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

by Rhonda Blackhurst

  “Want to talk?”

  “About what?” Still, he held his gaze out the window.

  “About why you’re not answering your phone. Is it because I’m here?”

  “No.”

  But his answer was just a little too quick. He shifted again, tugged at the seatbelt strap and stayed quiet. Abby took a minute to figure out how to best approach what he didn’t want to talk about. He surprised her, however, by finally talking. He looked at her then stared straight ahead.

  “How come I can’t see my dad?”

  Abby felt as though lightning struck her, and she inhaled sharply. “What?”

  “I didn’t stutter, Mom.”

  “And I’m not sure I appreciate the tone, Coop. I’m happy to talk to you about this, but you need to lose the attitude.”

  “Sorry.”

  He sounded anything but sincere but this was one time she decided to let it go. It was time she opened up to him.

  “Coop, Hunter—you’re dad and I haven’t spoken in a very long time. He—”

  “Was in prison. I know.”

  “I don’t remember telling you about that.”

  “You didn’t.”

  Abby felt her breathing get shallower. “Then who did?”

  “I’m not stupid, Mom.”

  “I never said you were, sweetie.”

  “What did you do to put him in prison?”

  His question, as near an accusation as could be, knocked her off-kilter. “I didn’t do anything. Hunter—your dad …” she sighed, tears stinging her eyelids at what he was implying and what it might mean. Was he old enough when Hunter was home to be so impressionable that Hunter’s behavior seemed natural to him? “Your dad made a choice that put him there. I didn’t do it.”

  “Do you miss him?”

  “Where’s this coming from, Cooper?”

  “He’s my dad. I have a right to know.”

  “No, I don’t miss him.”

  “I do. I want to see him.”

  She glanced over at him, his jaw jutting out just like Hunter’s used to when he was determined about something. “That’s not a good idea.”

  “You can’t keep me from my dad. What if he wants to see me?”

  “Cooper, I’m going to ask you again and I’m hoping you’ll be straight with me. Where is this coming from? Why now?”

  “I don’t want to talk about it.”

  She exhaled, exasperation threatening to expose itself. “Okay. But sooner or later you’re gonna have to level with me.”

  “Sooner or later I will.”

  There was that tone again. She’d be lying if she said it didn’t bring her enormous pain. How could someone you love with all your heart have the power to rip that heart right out of your chest?

  They pulled into the parking lot of the Safeway grocery store. “Come on, son, let’s go get some food. Whatever you want to eat, it’s yours.” Great. Now I’ve succumbed to buying my kid’s love. The sound of her car door slamming shut was followed by Cooper’s.

  “How come you never let me buy whatever I wanted when we lived in California?” Is this your way of trying to suck up for making me move?”

  “I don’t know, Cooper.” She sighed again, feeling exhausted. The truth was she really didn’t know. In fact, she didn’t know a whole lot of anything right now. “Maybe it is. Partly. But also because of the nest egg Henry left us to get a solid start.”

  “Nest egg? What’s a nest egg?”

  “Money. So we can get established. He wanted to be sure you were taken care of.” She watched as he appeared to ponder what she’d said. “Besides, buster, if I recall correctly, you were pretty spoiled in California, too. It’s not like you went without anything you needed.”

  “You never used to get me packaged, processed food there.”

  She now looked in the grocery cart at the Lunchables staring back at her, right next to the 12-pack of orange soda. Her lips twisted and she caught her lower lip between her teeth. He sure didn’t waste any time taking her up on her offer. “Just don’t expect it to continue. I happen to care about your health.”

  “So this is just until you stop feeling guilty for taking me away from all of my friends?”

  She snickered and shook her head slowly. The boy she knew was back. “You’ve got it so bad. Just so you know, most kids would kill to have the life you do.”

  “Name one.”

  “Quit pouting. It’s very eight-year-oldish.”

  “Mom!”

