Legacy, page 8
“It’s just up ahead,” Jo said, still pulling her along. Andy hadn’t tried to free her hand, so she took that as a good sign.
The cabin had been built on the highest flat part of their small mountain, but it wasn’t quite at the top. Jo led the way to the peak, some hundred feet up a steep trail, and when they reached a small, rocky plateau, the trees opened up, revealing the entire valley. She heard Andy’s breath catch at the sight, and the two of them stopped to take it in. From here, the view was unbroken—no roads, no buildings, no power lines, nothing but trees and hills and the steeper peaks of higher mountains, a vast sea of green and yellow in all directions. The sky was a crystalline, cloudless blue, and the sun shone down as if on heaven itself.
Andy was standing next to her now, holding her hand as comfortably and naturally as if she’d always done it. Jo gave it a slight squeeze, and Andy grinned down at her, her eyes the same intense blue as the sky.
“It’s amazing.”
Jo nodded in simple agreement, and they continued to stand there in silence, the majesty of the view not needing an explanation or conversation.
“Sorry to interrupt,” Carter said behind them.
They both jumped a little and turned around. Andy’s hand slipped from hers, and Jo had a stab of regret. Carter was grinning, and Jo knew she’d seen them.
“What’s up?”
“We’re missing some of our equipment. I just wondered if you put it somewhere.”
“I didn’t move anything. What’s missing?”
Carter waved a hand dismissively. “It’s fine. We’ll keep looking. Just wanted to ask.”
“We’d be happy to help,” Andy offered. Jo warmed with pleasure at the word “we.”
Again, Carter waved. “No, no, really, it’s fine. I must have put it down somewhere and forgot.”
“No, please. Let us help.”
Andy started toward Carter, and Jo regretted the interruption before moving after them and down the trail. At least she knew now what it took to impress Andy—the very thing she loved herself.
The three of them joined the others, all of whom were searching around the camp, lifting tarps that had been set up around the camp to cover various piles of equipment to keep them out of the weather.
“What are we looking for?” Andy asked.
“Some shears and a little saw I brought up. They’re all bundled with a red bungee cord. I thought I put all the stuff over there on the porch when I was unloading the cart, but I guess not.”
Jo could remember seeing the bundle Carter was describing. They’d tied the tools together to keep them from rattling too much up the hill. Jo also remembered seeing the bundle on the porch this morning with the rest of the outdoor supplies. She went there first but didn’t see it. She walked around the outside of the cabin, moving loose, leafy branches and pine boughs aside, raising piles of branches and vines they’d already tied together with the twine, but by the time she’d circled the whole cabin, she still hadn’t found the missing shears and saw.
Carter was standing by the porch, hands on her hips, frowning.
“I would have sworn they were right here,” she said, pointing at the spot Jo remembered.
“I saw them there, too,” Jo said.
“So where did they go?”
Jo shook her head. “I don’t know, but it can’t be far. I’m sure they’ll turn up eventually.”
She heard laughter and saw Rachel and Andy talking by the fire pit, both of them smiling and gesturing wildly. They were a little too far away to hear clearly, but she could detect a hint of excitement in their tone and movements. Meg was standing near them, smiling slightly at the two of them.
Jo and Carter walked closer, and Andy and Rachel stopped talking to smile at them.
“You’ll never believe it,” Rachel said.
“What?”
“Andy and I went to the same high school.”
“Back in California?”
“Yeah! Talk about a weird coincidence.”
Andy nodded and laughed. “We even had some of the same teachers.”
“Including Ms. Preble, the lesbian band director.”
Andy fanned her face as if it were hot. “I was in band just so I could look at her.”
Rachel laughed. “Me, too. Three years of the flute.”
“The oboe!”
They both burst out laughing again, and Jo and Carter shared an amused grin. Carter lifted one eyebrow and nodded slightly at Andy. Jo winked in return.
