Snowmen In Paradise (Book 2 Tj Jensen Paradise Lake Mysteries) (16 page)

“Of course not
. What a dummy,” Ashley teased.

“I’m not a dummy.”

“Are so.”

“We don’t call people dummies,” Tj reminded Ashley
. “Now apologize.”

“Sorry,” Ashley offered reluctant
ly.

“So is he?”
Gracie asked again.

“No, Kyle isn’t your real uncle,” Tj
told her. “Real uncles are related to you by blood. Uncle Kyle is more of an honorary uncle.”

“What’s an honorary uncle?”

“It’s a friend who cares about you and likes to spend time with you,” Tj explained.

“Like
Aunt Jenna and Uncle Dennis?” Gracie clarified.

“Exactly.”

Gracie paused to consider this while Tj examined the snow family. “Why did you put glasses on the Ashley snow girl?” Tj asked.

Ashley shrugged
. “Glasses are cool. I wish I could get some.”

“Glasses are for people who need help seeing things either close up or far away
. Your eyes are perfect,” Tj pointed out.

“Glasses make you look smart
. I’m tired of people treating me like a kid.”

Tj wanted to point out that at eight she
was
a kid, but she knew her super-smart, mature-beyond-her-years sister wouldn’t appreciate the reminder. “I don’t recognize those. Where did you get them?”

“Deputy Dylan let me use them
. I guess someone left them in lost and found a long time ago.”

“Dylan was here?”
Tj asked.

“Yeah, he helped us with the snow family
. He gave us the collar we put on Echo and the string we wrapped around Crissy.”

“That was nice of him.”

“Grandpa says he’s good folk,” Ashley pointed out.

Tj knew
her sister was right. Dylan
was
good folk. As soon as the competition was over, she’d find him and fill him in on the situation with Josh, as Kyle had suggested.

“
Is Grandpa really our grandpa?” Gracie was obviously still pondering the concept of real versus honorary family.

“No,” Tj answered
. “But he loves you like a real great-grandpa, just like Papa loves you like a real grandpa.”

“Do we have any family that
is
real?” Gracie frowned.

“I’m your real sister,” Tj offered as she knelt down and wrapped her scarf more snuggly around her sister
’s neck.

The first
-grader smiled. “I’m glad.”

“Me too.”
Tj hugged her.

“So if you
’re our real sister and Papa is your real dad, how come we aren’t really related to Papa?” Ashley joined the conversation.

“Well,” Tj tried to decide how to best explain this
, “once upon a time, our mom was married to Papa and they had me. Then they got divorced, and our mom married Jonathan, and they had you and Gracie. We have the same mom but different dads.”

“Lik
e Cooper and Claudia have the same mom but not the same dad?” Ashley said, referring to siblings at their school.

“Exactly.”

Ashley frowned but didn’t say anything more.

“Do you think we’re going t
o win?” Gracie asked, bringing things back around to the snow family.

“You never know what the judges are going to do
, but I absolutely think you should,” Tj responded.

“Uncle Dennis helped Kristi and Kari make a fireman snowman,” Ashley informed her
. “It’s pretty good, but not as good as ours. Still, I think it should get a ribbon.”

Tj looked to where Dennis, Jenna, Kristi, and Kari were standing in front of a life
-size snowman dressed like a fireman. It was a bit more professional than the snow people Ashley and Gracie had built, but she hoped her sisters would get a ribbon in one of the categories. Whatever happened, Tj already felt like a winner. It had been a difficult six months since their mother’s death, and she was glad to see that they were beginning to identify with their new family.

“Can we sit with Kr
isti at the spaghetti dinner?” Ashley asked.

“If we can find a table large enough fo
r everyone.” Tj waved at Jenna, who was holding four-year-old Kari.

“Grandpa’s working in the kitchen
. Maybe you can text him and ask him to save us one,” Ashley suggested.

“Good idea
.” Tj pulled her phone from her pocket and typed out the message.

“Here comes Uncle Kyle.”
Gracie pointed across the park. “Tell Grandpa to save enough room for him, so all the family can sit together.”

Tj noticed Hunter leaving the sheriff’s office as they passed the county offices on the way to the spaghetti dinner. “Listen, do you mind taking the girls inside?” Tj asked Kyle when he caught up with them. “Grandpa is saving us a table. I’ll be in in a few minutes, but I want to say hi to Hunter. This whole thing has to be hard on him.”

“Certainly
. Take your time. I’ll help the girls get their food.”

“Thanks
. I won’t be long.”

Tj had no idea what she was going to say to the man who had been such an important part of her life for such a long time
.
Sorry to hear about your sister
seemed inadequate. In the end, she decided the most comforting words were the physical ones. Opening her arms as she walked toward him, he approached her and wrapped her in a body-engulfing hug that seemed to go on for a lifetime but probably actually lasted less than a minute. The sound of the carnival in the background seemed to exist in another realm as the tension in Hunter’s body seemed to evaporate.

“I’m so sorry,” Tj finally said
. “How is she?”

Hunter pulled back just a bit
. He looked deeply into her eyes, as if trying to memorize every feature. “I don’t know.” He released her, taking a single step back. “She’s scared and confused. At first she was just protecting Sarah, and she figured everything would work out, but now that she realizes she was the last one to see Travis alive, she’s really worried.”

Tj threaded her fingers through his
. “Let’s take a walk.”

“Yeah, okay,” he responded tiredly.