  “Cooper!” she mimicked his whine but winced as she saw him glare at her. She struggled to conceal a smile. He was determined to make her pay. And she was. With the grocery bill at least.

  By the end of April, they had all of their belongings in place, and Abby began flying solo in running the place, delegating where she could. The few die hard mountain winter lovers were gone until next year. Jeremiah was waist deep in performing all the maintenance work, as well as purchasing the items he needed to remodel Abby’s studio. He even learned how to run the coffee bar equipment and handled some shifts in the store. Her mother would have been so proud of him.

  The first week of May, Maggie and Simon decided to move on and begin their new retirement life in Florida.

  “This place has a special place in our hearts,” Maggie told Abby before she and Simon pulled out of the driveway. Maggie’s window was down and her arm rested on the cracked weather-stripping at the bottom of the window. She gave one last wistful glance around them. “We’re grateful to Henry for allowing us the privilege to manage it. He must have thought we were getting too old for it, I guess.”

  “I don’t think that’s it at all, Maggie. Had he not died when he did, you would still be running it, and I probably still wouldn’t even know about it.” She paused a beat before adding, “I know I’ve already said it, but you know you can stay, right?”

  She watched Maggie closely, hoping the offer brought her some comfort. Instead, Abby bristled at what she saw in those cold stone-gray eyes. Not an ounce of friendliness there. She shuddered and tried telling herself that the pair were just itching to get a move on their new start. Yet she couldn’t help but sense hostility. Selfishly, she was grateful they were making every effort in trying to be polite in stepping out gracefully rather than create an awkward scene. Or by staying on at the resort, for that matter. She could tell it wasn’t easy for them. At least not for Maggie.

  “You know you always have a place here whenever you want to come, right?”

  “We’ll be too busy in our new life to worry about that,” Maggie said, then sniffed.

  “Well, know the offer stands,” Abby said. She patted the door with her hand and stepped back.

  As they pulled away, U-Haul in tow, it reminded Abby of the one they brought with them not so long ago. She and Jeremiah stood and waved until the U-Haul drove up the long dirt driveway, turning the corner onto the winding mountain road, disappearing from sight.

  Abby and Jeremiah stood side by side for a moment longer as if they were expecting the Florida-bound pair to turn back. Finally confident they weren’t, Abby turned to look at Jeremiah who stood with his hands in the pocket of his jeans, toothpick between his lips.

  “Well, Dad? What do you say we go celebrate?”

  “You mean you’re gonna let me have a beer?”

  “Nice try,” she chuckled. “I never said that.”

  “Said you wanted to celebrate. Same thing.”

  “Not even close. I’ll get you a soda or a coffee. Which do you want?”

  “Spoil sport,” he mumbled.

  “Yup.” She smiled and slid her hand in the crook of his arm.

  “Reckon I’ll go do some work on your studio unless you need me around the store.”

  “Nope, I have it covered. Go have fun.”

  As Abby walked back to the house, she scanned the resort, admiring the beauty of the snowcapped Rocky Mountains behind them, postcard style. She felt her phone buzz, and she fished it out of her poc
ket, smiling. They must have forgotten something, she thought. She glanced at the screen display before answering and froze. It couldn’t be. Could it? But how? Her breath caught and she shoved the phone back in her pocket. She knew Hunter could get her new number if he really wanted to. The concern was why he wanted it and why he wanted to harass her. Unless he was angry and bitter. And if that was the case, there was reason to fear. She had all too much experience of times when Hunter was angry. Perhaps it was time to make a report.

  She saw one of the guests turn the corner and disappear into the store. It would have to wait. She needed a moment alone to make the report. Unfortunately, she would soon find out what the local law enforcement was like around here. Hopefully, they wouldn’t have the opportunity to get to know her as well as they did in Oakland.

  11

  Memorial Day weekend was now only a couple of weeks away, and there was a lot to do before then. Every cabin was rented for that weekend and had been since Memorial Day weekend the previous year. All of the campsites were booked as well.

