A little laugh, one just shy of hysteria, slipped free. “There are a million doors to this place and workers have been in and out most of the day. I doubt it.” Luke’s crew had been in earlier to install shelving in some of the rooms, but most of the construction work was done. It was all finishing touches now, which fell to me and anyone I hired. His crew had left after lunch.
“Stop whatever you’re doing and march out of there right now. Get in your car, lock the doors and drive straight to The Cozy Cup or some other public place.” Urgency made his tone sharp.
I eyed the cockeyed curtain rod and huffed a sigh. It didn’t look like I was finishing that task today. “Fine. But are you meeting me there?”
“Do you want me to?”
That simple question was loaded with so much more than the words themselves. There were layers to it I didn’t have the time or the brainpower to dissect right now.
So, I went with honesty. “Yes. I do.”
“Then I’ll come,” he answered without hesitation.
The tension holding my shoulders tight loosened. “Okay. Good.” Having him go to town meant he was safe and not alone. I knew he could defend himself, but I still didn’t like the thought of him alone. His injuries made him vulnerable. “I’ll close up here and meet you at The Cozy Cup.”
“Give me a bit. I’ve got to shut the chickens in and throw some things in a bag in case I’m staying in town a few days.” Hepaused “Lana. Don’t dawdle. Put your head on a swivel as you head out to your car and lock your doors the moment you get in.”
“I will. I’ll see you in about twenty minutes.”
He hummed. “Make it thirty. Eloise will give me grief.”
I could hear the smile in his voice and chuckled. “Sounds good.” I eyed the curtain rod again. I could get this one finished, at least. “See you there.”
“Yep.” He hung up.
I stood for a moment in the big empty lobby and took a breath. The world wasn’t crashing down around us. Everyone was safe. Toren and I would meet at The Cozy Cup, and we’d hash out a plan to stay that way.
Feeling more in control and slightly better about the thought of Deke lurking nearby, I finished hanging the curtain rod and put my supplies away.
Cruising through the house, I locked all the doors—the one off the kitchen was not only unlocked, it was unlatched—then exited through the front, locking up. As I walked to my car, I swept my gaze across the grounds, looking for anything out of the ordinary. Thankfully, it was blissfully boring.
Once in my car, I punched the lock button with force, securing myself inside, then started the engine and buckled up.
The drive to the coffee shop took nine minutes. It took me another three to find a parking space. Tourist season had kicked off, so the streets were full of rental cars come down from Juneau for the day. There were even a couple of tour buses parked in the big town lot, likely passengers from one of the cruise ships that docked in Juneau.
Still watching my surroundings, I let myself into The Cozy Cup. Immediately, the hiss of the espresso machine and the rich, earthy scent of fresh coffee eased my nerves a touch.
Behind the counter, Mina held a small, stainless-steel pitcher, steam wafting from it. She glanced up and spotted me,a smile forming on her pretty face. It died as she caught sight of my expression.
The pitcher hit the counter with a clunk. “What happened?”
“Did Luke call you?”
Her eyes rounded. “No. Why? Is it Les?” she asked, referring to our dad.
I shook my head. “Dad’s fine. One of the poachers showed up dead just outside of town. Shot.”
Her eyes closed briefly. “Geez. It wasn’t the truly dangerous one, either, was it?”
“No.”
She finished the drink she was working on, then quickly made another for me, adding my favorite syrups without asking. I wrapped my hands around it as she passed it to me, letting the warmth seep into my hands and deeper, into my bones.
“Toren’s on his way here. We need to figure out what we’re going to do. I want to say Deke’s tying up loose ends, but I think it’s more than that.” The man creeped me out from the moment he entered the tent that night. There was just something about his eyes. They were so cold.
Dead.
I suppressed a shiver and glanced at the clock on my phone. Toren should be here in another ten minutes or so.
