The Tanner Trilogy Boxed Set

Chapter 9

9

“Can I get you anything else, Ethan?”

He smiled at Alyssa and understood the look in Zach’s eyes the previous night as the young man described Alyssa’s pancakes. They were unusually good, and their creator was unique herself. He could picture himself at Zach’s age and being attracted to just this kind of girl. Alyssa was tall, thin, with blonde hair and blue eyes, and her classically pretty face could have landed her a modeling job in a big city. As a print model, the publications could have fixed the photos to hide the scars on her face. Most would not have even noticed, but it was Ethan’s job to observe the details in those he met. She was soft spoken and a little shy, and he wondered if she was accident prone.

“One of those travel mugs with the Tanner logo on it filled with coffee would be great. Zach was right, your blueberry pancakes are something special.”

She ducked her head, her hair falling over her shoulder to shield her expression from his gaze as she collected his silverware and plate.

“Thanks. I’ll have the coffee for you in just a minute. I’ll have to add the cup to your room bill,” she paused, waiting for his agreement.

“That’s fine,” he said and watched as she turned, four plates balanced in one hand, picked up the coffee carafe with the other, and then wove around a chair to push the kitchen door open. He filed away the silence, not a crash, from the other side of the door that would have indicated dropped dishes by a clumsy employee.

Turning his attention to the three men he had shared breakfast with, he learned they were to meet Donna in the lobby for their hike further into Deer Valley. They wished him luck on his fishing expedition and excused themselves. He smiled at the secret meaning of his answer when they had asked his reason for visiting Tanner’s. With no interest in hunting animals as a sport, he remembered enough from his childhood fishing trips with his father and grandfather that he could hold a conversation should one of his breakfast companions engage in “fish talk” with him. Only one had been trout fishing two days ago with a guide. They all came to see Wyoming and enjoyed leaving their cubicle jobs in the city of San Francisco for a week. Ethan flipped the page on his writing pad and crossed off three names. At the sound of Alyssa’s voice, he turned the page.

“If you decide to schedule a hike or late fishing trip and want a box lunch, just find me or Zach or Ray, and we’ll get you one. If you end up hanging around all day, you can still grab a box or wait until four when free appetizers are set out in the lobby. Dinner will be served at six-thirty. If you need something, there’s almost always someone at the front desk.”

He took the cup, thanked her, gathered his pad and pencil and jacket, then excused himself from the dining room. Wandering through the lobby, he saw Zach was on duty at the desk.

“Hi, Ethan,” Zach said. “What did you think of the pancakes?”

“Great, as promised.”

Zach smiled. “What can I help you with?”

“Who is Ray?”

“He’s one of the guides and a friend of Bear’s. He helps run the place. Don’t know what’s going to happen now. Maybe Ray will take over,” he shrugged, trying to be nonchalant in an attempt to keep his emotions under control.

“What does he look like?” Ethan asked.

“Older guy. Usually wears a straw cowboy hat, jeans, sheepskin jacket. Let’s see.” Zach looked at a schedule hanging on a clipboard. “He’s with two clients at the river,” he said, glancing at his watch. “They should be back around three. Why?” Zach eyed Ethan.

“Alyssa suggested I seek out one of the three of you if I had questions. And I do, actually. Sheriff Tanner mentioned he would be by the lodge today.”

Zach nodded. “You just missed him. Carli’s home. She came in this morning, then Shaun, Sheriff Tanner, had to turn around and head back to Laramie to pick up Samantha. Said he would be back by lunch.”

To keep his cover, Ethan asked, “Carli and Samantha?”

“Sorry, they’re Sheriff Tanner’s sisters. Alyssa informed you of the death of the owner of Tanner’s Outdoor Adventures?” he paused until Ethan nodded. “Well, they’re coming here to make, you know, funeral arrange—” Zach paused to clear his throat, “arrangements. How do you know Sheriff Tanner?”

“We were introduced through a friend of a friend. I’ll wait until he returns with Samantha to talk with him.” He glanced around the empty lobby, as the clients who had reservations and chose to remain after Bear’s death were out enjoying the fresh, Wyoming air. “Any chance I can get a guide to lead me up to Wolf’s Ridge?” He watched as Zach’s eyes grew bigger with surprise.

“I think you’ll have to speak with Shaun about that,” Zach began.

