“All in a day’s work, ma’am,” he said, and she laughed.
Once he’d left and she was alone in the empty house, her amusement faded. She sat on the edge of the futon and rested her chin in her hands, staring at the pile of her belongings. What the hell had she done?
One minute she’d been on the phone with Rosie, listening to news about the family. And somewhere between hearing about her sister-in-law Emma’s pregnancy and Rosie wondering whether Ryan and Lauren or Josh and Katie would make it to the altar first, the homesickness had hit Liz so hard she could barely breathe. Between her cousins and her brothers, the family was awash with love and marriage and babies. And since they’d all recommitted to helping Josh make the Northern Star Lodge a success, it seemed her brothers were closer than ever.
And there she was, all the way across the country with a dead-end relationship behind her and nothing but work ahead of her.
“I’m moving back to Whitford,” she’d told Rosie before she could talk herself out of it.
The housekeeper had only been quiet a few seconds before she said, “Your room will be ready.”
The idea of moving into the lodge didn’t appeal to her, though, and her brother’s fiancée having a house sitting empty had seemed like a sign she was doing the right thing.
She was still pretty sure she was doing the right thing, but it seemed a lot scarier now that she was sitting in a house so empty voices echoed. A house she was going to have to pay for all on her own. Hopefully the good citizens of Whitford were as generous with their tips as truck drivers could be.
With a sigh, Liz stood up. First, she was going to heat up some of that banana bread in the microwave because nothing improved a person’s outlook on life faster than Rosie’s baked goods. Then she’d start spreading her stuff out in the living room so it could all dry.
The glint of orange outside the living room window caught her eye as she walked to the pile of boxes. It had started raining hard again, but she forced herself not to cringe at the sight of the Mustang in the driveway.
And tried not to think about its owner.
Chapter Two
A knock on his already open office door made Drew look up from a stack of a paperwork with relief. He hated paperwork and welcomed distractions, especially when the distraction was Mitch Kowalski.
“Hey.” He gestured for his friend to come in and sit down. “I thought you were...somewhere. Working.”
“I’m only home for a couple of days.” Mitch sat in the visitor’s chair and crossed his arms. “I need you to do something for me.”
“Last time you said that, I had to repaint half my truck.”
Mitch grinned. “I told you not to get caught.”
Drew got his license before Mitch and the favor was to pick up Drew’s girlfriend and deliver her to the pond where Mitch planned to take her for a ride in the canoe he’d “borrowed” from his old man. Sure, Mitch told him not to get caught. What he’d neglected to mention was that his girlfriend’s dad was not only paranoid, but had impulse control issues and a shotgun loaded with bird shot. The girlfriend hadn’t pulled off the sneaky part of sneaking out.
“That’s just one of many times doing something for you has been a pain in the ass for me,” Drew said.
“This time there are no women involved. Except my sister.”
Drew concentrated on not looking like a guy who’d been caught with his hand in the wrong cookie jar. “What is it you want me to do for you?”
“I want you to tell me why there’s a picture going around Facebook of your Mustang parked in Lauren’s driveway with no lights on in the house and a time stamp of just after midnight.”
“Since when are you on Facebook?”
“Paige is, since she has an account for the diner and helps with the lodge’s.”
“Was there also a picture of Liz’s car on Butch’s ramp truck with the fender caved in?”
Mitch leaned forward in the chair. “What happened? Is she okay? I got in late last night and I haven’t talked to Rosie yet, but she would have called my cell if Liz was in an accident.”
“She’s fine and it wasn’t much of an accident. I don’t know if Liz has even told Rose yet. She hydroplaned and sideswiped a tree, so I lent her the Mustang until she can get the insurance stuff sorted out.”
“You’re letting Liz borrow your car? Why would you do that?”
“Because I’m a nice guy. It’s just sitting in the garage and I’d rather it be out on the road where I can see it and remember the day I smoked that Camaro of yours.”
“I missed a shift.” Mitch relaxed in the chair again. “Since Paige knew Liz was supposed to arrive yesterday, she thought maybe you were there with her. Like spending the night. But I told her she was crazy.”