Viator (The Viator Chronicles Book 1) (6 page)

“He killed a man? Why didn’t you tell me this before?” Erin hopped out of bed and grabbed her robe.

“No, no, I don’t believe a word of it and neither does Kenneth. Besides, the story is that it was self-defense. So, you see, it’s fine.”

“Fine? Good grief. What’s the story?” She went downstairs, hit the button on the coffeemaker, and walked over to the window to look at the beach. The wind was blowing a few clouds across the sky, but it looked like it would be a gorgeous day.

“What I heard is that he was on a boat with friends somewhere in Asia,” Aleesha said. “Someone came on board, threatened them, and Gary shot him first. I don’t know if he actually killed him.”

Erin shivered. “Anything else you know about him?”

“His old girlfriend is definitely out of the picture. She’s in Spain, and he doesn’t even talk to her anymore.” She paused. “Don’t overthink this, darling. Just have some fun and see where it goes. Spread your wings a little.”

Erin sighed. “I’m just kind of nervous.”

“Of course you are,” Aleesha said. “It’ll be fine, though, you wait and see.”

“Yeah.”

“One more thing. Different subject, and this is too much fun. Have you ever read any of Michael Woodward’s books? He writes thrillers.”

“No, I haven’t.”

“You should, they’re very good.” Aleesha paused. “But anyway, I found out Michael Woodward just moved here to Anacortes. He moved into a little house just two blocks away from me.”

“You’re kidding.”

“No. And Blue Heron Books is having him there to give a talk in a couple of weeks. We’ve got to go.”

“Sure. I’ll have to read one of his books.”

“Definitely,” Aleesha said.

They said goodbye, Erin took a quick shower, and then woke up her kids.

*****

“Let’s put sprinkles on them. Lauren likes sprinkles,” Gwen said as she spread chocolate frosting on the cupcakes.

“Sure.” Erin dug around in the cupboard until she found some blue and yellow candy sprinkles. “Here you go.”

“Thanks. Why aren’t Lauren and Rose here yet? I think they’re late.”

“It’s only five o’clock. They’re not late, but I’m sure they’ll be here soon.”

Earlier in the day, Matthew and Gwen had helped clean the house, and Gwen had picked a bunch of fresh lilacs from the garden. Their fragrance mingled with the aroma of freshly baked cupcakes, and the whole house smelled delicious.

The doorbell rang, and Gwen ran to answer it. Erin followed and greeted Rose and her mother. Lauren and her mother followed behind them.

“You both got here at just the right time,” Erin said. “Come in, and you can help Gwen put the sprinkles on the cupcakes.”

When the girls finished decorating the cupcakes, they ran upstairs to Gwen’s bedroom, and Matthew and his friend Jacob walked into the kitchen.

“When’s that guy going to get here?” Matt asked.

“I told him dinner’s at six, so he could be here any time soon,” Erin said. “Can you stay for some pizza, Jacob?”

“I’ll call my mom and ask,” he said.

Erin pulled out the dishes and glanced at the clock again. She wondered if Gary had changed his mind and would cancel, and the thought gave her a dull ache in the pit of her stomach.

Matt stepped in front of Erin. “Is that guy your boyfriend?”

“What? My boyfriend? I don’t know him well enough yet, Matt. I need to get to know him better before I could even think about that.”

The doorbell rang.

Erin put down the plates and walked to the entry hall while Matt and Jacob went upstairs. She paused for a moment, suddenly anxious about how Matt felt, then she opened the door to Gary.

“Come on in,” she said. “I’m glad you found us again.”

“It was easy,” Gary said as he walked inside. He was wearing khakis and a blue polo shirt, and Erin felt a bit underdressed in her worn jeans, T-shirt, and bare feet.

“I had forgotten how far you are from town. Here’s a bottle of wine to go with dinner.” He handed her the bottle and walked to the living room window to look out at the Sound. Erin followed him.

“Come outside and see the beach—it’s the best part.” She led him back through the house to the door in the kitchen and set the bottle on the counter.

“Mmm, cupcakes,” Gary said, and he scooped frosting from the bowl onto his finger and licked it off.

“We go all out when we have company. Dinner will be my world-famous homemade pizza, so you’re really in for a treat.”

