Crafting Disorder (Ponderosa Pines Cozy Mystery Series Book 2) Read online

  One of the hunters slumped over.

  But the worst was yet to come.

  As though in a bloodlust frenzy, the townspeople went to work on the rest of the hairy family. Soon, even the Sasquatch children—Veronica’s two eldest—lay dead on the ground, while the hunters looked on in utter shock.

  The shock turned to fear, though, when Nate cast an appraising eye over them. “What should we do with this bunch? Can’t have any witnesses.”

  Already pale faces blanched to deadly white.

  “You can’t.”

  “No! Please, I have a family.”

  “Omigod! Look!”

  A ghostly figure rose from the darkness to hover above the ground.

  EV put her hand to her mouth to stifle the giggles. It was Chloe in that damned Yeti suit, and she’d done something to it to make it glow. From her position, EV could see the two black-suited figures holding Chloe up by her legs, but she’d bet anything they were invisible from where the hunters huddled.

  “I am the ghost of….” Chloe intoned, then paused.

  The group of hunters stood, transfixed, waiting for her to continue.

  “Put me down.” Chloe spoke in her normal voice. Once on the ground, she pulled off the Ghillie suit hood to reveal her own normal features, and strode over to where the hunters stood with mouths hanging open. “Exactly how stupid are you people?”

  Before anyone could answer, she broke into a patented Chloe-rant. “You show up here uninvited, invade our privacy, and generally wreak havoc for what? Fame and fortune? What is it that goes on in your little pea brains that makes you think you’re entitled to do whatever it is that you want?”

  Dubicki was the first to catch on. The others didn’t understand until the dead Sasquatch family began to rise from the ground.

  “This was all a hoax? There was never a sighting? You people have been stringing us along for weeks.”

  “Tonight was a prank. Happy Halloween, and welcome to our version of a haunted hayride. And if you thought there was a sighting, it was all in your tiny minds. I repeat. NO ONE INVITED YOU TO COME HERE. You did that of your own accord, and we figured the only way to get rid of you was to give you what you came for. Now, you have a choice, you can pack up and get out of town tonight, or we can press charges against you for trespassing, since you’re currently standing right in the middle of posted land.”

  “Maybe it’s us who should press charges.”

  “For what? None of you has been harmed, and I don’t think there’s a law against scaring people. Nate, you want to back me up on that?”

  “She’s right. You came here willingly. You’re trespassing on private land. I know the owner’s around here somewhere. EV, where are you?”

  “Right here.” EV pulled off her mask and stepped forward. “I’ll decline to press charges as long as you all promise you’ll be gone by morning.”

  “Okay—okay, we’ll go, but just out of curiosity, can you tell us about the image Mrs. Pruitt posted online? I’d like to hear the story.”

  “It was me,” Christian stepped forward. “A misunderstanding. I was lost in the woods, but now, I’m home.”

  Chapter 29

  The Sasq-Watchers kept their word. By the next morning, they’d gone; leaving behind a field full of litter and a demoralized Sabra, who had gotten caught up in the buzz. A rumor hit the grapevine that Jim Dubicki wanted to stay with Lottie, but she turned him down.

  Christian planned to stay on for a while, even after his parents left for home. In the meantime, they were spending one week at each of the inns. They were a lovely family. If EV had to predict, Chris would become a permanent Pines resident.

  The final blip left on her radar was the blackmail plot she wanted to unravel, and the single lead she had was the sneaking suspicion her ex was involved. Worse, she was sure Dalton had information on that front, and right now, the two of them were barely speaking.

  And that was another situation she needed to deal with. But not today. Today she had work to do.

  EV hiked down the path toward the fairy garden carrying a large plastic tote. Winterizing the fairy garden always made her feel a little sad. She’d already made several trips back and forth from the truck, hauling in a series of wooden windbreaks that reminded her of folded easels. On the trip to the garden, the tote held burlap, canvas, and twine she would use to wrap some of the larger decorations; on its return trip, it would carry away the smaller, more fragile winged sprites who would wait out the fierce winds of winter cocooned in her garage.

  She made a lovely picture there, surrounded by whimsy, when Dalton happened upon her. Lost in thought, she hadn’t heard him coming.

  “We need to talk.”

  She jumped a little when he spoke. “Deja Vu,” she said.

  In spite of himself, he smiled. “Actually, I need to talk.” The smile fell away to reveal frustration. “Except I’m not sure what to say.”

  EV lost her breath. She knew where this was headed without him saying another word.

