Angel's Rest

chapter FOUR





The tantalizing aroma of frying bacon coaxed Nic from her dreams. So unusual was the occurrence that she took a moment to solve the puzzle before bothering to open her eyes. Was she dreaming still? Why would … oh. The fire. Celeste. Celeste had come home with her last night. Celeste had cooked her breakfast.

The events of the previous night flooded into her mind. Bob the philandering jerk, dinner with the mystery man of Murphy Mountain, the Cartwright boys’ near miss with disaster. Was there a more foolish human on earth than a teenage boy?

And then the disturbing find in the root cellar: a skeleton in a wedding dress and thirty silver bars. Thirty pieces of silver, Sarah had said. Blood money. Nic shivered at the memory even before she threw off the toasty-warm bedclothes and stepped into the chilly morning air.

While she showered and dressed, Nic took a quick mental inventory of the day ahead of her. Today was Wednesday. She had no overnight patients at the clinic, no boarders. Her first appointment wasn’t until after lunch. She’d been scheduled to go out to the Double R Ranch this morning, but the foreman called yesterday and moved the visit to next week. She served as backup vet for most of the ranches in the area, and that would continue until Dr. Walsh over in Creede retired in two more years. The Double R was the only ranch around that called her first, but that was because the Double R’s owner, Henry Moreland, had had a falling-out with Dr. Walsh.

She probably should check on Dale Parker. The burn he’d sustained on his forearm needed a doctor’s attention, and even though he’d promised to make the drive into Gunnison today, she didn’t trust him not to weasel out. Other than that, she was free to help Celeste.

Last night Gabe Callahan had quietly relayed news of their root cellar discovery to Sheriff Zach Turner, who had made the decision to wait until daylight to attempt any further investigation. He’d stretched yellow crime-scene tape around the perimeter of the house—cellar included—and used his bullhorn to warn folks to stay away from the damaged building, whose “walls could tumble down at any second.” Then Celeste had appropriated the bullhorn, thanked her fellow citizens for their help, and promised invitations to everyone to the party she would throw once repairs to her home had been completed.

Nic donned jeans and a sweatshirt and made her way to the kitchen to find the dirty dishes from the previous night gone and a breakfast of bacon, pancakes, and juice ready and waiting. “Celeste! You shouldn’t have cleaned up my mess.”

“Why not?” Standing at the stove, Celeste glanced over her shoulder. “You plan to help me with mine, don’t you?”

“Yes, but—”

“Excellent. I knew I could count on you. Now, sit down and eat, Nicole, because as soon as we’re finished here, we need to drive up to Eagle’s Way.”

A glass of orange juice halfway to her mouth, Nic froze. “Eagle’s Way? Why?”

“I need to discuss my plans for Cavanaugh House with Gabe, and you need to take Archibald to him. In all the confusion last night, he forgot his dog.”

His dog? Nic opened her mouth to protest, but reconsidered and poured syrup onto her pancakes. Celeste had a point. The boxer obviously had chosen Gabe. She’d find it interesting to watch his reaction to the fact. It would tell a lot about the man. “Why would you talk to Gabe Callahan about Cavanaugh House, Celeste?”

“It’s part of my Angel Plan. Dear, have you ever wondered what drew you home in the wake of your divorce?”

She gave it a moment’s thought. “The people. The place. It’s home for me. Eternity Springs … soothes me.”

“Exactly,” Celeste replied with a nod as she filled Nic’s sink with water. “Eternity Springs calls to people in pain.”

Like Gabe Callahan. It made a weird sort of sense, but … “That’s a little woo-woo for me, Celeste.”

“It’s spiritual. You understand. You’re a spiritual woman.”

“I’m not a New Ager. I’m Methodist.”

Squirting green dishwashing soap into the water, the older woman laughed. “Spirituality is part of the fabric of organized religion. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. Often it’s simply not as obvious. The healing energy in this valley is significant, although it’s been muted by a sickness of spirit that infected its people long ago. We need to exorcise that sickness and encourage the healing that’s available. All will be stronger because of it.”

