To Be With You

by Daphne Abbott

  “That’s nuts,” I whispered between clenched teeth. “He could shoot us.”

  “That’s why we’re going to split up, and you’re going to lie low. I’ll circle around, get in behind him. You stay back just in case he has a gun.”

  “Let’s just call the cops,” I argued.

  “I’ll text Sadie,” Hunter agreed. “But do you really want to risk the chance of him getting away? We don’t know for sure what happened, but it’s a good guess that he’s responsible for shooting the mayor.”

  Something told me it wouldn’t be wise to argue with Caleb Hunter. I didn’t know the guy well, but I’d heard snippets of conversation between Olivia and Lucy about the life he’d led before coming to Eagle Creek. His last job had been some sort of private security and not the rent-a-cop type of security. Which was useful but also terrifying in this situation.

  Hunter ran into the darkness before I could come up with a different plan. Fuck. Now I was stuck as back up while Mr. Commando tackled the dude.

  I got down as low as I could and crept behind Kevin, keeping to the trees and ferns in order to get cover. Each second was like an eternity as I waited for Hunter to make his move. I wasn’t the thrill-seeker type, and all this action was really grating on my nerves. This night was going to age me twenty years by the time the sun came up.

  I flinched at the sound of a twig snapping. The blob that was Kevin pivoted in a circle with an arm extended. I couldn’t tell in the dark, but it looked to be a gun he held in his hand. On the good side, he didn’t shoot in response to the twig. On the bad, he’d turned around and was slowly walking toward me.

  My brain scrambled. I hadn’t expected he’d turn and walk back the way he came. Was I really supposed to confront a man with a gun head-on? I was so freaked out I almost missed Hunter appearing out of the dark like a deadly assassin and whacking Kevin on the back of his head. The big man crumpled to the ground, and Hunt immediately jumped on him.

  “Cal, get the gun!” Hunter yelled.

  I clicked on the flashlight I had and swept it over the scene in front of me. Hunter was making simple work of hog-tying a groggy Kevin with the rope. The gun that must have fallen from his hand laid about six feet away, glittering in the light of my flashlight.

  I scooped up Kevin’s gun and flipped the safety on before tucking it in the pocket of my hoodie next to Sadie’s. Hunter finished tying Kevin up, stood, and clicked on his own light. “You’re right. He looks like a slimeball.”

  * * *

  Sadie showed up minutes later with the other deputy and hauled Kevin away. Light was slowly penetrating through the trees as the sun rose. All that was missing from our victory was Olivia.

  “I’m going to keep looking,” I said to Hunter.

  He nodded. “I’ll come along.”

  It was easier this time to follow the path since we’d turned our lights on. We yelled Olivia’s name as we continued walking toward the Boy Scout camp, still unsure we were even going in the right direction.

  My cell buzzed in my pocket, so I stopped to take the call. “Liam, what’s up?”

  “Dad’s out of surgery. The bullet barely missed a major artery, so they expect him to make a recovery.”

  “That’s good news, man. I’ve got some more for you. Hunt and I found Kevin Richter in the woods with a gun. Sadie just took him into custody, and I bet we find out he’s the one that shot Roger,” I said.

  Liam grunted. “Makes a weird amount of sense. What about Liv?”

  I stopped walking again and sighed. “Still MIA. But Hunter and I are looking, and more help should come now that the sun is out.”

  “I just hope he didn’t do something with her before we interrupted whatever was going down,” Liam said.

  I could hear Hunter calling Olivia’s name in the distance as I continued talking to Liam. “Has Roger said anything yet?”

  “Nothing–”

  “Callum!”

  There was no mistaking that voice. “Olivia! Liam, I hear her. She’s somewhere out here.”

  “Hang up the phone and get her. I’ll call Sadie.”

  He didn’t need to tell me twice. I tossed my phone in my pocket and raced toward the sound of Liv’s voice. “Olivia!” I yelled. “Where are you?”

  “Up here!”

