The Seacroft: a love story (Paines Creek Beach Book 2) (20 page)

They lay together for another fifteen minutes, not talking, just being. Stirrings came from the girls’ bedroom, and they exchanged rueful glances.

“We’d better get dressed,” she said.

They rolled apart and dressed in the same clothes they’d worn the night before. Cody glanced out the window and whistled. “Wow. The water’s gone down a lot. I can see the sign near the road.”

The sound of a large truck passing on the street below gave them more hope.

Vivian joined him at the window. “It sounds like someone’s out and about. Maybe we can get back to normal soon.”

He turned to kiss her. “I wouldn’t change a thing about what happened. We might not have… ” He grinned. “Might not have found each other like this if it hadn’t been for Delilah. Maybe we should name our firstborn after her.”

Vivian tilted her head and smiled. “Our firstborn?”

“Yeah. Now come on. We’d better check on those little monkeys.”

Chapter 37

When Libby returned later in the afternoon, Vivian found her crying in her closet, her face pressed into one of her father’s shirts she’d saved. They’d had to wait on the funeral plans in the disastrous wake of the hurricane, and the actual ceremony wouldn’t take place until next Monday, five days away. So many people had died, so many cemeteries had been ruined and damaged. It was a miracle they’d even been able to secure Monday for his service. Others were going to have to wait over a week to bury their loved ones.

“Libby?” Vivian touched the woman’s arm. “Do you need a hug?”

“Yes, please.” Libby fell into her arms, sobbing on her shoulder. “I’m sorry. I’m just such a wreck. I can’t believe he’s gone.”

Vivian patted her back and hugged her tight. “I know. It’s so hard.”

Libby nodded and wept, her breath hitching. “It’s unbelievable. I thought he was okay. He was supposed to be okay. He was fine the other day when I saw him. Just fine.”

“I know how you feel. It was the same with my brother. He beat the cancer, only to have that damned aneurism show up and kill him. It was so unfair.”

To Vivian’s surprise, she started to cry, too. Both women held each other, murmuring words of comfort, yet hurting to the core. Viv was surprised at how raw the pain still seemed, how watching Libby grieve had made her own pain rise to the surface again, as if she hadn’t successfully ignored it for the past few months. They migrated to the bedroom and sat on the loveseat by the window, listening to the sound of the chainsaws Finn and Cody ran on the downed trees in the yard below.

“You must think I’m nuts, hanging on to my father’s old shirt,” Libby said, her eyes brimming with tears.

Vivian shook her head. Her wrenching sobs subsided. “No. I do the same thing with my brother’s jacket. He loved that jacket. And it still smells like him.”

Before the storm came, she had been catching up on laundry at The Seacroft, hanging up her own shirts in front of Martin’s jacket. And just the other day, as if afraid she’d lose him more than she already had, she frantically moved his jacket to the front of the closet again. Afraid it would be lost behind her own clothes. Afraid he’d disappear a little more.

Viv continued. “I understand so well.”

Libby leaned against her, heaving a long sigh. “It was like this when my mother died. But that was so long ago. And I’ve had decades to know my father since then. Decades of great memories at The Seacrest. I think that’s why it feels even harder than when I lost my mother.”

Vivian wondered about The Seacrest. Hadn’t Cody said something about it going to Libby’s firstborn son? And if she didn’t have a baby boy, it would revert to some local charity?

If it was true, how could a father do that to his only daughter? She obviously had loved him a great deal. Hadn’t he returned the affection?

She stroked Libby’s arm, noticing the bump of the baby that grew a little larger each day. It was a Christmas due date. Would it be a boy? Or a girl?

“How are you feeling?” she asked, indicating the baby. “Is the little one okay?”

Libby looked down at her belly as if she’d forgotten about it. “Oh. Yes. The baby’s fine. I felt it move this morning.”

Vivian wondered how it felt to have a baby growing inside you. How miraculous it must be. How thrilling. And how scary. She thought ahead. Would Cody want children if they worked out? Would he marry her?

Libby suddenly turned to Vivian with a panicky expression on her face. “I don’t know how I’ll do it. Three toddlers and a newborn? I don’t think it’s possible. I’ll go insane.”

Without even thinking about what she was about to offer, Vivian blurted, “I’ll help you. I’ll stay here, if you want.”

“Really?” Libby’s eyes widened and a faint smile touched her lips. “You’d do that?”

