Page 8 of Lucky in Love
“No,” she said. “I’m sorry. I’m a little on edge this morning. Not your problem though.” Her apologetic smile seemed to appease him.
“I saw some canoes tied to the dock. Those for anyone?”
“Oh, yes,” she said. “We don’t take them out of the water until November. The oars and life jackets are in the boathouse. Let us know if you need anything. My assistant takes over the office at noon, and I’m always around somewhere.”
He nodded as he walked out.
Alex sighed. His story didn’t add up, but she had other things to worry about. She jogged to the rec cabin to check on Hugh. The contractor had come through, brought double the workers, and built the whole thing in only five days. Just like he promised.
It was a simple structure, basically a giant rectangle, with a couple of bathrooms and a small kitchen area. The pièce de résistance was the massive stone fireplace at one end. She still couldn’t believe how gorgeous that had turned out.
This week, they were returning to install the bookshelves and storage cabinets. After that, she’d have the furniture delivered and finish decorating.
She envisioned a cozy space campers could hang out during inclement weather. Or as a gathering room for business groups or family reunions. She’d fill it with books, board games, puzzles, and simple craft projects. During the busy season, she would host weekend cocktail hours here.
Hugh was on his back, chest-deep in the cabinet, fiddling with the pipes under the kitchen sink.
“How’s it going?” she asked.
“Good,” he said without leaving his task. “Bathroom’s all set. Gimmie an hour and this’ll be up and running too.”
“Great,” Alex said. “I’m gonna take a quick run, but I’ll be back in a few. My assistant, Lauren, should be here soon if you need anything.”
“All right. Thanks.”
Out on the wrap-around porch—another favorite part of the cabin—she threw a leg onto the railing and bent to stretch. The trail encircling the lake was almost exactly two miles. Alex ran it almost every day, sometimes twice, depending on what she planned to eat for dinner.
She plugged in her headphones and set off, the trees enclosing her within minutes. Running had started as a way to justify extra calories, but had quickly become an addiction. Withdrawal symptoms included surliness and shortness of temper.
The daily routine allowed her to clear and soothe her mind. Tree roots, rocks, and fallen branches made the trail uneven, and staying upright required vigilant focus.
As she came around the backside of the property, she slowed to a jog approaching cabin twelve, her guard still up regarding its occupant’s suspicious story. It was very rare to get walk-ins. In fact, in all the time she’d been in charge, it had never happened.
The guy was handsome, she couldn’t deny that. But handsome men were just as prone to mischief as anybody else. She’d have to keep an eye on him.
As she walked through the parking lot, she spotted him out in the middle of the lake, canoe floating adrift while he took pictures.
When Alex got back to the office, she found Lauren glued to the computer monitor.
“Have you seen this?” Lauren asked. “They still haven’t caught this guy.”
“Yeah. We had three people cancel over it.”
“Uh, make that five. Two more in the last thirty minutes.”
“What? Why? The prison’s fifty miles from here.”
“The news is reporting the theft of a rental car from a hotel in Concord and a robbery in Northfield where the perp took a wad of cash. Authorities think it’s him, and that he’s headed this general direction.”
“Great.”
“Um, what if hedoescome this way?”
“There’s a gun under the counter. Don’t use it unless you have to.”
“Shhh. They’re talking about it again.” She had a newscast tab open on the computer and turned up the sound.
“Last reports were that he stopped by the Peaceful Dove campground in New Hampton, but sped away when the owner tried to confront him. If you see him, do not engage and call the authorities immediately.”
