Total pages in book: 95
Estimated words: 90472 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 452(@200wpm)___ 362(@250wpm)___ 302(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 90472 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 452(@200wpm)___ 362(@250wpm)___ 302(@300wpm)
“Yes, that would be good,” Amy agreed.
I glanced at Ian and gave a slight nod to Amy.
“You have no coat on and it’s cold out here, and I am in need of hot tea,” Ian said, taking her arm.
Bless the man, he understood what I asked, and Amy went willingly with him as he guided her into the house.
I stepped toward Noah. “I don’t know what your scheme is, but I don’t intend to let you hurt Amy again.” I raised a quick hand when he went to speak. “You purposely said what you did just now to put a fright in her that she’d never see you again, a reminder of losing you all over again.” A slight shift in his eyes let me know I was right. “Your charm, rather your lies, are lost on me, and whatever your scheme is won’t work.”
“Whether you believe me or not, I love my daughter, and that is my main reason for returning here. I want to know she is safe and happy—”
“Before you leave her again.”
“You have my word on one thing, Pepper, I did not come here with intentions of hurting my daughter, of that you can be certain. I will see you tomorrow at nine at the diner unless Amy prefers a different time. She can text me.” He smiled. “I always knew you would remain a good friend to my daughter.”
He drove off in his car and I still couldn’t figure out why the expensive suit yet an old car. Beau could be right that he was a gambler, running high on cash one day and broke the next. I caught Beau’s wave to me as he drove past, following a safe distance behind Noah. Sooner or later, we’d find out what the man was up to.
Ian and I ate an early supper since neither one of us had had lunch, then we parked ourselves at the dining room table to go through the lodge’s old receipts. I had no worries of Amy, Beau now with her after following Noah to the B&B where he waited and after an hour of no movement from the man he returned to Amy’s house to stay the night with her.
We found the dates we were looking for and started digging through them.
“The lodge was busy back then,” Ian said.
“Once people visited, they returned year after year. There was always lots going on. Besides the activities, there were special events. Willow Lake Lodge had a great reputation.”
“I’m sorry I never accepted my uncle’s offer to visit here. I was always too busy,” Ian said.
“And a visit to a lodge in the mountains of Pennsylvania didn’t exactly sound exciting.”
Ian smiled. “You got me on that one though it would have been interesting meeting you back then.”
“You wouldn’t have given me the time of day.”
He took hold of my chin to turn my head toward him. “That’s where you’re wrong, Pep. One look was all I needed to fall in love with you. It would have only been that much sooner.”
He kissed me, his kiss and words melting my heart.
“Did you fall in love with me at first sight?” he asked.
My mouth dropped open. I didn’t know what to say.
Ian laughed. “I love teasing you, Pep. I wasn’t exactly your favorite guy when I snatched you up off that dead body, my knife sheath strapped to my leg, empty, and the guy’s throat cut.”
“And then you got bossy with me,” I reminded.
“Out of worry for you, but you have to admit, I didn’t give up, I wore you down,” he said proudly.
“It didn’t take much,” I admitted. “And it still doesn’t.” I slipped my arms around his neck and enjoyed a much more thorough kiss.
Ian rested his brow against mine once done. “The receipts can wait until later.”
“Definitely,” I said, and we rushed off to the bedroom.
We were lingering in the aftermath of our pleasurable lovemaking when we heard Mo whine at the bedroom door. He had to go out for the night.
“I’ll let him out,” Ian said.
I was already reaching for my flannel bottoms and thermal top. “That’s okay, I’ve got him.”
“I’ll put the kettle on,” he offered.
Mo took longer outside in the winter than the summer. He loved the cold but with his breed that was understandable. I stepped out onto the porch as he moseyed off. Snow was falling lightly and the cold bit at me, but I didn’t budge. I loved the silent beauty of the woods in winter and the light snow only added to it.
But the woods also held danger and as I looked out into the darkness, I couldn’t help but wonder about Rita and Travis and the unknown woman. What had brought them to the woods and who saw that they never left? I had to find out what happened to them, or they would forever haunt me.