“That’s still borderline woo-woo with me,” Nic said. Then she addressed another part of Celeste’s proposal that piqued her curiosity. “So, what, you want to use Gabe as a test case or something?”

“I want to engage Gabe Callahan’s professional services. He is a landscape architect.”

“He is? How do you know?”

“I recognized him. Two years ago his firm designed a play area for a children’s hospital in South Carolina. I was on the board of directors of another hospital, and we researched his firm while considering a similar project. He’s quite well-known in his arena.”

A landscape architect. Interesting. But how did an architect get a warrior’s scars? “So what do you want him to do at Cavanaugh House?” Then, before Celeste could respond, Nic understood. She’d said healing energy. “The hot springs? You’re gonna ask him to design something around the hot springs, aren’t you? A resort like they have over in Pagosa Springs?”

“Not exactly. My idea is bigger than that. This won’t be a tourist facility for skiers with sore muscles. Cavanaugh House will be the centerpiece of a healing center, Nicole, and I want Gabe Callahan to design the master plan. Yes, I want a spa facility and pools for the hot springs, but I also want a healing garden and hiking trails and terraces of prayer. My vision is to make Eternity Springs the Sedona of Colorado.”

Nic set down her fork and sat back in her chair, considering the idea. “The Sedona of Colorado,” she mused. She’d visited Sedona, Arizona, one time. It was a lovely place. Not as lovely as Eternity Springs, but then she was prejudiced. The people of Sedona had been friendly. Different, but friendly. Of course, Eternity Springs folks were different, too. Mountain people usually were.

Winter mountain people, especially.

She couldn’t be certain that Eternity would be as welcoming to outsiders as Sedona, but a steady supply of tourist dollars would surely smooth the way for that. Celeste’s plan would change their town, but after plans A, B, C, and D most everyone understood that change of some sort was necessary for survival.

A healing center and spa. “It fits with our history. When this area was being settled, people moved to Colorado because of perceived health benefits. The air here was considered good for those with consumption. Even Doc Holliday came here to heal. And of course, the Ute visited our hot springs for a long time before settlers arrived.” Her mouth stretched in a smile. “Celeste, I think your idea is inspired.”

“I know, dear. Now, finish your breakfast so you can dry these pans I’m about to wash. Then we can share our good news with poor Gabe.”

“Poor Gabe?”

“Not literally, of course. The man is quite comfortable financially. I mean poor in spirit. Gabe is a perfect example of someone who needs what Eternity Springs has to offer. Unfortunately, he’s too isolated up there, too alone on the mountain. He needs to come to town to work on the project. He needs to be here in Eternity Springs around the people …” She paused as Nic rose to let in the boxer, who stood scratching at her kitchen door. “And the pets who will help heal his wounded heart.”

She sees his damaged heart, too. Nic slipped Tiger a half slice of bacon. “What do you know about him, Celeste?”

“I know what I see when I look into his eyes. He’s haunted, Nicole. You’ve seen it, too, haven’t you?”

She recalled the horrible scars on his back and chest and spoke quietly. “Yes.”

“Gabe Callahan’s pain makes him uniquely suited for this project. I believe he’ll tap into the energy of Eternity Springs and produce a transcendent design. He’ll not only change our world, he will change his own.”

Hope lifted Nic’s heart, but caution kept her grounded. “If you can convince him to give us a chance. I had to twist his arm to get him to stay for dinner last night.”

“Yes, but he did stay, did he not?”

Yes, he had stayed, and she’d enjoyed his company tremendously. Gabe was witty and intelligent and interesting. Heaven knows the man was delicious to look at. He was the first man since her divorce who truly interested her, but Gabe Callahan had issues. That was as clear as the scars on his chest. To consider him a romantic prospect wasn’t realistic.

That didn’t mean, however, that she couldn’t offer him friendship. She suspected that the man seriously needed a friend.

“Your success at arm twisting is why I want you to come with me this morning. I want you to take the lead in this conversation. He said yes to you last night.”

“That doesn’t mean he’ll say yes this time. He’s not very approachable, Celeste. His defenses are as high as Murphy Mountain.”

“Then you’ll have to come up with a way to scale the heights, won’t you?”