Everyone turned at the sound of the cabin door opening, and Jo saw Daniela come outside, her expression dark and troubled. She lifted a hand briefly and then signed, Hey, Jo, could I see you for a minute?
Jo glanced at Carter and then at Andy. “Excuse me.”
“No problem.”
Jo walked over to Daniela on the porch.
What’s up?
Can I show you something inside?
Jo nodded and followed her in. Daniela led her into one of the bedrooms and then pointed. The bundle of tools was sitting on top of the antique dresser.
Jo frowned at Daniela. What the hell?
Daniela shook her heard. I don’t know. I can’t figure it out. That’s why I wanted to show you. She stared at her, hard, before continuing. You didn’t do this, did you? To scare me?
A flash of hot anger swept through Jo. No! Why the hell would I do that?
Daniela continued to stare at her, her face still dark and almost angry, before her expression cleared and she nodded. Sorry. I just had to ask. You and Andy were the last people in here, and I just thought…She shrugged.
Jo spun away and closed her eyes, clenching her fists. She took a couple of deep breaths to calm down and made herself let go of the anger. After all, it was true—she had been the last person in here. That earlier sorrow threatened to sweep over her again. Daniela clearly thought very little of her to suspect her of this. She turned back to her.
Well, it wasn’t me, and it wasn’t Andy.
So how did it get in here?
Jo paused, thinking. The others had been looking around outside for the tools, too. If any of them had put the tools in here, they wouldn’t have been searching outside. That or someone was trying to play a trick on everyone, but that seemed pretty far-fetched. Meg had a silly sense of humor, so it could be her, or maybe Rachel, but she couldn’t imagine Carter doing this for any reason.
I don’t know, Daniela. I really don’t.
Well, they didn’t move here on their own.
I know. That’s why it’s so weird.
Should we tell Carter?
She’d asked Carter the same question about the pile of furniture—the pile that had been in this very room on top of this dresser. Now three things had happened in here—the weird furniture pile, her book, and the tools. She glanced around, trying to understand what was happening. This bedroom was just like the other one, both of them still somewhat darkened by the branch-covered windows. Still, the longer she was here, the more it seemed like this room was different somehow—lighter and warmer than the rest of the cabin. The other rooms were cool, almost chilly, but this one seemed almost as hot as it was outside. Her skin began to crawl, and she shuddered before shaking her head hard to clear it. She told herself she was imagining things, making herself feel things that weren’t there. Still, she couldn’t help but take a few careful steps away, back and out of the bedroom. She didn’t want to be in there.
Daniela was hugging herself, her face creased with concern, eyes frightened. Jo touched her arm.
It’s going to be okay. There must be some explanation.
Daniela shook her head. But what?
Jo had no response, and she waited as Daniela picked up the tools and followed her out into the main room. Daniela set them down on the couch and turned toward her as if expecting a response. Again, Jo knew she was imagining things, but she felt a great deal of relief being out of that bedroom.
Who’s sleeping in there? Jo asked. Yesterday, after they’d returned from their trip to the ranger station, Jo had fallen almost instantly asleep on the couch. Carter and Meg had woken her throughout the night, as Andy had directed, but she hadn’t noticed which room they were staying in.
Me and Carter.
Jo thought that might be a bad idea, but she couldn’t think of any real reason for why that would be the case. In fact, she thought, no one should be staying in there. But again, she couldn’t come up with a way to convince the others of that without telling everyone what had happened. She certainly didn’t want to scare anyone unnecessarily. There must be some kind of explanation.
Daniela was slightly pale, her lips pinched. I don’t like this, Jo.
Jo suppressed a shudder. Me, either.
I don’t know why, but I’m scared. Something’s wrong. I feel like something happening, like someone—
The front door opened, making both of them jump. Carter came in, blinking again in the dim light. She frowned, and then her face cleared when she saw the bundle of tools near them.
“Oh good, you found them. Where were they?”
Jo threw Daniela a quick glance, and Daniela shook her head, almost imperceptibly.
