by Nicole Ellis
I frowned, thinking of the havoc that had ensued after I’d found a body floating just off the Boathouse’s docks. In the first few days after the media firestorm that followed, I’d wondered if my in-laws’ event center would make it with all the bad publicity.
“Desi’s right, just let us know what we can do.”
We finished eating and took the kids over to the playground. Leah joined us, I think because she wanted a distraction. As we watched the boys’ antics on the jungle gym, I was happy to at least provide that small comfort to her.
Before too long, the men came back. None of them wore smiles.
“They don’t look like they have good news for us,” Desi observed.
“Del, were you able to borrow any boats from the Thompsons?” Leah asked.
He shook his head. “Don Thompson said all of them have been rented for the day.”
Leah’s face clouded over. “What are we going to do?” she whispered. “Our guests that have reserved boats for the day aren’t going to be happy.”
Del shrugged. “I’ll walk along the lakeshore with the guys and see if there are any boats close enough to swim for.”
They left again, leaving us to stare at each other.
“There has to be something else.” Desi took a sip of her now cold coffee.
“Isn’t there anyone else that might have a boat?” I asked.
Leah pursed her lips. “I can’t think of anyone who has a boat, well, who would be willing to let us borrow it.”
I’d seen her hesitate. “So is there someone else nearby that has a boat?” I knew that there weren’t many developed properties on Thunder Lake. That was one of the big draws of the lake—that it wasn’t too crowded. But now, that attractive quality was what was causing us problems.
“Well,” she said slowly, “there is one neighbor that has a small fishing boat with an outboard motor.” Her face darkened. “But I doubt he’ll let us borrow it. He isn’t known for being very neighborly, and we’ve had some run-ins with him in the past.”
“We’ll just have to change his mind.” Desi pushed her plate away. “Let’s go find this neighbor and convince him to loan us a boat. We’re going to get all of your boats back, Leah.”
When we were outside, Leah turned to us and asked, “Are you sure you want to do this? Tyler Shafer isn’t the nicest of neighbors.”
“Oh, I completely understand. I used to have a dreadful neighbor.” As soon as I said it, I regretted it. Mr. Weston hadn’t been a great neighbor, but I had felt bad about his death and it seemed wrong to speak ill of him at this point.
Desi seemed to sense my discomfort. “We’ve got kids in our group, how horrible could he be to us?”
Leah looked across the lake and said, “I guess we’ll find out.”
We started walking toward the far edge of the resort, near Del’s mobile home.
“Do we not need to go along the road to get to this place?” I asked. All I could see in front of us was an endless thicket of trees. How were we going to get through that mess with the double stroller?
Leah pointed to a bend in the lake. “There’s a path that runs right along there.”
Sure enough, as we rounded the other side of the mobile home, I saw the path that Leah had described. It didn’t look well-traveled, but it had seen some use in the recent past.
Leah saw me looking at it. “Jed was friends with Tyler. They hung out sometimes.” She amended her statement. “Or rather they went drinking together.”
I nodded. Even after his death, there was no love lost between Leah and Del’s cousin. The trail along the edges of the lake was just wide enough for Desi’s double stroller. Even so, it was slow going as we navigated the tree roots snaking across the pathway. After about a quarter of a mile, we came to a clearing. The tree canopy had opened, revealing a dilapidated barn and the small A-frame cabin I’d seen from the dock. A brand-new silver truck was parked next to the house.
A dog barked, and I told Mikey and Anthony to stand behind me as I searched the property for the dog.
Desi saw it first. She pointed toward the far side of the cabin. “It’s over there.”
I followed her gaze. A large dog that looked like a mix of every breed of dog that would be outlawed by an apartment complex was chained to the side of the cabin. I sighed in relief. We’d left Goldie in the screened-in porch of our cabin, lazily lounging around in the warm air. I’d briefly considered bringing him along on our visit, but now I was glad that I hadn’t. I didn’t know how this dog would react to a canine intruder.
