by Jill Sanders
When they stepped in, he glanced around and realized how nice the gazebo was. Several of its sides were open and overlooked the dark ocean beyond a cliff, but the other sides were closed in with solid walls of windows or stone, which made the place extremely cozy.
“Here.” She handed him a large blanket. “You can lay that out in front of the fireplace.”
There were long outdoor iron sofas circling the open fireplace. They didn’t look close enough to the fire to gain any warmth, but he knew Crystal wouldn’t let him pull them closer.
Taking the blanket, he laid it out and then helped her set up the dinner Adam had obviously made and packed for them.
There was a loaf of fresh French bread, a container of basil potato soup that was still very hot, two homemade potpies with flaky crust, containers of cucumber and avocado rice pilaf, hummus, pita chips, large olives, red grapes, and cheese. There was a bottle of red wine and brownies with fresh raspberry reduction to spread on the top.
“It looks like Adam thought of everything.” He set the glasses and bowls down, and Crystal spooned the soup into the bowls.
“He has a talent.” She smiled and handed him a bowl of steamy soup.
“Do you do this part every year?” he asked between bites.
“No, normally I just let Harry take me around the island.” She sipped some wine and glanced into the fire. “I like this much better.”
“So, do I.” He held up his wine glass and she clicked hers with his. “To great food, the people we love, and never getting shot at again.”
Once the food was finished, he helped her pack up the mess, then wrapped the blanket around them both and watched the fire die down.
When the air turned too cold, he carried the lighter basket to the sled and helped her get Harry out of the warm lean-to.
“Think I can drive us back?” he asked, when they climbed aboard.
Crystal smiled and handed over the reins. “He likes a gentle touch,” she warned. He snapped the leather lightly and the horse moved forward.
When Crystal snuggled against his shoulder, he wished he could wrap his damaged arm around her, but knew it would cause the pain to surface again. Instead, he enjoyed her warmth and her hand in his as the horse made its way back to the main building.
“I don’t know how I’m going to beat this night,” he said as they went. “It’s almost like we’re back in one of those black-and-white Bing Crosby movies.”
She chuckled, and he glanced down at her. “What? Don’t tell me you don’t enjoy those?”
“Of course, I do. If only life was filled with singing and dancing and romance.” She sighed.
“It could be.” He smiled down at her. “Ours was filled with snow, horse-drawn sleds, and a picnic that most people would die for.”
“True.” She nodded, then a frown grew. “As well as financial theft, property destruction, and someone shooting at us. Maybe we’re in a gangster movie instead of a romance.”
“What about your cards?” he asked, pulling the horse to a stop just outside the main stairs.
“My cards?” She turned towards him.
“When you read my cards, you said that I would go through danger, but that everything would turn out okay.”
She smiled and leaned over to place a kiss on his cheek. “So, I did.” She took his hand as he helped her down from the sleigh. Her smile had grown since he’d mentioned the reading. They made their way back to their rooms to warm up in front of their own fire.
Rory would never have guessed how much it meant to Crystal that he remembered what she’d told him during his tarot reading. She’d remembered his cards vaguely, but had done several more readings for him since then. They had been similar, but with small changes.
His readings always had many of the Sword cards, which could be taken as threats to his person. Seeing the white bandages on his shoulder as he slept next to her now, she realized just how correct her cards had been.
Then she sat up and gasped.
“What?” Rory came up with her, glancing around the room for any immediate danger.
She scrambled from the bed to grab her stack of cards from her bag. “I need to do another reading.”
When she turned back to Rory, he was blinking and running his hands through his hair. “What?” He yawned and rolled his shoulders, hissing hiss when he moved his bad shoulder.
“A reading.” She straightened out the comforter of the bed to make a flat surface for her cards. She shuffled them, then motioned for him to pick three cards.
He’d been so interested in her cards that she was teaching him how to read them.
“What’s this all about?” he asked, taking three cards.
“I’ve been so blind,” she said, flipping the three cards over and sighing. “It’s not me, it’s you.” Her eyes moved up to him.
“What is?” he asked, wiping his eyes once more.
“They weren’t shooting at me. Whoever broke into my house was after you.” She pointed to the cards. “It’s all here.”
“What?” He reached over and flipped on the bedside light. “Hey.” He reached for her. “You’re white as a sheet.” He pulled her closer, dislodging the cards from the bed. “What’s this all about?”
“I… should have seen it.” She laid her head against his good shoulder and closed her eyes. “I just didn’t pay attention. It’s all my fault.”
“Not this again.” He sighed and leaned back, his hands going into her messy hair. His dark eyes searched hers. “It’s not your fault.”
“It’s not Joe.” She scrambled around and picked up the three cards he’d pulled. “It’s right here. Someone you trust has betrayed you, stabbed you in the back.”
She watched him blink a few times. “You really believe…” He took a deep breath. “Okay, let’s visit this again in the morning.” He took the cards from her and set them on the nightstand. “For now, let’s put a couple more logs on the fire and enjoy the quiet.”
He tended the fire and then turned back to her. “It’s still snowing. We might be stuck on the island for a few more days.”
