Chapter Five
Perry
I had no idea why it was so difficult leaving Apollo and Starbuck. Maybe it was the scathing looks they sent us as Nate and I left the apartment with our suitcases and duffle bags in tow.
“We may need to sleep with one eye open when we get back,” Nate said as we pulled out of the apartment parking lot. “I’m pretty sure they’ll plot our deaths while we’re gone.”
“Maybe I should warn Gayle. She might be first on their list.”
“She’s their food source, so I think she’s safe. For now,” Nate answered.
“True.”
Nate rested his hand on my thigh and squeezed. “Relax. They’ll be fine. You know Gayle will take good care of them. She’ll spoil them rotten.”
“Minus the treats.”
“Probably. She’s on a mission of weight loss when it comes to the boys.”
“That’s because she’s the one that drove me to their last vet appointment. Their doctor was concerned.”
I shot Nate a scolding look and he caved. “I’ll cut down on the treats,” he promised. “Maybe a week after we return.”
I laughed before the sun blared through the partly cloudy sky. I reached for my sunglasses, covering my eyes and blocking out the worst of the powerful rays.
“You can take a nap if you want.” We’d gotten up far earlier than I was used to, and Nate was being gentlemanly.
“And leave you silently alone? Nope. You got even less sleep than me and you’re driving. I’ll stay awake and keep you company.”
I could tell Nate wanted to ask if that was a good idea. The sun was bright and even with the heavy sunglasses, it might be too much and spark a migraine. Taking a long nap with my eyes closed might be more helpful. I was doing better with my headaches. My neurologist, Dr. Patel, thought it might have something to do with my decreased knee pain. Still, bright light was a trigger.
Nate didn’t say anything. Whatever was on his mind, he kept those thoughts to himself while I remained determined to stay true to my word. It was a Herculean effort, and I lost count of how many yawns I’d let out, but I managed to stay awake
Nate took the exit for Billings State Park and wound toward the entrance.
“Wow, it’s so beautiful,” I exclaimed, wishing I could see it without the darkness of the sunglasses covering my eyes. Even if it was cloudy, I’d still need the darkened shades.
“That it is.” Nate pulled up behind the last car in line. “Looks like the park’s going to be busy. With the weather we’ve been having, I suppose that’s to be expected.”
“I wonder if any of these vehicles are with our group.”
“Might be,” Nate answered. “We’re a little early, but not by much.”
Nate was a stickler for being on time. I could go either way, and it didn’t bother me that he was kind of neurotic about timeliness.
Nate gave the attendant our names and informed them we were a part of the Maverick Insurance retreat and we were let through, the company having taken care of our parking costs.
“If you can handle the trails, we should look into getting a season pass,” Nate said as he followed the signs toward the camp we were staying in. “It’s good for all the state parks. I’ve been to Fort Ben a few times but haven’t been much of anywhere else. It’s something I’ve thought about for a while. Nat and Russ take the kids to the parks and have been to several over the years.”
“Sounds good. My parents took me to a few as a kid, but I don’t remember them well. Dad always wished we’d gone to more. I think it might have been one of his few regrets. My parents were very busy.” I didn’t like to remember how often my parents were gone. To be honest, the good parts far outweighed any negative ones. As far as parents were concerned, I was convinced I’d won the lottery. I was a wanted child born into love. Far too few could claim the same.
Nate glanced my way and said, “You don’t talk about them much.”
I started to protest but swallowed the words. Nate was right. I didn’t speak about Mom and Dad much. “It’s not for bad reasons, but…”
“Good ones?”
“Yeah. I miss them. When I woke up from the coma, my brain was really confused. Dr. Patel said my brain had to rewire itself, and when that happened, some information got misplaced or lost. Some of it is behind doors where the keys have either been misplaced or never forged. Anyway, the point is, when I woke up, I didn’t remember that they were gone. I…Gayle had to tell me. It was like losing them all over again.”
“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have asked,” Nate apologized.
