Page 13 of Out of the Cold

Her last stop was the liquor store, where she bought a couple of bottles of wine while trying to look like someone who’d be throwing dinner parties rather than drinking alone for the next few months.

Before getting back in her car, she sent a group text to her family and a few friends. “Hello from 5,000 feet up. Miss you!” She added a picture of the town with the mountains rising behind it and hit send.

Her phone rang as she let herself in the door and greeted Hilde. Setting her grocery bags on the kitchen table, she pulled the phone out of her purse.

“Hi, Len.”

“Lucy. You made it.”

She smiled at the sound of his voice. “Yes, yesterday afternoon.”

“Are you settling in all right?”

“It’s very comfortable here. I won’t want for anything.”

“Have you met Gabe yet?”

“I’ve seen him a couple of times. He had the place warmed up and ready for me.” She wasn’t going to complain about him, not when Len was doing her such a big favor. But maybe she could extract some information about him. “He’s a bit intimidating.”

“He’s a good man, but not much for chitchat. Anything you need taken care of, though, just ask him. He’s been in charge of the property since last spring.”

“He doesn’t have a job?”

“He didn’t give me a lot of details, but he’s got a business he can manage from there. From what I gather, he needed to get away, but I didn’t ask questions. I don’t expect him to be around permanently.”

Maybe he’d had a bad breakup as well.

“How’s Suzy?” she asked.

“She’s scheduled for surgery next month.”

Len was Mark’s colleague, but she’d hit it off with him the first time they met at the history department’s holiday party. When she ran into him again days after Mark broke up with her, he’d told her about his mountain home.

You never knew who’d come through for you. She’d certainly never thought her relationship with Len would outlive the one with Mark.

She put the phone on speaker and started to unpack the groceries. “Give her my best.”

“I’ll do that. Before I forget, there are some trails on the property you should try. They might be a bit grown in, but they’re well-marked. You’ll see the trailhead directly behind Gabe’s cabin.”

“Is it safe? I heard a mountain lion last night. It woke me up, and I was sure it was a woman being murdered.”

“It’s a shame you heard that your first night. That scream is the female’s mating call, so it’s unusual to hear it this time of year. But if they lose their cubs, they’ll start looking for a mate again, whatever time of year it is.”

“Do you worry about hiking with them out there?”

“I don’t necessarily worry about it, but we take precautions. You don’t want to go out after dusk or before the sun is fully up. We usually go out in pairs, and we don’t take the grandkids when they’re little. Mountain lions generally avoid people, but you should be prepared if you go into the woods.”

“Thanks, Len. I’ll give it some thought.”

“There’s plenty to enjoy without heading into the woods. Town’s a little slower this time of year, but that can be nice, too. You should explore a bit before it’s full of tourists.”

“Good idea.”

“Oh, and make sure you enjoy the hot tub.”

“Hot tub?”

He laughed. “Yes, out on the back deck. Best idea Suzy ever had.”

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