Vivian nodded. “Of course I would. I love kids. And I’m about to quit my job at The Seacroft.”

“Really?” She looked surprised at first, but forged ahead. “I don’t blame you. From what Cody says, that woman is a real bitch.”

“Well, it’s a little more than that. Uvi wants him. Carnally, I guess you’d say.”

Libby’s eyebrows shot up. “What?”

“Yes. And now he and I are involved. So, we can’t stay there. Uvi would go ballistic.”

“Well, she’s just crazy. And I’m thrilled for you and Cody. You will be so good for him.”

“Thank you.” Viv hoped Cody wouldn’t mind that she told Libby about them. She didn’t think he would care.

 “So. You’ll be our official nanny. Whatever that witch was paying you over at The Seacroft, I’ll raise it twenty percent.”

Viv laughed and shook her head. “Gosh, no. You don’t have to do that. And I’ll only accept the salary so I can keep paying for my mother’s nursing home and my brother’s medical bills. I owe the hospital a small fortune.”

Libby hugged her hard. “Oh, Vivian. I’m so grateful for your help. The girls love you so much. And Cody…”

Vivian blushed. “I’m rather fond of him, myself.”

Libby’s eyes crinkled when she smiled. “I’m so glad. He’s a good boy.”



An hour later, Vivian took a deep breath and squeezed Cody’s hands. “Okay. Let’s do this.”

Cody glanced sideways at her with a determined expression in his eyes. “It’s time. We’ve gotta quit, and tell her we’re together.”

“I hope it’s okay that I told Libby. She’s hiring me to be her nanny.”

He grinned at her, pulling her closer. “Yeah? It’s more than okay. The girls love you. I love you. How could it be any better? I’ll have you in my home. Right down the hall.” He gave her a secret smile and repeated, “Right down the hall.”

 She snorted a little laugh and shoved him sideways. “Is that all you think about?”

His smile grew wider. “Of course not. But it’s in the top three.”

Arm-in-arm, they crossed the Blueberry Hill parking area to the rental car Cody’s insurance company had provided for them due to the loss of his truck. Next week, when the dealerships were opened again, he’d go out and choose a used truck to replace his old workhorse. But for now, he’d tool around in the little Honda Civic.

“So, she’s expecting us?” Vivian asked, playing with the frayed hem on the shirt she’d borrowed from Libby.

“I left a message on her machine. She must’ve heard it.”

“But you didn’t talk to her?” Vivian’s stomach flipped in knots.

“No. Not directly.”

They got into the car and started down the road.

“What did you say?”

“I told her we’d just come out from under the hurricane, that I just got wheels this morning, and that we were staying at my uncle’s place. I said we had to speak to her in person.”

“You said ‘we?’”

“Yes.”

“So, maybe she’ll suspect?”

Cody sighed. “I don’t know. But who cares? We have to face her, tell her, and be done with it.”

She sat up straighter, resolved to be strong. “Right.”

When they pulled into The Seacroft’s driveway, she shuddered. “Oh my God. Look at this place.”

Debris covered the lawn and porch, almost making the place unrecognizable. Trash barrels, an overturned picnic table, a dented mailbox and post, Cody’s orange wheelbarrow, the shed door, and dozens of items that she didn’t recognize littered the area. Cody stopped halfway to the porch and sighed. “Oh my God. This is really bad.”

Together, they skirted around the downed elm tree that still blocked the porch.

Vivian opened her door and pointed to the second story. “That’s where the tree broke through the window, see? It’s where I found Mr. P’s passport and all the important papers.” She fingered the items in her sweatshirt pocket. “I want to return the papers to Uvi, even though I can hardly stand the idea of facing her, after what I saw.”

“I know. I’m still sorry.” He took her hand. “But regarding Mr. P’s passport, maybe you should turn it over to the cops. I mean, really. Where the hell is Mr. P? It’s just too weird, Viv.”

“Yeah.” She inhaled a shivery breath, glancing toward the house. “Let’s just get this over with.”

Chapter 38

When Cody knocked, there was no response. He tried again. The house remained silent.

“Should we just go in? Maybe she’s hurt,” Vivian said.

“I suppose it’d be okay. We still have our house keys.”

Viv pushed on the door. “Oh, geez. It’s not even locked, Cody. That’s not like her. She always locks it.”

“I know. Strange.” He inched it open and called again. “Uvi? You in here?”

