Seasons of Love (16 page)

“What about her granddaughter, Elsie?” Relief washed over Riley. She longed to soak in a hot bath to ease her aching muscles. She couldn’t help but smile about the fact that her grandfather had grown to like Millie, after all. He’d made healthy progress, finally getting on with his life after the death of her grandmother. She grinned when she considered that much of that growth had occurred since she’d arrived.

“I’m sure she’ll be there, too. Don’t worry about us; we’ll have a good time.”

“Let me grab his things, and don’t forget to take the car seat,” she said.

After seeing Chad and Grandpa off, Riley locked the door and bounded upstairs to start her bathwater. She’d spent yesterday rummaging through her things, including the ten moving boxes that had remained in the garage, still packed. Though her heart ached for her brother—and even more now that Zane had told her he believed John was murdered—she began to feel angry with John about the mystery he expected her and Zane to solve. She couldn’t understand why he hadn’t spelled things out so they could understand.

Riley soaked in the tub until the water turned cold. The bath eased her tension, and she felt relaxed. She even sent up a silent prayer for the discovery of the elusive clue. In the mood to look special, she searched through the closet, looking at her nicer clothes that she hadn’t worn in months, since caring for a child left a spot on every shirt she owned.

She held a tan outfit against her body and stared at the mirror, frowning. The pantsuit needed something extra, maybe jewelry. She hoped to look special for Zane.

For Zane?

Shaking her head, she tugged a dresser drawer open to dig out the jewelry box buried underneath a jumble of undergarments. She tossed them into a cardboard box nestled beside the dresser so that she could get a better look at the contents of the disorganized drawer.

She froze. The cardboard box had rested in that spot for so long that it had become part of the room’s decor and had gone unnoticed. She hadn’t searched it. Still, it only contained items she’d tossed in recently. She grabbed it and dumped the contents onto the bed. Along with the clothes, several postmarked envelopes—junk mail and solicitations—were scattered amid the heap, and she gathered them together, tossing them as she searched for a letter from John.

One envelope did not have a return address but had been sent to Riley’s California address. It had been forwarded to Massachusetts. Then she noticed the Massachusetts postmark. In the midst of all the turmoil, she’d overlooked the letter. The handwriting appeared to be that of a man. Her heart pounded as she searched for a letter opener to slit the top. She hoped this was the item John had sent.

Losing patience, Riley ripped through the paper. She pulled out several folded sheets and discovered a small item in between them.

The locket!

As she examined the shiny, gold-plated square, touching it with her finger, she couldn’t believe she had finally found it. Still, what could be so important about a trivial ornament?

She scrutinized the sliding door in the front of the locket. Riley’s heart raced. Should she open it or wait for Zane? Upon applying slight pressure with her thumb, the door slid open, and a small square object dropped to the carpet. Riley reached down and carefully picked up what appeared to be the smallest memory card she’d ever seen. It was no bigger than her fingernail.

Fear coursed through her. The information she held in the palm of her hand had meant the difference between life and death to John. Her mood plummeted. Somehow, things had gone awry. She hated that she was in possession of such a dangerous object.

She hurried to dress so she could deliver the news to Zane. The locket would be the perfect accessory to her tan outfit—sure to draw his attention. The ironic notion brought a laugh. Zane had kept the original golden chain he’d shown her. Riley came across one of an appropriate length, though it was silver rather than gold like the locket.

She phoned Zane on his cell. When he didn’t answer, she left a message on his voice mail. She tried to keep her voice calm, rather than shaky, but it was no use.

Zane tired of the culinary demonstration and roamed toward the farm stand, avoiding the live band that played on the temporary stage. He scanned the crowd for Riley. He assumed she would have arrived at the festival by now. He checked his watch and noted that dusk was fast approaching. A helicopter offering rides zoomed past, rendering him momentarily oblivious to any other sounds.

A young girl approached him holding glowing neon bracelets and sticks. “Mister, would you like to buy one?”

He patted the young entrepreneur on the top of her head. “No, thanks. Maybe later.”

As he sauntered down a walkway rimmed by people pushing their wares, he looked at all sorts of antiques, linens, artwork, and even produce from the local farmers. Completing the harvest had filled him with satisfaction. The celebration festival was for all to enjoy. Without Riley, there wasn’t much here to interest Zane. He checked his watch again then spotted her grandfather.

He hurried through the crowd before he lost sight of Robert then touched the back of his arm. Riley’s grandfather turned to face Zane, his broad smile growing even bigger.

“Hello, Robert. Enjoying the festival?”

“Grandpa! Grandpa!” Chad came running from a vendor, a stick of pink-and-blue-swirled cotton candy in his hand. Millie wasn’t far behind the child. Riley would be near, as well.

A pang jolted Zane’s heart at Chad’s outburst—he’d begun calling Robert “Grandpa,” which was only right. But the child would grow up and not even remember his own father. Still, Zane was grateful that the boy had family to love him.

Robert lifted Chad into his arms, heedless of the sticky mess. Yes, he was loved.

“There’s a huge crowd this year. Have you been to a cranberry festival before?” Robert opened his mouth to allow Chad to stuff in the sticky sugar.

“I’m afraid this is my first time.” Zane watched Millie retrieve Chad from Robert’s arms. Something was going on between those two. He grinned at the thought.

“So, do you know which way Riley headed? I’m surprised I haven’t seen her yet.”

A nearby carnival ride began booming upbeat music.

“What?” Robert appeared to consider Zane’s question. “I’m not sure where Riley is. I haven’t seen her. She decided to come later.”

Robert’s words sank in, filling Zane with disappointment. He frowned and searched the crowd. “How would we find her in all of this, even if she was here?”