I took in the rest of the surroundings. Two overflowing trash cans were situated safely out of reach of the dog. Once upon a time, the cabin must have been beautiful, with rough-hewn cedar logs. Now, the logs were dry and cracked. It appeared that the only thing Tyler cared about was his truck. I wasn’t holding out much hope of attaining a usable boat from this guy.
“You’re trespassing on my property,” a man called out. “Leave now or I’ll let my dog loose.” He was dressed in a red and black plaid shirt over well-worn jeans. He appeared to be in his forties, but his hair was tipped with silver.
Leah waved at him. “Tyler, it’s me, Leah—from the resort.”
The man lifted his sunglasses and peered at her. “Oh, you.”
Beside me, Desi sighed. Neither of us said anything, and I was happy to let Leah do all the talking with this man.
“You may not have noticed, but all of our boats are loose on the lake.” Leah jutted her thumb in the direction of the lake.
He raised his eyebrows and glanced in that direction. “How did that happen?”
“I don’t know,” Leah said in a tight voice. “But I really wish I knew who did it. Is there any way we could borrow a boat from you? We’ve got to get them back as soon as possible, but we need to be able to get out there and catch them.”
“You wouldn’t give me an easement to cross your property and now you want a favor from me?” He laughed harshly.
“Look, I’m sorry about that, but we can’t have your driveway bisecting our hiking trail. It’s just not safe for our guests.”
“Well, we wouldn’t want that, now would we.” He shrugged. “I guess you’ll just have to worry about getting those boats back some other way because I’m not loaning you my boat. Now, please get off of my property.”
“Thank you for your time,” Leah said through tight lips. She tugged on my arm. “Let’s go.”
The dog barked at us as we scurried away down the path leading back to the resort.
When we were safely back on resort grounds, Desi stopped and took a breath. “Wow, he isn’t very nice.”
Leah smirked. “I told you so. He’s been a thorn in our sides since we bought the place.”
“So what are you going to do about the loose boats?” I asked.
“I don’t know.” She appeared to have aged by several years. “I hope Del will be able to figure something out. If not, we’ll have to wait until we can get a boat from Thompson’s Resort this evening.” She glanced at her watch. “I’d better get back to the office. People will be wanting to checkout soon. I’ll see you later, ok?”
“Bye,” Desi called to Leah as she walked off toward the office.
When Leah was out of sight, Desi said, “Now what? I’d counted on the guys being out all morning fishing. I was kind of looking forward to some time out on the deck.”
“Well, they’ll still be gone, they’ll just be catching boats instead of fish—as long as they can track down one boat to get started.” I glanced at the lake. “Let’s get the kids back to the cabin and we can decide what to do.” The two of us returned to the cabin together to map out the rest of our day.
We played games with the kids until Adam and Tomàs returned. Fortunately, Del had been able to swim out to a rowboat, and between the three of them, they’d recovered all of the boats. After the early morning, everyone was pretty tired and we spent the rest of the day hanging out at the cabins.
&n
bsp; 12
The next day, we arranged with the resort for a private guided hike in the hills that rose high above Thunder Lake. Under the canopy of trees, the temperature was pleasant, with just enough spots of sun peeking through the branches to keep us warm. Birds chirped above us, competing with the sound of our hiking boots crunching on dried leaves and moss along the hard-packed dirt trail.
Adam carried Ella in a hiking carrier on his back, and Desi had Lina in a front pack. Tomàs and I wore backpacks containing food, water, and an emergency first aid kit. The boys walked along beside us. I hadn’t been sure what to expect, but so far, the hike had exceeded my expectations—that is, with the exception of our guide, Sela.
I’d seen her around the resort, but I hadn’t met her until the hike. She was younger than Adam and I, maybe in her mid-twenties. She wore her long dark hair loose around her shoulders and was dressed in a tank top and shorts that barely reached to mid-thigh. Her backpack and well-worn hiking boots were the only nod to a day that would be spent in the woods.