  The store shelves were stocked with non-perishables and toiletries, and a list started for all of the perishables and bait needed before the time arrived. Jeremiah told Abby he was taking Cooper with him to get the bait when it came time. Despite never being a girly-girl, she was grateful she didn’t have to touch the bait. Killing animals, whether large, small, reptilian, or anything in between, was something she’d never been able to do. And leeches? Not even an option touching those slimy suckers.

  “It’s called the food chain, Abs,” Jeremiah said.

  “No, it’s not, Pops. The food chain happens in the wild. Feeding animals to other animals doesn’t count. So count me out.”

  “You’ve become one of those animal activists, haven’t ya?”

  “It’s called compassion. Pure and simple.”

  “What are we gonna do about the boy’s birthday?”

  She looked over at him, leaning against the counter, his hands tucked in the front pockets of his Levi jeans, his legs crossed at the ankles. The ever-present toothpick peeked out from between his lips. He was staring at something out the window, yet appeared to have a distant gaze, locked in on distant memories.

  “Hard to believe he’s almost ten, isn’t it?” she said.

  “I remember when you were ten.”

  Abby laughed. “You so do not. Heck, I don’t even remember when I was ten. The only thing I remember about being ten is Bobby Hillman chasing me on his bike and almost running me over.”

  “‘Cause you put a frog in his jacket pocket.” She glanced at him from the corner of her eye and saw a shadow come over him. “You’d thought it was the end of the world the way you carried on when your ma made you apologize to that boy.” His voice got quiet and far away.

  “I miss her too, Pops.” Abby’s voice was little more than a whisper.

  “Ripped her heart out with what that husband a yours did and how he treated you.”

  She watched as he sniffed, ran a finger under his nose and looked off in the distance. She was certain he was trying to avoid her eyes.

  “I know.” Abby felt tears sting her eyes, regret piercing her heart. What she wouldn’t give if she could make it all go away. To bring her mom back so she could make up to her for what she put her through. Most of it was unintentional, but she knew it was hurtful all the same. “I’m sorry, Pops.”

  “As long as you learned. If that boy ever comes around here, he’ll wish he hadn’t. I can promise you that.”

  She had no doubt he meant it. “Hard to believe she’s been gone almost five years now.”

  “Yup. Never gets easier.”

  Her thoughts were a million miles away when she felt Cooper sidle up beside her.

  “Hi, Mom. What are you guys talking about?”

  “Nothing.” She put her arm around his shoulders.

  “You always preach to me about being honest. How come you don’t have to be? Were you guys fighting?”

  She nudged him with her elbow and chuckled. “No, we weren’t fighting. And I do not preach.”

  “You do.”

  He grinned, and she knew he was enjoying the jostle as much as she did.

  “Well, it’s for your own good,” she said.

  “So what were you talking about?”

  “We were talking about your birthday. We won’t be able to go anywhere because we’ll need to hang around here since it’s one of the busiest weekends of the year for business. This and the fourth of July. Are you okay with doing something here?”

  “Sure.”

  “Okay, that wasn’t even close to convincing.” She looked down at him, still standing by her side. “Not the birthday you’d imagined, huh?” He shrugged. “Why don’t you invite some friends over? That would be fun, right?” She hoped he couldn’t hear in her voice how hard she was trying to persuade him. “I bet Grandpa would take you guys out fishing. And you could have a campfire, roast hot dogs and marshmallows, tell ghost stories—”

  “Mom, I’m turning ten, not eight.”

  “Well, maybe girls are different than boys, but I enjoyed doing all that stuff when I was a lot older than ten. In fact, I still enjoy it.”

  Jeremiah chuckled. “Except when your ma told the ghost stories it would send all the boys runnin’ home scared,” he said to Cooper.

  “Really?” Cooper’s eyes lit up with new enthusiasm.

  “True story, Coop,” Abby said. “You never saw boys run so fast.”

