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

  “Right there? In this room?” Robin stole a glance at the fireplace. No ghostly apparition. Phew. “This is all somewhat disturbing. I wish Darrell had told me.”

  “Yeah, lots of people around here have stories. My cousin Fred owns a bar in town and he said a tourist came in wanting a drink because he was out here and saw the woman. The guy was so freaked out he took off running and hitchhiked into town for a beer. But in all the stories, Julia vanishes right after she appears.”

  “You’ve catered events here for a while, right? Have you seen her?”

  “Not really. But I did the food for a party a few years ago and one of the bartenders said glasses suddenly began to fly off of the shelves, one by one, smashing on the floor. And a waitress kept dropping trays. She said it felt like someone had pushed them up from underneath.”

  Robin tried to suppress a shudder. The sun had gone behind a cloud and suddenly she was cold. Nightfall was going to arrive all too soon. And she was completely creeped out. “You’re still willing to do the food, so it can’t be that bad.”

  “It’s no big deal. Probably every small town has a place that’s supposed to be haunted. It gives people something to talk about.”

  “I suppose.”

  Chuck gestured toward the door. “So, hey, sorry to talk your ear off. I should get moving here. I’m gonna bring in some food and put it in the refrigerator.”

  Robin nodded. “I should get more sheets out of the dryer. Thank you for bringing everything by. I don’t know what I would have done if you weren’t available to handle the food.”

  Chuck grinned, revealing his misaligned teeth again. “Maybe you could have gotten Julia to help you.”

  Robin laughed. “It doesn’t sound like she’s a particularly helpful or friendly ghost.”

  “Yeah, the fact she was totally nuts doesn’t help. She ain’t no Casper, that’s for sure.”

  Robin was walking from her cabin back to the lodge as a car turned through the gate and started down the hill. When the vehicle got closer, she noticed that the pearl-gray sedan had some type of shiny hood ornament on it that was reflecting in the sunlight. Alec had mentioned he would be driving a Jeep Cherokee, so this must be Brett.

  Robin had found Ernie’s notes, which indicated Brett was staying in the North Star cabin. Unlike the other cabins, the North Star wasn’t a duplex or triplex. It was a separate building set off away from the others. Honeymooners or hermits probably enjoyed the privacy and larger space.

  The car door opened and a long leg stretched out. Brett extracted himself from the low-slung vehicle as Robin walked up. Dressed in a suit, he was strikingly handsome, with broad shoulders. His thick jet-black hair flowed back from his face and contrasted with his startling dark eyes. He had to be one of the tallest men Robin had ever met. Maybe six foot six? Six eight? Whatever the altitude, he was quite the towering presence. At five foot eight, she wasn’t exactly tiny, but next to Brett, Robin felt like one of the seven dwarfs. Maybe Sneezy, after all the cleaning.

  Brett turned to look at her and Robin smiled and extended her hand. “You must be Brett. I’m Robin. We exchanged a couple of emails, and it’s a pleasure to meet you in person.”

  Brett stepped forward and ignored her outstretched hand, wrapping her in a bear hug and lifting her feet up off the ground. “Greetings and salutations, Robin!” He put her down and opened his arms wide toward the lake. “What an inspirational view. The energy from the natural beauty of this setting is going to help bring all of us into our personal power. Can you feel it?”

  “It is pretty here.” He might be less enthusiastic once he saw the inside of his cabin. Not to mention the lodge.

  “Here in this glorious setting, I am going to help empower employees to make massive changes and give them tools to create dramatic growth in their chosen careers. We are all going to share in an entirely new mindset. Are you ready?”

  “I guess so, although I’m not attending the retreat. I’m here in more of a managerial or administrative capacity.” She clasped her palms together. “Darrell probably didn’t tell you, so I should, well, let you know that this place doesn’t seem to be in the greatest condition. I went into your cabin, and I’m afraid it may have suffered some rodent-related damage.” Pink insulation had been everywhere. She’d tried to clean it up, but it was disgusting, and the scrabbly noises in the wall indicated that the current resident of the cabin wasn’t planning on leaving any time soon.