Before Nic could ask just how she was supposed to manage that particular feat, her front doorbell rang. Celeste said, “You must have an early customer at the clinic.”

“No, the clinic bell is a buzzer that sounds in my kitchen. That’s the doorbell.” Nic walked to the front of the house and identified the figure standing on her front porch: Zach Turner. Opening the door, she said, “Good morning, Zach. Come on in.”

“Morning, Nic. Thanks.” In her entry hall, he removed his gray felt hat and said, “I need to speak with Celeste.”

“She’s in the kitchen. Come on back. Can I get you a cup of coffee?”

“Thanks. That would be great.”

Celeste offered a sheepish smile to the sheriff as he entered the kitchen. “Oh, dear. Am I in trouble?”

“You gotta be careful with candles, Celeste, but I’ll save the lecture for another time. The county coroner is on his way to Eternity to remove the remains, and I have a few questions to clear up before he gets here.”

“I’m happy to help any way I can.”

Celeste wiped her wet hands on a dish towel and sat at Nic’s table. Zach sat across from her and accepted a mug of coffee from Nic with thanks. He removed a small notebook and a pen from his pocket and made notes as he asked her a few general questions about Cavanaugh House and her use of the root cellar. After pausing to sip his coffee, he said, “It’s clear that the remains have been entombed in the cellar for a long time, so we’re not dealing with a recent crime. The dress is Victorian, complete with a bustle. Also, we found this.”

He held up a plastic bag. Inside it lay a silver locket attached to a silver chain. “Look at the engraving,” Celeste said. “It reminds me of an angel’s wings.”

“You’re right,” Nic said. Then she asked Zach, “Can you tell how she died?”

Zach nodded. “Probably. There appear to be two bullets. What we didn’t find was a clue to her identity. I’ll probably have better luck speaking to members of the historical society, but I wanted to ask you, Celeste, if you’ve found anything in the contents of Cavanaugh House that might be of help.”

Celeste shook her head. “No, but I haven’t begun to go through the contents of the attic or basement. That’s a job I intended to tackle over the winter. The place is packed full of interesting boxes and crates, and luckily, the fire didn’t reach that part of Cavanaugh House.”

“There’s certainly no rush. The state lab will work up a forensic report for us, but due to the circumstances, it’s certain to be a low priority. I suspect the only way we’ll ever be able to put a name to her is to find something in old records.”

“What about the silver?” Nic asked.

“My understanding is that you bought the house and all its contents, so the silver is yours. Although before you get too excited, at today’s silver prices, that stash isn’t worth as much as you might think.”

“Yes, I know,” Celeste replied. “However, it’s reasonable to believe that it’s ore from the Silver Miracle mine, so it does have historical value. I’ll come up with an appropriate use for it, I suspect.”

Zach finished his coffee, and after a few minutes of small talk he took his leave. Nic attempted to take over the pan-washing chore, but Celeste brushed her away as she said, “That young man impresses me. He’s rather new to the area, too, isn’t he?”

“Yes. He got the job when Sheriff Adkins retired a little over a year ago.”

“I don’t see him around town very much.”

“He’s responsible for a pretty large territory. Eternity Springs doesn’t give him much business.” Nic grabbed a clean dish towel. “Although he has begun spending more time in Eternity the last month or so. I think he’s interested in Sarah.”

“Oh?”

“Yep. They’ve had dinner together a handful of times. She refuses to see them as dates, though. She says they’re simply casual meals between friends.”

“I see.” Celeste handed Nic a clean frying pan to dry. “Maybe if she continues to spend time with him, she’ll come to recognize what a catch he is.”

“She already knows he’s a catch, but that doesn’t matter. Gabe Callahan isn’t the only person toting around baggage in this town. Unfortunately, Sarah has carried hers so long that it’s grown to her skin.”

As Nic put the frying pan away, Celeste washed the last dirty dish. After handing it to Nic to dry, she suddenly snapped her damp fingers. “Oh dear. I just remembered that I have an appointment for a perm at ten. I can’t go to Eagle’s Way this morning. Shall we go this afternoon?”

