The Rockwell Legacy Box Set

Chapter 7

Chapter Seven

One month.

It didn’t sound like a long time, but it was all relative. A month with a selfish jerk like Roger could last forever. Whereas a month of summer vacation in high school could go in a flash. Where would a month with Kai wind up in the spectrum?

Not with Kai, Nicole reminded herself. They’d simply be inhabiting the same lodge—which was enormous.

Felicity wanted her to play spy, but first she needed to do some reconnaissance—away from the disturbingly attractive oldest Rockwell son.

Luckily, Kai plunged right into trail clearing, which kept him out in the woods. Each morning, he headed out early with a chainsaw and a four-wheeler and didn’t come back until dinnertime. For a few days, Nicole barely saw him.

The cook’s assistant had recently quit, so Nicole jumped at the chance to help Renata in the restaurant kitchen. She loved the old family-style restaurant, even though now it only served lodge guests, of whom there were very few. Nicole could easily imagine the old days when every table was filled with diners ravenous from their day’s adventures. That little piano in the corner must have played so many dance tunes. How many couples had gotten engaged in the soft glow of the gas lanterns?

Renata, the gray-haired chainsmoker from the Bronx who’d been cooking for the lodge for thirty years, loved to chat. A session of chopping venison and vegetables for chili was the perfect opportunity to find out more about Max’s rebellious oldest son.

Renata didn’t disappoint.

“Kai was in the car with Amanda when she died, you know. He got airlifted out and had emergency surgery on his spleen. They said he was screaming the whole time, out of his mind to get to his mother. Had to sedate him.”

“That’s terrible.” From what she’d seen of Kai’s intensity, she could easily imagine a scene like that. Poor guy.

“Kai was always a force of nature, just like Amanda. She was a real free spirit, wonderful photographer. He’s the one most like her, if you ask me. Max went into a black funk after she died. He’s better now, but damn, it took some time.”

Nicole dumped a bowlful of green pepper chunks in the soup pot. “And, um, Kai?”

“A mess. Started getting into trouble everywhere he went. And the battles he had with Max, hoo-boy.” She whistled. “A year and a half later he left. It’s good to see him back, I’ll say that. No one appreciated my chili like Kai. He could eat five servings and ask for more. He’s a good kid. Lotta heart.”

“Is that what it takes to get on your good side, Renata?” Nicole teased her. “Eat up all your food?”

“Yes, and you’ve been slacking.” Renata shoved a cloverleaf roll her way. “Eat that. Plenty of butter.”

“I’m not exactly underweight,” Nicole pointed out. Hence all the jogging, which still wasn’t really working. She took the roll anyway, since she was never one to say no to carbs.

“This is the mountains, and it’s almost fall. You need a good fat layer.”

Nicole nibbled on the roll, torn between sadness and bliss. The bliss was because Renata’s homemade rolls tasted so incredibly good. The sadness came from the fact that if she did her job, she wouldn’t be here for the fall. Back home, fat layers were more problematic.

“Why hasn’t he come back before now?” Nicole asked through her mouthful of buttery roll. She set herself to her next task, peeling carrots.

“Stubborn,” Renata said. “Pig-headed. Obstinate.”

“Sounds like a peach.”

“I always told Max to lighten up on him. He was so hard on Kai after the accident. No one could understand why. I sure wasn’t surprised when Kai left.” She sighed as she grabbed the cleaver and set a big cutting board on the counter to cut up slabs of venison. “I wish you could have seen this place when Amanda ran it. It was alive, you know? It had life. It had people. It had fun.”

Nicole nodded, long strips of carrot furling off her peeler. Renata was a goldmine of information, but she wished they could get back to talking about Kai.

“Amanda put on dances and brought in musicians to play at the restaurant. We had a May Day dance one year. There was always a huge party on New Year’s Eve, with all the town invited. She really knew how to make sure people had fun.” Renata stuck an unlit cigarette in her mouth, which was her way of preparing for a smoke.

“She sounds like an amazing woman.”

“Like I said, she was a free spirit. After she died, I thought we’d shut down for sure, the way Max acted. Like he wanted to die along with her. But then he threw himself into keeping the lodge going. It was like an escape for him. Ignored his kids in the process, but at least he kept a roof over their heads. You can add those carrots now. Be right back.” She whisked herself out back for a smoke.

From her apron pocket, Nicole’s phone buzzed.

Damn it. Felicity was calling.

She dumped the carrots in the big cast iron stewpot and turned the burner to low. The kitchen was huge and old-fashioned, with deep enamel sinks and a big six-burner Wolf cast iron stove that must weigh half a ton.

A screen door led to a kitchen garden out back. Renata grew green beans and herbs and a mesclun mix for side salads out there. Peering out, Nicole saw that she was busy talking to the kid who came up to mow every week, gesturing with her cigarette.

She extracted the phone.

“Nicole, where’ve you been?”

“Where do you think? I haven’t left this place in weeks.” Irritated, Nicole took the cutting board to the sink to rinse it off.

“I get nervous when I don’t hear anything from you.” Felicity’s tone relaxed. “Spying is dangerous work. Also, my bosses are getting antsy.”

“Sorry. Nothing new to report, really. What’s up?”

“We have a problem. There’s interest from a potential buyer. He and his fifth wife are looking for a property to turn into a high-end spa, but his wife’s a vegan. I was flipping through all the photos you’ve sent me, and half of them have dead animals in them.”

Nicole’s gaze flew to the big chili pot filled with chopped venison. “What are you talking about?”

“Those freaky-ass deer heads. Who wants to come to a spa where Rudolf the Reindeer’s beheaded ghost is staring you down? Vegan Trophy Wife might have a panic attack if she saw that.”

Nicole had gotten used to the stuffed and mounted deer heads displayed in the lounge, but she could see why a vegan might not be crazy about them. “Tell her it’s called ambiance. Those deer are long dead. She doesn’t have to eat them.”

“No. Ambiance is jasmine room fragrance, not the remains of a butchered animal. They have to go. I need some pictures without deer heads. Can you do it?”

Nicole checked again on Renata. The cook was now kneeling next to the bed of oregano, weeding. Past her, the craggy cliffs of Wolf Peak reflected tangerine light from the afternoon sun. The sheer beauty took Nicole’s breath away.

“I don’t know, Felicity. It’s the decor they chose. I can’t just change it for no reason.”

“Then find a reason. Or do it quickly, take the shot, and put them back up. One photo, that’s all I need.”

“Are you adding onto my bonus for this?”

“Sure. Mark it down. Birdie will thank you.”

“I wish you wouldn’t do that.” A movement from outside caught her attention. Renata was coming back in. “I have to go. But don’t talk about Birdie like that, it makes me feel emotionally manipulated.”

“That’s because you are, Nico.” She blew a kiss over the phone. “Just kidding. Talk later.”