  Brett placed his palm on his chest and cast his gaze toward the lake. “I’m not worried. This will be another test that I can learn from in my own path to discovering my true identity as a leader. We’re all here to learn new things.” He glanced down at her. “But maybe you could find a mousetrap somewhere?”

  “I’ll keep looking.” Robin pointed toward the largest cabin. “You’re in the North Star cabin, which is down over there. The owner isn’t around, but I can run into the lodge and get the key for you.”

  “Thank you.” Brett leaned on the car, placed his hand on the hood, closed his eyes, and inhaled deeply. “There will be dynamic transformations here this week. I can tell.”

  “That’s an interesting hood ornament. Isn’t that the Batman logo?”

  Brett opened his eyes. “Yes! How astute of you to notice. I identify with Bruce Wayne. Like him, I am a lone crusader trying to right wrongs. But in my case, the wrongs are in people’s own perceptions. I try to help people see that we are all crusaders in our own lives. And we all have an identity that we hide from the world.”

  Robin tried not to roll her eyes. This guy needed a cape. “I see.”

  “And everyone needs a cohort. No one makes it through life completely alone. We all need a Robin.” He grinned expansively. “Like you!”

  If he called her the Girl Wonder, she was going to vomit. She was so not in the mood. Clenching her hands together, she smiled sweetly. “I’ll run inside and get that key for you now. Be right back.”

  Robin turned and went inside the lodge. Ernie still wasn’t around. Where was he? It had been hours now and she hadn’t seen any boats out on the lake. She grabbed the key to the North Star cabin from its hook and went back outside. A Jeep was now parked next to the gray sedan and Alec Montgomery was getting out of it.

  Robin was relieved that Alec had arrived. Although Brett was obviously trying to be cheerful and agreeable, the whole Batman thing was way over the top. He was a bit overwhelming to deal with alone, since he clearly needed a larger audience than she could provide.

  She walked up to the two men. “Hi Alec. As you probably guessed, this is Brett.”

  The two men shook hands and Brett said, “Are you ready to learn some core leadership skills?”

  Alec glanced at Robin quickly and withdrew his hand from Brett’s. “Yeah, sure. That sounds great.” He turned to Robin. “How was your trip?”

  “It was fine. I dropped off my dog and have been…busy…here since I arrived. I need to talk to you about some logistics when you get a minute.”

  “Sure.” Alec gazed out at the lake. “This is amazing. Look at how blue the water is.”

  Robin handed the North Star cabin key to Brett. “Here is your key. I put fresh sheets on the bed already.” ‘Fresh’ was a more genteel way of saying the sheets had been washed within the last decade.

  Brett took her hand and kissed her knuckles before taking the key. “Thank you. I’m sure we’ll make a fantastic dynamic duo. I’ll go acclimate myself to my new environment.”

  He walked around to the back of the car, opened the trunk, and pulled out a suitcase.

  Robin said. “I’m in the Pine Cone cabin. Number 1 on the left.” She glanced at Alec. Alec will be staying in the other side of the duplex, in the cabin on the right.”

  Brett waved behind him and said, “I’ll see you later for dinner.”

  Robin looked at Alec, who was fiddling with his keys as he stared out at the lake. The guy certainly had a lot of nervous energy, considering that it was a long
drive and he had to be exhausted. His blue-green eyes were bloodshot and he really needed a shave. Alec probably didn’t have a cool dog like Emma for company on the road.

  Dinner was going to be a problem, and it would probably be better to share the bad news with Alec sooner rather than later. Robin attempted to sound upbeat. “So, ah, I talked to Chuck, the chef, and his cooking duties aren’t set to start until tomorrow when the attendees arrive. I don’t suppose you like to cook, do you?”

  He scrubbed his face with his hands and turned to look at her. “Not at the moment I don’t.”

  “I was afraid of that.” She gestured toward the lodge. “I need to get you your key and then I can show you what we’re dealing with.”

  “What do you mean dealing with?”

  “You’ll see.”

  “Where’s the owner of this place?”

