by Nicole Ellis
“Ok.” I set the phone in the cradle and leaned against the frame of the pay phone enclosure. Although I wanted to help Leah at the resort and I didn’t want to admit this to Tomàs, I had some reservations about staying there. Finding a body the first day we were there hadn’t exactly set the tone for a relaxing vacation. And now, Beth was sick. But, for the sake of my family and my friend, I needed to make the best of it. I took a deep breath. Fake it until you make it, Jill.
I walked away from the phone booth, heading toward the lake. The sky was a beautiful shade of blue, and other than the tree branches and other debris on the ground, which Del and the rest of the resort staff was slowly clearing away, you’d never guess it had been storming for the last few days.
That night, I left the kids asleep in the cabin and Adam reading a book on his tablet and went to Leah’s house to check in with her about the Labor Day celebration. It was in less than a week, and I wasn’t sure everything had been squared away.
“Hey Jill, come in.” She held the door open for me. “I was just heating some water for tea. Do you want some?”
“I’d love a cup of something herbal. If I drink caffeine at this time of night, I’ll never get to sleep.” I followed her into the kitchen where she had a teapot on the stove, steam shooting out the top of it.
“Me neither. I was going to have peppermint. Does that work for you? I think I have chamomile somewhere too.” She rummaged around in the pantry then emerged with both boxes of tea in hand.
“Peppermint sounds great.”
She plopped teabags into two cups and poured the hot water over them, then handed one to me. We settled down on the couch in the living room and I inhaled the sweet minty aroma.
“So how are things going with the event preparation?” Leah peered at me over the top of her cup.
“It seems like everything’s pretty much under control. I checked on the catering and the barbecue restaurant in town is on top of everything.” I leaned forward. I wondered how everything was going for Leah. She had seemed upset the last time I talked with her, and I wanted to find out if there was anything else I could do to help her. “How’s everything with you?”
“Oh great, great. I’m sure the town is going to love the celebration. We’ve done it for the last couple of years, and it’s been great publicity for the resort.”
“That must help to bring in new customers. And I bet the resort guests love it too.”
She took a huge gulp of tea, which must have burned her tongue. “Actually, I don’t want to lie to you.” She looked me directly in the eyes. “Things haven’t been going so well at the resort. With the wildfires last year, we lost a lot of business and we haven’t been able to recoup those losses yet. Del doesn’t think we’ll get many people to come this year. I think he’s wrong though. Having this event go smoothly could mean the difference between keeping the resort and selling it.”
“Oh, Leah, I’m sorry. That’s scary. I know how much this place means to you.” I sat back, stunned by how much my friend was dealing with right then. Between financial difficulties at the resort, the vandalism, and separating from her husband, it was a wonder that she hadn’t given up and moved back to Seattle. “Have there been many more cancellations?”
She bit her lip and looked at the window that faced the lake. The sun had set, leaving only a trace of light in the sky. “Once the phone lines came back up, we had a few more cancellations. I’ve only had one new person make a reservation for this week. We didn’t need this on top of everything else.”
Was “everything else” the vandalism at the resort?
“Leah.” I stopped. It felt odd to tell her that I’d been eavesdropping on her and Del the evening we arrived, but I wanted to be honest with her. “The night before Jed was killed I heard you and Del arguing about the vandalism at the resort.”
She looked at me in confusion. “I didn’t see anybody else around.”
I shifted in my seat. “Your voices carried. The windows in our cabin were open and I could hear everything you were saying.”
“Oh.” She wrapped her hands around her tea cup.
“Do you know who might be vandalizing the resort?”
She shook her head. “No. We’ve got a neighbor who isn’t fond of us because of an easement dispute, but other than that, maybe someone who works here? Most of the issues have happened at night.” She peered anxiously at me. “Please don’t tell anyone else about this. I’d hate for the guests to find out.”
