by Jill Snow
Lily. Where was Lily?
The water was murky. Particles of dirt stung his eyes as he squinted, searching for the source of the disturbance. She had to be here. If she’d fallen from the rocks… Why hadn’t she stood up? The currents of water stirred frantically, someone waving their arms. She must not be able to swim and panicked.
He stood, coming up for air as he waded toward the disturbance. The water reached the middle of his chest. Wookie scrambled from rock to rock, whining. She barked at him. Where is my master?
A flailing hand caught him by the back of his knee and his leg buckled. He fell under the chilly water again. Relief swept through him. He’d found her. When he caught her hands in his, she stilled. He tried to tug her up, but something held her down. What? He groped at the back of her sweater until he found the place where the thick knit was caught on a submerged rock. She flailed again, weaker than before.
Hold on a moment more.
The sweater could burn, for all he cared. Holding her close to his chest, he grabbed a fistful of it and yanked with all his might. The sweater gave way. He got his shaky legs under him and stood, holding Lily above the water line.
She coughed and sputtered, spewing lake water out of her lungs. When she was done, she went limp in his arms. He carried her to shore, where Wookie ran back and forth, yipping at intervals until she was able to twine around Lily’s legs. She pawed at her master and whined. When Lily crouched to pat her dog, Wookie stood on her hind legs and licked the water off of Lily’s chin and neck.
“I’m fine,” Lily muttered, but her voice lacked conviction.
Ethan stepped closer and gripped her by the elbow, helping her to stand. His wet socks sank into the mud. “What—” were you thinking?
She was shivering. Would she go into shock? Without thinking, he enfolded her into his embrace. He’d gotten doused in the cold lake water, too, but not for as long and he was a naturally warm person to begin with. She had to warm up.
“Ethan…”
“You’re cold,” he told her, his voice brusque.
When she leaned her cheek against his shoulder, he was struck by how well they fit together. As if she had been made for his arms. Her shivers slowly abated as he held her. When she tipped her face up to look at him, her eyes were impossibly dark. Her lips parted as if she meant to say something, but she never did.
He kissed her, the touch of his lips light at first. When she didn’t resist, but started to kiss him back, he grew bolder. He adjusted his hold on her to cradle her head. The thrill, the rightness he felt upon holding her couldn’t be denied. When reality intruded in the form of a paw on his ankle, he broke away from Lily to look into her eyes. Neither of them spoke. For a moment, both were speechless. She had to feel it, too.
One thing was for certain: Ethan definitely couldn’t claim not to like her anymore. If anything, he liked her too much for his peace of mind.
Chapter 12
Ethan had kissed her. What a kiss, her mouth still tingled. His arms, still around her, permeated her with warmth. Had he meant to do that or had it been some sort of mistake? He looked shell-shocked, as if he hadn’t thought of her that way until he’d pulled her, wet and shivering from the lake.
The lake. As she regained her senses and looked over her shoulder again, thinking of the pot she’d dropped, shivers overwhelmed her. She couldn’t stop shaking, even when she tried.
“I have to g-go back and g-g-get the pot,” she said, her teeth chattering. A renewed chill shook her as she thought about wading into the frigid lake again, a shiver not born of the cold but of fear. What if she fell under again? What if, this time, Ethan didn’t save her?
“What?” Ethan dropped his arms from around her. When she turned back, she found his eyebrows knit together in a puzzled expression.
“I didn’t have any water when I woke up. I was getting some from the lake to wash and flush the toilet.”
“No water?” His expression deepened into a scowl.
She flinched. “I haven’t been using that much water…”
“It’s not your fault,” he assured her. “It has to be Carter Pittman.” He stared over her shoulder, his mouth in a frown, as if he wasn’t truly standing next to her. He was a hundred miles away.
“Who?”
He shook himself, seeming to return to the present. “Carter Pittman, the man whose property adjoins Ruby’s in the northeast. I’ve noticed some hints of tampering around the campground and…”
When she shivered again, he paused.
“Maybe we should have this conversation around the fire. Breakfast will warm us.”
