Celebrate in Good Hope (Good Hope #22)

Chapter 2

CHAPTER TWO

Anticipation coursed up Roe’s spine when her Subaru passed the Good Hope town limits. She couldn’t wait to get home. Until she found a job in her field, she was determined to enjoy the oh-so-luxurious cabin that would be hers for the next two months.

When Dakota had offered her the use of her family’s “cabin,” Roe had assumed it would be comparable to the ones she and her friends stayed in when they visited Grand Marais on Lake Superior’s North Shore.

That rustic cabin was not even in the same stratosphere as this place. Less than two miles from Good Hope, the Slattery log home boasted five bedrooms—each with its own bath—and a ceiling that soared nearly twenty feet over an open floor plan.

As soon as she’d stepped inside, Roe had agreed with Dakota that it would be the perfect place for her and her four bridesmaids to gather before the wedding on Valentine’s Day.

Roe might have been here nearly a week, but she had yet to settle in fully. When she’d arrived, she’d checked out all the bedrooms before unpacking in one upstairs.

Though the bridal party wouldn’t arrive until February first, Roe kept everything in its place. Her father, an Air Force officer, firmly believed in order, and the importance of maintaining a tidy space had been drilled into her since childhood.

She had yet to use the two-person Jacuzzi tub in the main suite, but she thought tonight might be a good time to ensure everything worked correctly.

The thought of warm jetted water caressing her bare skin while snow fell gently outside had her body quivering with anticipation.

The forested road to the cabin was dark, but the yard light was a beacon, drawing her toward her destination.

The tall and majestic house soon came into view. Light streamed into the darkness from its four oversized windows. Momentarily struck by its beauty, Roe took a second to figure out what was wrong. She swallowed hard against the tight ball suddenly lodged in her throat.

When she’d left for Muddy Boots this morning, she’d made sure all the lights in the house were out.

Her foot hit the brake, bringing the vehicle sliding to a stop at the side of the lane just outside the reach of the yard light.

Not only were the house lights on, she spotted a pickup truck in the drive. As snow mounded on both sides of the drive, she would need to pull into the cabin’s yard to turn around.

And risk being seen? That wasn’t happening. Neither was backing up the entire distance.

Pulling out her phone, Roe dialed 911.

When car lights came into view behind her Subaru, Roe’s heart jumped.

“The sheriff sees your vehicle.” The soothing voice of the 911 operator sounded in Roe’s ear. “In a second, he’ll be pulling up behind you. Stay in your vehicle. ”

“It’s not a patrol car.” Roe’s voice shook despite her best efforts to control it. “I don’t see any lights on top.”

“Sheriff Rallis was not on duty but chose to take the call.” The woman continued. “You did the right thing in calling and not approaching the house alone.”

This was the second, or maybe the third, time the operator had reassured Roe of that fact. What else was there to talk about, though?

Roe had already answered all the questions. Yes, she’d set the alarm before she’d left that morning. No, she hadn’t given anyone the code. No, she wasn’t expecting anyone.

As she spoke with the operator, Roe feared whoever was in the house would leave and find her parked on the side of the road. The urge to back up the long lane and get as far away as possible was strong, but the operator kept her talking and assured her that help was coming.

The lights drew closer.

Roe tightened her fingers around the phone. “Are you sure that’s the sheriff behind me?”

“Yes, Roe, those are Sheriff Rallis’s headlights. He has made visual contact with your vehicle.”

“Are you sure?” Roe’s breath came in short puffs. “Positive that it’s him?”

Now who was repeating herself?

The questions spoke to her biggest fear, that a friend or accomplice of whoever was in the cabin had come calling and made it to her bumper before the sheriff could.

“Yes. He’s getting out of his vehicle now and approaching your car.” The woman’s voice soothed and reassured. “You can hang up now.”

Roe emitted a shaky breath. “Thank you. Really. Thank you.”

“It’s my pleasure.”

Roe had barely clicked off the call when the man, the sheriff, tapped on her window .

“Miss Carson. I’m Sheriff Rallis.” He held up his badge. “Can we talk?”

The fear that had gripped her in a stranglehold for the past fifteen minutes slid from Roe’s shoulders, leaving her weak and shaky.

Buck up .

Her father’s voice in her head had Roe squaring her shoulders. She rolled down her window, wondering what would come next.

“May I see your driver’s license?”

With hands that shook, Roe took out her license and handed it to him.

He inspected it under the glow of a tiny flashlight before handing it back to her. “Thank you.”

“Are you going to go and see who’s in there?”

“In a minute.” The sheriff stepped back. “Would you get out of the vehicle, please?”

Roe hesitated. Though not as heavy as before, the snow continued to fall, and even from inside her vehicle, she heard the wind whistling through the trees.

Just the thought of exiting her car had her shivering.

A look of understanding crossed his face. “I’d like to speak with you in my vehicle.”

