Howl at the Loon (An Alpine Grove Romantic Comedy Book 6) Read online

  Ernie tucked the photo back into his pocket and looked away toward the windows. “Yeah. It was a great trip.”

  “Was it around here?”

  Ernie looked startled. “No. I gotta lock up. You guys are staying out in the cabins, right?” He stood up and grabbed his cane. Walking around the desk, he escorted them to the door and practically shoved them outside.

  Alec put out his arm. “It appears that the evening’s activities are concluded. May I walk you to your cabin, my lady?”

  Robin giggled as she linked her arm with his and they walked down the stairs. “Sure. Just keep an eye out for scary ghosts and monsters, okay?”

  As they strolled along the path down to the Pine Cone cabin, tendrils of mist swirled in the moonlight. Robin reached up and swiped the cold mist from her cheek. The moist air seemed to muffle sounds and the earthy scent of sodden grass rose from the ground. In the murky muted quiet, the violent thunderstorm, hail, wind, and lightning seemed like a long time ago.

  The moon emerged from behind a cloud, lighting up Alec’s face. His expression was contemplative. Maybe he was thinking about what Ernie had said. It was obvious that Ernie had loved his wife and it was interesting to see that Alec had been sensitive to the fact that he might not want to talk about her in the past tense. Since Leroy had become their shared secret, being around Alec had been much more enjoyable. It was a relief to have at least one friend during this strange experience.

  He glanced down at her, catching her looking at him. With a smile, he said, “Everything okay?”

  She squeezed his arm. “Yes. Thanks for walking me home.”

  They stopped in front of the Pine Cone cabin and Alec released her arm. “See you tomorrow.”

  As he strolled down the path toward his side of the duplex, Leroy woofed excitedly from within, obviously delighted to see Alec. Robin smiled at the realization that tomorrow she’d be glad to see Alec again too.

  At the sound of a dog barking, Robin opened her eyes. For a moment, she didn’t know where she was. Then it all came back. The ceiling was knotty pine and the dog wasn’t Emma. Her dog was off at a kennel and she was in her cabin. What time was it?

  As she rolled over, another gleeful yipping came from Leroy, who was obviously excited about something over there on Alec’s side of the Pine Cone cabin. With a glance at the old plastic clock on the dresser, she sat up. It was time to bravely face the arctic shower again.

  Later, after getting some breakfast, Robin was walking back to the Pine Cone when Leroy ran up to her. She bent to ruffle his ears and marveled at how soft he was now that he was clean.

  Alec walked up and grinned at her. “You’re doing a whole lot of cooing.”

  “Cooing?”

  In a high-pitched voice, he stroked Leroy’s head and said, “Oh look at how pretty you are. What a sweet doggie.” Leroy wagged and wiggled his long body, enjoying the attention.

  Robin straightened. “I don’t sound like that. And he is a sweet dog. Besides, I miss Emma.” She gestured toward the forest. “So are you ready to go out into the trees for the scavenger hunt?”

  “I’m exempted from this morning’s activities. Leroy is going to help me prepare for the training I have to do this afternoon.” He patted the dog’s head. “Right, Leroy?”

  “You did a great job yesterday.”

  He stopped and looked into her eyes. “You thought so?”

  “Of course. Everyone was whining and you turned it around. I was stunned.”

  “Thanks. I’ve never done this before.”

  “Well, you said that back when you started at Eagle River, you figured out how to do a lot of stuff. It seems now you’ve figured out training too.”

  He laughed. “Yeah, we’ll see. I’ve still got a few more days to have a spectacular screw-up.”

  Robin looked at the sky. “I should get back and change my clothes. It’s starting to look like it might rain again.”

  “See you later. Happy hunting.”

  After outfitting herself in her raincoat and boots, Robin walked back to the theater building. She wasn’t the only one who had geared up for the occasion. After the storm last night, everyone seemed to take the clouds more seriously and had prepared themselves for bad weather.

  Robin took off her coat, sat down in her seat, and looked up at Brett as he walked by and handed her a sheet of paper. He had a stern expression on his face, which was unusual. Up until now, he’d seemed like an easygoing person, but this morning the muscles around his jaw and neck were tense and his lips were pressed together. Something was obviously bothering him.

