AllFreeNovel
Share Us
A moment later, Jason and Lindsey appeared out of the woods. I had been expecting a car and their sudden arrival had me looking to Macy for an explanation.
“They have their own cabin,” Macy said. “Just over the ridge.” She went to hug her friends and became embroiled in a cute kid show-and-tell.
Lindsey held her daughter by the hand, at least a year older than Macy’s toddler and that much heavier. She had a soft head of curls and a pixie face that lit up when she saw Macy. Macy hugged Lindsey, and Emily squealed in delight when she laid eyes on Lindsey’s kid.
“Mary Ellen!” Daisy screamed, rushing over to the women.
“Daisy!” Mary Ellen wiggled in her mother’s grasp until Lindsey set her down.
Daisy and Mary Ellen gave each other a hug in a demonstration so cute I thought I might die. Jason walked up to Dillon and held out a hand. The two men shook with none of the ooh-ing and ahh-ing that the women had shared. Dillon offered his friend a beer, and Jason took it.
“Jason, this is Tammy,” Dillon introduced us. “She’s Macy’s cousin. She’s staying with us for a couple months.”
“I’m looking for a job,” I added, in case he thought I was just a freeloader.
“Where you from?” Jason asked.
“Austin,” I answered.
“Tammy!” Macy called, waving me over.
“Excuse me,” I told the guys, scooting out from behind the grill and taking my place with my cousin and her friend.
“Tammy, this is Lindsey,” Macy introduced us. “Tammy’s from Austin. She’s come to live with us now.”
“I’m just staying for a few months until I can get on my feet,” I explained again.
“Don’t you love it out here?” Lindsey gushed.
“I really do,” I agreed. “It’s so peaceful here with so many trees. Back in Austin, I was lucky if there was one tree on my block.”
“I couldn’t live in the big city,” Lindsey said, drifting closer to the house to access the beverage cooler.
“Lindsey’s lived in Singer’s Ridge her whole life,” Macy said.
“Really?” I turned to my new best friend, desperately curious. “Do you know a guy named Mike, works at the lumberyard?”
“I think so,” Lindsey said. “Why? Do you?”
“I went on a date with him a couple nights ago,” I admitted. “He’s a bit of a mystery.”
“I’ve seen him around with a few women, but no one long-term,” Lindsey said. “He’s cute.”
“He is,” I agreed, “but do you know anything about his history?”
Lindsey shook her head, “I don’t actually know everyone. He wasn’t in my grade in high school. Jason might know. He’s a police detective.”
“Oh,” I said. I wasn’t going to ask Jason about a man I had no right investigating. It was over between us—I should just let it go. I could casually drill Lindsey but taking it to the police was a whole other matter. I let it drop.
Macy, Lindsey, and I each grabbed a beverage and waited until the guys were finished grilling. We sat at a table just beyond the driveway in a little clearing that could have been the front lawn. The kids eagerly wolfed down their burgers, skipping the fruit and going straight for the chips.
“Macy tells me you have your own cabin,” I told Lindsey as we ate.
“Yeah, that’s a funny story,” Lindsey answered. “That’s how Jason and I met. We were both interested in the same cabin.”
“Is it anything like Macy’s?” I asked.
“It’s a little different, but it has everything that counts. And it’s really the view and the quiet that makes it special.”