  “Before we get into all that, do you have evidence to prove Remy Vincent was behind the blackmail attempt on Evan Plunkett?” She took a page from his book and changed the subject to her ex.

  “I…” He tried to dodge, but the truth flashed across his face. “How did you figure it out?”

  “Seriously? You brought him up time after time. It was either jealousy—which after baring my soul, you should have known wasn’t a factor—or you found out something about him that might be upsetting to me.”

  “It’s uncanny how you always figure things out.”

  “You should also know that he spoke to Lila about me a few weeks ago.”

  “Well, if I’d known that, jealousy might have been a stronger possibility. What did he want?” Dalton’s nostrils flared, but that was the single outward sign that he was furious.

  “Nothing specific. He gave her the shifty vibe, so she called to let me know. I would have told you about it then, if you hadn’t been trying to keep things from me.”

  “Are you sure about that? You’re the champion of keeping secrets.”

  The way he said it, with such dry derision, cut EV to the bone.

  “Whatever you may think, Dalton Burnsoll, a few dates, and a roll in the hay doesn’t give you the right to know every tiny detail of my life. I trusted you with the most painful thing in my past.”

  “I didn’t mean…I was talking about the way you and Chloe worked together when Evan died, and again to find Christian.” Still, he could see why she misinterpreted what he’d said.

  They were going in circles again.

  “What was all you wanted to tell me?”

  “What?” The conversation had gone so far off topic he had to snap his mind back to remember what it was he meant to say. Once he did, he discovered the desire to define their relationship had gone.

  His muttered nothing wasn’t convincing at all. He’d come here to clear the tension; to tell her how he felt about her. She’d thrown him for a loop with knowing Vincent’s connection to the blackmail scheme.

  EV sighed. “I called you as soon as I knew where to find Christian, and I’ve already told you the Ashton thing happened way too fast. Neither of those things holds a candle to what you were hiding from me.”

  “I was just doing my job.”

  Stalling for time, EV fed another fairy into the tote. “Where does that leave us?”

  He wanted her more than ever, but Remy Vincent stood between them as surely as if he were physically still in her life. “Where do you think we are?” Dalton countered. He gently reached out; grasped her shoulders; turned her to face him.

  There was a vulnerability about her he’d never seen before. “I…I have feelings for you.” She bit down on the word love before it crossed her lips. “What we have seems worth exploring…”

  “But,” he finished for her, “You need to put your past with Remy fully to rest.”

  How could he understand her so well? No one else b
esides Chloe ever had.

  “Will you let me help you put him away? Then we can move forward with nothing more standing in the way?” It surprised her how much she wanted him.

  His answer came in the form of a kiss that held more than a promise of the passion he felt.

  “Let’s get this done. I’ve waited for you long enough, Emmalina Valentina Torrence.”

  Chapter 30

  Nate sat in a camp chair on the back deck of his father’s house, a small fire burning in the pit in front of him. Every few minutes, poked at the coals or added another piece of wood absentmindedly. His body was moving, but his mind was somewhere else; with someone else.

  “You need to separate those logs a little; let some air in, or you’ll stifle the flame.” Martin Harper had emerged from inside and watched his son’s expression as he stared into the flames. “Do you want to talk about it?” He asked, knowing full well what was the subject matter of Nate’s recent funk. His son was preoccupied, and Martin hoped he would open up and find a happy resolution.

  Silence stretched between them for several minutes before Nate finally asked, “What made you want to stay here in the Pines when Mom wanted to go chasing a lucrative career in Portland?”

  Martin leaned forward, elbows resting on his knees; in profile, he and Nate resembled one another so closely that if Martin’s salt-and-pepper hair were not visible, it would be difficult to tell the two apart from even a short distance. “I didn’t want to leave because you loved it here so much. It wasn’t until you were a teenager that you felt the pull of the world outside this forest. You enjoyed helping me tend the gardens; you worked in the community, and even told me you wanted to become a Selectman someday.”

  “Really? I don’t remember that.” Nate searched his brain for the trigger that pushed him to want to leave and start a new life outside the confines of home. He recalled one summer, when Chloe had come to visit for a few weeks. They were about 16, and she had just come back from a trip to Costa Rica. While she regaled him with stories from her travels, he had felt his confidence shrinking until it lay curled in a fetal position on the floor of his mind. She had blossomed in the two years since he had last seen her: no more awkward elbows and knees; just bright eyes and wavy blond hair he wanted to run his fingers through.

  Rather than act on his true feelings, Nate wimped out again, even when the perfect opportunity to sweep her off her feet fell into his lap. Walking her home after watching some chick flick together, Chloe made a remark about how your soul mate could be your best friend and you might never realize it.