  Hunter joined me near the base of an old oak tree. We both looked up to see Olivia sitting about twelve feet up on a large branch.

  “How did you get up there?” I asked.

  “I flew,” she said with sarcasm.

  Hunter laughed. “At least she’s still got her sense of humor.”

  “I’ve still got good hearing, too,” Olivia quipped. “Now, hurry up and get me down. I’ve been up here for hours.”

  Chapter 30

  Olivia

  It took only a couple of minutes for Gray to locate a ladder in the carriage house and bring it to my tree. Then the cops questioned Callum, Hunter, and me about Kevin for what felt like hours. Callum stayed close as Sadie went over question after question until I felt like I’d answered the same thing five times or more.

  “That’s enough, Sadie,” Callum said finally. “She’s answered your questions and cooperated as much as she can. The fire marshal just got here. Let her talk to him about her house.”

  Sadie frowned, and in her dark eyes, I saw she wanted to argue with Cal, but she must have seen something in Cal that made her back down. “All right. We can regroup later today.”

  “Tomorrow will be soon enough,” Callum said, and led me with an arm around my waist to where the fire marshal was waiting.

  “How you doing, ma’am?” he asked.

  “Better than expected,” I said. “How’s my house?”

  “The structure appears to still be sound. There are still areas that are smoldering. I think we’ll get those gone in a few more hours. Because of the suspicion of arson, the site will be closed while we investigate,” the marshal replied.

  I nodded, feeling both sad at the loss and relieved that it wasn’t entirely gone. “Thank you for coming so soon.”

  His smile was brief. “Your brother called me from the hospital. Told me about your dad and the fire and then berated me until I agreed to fast track the investigation.”

  I didn’t know what to think of that. Liam and I were on good terms, but not close, so it was a surprise he’d risked his reputation to ask the marshal for a favor.

  “We appreciate it,” Callum said. He shook the man’s hand, covering for me because I’d frozen.

  “You going to be okay, or do you need to see a doctor?” Callum asked as we walked back toward his rental car.

  “I told you, nothing hurts.”

  He nodded, but looked thoughtful. “Hungry?”

  “Starved.”

  “Then let’s feed you, woman,” he said and helped me into the car.

  Callum made some calls, and Jake opened the bar early. He started making pizzas to feed the hungry group of people that’d been at the house all night. As we trickled in, the staff poured beers and mixed Old Fashioneds, even though it was only nine in the morning.

  After a shot of whisky to settle my nerves, I settled in a corner booth with Cal, Fabián, and Jolene when Liam walked up to join us. He used his wide shoulders and shove Cal to the side and picked me up in a fierce bear hug. Tears pricked the corners of my eyes and I buried my face into his neck, breathing in his familiar scent and silently crying.

  “Thought I lost you,” he murmured before gently loosening his hold, so I dropped to my feet. “Don’t go doing stuff like this again, Liv. I can’t take it.”

  “I know, Liam. I’m sorry,” I whispered, and wrapped my arms around his waist for another hug. “Sit with us, tell me what’s going on with dad.”

  Once I let him go, Liam grunted and reached for the empty chair next to Fabian, who smil
ed at my brother like an old friend. “How ya doing, Deputy?”

  If I hadn’t been intently watching my brother, I would have missed the flush that colored his cheeks. I had no sign that my brother wasn’t entirely straight, but the way he reacted to Fab’s gentle teasing was interesting. I’d been blind to my own feelings for Cal. Was it possible I’d missed this as well? I glanced to Callum, who seemed to notice the same thing, and we both shrugged. If there was something, I would not get in the middle of it.

  “Dad’s in ICU,” Liam said once he settled at the table and Jake had brought him a cup of coffee. “I know a nurse in the unit, she’s going to text me if anything changes. But the doctors think he’ll make a full recovery.”

  “What a fucking mess,” Fabián said. “What about that bitch, Mary Beth? She’s got to be at the center of this.”

