Mandy turned away from the view, a puzzled frown creasing her forehead. "You know what's strange? When I was booking this place, I barely looked at the photos. I just wanted somewhere clean and private, and with a pool." She gestured at the expansive space around them. "But this house... it's exactly what I described to you and Kieran that day when we were talking about my dream of a mermaid pool. The Spanish style, the red tile roof, even the layout with the courtyard between wings of the house."
She walked to the edge of the pool, the soles of her new shoes silent on the decorative tiles. "The only thing missing is that underwater viewing window I talked about - you know, cut into the hillside on the far side." She laughed softly. "I guess that was a bit too fantastical, even for an Airbnb."
Jacinth's dark eyes sparkled with something that might have been amusement, but she remained uncharacteristically quiet as Mandy continued her inspection of the pool area.
"It's uncanny, really," Mandy mused, bending down to run her hand along the smooth stone coping that edged the pool. "The cream-colored walls, the red tiles, even the wrought iron details - it's like someone pulled the image straight from my imagination." She shook her head in wonder. "What are the odds of finding exactly the house I dreamed up, just when I needed it?"
"What are the odds," Jacinth murmured beside her.
Chapter
Twenty-One
Mandy floatedon her back in the pool, letting the water cradle her. The late afternoon sun warmed her face while the cool water supported her effortlessly. Nothing but pure, blissful weightlessness. It was her third week here in the Airbnb, and she was still loving it as much as she had the day she arrived. She'd be sorry to go home tomorrow, if she were honest with herself.
A familiar ringtone shattered the peaceful moment - Sabrina's special tone, "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun." Mandy's eyes flew open. Water sluiced off her body as she quickly made her way to the pool steps.
She reached for her phone on the nearby lounger with one hand, grabbing her towel with the other. Droplets of water spattered the phone's screen as she hurried to answer before it went to voicemail.
"Hi sweetie, what's-"
"Mom! Oh my god, Mom!" Sabrina's voice blasted through the phone, forcing Mandy to hold the phone away from her ear. "Turn on the TV right now! Hurry!"
"Oh, I'm out at the pool," Mandy said, still dripping despite her efforts with the towel.
"Pool?" Sabrina's voice held a note of confusion.
Oops. Mandy's stomach dropped as she remembered her cover story. She was supposed to be at a rehab place. Right. "Yes, there's a pool here," she said quickly. "It's part of the physical therapy program. Aquatic exercises are really good for recovery."
"Oh, that makes sense." The excitement returned to Sabrina's voice. "But Mom, you need to get to a TV right now!"
"Okay, okay, let me get back to the… to my room." Mandy gathered her things one-handed, trying not to drop the phone. Water dripped steadily from her swimsuit onto the decorative tiles as she hurried toward the glass doors. "Give me just a minute to get there and dry off."
She padded through the doorway, leaving wet footprints on the terra cotta floor as she made her way to the living room. Mozart and Bach watched her hasty entrance with typical feline indifference from their sunny spots on the window seat.
"Almost there," she told Sabrina, reaching for the TV remote. "What channel am I looking for?"
"Just turn it on! Any news channel! You won't believe- " Sabrina's breathing came in excited gasps. "Oh my god, Mom, hurry!"
"Slow down, honey. What's going on?" Mandy reached for the remote. "Okay, okay, I'm doing it." Mandy clicked on the TV, navigating to the local news channel. "Though I don't see what could be so-"
"Shhh! Just watch!" Sabrina's voice trembled with barely contained excitement. "Tell me when you see it!"
Mandy's mouth fell open as she stared at her TV screen. The newscaster's voice barely registered through her shock as shaky cell phone footage played, showing a bear emerging from a stand of trees, pursuing a terrified man in hiking gear.
"Are you seeing this?" Sabrina's voice squeaked through the phone.
"Oh God! That man! If he's getting eaten by the bear on live camera, I'm not watching!" Mandy shuddered, reaching for the power button on the remote.
"No! Mom, no! Keep watching!"
A woman darted into frame from behind some trees. Not much could be seen of her but her hiking clothing and mass of red hair. Mandy's grip tightened on her phone as she witnessed the impossible. The woman's form blurred, shifted, and suddenly a red fox stood in her place. The fox launched itself at the bear, latching onto its ear with sharp teeth.
"Oh my god," Mandy whispered, her jaw dropping. She leaned forward, transfixed by the footage.
The fox released its grip on the bear, landing lightly on all four feet, and danced away, staying just out of reach of the bear's massive paws. Each time the bear lunged, the fox darted aside with fluid grace, drawing the predator further from the hiker who scrambled to safety.
"Did you see that?" Sabrina's voice trembled with excitement. "She turned into a fox! Right there on camera! Everyone's seeing this!"