  The next thing he knew, he was standing in the fairy garden—a section of forest trail decorated with twinkly lights and hundreds of fairy figurines—looking down at Chloe, and knowing she expected him to kiss her in order to test the theory. His past experience—all of five minutes spent in a closet with Jessica Donato the winter before—was not going to help him here.

  Heart pounding so loudly she must be able to hear it, he had looked into her eyes—fallen into them was probably more accurate—and seen his future. Wanting this moment to stretch out forever, but needing it to end before it killed him, he bent down to touch his lips to hers. Smelling like candy and shampoo, she leaned closer; her eyes fluttered shut.

  Out of nowhere, nervous laughter bubbled up just as his lips touched hers; she giggled too, and the moment was lost. By the time they emerged from the woods, Nate had managed to cover his disappointment enough to say goodnight. Feeling pathetic, he stomped home to relieve the frustration by punching his pillow.

  That’s when Nate’s attitude about the Pines shifted. He wanted to feel he was good enough for Chloe, and he figured she needed someone who had as much worldly experience as she did. After a while, he resigned himself to the fact that she would probably wander the globe forever; and though he had done his fair share of traveling, it wasn’t a life he wanted in the long-term. So, he turned to his career for fulfillment, and spent his off time pursuing a series of ill-fated relationships. Nobody would ever live up to his ideal, and he had started to think he would be a bachelor forever.

  Worse, he had created an association between the pain of loving Chloe and his hometown.

  Nate’s epiphany happened over only a few moments, but suddenly he was thinking clearly. “Thanks, Dad.” He bolted through the back door and through the house while Martin stared after him. “You’re welcome. I guess.”

  * * *

  Chloe had barely settled onto the couch with a cup of tea and a book, Sugar and Spice curled up at her feet, when she heard the front door open. Great, she thought, I was hoping for a quiet evening. Hasn’t there been enough craziness for one week? “Who’s there?” She called out loud. As though they knew someone they liked was at the door, the kittens ears perked and they sprinted toward the entryway.

  Before she could untangle herself from the chenille blanket covering her legs, Nate burst into the living room, Sugar purring contentedly in his arms and Spice hanging from his pants as she tried to claw her way up his body. He tried to set Sugar down on the floor, but she leapt back into his arms, so Nate sat down on the other end of the couch and let both cats rub against him.

  “Can we talk, please?” He directed at Chloe, who was, at this point, dealing with a number of emotions: surprise, curiosity, hope, nervousness, and a fascination with his fingers as they stroked tawny fur.

  “So talk.” She retorted, unwilling to break until she knew exactly what had brought him here.

  “I’m not dating Elise. She’s a private investigator who’s been helping with the blackmail case. I didn’t tell you, at first, because the town elders closed the investigation, and I was trying to keep things quiet.”

  He squirmed a moment, then stood to remove a handful of cat toys he hadn’t noticed until he was sitting on them. Framing his next admission, he tossed a fuzzy mouse toward the kitchen; smiling when two lithe bodies scrambled for the toy.

  The rest of his confession came in a rush, “After that, I didn’t tell you because it seemed to bother you so much, and I was mad at you for dating when I thought we were both on the same page. I’ve wanted to tell you how I feel for a long time; longer than you even realize. When you moved back, I thought you’d stay for a bit and take off; I didn’t want to get involved and have you leave again. But you’re not leaving, and neither am I. I’m moving back to the Pines for good, Chloe. And I’ve loved you since we were kids.”

  Before Nate could continue, Chloe launched herself onto his lap and planted a kiss square on his lips. Nate wrapped his arms around her as the kiss slowed and deepened; he stroked her back, ran his fingers through her silky hair. She tasted like spring water: clean, and fresh, and deeply satisfying. The touch of his strong hands caressing her skin so gently made her hungry for more. Her own fingers tangled in his hair, down broad, muscular shoulders, and came to rest on his chest as she pulled away, with effort, to stare into Nate’s glowing eyes.

  “I love you, too. And I’m here, for keeps. I’m yours; I think I always have been.” His mouth found hers again. This time, the kiss ran even deeper than before, and both Chloe and Nate lost themselves in the moment. Joy and desire rolled off them as they clung to one another. Details could be discussed later; they had all the time in the world, now that they were where they were supposed to be.

  The End

  * * *

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  More in the Ponderosa Pines Cozy Mystery Series

  Cat Killed A Rat

  Crafting Disorder

  Caught in the Frame

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