“I’m sorry, I have clinic appointments this afternoon. I could go Friday morning.”

Celeste rinsed her hands beneath running water, gave a thoughtful hum, then said, “You know, I believe that timing and presentation will be crucial in gaining his agreement. He joined in to help last night, and that’s an important step for a man in his circumstances. Let’s not give him the opportunity to slip back into solitude. Why don’t you go on up now? You propose the plan, then I’ll follow up and close the deal. We’ll give him the proverbial one-two punch.”

Nic slowly shook her head. “I’m not sure that’s a good idea, Celeste.”

Celeste dried her hands, hung up the towel, and said, “Well, I am sure. I want you to take Archibald up the mountain with you and convince Gabe Callahan that he needs to come back down. It’s important for all of us. The man needs Eternity Springs, but we need him, too.”

Nic considered the idea as she finished drying the dishes and putting them away. “I do think this idea of yours is inspired, and I don’t mind going up there and making the pitch on your behalf. It’s a great excuse to get a peek at Eagle’s Way. The guys who worked on its construction still talk about how elaborate the house is. That said, it’s entirely possible that Gabe might not let me in, Celeste. The security around the place is said to be elaborate.”

“I’m not worried. If Archibald can get past the gate, I’m sure you can, too.”

She had a point. In fact, she had lots of points. This idea of hers was great and it could be huge for Eternity Springs. “All right, then. I’ll give it a shot.”

“Excellent. Now, I’d best get moving if I’m going to have time to stop by the house before my hair appointment. I’m almost afraid to go over there for fear that the destruction will be worse than it appeared in the darkness.”

“I had an idea about that last night. Although Cavanaugh House is outside the defined historic district, you might qualify for a development grant from the state if—”

“Money isn’t an issue,” Celeste interrupted, dismissing the subject with a wave of her hand. “Family funds.”

Nic wasn’t surprised. Despite being neglected for decades, Cavanaugh House had still carried a hefty price tag. “You never speak of your family.”

“I had a lovely family, but they’re all gone now. I am comfortable financially, so if the subject of fees comes up, tell Gabe I said to name his price. Perhaps that will seal the deal.”

Nic recalled the wad of cash he had shoved into her hand the day they met. “Gabe doesn’t strike me as being overly motivated by money.”

“Then find out what will motivate him and offer him that.”

“I barely know the man. How am I supposed to know what motivates him?”

Celeste reached across the table and patted Nic’s arm. “Listen to your heart, Nicole. When dealing with Gabe Callahan, you can’t go wrong by listening to your heart.”


Gabe tugged off his work gloves and surveyed the retaining-wall construction with a practiced eye. “Much better,” he muttered. Now Davenport wouldn’t have to lie about the scrapes from the turn on the side of his SUV.

He stuck the gloves in the back pocket of his jeans and shifted his gaze toward the house itself. An unbidden memory invaded his mind. He was seated at his drawing board in his home office sketching a landscape plan for Eagle’s Way when Jennifer breezed into the room, her eyes sparkling, a smile as big as Texas on her face. “Mission accomplished!” she’d exclaimed. “It was a hard-fought battle, but the good guys persevered. Ta-da!”

She whipped the plastic sack sporting a toy store logo away from a box. “One birthday Xbox for Nathan, coming up.”

Gabe shook his head. “Unbelievable. How long did you stand in line?”

“Only five hours. I made the right decision going to the independent rather than the big-box store. Lots less people to compete with.”

“You win the Best Aunt of the Year Award with that one, Auntie Jen.”

“What can I say? I love my sister’s son.”

Gabe set down his pencil and studied the box. “You bought games to go with it?”

“Two of them.”

“Hmm … you know, hon, just to be safe … maybe I should hook this up and make sure it works. I’d hate for Nathan to be disappointed if—”

Jennifer tugged the box from his hands, clucking her tongue. “That’s pathetic, Uncle Gabe. You have to wait just like all the other boys. Now, get back to your drawing board and design a spectacular pool and spa for Jack Davenport. He’s promised me that we can vacation there when construction is done. I’ve never been to Colorado, and I’ve always wanted to see the Rockies.”