“In here, for some reason. I guess I must have brought them in without thinking about it.”
“That’s weird.”
Jo nodded.
“Anyway, you should come back outside. Andy’s making us mid-afternoon cocktails as a treat.” She paused, smiling. “And Jo—if you don’t ask her out, I’m going to kill you.”
Daniela smiled at her. No shit. Ask her out before one of us does it first.
“Okay, okay, I’ll do it. Jesus. You guys have no chill.”
Carter smiled. “There’s no such thing as chill with a woman like that.”
None, Daniela said.
The three of them went back outside into the intense heat of the late afternoon, and Jo found Andy’s eyes once she was clear of the door. Andy had been cutting something on the little table they’d set up, and she paused at the sight of Jo, lifting a hand and waving, her smile warm and open.
“Do you like mojitos?” she yelled.
“Hell, yes!” Jo yelled in response.
Carter gave her a slight push. “Ask her now, you chicken, before you lose your nerve. She’s obviously into you.”
Jo squared her shoulders, took a deep breath, and walked down the little steps of the porch, feeling distinctly like she was heading into battle.
Chapter Nine
Jo frowned at her reflection in the mirror of the gas-station restroom. She looked like shit. For one thing, because there were only four beds, she’d been forced to continue sleeping on the couch the last three nights. The tattered cushions, which they hadn’t replaced yet, were even less comfortable than sleeping outside. Also, following Andy’s strict directives, the others had taken turns checking on her every other hour. It had been difficult to sleep knowing they would just wake her up again, which meant she hadn’t slept well in days. The others had finally let her start working on the cabin again yesterday, so her lack of sleep coupled with the physical exertion had clearly taken its toll on her face. The only consolation was knowing that she probably didn’t have a concussion. She felt completely fine now, and she could report that much to Andy. Still, this knowledge didn’t help with the problem she had right now. How could she go on a date looking like this?
The cabin had one working sink in the kitchen, powered by a pump when the generator was running. The pump drew directly from their well. They had to be a little careful with the water, though, as the water table was refreshed only by snowfall and the very occasional rain, so their family had never bothered to install a shower or a toilet. Jo had a camp shower she used sometimes, but she hadn’t brought it this trip. Now, staring into the mirror, she cursed herself for being so lazy. She was filthy.
Rather than try to clean up at the cabin, knowing she’d only get dirty again on her hike down the mountain, Jo had decided to stop in Estes and wash there as best she could. She’d spent a fruitless hour trying to find a public restroom with a mirror before parking here at this gas station. The flickering neon light in here was doing nothing for her appearance.
She spent a long minute scrubbing her hands, clearing out the black gunk under her fingernails, and then washed her face and wetted down her hair as best as she could. She’d forgotten to bring any soap down with her, so she had to use the pink powdered crap from the dispenser in here. Luckily, she kept her hair short, and the little black comb she remembered to bring made quick work of taming her loose curls. Wet, her hair was almost brown, but it always dried into a sandy blond. As Rachel had pointed out, her hair was lighter than Carter’s, but only just. Now, frowning at the mirror again, she thought that anyone seeing them side by side would genuinely believe they were twins.
“That’ll have to do,” she told herself.
Despite the relatively early hour, the sun outside was blindingly bright and already hot. Down here in town, some two thousand feet below their cabin, it was always warmer than up there, but Jo could hardly believe this heat wave. Weather in Colorado had warmed and dried over the course of Jo’s lifetime, but she’d never seen a September like this one. Usually this was the only time of year they got any significant rainfall, but not a single drop had fallen since the beginning of last month. The air was dry, the water levels low all over the state. All it would take was one careless cigarette butt thrown out a window, and they’d have a major forest fire.