  He moved around the room passing out papers, then stood in front of the square of tables with his arms crossed across his chest. Once everyone was settled, he gestured toward the forest. “As you know, today we are doing a scavenger hunt. This exercise is designed to help you learn to work together to meet a common goal.”

  “I have divided you up into three teams. Robin will lead one, I’ll head up another, and Terri will be in charge of the third. You’ll find your name on the paper, and below the team listings are the items you need to find. He paused and looked around the room. “Here are the rules. If anyone on your team breaks the rules, your team is automatically disqualified. First, the items you find can be on your person, in your room, or on the grounds somewhere. Under no circumstances are you allowed to break into cars or premises that are not yours without the owner’s permission. If a member of your team knows he or she has an item, for example, you can gain permission that way. Beyond that, you’re on your own. We will meet back here at eleven thirty. The team who has collected the most items at the end of the hunt wins.”

  Robin looked at Terri, who had a determined look on her face. Some people thrived on competition, but Robin wasn’t one of them. For the most part, contests were stressful for her because she worried too much about winning and upsetting those people who didn’t win. Or not winning and letting down the people on her team. Either way, she hated it. Why had Brett made her a team leader?

  The people on her team started gathering around, rustling their papers. Robin tried not to let anyone see her dismay at the fact that “expert Emily” and “ambitious Angela” were on her team. During training the day before, Emily had been a pain in everyone’s backside. Although Alec had dealt with her patiently, Emily was such a know-it-all that by the end of the class, Robin wanted to throttle her. And of course, Angela was so critical that if they lost, the woman would probably file a lawsuit against Robin.

  Looking up from the piece of paper, Robin smiled brightly. “All right everyone, please review the list. If you own any of these items, please mark them and we can compare notes.”

  Emily shook her head so vigorously that her short straight hair whapped her ears. “Why would I bring a seashell to a retreat?”

  Robin laughed as she grabbed her handbag. “You may not have a shell, but I think I do. There might be one in my purse. I picked it up on a trip to the Washington coast last year. I bet it’s still sitting there at the bottom.”

  Angela said, “Some of this is trash. A Pepsi can? Is this stupid scavenger hunt some type of trick to clean up garbage around here?”

  Robin made an effort to suppress her exasperation. What a whiner. “Even if it does involve picking up litter, that’s not such a bad thing, is it?” She looked at the group. “Does anyone drink Pepsi?”

  Darlene said, “My church discourages the consumption of soft drinks.”

  Emily said, “Too much high-fructose corn syrup is bad for your health.”

  Robin pulled out her wallet. “Fine. Let’s skip that one. Everyone, please look at your change. We need a 1979 penny and a 1994 dime.” She scattered coins on the table and examined the dates. “Nope. I don’t have them. Anyone else?”

  The other women began rummaging through their purses. Darlene held up a plastic fork that was still hermetically sealed in its clear cellophane wrapper. “Look, here’s something—it’s on the list!”

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sp; Robin smiled. “Way to go, Darlene! Once we’re done here, we can go outside and look for the plant-related items like the pine cones and leaves. There might be some stuff we can find in the kitchen too.”

  Everyone nodded as they continued to keep digging around for things to add to the pile. It was remarkable what people carried around. Even if Robin’s team lost, at least their purses would be a lot lighter.

  Robin dumped the change back into her wallet and rounded up the team to go outside. The other two teams had already disappeared. Maybe they had smaller purses. There were 60 items on the list and so far, her team had found about eight or nine things. Why Angela was carrying such a large nail around in her purse was unclear and Robin was pretty sure she didn’t want to know.

  They all trooped outside and stood on the porch looking out at the rain, which was now coming down in sheets. Emily said, “We should go over there toward those trees. There should be leaves and pine cones there.”

  “We need a heck of a lot more than pine cones,” Angela said, looking down at her sheet of paper. “Some of these are impossible. A purple wild flower? Nothing is blooming right now. How are we supposed to find that?”