Gabe closed his eyes and swayed as he was buffeted by a wave of grief and regret. Despite Jack’s offer, they’d never taken that Colorado trip. By the time Eagle’s Way was ready for visitors, Jennifer was pregnant with Matt. Once he’d been born, they’d decided to wait until he was older to take that particular family vacation.

Until he was older.

His throat tight, his body tense, Gabe sucked in a deep breath of cold mountain air. Memories were dragons and he had not the weapons to battle them. That’s why he’d acquiesced to Jack’s suggestion that he spend a few weeks at Eagle’s Way. Memories didn’t haunt every room of this house. Up here in this high valley, even down in town, he could … breathe.

Gabe exhaled heavily and turned away from the house. His gaze skimmed across the snow-dusted mountaintops before lifting toward the clear blue sky. Sunshine warmed his face. The tension within him eased. Jack had been right. There was something special about this place. Maybe he’d stay on a little longer.

He’d need another project, though. Something physical. Maybe after lunch he’d give the house a good going over and see if the contractor had made any other mistakes that needed fixing.

He turned to head into the house to make a sandwich, then pulled up short upon seeing the faded blue pickup truck driving the winding road leading to the house. He didn’t recognize the truck before sight of it was lost to the cover of the trees. Frowning, he tried to recall if he’d forgotten a scheduled delivery. No, he didn’t think so. The housekeepers Jack retained came on Thursdays, so it wasn’t them, either.

Gabe kept his gaze focused on the road as he walked toward the drive, and when the truck emerged from the cover of the forest, he was able to make out two figures inside the cab. Looked like a couple of women. And, as the truck drew closer, he saw a third form. A dog.

The dog. Along with Nic Sullivan and a woman he didn’t recognize. What brought them to Eagle’s Way? Maybe she was bringing him the jacket he’d left at her house last night.

She waved hello when she saw him, and he returned a nod, then motioned for her to pull around the excavator to park. The moment she opened the driver’s-side door, the boxer pushed past her and scrambled out, barking excitedly as he bounded toward Gabe. The mutt looked so goofy with his ears flopping and his crooked tail wagging that Gabe couldn’t help laughing—until the dog jumped on him. He pushed him away saying, “Hey, dog. Stop that. Get down.”

“Watch out for the mouth,” said a pretty redhead whom Gabe didn’t know. “He’s been drooling on me all the way up from town.” She extended her hand adding, “I’m Sage Anderson, Mr. Callahan. Hope you don’t mind my tagging along on Nic’s errand. I’m a painter, and if you don’t mind, I’d like to take pictures of the peaks from this perspective for my work.”

“Sure. That’s fine.” As Sage grabbed a professional-quality camera from the truck cab and headed out across the lawn, he looked at Nic and asked, “What errand?”

“Tiger, get down!” Nic said, ignoring his question to scold the dog. She shook her head and sighed. “He does have more than his share of bad habits. You’ll need to give him extra attention for a while in order to break him of them.”

Gabe opened his mouth to protest, but she forged ahead. “Wow, just look at this house. I admit I was happy to have the excuse to come up here. I’ve always wanted to see it. I hope you’ll give me the grand tour.”

“Whoa. Wait one minute. What do you mean, I’ll need to give the dog extra attention?”

She smiled sheepishly but didn’t respond.

“Explain something to me, Dr. Sullivan. What is it you don’t understand about the sentence ‘He is not my dog’?”

“I’m not the person you need to convince,” Nic shot back. She gave a significant look toward the boxer, who had plopped down beside Gabe. Actually, plopped down on top of his right foot.

Gabe glared down at the dog. “He’s not a person.”

“True, but apparently he considers you his person.”

“That’s ridiculous.”

“Actually, it’s not uncommon at all. I see it all the time in my practice.”

“Well, then, he’ll just have to reconsider.” Watching the boxer, he remembered another pair of big, brown puppy-dog eyes. Please, Daddy? Please? I’ll take care of him. I promise. Gruffly Gabe declared, “I’m not keeping that dog.”