  “Still proud of that, aren’t ya, kiddo?” Jeremiah asked as he spit to the side, leaving a small pool of brown chew.

  “Gross, Grandpa!” Cooper said, grimacing. “That’s disgusting!”

  “Yup, s’pose it is,” he said with a snicker. “So don’t ever start.”

  “Can you tell me some of those ghost stories?” Cooper asked Abby, his voice filled with hope.

  “If you promise not to run away scared,” she said and winked at him. She put her hand in her pocket, her fingers wrapping around her phone. “Hey, Coop?

  “Yeah?”

  “Have you gotten any prank calls since we got your new phone and changed your number?”

  “Nope.”

  Again, there was hesitation in his answer, an uncomfortable shift in posture, and he looked down at the ground. A chill made the hair on the back of her neck stand up. “You sure?”

  “Mom, I said I haven’t. Let it go why don’t ya?”

  “Coop,” Jeremiah said, his voice barely audible.

  It may have been just one word, but the tone spoke volumes. She remembered that tone all too well. She felt her dad watching her. He rested his hand on Cooper’s shoulder. She remembered that, too. Her dad was the master at discipline through tough love. No matter when he had scolded her or Piper, neither of them ever felt like he didn’t love them. In fact, the opposite. She was, however, surprised to see it now. It felt like she was watching part of her dad, the man he used to be, emerge.

  “You have somethin’ to say to your ma, Coop?”

  “Sorry,” he grumbled.

  “Thank you, boy.” He pulled Cooper into a gentle hug.

  Abby brushed away a tear. “I remember when Mom would get mad at me for something and she’d say, Just wait until your dad gets home, Abby.” She brushed away another tear and smiled at the memory. “I think she said it to scare me, but I never was. I knew you would never hurt me.”

  Jeremiah spit again and replaced the toothpick to its usual position. He winked at her. “Headin’ out to the studio.”

  She watched his back as he walked away, his head hanging low. She smiled a half smile and shook her head slightly. He had never been comfortable talking about feelings. Piper took after him with that. They both put on such a tough façade, but she could see right through both of them. It was like looking at a gemstone through crystal clear mountain creek water.

  Her dad disappeared behind two enormous Ponderosa pines, and she put an arm around Cooper. He wriggled out from under
Abby’s arm. “I’m going in to play my video game.”

  “How about you pick up the breakfast dishes first while I watch the store.”

  “Aww, Mom,” he complained.

  “Don’t aww Mom me, mister. Come on.” Abby felt the undeniable need to keep Cooper in her sight. At least until she’d had a chance to let the fear ebb. If even just a little.

  Seeing as no one was in the store, she helped finish the last of the dishes. Just as she was hanging the towel to dry, she spotted an old Ford Mustang rumble down the hill in the driveway, pulling up beside the house. Abby watched a tall, lanky boy uncurl from the front seat of the small car, stand, stretch, and look around, smiling. He looked like he could be Matthew McConaughey’s little brother. Now Cooper was watching from the window as Abby turned and walked out the front door to greet the newcomer.

  She extended her hand to the boy. “Hi,” she smiled warmly. “I’m Abby. And you must be Samuel.”

  Maggie had told her about two young people that had been helping every summer for the past five years. When Maggie expressed concern about their future at the resort now that she wouldn’t be there anymore, Abby had promised her she would keep them on the payroll. She was thrilled to have the help. Especially from kids who had grown with the resort for the past five years and knew what to do without being told. Samuel and Victoria had both grown up in the neighborhood and were each in their third year of college, Samuel for business management and Victoria for nursing.

  “Yes, ma’am,” he answered, meeting her hand with his own. He smiled a casual, easy smile. “You can call me Sam.”

  She couldn’t help but wonder what his dad looked like. “And you can call me Abby. Ma’am makes me feel like an old spinster.” Cooper walked up behind her surveying the situation. “This is my son, Cooper,” she said, gesturing toward him.