Page 378 of Cold Case, Warm Hearts

The other option was curious people. The morbid, and those obsessed with true crime. Probably looking for a leftover artifact they could keep as a souvenir. Or they wanted a selfie where a murder had taken place.

All kinds of reasons for all kinds of people.

As Addie pulled under the wooden sign over the road, she realized she did have a reason for coming here. Even if it was only to prove that she could.

Jacob might have lived here ever since, but it didn’t mean he hid any less than she did from their history. They’d survived something horrific. Still, sometimes she felt like she carried it with her everywhere she went. A backpack she couldn’t seem to set down. One that weighed on her shoulders and pulled her down.

Addie pulled up in front of the cabin with an Office sign above the door. She got out and looked around.

The temperature had dropped, so she buttoned her coat. No point letting everyone who saw her know exactly who it was. If they knew the town, they’d put it together, and she’d get into a conversation about how she felt being here.

The only person she wanted to talk about that with had just invited her to dinner.

Worst part? Shewantedto go with him.

She also had a whole lot of work to get back to.

Addie looked around at the serene cabins and the peaceful landscape.

Why did you come here?

Sometimes it was as though she worked up a profile on herself. She probed to find the reasoning behind a word or action. A way to bring understanding.

Usually there was none.

“Good afternoon.” Tall and blonde, a young woman emerged from the house and came down the porch steps.

A long-haired German shepherd followed her.

The woman was sorority beautiful. She wore jeans, a denim jacket, and Timberland boots. In her hands she held a pair of suede working gloves. “Are you looking to check in?”

The question was probing. She probably didn’t have an open cabin, given the cars beside almost all of them, and wasn’t sure why Addie had shown up out of the blue.

Addie tried not to look at the cabin at the far end of the parking area. “I was just in the area, and it’s been a while. I haven’t seen this place since it was fixed up.”

“Oh, great. Well, you’re welcome to look around as long as you don’t disturb any of the residents. If you’d like to see inside the cabins, there’s a portfolio of photos on the website. I can give you a card with the address and my email. Just in case you have any questions.”

“All the cabins are currently occupied?”

The woman nodded. “I’m Lyric Thompson.” She shook Addie’s hand. “And yes, we’re currently full. Next open booking isn’t for three weeks.”

“That’s okay.” She waved the woman off. “I’m Adelyn Franklin.”

Lyric blinked bright blue eyes.

“Yeah, that’s me. Addie is fine.”

The name Lyric suited the woman. She seemed tough but given how striking her looks she could be mistaken for fragile. Or something to be shined and put on a shelf by the kind of guy who had a woman on his arm only for the way she looked.

Maybe that was why she lived out here.

“Addie. Well, it’s nice to meet you.” Lyric shifted. “I hope it’s okay with you that this place was repurposed. It wasn’t fun seeing it the way it was, but I gutted everything. It should look nothing like it did inside. I’m hoping if you did decide to stay here it wouldn’t bring back any bad memories.”

“I hope it wouldn’t as well.” Addie finally let her gaze flit over the cabin at the end. It had been painted lavender. Lyric was correct, it looked nothing like what it resembled the last time she was here.

Snow had been shoveled to the edges of the parking lot. Brown now given how long it had been since it fell. The place looked rustic. Plenty of floral design. A gazebo. Swings for kidsin a play area. A bridge over the creek. There was likely a profusion of flowers everywhere in summer, all wild like the land around this place.

“It looks great.”

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