When Nic Sullivan simply stared at him, waiting, he raked his fingers through his hair. “Look, I appreciate what you’re trying to do. He’s a good dog. Goofy, but I guess that adds to his appeal. I agree with you that he needs a good home, but that home isn’t with me. Be reasonable. I’m a guest here. I can’t move a dog into Eagle’s Way.”

“Why not? Does Jack Davenport hate dogs?”

“No. He has dogs of his own. But they are well trained and well behaved, everything this dog is not. Besides, I don’t want a dog. Period. Now, can I offer you and your friend something to drink before you head back? The coffee is fresh, or I think there’s some packets of instant hot chocolate if you like that stuff.”

“Here’s your hat, what’s your hurry?” Nic responded in a dry tone. “I’d love a cup of coffee if that’s an invitation to go inside. I really do want to see Eagle’s Way, and I have another reason for coming up here today.”

“You brought my jacket back?”

She snapped her fingers. “Well, shoot. I forgot. I noticed it hanging on the coatrack, but I walked right past it.”

“So what does bring you here?”

She grinned and suggested, “Coffee? And brownies. You didn’t have the chance to sample the Bristlecone Café’s brownies last night, so I brought them along.”

Sighing, he said, “Shall we call your friend?”

“No, she truly did tag along to take pictures, and besides, she has a personal bias against caffeine. She’s an artist.”

Gabe almost asked what one had to do with the other, but instead he focused on the dog and frowned. “Do you have a leash?”

“Yes.”

“Then bring him in. It’s not like he hasn’t been through the place before.” After she grabbed a round dessert tin from her truck and fished a pink-and-purple nylon rope from her pocket and clipped it to the boxer’s collar, Gabe turned toward the house and said, “Follow me.”

He led her around to the side entrance, and their path took them past the pool area. “Oh, wow,” she murmured. “A waterfall into a hot tub? How cool is that? So romantic.”

Gabe felt a stirring of professional pride. He’d done a particularly fine job with the landscape design here, and he found Nic’s enthusiastic reaction gratifying. It had been a long time since he’d taken any pleasure in his work.

He escorted her inside and gave her the two-bit tour. “I can’t believe this is only a vacation house,” she said after exiting the media room. “Scuttlebutt in town is that Jack Davenport rarely visits. Only a handful of people have ever met him. If this place were mine, I’d live here permanently. What a waste to have it always sitting empty!”

Gabe knew that in reality, Eagle’s Way welcomed visitors quite often, although that wasn’t something he could share. “Jack is a busy man.”

“Well, I hope whatever he does with his days is worth the sacrifice.” She reached down to pet the boxer, then said, “What about your days, Gabe? What brings you to Eagle’s Way? Celeste tells me that you are a landscape architect. Are you here working on a new project?”

Avoiding her question, he asked one of his own. “I just met the woman last night. How does she know anything about me?”

Nic explained the older woman’s contact with the hospital project he’d done in South Carolina. “A small world,” Gabe murmured as he gestured toward the cozy upholstered seating group that offered a spectacular view of snowcapped mountain peaks. “Have a seat, Nic. I’ll get our coffee, then you can tell me why you’re here.”

He took a step toward the kitchen, then paused. “Here. Hand me the leash. The dog probably can use some water.”

Gabe detoured to the mud room, where he pulled a dog bowl and a box of treats from a storage closet. He filled the bowl with water and waited for the boxer to slake his thirst. Then he offered up a dog treat while saying, “Don’t get ideas. You are leaving when she does.”

When he returned to the great room moments later carrying two steaming mugs of coffee, the dog led the way and plopped down at Nic’s feet. She accepted her coffee with a smile. “Thanks. Have a brownie.”

“Maybe later,” he replied, eyeing the tin she’d opened and placed atop a magazine on a nearby table. He leaned his shoulder against the wall of windows and watched her, sipping his coffee, waiting for her to speak, and telling himself he didn’t notice the way the sunlight seemed to dance in her hair. When the silence stretched, he finally said, “All right, Dr. Nic. Spill it.”

“The coffee?” She was the picture of innocence.

He leveled a chiding look, and she offered up an apologetic shrug. “I’m trying to decide the best way to do this.”