She reached into her pocket and pulled out the little note Andy had given her. Andy and another ranger shared an apartment here in town on their off days. After she’d finally nerved herself up to ask her out—this after one strong mojito the other afternoon—Andy had offered to cook her breakfast today, her next morning off. It had seemed like an easy, casual thing at the time, a nice idea for a first date, but now Jo could feel her nerves starting to knock at the corners of her mind. Doubt was leaking in, and she started to wonder why Andy had suggested something so intimate, so private. There were plenty of nice restaurants here in Estes, so why meet at Andy’s place?
Jo went to her car and pulled out her map of town, finding Andy’s street a few seconds later. Her phone worked here in town, but it hadn’t occurred to her to turn it on again for navigation. A week without using it had already broken the habit.
Ten minutes later, she pulled into the guest parking spot in Andy’s apartment complex and sat in the car for a minute or two, trying to calm down. Her heart was racing and her hands shaking. She bunched and unbunched her fingers, trying to get them to still, then made herself get out of the car. If she waited too long, her nerves would just get worse.
Andy’s apartment was on the second floor, and she stood outside the door without doing anything, trying to work up her courage. Finally, she knocked lightly and waited, realizing she should have used the bell. The door opened, and a man stood there, grinning at her.
“You must be Jo,” he said. He held out his hand. “I’m Drew—the roommate. But don’t worry. I’m on my way out.”
Jo relaxed and shook his hand. “Nice to meet you.”
She followed him in, and he closed the door behind her before looking her up and down. He let out a low whistle and winked at her. “Oh, you’re cute. Totally cute.”
She laughed. “Thanks?”
“I can see why Andy likes you. Just her type.”
Jo laughed again, the remains of her nerves leaking away. Drew was slight, almost delicate, his face elfin and mischievous. Even in his drab uniform, he managed to be somewhat stylish—the cut of the shirt tailored, perhaps, to his small frame. He was shorter for a guy, about Jo’s height at five-seven, his hair a silky, peroxide blond that draped down over one side of his forehead. Jo couldn’t be sure, but she thought he was wearing bronzer on his cheeks.
“She’s just finishing now,” Drew said, pointing down the hall. “I’ve got to jet.” He paused, peering at her closely. “You know, if this goes well, we should all go out sometime. My boyfriend would get a kick out of you.”
“How can you tell?”
He laughed. “I just can. I can read people, and you two would totally get on. He’s like you and Andy—the outdoors type.”
“Aren’t you?”
He shrugged. “Yeah, but I’m more of the working-with-the-public type of ranger. I do easy nature walks with old people and talks with the kiddies.” He gave her arm a brief squeeze. “Anyway—good luck. Hopefully I’ll see you again soon.”
“Bye.”
She watched him leave and then stood there by the door, taking calming breaths. Her stomach was doing those funny flips and turns again. She made herself walk down the hall, the smell of cooking meat growing stronger and stronger the farther she walked. The hall opened into a combined kitchen, eating, and living room. Andy had her back to Jo, cooking something on the stove. She had earbuds in, and Jo heard her humming softly to herself. Jo could have stood there watching her the rest of the morning. Like the other day on the mountain, she was dressed simply in dark shorts and a T-shirt, but she made her simple clothes look better than they had any right to be. Her hair was clipped up on top of her head in a messy, loose bun, a few tendrils of that spun gold hanging out in little careless wisps on the back of her neck. Even cooking bacon, she was a vision.
Andy turned around and jumped at the sight of Jo, almost dropping the pan. She grinned and set the pan on a trivet before taking out her earbuds.
“Drew let you in?”
“He was on his way out.”
“Oh, that’s too bad. Still, I’m glad you got to meet him. He’s the best roommate. And a good friend. I don’t know what I would do without him, sometimes.”
“How long have you guys lived together?”
Andy looked at the ceiling. “Two years? About that anyway. We’ve known each other longer than that, though.” She indicated the two chairs at the small breakfast-nook table, and they both sat down.
“Living with him works out great. Rent up here is really high, so we save money splitting this place. And then we’re both up at the park three or four days a week, so most of the time just one of us is here. We only overlap maybe once a week.”