Lily nodded, then turned her attention back to the lake. I need to get the pot. But she couldn’t go back there. She just couldn’t.
You can’t do anything for yourself, a small voice whispered.
Swallowing hard and trying not to think about how that voice sounded exactly like her mother, Lily said, “I have to get the pot. It’s Ruby’s.”
She managed only a small step toward the lake before Wookie tackled her ankles, barking a warning. Lily crouched to rub her fur. “It’s fine, girl. I won’t be hurt.”
The dog placed her slight twelve-pound body, mostly fur, between Lily and the water.
“Stay here,” Ethan said, brusque. “I’ll find the pot.”
She tilted her head back to meet his gaze. He looked resolute on the point as he stepped past them toward the water. Relief swept through her as she decided not to argue. “Okay. I’ll cook breakfast in return,” she answered in a small voice.
She waited, her fingers buried in Wookie’s soft fur, as Ethan waded into the lake. He walked systematically, checking the bottom with his feet until he found what he was looking for. As he ducked beneath the surface of the water, Lily stood, her heart throbbing painfully in her throat.
He resurfaced a moment later, pot in hand. The water glistened in his dark hair, running down the side of his face and mingling with the stubble he hadn’t yet shaved away this morning. She touched her mouth, recalling the rasp of that stubble.
“Ready?” she asked, her voice as brittle as her smile felt.
He nodded as he crossed toward his discarded pack, where his hiking boots lay in a haphazard pile. He stripped off his socks before shoving his damp feet in the boots. “Ready,” he confirmed.
Half an hour later, they each ate breakfast sausages, hash browns, and eggs that Lily had cooked in a cast iron pot over the fire she’d built all on her own. Although the food was a little bland—she’d forgotten to add salt and pepper—she was still proud of herself for having cooked it. A week ago, she probably would have had a panic attack at the thought. But it wasn’t so hard and even with the lack of seasoning, Ethan wasn’t complaining. Wookie even sat by his feet, begging for morsels that he didn’t provide to her. After ten minutes of staring at him with soulful eyes, the dog gave up and laid her head on her front paws, dejected.
As Lily filled her belly with warm food and soaked up the heat of the fire, her nervous shivers dissipated. The panic of nearly drowning melted away under the comfort of the moment. Around them, the birds and sun woke around them, filling the air with light and a cheery warble. Even with the occasional mosquito, a strange calm permeated the area around the campfire. Her mind kept drifting to the kiss. Had Ethan meant to do that? Did he even remember? He wasn’t acting any different and things didn’t seem awkward between them.
With food in her belly, Lily soon felt more like herself. As she ate, she turned over Ethan’s words by the edge of the lake. Some of the cabins had been tampered with? Her mind jumped into Reporter Mode, itching to add this to her daily column. However, she had been hired for a reality-TV reminiscent news piece. Rob wanted articles on how an unprepared city girl survived in a cabin in the mountains. Not to mention, she had no information about this sabotage, save for what Ethan had told her. But would the addition of someone trying to sabotage the campground make her articles more interesting? It could be an edge to win th
e contest not to mention the chance to report about something interesting.
But there was something more that nagged at Lily. Sabotage would hurt Ruby. Ruby had been kind and sweet and Lily was becoming rather fond of her. If someone messed with things, the town could shut her down. Lily remembered the wedding picture in the box. Ruby could lose the campground, the very place she had been married. Lily could only imagine how that would rip her apart. She would not let that happen. Not if she could help it.
“Tell me more about this sabotage.” Lily tucked her almost-dry hair behind her ear as she leaned forward to meet Ethan’s gaze. “Do you truly think this Pittman character is responsible for my lack of water?”
“I do.”
“What proof do you have?”
Ethan ran a hand over his chin. At the movement, Wookie glanced up and tilted her head. With a heavy sigh, Ethan admitted. “None.”
“What makes you think there was any tampering at all? This seems like an odd conclusion to jump toward.”
Ethan unfolded his long legs as he stood. He turned his face toward his cabin, but didn’t take a step. “It doesn’t matter. Forget I said anything.”
