Secluded Cabin Sleeps Six(27)

And yep that was a bear head mounted over the mantel. Why did people think that was okay, to kill something and stick its head on your wall? The glassy eyes seemed to stare at her, accusing. The review she’d read online came back to her. My wife felt like she was being watched.

There was a tall, slim dark-haired man standing outside by the sliding glass doors, watching another man at the grill who Hannah assumed was the hired chef by his white coat and toque blanche. When had the chef arrived? She didn’t think they’d been up there for long.

The slim man spoke, but the chef seemed not to be listening, his face still and pale, lit by the flames from the grill. Finally, the other man nodded and headed inside. The chef watched him walk away, an expression on his face that Hannah couldn’t read. She found herself staring a moment, until the chef met her eyes, gave her a quick nod. Hannah looked away, embarrassed to be caught looking at him, though she couldn’t say why.

“Hannah,” said Cricket with a flourish of her hand. “This is Joshua. Honey, this my forever best friend, Hannah.”

When Joshua offered her a warm smile, Hannah felt something drop in her stomach. Without meaning to, she backed up a step. He was—so familiar. Those heavily lashed dark eyes, the high cheekbones, the stiffness of his carriage.

“Wait,” she said. “Have we met?”

He looked around, shaking his head, offering a confused smile.

“No,” he said. “I don’t think so.”

Whatever Cricket saw on Hannah’s face made her beaming smile fade a little.

“Do you guys know each other?”

Joshua took Hannah’s hand, gave it a firm but gentle shake. “No,” he said. “I remember all the beautiful women I meet.”

“Oh,” said Cricket, with a mock-serious lift of her eyebrows. “Do you?”

“Until I met you, of course,” he charmed, turning to her. “Now they’ve all faded away. Ghosts of the past.”

Hannah grappled for it. But no. When he turned back to her, stepped further into the light, she realized she’d been mistaken. Maybe she was just tired, hungry. She’d had a horrible night’s sleep, and barely anything to eat all day and it was getting late. No. The more she looked at him, she didn’t know him at all.

“No,” said Hannah. “Just a for moment—you looked so familiar.”

“I might just have one of those faces,” he said.

“I’m sorry.” She offered an apologetic laugh at herself. “It’s lovely to meet you.”

Joshua’s smile was warm, friendly, forgiving.

“I’ve heard so many wonderful things about you, Hannah. Cricket says you’re more like her sister than her friend.”

He gave Cricket a sweet kiss on the forehead. There was something so lovingly intimate about it that Hannah felt herself blush. Her friend looked well and truly happy. Which was good, wonderful, great. She deserved that. They all did, right? They all deserved to be happy and relaxed for a while.

A young blond woman, with sharp, defined features and searing blue eyes, dressed in a crisp black oxford and slim pants, offered Hannah a drink on a cocktail napkin. These strangers must have arrived when Bruce and Hannah were upstairs settling in and talking. She hadn’t heard the bell, or even heard the host leave.

Bruce’s words rang back for a moment. Things I can’t live with. Hannah pushed it away.

“Vodka soda,” the young server said, her voice low. Hannah noticed her nails were trimmed and short, her hands tiny. There was a delicate tattoo of a black spider on her right hand. Her face was dewy and full—so young—early twenties at the most.

“Oh, hello,” said Hannah, taking it from her. “Thanks so much.”

“Chef Jeff and Ingrid will be helping us out tonight,” said Mako, coming up from behind. “Chef is the best in the area, according to our host.”

Of course he is, thought Hannah.

Leave it to Mako to have a staff for dinner. It did change things a bit. What could have been homey, now felt like they were at a restaurant, a hotel. Which whatever, fine—at least she and Liza wouldn’t wind up doing the dishes.

“Where’s Liza?” asked Cricket.

“Migraine,” said Mako with a sympathetic wrinkle of his eyes. “It came on just after we arrived. She’s lying down.”

Hannah mentioned that Liza was hoping to rally for dinner.

“I doubt it,” Mako said.

She and Cricket exchanged a WTF look. By the way—migraines? Since when did Liza get those?

“Which means—” Mako went on, falsely bright. “We can eat the meat off the bones of the ribs Chef Jeff is cooking up without feeling like barbarians.”

“Carnivores unite!” said Cricket, a little too gleefully.

“Poor Liza,” said Hannah, but no one heard her; they were heading toward the seating around the outdoor fireplace that blazed and crackled. She’d go up to check on her sister-in-law before dinner if Liza didn’t come down.

“What can we get for the big man?” said Mako.

Hannah looked around for Bruce but he was gone.

“Bourbon straight for Bruce,” she said, certain that’s what he’d want.

Mako looked at Ingrid. “Do you mind, Ingrid?”

“Of course.”