“I own a coffee shop in Irma. Lived there my whole life.”
“Nice little town. Bet you know everyone. Know everyone’s deepest and darkest secrets.”
“Most people.” Brooke’s laugh had an edge to it. “Irma’s a small town, and the grapevine is highly active. Especially when you own a business like a coffee shop.”
“You could probably write a tell-all book.” George’s smile didn’t change. “Might want to team up with Joe there.”
Joe shook his head as Brooke shrugged. “You look familiar. Are you from Irma?”
“From Irma? Nope. I’ve been visiting the area, though. Which coffee place is yours? Maybe I’ve been in there.”
“Irma Brew. It’s on the main drag through town, next to the bank.”
“Oh, yes. You have those cookies the size of a person’s head.”
“That’s us,” Brooke agreed.
“Sure would like one of those now,” Joe said, moving toward the tent. “A cookie. A proper meal. All would be welcome. Did the temperature drop in here? I’m cold again.”
“A little,” Nick agreed.
The wind seemed to have kicked up again, but it was something more. Not just the physical temperature, but the atmosphere in the room since George had arrived. There was something odd about the man that Nick couldn’t quite decipher.
George’s explanation for being up here was vague. Combined with his story of his truck breaking down a mile down the road, something didn’t add up. The timing was strange.
Had he started up the mountain earlier in the day, before the storm hit, and then been delayed by the broken truck? Or had he driven up in the storm, and the rushing water he had to ford was what caused the truck to stop?
There were three separate river crossings, beginning about a mile down the road, but there were also a pair of cabins near one of the crossings. If that was where he ran into trouble, why not slip into those cabins? Why walk all the way to Bearwater?
Nick studied George again. The man looked completely relaxed in the camp chair. He had noticed the sidearm in the shoulder holster earlier. George had done nothing to hide it. Nick wouldn’t have either.
He’d asked Brooke about bringing a pistol on the run in addition to the bear spray, but both had decided against it. Themain reason was that his 9-millimeter wouldn’t have done much against a bear the size of the one they had seen that morning. It might make the bear angry, and it would just keep coming. From the looks of George’s gun, the caliber wasn’t suitable for a bear either.
One good thing about George’s arrival was that it seemed to calm Kelsey. She no longer moved from window to window, peering through the boards. Instead, she had taken a position against the wall. She didn’t sit, but leaned there, alert. Her body stayed still, and only her eyes roamed, taking in the room.
“Kelsey,” Nick said. “Are you warm enough?”
“I’m fine.” She didn’t look at him. “Tired. It’s been a long day.”
“Tell me about it,” George said, and Nick caught the way his gaze lingered on Kelsey. “These mountain storms can really wear you out. Especially when you’re not expecting them.”
Kelsey’s shoulders went rigid, but she avoided George’s gaze.
“The weather service said the storm wouldn’t hit until about now,” Gina said. “We thought we had a clear window.”
“Weather’s funny up here,” George replied. “Can change without much warning. Good thing there are places like this to wait it out.”
“True,” Nick agreed, still struck by the strangeness of George’s appearance. When he arrived, he was wet but showed none of the signs of cold or exhaustion that came from fighting through a blizzard. He even looked better than Joe, who had been resting for several hours.
Nick considered asking George exactly where his truck had broken down, but something held him back. Deep in his gut, he knew the man was lying. At the same time, a growing unease told him that pressing for answers might not be wise. Watch and wait; that was his best option.
Nick’s gaze found Gina near the camp stove. Whatever George was hiding, Nick would be ready.
“So, you’ve all been to Bearwater before?” George asked the group.
“A few times,” Gina said. “It’s a popular spot for hiking.”
“And other things,” George added with that same easy smile. “Amazing how useful old buildings can be when people need to conduct business away from prying eyes.”
