Out of the Depths (4 page)

Sailor snored, as usual, while Cody stared at the rustic pine ceiling and wondered why his dog had so much more peace than he did.

Because he doesn’t think of the future
, Cody decided. No worries meant no stress. Too bad he couldn’t share the dog’s easy ability to drop off to sleep anywhere, anytime.

Relating the details of the fatal accident to Trudy Lynn had brought the tragedy vividly to mind for the second time that night. Not that the young man’s death was ever far from his thoughts. That moment would never leave him, never let him rest the way he once had.

Why
kept nagging at him, refusing to be rationalized away. Too bad it wasn’t a question that could be solved like a riddle that had an actual solution. There was no answer to his conundrum—at least not one that included
the benevolent, loving God he’d sought and believed in as a lonely, motherless child.

In that respect, his sister, Becky, had more faith than he’d ever possessed. He wasn’t about to pretend he still had a strong belief in the Lord, even if that meant he didn’t fit her idea of the perfect brother. As far as Cody was concerned, God had deserted him. Twice. No, make that three times. First when his mother had been killed, second when he’d prayed for the safety of his clients on the raft while fighting for his own life, and third, when Stephanie had walked away from the love she’d once sworn would last forever.

He looked down at his injured knee. It was throbbing in time with his heartbeats. Must be time for another pain pill, which meant he’d also need a glass of water. Well, so what? Why baby himself? He was going to ache all night anyway, just as he always did. At least the cabin was small enough to hop to the sink without crutches.

He swung his feet over the side of the bed and spoke to Sailor so the dog wouldn’t be startled, leap up and topple him. “That’s it, old boy. Scoot over. I’ll be right back.” The thick, black tail thumped on the bare floor.

Cody pulled himself upright by grabbing the headboard and stood quietly for a second to make sure he had his balance. The brace on his knee would keep it from giving out on him but there was always the chance of a sharp pain causing him to falter. He switched on the bedside lamp and started across the room. Seconds later, he heard a throaty growl behind him.

Grabbing the edge of the sink for support he stared at Sailor. The usually amiable, laid-back dog was fully alert. Had the vandals returned? Now that he’d switched on the cabin light, they’d know someone was close by. Would that be enough to scare them away? Cody hoped so.

Leaning against the kitchenette counter, he listened. Other than Sailor’s rumbling, silence reigned. Whip-poor-wills had stopped calling to their mates, frogs had ceased their rhythmic chirping, and even the noisy cicadas were still.

He tensed. The first thing he needed to do was grab his crutches so he’d be more mobile. Second, he had to keep Sailor from going on the defensive and getting into trouble.

“Sailor, come,” Cody whispered, giving a hand signal as well. Hackles up, the dog had risen and was facing the closed door, clearly standing guard.

“Sailor,” he hissed, “get over here.”

The protective canine reluctantly obeyed, edging closer until Cody was able to grab his collar.

The door creaked on rusty hinges. The first thing that poked through was the long barrel of a shotgun! Cody tightened his grip on Sailor, braced himself and waited.

A weathered old codger stepped into the room and took shaky aim. The man was clad only in boxer shorts and a sleeveless undershirt. At the ends of his spindly legs, his unlaced hiking boots looked as though they were at least as old as he was. Maybe older.

Before Cody could decide whether to yell at him, surrender, or burst out laughing, the old man commanded, “Freeze, mister. And call off your dog.”

“I’ve been trying to,” Cody said. “Don’t shoot. We’re unarmed.” He raised his free hand. “You must be Will.”

“What if I am?”

“Trudy Lynn, Ms. Brown, told me about you. She was planning to introduce us in the morning.”

“Says who?”

“It’s the truth. I’m Becky Malloy’s brother, Cody Keringhoven.”

“I s’pose you can prove it.”

“I have my ID right here.” Cody produced his wallet and held it out.

Will motioned with a jerk of his head. “Bring it over here. Real slow.”

“That’s about the only way I
can
move.” He pointed to the crutches propped at the foot of the bed. “I’ll do better if you’ll hand me those first.”

“You don’t look crippled.”

“Well, I sure feel it,” Cody replied. “I just got up to take a pain pill. Mind if I do?”