“That’s a good question. But I wouldn’t worry too much. I think she needed time alone. She worked hard. I can’t tell you how proud I was to see her standing in the bogs, booming the berries. It was a grand time for all of us.” Robert slapped Zane on the back.

Though he knew Riley’s grandfather meant to encourage him, Zane became concerned. “I think I’ll walk around and look for her.”

“All right, son. We’ll tell her that you’re looking for her if she turns up.”

Zane moved closer to the entrance so he could see Riley in case she entered the festivities. In the distance, he spotted Eric strolling the grounds, searching the crowd, no doubt looking for Riley, the same as Zane. He melted back into the shadows. What was Eric doing here? Riley had said he’d returned to California.

Zane didn’t feel he could stomach Eric at the moment. He wondered if his enormous dislike for the man could be attributed to the intense jealousy he felt when he saw the two of them together. He wondered if the insane emotion had clouded his judgment of Eric and whether in any other circumstances they might be friends.

He doubted it.

Zane decided to call Riley. When he pulled his cell out of his pocket, he saw that he’d missed a call from her. He surmised that bursts of loud music, helicopter rides, or the throng had distracted him when she’d called. His concern mounting, he hoped it wasn’t important and that she only meant to tell him she was on the way or already there.

He dialed into voice mail then saw Riley moving between people. She appeared flushed and anxious. He stepped from the building’s edge where he’d hidden from Eric, only to witness the man edge toward Riley. When Eric reached his prey ahead of Zane, Riley visibly stiffened. At least Zane had no reason to be jealous.

He realized what nagged him about Eric. Riley’s distaste for him had become apparent to all. Zane could not believe a man with Eric’s intelligence would not heed the signals Riley sent him. Yet here he was, three thousand miles from his home, pursuing a disinterested female.

As Zane watched Eric head to the Ferris wheel with Riley in tow, he wondered what the man was after.

Eric tightened his grip on Riley’s elbow as he ushered her toward the Ferris wheel. She glared at him. “You’re hurting me. What’s the matter with you?”

His expression turned ominous, sending panic through her. “We need to talk.”

Her ex-boyfriend’s grip remained unyielding as they stood in line. To Riley’s dismay, Eric had timed his carnival ride excursion at the right moment, and after a quick word with the ride operator, they were quickly escorted into a cozy car all to themselves.

She buckled in and leaned back against the red vinyl cushion, wondering what had just happened. Her intentions had been to find Zane and tell him she had discovered the locket that held the key to their mystery. Within the few minutes of her arrival at the festival, the horde of people had grown, and she’d shuffled along with them in her search for Zane. Oh, how she wished she’d found Zane before Eric had appeared out of nowhere.

He was scaring her.

She twisted a small topaz ring on her finger, avoiding Eric’s stare, then mustered her courage and raised her head to face him. “I thought you’d gone back to California, that the work that brought you to Boston was finished. Surely you can’t still be taking time off. What are you doing here?”

“No, Riley, I’m not vacationing. As a matter of fact, I didn’t accomplish the work I flew here to do. Yet.”

Riley shifted in her seat under his menacing gaze. The carnival worker finished loading excited passengers on the wheel, and it began to rotate. A breeze lifted Riley’s hair from her face, cooling her.

A pleasant tune signaled a caller on her cell. Her heart skipped, hoping it was Zane. His number appeared in the small window. She pressed the Receive button. “This is Riley.”

“Are you all right?” Zane’s voice barreled through the phone, wrapping her in assurance.

She looked at Eric, who watched her like a bird of prey, readying to strike. She measured her words carefully. “I’m… fine, thanks. Where are you?”

“I’m down below. If you look out, you can see me.” Riley leaned to the side but saw no one she recognized in the crowd. “I’m sorry, there are too many people. But it’s good to know you’re there.” She looked at Eric again. For some reason, she feared he might grab the phone from her. She tightened her grip then banished the ridiculous thought.

“I saw you come in, but then Eric rushed you onto the Ferris wheel before I could get to you.”

His words warmed her. If only he had made it in time. “The ride will be over soon enough.”

“Hang in there.” He laughed. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to make a joke out of it. I called because you looked… uncomfortable.”

“That’s putting it mildly, but you’re right, this, too, shall pass. I’ll see you on the ground. Oh, wait!” Riley could not tell Zane of her discovery with Eric listening. “I left you a voice mail. Did you get it?”

A barrage of noise invaded her phone, and she couldn’t hear Zane’s voice. She’d lost the connection, so she pressed the End button.

Feeling confident after Zane’s encouragement, she glared at Eric. “You still haven’t answered my question. What are you doing here? I know you have no interest in this festival. And you should know by now that I have no interest in you.”

A condescending grin spread over his mouth. “I assure you, the feeling is quite mutual.”

Stunned by his comment and his strange behavior, she didn’t know how to respond and instead watched the beautiful scenery as the wheel made its way around. While she gathered her thoughts, she stared at the lights glistening in the distance with the falling darkness. The raucous sound of the carnival seemed to grow louder, even at the top of the ride. The aroma of hamburgers and hot dogs drifted up on the breeze.

“I’m sorry, you’ll have to explain to me again, then, why you insisted that I ride the wheel with you if you don’t enjoy my company,” she said.

She’d never seen this side of Eric before, even after all the time she’d spent with him. As memories raced through her mind, she remembered occasions here and there when he’d revealed a different part of himself.

He stared into the distance as if contemplating his response to her. His dark hair rustled in the wind. She examined his handsome profile and considered the fact that the behavior he exhibited tonight had been within him the entire time she’d known him. But her feelings had erased any negative thoughts she may have had at the time because she’d cared about him.

Sitting before her was the real Eric. And she still cared about him as a person who needed God, but no longer as a man she’d once considered spending the rest of her life with, though he’d never asked.