“No, it’s not that. I don’t mind, not really. My therapist says I should talk about them more often. I do think of them, just not like I once did. Trying to remember some of the memories I’ve forgotten hurts my head so I just kind of…stopped.” I wasn’t sure that was the best option. Four years ago, it had seemed like the only option. “Things might be better now. I’m not sure.”
“From what I know, I don’t think they’d want you to hurt yourself trying to remember. You didn’t forget the love. That’s the important bit.”
I nodded. Nate was right. I just wished I could remember all the little things too. Probably some of the big occurrences as well. It was weird having no idea what I didn’t know. Trust me, contemplating that shit is a mindfuck you don’t want to partake in.
We pulled into a parking area designated for the cabins. I could see them in the near distance. There were a dozen cozy cabins creating two semicircles around a central meeting area. From what Nate read to me, there were two larger cabins that could house multiple people. I was glad we weren’t going for the group share. I liked the idea of privacy.
Nate turned off the car, and we got out. He automatically reached for the heavier suitcase and was going for the duffle when I stopped him. “I can grab that.”
“It’s all yours.”
We’d been through that discussion before, and Nate capitulated far quicker this time than in the past.
“Thank you.” I beamed and almost regretted my small victory when I felt how heavy the duffle was. Nate gave me a knowing smirk but wisely kept his mouth shut.
“Perry!”
My head shot up as my eyes scanned the area for that recognizable voice.
“Dr. Schroder?” It was more question than surety. I don’t know why, but I hadn’t thought about her being here.
Dr. Lydia Schroder didn’t take my disbelief to heart and plowed ahead. While diminutive in size, the woman was packed with confident personality. Maybe that’s what years of psychiatric training got you.
“Malcom said you were planning on coming.” She turned to Nate, leaning her head back to stare up at my fiancé. “And you must be the dashing detective I’ve heard so much about.” Dr. Schroder’s hand shot out and grabbed Nate’s before he’d barely had time to raise it. “It’s so nice to meet you.” Technically, I hadn’t officially introduced them, but Dr. Schroder wasn’t wrong.
“Thank you. And please, Nate is fine.”
Dr. Schroder’s cheeks flushed. “Oh, aren’t you just the handsome one. It’s nice to know that, for once, the gossip wasn’t inflated.”
It was Nate’s cheeks’ turn to pinken. “That…uh…that’s probably a bit…”
Dr. Schroder slapped Nate on the arm, nearly toppling him into me. He absently rubbed his arm while Dr. Schroder continued on as if she hadn’t just flustered my fiancé. “Did you know we have assigned cabins?” Dr. Schroder started to lift her hand toward me, probably ready to grab my arm and haul me toward our designated location. Her hand halted at the last moment as she remembered that I didn’t always appreciate such intimate gestures.
“If you’ll follow me, I’ve been here a few minutes, getting the lay of the land. Your cabin is just over there.” She pointed and I noticed our picturesque spot was smack in the middle of the row on the right. “I’ll be right next door. Malcom and I are sharing.”
“Really?” I couldn’t hide the surprise.
“Oh, it’s nothing as salacious as all that,” Dr. Schroder chided. “It just made the most sense. This retreat is meant to be fun, but it’s also a learning experience for Malcom and me. You know how seriously he takes the mental health of his employees, especially in light of recent events.”
“That’s a decidedly delicate way of putting things,” Nate said, and I couldn’t tell from his tone of voice if he was kidding or scolding. If I had to guess, I’d say he hadn’t said it out of kindness.
Dr. Schroder waved him off. “This retreat is meant to be a renewal of sorts. I see no reason to get into specific mentions of past…mistakes.” Dr. Schroder’s tone became decidedly frostier.
“ Mistakes ?” Nate sounded as incredulous as I felt. While I didn’t disagree, I did elbow him in the side and gave him a pointed look when I wordlessly grabbed his attention. Nate simply looked at me and silently mouthed the same word again, his eyebrows high and disbelieving.
