EDGE (19 page)

“Would you want to be married again?”

“Yeah, I think so. He’d have to be the right man. One willing to take on my kids and with the way they’ve been acting lately, I don’t see anyone willing to do that.”

“Oh, I don’t know. Quentin’s a hoot and Emily…well, she’s hurting. She’ll come out of it soon.”

“I hope you’re right. That girl is making me gray.”

They fell silent for a while, each reflecting.

“What about you?” Nicole asked. “Has there been a special man in your life?”

“Not one I’d consider tying the knot with.”

“What about Garrett? Who, by the way, is yummy.”

“He is that. We’ve had a relationship of sorts, but it’s over.”

“Because of Cache?”

Mel didn’t meet her eyes, but instead glanced out the window to the cove. Her voice was far away when she spoke. “I think Cache could be the one to break my heart.” She turned and gave Nicole a crooked smile. “I’d rather have the broken arm too.”

Mel rubbed her face and tried to smother another yawn as she stumbled into the kitchen to help with breakfast. A hike up to Sadie Falls was on the schedule for those who wanted to go. She’d rather hike back to bed. The hard stuff would be needed in order to wake up her sorry butt. She poured herself a cup of black coffee, grateful Linnet had already started a pot.

“Late night?” Linnet asked, at the stove preparing breakfast.

Mel managed a nod and ambled over to lean against the corner where Linnet was grilling bacon. Did she smell cigarette smoke? Damn, she hoped Linnet hadn’t started smoking again.

“Want to give me the details?” Linnet asked.

“What details?” Mel added three teaspoons of sugar to her coffee and decided to go for a fourth. Mary Poppins had it right. Medicine went down better with a spoonful of sugar. In her case, she needed a little more than a measly spoonful. What she really needed was to find a way to sleep. If this paranoia of being watched kept up she’d be taping aluminum foil over her windows liked she’d had to do the first summer she’d moved here.

“The last time I saw you, you’d left with Cache.” Linnet turned the bacon while keeping an eye on the home-style hash browns in the other skillet.

“There’s nothing to tell. You know I don’t fraternize with the guests. I leave that up to you.” Mel smiled between sips.

“That man was blitzed, and I merely helped him to his bed.”

Mel scoffed. “Want to explain why it took you more than a day and a half to stumble out of it?”

“No.” Linnet turned back to the stove. “You’re too young to understand.” She changed the subject. “So, fill me in on what’s between you and Cache.”

“So far, really good foreplay,” Mel mumbled into her coffee cup.

“Ah, that’s nice. Always prolong the foreplay. Once they taste the main course they rush through the appetizers.” Linnet tsked as she stirred the potatoes.

Appetizers?

Cache entered. “Something smells great.”

Mel’s stomach did a flip-flop at the sight of him. She hoped it was because of the coffee.

Nicole rushed in, her hair a mess, her eyes wild, the screen door slamming behind her. “I can’t find Emily. Has anyone seen her?”

Linnet and Mel looked at Cache who shook his head.

“When did you last see her?” Mel asked.

“Last night. We had a fight.” Nicole ran her hands through her hair. “When don’t we fight anymore?”

“Don’t worry, Nic. There aren’t many places she could go, and I don’t see her as one to try and camp out,” Mel said.

Nicole gave a bark of strangled laughter. “No. No, she likes her comforts.”

“Why don’t we split up and cover all the bases?” Cache suggested.

“Okay, yes. That sounds good. I’ll—”

“No.” Linnet turned the heat off the stove and took Nicole’s arm, moved her to the settee, and pushed her to sit. “You stay here and drink a cup of tea.”

“I can’t sit and drink tea while my baby might be in danger out there.” Nicole’s voice rose and she pointed to the great outdoors.

David entered the kitchen and quickly assessed the situation. “What’s happened?”

“Emily’s missing,” Linnet said.

Cache stepped up and took charge. “David, you stay here with Nicole in case Emily happens to show up for breakfast. Linnet, Mel and I will split up and look for Emily.”

David nodded and soothed Nicole when she objected. “The best thing you can do is to be here waiting when she shows up. Start thinking of ways that you’re going to punish her for frightening you like this.”

Nicole laughed through the tears that had appeared in her eyes. Linnet went to get Sergei so that they could cover more ground.

Mel grabbed Cache’s sleeve and motioned for him to follow her out of the kitchen and into the great room of the lodge.

“You know where she is, don’t you?” he asked.

“I have a suspicion and I hope to hell I’m wrong. Last night, at dinner, Emily and Tom seemed very friendly. I think she might be with him.”

Cache’s lips hardened into a straight line. “Only one way to find out.” He headed for the stairs. “If she’s there, Tom’s a dead man.”

Mel agreed. “He’s not only dead, he’s sleeping with jail-bait. I don’t know of any judge in this state that will look away from that fact.”

“Jail-bait?”

“Emily’s only sixteen.”

He cursed and started up the stairs. Mel followed close behind.

They made it to Tom’s door, and Cache pounded on it. When there was no answer, he turned to Mel. “You got a master key?”