Lily followed him with her gaze as he stepped toward Wookie and knelt to scratch her behind the ears. Quietly, she admitted, “I can’t forget. It’s sort of my job not to.”
He raised his gaze toward her, a furrow forming between his eyebrows.
Although he didn’t ask, she elaborated, “I’m a reporter.” She chewed on her thumbnail, wondering how much she should say. Guilt gnawed at her until she admitted, “Well, I’m the writer of the Dear Abby column at my newspaper. If I manage to last the week here, I might be more of a real reporter when I get back.” Heat flushed the back of her neck, the embarrassment climbing into her cheeks.
Slowly, Ethan straightened again. He narrowed his eyes at her as he asked, “What do you mean, if you last the week?”
She wasn’t supposed to tell anyone and she was a bit embarrassed to admit she was here for a stupid contest. But she also didn’t want to keep evading the truth. Ethan had risked his own safety to pull her out of the lake, she owed him the truth at least. “I’m competing for a real reporter role at my newspaper. Me and Dave, the guy who writes the food reviews, are taking part in a competition of sorts to see who can write the most entertaining daily piece about camping. Neither one of us has gone camping before. It’s like a reality newspaper column, as silly as that sounds. I have to do everything myself, and I’m not allowed to use technology. Oh, and I’m not supposed to leave the campground either.”
For a second, she thought she saw a smile flash across Ethan’s face. But as he lifted his hand to rub across his mouth, he covered it. When he dropped his hand again, his expression was serious. “Well, that explains a lot.”
Lily glared at him. “I know you think it’s ridiculous, but I don’t want to be answering people’s questions about relationships for the rest of my life. I want to report something that matters. If I can stick this out for a week, I’m sure I can get that promotion.”
Ethan held up his hands in surrender. His expression was innocent. “I never said anything. You’re putting words in my mouth. I think you’re doing great so far. You seem to be a natural at this.”
Lily didn’t know what to say to that, so she returned to the subject at hand. “The point is, I can help. If Carter Pittman is doing something wrong, maybe we can expose him to the local media. I could write an article. I’m sure he wouldn’t like to have his story in the local newspaper.”
“I’m sure he wouldn’t,” Ethan said slowly. “If we can find proof. All I’ve found so far is a man’s footprint in a place that I haven’t been and a few pipes that were deliberately cut. The sheriff down in Greendale told me that Pittman has been making some trouble for Ruby with the Town Council, but does that really prove anything? Citing her for violations sounds like a law-abiding way to put her out of business. I have nothing but my gut to say that he is also responsible for the cut pipes. And if he sawed holes in the pipes on the cabins at the other side of the lake, he must have done yours as well. There aren’t any security cameras around here to catch him on tape. Short of catching the person responsible in the act of sabotage, I don’t know how I’m going to prove that it was him.”
“We,” Lily said fiercely, emphasizing the word. “If something shady is going on here, I want to help get to the bottom of it. The media can be a very useful tool. The local newspaper might know how we can discover who is tampering with the cabins on this campground. If nothing else, they might be able to help convince the sheriff to look into it further.”
“There’s only one problem with that line of thinking. Right now, there isn’t a newspaper in Greendale.”
How could the town not have a newspaper? Lily rubbed the base of her skull, which had started to throb. She stifled a sigh. “I suppose we’ll have to do all the legwork on our own.”
When she raised her gaze to meet Ethan’s once more, he wore a peculiar expression. What was he thinking? Did he not want her to help? This is what I want to do for a living. I know what I’m doing. She balled her fists, but didn’t say a word. She’d let him come to his own conclusions.
Without giving away his thoughts, Ethan nodded his head once. “Yes, I guess we will.”
Chapter 13
Upload complete.
Lily’s finger hovered over the send button. Should she click it? In her daily article, she’d written nothing about the sabotage at Pinecrest Lodge. The knowledge that someone, likely Carter Pittman, was trying to do ill to Ruby’s enterprise weighed heavily on Lily’s conscience. She wanted to report news stories exactly like this. Why shouldn’t she tell her editor?