“Don’t worry, I don’t plan on telling anyone.” I reached my hand out to her. “I’m only telling you that I know about the vandalism because I want you to know that you can count on me. While I’m here, and even back in Seattle. I don’t know how much help I can be from so far away, but if there’s anything I can do for you, I will. I still consider you a good friend.”
Her voice trembled. “Thank you. I don’t have very many friends left from my former life. All I really had here was Del, and now I don’t even have him.” Her eyes shimmered with unshed tears.
“I’m so sorry, Leah. This must be really rough on you, with your separation from Del and everything. You didn’t need all of this on top of it.”
Tears dripped down her face and she brushed them away with the back of her hand. “When we bought this place, I knew it would be tough going for a while. But Del and I were so committed to making it work, and we knew we could get through anything together.” She uttered a harsh laugh. “I can’t believe how wrong I was about that.”
I set my teacup down on the end table and gave her a hug. She lifted one arm to feebly return the embrace.
“Why do you think he wanted the separation?” I asked.
Leah shook her head. “I don’t know. I guess our lives just went in different directions. I wanted to continue to make the resort a success, and Del … I just don’t know what he wants anymore.” She rubbed her hand over the soft microfiber cushion on her chair. “Now with all the vandalism of the resort and Jed’s murder making staying here less desirable for Del, I feel like any chance of us getting back together is getting further and further away.”
“Do you think you could maybe talk to him about it? It sounds like he pulled away from you, without really telling you why.”
She shrugged. “I can guess why. He thinks that the resort has taken over everything in my life.” She hugged her knees to her chest and leaned her chin on them. “He’s probably right, but we have everything invested in this place. If we don’t make it a success, we’ll have nothing.”
“Look, I don’t want to insert myself into your relationship, but as someone who’s recently had some issues in their own marriage, I highly advise communicating more.”
She looked at me teary-eyed. “You and Adam had problems?”
I nodded. “With him traveling so much, and me having most of the responsibilities for our kids, we grew apart a little. I didn’t know where things were going with us, but after we talked about it a lot, he realized that he wanted to spend more time at home, so he quit his corporate job. We’ve had some things to work through, but we’ve come out the other side stronger than we ever were.”
“I never knew.” She gazed at me in wonder.
I laughed. “It wasn’t something we publicized much. In all truthfulness, it wasn’t even something we realized until it got to the point where we were almost strangers in the same house. That’s why I’m saying even a little communication can go a long way. I wish we’d figured that out sooner.”
She brightened a little. “Thanks. I’m not sure how things will turn out with Del or with the resort, but I appreciate the pep talk.”
“No problem.” I checked my watch. “I better get back. Adam and Tomàs are planning on going fishing at the crack of dawn tomorrow morning, and Desi and I were going to get up early to see them off.”
“Of course, I’m sorry I kept you so late.” She walked with me to the door. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
She shut the door gently be
hind me, and I returned to our cabin where my husband was waiting for me in the living area with a glass of wine. I smiled at him, glad that we’d been able to work on our own marriage and continue to communicate about everything that was important to us. Things still weren’t perfect between us, but then again, I didn’t think any relationship was ever perfect. Every day, I was reminded more and more of how lucky I was to have such a loving family.
11
A knock sounded on our cabin’s door early the next morning. I sat up with a start and patted the other side of the bed. Empty. Where was Adam? The morning fuzzies cleared from my head and I remembered. Adam and Tomàs were going fishing. Desi and I had made plans to relax on the deck and enjoy the peace and quiet together before the kids woke up. I hurriedly threw a sweatshirt on over the yoga pants and tank top that I’d slept in and brushed my hair back.
I opened the door to the main room of the cabin and almost ran into Tomàs. He held a sleeping Anthony in his arms.
“Where should I put him?” Tomàs whispered.
I pointed at the other bedroom. “Put him in bed with Mikey.”
He nodded and pushed open the door, returning in a minute with empty hands. He exited the cabin as Adam entered carrying a tackle box.