The first floor was dark, courtesy of the plywood that still covered the windows. Although electricity had just been restored to the house on Blueberry Hill, here, the house was dark.

“Why aren’t the lights on?” Viv asked. “I thought power was restored to the whole area.”

“No clue,” Cody said, flicking a switch. “Maybe the main breaker’s still off. I turned it off when we first lost power to protect the appliances against brownout and power surges, remember?”

“Right.” Viv stumbled against something on the floor. “Ouch.” She reached down and found a flashlight. Flicking the switch, she grumbled. “Ugh. Dead batteries. But why would Uvi just leave it on the floor like that?”

“Come into the kitchen. There are batteries in the cabinet over the stove.”

“Okay,” she said. “But how will we find them without a flashlight?”

He felt his way along the wall with Vivian right behind him, holding onto his shirttail. “I’ll do it by feel. This one takes the big batteries. The size D cells.”

When they reached the kitchen, the smell of rotten food filled the air.

“Yuck,” Viv said. “The fridge has gone bad.”

Cody grunted. “Strange again. Why didn’t she throw all the bad stuff out?”

A cold chill ran down Vivian’s spine. “Cody. Do you think something happened to her? That she’s hurt?”

Cody quickly found the batteries and flicked on the light. “Crap. You could be right. Let’s find her.”

A half hour later, they stood in Uvi’s bedroom, staring at the empty bed. They’d checked all the rooms, all the closets, even under every bed. Sunlight streamed through the windows illuminating the dust motes that danced in its rays.

Cody walked around the room again, as if he’d find Uvi if he looked harder. “Maybe she went to a neighbor’s house. Or to a hotel inland.”

Vivian dug into a nightstand drawer by the bed, brandishing a leather bag. “Without her purse?” She glanced up at him, her frown deepening. “Something’s not right here, Cody. We’ve gotta search further. The cellar. The attic. The garage. The boathouse.”

“Let’s do it.” He took the lead and they charged up the attic stairs. They found cobwebs and sheeted-furniture, but no Uvi.

“The cellar, then?” Viv said, following him rapidly down the stairs. “Maybe she tried to flip on the breakers and got hurt somehow.”

They walked under the low-ceilings of the dark cellar, following the wavering beam of the flashlight. After what seemed like endless turns and tunnels, they reached the electrical panel. Cody flipped open the cover, checking the main breaker. “It’s not on. Here. Let me try it.”

A bare bulb suddenly glowed overhead.

Vivian glanced around the room. “She’s not here, but let’s check the whole basement, just in case.”

In room after room, they pulled strings for overhead fixtures. Clicking them on, then off, they examined each room and all the possible nooks that could hold a human being. After a fruitless search, they bounded back up the stairs.

“Garage?” Cody said.

“Yes.”

Vivian’s stomach churned with worry. As much as she resented Uvi for what she’d done with Cody, she knew the woman would never have left her purse behind if she’d vacated The Seacroft. She’d never have left rotted food in the fridge. She would have found a way to get the power back on, would have called the local firemen or police if she couldn’t count on Cody. She wasn’t the type to sit and fret. Sit and starve in the dark. No, that was definitely not Uvi.

Inside the garage now, Cody first checked the bay of cars, inside each and beneath all of them, then they both hurried up the stairs to his apartment. “Uvi?”

No answer.

They checked the little apartment from kitchen to bathroom, then stopped in the bedroom.

Vivian sighed. “No sign of her. Shall we look around outside? In the boathouse?”

“Sure. But why—” He moved forward, staring at the bed. “Wait a minute. I never use this blanket on my bed.”

Vivian stared at it. “Isn’t that the one you keep on the back of your couch?”

He nodded. “Uh huh.”

“Then you think… she was here?”

“Yeah. I can’t imagine why. But—”

“Maybe she wanted to be close to you, by sleeping in your bed.” Viv’s words trailed off and she shuddered. “Disturbing as that sounds.”

“Geez. That would be kind of creepy,” Cody said, pulling open the drawers on the bedside table. “Oh, crap. It’s gone.”

Vivian slid closer to him, linking her fingers through his. “What’s gone?”

“My gun.”

She stepped back. “You had
a gun
in here?”

He nodded. “Yeah. Just as a precaution. Robbers. Whatever.”

“You think she took it?”

“I don’t know. It could have been vandals.”