“What about the kittens? Arethey all okay?”
Clara smiled. “They did just fine. Their box is still in my room if you want tocheck on them.”
“Thanks, Aunt Clara.” It was the first time Libby had ever called her that, but everyone else did, and in the moment,it felt right.
Libby headed down the hall to check on the kittens, who looked bigger already, and healthy, their gray fur shiny and beginning to fluff out. She didn’t want to wake them, so she continued upstairs, stripped off her dirty clothes, and took a hot shower. As soon as she climbed into bed, she fell asleep.
Morning sunlight streamed through the windows when she awoke. Shocked she had slept through the night, she grabbed her clothes and hurriedly dressed. Glancing out the bedroom window, she spotted a black-and-white SUV parked in front of the house;Eagle County Sheriffwas painted on the door.
Dread rolled through her. Libby steeled herself for the conversation ahead, but by the time she got downstairs, the sheriff’s car was driving off toward the gate.
“I’m sorry,” she said as she walked into the kitchen. “I can’t believe I slept so late. I should have set my alarm.” Breakfast was over,everyone gone.
Clara tossed aside the potholder in her hand. “Don’t you worry about it. You needed the rest or you wouldn’t have slept so long. How are youfeeling today?”
“Good. No headache.” Libby smiled. “I slept straight through. I feel greatthis morning.”
“A good night’s sleep can work miracles,” Clara said.
Still half-asleep, Libby headed for the coffeepot on the kitchen counter and pouredherself a mug.
Clara returned a baking pan to the cupboard. “Sam told me you had trouble with one of the guests.Vince.” She said the name as if it burned her tongue. “I tried to like him, but he was never really friendly. Are you sure you’re okay?”
“I’m all right.” She didn’t want to think about it. She especially didn’t want to talk about it. “It’s over andthey’re gone.”
Sam walked through the back door just then and spotted her next to the sink. He strode toward her in that sexy way of his, long legs moving with power and confidence. There was an air of authority about him that always madeher feel safe.
He poured himself a cup of coffee. “The sheriff just left. Let’s go into the living room where we can talk.” Reaching out, he took her hand, and they started inthat direction.
The living room was large, a beautiful high-ceilinged room with big plate-glass windows looking out at distant snow-capped peaks. Sam led her over to the seating area in front of the river rock fireplace, and they sat down on the brown leather sofa.
“Sheriff Carver was here,” Sam said. “I called him to report what happened onthe mountain.”
Libby nodded, coffee mug cradled in her hands. “I saw his car through the window.”
“Carver ran a check on Vince Nolan and Max Stoddard, but nothing turned up. No outstanding warrants, nothing like that.”
“That’sgood, I guess.”
“Maybe. Max had an apartment in Denver, where apparently Vince was staying, but Max recently moved out, and neither of them left a forwarding address.”
Sam ran a hand over his jaw. He had shaved that morning, exposing the cleft in his chin. “I checked Max’s driver’s license when he arrived. Address matched the one in Denver he used when he booked the cabin online. That’s our usual procedure.” He shook his head. “Even if I’d dug deeper, nothing would have turned up.”
“It wasn’t your fault, Sam. There’s no way to tell if you can trust someone just by looking at them. They’re gone now. That’s the important thing.”
Sam said nothing.
“I need to get going,” Libby said. “The cabins need to be cleaned. I want to make sure Wolverine is thoroughly scrubbed. Before we left on the trip, I smelled cigarette smoke in there.”
A muscle ticked in Sam’s jaw. “No smoking allowed. They agreed to that when they booked the cabin.”
“I’ll air it out before the nextguests arrive.”
“I had a bad feeling about those two,” Sam said. “I should have listened tomy instincts.”
“What happened wasn’t your fault,” Libby said again.
Sam exhaled a slow breath, and Libby could tell he was trying to hold onto his temper.