She tried to get her mind to settle, but there was no returning to normal now that she knew. Someone Rory knew and trusted was the one behind the break-in and the shooting, and she was more determined now to figure out who and why.
She lay in his arms, listening to him sleep as the fire crackled and the snow fell outside their window.
She was concerned that whoever was behind it hadn’t finished the job and wouldn’t stop until they had killed the man she loved.
She’d lost the love of her life once and knew that she couldn’t bear to lose Rory now that she had finally found him.
When she noticed the change of light in the room, she snuck out of bed, wrapped a thick robe around her body, and tiptoed out of their room.
Making her way through the hotel was easy enough in the dark. She knew every hallway, every doorway. She didn’t have to use a key to get into Serenity’s office, since there was a light coming from under the doorway. She knocked and opened it when Ben called out.
“Morning.” He looked her over. “Is everything okay?” He stood up, concern flooding her sons-in-law’s eyes.
“I need your help,” she said, moving into the room and shutting the door behind her.
Chapter 20
Rory had never enjoyed himself more than he had the few days they spent at East Haven Resort. They did things he normally wouldn’t have done on a vacation by himself. They had picnics on the snow-covered beach. Sat in the hot tub and watched the snow fall. Danced together in the ballroom one evening when there was live music. Spent countless hours making love in front of the fireplace.
This was the first vacation he’d ever taken with a woman, and he knew that it was because of Crystal that he’d enjoyed himself so much.
When they finally made it back to the mainland, they spent two nights at her house before they climbed into a rental car and headed to his parents’ p
lace for Thanksgiving. The four-hour drive flew by since they stopped at several places along the way.
The first stop had been to get breakfast at the local diner. Next, they stopped at the Vermont border, so Crystal could get a picture of them in front of the Vermont sign.
The snow had let up for their trip, and the roads were clear, but the ground was covered with almost a foot of snow.
Newport, Vermont, hadn’t changed in the six years he’d been visiting his folks there since their retirement. He drove through the town and went straight to their two-story remodeled farmhouse and parked in the cleared driveway.
The brick was faded red, and the shutters had a fresh coat of black paint. Each of the nine windows along the front of the house had green holly vines with bright red berries above their sills. He could see the Christmas lights that his father had strung along the gutters and front porch and knew that the trees and bushes in the front were all covered as well. At nighttime, the place would glow.
“Your folks live here?” Crystal asked, leaning closer to get a better look. “It’s enchanting.”
“Yes, bought it with my mother’s retirement fund.” He smiled when the front door opened, and his mother stepped outside and waved.
He knew that most people saw her disability first, and the woman second.
“She’s happy you’re here.” Crystal smiled over at him.
“I should have warned you.” He sighed.
Crystal tilted her head. “That’s she’s handicapped or that she’s blonde?” she joked.
“She had a stroke, which forced her to retire six years ago.”
“Come on, let’s not keep her waiting.” Crystal reached for the door.
His mother walked with a cane since the entire left side of her body was partially paralyzed.
“Welcome.” Jan Sinclair was a force to be reckoned with, with or without the use of the left side of her body. The woman didn’t know the meaning of the words slow down. But, since retirement and the stroke, she’d stopped worrying about the little things and had gotten healthier, dropping a whopping fifty pounds and going on a strict diet. Thanks to that, his dad, Donald, had lost thirty pounds himself.
“Hello,” Crystal called out, waving back.
“Don will get the bags when he gets back. You two come on inside,” his mom called out. “I bet you’re both starved.”
“I also forgot to warn you that she’ll try to feed you to death,” he added softly.
“I heard that. Half of my body may not work, but my hearing is still perfect.”
Crystal laughed. “I like her.”
He shook off his boots, then toed them off just inside the entryway. Crystal did the same and set them on the shoe rack he’d built his mom for Mother’s Day a long time ago.
The stairs were directly in front of the door and were covered with holly and lights. There was a small Christmas tree near the side of the steps by a very tiny guest bathroom under the old stairs.
To the right was a sitting room, and to the left a formal dining room with a doorway to the large kitchen off the back. The den and living room were off to the back right. There was a large covered porch that overlooked a small but very neatly maintained yard.
His dad prided himself on keeping the place up.
“We’ve got lunch ready, come on back and sit by the fire in the kitchen.”
The small dining area off the back of the house had a brick fireplace, where he knew his folks spent most of their time.
Max, his dad’s thirteen-year-old St. Bernard, barely registered the newcomers as they entered the room. The dog had taken up residency in front of the fireplace, and Rory doubted he’d move the entire time they were there.
“That’s Max.” His mother motioned to the dog. “Don just ran into town for some more rolls. I can’t believe I forgot them on my last visit to the store.”
His mom motioned for them to sit. “Would you like some hot tea?”
“I’d love some. Can I help?” Crystal moved to follow her into the kitchen.
“No.” His mother waved her hand. “I’ve got this. Sit, have some sandwiches.”
The table was made up, like it always was. Little perfectly cut triangle sandwiches sat on a large platter, along with chips, cheese, and fresh fruit.