“Semantics,” Dr. Schroder answered without missing a beat. “Now, this would be the two of you. I’ve been told the cabins are all similar, so, going by my own, I can tell you that it is small, but comfortably cozy. All the cabins have a queen size bed, bunkbeds, their own bathroom, and a kitchenette. All the comforts of home with all the wonders of nature.” Dr. Schroder threw her arms wide and did a twirl. I’d never seen her this animated.
“Thank you,” I said, interrupting Dr. Schroder’s second spin. “Has anyone else arrived yet?”
“Nope, just the… Oh, hold up, we do have new arrivals.” Dr. Schroder’s attention was thankfully pulled toward the parking lot. “I’ll go and greet our latest arrivals.” And with that, she hustled down the cabin steps and toward the car park.
“That’s not exactly how I imagined her,” Nate said.
“That’s not exactly how I described her,” I answered. “She’s always in a jovial mood, but this is a bit…”
“Much?”
“Yeah. Maybe the cabins are stocked with alcohol.”
Nate threw his head back and laughed. “Maybe. Or perhaps it’s just Malcom’s cabin. Then again, I can’t imagine that man drunk. Malcom’s all about control, and alcohol isn’t conducive to that particular vice.”
I knew Nate didn’t like Malcom, or maybe the better word would be he didn’t trust him. There was something about my boss that rubbed Nate the wrong way. Even still, he rarely spoke poorly of Malcom, at least to me. It wasn’t that I disagreed with Nate’s statement, more the way he’d phrased it.
Ignoring the unpleasant feeling churning in my gut, I reached for the cabin door and turned the handle. It wasn’t locked. We’d been told earlier that the keys to the cabins were inside and the doors currently unlocked.
Nate’s whistle sailed over my head as we entered our home away from home. “Man, this reminds me of being a kid.” Nate walked past me and set our suitcase on the wood floor. “Only I never stayed in a cabin this nice. We were packed into bunk rooms. Let me tell you, a bunch of prepubescent boys all crammed into a small space in the middle of July doesn’t make for pleasant aromas.”
I wrinkled my nose at the thought and asked, “You went to summer camp?”
Nate shrugged. “It was fun, for a while. It was probably still fun, but my thirteen-year-old self thought I was too old to do ‘little kid stuff.’ You know, Mark Twain was probably right. Youth really is wasted on the young. We’re always in such a rush to grow up and don’t realize just how good we’ve got it.”
“I think that’s true when you’re lucky like we were. I suppose not all kids have it so good.”
“Sadly true.” Nate’s tightened features made me think he’d witnessed more than a few of those kids’ brutal lives over the years.
“Come on, let’s explore a little,” I said, pulling Nate’s mind away from past horrors.
“Right.” Nate clapped his hands, rubbing them together and striding toward what I thought was the bedroom. “Unless you want to sleep on the bunk beds, this would be us.” I was just peering around a long curtain, a set of bunk beds behind it, when Nate spoke.
“Maybe one night as a novelty,” I answered. “You can have the top bunk.” While my knee was a lot better, I didn’t like the thought of scaling the ladder or trying to work my way down it in the middle of the night when I had to pee.
Dropping the curtain, I headed for the one bedroom. Besides the bathroom, it was the only room with a door. Nate shifted to the side, allowing me to come up beside him. When I was close enough, his arm immediately wrapped around my shoulders, tugging me closer.
“Looks like a full, maybe a queen if we’re lucky.” The bed barely fit the small room with just enough clearance around the edges to wiggle past.
“I don’t mind snuggling close.”
Nate laid a kiss on my head. “I don’t either, but without air-conditioning, it might get a little toasty. We’re going to get sweaty and not in the sexy way.” Nate suggestively waggled his eyebrows, his grin more a twisted leer.
Laughter erupted, and I nearly doubled over. “You look like a sadistic fool.”
“What? You mean that wasn’t sexy?”
“Not in this universe.” I barely got the words out through my continued laughter.