  “I wish I knew.”

  Robin went behind the desk and handed the key across the counter to Alec. “Here’s the key to your cabin. I changed the sheets.”

  He raised his eyebrows. “How come you’re doing that? Don’t they have housekeeping staff here?”

  “Look around. Do you think they have housekeeping staff?”

  Alec twirled the key on his finger as he gazed at the open area. “That’s a great fireplace. But why is that garbage can sitting over there with the tarp?”

  “I think there’s a roof leak. When it rains, it’s probably like having a waterfall in the lobby. Perhaps we can pass it off as a water feature.”

  “This retreat is going to be even more of a nightmare than I thought.” Alec fussed at the key in his hand. “What is wrong with Darrell? His family owns this place. He had to know it’s a mess.”

  “After I got here, I called and talked to him about moving the retreat. He said, ‘make it work or else.’”

  “He really said that to you?”

  “Well, maybe he didn’t say ‘or else’ exactly, but it was implied.” Robin carefully sat down in the wobbly chair behind the counter. “My situation is different than yours. I haven’t worked at Eagle River for years like you have. I’m afraid I’m going to get fired if this retreat doesn’t work out. I mean, look at this place. It’s filthy and not in good repair. And the owner, Ernie, vanished right after I got here. Chuck said he might have gone fishing. But how long does fishing take? Ernie has been gone for hours.”

  Alec rested his elbows on the counter and leaned his forehead on his palms. “This is just like Darrell to do this.” He raised his head to look at her, laid his forearms on the desk, and rhythmically tapped his fingertips on the wood. “You wouldn’t know it, since it was a long time ago, but he used to pull this kind of stuff all the time when he first started the company. I can’t tell you how many times I heard, ‘you’ll figure it out’ in the early years.”

  “That does seem to be a popular phrase with him. But I guess you did figure things out, given how successful the company is now.”

  “Yeah. Most of the time. I had some pretty spectacular screw–ups, though.”

  Robin smiled. “That makes me feel a little better, I guess. You obviously didn’t get fired.”

  Alec stood back up and jammed the key into his pocket. “No. But it’s a big company now. When it was only the three of us working out of Darrell’s living room, we all did everything. None of us knew what we were doing. In a lot of ways, it was a lot more fun back then. Every day was different. Now, I’m just a cog in a machine taking orders from the boss.”

  “So in a roundabout way, what you’re not saying is that I could get fired.”

  “No, I didn’t mean that.” A corner of his mouth turned up. “Okay, maybe a little.”

  Robin’s shoulders slumped. “I’m doomed. I know you’ve only been here ten minutes, but this place is a disaster. Even if I were a demon housekeeper, which I’m definitely not, I could never get this place sparkly in time. And even if it were clean, various parts of the buildings seem to be disintegrating.”

  A loud crash came from outside and they both looked toward the door. Alec said, “What was that?”

  “I have no idea. Maybe something large fell apart…or off.”

  They walked to the door and Alec opened it. Other than a few birds singing, it was silent. No one appeared to be around. Lights were on in Brett’s cabin, so it seemed he was still busy acclimating down there.

  Robin leaned against the doorjamb and watched as Alec walked around the front of the building. He raised his palms to the sky and shrugged. “I don’t see anything.”

  “Maybe it’s another mouse. There’s a rodent living in Brett’s cabin. Maybe the little guy is looking for a new home.”

  “Whatever made that noise was a lot bigger than a mouse.”

  “Oh fluffernuts, don’t say that! I have enough problems. I don’t want to even consider the possibility of gigantic rodents.” She shook her head, trying to banish the thought.

  “Fluffer-what?”

  Pressing her palms together, she gave Alec her most endearing smile. “Wait. I have an idea. How much do you think Darrell would pay for cleaning?”

  “I don’t know. He’s a cheapskate and it’s not his lodge.”

  “Yes, but it is his retreat. I’m going to look around for a phone book. Maybe I can get a power-cleaning crew in here tomorrow before everyone arrives. There’s got to be someone around here that would be interested if we pay them enough.”