They sat down, and he reached for a sandwich, but saw Crystal looking at him funny. “Wait for your parents,” she whispered.
He sighed, then reached for a chip and some cheese instead.
“We’re so thrilled to meet you, Crystal. Rory was telling us you run your own store in Silver Cove?”
“Yes, I’ve owned Serenity’s Attic for over twenty years.”
“How wonderful. Rory has always talked about running his own business. Now, he does.” His mom smiled down at him with pride as she poured the tea.
Just then, Max let out a low bark and raised his head.
“That’ll be your father,” his mom said, rushing over to the back door and opening it just as his dad walked inside the porch and stomped the snow off his boots.
His father was the polar opposite of his mother. Where his mother was small, reaching only five-two, his father was six-three and built like a bear. Well, he used to be. Now that he’d lost some weight, he was more like a bear that had just come out of hibernation, looking for a good meal.
“So, you finally made it.” His father set down the bag of groceries and walked over to him. “Let’s see it.”
“Don!” his mother scolded.
“What? It’s not every day you find out your son got shot. I want to see the hole.” His father leaned over and winked—actually winked—at Crystal.
“Dad…” He rolled his eyes.
“Rory has healed up nicely.” Crystal smiled and held out her hand for his father’s.
“We don’t shake hands here,” his dad said, taking Crystal in a hug. She laughed.
“You have a wonderful home,” Crystal said once they were all seated again.
Rory piled a few sandwiches on his plate and dove in as Crystal chatted with his folks about him being shot.
“I still wish we could have made the trip down there,” his mother said.
“You had your doctor’s appointment,” Rory said. “I didn’t want to worry about you while I was trying to recover.”
He watched his mother’s eyes turn sad and knew she was keeping something from him. He set his half-eaten sixth sandwich down.
“What?”
His mother looked to his dad, then nodded.
“They’ve got Jan on some new medicine. It’s wreaking havoc with her liver. If it continues to go south, they’ll need to do a transplant.”
“What?” Rory half stood up, forgetting his own pain and everything else temporarily.
“What medicine do they have you on?” Crystal asked, reaching over and taking his hand until he sat back down.
His father rattled off a long list. Crystal asked many questions, then went silent.
“I think I might be able to help you out,” she finally said.
“You?” his mother asked.
“Yes, I have my Bachelor’s in Holistic Medicine. There are several natural remedies that you can use that have no effect on your liver. If you have a local herb store, I can set you up on a trial basis while we’re here, see how it goes, then send you my own mixtures when I return home.”
“That sounds wonderful, dear. We didn’t know what to try next.” His mother wiped her eyes.
After lunch, Crystal went with Rory’s father to a small store in downtown Newport.
As they drove through the town, she was amazed at how similar it was to Silver Cove. There was the heavily decorated town center, the city hall building, even the schools were almost in the same places.
She was thankful to get some time alone with Rory’s father, since there were a few questions she needed to ask him.
By the time they were ready to head back to the house, Don had caught up with her thinking. He pulled the old tr
uck he drove over at a park and turned to look at her.
“You think someone he knows shot my son?” She’d nodded quickly in reply. “But he told us it was your ex?”
“That’s what everyone thinks, but… something tells me it is something different. Someone he knows instead.”
“What tells you that?” he asked.
Crystal had wanted to avoid mentioning the tarot cards, since she knew not everyone believed in such things, but… what the hell.
“It’s in his cards,” she said, raising her chin higher. “I read tarot, and they say that someone close to him has betrayed him.”
The car was silent for a moment.
“He does have several high-profile clients,” he replied.
Crystal’s heart leapt, and a huge smile formed on her lips. “Your family never ceases to amaze me.” She felt her eyes tear up.
“Why? Because we don’t knock something we don’t understand?” Don shook his head, and Crystal realized how much Rory looked like his father. “I didn’t raise a stupid boy. The question now is… who and why?”
“Well, my son-in-law is privately looking into answering those questions,” she admitted. “I… thought it best not to let Rory know, since he’s been under enough stress as it is.”
Don nodded his head quickly. “Agreed. I don’t keep secrets from Jan, but I think I can convince her to keep quiet until after the holidays.”
“Perfect.” She reached out and laid her hand over his. “Thank you.”
“You’ll let us know what you find out?” he asked, starting the truck again.
“Of course.”
That evening, she enjoyed another meal with Rory’s family. His sister and her family arrived just before sunset.
Crystal instantly took a liking to both Lisa, Rory’s sister, and Kevin, his brother-in-law. Their three daughters, Jordan, McKenna, and Sydney were very excited to see their uncle and wanted to hear every detail of getting shot.
When they finally climbed the stairs, and entered the small room that was to be theirs for the next two nights, she was exhausted.
She’d made Jan some tea from the herbs they’d purchased. She knew that if the woman continued to use them, within a month, she’d feel better. She’d also shown her some simple yoga moves she could do to gain some movement back on her left side. She’d been surprised when Lisa and Jordan, the oldest girl, had joined in the yoga exercises like pros.
