AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“A guy can hope.”
Searching for what they needed took thirty minutes longer than they’d planned. But they bought enough food to last two days. Back on the road, they headed north just as the skies opened in a downpour. Despite the slick roads, they followed the instructions Birk had laid out in his email.
Lucien kept to the main thoroughfare, circling the lake, then took an offshoot access road to reach the cabin. The heavy rain let up, but the mist soon turned into fog, shrouding their view of the landscape and obscuring mile markers.
Just when they were about to give up ever finding the place, Beckett stepped toward the edge of the lane, waving them down. “What took you guys so long?”
Brogan hit the button to roll the window down. “Grocery shopping, bad weather, twisty roads, an unfamiliar area, take your pick.”
Beckett directed them to a patch of trees a few yards down the road. “The cabin’s behind those cottonwoods and cypress.” He took a key from his jeans pocket and handed it to Brogan. “Why don’t you unload the Jeep, put your food away, and then head back here for a cookout? That way you don’t have to worry about supper.”
“Sounds great, but what about the weather?” Brogan asked, glancing up at the dark clouds.
The ex-Navy Seal made a face. “Don’t be such a wuss. A little rain never hurt anybody. Besides, this soupy stuff is supposed to clear out by tonight.”
“We’ll be there,” Lucien said, sending him a wave before hitting the gas. As the trees came into view, he turned into a dirt pathway that led to a quaint cottage built out of white pine. It had a covered porch with a pair of handcrafted Adirondack chairs painted bright red.
“What do you think?” Lucien prompted.
“It’s a little late to be asking that. But it looks like a 1930s farmhouse and a country cottage had a baby. It has plenty of character, though, like the town.” She got out and walked up the steps to the porch, which creaked under her weight. She stuck the key in the lock and peeked inside, getting her first look at the original beadboard walls. The living space was small, the kitchen an afterthought, but it had two bedrooms with comfy-looking queen beds.
“It’s got indoor plumbing,” she shouted, standing in the scaled-down bathroom with one sink and a walk-in shower.
She walked out in time to take grocery sacks from Lucien and head to the galley kitchen while he tossed their bags onto one of the queen beds. “The bed has a good bounce to it. We’ll be okay.”
He stared out the living room window as the fog began to move east over the water. “Look at this view.” He held up his phone, swiped to the camera app, and snapped a picture.
Brogan put away the groceries, except for the steaks. “We’ll bring these with us, contribute to the meal.”
“Bring a jacket, maybe a couple of blankets. It’s gonna get mighty chilly tonight.”
Thirty minutes later, bundled up in a jacket and a blanket across her lap, she watched as the men stood over a fire pit where they planned to grill steaks. She sat in the glow of the campfire, enjoying the warmth.
Birk and Beckett had set up camp in their yard, a grass strip spreading along the front of a thirty-foot shiny, grayish-blue motorhome.
Birk handed her a footed glass with a topaz-colored liquid.
“What’s this?”
“Cognac. That’ll warm you up properly, or my name isn’t Birch Callahan.”
Amused, she studied his face and the shine in his eyes. “How many of these have you had?”
“I’m not cold,” Birk explained with a wink. “While I savor French brandy, I’ll let my uncivilized, heathen brother toss back the beers.”
“Lucien’s doing his share of tossing back,” she muttered before taking her first sip of the warm liqueur. “Wow. This is good. Do I taste a hint of vanilla?”
“That’s the secret to a good, hot brandy. But you gotta drink up. Don’t leave it sitting in the glass.”
She held up her drink in salute, then took a giant slug. “It’s certainly tasty. I’ll say one thing for you Navy Seals. You guys know how to host a cookout. Need help with the steaks?”
Beckett rubbed his hands together before picking up the meat and tossing it onto the grill. The steaks made a sizzling sound when they landed on the metal. “Nope. I’ve got it covered.”
She believed he did. He had a set of fancycast ironcookware any chef would be proud to own.It was the best-outfitted barbecue she’d ever seen. And she’d attended her fair share of beach parties and picnics.Beans bubbled in one pot while potatoes simmered in adutch oven.
“So, what’s the latest on the Dolworth case?” Birk asked, sipping his cognac.
“How long do you have?” Lucien answered, laying out all the data on Vincent Jarreau. “Vince’s mom told a convincing story.”