  Alec looked unconvinced and turned toward his Jeep. “Good luck. I should go unload my stuff and take a shower.”

  Robin glanced toward the Pine Cone cabin. Did the shower work? She hadn’t checked. Guess he’d find out soon enough. “I’m going to make some calls.”

  True to her word, Robin spent the next few hours calling most of the businesses in Alpine Grove in her quest to find someone to clean the North Fork the next day. Not surprisingly, the idea of a last-minute cleaning job on a Sunday was met with limited enthusiasm, so she broadened her scope. First she asked Chuck, who had her call his cousin Fred who owned the bar. Fred suggested talking to the woman who owned a gift store because “she knows everyone.” As it turned out, Bea Sullivan did seem to have the inside scoop on the Alpine Grove community. She suggested calling a woman named Eleanor. She and some friends in her church group were trying to raise money for roof repairs. It sounded like the roof of the nondenominational church wasn’t keeping out rain much better than the roof on the North Fork Lodge. After a brief conversation, Eleanor and company were scheduled to come out right after church and set to work. Robin hoped it would be a collection of extremely hard-working, industrious people.

  Robin looked up from her scribbled notes as the front door of the lodge opened. Alec walked in, looking much cleaner and less haggard. He’d even shaved. That was certainly an improvement. He was carrying a three-ring binder, which he placed on the desk in front of her.

  Robin put down her pencil. “What’s that?”

  “This is the training manual for customer-service reps. It’s the stuff I have to teach them starting Monday.”

  “All that to answer the phone and take orders?”

  “Yes. I need to read it through again, but I was hoping to find something to eat first. I’m starving.”

  Robin had been so busy dealing with everything else, she hadn’t thought about food in hours. Her stomach growled loudly. How embarrassing. She grinned sheepishly. “I guess I am too. Chuck has everything all organized, so I’m not sure what we’re allowed to eat back in the kitchen.”

  “What if we order a pizza? I could use some nice greasy food.”

  “I doubt they deliver way out here. Plus, I have a problem. I found someone to clean, but it’s not an official company. It’s a bunch of women from a church and I don’t think they take credit cards.”

  “So give them cash.”

  “I only have $40. Boarding my dog is going to cost money. And there’s gas. My reimbursement check for this trip can’t arrive soon enough.”

  Alec rocked ba
ck and forth on his heels. “So what you’re saying is that you have no money to pay for the cleaning crew you just set up?”

  “I moved to Portland a few months ago and I’m kind of broke. Could you cover it? Besides, as we’ve discussed, Darrell likes you way better than he likes me.” Broke didn’t begin to describe it. Her bank account had ten dollars and thirty-two cents in it.

  “It’s definitely dusty and dirty here. I guess I could stop by an ATM.”

  “You’ll need the max amount you can withdraw.”

  Alec stopped tugging at the button on the cuff of his shirt and looked up. “Are you kidding me? For cleaning?”

  “It’s for a good cause. The church out on the highway needs a new roof. The ladies are raising money for it.”

  “I feel so much better now.”

  “Maybe you could pick up the pizza too? I’ll check with Brett and see what he likes and then call it in.”

  Alec picked up his binder. “Fine. At this point, I’ll do anything to get some food. You sure are one determined woman. I’ll be back in a little while.”

  Robin plastered her sweetest smile on her face. She couldn’t believe it—she’d actually talked him into paying. “Thank you, Alec. I really appreciate this.”

  Chapter 3

  Greetings

  Later, Robin walked down to Brett’s cabin to let him know the pizza had arrived. She knocked on the door. He opened it wide and exclaimed “Robin! I assume that your presence here at my humble abode means that dinner has arrived.”

  “Yes. Alec is back with the pizza.”

  He closed the door behind him and took her hand. “Then let’s go dine. Isn’t this view with the sun reflecting off the lake breathtaking? You look absolutely lovely in the twilight. The reddish glow in the sky brings out the golden highlights in your hair.”

  “Thank you. That’s very flattering.”

  “I’m sure I’m not the first to tell you that you’re a beautiful woman.”