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

by Rhonda Blackhurst

  She brushed a wayward strand of hair back from her face with her forearm. The breeze began to pick up, the curtains on the open window in front of her blowing inward. When she’d finished drying the last bowl, she checked in with Victoria then took a few moments of quiet time to sit on the porch.

  She heard a low rumble off in the distance. Gus looked in the direction from where it came, whined, and lumbered over to where Abby sat, slowly rocking. She slid off the rocking chair and sat on the step, Gus collapsing his weight beside her, leaning his body against her leg. He smelled of lake water.

  “Gus, my friend, you need a bath.” He looked up at her and cocked his head to one side, his eyes locked on hers. “Not now,” she said. “Take a nap.”

  She knew once the storm hit he would be beside himself and she would have to keep him swaddled close to her in a blanket. Gus may be a big dog, but he was a big baby, especially when it came to snakes and thunder. The first time he saw a water snake, he came bounding out of the lake whimpering, not even taking the time to shake off before he cowered behind a lawn chair that was a short distance from the shore. The one Gabriel happened to be sitting on. There he shook, showering Gabe with the stinky lake water. She’d marveled at how Gabe sat completely still, unfazed by the unexpected shower before he reached down to comfort Gus.

  As the day wound down and Sam and Victoria got ready to leave for the day, Johnny’s grandma pulled in the driveway to pick him up. The boys had been so quiet and absent today, she had to keep checking on them to be sure they were okay.

  “Johnny,” his grandmother scolded when he sulked his way to the car, “you know better than to pout. You are ten years old for goodness sakes.”

  “Yes, ma’am,” he replied, dipped his head in defeat and opened the car door to get in. “Where’s Dad?” he asked sullenly.

  “Out of town on a short business trip.”

  “Again?”

  “Yup. You’re stuck with old Grandma, kiddo.” She smiled at Abby, waved at Cooper and was out the driveway leaving a trail of dust in her wake.

  “Ma’am?” Cooper looked at Abby in disbelief. “Who calls their grandma ma’am?”

  “It’s pretty normal to say that in the South.”

  “Mom, this is not the South.” She guessed he forgot to add Duh! because his tone said it loud enough.

  “Maybe they’re from the South. Or maybe,” she winked at him, “they just taught him manners.”

  “Don’t expect me to call you ma’am.

  “I’ll have to keep that in mind,” she teased.

  “You wouldn’t.”

  “Oh, but I would.” She grinned at him, enjoying the horrified expression frozen on his face. “Fine, maybe not. But it was fun to see your reaction.”

  “One of the fishermen that came in when me and Johnny were at the lake said there’s supposed to be a big storm tonight. You don’t think we’ll have to go into that cellar thing, do you?”

  “Maybe. Why?”

  “I don’t like the cellar. It’s creepy down there.”

  “You’ve only been down there once. Besides, you’ll like it if it saves your little butt in a tornado,” she said, ruffling his hair.

  “Mom!” he jerked back. “Don’t touch the hair. You always do that!”

  She pretended to jerk back, too. “Oh, yeah, the hair. My bad.” She swallowed her laughter as Cooper scowled.

  By the time they finished dinner it began to rain and the wind picked up. The branches slapped against the side of the house. Her dad called to have someone come out and trim them so they didn’t damage the siding, but they hadn’t gotten to it yet.

  The resort guests secured themselves in their cabins and campers save the few brave souls who were outside keeping an eye on the clouds. Abby told them if they heard anything about a tornado on their radios to head for the cellar. It would be a tight fit for all of them, and they would all be up close and personal with one another, but at least they’d survive from that. Possibly not from a tornado.

  As quickly as the rain began and the wind picked up, the drops stopped and the wind died to nary a breeze. The air was eerily still, the sky gray with a yellow hue that lent an eerie glow outside, almost as if someone was shining a dull flashlight down on them from behind the clouds.

  “Calm before the storm,” Abby said quietly as she and Jeremiah stood on the back porch looking out toward the lake. She was leaning against one of the round pillars on the corner of the porch, hands in her back pockets.