Gary’s eyes shone as he looked at her. “Wow, I’m impressed.”

Erin laughed. “I’m exaggerating. I mean it’s good pizza and everything, but it’s simple.”

“Yeah, sure.”

“Let’s go down to see the beach for a minute, then I’ll put the pizzas in the oven.” Erin kept a pair of flip-flops at the back door, and she slipped them on her feet.

They walked down the stone pathway. The wind blew and whitecaps dotted the water, but the tide was out, and the air smelled of seaweed. Erin led him onto the rocky beach and pointed out Whidbey Island and the direction to Deception Pass and to Seattle. The wind was brisk, and Erin’s arms were covered with goosebumps.

“You’re getting cold,” Gary said.

“Let’s go back inside. I’ll open that wine you brought.”

“Sounds good.”

A sailboat glided close to the shore, and Erin stopped to watch. Gary wrapped one arm around her shoulders and rubbed her arm to warm her. They gazed after the boat until it was out of sight, then looked at each other and smiled.

Back inside, Erin put the pizzas into the oven and poured two glasses of wine. Gary helped her set the table and paused several times to look out the window. “This view is spectacular.”

“Thanks. The house is old, and I don’t have the means to do any remodeling, but it’s comfortable. My grandparents used to live here.”

“I like the house the way it is.” He looked around at the worn but comfortable furnishings. “And here’s your piano. You’ve got to play something tonight.”

“We’ll see. I’m not sure if I want to. I might not live up to your expectations.”

“You’re not getting out of it so easily.” He looked at the books on the shelves, and stopped when he saw a small, ornate silver flask. He picked it up and turned to Erin. “This is interesting.”

“The flask? It belonged to my grandparents. It’s very old.”

He put it back on the shelf and sipped his wine.

“The pizza will be done soon. I’ll call the kids down,” Erin said.

“Okay.”

The girls giggled as they filed down the stairs, and Matt and Jacob followed close behind.

“My children, Matt and Gwen, and their friends, Jacob, Lauren, and Rose. Kids, this is Gary.”

He said hello and offered to show them his car. Matt and Jacob exchanged glances, shrugged, and said sure. When they walked out to the front, Erin heard the boys. “Wow! Is that a Porsche? This is your car? Can you give us a ride?”

The boys came back inside, laughing, and Gary followed them, a wide grin on his face.

“Did you see Gary’s car, Mom? It’s so cool,” Matt said. “Can we go for a ride with him?”

“You’ll have to ask him,” Erin said. “But it’ll have to wait—pizza’s ready. Go wash your hands, kids.”

They ran off to the bathroom. She leaned against the counter again, and Gary picked up his wine glass, still grinning.

“I’d love to take them for rides.”

“They’d be talking about it for days.”

They all sat down at the table, and it wasn’t long before the pizzas were devoured. Matt asked if Jacob could spend the night, and Erin said that would be fine, so all the kids went back upstairs to play.

Gary refilled their glasses with the last of the wine. They sat in silence for a minute, enjoying the calm. Erin ran her finger around the rim of her glass. “What do you think of the kids?”

“They’re the best. This is the most enjoyable dinner party I’ve been to in years.” He looked into his glass, and his smile faded into a frown.

“Tell me more about what you’re doing now. I really don’t know that much about you,” Erin said.

He shrugged. “I’ve been lucky. You know I’m in imports. That’s how I ran into William again after college. I was handling some parts for the navigation systems his company was building.”

“Yes. I remember now. About five years ago?”

“Right.” He drained his glass, walked into the living room and sat on the sofa. “We were good friends in college. After running into him at work we stayed in touch. We used to play basketball when I was in town. He was a great friend.”

Erin used to love watching William play basketball. She got up from the table, not wanting her feelings to get the better of her. “Would you like some coffee?”

“No, thanks. Why don’t you come sit down?” He patted the seat on the sofa next to him.

Erin sat down in the overstuffed chair facing him. She looked at the designs in her rug, tracing the patterns with her mind.

“These last two years have been hard for you,” Gary said quietly.

She nodded.

“I always thought William was especially lucky,” he said.

She looked at him with questioning eyes and shook her head.