  Robin said evenly, “I don’t think we’re supposed to find everything. Just as many as we can. If we can’t find something, probably no one else can either.”

  “Well, Nigel might have an orange baseball cap. Too bad he’s not on our team.” Darlene said.

  Angela snorted. “I don’t think so. He’s way too snappy of a dresser to wear something like that.”

  “Let’s go down toward my cabin.” Robin pointed across the lawn. “I think I might have a spool of thread in a sewing kit. It’s been sitting in a side pocket of my suitcase for ages. And maybe a paper clip too. I brought a bunch of office supplies. Look on the ground as we walk along. Maybe we’ll see something.”

  The group slowly moved down the path toward the cabin. Darlene picked up a rock and held it out to Robin. “Do you think this counts as a pink stone?”

  “Maybe. Under the mud there could be some pink. You can wash it off at my cabin.”

  Looking pleased, Darlene tucked the rock into her pocket.

  Robin noticed that Brett’s team had dispersed in the forested area behind the lodge. People were bent over poking around at things on the ground. Off to one side, Brett was standing facing toward the lake with his arms crossed. The hat he was wearing had a huge brim and rain was pouring off the sides onto his shoulders. Even from a distance, his body language indicated that something was wrong.

  Robin unlocked the door to her cabin and invited everyone in. Having seven people in one tiny cabin was crowded, but the women were glad to be out of the rain. Angela said, “How come you get to stay in a cabin and we have to stay in the lodge? You have this cute little living area. All I got was a bed.”

  Robin rummaged through the papers and office supplies on the coffee table. “I had to bring a lot of materials for Alec and Brett, so I needed more space. Darrell set it up, remember?”

  Angela shook the rain off her coat and paused at the sound of a thumping noise from the other side. “What’s that?”

  Robin said, “This is a duplex. Alec is staying on the other side.”

  Emily said, “What is he, an elephant?”

  Robin stood up and held out a paper clip. There was no way she going to mention Leroy. “Please add this to our collection.”

  After dredging up a tiny spool of thread, Robin said, “Okay, do any of you have anything on the list in your rooms?”

  Darlene said, “I think my comb is blue.”

  “Great, let’s go.”

  As she was locking up her cabin, Robin had an idea. She called out to the women. “I’ll meet you up there. I know where I can get a binder!” Emily acknowledged her with a dispirited wave as the women trudged up the path toward the lodge.

  Robin went over to the other side of the Pine Cone cabin and knocked. Leroy barked and Alec opened the door a crack. He peered out at her with a toothbrush hanging out of the side of his mouth. Through a mouthful of toothpaste, he mumbled. “What are you doing here?”

  “Everyone else on my team is heading up to the lodge. But I need a binder and I know you have one.”

  He opened the door and waved her in. Leroy bounded over to her with an expectant look. As she bent to pet the dog, Robin glanced at Alec as he wandered back into the bathroom. He wasn’t wearing a shirt, and her cheeks warmed in embarrassment. Sweet blue blazes, why wasn’t he dressed? She shoved Leroy over so she could surreptitiously peer around the corner of the bathroom doorway to catch another glimpse of Alec’s muscular back as he finished brushing his teeth. Her toe bumped into a heavy red metal box and Robin covered her mouth, so he wouldn’t hear her yelp of pain.

  This was ludicrous. What was she? Thirteen? It wasn’t like she’d never seen a half-naked man before. What was wrong with her? Alec wasn’t startlingly good-looking like Brett was with the whole dashing tall, dark, and handsome thing going for him. But it wasn’t like Alec was unattractive either. Obviously, given his athletic build, he got out and did some form of exercise. He had broad shoulders tapering to a nice- fitting pair of faded Levis. Heavens to Murgatroyd, those were some impressive biceps too.

  Alec walked out of the bathroom, grabbed an old Portland Trail Blazers’ t-shirt off a chair, and yanked it over his head. “Why do you need a binder?”

  “Leaping lizards, you have a red t-shirt. I need that too. This is wonderful. My team could actually win!”