  “What do you mean?”Cooper asked.

  “Hey, sweetie. Didn’t know you were out here,” Abby said as she turned to look at him and then back at the sky.

  “What’d ya mean the calm before the storm?”

  “It’s typical for the air to be very still before the storm kicks in.” She looked around them. “Where’s Gus?”

  “I think he’s in the house.”

  She opened the door and called, “Gus!” When he didn’t answer, she called again, louder. “Gus! Come here, boy! Come here, Gussie!” She tried whistling. Still no Gus.

  She felt the wind pick up speed the tiniest bit, knowing it wouldn’t be long before the thunder would be rumbling louder. She kicked off her old rubber flip-flops, bounded off the porch and onto the grass one way, her father the other.

  “Coop, go look up front. I’ll check the back and down by the lake. We need to find him before the thunder booms. You know how he hates that.”

  Cooper turned and ran toward the front of the house. Lightning flashed in the sky across the lake. The wind was beginning to pick up more, promising to be more than a gentle breeze anytime soon. The boats had all cleared the lake and it was now deserted. It looked lonely. The sky looked darker and angry, the yellowish hue turning less angelic and eviler.

  Abby’s adrenaline was pumping as she ran, looking for Gus. “Dad!” She hollered over her shoulder. “Any sign of him?”

  “Nope. I’ll go check under the beds.”

  She felt a drop of rain on her face, followed by another not long after. Another bolt of lightning, the thunder following a little sooner than it had been. The dark clouds appeared to be alive as they billowed toward the resort.

  “Gus!” she called as she got closer to the lake. She prayed he hadn’t gotten scared and run into the woods. She would never be able to find him in time. The thought of him being by himself, shivering and afraid, broke her heart. “Gus!” She stopped and listened, hearing a faint whimper followed by a muffled bark coming from the boathouse.

  She turned and ran the short distance to the boathouse, calling his name again, another bark sounding from inside. How had he gotten in there? Sam always locked the door and hung the key in the cubby underneath the cash register in the store before he left each day. She started to turn for the house to grab the key but her legs took on a mind of their own as she headed for the boathouse. She grasped the knob and turned. It was unlocked!

  At the same time that she opened the door, another flash of lightning cut through the sky followed even closer by the boom of thunder. She saw Gus run, whimpering, to the far corner of the building, hiding behind a snow blower, shovels, and bags of salt, the few items stored there in the summertime while the boats were in the lake.

  Abby reached for the light switch, flipped it on, but nothing happened. She flipped it down and up again, looking toward the ceiling where the light fixture hung, and still nothing.

  “Dang!” She cursed under her breath, her pulse dangerously high. She was certain her heart was beating in her throat. “Gus, come on, buddy,” she said, trying to get him to come out from hiding and over to where she was by the door. “Come on, boy,” she called, her voice pitches higher than was normal. As she got closer, she squinted and saw him peer around the snow blower and begin to cower toward her. Another flash of lightening lit up the sky from the doorway behind her, sending him running back to the safety of his corner.

  Going over to him was the only way she was going to be able to get him ou
t. A gust of wind blew the door shut, and she let out a scream in the blackness. The only light was from Mother Nature’s light show through the tiny window on the opposite side of the building. She began slowly walking toward the corner, hands out in front of her, feeling around to avoid bumping into something she may have forgotten about or that Sam had put in there when he’d left the door unlocked. Being closer to the door than to Gus, she turned and found the door, turned the handle, only to find it didn’t turn. Sure, now it locked. They were locked in! She fumbled around the door handle for the lock, but nothing. Of all times to have a lock that needed the key whether inside or out!

  Panic began to rise in her chest as she forced herself to breathe slowly. She attempted to call out, but the wind had picked up too much, carrying her voice with it. She tried pounding on the door but it wouldn’t budge. Not only was the wind and thunder drowning out the sound of her pounding, she knew everyone was secured safely in their units, if not in the cellar. But surely, her dad would come looking for her. Wouldn’t he?