The aroma of freshly brewed coffee filled the air and I made my way over to the coffee pot on autopilot. Desi laughed and handed me a tall mug to fill. There was only a little over a cup left in the glass carafe. I wanted that caffeine, but I didn’t want to be piggy.
I motioned to our husbands. “Did they get some coffee already?”
“I filled two thermoses up and I’ve got mine.” Desi grinned at me. “Go for it.”
I breathed a sigh of relief and poured the remaining coffee in my cup, then set the machine up to brew another pot. Tomàs came back in wearing a fisherman’s life vest and holding another.
“Ready?” He held the vest up to Adam.
Adam nodded. “I think I have everything.”
“Ok, let’s go. I hear the fish are really biting at this time of day.” The men left the cabin, the screen door banging closed behind them.
Desi grimaced at the sound and shot a glance at the smaller bedroom’s closed door. “I’m surprised the kids didn’t wake up with all that racket.”
I tiptoed over to the bedroom door, and peeked in. The boys were sleeping soundly in the twin bed, sharing a single pillow. In the same room, Ella was sprawled out in her Pack ‘n Play, moving slightly in her sleep as she dreamed.
I shut the door softly and retreated to the deck, where Desi sat drinking her coffee. “They’re all sawing logs.”
She laughed. “Yeah, sometimes Anthony can sleep through anything.” She leaned over and adjusted the blanket across Lina, who was sleeping peacefully in her rocker next to the table.
The air was cool and quiet, reminding me of the first morning after our arrival when I woke up early and found Jed’s body by the campfire. I shuddered. Hopefully this day would turn out better than that one had.
“This is nice.” Desi sighed and leaned back in her chair, gazing out at the lake through the thicket of trees in front of our cabin.
“It is.” This is what I had imagined when Desi and I had planned this vacation originally. An opportunity for us to spend time with family away from all of the commotion of everyday life.
The peaceful feeling vanished when Adam and Tomàs trudged up to the cabin, still carrying their fishing poles and tackle boxes. They stomped onto the deck and set their fishing equipment down, returning to the seats they’d vacated only twenty minutes before. Desi and I exchanged confused glances.
“Why are you back so soon?” Desi asked Tomàs.
He frowned. “Some idiot cut the mooring lines on all of the boats that were tied up at the dock.”
“Every single boat is adrift on the lake,” Adam said. “Even the canoes and kayaks that were pushed up on the sand.”
Desi and I looked at each other again and then rushed over to the railing to try to catch a glimpse of the boats in the lake. She grabbed my arm and pointed through the brush to a spot in front of the cabin.
“There’s one right there.”
Sure enough, there was a bright red kayak drifting aimlessly in the water about twenty feet from the bank. We turned around to face our husbands.
“So somebody did this on purpose?” I couldn’t imagine how much time that must have taken to get all of the boats off the beach. I’d been canoeing before and it took some strength to move their weight without the benefit of water buoyancy.
“That’s the way it looks.” Tomàs stroked his chin. “The resort staff will have a hard time getting all those boats back.”
My stomach rolled. Poor Leah. Was this more of the vandalism they’d referred to? Who could be doing this? I didn’t want to say anything in front of Tomàs about the possibility that this was not an isolated incident, because I figured we were already skating on thin ice to be able to stay at the resort after Jed’s murder.
“Is there anything we can do to help?” I asked.
Adam poured coffee into his cup from the thermos he’d carried in. “I suppose we can help them round up the boats. We’re not going to be getting any fishing in this morning.”
“We’ll have to find a boat to go out after the rest of them,” Tomàs said, staring out at the lake. “I think I saw a boat on the shore of that property over there.” He pointed to the far side of the lake, where a small cabin was tucked away amidst a grove of trees.
“Do Del and Leah know about this?” I asked.
“Yes. Del was out on the docks this morning, as surprised as we were.”