Because he only wants fluff for this particular news piece.
True, she’d been sent here to this wilderness campground in the Montana mountains in order to write cheesy articles about camping. But wasn’t the position she was competing to receive one that would report serious news, like the sabotage? Surely Rob would commend her initiative in writing a more serious piece.
You know better.
The truth was, she had tried to take the initiative many times before. Every time, Rob had looked down his nose at the contribution she was trying to make to the newspaper. She was the Dear Abby columnist and that was all he wanted her to be. She’d come to him with numerous other ideas for projects she could work on alongside her daily column. Every time, he had turned her down. Why would she think that this time would be any different?
No, if she wanted that promotion, she had to play the game and write precisely the sort of news piece that Rob wanted her to. Even so, as she clicked the send button, a spike of guilt tore through her. She should be making a difference, not writing this drivel.
What good would running the story in Butte, Montana do anyway?
She was a world away from the city life she knew so well. Here in Greendale, Montana, there was no media that would hold Carter Pittman accountable for the crimes he committed on Ruby’s campground. The only person it seemed that he would answer to, was the town sheriff. Or, perhaps, given his familiarity with the Town Council, they might also be able to hold some sway over him. Lily, unfortunately, knew neither. Her usual array of contacts was meaningless here. In fact, the only person she knew who might be able to help was Ethan, the handyman on the campground. He seemed to think something was wrong, too.
Stifling her doubts, Lily unplugged her laptop from the cable connecting her to the Internet, and shoved her laptop back into its case. Wookie, sensing that Lily was done working, raised her head from her paws where she was standing guard in the middle of the open doorway. The open door displayed the empty kitchen, where Ruby had left her before continuing with the day’s chores. Lily drained her coffee cup as she stepped out of the small room. She deposited it in the sink as she walked past.
As she exited the lodge, Lily kept a close eye on her dog. She didn’t want Wookie running off to see Ethan yet again. The
dog was shameless in her bid for attention. Lily was so preoccupied in keeping track of Wookie’s progress that she didn’t notice the branded SUV sitting in front of the lodge at first. When she glanced up, the logo of hills nestled between two pine trees caught her eye and she looked closer. Greendale Town Council. A lump formed in Lily’s throat. Why were they here?
With a whistle to keep Wookie close, Lily turned toward the main entrance of the lodge. When she opened the door, her dog bolted inside, leaving her no choice but to follow. Lily held her breath as she chased the dog down. “I’m so sorry. She’s friendly, I promise.”
Wookie danced at the feet of two people, a man and a woman. Both were dressed in khakis and matching polo shirts, the same logo on the breast. This must be as close to business attire as Greendale got. Averting her gaze, Lily bent to snatch her dog from the floor. The tension in the air stretched tight between her ears in a terse silence. When she straightened, the faces of all three people in the room looked grim.
Lily wouldn’t have been able to pick the two newcomers out of a lineup, so she focused her attention on the one person in the room that she did know. “Ruby, what’s going on? Is there something I can help with?”
The campground owner looked years older with the deeper grooves around her mouth and nose. The cost of stress was apparent in her bleak expression. Although she gave Lily a trembling smile, Lily could easily see through the old woman’s attempt at normalcy. “No, dear, this is a business matter, I’m afraid. It won’t impact your stay.”
“If there’s a problem, I’d like to help in any way I can.” Lily held Ruby’s gaze, hoping that she could convey without words that she already knew part of the trouble that the old woman weathered.
The man, middle-aged with shoulders that bowed inward, said gruffly, “She’s right, Miss. This is a Council matter. We are here to address a serious concern.”
“If it truly is that serious, wouldn’t it impact my stay, after all?” Holding her dog close to her chest, Lily prayed for a negative answer. However, she didn’t hold out much hope that this “serious concern” had nothing to do with the state of the campground. Sensing Lily’s uneasiness, Wookie wiggled around in her arms until she could lick the underside of Lily’s chin.
