “Ugh! What’s that?” She wrinkled her nose.

>   “Coffee.”

  “Looks more like sludge. It also looks disgusting.” She got up to make a new pot, refilling his cup with the thick oil first.

  “You’re avoiding the question.”

  “Yup.”

  “You know I won’t give up. Save us both the time.

  “Dad, I told you Hunter’s out of prison.”

  “You did.”

  “What I didn’t tell you is that since that time I’ve been getting weird text messages and phone calls.”

  “Hunter?”

  “I can’t be positive, but I’d bet money on it.”

  “How much ya got?”

  “You don’t think it’s him?”

  “Didn’t say that. Just curious why you think it is.”

  “The content of the text messages. And my gut.”

  “Could it be one of your students?”

  “Possible but not probable. Especially not this long after I’ve left the school.”

  “Stranger things have happened.”

  She checked on Cooper through the window before sitting back down at the table, looking at Jeremiah. “Dad, you know Hunter.”

  “I do. That boy best never set foot around you and Cooper ever again. I’ll have his hide.”

  She gave him a half smile. He was a mild-mannered man and one of few words, but she pitied the person who threatened the welfare of his family. Abby was sure her father had a side to him that she’d never seen but no doubt would should there be a reason. “This is exactly the kind of head games that man would play to mess with me.”

  “Don’t call him that.”

  “Don’t call him what?”

  “A man. He ain’t no man. He’s an animal.”

  “I disagree. Animals are much kinder.”

  “What’s this got to do with the room Coop wanted?”

  “It’s at the top of the stairs. What if—”

  “What if nothin’. We’re halfway across the gosh darn country from where he thinks you are.”

  Abby rolled her eyes. “Three states away is hardly across the country. Besides, he was a cop, Pops, remember? I know he still has some friends that are cops. How hard do you really think it would be for him to track us down if he wanted to?”