They walked along the snow-covered beach hand in hand, each lost in their own thoughts. Tj couldn’t imagine how hard this must be for him. He had always been the serious sort who tended to carry the cares of the world on his shoulders. It must be killing him that Chelsea was sitting in jail and there was nothing he could do to help her. Tj paused and looked out on the serene lake. It was one of those crisp but windless nights that created the illusion that the water was actually a sheet of glass.

“Is there anything I can do?”
Tj asked.

“No
.” Hunter’s breath hung on the cold air. “Our attorney says Chelsea swears she’s innocent. According to her testimony, after Sarah left, she did a quick exam to make sure Travis wasn’t actually in a life-threatening situation. She verified that the wound was little more than a scratch, and that his pulse and breathing were strong and steady. She figured he was drunk and would wake up with a hell of a hangover. She heard someone come in through the front door, so she went into the ladies’ room and left thorough a window. She insists that she never wanted Travis to end up dead. She hoped the incident would serve as a wake-up call for him. I guess Sarah isn’t the first minor Travis has seduced and then tossed aside. Chelsea told me he ruined the other girl’s life, and she hated to see the pattern repeat itself with Sarah. When the sheriff told her that Travis was dead and took her in for questioning, she was shocked. She didn’t want to implicate Sarah, so she decided to keep quiet until she could figure out how to handle things.” Hunter turned and looked back toward the crowd lining the highway. “I suppose in the long run that was a huge mistake. Boggs doesn’t trust her.”

“I was just on my way to the spaghetti feed when I saw you come out of the county offices
. Kyle and the girls are waiting for me, so I should get a move on. You can join us, if you want.”

“Thanks
, but I should be getting home. I hate to leave Grandfather alone for too long. We’ll talk tomorrow.”

“I’ll call you.
” Tj tried to smile, but she knew the effort didn’t reach her eyes.

Hunter kissed her lightly on the cheek
. “Thanks, Tj. You’re one of the few people in my life I know I can always count on.”

Ben volunteered to take the girls home so Tj could visit some of the other venues with Kyle, who had shown up at the snowman competition in time to see the girls receive the ribbon for most lifelike. The Elston family’s fireman snowman won best overall. It was a beautiful night. The fresh snow reflected the light from the almost full moon, creating a brightness that made navigating the narrow streets easier than it otherwise would have. The slight breeze that had given a chill to the air had stilled, causing the lake to appear as a glassy reflection of the scenery around it. While many of the family-oriented shops had closed, bars and restaurants were brightly lit, inviting in the casual passerby. Metal barrels containing wood fires had been distributed along the main drag, attracting groups of people who shared their warmth and caught up on the events of the day.

“It’s really beautiful out here,” Kyle commented
. “When you mentioned a walk, I thought you were crazy, but it isn’t cold at all.”

“I’m sure the stocking cap, down coat, and leather gloves you have on help, but yeah, it’s a beautiful night
. Grandpa has the girls, so I thought we could wander around and check out some of the other venues.”

“So what are our option
s?”

“The gymnasium at the high school will be open until nine
. The home-crafted items that were judged today will be on display. I’m pretty sure Bonnie entered a quilt, and Jenna was planning to enter several baking categories. I forgot to ask how everyone did today, but whatever the outcome, I suppose that’s an option.”

“Sounds fun.”

“The senior center is sponsoring ballroom dancing for all ages. I don’t know about you, but I’m not really much of a dancer.”

“Sounds like a pass,” Kyle agreed.

“There’s a music event known as Snowrama down by the beach. Basically, bands play a variety of music, with a giant bonfire and plenty of alcohol keeping everyone warm.”

“So far I’m thinking that gets my vote.”

“Yeah.” Tj grabbed Kyle’s hand. “Let’s go.”

“This is crazy,” Kyle shouted over the sound of the music once they’d arrived. “Who would think to have an outdoor concert in February?”

“I know you’d think it would be unbearably cold
, but between the bodies and the bonfire, it’s actually quite pleasant.”

Tj grabbed Kyle’s hand as they inched their way toward the front
. “By the way, thanks for helping the girls with their snowmen. Eight snow figures must have been a lot of work.”

“It was fun
. Those are some pretty great sisters you have.”

“Do you have any siblings?”
Tj wondered.

“No it’s just mom and
me now that Dad has passed.”

“You mentioned your mom was thinking about moving out to be near you?”

“Yeah. In a couple of months, I hope. It’s been tough for her since my dad died. She has friends at home, but I think she wants to be close to the only family she has left.”

“Is she going to move into the mansion with you
? You have plenty of room.” Kyle had inherited the Collins mansion on Heavenly Bay after Tj’s friend Zachary had been murdered the previous fall.

“No
. As much as I love my mom, I think we both need our own space. I was thinking about checking into the condos on Pine. They’re close to town and have a view of the lake. Your grandpa told me the homeowners’ association is very active. The complex is well maintained, and there are always a lot of planned activities for the residents.”

“One of the teachers at the high school lives there
. She really likes it. And Grandpa was right about the activities. They hold a buffet dinner for all the residents every Thursday, and the residents at the complex frequently organize wine tastings or sailing tours and invite everyone else.”

“Sounds perfect.”

“Hey, look, there’s Connor and a couple of the guys.” Tj waved to where Connor was talking with several other members of the downhill team. He broke away and headed toward them when he saw them.

“Hey
, Coach, Kyle. Enjoying the tunes?”

“Yeah, they’re really good,” Tj
agreed. “Are you out celebrating your victory?”

“Totally
. Not only did we steal the lead from Beaver Creek but Sean Wright came up to me after the competition and congratulated me. He said he might be interested in mentoring me if I was interested in going pro.”