  I shrugged. “The cops told me it’s only an accusation from Kevin. Since he’s obviously not right in the head, they’ll talk to her, but that’s it for now.”

  Callum kissed the side of my head and said, “Don’t rush them. We want any charges against that family to stick this time.”

  I nodded and picked at the food in front of me as Callum answered a question someone had come up to ask. For a few minutes, I just let myself drift in my own thoughts. Discovering my suspicions of sabotage were correct should have made me feel vindicated, but I felt more drained. All I could think about now was the basement and all the extra work we’d have to take on to repair it.

  “You doing okay, sweetheart?”

  I looked up to see Pam Waite had pulled up a chair next to me.

  I worked up the biggest smile I could to reassure her. “I’m okay.”

  Pam reached out and brushed some hair from my forehead. The maternal touch made tears burn the back of my eyes, and I hated how often that was happening. I wasn’t a crier. I never lost control of my emotions in public, but I was ready to cry at the littlest touch this morning. Pam seemed to understand the problem because she stood up and held out a hand to me.

  “Come on,” she said. “Let’s go for a little walk.”

  “Ma–” Callum argued, but Pam cut him off.

  “Stay there.” Pam’s voice was firm, and she pointed a finger in her son’s face. “We’ll be right back. Come on, Olivia. Let’s take a walk.”

  I let myself be led out of the dining room, through the patio doors, and down to the water, where several benches lined the docks.

  Pam dropped into one and patted the seat. “Let’s talk.”

  I sat and tried not to act like I wasn’t freaking out internally. By now, Pam had to know what happened between Callum and me, and I hoped this walk wasn’t to accuse me of breaking her son’s heart. Twice. I was already beating myself up about it.

  “Did you know your mother, and I were friends?”

  “Uh–no.” I stared at the water for a few moments, biting my lip against the tears burning the back of my eyes. “No one really talked about her a lot when I was growing up.”

  Pam sighed and pulled my hand into her lap. “I’m sorry we failed you like that, Liv. But Celia’s death was such a shock for all of us, I think we just avoided talking about her because of our own fragile feelings.”

  “It’s okay–”

  “It’s not, and you should hold the older generation accountable for that.” She watched the water for a few moments, then continued, “We were pregnant around the same time. We used to dream that our kids would fall in love and we’d all be one big happy family.”

  This was the first I heard about this, and I wasn’t sure how I felt about our mothers plotting our future before Callum and I were ever born. “Does Callum know about your plans?”

  Pam laughed. “There were never any plans. We didn’t orchestrate some sort of elaborate love story for you.”

  My shoulders drooped, and I turned to face Pam on the bench. “Then what exactly are you trying to say?”

  “I’m trying to tell you that even though we joked and dreamed about it, we never expected it to happen. When you two were in high school, and Callum started having feelings for you, I knew you weren’t ready for the plans he had.”

  I choked on a sob. “What?”

  “You love this place, the Van Ess House, and the people. Callum needed to spread his wings for a while. He needed to meet new people and have new experiences that he couldn’t get here in Wisconsin.” Pam’s smile was sad as she turned back to the water. “I thought he’d never come back. But then this project came up, and I guess I thought it was the last chance to bring you together.”

  “You tried to manipulate us.”

  “Maybe?” Pam said with a shrug. “I honestly don’t know what my intentions were. All I knew was that Callum loved that house, and at one time, he loved you. And if there was ever a chance for him to get the two things he wanted, it was now.”

  “That’s a lot to take in, Pam,” I said and got up to pace the path in front of the bench. “I’d be lying if the same thoughts hadn’t wormed into my head.”

  “What scared you?”

  I sighed and threw my hands up in the air. “He lives in New York! He does a job that means he needs to travel a lot. I’m building a business that will tie me tighter to the area.”

  “What did he say when you told him about your worries?”

  “I didn’t tell him,” I admitted and flopped back onto the bench. “But he figured it out and was pissed.”

  “Really?” Pam looked angry. “Do I need to yell at him?”