  She thought about Cooper and reached for her phone, realizing she didn’t have it. She had left in such a hurry to look for Gus that she hadn’t thought of grabbing her phone.

  Now she was nearing hysteria as she worried about Cooper. She prayed he was with her dad, wherever that may be. Hopefully in the cellar. The symptoms of a panic attack, all too familiar from her years with Hunter, were beginning to take hold. What if her father thought Cooper was with her and he was actually still outside looking for Gus?

  Hot tears stung the back of her eyelids, but she willed them away. Being weak right now would get her absolutely nowhere. She covered her face with her hands to take a deep breath, surprised to find that her cheeks were wet with tears that had spilled against her will. She jumped and screamed when she felt movement beside her. She’d been so worried about Cooper she forgot Gus was with her. His familiar presence brought needed comfort, and Abby’s panic began to subside to a tolerable level.

  She heard a scrape and a click behind her on the other side of the wall. She bent over to hold onto Gus’s collar, fumbling for the door handle with the other hand. When her hand felt the cool metal turn easily, she breathed with relief. But then panic began to squeeze her lungs again. Locked doors don’t just unlock themselves.

  She stood frozen in place, her legs refusing to move. A million what ifs scrambled through her brain. What if the ghost rumor was true? But that’s crazy! She didn’t believe in ghosts any more than she believed in vampires. What if Hunter was here? What if there was some sick, demented guest staying at the resort?

  Instinctively she buried her face in Gus’s fur, bringing her back to reality. Breathe, Abby. Breathe.

  Finally, her limbs began to cooperate. She opened the door and took a brief moment to inhale deeply, filling her lungs with the fresh air. She saw a board lying beside the door that the wind had carried from somewhere. What if the board was simply wedged across the door, preventing it from opening? Yeah, we’ll go with that.

  A gust of wind sprang up and whipped her hair across her face. She held Gus with one hand, her hair back with the other. One thing was for sure. She had a whole new respect for Dorothy and Toto from the Wizard of Oz as they were looking for Dorothy’s family. She scanned the space all around her for Cooper but couldn’t see him.

  Holding tightly to Gus’s collar, she ran for the house. At a crack of thunder, he tried to run back from where they came, nearly pulling her shoulder out of its socket. She called Cooper’s name as she ran and saw a man stick his head out from a cabin.

  “You okay, lady?” he called.

  His name escaped her at the moment. She could only remember it was odd. Oh, yeah. “Hey, Slider, have you seen Cooper?”

  “That’s your kid, right? Nope. ’Fraid I haven’t. I’ll help look for him, though.” He turned and said something to the person in back of him before he pulled the door closed behind him. “Where’d you last see him?

  “He went to the front yard to look for Gus,” she hollered above the sound of the storm. The rain pelted her face, her soaked hair sticking to her cheeks. “Hopefully, he’s in the house by now. I’ll go check.”

  “I’ll check out front.”

  As she turned to go toward the house, she heard pounding, then a thud. She stopped dead in her tracks. “Slider, did you hear that?”

  “Nope. Hearing’s not that good in one ear. What was it?”

  “I thought I heard something. Shhh!” Thankfully, the wind was beginning to calm, the rain slowed.

  They both stopped talking. Abby heard it again. “Cooper?” she yelled. “Honey, where are you?” She ran toward the persistent pounding, finding herself heading for the cellar. She heard Cooper’s panicked voice.

  “Mom! Mom! I’m in here!”

  She reached the cellar and found a board, similar to the one she saw by the door of the boathouse, lying across the cellar and wedged under the handle of the cellar door.

  Slider knelt down to work it loose. “These storms can sure do some damage. Good thing it just fell on the cellar door and not on your kid.”

  With the board pried loose from under the handle, Slider pulled open the cellar door as if it weighed no more than a feather. Before the cellar door was fully open, Cooper, having a tight grip on the handle from the inside, pushing hard as he could at the same time Slider pulled it outward, toppled onto the ground, landing on his back right in the middle of a mud puddle. He looked up at her with eyes wide, then sprung up and into his mother’s arms, his soaked body clinging to her.