“Yes.” He moved aside for her to use it.

They entered Tom’s room to find it empty, the bed not slept in.

“Well hell, looks as though we’re searching for two people instead of just one,” Cache said.

Mel and Cache rushed back to the kitchen just as Linnet dragged Emily in by the scruff of her neck. “Found her, smoking under the pilings.” She released Emily who had a sneer on her face, clearly not repentant. “I think I know where my hidden stash of cigarettes disappeared to.”

“Emily!” Nicole rushed to her daughter and hugged her tight.

Emily squirmed, trying to get out of her mother’s hold. “Gawd, Mom. Get a grip.”

Nicole released Emily and stepped back. “You have a lot to answer for, young lady. You had me scared to death. You
never
leave the cabin without telling me where you are going and what you will be doing. You heard the rules.”

“There is nowhere to go. What’s there to tell?” Emily gave her mother a disgusted look.

Nicole straightened her spine until Mel swore she heard it crack. “That’s enough. I’ve had it with this spoiled attitude of yours. Come on. We’re going to have a talk, where you’re going to do all the listening.”

“Ah, shit,” Emily said, obviously not caring what the others in the room thought of her behavior.

Nicole did, as the color on her face attested. “What freedom you do have in this ‘godforsaken place’ is getting very limited. If you want any left, I suggest you clean up your language and follow me.” Nicole turned and left the kitchen, not looking back to see if Emily followed.

Emily glanced around at the people watching her, and then did the smartest thing she could do and flounced out of the room behind her mother

“Nicole sure has her hands full,” Linnet said and turned back to the stove to finish breakfast.

“I’m so glad I’m not a teenager any longer.” Cache dropped into a chair. “How did my mother cope?”

“I know.” David sank into the seat across from Cache, rubbing the back of his neck. “I’m not looking forward to Jonah being that age.”

“If I ever have a kid, and she does half the things I did…” Mel shuddered. “Nope, don’t want to go there.”

“Come on, Mel. You couldn’t have been that bad,” David said. “Look how you turned out.”

“Ever heard that saying about being forged in the fires of hell?” Mel said. “I couldn’t handle it if a child of mine followed in my footsteps.”

“You’d be a great mother. I don’t think there isn’t anything you couldn’t handle,” Cache said, gazing at Mel as if he knew all her dirty little secrets.“Besides, if the worst did happen look how understanding you would be.”

“Understanding? No way. I’d lock the kid up until he or she was old enough to enlist in the Army.”

“Need help,” Sergei hollered, straining to open the door. He struggled into the room half-carrying in a semi-conscious Tom.

In all the upset, Mel had completely forgotten Tom had been missing too. Obviously so had Cache.

Dried blood painted Tom’s face from hairline to chin, and matted his hair. He was pale, and still in the same designer dudes—now ruined—that he’d worn last night.

“What happened?” Mel asked, rushing forward.

“Looking for girl,” Sergei said, “found him instead.”

Cache grabbed Tom’s other side and helped Sergei get him into a chair.

“I’ll get the first aid kit.” Linnet turned off the stove once again and hurried from the room.

“Looks as if I’m in the way,” David said. “If you don’t need me, I’m going to check and see if Jonah’s up. I’ll let the Whitneys know breakfast will be delayed.”

“Thanks, David,” Mel said and then turned her attention back to Tom who was having trouble keeping his eyes open. She hoped she wouldn’t have to fly him into Homer.

“Tom, what happened?” Cache asked.

Tom swiveled toward Cache. “Thought I saw…” He closed his eyes and leaned his head against the back of the chair.

“What?” Cache asked. “What did you see?”

“Hit.” Tom dropped his head and cradled it in his hands. “Someone hit me.”

“Move aside.” Linnet bustled in with her fishing tackle of a first aid kit.

Mel went to the sink and wetted a clean dishtowel with warm water and handed it to Linnet. She started cleaning off the blood to reveal a cut and a large goose egg on his temple.

Cache took a seat next to Tom to help hold him in the chair. Sergei filled a coffee cup, leaned against the counter, and silently stole a strip of bacon.

“Who hit you?” Cache asked.

“Don’t remember,” Tom mumbled, shutting his eyes.

“Did you fall, stumble?” Mel asked. He’d toppled onto a porcupine, tumbled out of a boat. Had he tripped into a tree? The man was a menace to himself.

“No, I didn’t fall.” He opened his eyes and seemed more aware of his faculties. “Someone hit me.” He pursed his lips at their looks of disbelief. “I swear.” He glanced at Cache. “Someone came up behind me and hit me with something. Probably a rock. I think I spent the whole night outside.” He seemed horrified at the thought. “I just want to go home,” he whined. “This place is going to kill me.”

“Tom, where did this happen?” Mel asked before he lapsed into a bout of self-pity.

He waved his hand in the direction of the window. “I don’t know. Out there in the fucking wilderness.”

“Beach? Near the boats?”

He shrugged.

“Last I saw you it was late,” Cache said. “What were you doing outside?”

Tom flushed adding needed color to his face. “I…uh…I can’t remember.”

He was lying.