According to Leah, Sela was an experienced hiker in the area and we were in good hands, but I had my doubts. Desi and I had tried to talk with our guide since we’d left the resort, but our questions so far had been met with terse responses. Sela had glared at me so many times that I couldn’t help but wonder why she didn’t like me.
The hike itself had been fairly easy so far. The trail we were on had gradual changes in elevation for the most part, and the two boys didn’t seem to be having any trouble with it. I’d worried that we’d end up having to carry them when they grew tired, but it hadn’t been a problem. I was determined not to let Sela’s grumpiness affect us, so I tried again to get her to open up to us.
“So, have you lived in this area for long?” I asked her.
“I’ve been here for a couple of years. I had family in the area, but they’ve since moved away.” She said all of this while looking straight ahead at the trail we were on.
“Oh, you must really like the area if you decided to stay here after they left,” Desi observed. “It is beautiful here.” She adjusted the straps of the front pack she was carrying Lina in.
Sela shrugged. “The area is nice, I guess, but I decided to stay for other reasons.” She turned away from us and quickened her pace.
Desi and I exchanged glances.
“She’s not very talkative,” I whispered.
“Well, not everybody is a chatterbox like us.”
“Haha. I can be quiet sometimes,” I said.
“Really?” She smirked at me. “You hate awkward silences.”
I was about to respond, but Mikey broke in first.
“Mommy,” he said, as he tugged on my arm, “my shoelace came untied again.”
I groaned. Not again. “Sela,” I called out.
She turned. “Did you need something?”
“Can we stop for a moment? Mikey needs his shoelace tied.” I pointed at his feet.
She rolled her eyes, but called out to the men, who were hiking in front of her. “Tomàs, Adam. We’re going to stop for a moment.”
They stopped to wait.
I leaned down to tie Mikey’s shoelace. His hiking boots were the first pair of shoes that I’d ever bought him that had shoelaces instead of Velcro closures, and so far I wasn’t liking them. This was the third time that day that I’d had to tie them. Even with a double knot, they kept coming undone.
Adam came over to us. “I think we’ll have to get him some new shoelaces before I take him out hiking any harder trails.”
“I think so too.” I pulled the laces tight and pushed myself up from the ground.
Directly in front of me, a small creature skittered across the path, not two inches from my own hiking boots. I shrieked and jumped back, bumping into Adam.
“Whoa, honey.” He leaned against a tree to catch his balance. He peered at me. “Are you ok? Your face is white.”
I nodded. “I think so. What was that thing? It looked like a rat.”
I hated any animal that even resembled a rodent more than anything in the world. I usually tried to avoid activities that would include being near any such creatures, but I hadn’t wanted to miss out on this hike with my family.
Sela stomped up to us. “It was probably just a vole.” She smirked at me. “Did it scare you?”
I didn’t like her tone. I straightened to my full five-foot, four-inch height, and looked her in the eye. “It startled me.”
She laughed, evidently not believing me. “Wait until we get further into the woods, where the brush is heavier. Then you’ll see a whole bunch more of those things.”
My feet froze in place.
Adam put his hands on my shoulders and whispered into my ear, “Don’t worry about it, honey. We’ll be right here with you.”
I took a deep breath and forced a smile. “I’m sure the rest of the hike will be lovely.” I looked down at Mikey. “Are you ready to go?”
“Yep!” He ran ahead to join Anthony, who was investigating a rotten log that lay alongside the path. They poked at something moving on it, most likely a huge colony of ants. We pulled them away from it and walked in silence for a couple of minutes.
Then, Desi asked Sela, “So, how long have you worked here at the resort?” She seemed determined to engage her in conversation.
“Oh, a little over two years. But I probably won’t be here much longer.”
“Why is that?” Tomàs peered at Sela. She stopped, and we came to a halt around her.
“I probably shouldn’t say anything.” Judging by the gleeful expression on her face, she didn’t mind telling tales out of school. “But the resort will be sold soon, and then I won’t really have any reason to be here anymore.”
