Page 5

5

THORN

I’d intended to arrive at Cougar Lake in the late afternoon, but because I’d stopped for lunch on the way, and then a coffee, and to take photos, it was dark when I drove along the main street.

Not knowing if there was a room at the lodge—Noah had said it was rundown—I’d booked a motel for the night. When I checked in, the manager asked if I’d eaten dinner, and when I told him no, he checked his watch and said the grocery store was closing in ten minutes and the diner in an hour.

He gave me directions along with my room key, and I dashed to the supermarket and bought fruit, cereal, and milk for the morning. I ordered a burger and fries at the diner that was almost empty. As Saul, the waiter, wasn’t busy, he was willing to chat, and I asked about the lodge.

Tears filled his eyes when he mentioned Alexei. I didn’t correct him. From what Noah had said, the townspeople knew that wasn’t my godfather’s real name, but he added a dash of color and a hint of intrigue to the town, and he was well-loved.

“I miss him. Alexei used to eat here at least once a week. He used to regale us with stories of his early life, but I got the feeling there was a lot of pain that he pushed away.”

Being labeled the black sheep might do that, not that I understood what my uncle had done to deserve that title.

“Tell me about the lodge. Can I book a room?” Noah hadn’t provided me with many details about the place, and while I had found the lodge website, it said the place was closed. I didn’t mind holes in the carpet and a threadbare bedspread as long as I could lock the door.

“Nah, it’s closed. Has been for a while since Alexei got sick. But you might be able to stay in the main house.”

Uncle should have contacted the family or me. We could have arranged for him to be looked after.

“The town rallied, and there was always someone with him.” His faraway gaze suggested he was perhaps thinking of happier times.

He gave me a lot to think about. If the lodge was in such a bad state, I might not get much from selling it, unless it was better to tear it down and sell the land.

I spent a restless night, not because the bed was uncomfortable, but due to so many ideas running through my mind. But until I visited the lodge and had an engineer or surveyor give me a detailed report on its condition, the plans in my head were futile.

Early the next morning, I sat outside eating my cereal. I’d have to stop at the diner for a coffee and grab one to go too. There was a fluttering in my belly because until now, nothing was concrete. Sighting the lodge stamped with memories of my uncle would be a reality I might not be prepared for.

I could up and leave. Just send Noah a message saying I couldn’t make it and drive home. But I’d have to pay taxes on the lodge, and with no one to sell it, it’d become like the proverbial chain around my neck.

The town was built around the lake. The sun was shining on the water, the glittering light making me squint. Beyond the water were the mountains towering in the background. Was that where the cougars used to live?

The diner was crowded, and heads swiveled as I walked in.

“Thorn.” A man in dark slacks and white button-down with no tie put out his hand. His accompanying broad smile put me at ease.

“Noah?” Did I have my name tattooed on my brow?

“The one and only.” He pulled out a stool, and I sat. “The look of surprise on your face indicates you’re not familiar with small towns.” He went on to say he’d been alerted to my presence on the town online chat. “The motel owner, the grocery store clerk, and Saul all told me you were here.”

Just as well I hadn’t snuck out of town.

Saul gave me a coffee and a Danish pastry and placed an identical order in front of Noah. Was he treating me to a second breakfast or did I pay for my own? Noah solved my dilemma when he said, “Breakfast is on me.”

He dangled keys at me. “For the lodge, though Wilder should be pottering around.”

Wilder? An image of those dark eyes I’d been dreaming about popped into my head.

“He works for Old Man Blaze… I mean Alexei, or I should say worked. You’ll have to decide if you want to keep him on. He’s only part-time as he has his own adventuring business, leading tourists to local historical sites and taking them on hikes.”

Thank gods I didn’t have to fire a guy who had no other form of income.

“Swing by after you’ve been to the lodge, as you’ll need to sign a few forms. Paperwork. It’s a lawyer’s lot in life. Glad I didn’t post it. ”

Noah and I walked out together, and he pointed to a road off Main Street that led to the lodge. “It has a great view of the town, the mountains, and the lake.”

I sat in the car, pretending to check my phone, when in reality I was putting off being confronted with my inheritance. A man I’d never met, didn’t know he existed, had left me his life’s work. I remembered when my father had died and the family coming every day to comfort me and Dad.

Months later, Dad had gone through Father’s clothes and his desk and cried when he found notes in Father’s handwriting and old photos he’d forgotten about. There were happy memories associated with his clothes, particularly the one he’d been married in.

But as I didn’t know my uncle, I was certain I wouldn’t have those emotional obstacles.

Putting the car in gear, I drove up a steep hill to the lodge. The rust-colored roof stood out among the trees. There were a few missing shingles, and the grass and trees were overgrown, but the house appeared to need little repair. Paint was an easy fix but who knew what lay beneath the surface.

The cabins were in worse shape, with gaps in the roof being the most obvious.

And I prepared myself for the bathrooms. Those would be expensive, along with leaking pipes.

I got out and inhaled the fresh air. Uncle was fortunate to live here, with no pollution and little noise. I made my way through the grass, some of which was waist-high. But as I reached the cabins, my tummy sank. There was a lot more damage than had been visible from where I parked the car.

There were broken windows, doors were wedged shut with folded cardboard, loose wires dangled over the facades, there were blocked gutters, and window frames needed replacing. Some of the wooden slats were decayed, and that was just the outside of the cabins.

I could sell the buildings for scrap. The land had to be valuable with this view. On one side were the mountains, majestic in their beauty, while on the other, the lake dazzled in the bright sunshine and the town nestled around it.

But whatever I decided it would take time, and I didn’t have much of it unless I took all my sick and annual leave.

A cracking of dead leaves had me jerking around. A man in his mid-thirties was approaching. I gulped. He was dressed in a black-and-red plaid shirt, jeans, and boots. But his chiseled jaw, dark eyes, and his grimacing mouth set my body ablaze.

Sweat trickled down my spine as he fixed his gaze upon me. They were the eyes I’d seen in my dream. But that was silly, fanciful. The fresh air was making me giddy.

I hoped this was Wilder.

“Wilder,” he announced in a gruff voice. He didn’t put out his hand and brushed past me. “You called.”

Oh, now I put two and two together. My uncle’s handyman was the one Noah thought could sell the place for me. He’d said on the phone that the place wasn’t for sale. Maybe he had a financial stake in it or he’d expected to. Damn, I was geared up for a long and expensive legal battle.

“You’re the new owner.”

I nodded.

“Don’t want you to sell. I think with a few repairs, the lodge can be brought back to its former grandeur.”

Hmmm, must have been a while ago, as it didn’t have much of that grandeur.

“I’m sorry if I didn’t explain myself on the phone.” I needed Wilder on my side, preferably on top of me or underneath with him lodged inside me. Whew, that was a lot. I brushed sweat from my brow and followed him to the front door of one cabin

“You explained yourself plenty.” Wilder put his hands on his hips as he looked upward. I followed his gaze to a bird’s nest in the eaves. “But after seeing the place, I’m hoping you’ve changed your mind about selling.”

“What does it need?”

I needed a cold shower and a change of clothes, but I was hoping Wilder wouldn’t notice my discomfort.

Being beside him was going to be problematic. How could I explain my red cheeks and constant sweating?