“Guess not.” He lowered the muzzle toward the floor so it wasn’t pointing directly at Cody or the dog. “Miz Brown didn’t say nothin’ about puttin’ nobody in this cabin.” He scowled. “We hardly ever rent it, ’specially not this time of year.”

“So she told me. I’m supposed to be watching out for vandals while I’m here. I guess you know all about that.”

“Sure do. That’s what I figured you was when I saw the light.” Bushy gray eyebrows knit. “I tried sittin’ by that there window all night. Couldn’t keep my eyes open. That what you’re plannin’ to do?”

“Not tonight,” Cody said, drawing water and downing his medication. “Dad and I just drove all the way from Chicago. I’m beat. Maybe tomorrow.”

Thumbing the shotgun open to extract the shells, the old man nodded. “Suits me. Sorry if I scared ya. I’m goin’ back to bed. You be all right?”

“Fine. Thanks. See you in the morning?”

“You betcha,” Will said. “In case you’re wonderin’, I’m gonna go talk to Miz Brown before I turn in, see if your story checks.”

“I wouldn’t have it any other way,” Cody said with a grin. “She’s lucky to have you.”

“Sure is.” He eyed the now complacent-looking, panting dog. “Big fella, ain’t he? What’s his name?”

“Sailor.”

Will chuckled. “Well, well. Me, too. Spent many a happy year as a merchant seaman before I finally decided to settle down. I take it he loves the water.”

“I think he’d rather swim than eat,” Cody said. “Newfoundlands are related to Labrador retrievers, just bigger and a lot more hairy.”

“That’s the truth. Sure glad he’s yours to feed and not mine. What all does he eat?”

Cody immediately thought of Trudy Lynn’s messy introduction to Sailor’s fondness for beef gravy. Rather than mention it, he laughed then quipped, “Anything that doesn’t eat him first.”

“You’d best watch him around Miz Brown’s little mutt, then. That Widget’s got a nasty attitude.”

“Uh-oh. She never mentioned having a dog.”

“He’s more like family to her. ’Specially since that fiancé of hers, Ned What’s-his-name, took off.” Will grimaced and blushed. “Forget I said anything about that, will you? Don’t want her to think I’m carryin’ tales.”

“We won’t mention it again,” Cody vowed. “I had wondered why she was so fixated on this business. Guess she put all her energies into it after Ned left, huh?”

“Nope,” Will said. “Always was nuts about canoes and camping. This place was perfect for her, right from the start. I think that’s one of the things Ned didn’t take to. Miss Trudy liked the outdoors a lot more’n he did.” He lowered his voice to add, “You ask me, she loved the Ozarks every bit as much as she loved him, maybe more, and he knew it. Didn’t surprise me when their wedding didn’t pan out.”

Cody nodded sagely. “Thanks for telling me. It’ll keep me from putting my foot in my mouth.” He managed another chuckle in spite of the growing discomfort radiating from his sore knee. “Good thing, too. These days, it’s about all I can do to make my feet work together to hold me up. I can’t afford to be chewing on one of them.”

“And I’m standin’ here keepin’ you up and makin’ it worse. Sorry, mister…what’d you say the name was?”

“Just call me Cody. Keringhoven’s too hard to remember.”

“Cody, it is. I’ll look in on you in the mornin’, ’fore I start my chores, case you need anything.”

“Thanks. I’d appreciate that.”

“Glad to do it. Any friend of Miz Brown’s is a friend of mine.”

Nodding, Cody bid him a polite good-night and waited till the door had closed before gritting his teeth. The pain tonight was worse than it had ever been, except perhaps for the hours immediately following the physical therapy sessions he had submitted to while hospitalized.

Seeming to sense his master’s need for solace, Sailor licked his hand.

“Yeah, it hurts something awful,” Cody admitted. “You know that, don’t you?”

Sailor wagged his tail so vigorously his entire rear half swayed.

“Just be sure to keep it to yourself, okay? I don’t want my sister and her church ladies fussing over me.”

That much was true. Still, he’d agreed to come to Serenity for a recuperation period, knowing Becky would undoubtedly try to meddle and insist she was doing it for his own good.