Gabe hoped she wasn’t working up the nerve to ask him for a date. While he recognized that neither one of them had intended it, the atmosphere surrounding last night’s dinner had ended up having too much intimacy for comfort. She was a nice woman, a beautiful woman, but he should have dropped the dog at the door and beat feet last night. “Nic—”

“Gabe,” she said at the same time, “I want to ask your advice about an idea Celeste has proposed to help Eternity Springs’ economic state.”

Oh. No romantic advances. Well, good. Gabe relaxed and reached for a brownie. “My advice? That’s easy enough, I guess. I don’t know that you should put much stock in it, however.”

“I’ll keep that in mind. Now, I think it might help if I set the scene a bit, first. Do you know anything about the history of this part of Colorado?”

“A little.” Gabe lifted a brownie from the plate. “When I was a boy I was fascinated by the Alfred Packer story.”

Nic grimaced at the reference to the only man in American history convicted of cannibalism. “Eew. What is it about boys? My friend Cam Murphy had that same fascination when we were growing up.”

Gabe grinned, then tasted the brownie, and forgot all about history. “Wow. Just wow. This is good.”

“Sarah Reese bakes the desserts for the Bristlecone Café. Her cheesecakes are even better.”

“I have to start eating in town.”

Nic sat back against the cushion, a smug smile fluttering on her lips. “That’s an excellent idea, but I’m getting ahead of myself. Are you familiar with Eternity’s founding fathers or the legend of how the town got its name?”

“I recall that the name was derived from the local hot springs and the area’s isolation. Something about it taking an eternity for anyone to get here. I also know that Jack’s great-something-grandfather was a miner who discovered the rich vein of silver that provided the base of the family fortune.”

“That was Lucien Davenport. He and Daniel Murphy and Harry Cavanaugh opened the Silver Miracle mine.”

“So Celeste’s place—Cavanaugh House—belonged to Harry? That explains the silver bars we stumbled on last night.”

“Money and murder. The sheriff told us that they found bullets with the bones—but that’s not why I’m here. Gabe, has Jack Davenport shared details about how his family ended up with Murphy Mountain or the conditions of the family trust?”

“No.” Gabe helped himself to a second brownie.

“It’s an involved story and I won’t go into all of it. If you’re curious, you can read the town history that Sarah’s father wrote. It’s in the Davenport library in town. What’s pertinent to my business here today is that Lucien Davenport was an early conservationist. He put the Murphy land in a trust that has prevented road construction or development, which meant that growth occurred in other parts of Colorado. In many ways, Eternity Springs hasn’t changed in over a hundred years.”

“Colorado’s own version of Brigadoon,” he interjected. “You do know that Eternity’s isolation contributes to its charm.”

“Yes, but it’s both a blessing and a curse. The town is dying, Gabe. We’ve been looking for ways to save it, and that’s where you come in.”

He straightened and moved away from the window. “If you’re looking for a conduit to Jack Davenport in order to promote roads to ski resorts, you’re wasting your breath.”

“No, that’s not it at all.”

“You want an investor for a brownie business?”

“Actually, that’s not a bad idea, but it’s not why I’m here. Gabe, Celeste wants to hire you to help design the transformation of the Cavanaugh estate into a healing center.”

Gabe opened his mouth to explain that he no longer practiced his profession, but Nic forged ahead. Speaking rapidly and with enthusiasm, she explained the idea. Despite his best intentions, he listened, and for the first time in months his professional interest was engaged.

The plan had merit. With the right marketing and the right facilities, it just might work. Cavanaugh House could be a good foundation for such a facility. From what he’d seen last night, the house had good bones, which for the most part had survived the fire. The surrounding acreage offered plenty of space for what Nic had described. “The hot springs are on site?” he interrupted.

“They sure are. There are natural pools along the creek south of the house. Harry Cavanaugh picked the perfect spot to build because the breeze usually blows the odor from the pools away. The mineral springs stink.”

“But people love them.”

“True.”