“Okay.” Gratitude that he wasn’t taking off and leaving her alone had her stepping from the vehicle. She glanced around. The surrounding woods had never struck her as spooky, but they did now.

She wondered if whoever was inside was alone. What if he had an accomplice somewhere out here, watching her?

Roe hurried to the sheriff’s vehicle. In less than a minute, Roe sat in the front seat of the SUV with him beside her in the driver’s seat. She studied the laptop perched between her seat and his and watched him run her license and plates.

“Does everything check out?” It was nerves that had her asking the ridiculous question. Of course everything checked out. She was who she said she was, and that was her Subaru.

“It does.” His expression turned reassuring. “We’ll get this figured out.”

Roe wasn’t sure what he needed to figure out. Someone was in the cabin who wasn’t supposed to be there. The sheriff needed to arrest the intruder and haul him off to jail.

Sheriff Rallis angled his body toward her. “Dakota let our office know you’d be staying at the cabin.”

“I got into town on Monday.”

“The dispatcher said that you indicated there were no plans for anyone to join you?”

“That’s correct.”

Her dad would like the sheriff. Like her father, his square-cut jaw and intense gray eyes indicated he didn’t tolerate fools.

Over the next few minutes, he asked the same questions as the dispatcher had and then used his phone to make a call that he put on speaker.

“Krew, this is Cade Rallis. I hate to bother you so late, but we may have some trouble at your cabin.”

“It’s good to hear from you.” Krew’s tone was hearty before turning serious. “What’s up?”

“I have Rosalie Carson here with me now. Were you aware that Dakota gave her permission to stay at your cabin?”

“No.” Surprise filled Krew’s voice. “At least I don’t think I—hold on a minute. Cass,” Krew abruptly called out. “Did Dakota tell a friend she could use the cabin?”

“Yes.” His wife answered immediately. “Rosalie Carson. You’ve met Roe. Dakota asked if it’d be okay, and I said yes. Did I forget to tell you?”

“Yes, but that’s fine.” Krew’s focus returned to the sheriff. “We’ve got ourselves a problem, but it shouldn’t affect you. I gave the okay for one of our players, who was recently injured, to stay there. Jason Boone should arrive in the next day or two. I’ll call and tell him he needs to find somewhere else to stay.”

“Too late. If I’m not mistaken, he’s already here.” Sheriff Rallis explained about Roe coming home from Muddy Boots and calling 911 when she saw the lights on and a pickup truck in the drive.

Krew swore. “I’m sorry to be dragging you into this mess. I should have told Cass that I’d offered the cabin to Boone. She’s been busy with this wedding stuff, and things with the team have been crazy.”

“It’s no problem.” The warmth in the sheriff’s tone told Roe he liked Dakota’s dad.

“Boone’s a good guy, solid.” Krew hesitated. “The place is big enough for two if Roe decides she’s okay with him staying. I’d trust him with any of my kids. But he’s a stranger to her, and if she wants to give him the boot, that works, too.”

“Thanks, Krew. I’ll let you know the final decision.”

“Appreciate it. Give our love to Marigold and the kids.”

“Same to Cass and Axl.” The sheriff dropped the phone back into his pocket.

“What’s the plan?”

“Once I make sure it’s Jason Boone in there, you can decide.”

“Decide?” A cold chill traveled up Roe’s spine.

“Whether he stays or goes.” Cade put the vehicle into gear, angled it around Roe’s Subaru in front of him and drove the rest of the way to the house. “You heard Krew—the decision is yours.”

The sound of a car engine had Boone moving to the window and parting the curtains just in time to see an SUV stop in front of the house.

Boone frowned. The way his day had gone, it figured something else would go wrong. He really didn’t want to pull on his boots and go outside to see what was going on, but when he saw the tall man with broad shoulders and an almost militarylike bearing step out, he didn’t see he had much choice.

When he opened the door, Boone saw not only the man but a woman standing beside him.

The sight of her had the incision just under his left ribs aching as recognition flashed.

The man flashed a badge. “I’m Sheriff Cade Rallis. You’re Jason Boone?”

“Have been all my life.” Boone stepped back and motioned the two inside. “Come inside where it’s warm. What’s this about?”

“Do you have identification on you, Mr. Boone?” It appeared the sheriff planned on doing all the talking.

The woman, about his age or maybe a couple of years younger, stayed a few steps back. With dark hair and brown eyes, she was pretty rather than gorgeous. Her quiet confidence had drawn his attention at the café. That was, until all hell had broken loose.

Pulling out his driver’s license, Boone handed it to the sheriff. After a quick glance, the sheriff handed it back, apparently satisfied he was who he said.

“Mind telling me what this is all about?” Boone asked, returning the card to his wallet.

“Okay if we sit?” Cade gestured toward the overstuffed leather furniture grouped for conversation near a fire that burned cheerily in the hearth.

“Works for me.” Boone glanced at the woman and stuck out his hand. “Jason Boone. Most everyone just calls me Boone.”