  “Did you just say leaping lizards? Who are you, Little Orphan Annie?” He looked down at his shirt. “Wait a minute. You want my shirt too?”

  “Yes! It’s for the scavenger hunt. This is great. I bet no one else has a red t-shirt.” She paused. “Well, except maybe Nigel. But all the women are far too well-dressed to consider bringing a t-shirt, right?”

  “I have no idea.”

  “Please take it off. I have to get back to the group.” She paused. “Oh, wait a minute—do you wear boxers?”

  He raised his eyebrows. “Why do you need to know that?”

  “I need a pair of shorts. Boxers are close enough, don’t you think?”

  “You want to steal my underwear too?”

  “Yes. And I need the three-ring binder. I know you have one.”

  “I’m not participating in the scavenger hunt. Isn’t this cheating?”

  “No! I would never cheat! I’m following the rules Brett gave us. He said we’re not allowed to break into anyone’s room without permission, but you let me in, so it’s okay.”

  “Fine. Whatever you say. I’ve got to review more training material before the class and as I told you, I’m not exactly a speed reader.” He pulled the t-shirt over his head and handed it to her. “But I want my stuff back, okay?”

  Robin grinned involuntarily at another opportunity to see his bare chest. Nice. “Yes, that’s fine. I promise I’ll return everything.”

  “You’re not getting sick or something are you?” He turned to the dresser, pulled out some boxers, and handed them to her along with an empty binder. “You look sort of flushed.”

  “I’m fine. I’ll see you later. Thank you!” Robin looked down in an effort to mask her mortification as she moved toward the door. She really needed to get out more.

  Leroy rushed out after her and ran past her toward the lake. Alec shouted the dog’s name, followed by an extremely descriptive string of graphic expletives. She said primly. “You really are kind of a potty mouth aren’t you? My momma would skin you alive if she heard you say that.”

  With an icy glare, he moved around her and ran out the door after the dog. Robin wasn’t sure what to do. On the one hand, she needed to get back to her team, but she wanted to help Alec round up Leroy. But if she did that, her team members might come out looking for her and find Leroy. She stomped her foot on the old planks of the porch. Today she had to remember to find out if there was an animal shelter around here. After the scavenger hunt,
she could call during the lunch break. She’d do it then. This time, for sure.

  She looked down toward the lake. Alec had corralled Leroy and was leading the dog up the path back to the cabin using an old rope Leroy had in his mouth. The dog seemed inordinately pleased with himself and was marching along proudly behind Alec, obviously enjoying the impromptu game of tug-o-war.

  By the time they reached Robin, both man and dog were completely drenched. Alec’s brown hair was splayed in stringy, soggy clumps across his forehead. Leroy stopped in front of Robin, let go of the rope, and shook himself vigorously, spraying a plume of water across the two humans. Good thing she was wearing a raincoat. Alec wasn’t so lucky.

  As the dog strolled into the cabin, Robin looked at Alec and held out her hand. “Could I have that rope too? It’s on the list.”

  He was shivering and had one arm wrapped around his bare stomach. Thrusting the rope into her hand, he growled, “Shouldn’t you go find your team? Please leave before I get hypothermia and die.”

  “Thank you! Say thanks to Leroy too. I can’t believe he found a rope. No one else will have that!”

  Alec glared at her through the strands of his dripping hair, but said nothing. He went inside the cabin and slammed the door behind him.

  Robin pulled the hood of her raincoat up over her head and practically skipped up the path to the lodge building. Now her team had a whole bunch of the hard-to-find items. Maybe the other members of her team had gotten some of the outdoor things too. They might actually win this silly scavenger hunt.

  Even though the people on the other teams might be disappointed, maybe she’d finally have a couple of allies in her corner for a change. Being disliked by practically everyone she’d met here because of things that were out of her control, was getting depressing. And now Alec didn’t seem too pleased with her either.

  Robin walked into the lobby area where her teammates were relaxing on the willow furniture facing the fireplace. How irritating! While Robin had been off busy collecting things, no one else on the team had done anything. She stood in front of the coffee table. “How is it going? Did you find any more items on the list?”