My head reeled back in shock. “What do you mean the resort will be sold soon?” Leah hadn’t mentioned anything of the sort. In fact, she’d been talking about the need to keep the resort afloat over the winter, so they could make it into the next summer season.
“Well, you know. Now that Del and Leah are getting divorced, the resort is going to be sold.”
“That’s not what Leah said.” Desi narrowed her eyes at Sela.
“Of course, that’s not what she wants. But Del is going to sell the resort. He’s been telling her that for months. When the divorce is finalized, Thunder Lake Resort will go on the market.”
Leah had omitted that important detail. I knew the resort meant a lot to her. To hear Del tell it, it was the reason for the dissolution of their marriage. I was surprised that Leah didn’t seem more upset with Del about his desire to sell the resort. Maybe she was in denial about the whole thing.
“It sounds like you and Del are close.” Desi fiddled with the head covering on Lina’s carrier, but she didn’t take her eyes off of Sela.
I also watched her expression intently.
We were not disappointed. Sela blushed a little at the mention of Del’s name.
“We’ve been friends for a while,” she said slyly. “Let’s just say that Del is special to me.” She started walking again, but said over her shoulder, “He doesn’t really want me talking about it, so that’s all I can say. Now, this part of the trail is a bit steeper, so watch your step and stay away from the edge.”
We followed Sela as we climbed higher up the hillside. Rounding a corner, we came out at an overlook, high above the lake. The change in elevation altered my perception of the lake. It seemed large from its shores, but from here, it looked no bigger than a duck pond. I searched the trees below, trying to make out the resort buildings.
Sela stood back, picking at her fingernails. She’d implied that she and Del were an item, but I couldn’t see what he saw in her. Did Leah know that Sela and Del were involved? I knew they were separated, but it didn’t seem like Leah was ready to give up on their marriage yet. Had Sela been a cause of their separation?
“Oh, I see a squirrel.” Before I could get to him, Mikey ran over to the edge, his untied shoelaces flapping in the air. His fo
ot caught on one and he pitched forward, falling over the edge of the trail.
My eyes widened in horror.
“Mikey,” I screamed. I raced to the spot I’d seen him go over, fearing the worst. Everyone else rushed over to the side as well. I surveyed the brush-covered embankment, but I didn’t see my son. Icy fear shot through every vein in my body.
“Mikey?” Anthony whimpered from next to me.
Desi grabbed him and pulled him away from the edge. “Come on, let’s go wait for them over here.”
“Mommy?” A faint voice floated up from below us.
I could just make out Mikey’s tousled blond hair emerging from the side of a large bush about ten feet down the steep hillside.
“Mikey, stay there. I’m coming to get you.” Adam swung Ella’s carrier off his back and shoved the hiking backpack at me. He scrambled over the edge, sand and pebbles skittering down below him as he dislodged sediment with each foothold.
“That’s not safe to do,” Sela called down to him.
He glanced up at her, while holding onto a tree root. “I don’t really care about safety right now—that’s my son down there.”
“I don’t recommend it,” Sela said again.
I wanted to wrap my hands around her throat, but instead, Tomàs and I just ignored her. Mikey needed us to focus on him.
“Daddy,” Mikey whimpered, “I don’t know if I can hold on much longer.” His hands looked so small, gripping a tree root as he clung to the side of the cliff.
“It’s ok, sweetie, Daddy’s almost there. We love you,” I shouted to him. My voice trembled and I bit my lip, trying not to let Mikey see me cry.
“Hang on, Mikey, I’m almost there,” Adam said.
“Ok.” Mikey rested his head against the dirt in front of him.
“Adam. There’s a little ledge to your left,” Tomàs called out, his eyes darting around, trying to give Adam good instructions on descending the steep incline.
Adam’s foot shifted over and found purchase on the ledge. He was now only a few feet away from Mikey.
“Ok, Mikey, when I get down to you, I’m going to help you up onto the ledge.” Adam climbed down to a smaller, lower ledge just above Mikey’s head. He leaned down, offering our son his hand. “Grab onto my hand, I’ve got you.”