“I must have been taking way too much pain medication when Dad recommended this trip,” Cody muttered. “I can’t believe I agreed.”

In the back of his mind, however, another idea was jumping up and down and screeching like a squad of teenage cheerleaders at a pep rally. Could Trudy Lynn have been on the right track when she’d mentioned the possibility of divine intervention?

Cody immediately rejected that notion. If God had wanted to intercede on his behalf, He was too late. About two months too late.

He snorted derisively. Make that a whole
lifetime
too late. Considering all that had happened, there was no
way he could ever go back to the unquestioning faith he’d leaned on as a lonely, confused child.

Of all the losses he’d experienced, that loss of faith left him feeling the emptiest.

T
rudy Lynn made sure she was the first person to knock on Cody’s door the following morning. Her arrival was heralded by a chorus of deep woofing and a call of, “Hang on. I’m coming.”

Fidgeting, she waited. When Cody opened the door she greeted him with a wide smile and a cheery, “Good morning.” His clothes were wrinkled. His day’s growth of beard was nearly invisible due to his light coloring but his tousled hair showed he hadn’t expected such an early visit.

Nevertheless, he smiled. “I thought you said I could sleep in?”

“I know I did. I’m sorry. I just wanted to apologize for Will. His mistake was my fault. I should have stopped by his cabin last night and told him you were staying here.”

“At least he didn’t shoot me. Or my dog.”

“Thank God—literally.” She pointed to Sailor who was sitting behind Cody and panting so heartily he looked as if he was smiling. “Want me to walk him for you?”

“Not a good idea. He hates leashes. He’d probably wind up walking you. Besides, he’s already been out once this morning. You’re not the only one who’s an early riser. My furry friend got me up at dawn.”

“Did you rest okay? Is the bed soft enough?”

Cody nodded. “Actually, it’s almost too soft. The less I accidentally move while I’m sleeping, the better.”

“How about now? How are you feeling?”

“Fine.”

Trudy Lynn could tell he was far from fine but she figured, if he wanted to deny his pain, that was okay with her. Dwelling on it was probably worse for him, anyway.

“Glad to hear it. Have you eaten?”

“No. To tell you the truth, I haven’t even brushed my teeth yet.” He rubbed his palm over his cheek. “Feels like I need a shave, too.”

“And a change of clothes. Did you sleep in those? They look like it.”

“Sure did. After your friend Will scared us silly, I didn’t have enough energy left to get ready for bed.” He glanced at his dog with affection. “Sailor was a great watchdog. Stood right in front of me and kept the dangerous old codger at bay.”

“Poor Will,” Trudy Lynn said. “He was really disappointed when he discovered you weren’t the bad guys, come to ransack a cabin.”

“I hope he put on more clothes before he went to your place to tell you about it. When he showed up here he was dressed in boxers and hiking boots. If he hadn’t been pointing a gun at me I’d have laughed out loud. He
has the skinniest, ugliest legs I’ve ever seen, except maybe on a scrawny chicken.”

“That’s because you haven’t seen mine.” Trudy Lynn was instantly sorry she’d been so glib. Cody was now looking her up and down as if he’d just discovered she was a woman, and she didn’t like the awareness his assessing blue eyes revealed.

“You look nice in those jeans,” he finally said.

Flustered, she averted her gaze and unnecessarily smoothed the denim. “Thanks. Now, about breakfast. How soon do you think you can be ready?”

“Ready? Ready for what?”

“The best biscuits and gravy in Fulton County.”

“Are you asking me to go out to breakfast?”

“No.” Her brow wrinkled. “I’m cooking. Actually, it’s all made. I took the biscuits out of the oven before I came down here.” She brightened. “Oh, I get it. You’re thinking of your sister’s cooking. Don’t worry. Mine has won prizes at the county fair.”

“That’s a relief. But really, you don’t have to coddle me. I’m perfectly capable of taking care of myself.”

“I know that.” She rolled her eyes. “Look, Cody. You might as well get used to folks being nice to you for no particular reason. Around here, people are friendly, period. It’s not because you have a problem or because we feel sorry for you. Okay?”

“Okay.” He shrugged. “I am a little hungry. How far is it to your place? Up the hill, right?”