“Rosalie Carson. Everyone calls me Roe.” Her voice had a pleasing lilt, and her handshake was firm. She smiled, but her eyes remained serious. “I’m really sorry about the pot pie.”

He waved a dismissive hand and tried not to wince. “Could have happened to anyone.”

“Did you get burned? ”

“Red, but no blisters.” Boone had taken a cool shower when he’d gotten to the cabin, relieved to see the incision intact. “Not yet, anyway.”

“I worried about that.” She stepped closer and reached out one hand.

For a second, he thought she would push up his shirt and take a look herself.

To forestall that possibility, he turned and took a seat on the sofa and turned to the sheriff, who’d snagged a nearby chair.

“I left money on the table for what I ordered,” Boone explained, “even though my food hadn’t arrived.”

The sheriff glanced at Roe. “Do you know what he’s talking about?”

Two bright swaths of pink colored her cheeks. “I dropped a chicken pot pie covered in gravy onto his lap.”

Cade grimaced. “Those are hot.”

Boone gave a humorless chuckle. “Tell me about it.”

Cade’s gaze shifted from Boone to Roe, his expression relaying no emotion. “It sounds like you two are acquainted.”

“Me dropping the pot pie on him was the extent of our interaction.” Roe turned to Boone. “You were out the door before I could make things right. My boss, Beckett Cross, was hoping to locate you. We both wanted to make sure you were okay.”

Boone swept a hand down and offered a reassuring smile. “As you can see, I’m perfectly fine.”

“Okay, well, back to business.” Cade explained the misunderstanding about the cabin.

A startled look crossed Boone’s face. “Seriously? The place is double-booked?”

Cade nodded. “I’m afraid so.”

Blowing out a breath, Boone pushed to his feet. The last thing he wanted was to get into his truck and find a place to stay this late at night, but it appeared the play that had been called had changed, forcing him to scramble. “Mistakes happen. I’ll pack up and be out within the hour.”

Roe stood. “Where will you go?”

“Probably stay the night at a local motel, then head back to Denver in the morning.” Recuperating in a condo with three other players wouldn’t be ideal, but since family wasn’t an option, he’d make it work.

“You’re not going to find a room anywhere on the peninsula.” Cade’s tone remained matter-of-fact. “Holidays are huge around here, especially Christmas. Rooms book up a year in advance.”

“I’ll find something.” Boone spoke confidently. No matter what happened in his life or on the field, he could turn it into a win. This recent injury had been the exception. But he would make that work, too.

Roe walked to the front window and stared out into the darkness, much as he had minutes before. Even from where he stood, Boone saw the snow hadn’t quit falling. If anything, it had picked up again.

There was a snowblower in the garage. He’d planned to wait until the snow quit falling to tackle the driveway. While Boone wasn’t sure the doctor would approve of him handling the monster blower, he’d known he would manage.

He studied Roe’s slender figure and wondered if she knew how to operate a snowblower. Boone pushed aside the thought. Not his problem.

“The snow is increasing,” Roe murmured almost to herself. “I’m glad I don’t have to work tomorrow.”

“Well…” Cade rocked back on his heels, drawing Boone’s attention back to him. “I’m sorry for the mix-up.”

That wasn’t what he meant at all, though perhaps he was sorry. Sorry he had to come out and deal with this on a Saturday night. Sorry he had to kick one of Krew’s players out of the house. But underneath, they both knew what he was saying. Start packing, because I’m staying until you’re gone, and I don’t want to be here all night.

“Like I said, it won’t take me long to pack. I hadn’t had a chance to take much out.” Besides, he’d packed light, figuring if he’d forgotten or needed anything, he’d just buy it. Boone gestured with his head toward the hall leading to the primary suite when something struck him. He turned to Roe. “Where’s your stuff? When I got here, I didn’t see evidence of the cabin being occupied.”

Roe gestured. “I took the first bedroom at the top of the stairs.”

“Why?” Boone asked. “Why not the main bedroom?”

“I considered it.” Roe left the window and stepped closer. “Actually, I went from room to room, trying to figure out which one felt right. It probably doesn’t make sense?—”

“Actually, it does,” Boone began.

“Not to cut this chitchat short, but I’d like to get home sometime tonight.” Cade’s gaze shifted pointedly toward the hallway leading to the main bedroom.

“Oh yeah, sure.” Boone stopped when he felt Roe’s hand on his arm.

“Wait.”

Turning back, he met her steady gaze with a questioning one of his own. That’s when he realized her eyes weren’t brown, but hazel with tiny flecks of gold.

“You don’t have to leave tonight.” Roe told him then refocused on the sheriff. “It’s okay, Sheriff Rallis. Boone and I will work this out.”

The sheriff hesitated. “Are you sure?”

“Krew knows and trusts him,” Roe said, her gaze shifting to Boone. “His word is good enough for me.”