“You,” Gary said. “He had you.” He stood up and stretched his arms over his head, walked to the window and looked out. They were both silent a few minutes. He turned around and looked at the floor with a frown while Erin studied him. Fine lines fanned out from the corners of his eyes in his golden-tan face. His blond hair was neatly trimmed but a curl formed around his ear, and his shoulders and arms looked powerful under his shirt. As she watched him, a flicker of memory from her last dream came back to her, when she thought Gary had been there. She shuddered. He looked at her, and his brow creased.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to get all quiet.”

“No, not at all—it’s fine,” she said.

“Let me help you clean up the kitchen.”

“All right. Then I plan to put on a movie for the kids. I hope you can stay and watch it with us.”

“Sounds good.”

They cleaned up the kitchen and Erin made popcorn. They joined the children watching the movie, and by the time it was finished, Gwen, Lauren, and Rose were sound asleep on the floor. Matt and Jacob climbed the stairs for bed, and Erin woke the girls and went upstairs with them to help them set out their sleeping bags as Gary stepped out the kitchen door.

After the children were in bed, Erin went outside and saw him standing at the edge of the lawn where the rocky beach began. The air had grown still, and stars were bright in the sky. He turned as she approached.

“Beautiful night,” he said. “I always thought I was lucky, but do you realize how lucky you are?”

“Sometimes good things happen. Sometimes bad things happen. I’ve had my share of both.”

“I’d like to see you again.”

Erin was quiet for a minute. “I’d like to see you again, too.”

He slid his arm around her waist. She pulled away a little and said, “Gary, I like you, but I need to take it slow.”

“No, you don’t.” He wrapped both arms around her and pulled her to him, bent his head to hers and kissed her. His kiss was smooth and intoxicating, almost overwhelming. She had missed this so much. Every thought she had was driven from her mind. All she could feel were his arms holding her tight and his mouth on hers. When he let go of her, she stepped back and took a deep breath.

“I’d like to see you next weekend,” he said.

She nodded.

“How about Saturday night?”

“Sure.”

“Good.” He touched her cheek and trailed his fingers down her throat, then pulled his hand away. “I’ve got to go.” He started back up the path, and she followed. They walked around the house to his car.

“I never did give those boys a ride. I’ll have to do it next time,” he said.

“They’ll love that,” she said, and then remembered about the next weekend. “Oh, no. Saturday won’t work—we have plans. It’s Matt’s birthday, and I’m taking the kids to Orcas Island for a bike ride.”

He grinned and leaned against his car. “I could come.”

“You’d want to do that? … I’m not sure …”
Would Matt want to have Gary join them for his birthday?

He reached into his pocket and handed her his business card. “I like biking. Call me this week, and you can tell me all the details.” He held her shoulders and kissed her again.

When he stepped back, his eyes searched her face. Even in the twilight she could see the intense blue of his eyes.

“Good night,” he said. He slid into his car and drove down the gravel driveway to the street. His lights soon faded.

A gust of wind stirred the trees, and Erin shivered. She turned back to the house, but a shadow moved in the trees nearby. She stopped and held her breath. The shadow fluttered in the wind and grew taller.

“Who’s there?” she called, unable to move.

The shadow shrank to the ground. Erin told herself it was just an old garbage bag, caught in the breeze, and she ran back into her house, her emotions a tumult of pleasure and apprehension.

Chapter 8

Except for a bit of moonlight that found its way through some gaps in the heavy curtains, the huge old house was shrouded in darkness. Erin sat in the center of an old velvet-upholstered sofa in the center of a large room. The polish was worn away from the wood floor, and the room was strewn with delicate tables, sofas, and chairs. In the darkness all the colors were muted gray and black. Soft footfalls approached from the hallway, and she turned to see who was coming in the gloom.

A small, frail woman tiptoed through the door. She carried an unlit candle, but Erin’s night eyes could see her. Her white hair was caught in a tight bun at the nape of her neck, and her face was deeply lined. The collar of her long dark dress reached to her chin with small ruffles, and the bodice fit snuggly before flaring out full at the waist. She squinted as she peered into Erin’s face. “So good of you to come, my dear,” she said.

“I’m happy to be here with you,” Erin said.

“The others are all upstairs, but they’ll be down shortly.”

“That sounds fine.”

The old woman started to walk out of the room, but stopped and whirled around to face Erin. “But you know—Franny isn’t here,” she almost shouted.