“Right. But don’t try to walk it.” Trudy Lynn pointed to a squat, green, four-wheel-drive vehicle parked in the
drive. “I’ll do a few chores, then bring the ATV back and pick you up. How much time will you need to get ready?”

“Ready to ride that? About six months should do it.”

“Cynic. I’ll do the driving. All you’ll have to do is shut up and hang on.”

His wry expression when he said, “That’s what I was afraid of,” was so funny she couldn’t help laughing.

Cody managed to shower and shave in short order. He didn’t think it would hurt to humor Trudy Lynn just this once. Besides, he wanted a chance to ask her more about the vandalism before he got Will’s opinion. He knew there wasn’t a whole lot he could do to apprehend whoever had been damaging the canoes but there was no reason he couldn’t at least try to get a description of them for the police. To his surprise, he was looking forward to having something constructive to occupy his mind for a change.

He was positive that he’d be able to mount the ATV successfully. How he’d stay on it once they were moving promised to be a bit trickier.

Trudy Lynn arrived in a cloud of dust and slid to a stop right in front of him. “Hop on.”

“What about my crutches?”

“We’ll clip them across the rack with a bungee cord. Come on. Gravy’s getting cold.”

Cody got on easily by keeping his injured leg straight and swinging it around and over, brace and all. Once he was in position behind Trudy Lynn, however, he was faced with the decision of whether or not he should slip
his arms around her waist. His balance was off due to the knee brace and he didn’t want to wind up flat on his back in the dirt, yet he hardly knew the young woman.

“You’d better hang on to me,” she said, solving his dilemma. “This road’s kind of bumpy.”

“You don’t mind?”

“Not at all,” Trudy Lynn said. “I trust you.”

“Thanks.”

Cody did as she’d instructed, keeping his touch as light and gentlemanly as he could. Only in an emergency would he tighten his hold, he promised himself. Grabbing her like that would be a last resort.

It was a narrow waist, he noted. Yet Trudy Lynn wasn’t delicate or prissy the way Stephanie had been. She was a healthy, active woman who treated men as equals, neither elevating them to sainthood nor denigrating them for being male. Though her casual acceptance was going to take some getting used to, he found he liked it, liked keeping company with a woman who had no hidden agenda. Trudy Lynn wasn’t the type who picked out an engagement ring and started making wedding plans by the second date.

Whoa! Where had that thought come from?
He didn’t intend to start dating anyone for a while, especially not his sister’s best friend. He’d been cured of any tendencies toward romance when Steph had dumped him. Besides, according to Will, Trudy Lynn was sort of in the same boat. Maybe that was why being with her seemed so pleasant. It was a welcome change to relax and not have to worry about whether or not he should consider a lasting relationship—or try to keep one from developing.

She broke into his thoughts with a question. “How’re you doing? Am I going too fast?”

“I’m fine.” Out of the corner of his eye he saw a dark blur. “Uh-oh. I must not have shut the cabin door tight. We have company. Sailor came along.”

“That’s okay,” Trudy Lynn said, raising her voice to be heard over the roar of the ATV’s motor. “He’s a sweetheart. I’m sure he won’t be any trouble. He might pick up a few bugs if he wanders into the woods but you can always wet him down him with flea and tick repellant if you have to.”

“Does the stuff come in fifty-five gallon drums?” Her light laughter drifted back to him on the wind, lifting his spirits further.

“It must. They dip sheep, don’t they?”

“Guess so. Since I won’t be able to wrestle him into accepting the treatment, I’ll have to leave it to you.”

“In that case, we’ll get him a flea collar instead. We can always fasten two together, end to end, if we can’t find one big enough to go all the way around his neck.”

“Clever. Are you always this smart?”

“Sure am.”

She stopped the ATV beside a single-story offshoot tied to a larger, log building. “That’s our store, camp office and laundry. I got tired of having to run over here to take care of late arrivals, so I built myself a connected apartment. Might as well live here. I’m on call night and day, anyway.”

“It’s very impressive,” Cody said. “The whole campground is. No wonder you’re proud of this place.” The
small yard bordering the private portion of the building was bursting with color. “I see you like to garden.”