As I was wondering what help I could possibly be to Leah, a little voice called out from behind me. “Mommy? Why is Anthony here?” Mikey asked me.
Behind him, Anthony leaned against the doorframe, blearily rubbing his eyes.
“Everything’s fine, boys.” Desi took their hands and led them over to the table. “What would you like for breakfast? I’ve got toast or Pop-Tarts, or even some of my famous blueberry muffins.”
Mikey’s eyes lit up. He slid onto the chair and put his arms on the table. “Blueberry muffins. Yay.”
I got them both glasses of milk, while Desi placed muffins on plates and set them in front of the kids.
“Well, I guess everyone’s up now.” I looked over to Adam. “Maybe we can go find Del and ask how we can help.”
“Sure, when the kids are done eating and the babies have been fed, let’s go. I’m sure they’ll still need our help then.”
Once everyone was fed, we made our way over to the lake in a bedraggled processional of adults, toddlers, and the double stroller with the babies in it.
Del and Leah stood at the banks of the lake, conferring. She looked up when we approached them. “So you’ve heard about the boats.”
I nodded. “What can we do to help?”
Her eyes strayed to the dozens of watercraft drifting on the lake. In a tired voice, she said, “We’ll have to ask the neighbors for the use of their boats.” She turned to Del. “Can you go over to Thompson’s Resort and see if they’ll let us borrow a few rowboats or something?”
“I can do that.” Del eyed Tomàs and Adam. “Would you mind coming with me? We could use all the help we can get.”
The men climbed into Del’s beat-up red truck, which was parked near the boat ramp, leaving Leah, Desi, me, and the kids behind.
“Well, until they get back with some borrowed boats, there’s not much we can do.” Leah looked in the direction of the departing truck, bouncing through the scattered potholes in the dirt road. “Would anyone be interested in some coffee and pancakes at the café? My treat.”
“Pancakes! I love pancakes,” Anthony said. Mikey jumped up and down next to him, apparently forgetting that they had each just consumed a giant blueberry muffin.
I shook my head, a grin spreading across my face. “Those boys are going to eat us out of house and home eventually.”
“I don’t think it’s too far-off in the future,” Desi said. “Last week, Anthony ate half a pepperoni pizza in one sitting.” She turned to the kids. “Ok, boys, let’s go.”
We followed Leah to the café, where she placed an order with the cook for a platter of pancakes and a round of coffee. Leah found the kids some coloring books and crayons while we waited for our food to arrive. Before I knew it, a heaping mound of pancakes appeared in front of us. Mikey grabbed two of them and put them on his plate. Before I could stop him, he’d grabbed the container of syrup and upended it. I managed to extract the pitcher from his hands, but not until he had poured out half of the maple syrup onto his pancakes.
Next to him, Anthony’s eyes widened until they were almost as big as the pancakes. “My turn.”
I scooted the syrup closer to me, before he could get it too.
“I think Mikey should share some of his syrup with you.” I used the fork to spear one of the pancakes and set it on Anthony’s plate to distribute some of the syrup.
The three of us adults each ate one pancake apiece, leaving the rest of them for the ravenous boys.
While they were immersed in their sugary treats, I asked, “Do you think that this was done by the same person as the other vandalism that occurred at the resort?”
Desi looked at me quizzically. “What are you talking about? Has this happened before?”
“The other things were all pretty minor.” Leah’s skin reddened, and she looked down at the table. “We’ve been trying hard to not let the guests find out about the acts of vandalism. Things like that don’t look too good for our business.”
“Oh, don’t worry about us,” Desi said, patting Leah’s hand. “We just want to help.”
Leah’s eyes misted over. “Thank you. You and your husband don’t even know me, and you’ve been so kind.”
Desi smiled at her. “We’re happy to help. We understand what it’s like to have a family business, and unfortunately know firsthand how difficult it can be when tragedy affects your business.”