“I’m hurt, Perry. I don’t think my ego will recover.”
“I’ve got a few ideas in mind that I believe your ego will greatly enjoy,” I purred.
Nate sobered, and this time, his grin was pure devilish joy. “You do, huh? Well, me and my ego would greatly appreciate exploring those ideas.”
I extended my neck and placed a kiss on Nate’s jaw. “Later. I promise.”
“I’ll hold you to that, Perry Atherton.”
“You better.” Pulling away, I smacked Nate on the ass and went back into the entry room to collect our duffle. “Do you want me to get the suitcase too?”
“Right behind you,” Nate answered, the closeness of his voice backing up his location.
I was just bending down for the duffle when there was a knock at the door. “Perry? Detective Harmon? May I come in?”
Three steps, and I was at the door, swinging it wide. “Delia!”
Delia’s smile lit up her face. “Good morning, Perry. I see the two of you made it just fine.”
“Nate’s an excellent chauffeur,” I easily answered while stepping back into the cabin and welcoming Delia in. Dressed down in khaki cargo pants, hiking boots, and a pale blue T-shirt, Delia’s hair was pulled back into a tight French braid, exposing the sharp angles of her face and showing off her thick, pouty lips. She was a sight to see.
“I would expect nothing less of your detective. After all, he was carrying precious cargo with you in the vehicle with him.”
Heat infused my cheeks. I was always at a loss for words when Delia spoke like that. Thankfully, Nate filled in the awkward silence.
“Delia, it’s nice to see you again.”
“And you, Detective.” Delia’s grin broadened.
“Are you ever going to call me Nate?”
“Hmm, doubtful. You’re an officer of the law, and it’s always wise to remember that.” Delia’s gaze swept our cabin. “They really are a carbon copy of each other. Looks like your kitchenette is a lovely avocado green while mine is mustard yellow.” She cocked her head to the side. “I’m not sure which one I like better. I’ll need to see what color Malcom’s is.”
“Is he here?” I asked.
“He was the first to arrive. I believe he’s scouting the area and going over plans for the retreat.” Waving her hand in the air, Delia said, “He’s here and there. Malcom has a knack for being where he needs to be when the time is right.”
He’d certainly been there when I needed him last year. I’d be dead now if Malcom hadn’t interrupted Brian’s plans. A thousand thank you’s would never be enough.
“If you haven’t seen it yet, there is a hard copy of the itinerary on your mini fridge. Updates will be sent to your phone. I’ve also sent them to Detective Harmon’s phone since I know it sometimes hurts your eyes to look at your screen, Perry.”
“Thank you,” I answered easily.
“It’s no problem. The itinerary is simply a loose plan, subject to change at any time.” Delia winked.
“We’ll keep that in mind,” Nate answered.
“Excellent. I am so looking forward to the next few days. I hope you are too. This retreat is just what Maverick Insurance needs to smooth out a few prickly edges and get the ship sailing smoothly again.”
I didn’t know if Delia was talking about what had happened with Mr. Granger’s death and Brian’s involvement, or Willie’s latest antics. Maybe there was even more going on I was unaware of. For the most part, as janitorial staff, I didn’t have anything to do with the insurance aspect of the business. Frankly, I was surprised I’d been invited at all.
“I’ll leave the two of you to get settled. Malcom is to your right, and I’m to your left. If you need anything, don’t hesitate to contact either of us.”
With a departing wave, Delia swept out of our little cabin, closing the door behind her and leaving the soft scent of lavender in her wake. I figured my cheeks would be aching soon with all the smiling I was doing. When I turned to look at Nate, I expected to see my grin reflected, not the thin-lipped line that slashed its way across his taut features. I’d found Nate making more of those faces recently. My gut told me there was more to it than concerns regarding Willie Slater. My heart told me Nate would fill me in when he was ready.
Unfortunately for Nate, my concern outweighed my heart and wouldn’t allow me to hold my tongue.