“Not if I have to fuss much. Those are all wildflowers that I’ve either transplanted from other parts of the property or started from seed. It seems like every day I notice something new starting to bloom.” She shut off the engine. “Do you want to get off first or shall I?”

“Better hand me my crutches before I try anything fancy,” Cody answered.

“Right.” She giggled when Sailor galloped up and slurped the back of her hand. “I guess he remembers me.”

Before Cody could answer, a yipping ball of brown-and-white fur raced around the corner. Teeth bared, it charged straight for the clueless Newfoundland.

Trudy Lynn screeched, “Widget! No!” and lunged, half on and half off the ATV, to intercept her little terrier. She’d have been successful, too, if Sailor hadn’t practically bowled her over making his lumbering getaway.

Cody was hopping on his good leg so he could extend one of his crutches as a barrier between the dogs. When he saw Trudy Lynn losing her balance he redirected his efforts. Unfortunately, he bumped her with the tip of the crutch and removed any chance she might have had of righting herself.

She twisted in midair and landed on the back pockets of her jeans with an undignified, “Oof!”

Widget leaped into her lap, barking and growling while she clasped him tightly to her chest and told him, “Hush!”

Crutches set wide like outriggers, Cody half turned to check on Sailor. “You okay, boy?”

The big dog had laid its ears back, ducked behind him and was just sitting there, head down, quivering like a bowl of Jell-O in a California earthquake and staring up at his master with soulful brown eyes.

Cody glanced back at Trudy Lynn. She looked at him and grinned. Widget kept yipping. Sailor kept trembling. In moments, both humans had recognized the humor of their situation and burst into riotous laughter.

Trudy Lynn laughed so hard tears rolled down her cheeks. She’d almost regained her composure till Cody held out his hand and asked, “Want some help?”

That set her off again. When she quieted down enough to catch her breath, she answered, “No, thanks. I can manage. The first time you helped me was plenty.”

“I didn’t mean to bump you. I was trying to keep the dogs from fighting.”

“I know. Poor Sailor. I don’t think we need to worry about him attacking Widget, do you?”

“Probably not. I hope you can keep that ankle-biter from harassing my innocent dog. I came up here so he could enjoy a little freedom, not be traumatized by a psychotic terrier.”

“Widget’s a great watchdog,” Trudy Lynn said, getting to her feet with the wiggly little dog tucked under one arm. She dusted off her jeans with her free hand. “Will told me I should tie him by the canoes at night and let him sound the alarm if we had prowlers.”

“Did you?”

“No. Widget barks at everything, even fireflies. He’d keep me up all night, investigating nothing.”

Cody followed her toward the apartment. There were already customers going in and out of the store. “Looks like business is good.”

“It’s picking up. This time of year is always kind of slow.” She ushered him inside.

The place was small but cozy, with a definitely feminine decor, including lace curtains and floral-printed chair cushions. Through an open interior doorway he could glimpse activity going on in the store, proper.

“This is my kitchen. Guess you can tell.”

“The stove and refrigerator were a dead giveaway,” Cody teased. “Something smells great.”

“Fresh biscuits. I told you I was a good cook.” She pointed to another door. “My living quarters are through there. I wanted the kitchen out here so my staff could use it as a break room, too, if they wanted.”

“You don’t have problems keeping others out?”

“Not at all. The access is behind the counter so everybody can tell it’s private space. I’ve never had campers wander in.”

“Amazing. Aren’t you worried about staying here alone at night? I mean, what kind of security does an arrangement like this give you?”

“All I’ve ever needed.”

“Till now.” Cody rounded the table and seated himself where he could keep an eye on the open door. “While we eat, I want you to tell me everything strange that’s happened so far. Don’t leave anything out, even if you think it’s trivial.”

“That might take a long time.”

“Humph. Suits me. I seem to have a lot more leisure time than I need. If you’ve got the time to brief me, I have plenty of time to listen.”

Trudy Lynn was carrying their dirty plates to the sink when she finished airing her concerns. “The only person I can think of who might have a grudge against me is a teenager I had to let go about a month ago. Name’s Ronnie Randall. He was pretty upset. His father phoned me the next day and accused me of blaming the wrong person.”