  “I don’t care what you say about being grateful for the cellar saving my butt. I never want to be in there again. Ever! Tornado or not.” His voice was muffled against her shoulder.

  After getting Cooper calmed down, she took Gus’s collar from Slider.

  “Thanks, Slider. I owe you big.”

  “You don’t owe me anything, ma’am.”

  “Abby.”

  “Abby,” he repeated before he turned back toward his cabin.

  She wrapped an arm around Cooper’s shoulder, leading him toward the house, Gus trotting beside them on his own. The thunder had all but subsided. They dripped water up the porch steps and across the kitchen floor.

  “Have you seen Grandpa?”

  “How would I see Grandpa? I was locked in the cellar. Besides, I thought he was with you.”

  “I meant before you got stuck in the cellar.” She heard muffled voices, followed by faint laughter. “Pops?” She called out.

  “Yup.” She followed his voice to the other side of the closed door leading into the store. Several campers were talking amongst themselves, standing at the window assessing the fallen limbs and puddles of water.

  When she stepped into the store, the guests began filing out, back to their units to inspect for damage, or so they said, waving as the screen door slammed behind them.

  “See ya, J,” one of them called to Jeremiah. “Thanks for letting us take shelter here.”

  Abby watched as the last one filed out of the store. The clouds were getting lighter and less ominous looking by the minute. Abby could sense Cooper’s lingering fear as he stayed close by her side.

  “Pops, were you here the whole time?”

  “Yup.”

  “Why didn’t you guys go into the cellar?”

  “Wasn’t a tornado warning. Just a good old-fashioned storm. Where were you two?”

  “I was locked in the boathouse. I thought Cooper was with you but turns out he was locked in the cellar.”

  “I thought the two of you were taking cover somewhere.”

  “Not the way either of us had planned to take cover,” she grumbled.

  “How’d it happen?”

  “How would I know that?” she snapped. She bit her lower lip. “Sorry. How it happened doesn’t matter right now. As long as we’re all safe.”

  She hoped Cooper hadn’t read the fear in her voice. Or her father, for that matter. She needed time to process this
mystery. How it happened did matter. And the possibilities chilled her to the bone.

  23

  Once they changed into dry clothes and settled in, Abby made some popcorn while Cooper found a movie for them to watch. Her father even joined them this time, a rarity, for sure. He wasn’t a movie guy unless it was a western.

  She snuggled next to Cooper who didn’t object the smallest bit. Gus lay at their feet. While the previews played before the movie began, Abby turned slightly, keeping her arm around her boy’s shoulders.

  “Coop, what made you go in the cellar? Why didn’t you go in by Grandpa?”

  “I didn’t know where he was. I was looking for you, but I couldn’t find you. I remembered you saying something about the cellar so I thought that’s where you were.”

  “But why did you close the cellar door on top? And how did you close it? That sucker is heavy.”

  He tossed a kernel of corn up in the air and caught it in his mouth. “I didn’t close it. The wind did.”

  She shuddered at the impossibility. “But—”

  “I couldn’t see so I went down to turn the light on but the lights were out and the wind slammed the door shut.”

  Abby inadvertently shivered again.

  “What’s wrong, Mom?”

  “Nothing. I’m just glad you’re okay.”

  But there was something terribly wrong. She could feel it from deep within her. The whole incident with Cooper locked in the cellar and her being locked in the boathouse—well, it was all creating a cyclone of what-if’s whirling in her head. She supposed it was possible the wind blew the boards in front of the doors, but not very likely. Besides, even if the wind had blown the board in front of the boathouse door, the handle would have still turned. It was locked sure as they were sitting there together at this moment. And the fact that the lights were out in the boathouse and the cellar but on in the campers and cabins was no mere coincidence, she was sure of it. Granted, she hadn’t been in the boathouse often, much less in the dark, and she had only been in the cellar on one occasion.