Carli had descended the steps on a search for food and had heard Zach’s comment. She paused at the front desk area and took in the profile of the man leaning against the counter. He was taller than her, with dark hair that curled slightly over his ears and brushed the bottom of the collar of his jacket. A strong chin and defined, clean-shaven jaw were the bottom of the profile that included full lips and a nose that may have been broken at one time as evidenced by the small bump in the middle of it. He turned his dark brown eyes in her direction a moment before she spoke.

“Ask Shaun about what?”

“Carli Tanner, Ethan Brooks. He’s staying in cabin 4 and is interested in getting a guide to lead him up to Wolf’s Ridge.” Zach was quiet, his eyes boring into Carli’s, hoping she knew the reason for his hesitation.

She did. Ethan was the FBI agent, and she guessed he wanted to see the site where her father had been shot. But Zach didn’t know who Ethan really was, and she wondered if Ethan knew that she knew who he was.

She smiled at Zach. “We’ll double-check with Shaun when he gets back. It’s been some time since I’ve seen the canyon from Wolf’s Ridge,” she said and shifted her gaze to Ethan. “When would you like to go?”

He gave her a small grin, enough to engage his dimples. “Tomorrow or the next day would be fine.”

“There’s a party going to the waterfall tomorrow, so the Ridge is open,” Zach informed them, looking up from the schedule.

Without taking her eyes from the FBI agent, Carli said, “Put me down for the guide to Wolf’s Ridge. Tomorrow. We’ll leave at seven-thirty. Do you ride, Mr. Brooks?” she asked with a raised brow.

He saw a spark of mischief in her eye and wondered to what mode of transportation she referred. “Ethan. Ride what?”

She gave him a half-smile. “Horses.” She wasn’t sure if she recognized relief or disappointment.

“I have. It’s been a few years.”

“Zach, add Samson and Lady to the schedule.”

Zach glanced back and forth between the two as if he were watching a tennis match.

Ethan raised a brow. “Samson? We could hike. I’m in decent shape.”

She shook her head. “Hiking will take an extra three hours, and I have other… obligations to attend to. Samson is a good boy. He’s used to carrying men of your size,” she stated, then resisted allowing her gaze to travel the length of what she guessed was a body as well put together as the man’s face.

Deepening his grin at her struggle to keep eye contact, Ethan ignored the first three comments that formed in his mind regarding “men of his size,” and instead settled on something benign.

“I’m looking forward to getting back in the saddle. It’s been a while,” he said, then held back a chuckle as Carli’s face glowed with a light pink on her cheeks.

“Zach, is Alyssa still in the kitchen?” she asked, trying desperately to cool her cheeks without waving her hand in front of her face.

“Yes. She’s cleaning up from breakfast and making a few box lunches.”

“I’m famished and can’t wait for lunch. I’ll be in my room, or Tim’s,” she finally turned to look at Zach, “so let me know when Shaun returns.”

“Sure,” Zach said, then observed, along with Ethan, as Carli stepped around the front desk and disappeared into the dining room, calling out to Alyssa as she pushed open the door to the kitchen.

“Huh,” was all Ethan could say. He blinked at where Carli had vanished and was called back to where he was by Zach’s voice.

“Anything else, Ethan?”

“No. Thanks.” He raised his travel mug and gestured out the window toward the front of the lodge. “I’ll be around, waiting for Shaun.”

Zach nodded and watched as Ethan left the lobby. He sat down on the tall chair behind him and marveled at what he had just witnessed. Not sure of everything that passed between Carli and Ethan, he understood that there was more going on than their spoken words. The phone rang, pulling him back to his job.

“Tanner’s Outdoor Adventures. This is Zach. How can I help you?”

“Are you sure?” she asked to verify what he was telling her.

“Yes. The paperwork was filed with the court, but when you failed to sign and return the document, there was nothing for them to record. The town of Centennial and Albany County have no record that you and Bear Tanner were divorced. All these years, you’ve been married to him in the eyes of the State of Wyoming.”

“Thank you, Michael. You earned your retainer today,” she said and disconnected the call.

It had been four days since she was informed of the sudden death of her estranged husband. She turned toward her closet and pulled out a long-sleeved black dress. Mourning would be appropriate. Sliding it off the hanger and folding it neatly, then placing it in her suitcase, she played out the scene in her mind. Carli, Samantha, and Shaun would welcome her with open arms. They would be shocked at the reading of the will, but she would reassure them that their father’s memory would live on, and her plans for Tanner’s Outdoor Adventures would bring them all great wealth.

She looked around the room where she had spent the last three months. The pristine white carpet, the glass figurines, the thunder of the surf outside the wall of sliding glass doors, and knew that this was hers.