He was tempted. He needed something to do. The work on the retaining wall had taught him that. But working again would mean interacting with people. Was he ready for that? He’d managed last night, but everyone’s focus had been on the fire. They’d accepted his help, and he’d been spared the questions. He couldn’t manage questions.

Nic Sullivan hadn’t asked him many personal questions. Yet. He saw them in her eyes, though.

Gabe turned to stare out the window and vaguely noted that the redhead had set up a tripod. Did he want to work again? Was his head in the right place for it? He rubbed the back of his neck. He guessed he was better than he’d been a month ago. He didn’t want to die anymore. But he wasn’t at all certain that he wanted to live, either. Taking on this project meant interacting, which meant living.

And yet the thought of those springs made his fingers itch to sketch.

He finished his coffee, then set the empty cup atop a coaster on the end table. “If I decide to do this, I would have some conditions.”

She brightened, and hope shined in the sky of her eyes. “I can’t imagine that being a problem. Celeste has already said you can name your price.”

“It’s not about money.” He folded his arms. “It’s about control.”

Standing, Nic reached out and touched his arm. “Don’t worry. I get creative people. Sage is an artist, a painter, and she—oh!”

He followed the path of her gaze and saw Sage Anderson down on all fours, her head hanging, her body trembling, the tripod and camera knocked to the ground beside her.

In an instant, both Gabe and Nic dashed for the door. She was fast, but his legs were longer and as he pulled away from her, he heard the note of fear in her voice as she called her friend’s name.

The woman on the ground shook like a tree in a gale. He saw no blood. No outward sign of trauma. Was she convulsing? “Ms. Anderson?” he called as he neared. He pulled up beside her. Touched her back. “Sage?”

Nic dropped down on her knees. “Sage? Honey, what is it? What’s wrong? Where are you hurting?”

“I’m okay,” she replied softly. Weakly. “I’m okay.”

“No, obviously you’re not,” Nic snapped. “Gabe, I keep a medical bag in the tool box of my truck. Would you get it for me?”

“No. I’m fine.” Sage lifted her head and rolled back on her heels. “Really.” Her pained gaze met Nic’s, then lifted to Gabe. He sucked in a breath. He recognized that look. It was a unique glaze of horror, agony, and guilt. He’d seen it in his brothers’ eyes the night over twenty years ago when they started the fire that almost destroyed a town and did destroy their family. He’d seen it in the eyes of the man who’d confessed the terrible truth about a planned attack on America that ultimately led to Gabe’s “death.”

For the past nine months, he’d seen it every time he looked in the mirror.

She cleared her throat. “I … uh … must have been another pesky acid flashback.”

“Yeah, right,” Nic replied. “This from Eternity Springs’ resident health nut. You tell me what happened right now or I’m loading you into the truck and laying rubber to a hospital.”

Gabe noted the long-distance lens on the camera as he reached out and took Sage Anderson’s hand, helping her to her feet. “You saw something in your viewfinder, didn’t you?”

She nodded. Shuddered. “It was … nature. A fox brought down a rabbit. I don’t know why it hit me that way. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to frighten you.”

Nic gave her friend a relieved hug, and while the two women embraced, Sage looked over Nic’s shoulder and met Gabe’s gaze. Silent understanding passed between them. Acid flashback, no. Flashback of a real experience triggered by violence, you bet. “It’s survival of the fittest out there,” he observed. “Laws of nature are seldom pretty.”

“They break your heart.”

“That they do, Ms. Anderson. That they do.”

Nic released Sage and stepped back, a considering look in her eyes as she studied them both. Nic Sullivan wasn’t a fool, and she recognized that something more had happened here. Gabe braced for an intrusive question, but she surprised him. “Guess what, Sage? While you were out here communing with nature, I was busy saving Eternity Springs.”

“Oh, yeah? And how did you manage that?”

“I used my charm and my persuasive abilities and my business acumen to convince Mr. Callahan here to design the cornerstone of our revitalization project.”

Sage arched a question brow toward Gabe. “Is that true?”

He rubbed the back of his neck and made a show of considering. After a long moment, he shook his head. “No. She’s wrong.”

He watched Nic’s face fall and stilled a grin. His expression serious, he added, “It was the brownies that did it.”