She didn’t seem her spitfire self. She appeared to have shrunk in on herself, and that wasn’t like the Lauren he knew at all. But they’d come to a stop and she’d already jumped from the truck as if she couldn’t escape soon enough.
His mind still on Lauren, Jonah grabbed the kitty treats they kept on hand and headed over to the Ogdens’ cabin. He hadn’t seen their car but knocked anyway. Then he noticed their beach towels, cooler, and fishing poles were gone from the deck. He peeked in the window—no personal effects that he could see.
So he turned the doorknob. “Hello? Mr. and Mrs. Ogden? It’s Jonah.” There wasn’t a peep. And a quick sweep of the rooms revealed none of the personal items that had cluttered the cabin only an hour ago. He frowned at the recliner’s footrest, which was extended and sitting at an odd angle. A quick inspection revealed it was broken.
He sighed as he left the cabin, then headed to the lodge to inform Lauren about the departure so she could notify the cleaners. He’d take a closer look at the recliner later and see if it could be repaired.
He removed his muddy shoes at the door and padded to the office, but Lauren wasn’t there. So he headed to the kitchen and found her at the sink, facing the window. “Seems like the Ogdens decided to leave early.”
She jumped but didn’t turn.
“Sorry, didn’t mean to sneak up on you.”
“That’s okay,” she said over her shoulder, then busied herself with dishes.
There was something in her voice. She sounded as if she had a cold. But she hadn’t sounded like that earlier.
Was she... crying?Lauren?
He stepped cautiously into the room. “I, uh, think they found Whiskers up inside the recliner and broke the footrest to get him out. I’ll bet Mr. Ogden was embarrassed about the way he treated you—he should’ve been.”
“Then why were you scowling at me?”
He blinked. “I wasn’t. I was scowling at him.”
“Whatever.” She sniffed. “I’m just glad the cat’s okay.”
Definitely crying. Jonah shifted on his feet. He was no good with crying women. You’d think having a mother and a sister would’ve prepared him better, but no. “It wasn’t your fault, you know.”
“I know that.”
But something was obviously eating at her. She was scrubbing a plate like she might find gold beneath the porcelain finish.
He wanted to do or say something to make her feel better. But what? There were two things that lifted his mood when he was upset—and she probably wouldn’t enjoy shooting hoops. “Do you know how to ride a bike?”
She huffed. “Doesn’t everyone?”
“Come on then. We’re going for a ride.”
She set the plate in the dishwasher. “There’s nobody to watch over things.”
“We won’t be gone long.”
She cut him a glance. “Since when do you want to hang out withme?”
He definitely deserved that. “Since now. Come on.”
“Is that an order, Boss?” Her voice held some of that spunk that usually annoyed him.
This time it made his lips twitch. “If that’s what it takes. Leave the dishes and let’s go.”
“Fine.”She closed the dishwasher and followed him to the bike shed.
Twenty minutes later they were riding along the rail trail, pebbles popping beneath their tires. He led the way since he knew the route. The train tracks from 1872 created a bit of an obstacle for bicycle tires. In some places the path ran between the tracks, in other places beside the tracks, and on some portions of the trail the tracks weren’t visible at all.
They passed the lake on the right and soon entered the forest’s shade. The woods were replete with spring-green aspens that would turn gold in the fall. The temperature was a pleasant seventy. The sun was low in the sky and would set in a couple hours.
He hoped Lauren found biking as calming as he did. Even though he suspected the reason she was upset was because of the way Mr. Ogden had treated her, guilt bubbled up from someplace deep within him. Jonah owed her an apology for the way he’d behaved since her arrival. And it would be difficult to explain without mentioning those sparks.