  I laughed. “No. He tried to get me to see reason. He even told me he’d be willing to move here and use Eagle Creek as his home base.”

  “And you didn’t want that?” Pam leaned forward and put a hand on my knee. “Or did the possibility that he’d get bored stop you?”

  “Did anyone ever say you’re too insightful?” Tears were streaming down my cheeks, and I tried to wipe them away, but they just kept coming.

  Pam reached into her pocket and handed me a tiny pack of tissues. “I’m a mom. It’s our special power. Just so you know. I don’t think he’d get bored.”

  I laughed and blotted the tears from my cheeks. “I don’t know if I can risk it.”

  “You’ll never know unless you try.”

  * * *

  Callum

  “They’ve been gone for twenty minutes.”

  Jo wrapped an arm around my middle and hugged me. Her purple-tipped hair smelled like bubble gum and made me feel slightly less anxious. Jo was always good for my stress levels. Her innate Jo-ness was like a soothing balm.

  “It’s fine. Pam’s probably just making sure she’s okay,” Fabián said.

  “Then why aren’t Pris and Pru out there?” Liam asked. “You know what, I’ll go check.”

  “Sit down,” Fabián said in a bored tone. “She doesn’t want your kind of advice right now.”

  “I’m her brother,” Liam scoffed.

  “And you’re about as cuddly as a porcupine. Sit your ass down and let Olivia have this moment with Pam,” Fabián said, and pointed a finger at Liam’s seat.

  Something about his words tripped a circuit in my brain. “What did you do?”

  “Me?” Fabián covered his chest with a hand and gave a look of mock horror. “I’ve done nothing.”

  “Bullshit.”

  I tuned out the discussion, uninterested in the drama Fab was orchestrating. He often did stuff like that to distract me from my own worries. The back door slapped open, and Olivia walked in with my mother on her heels. From across the room, I could tell they’d been crying.

  I stood up and met them at the bar before anyone could notice them. “What’s wrong?”

  “Nothing,” Mom said, and leaned down to kiss Olivia’s temple. “Just chatting.”

  After Mom had walked away to find Dad in the crowd, I smoothed a han
d over Olivia’s cheek and brushed away a tear. “Are you okay?”

  “Can we get out of here?” she asked, and I noticed there was a tremble in her voice.

  She didn’t need to ask me twice. I immediately tucked Olivia under my arm and led her out of the bar. Our friends and family yelled and cat-called as we left, but I ignored them as I was intent on getting Olivia comfortable.

  When we got to the SUV, I helped her into the passenger seat and ran around to the driver’s side.

  “Where do you want to go?”

  “Back to the little red cabin,” she murmured.

  I turned on the ignition and pulled out of the lot, heat hammering in my chest. “Are you sure my mom didn’t upset you?”

  “No, not at all.” She was quiet for so long I thought she may have nodded off, then out of nowhere she said, “Did you know your mom and my mom were friends?”

  I glanced at Olivia and then back to the road. “No, honestly, I’ve never heard much about your mom other than how she died.”

  “Same,” said Olivia. “She’s always been this mystery in my life, and tonight, your mom told me they were friends. That they even joked about us falling in love together.”

  I almost veered off the road, but kept the SUV straight. “I’ve never heard that before.”

  “Me either, but it was nice to hear.”

  I was sure it was, but was she trying to tell me feelings were growing because our mothers had wanted it?

  “It got me thinking about our fight and the lies I told you,” Olivia continued.

  “Liv—”

  “No, just let me get this out.”

  I turned the car into the drive of the red cabin and parked. “Okay. Do you want to do this here or inside?”

  “Here, before I lose my nerve.” She sucked in a huge breath and dropped her gaze to her hands in her lap. “Talking with your mom made me realize something that a lot of our friends have been trying to tell me for weeks.”

  “What’s that?”

  “That I am not appreciative of the time I have.” Olivia sighed and leaned her head back against the headrest. “At least three people have told me not to waste my energy on things that don’t bring joy because you’re never guaranteed tomorrow.”