On Ice (Contemporary Romantic Thriller) Read online

  “Mrs. Jolly thought a fire in the grate would be a welcome for you.” Brett started hoisting bags from the back. “She made me lay it before I left, but she must have decided to light it for you.”

  “Please thank her for me,” she said. Smiling widely, she tried to arouse the sleeping children. She carried Sara, but Seth was eager to explore his new home.

  “Hey! This is great!” He scrambled out and seemed to have regained his usual good humor.

  Brett pushed the door open and dumped the first load of bags inside.

  Rene climbed onto the porch, turning to admire the view. Tall trees ringed the clearing with snow-capped peaks showing beyond. The air was cool and aromatic, perfumed with the mingled scent of pine and cedar.

  It was almost cold in the shade. She entered the cabin to get Sara into the warmth. The sofa looked as though it had been made by hand, its large cushions covered in brightly woven wool topping a rugged wooden base. The end tables appeared to be made by the same hand.

  Rene put Sara on the sofa and turned around several times to take it all in. The interior of the cabin walls had some sort of plaster generously applied between the logs. The ceiling rose sharply and a wooden ladder tied with leather strips led to a loft. Seth quickly climbed to the top of the ladder and peeked over the edge of the loft

  “Mom! There’s a bed and a window on the ceiling.” He clambered up to explore.

  “That’s a skylight,” Brett said, returning with another load. “It’s also an escape hatch if you get snowed in.”

  “It couldn’t snow that high!” Rene’s eyes were trying to judge the height of the ceiling.

  “It isn’t too bad here. The cabin was built on high ground and the roof has a steep pitch. It mostly falls off the roof but it can get pretty deep on the ground.”

  “So, what happens when you escape to the roof and all around there’s snow? You can’t exactly pop over to the neighboring cabin to borrow a blowtorch.” She wondered if it was too late to run away to Tahiti instead.

  “No, but you can be air lifted out in an emergency. Mostly, folks stay home. They plan for what they’re going to do when they can’t get out.” Brett had unloaded their bags and was looking around the cabin. “You know, ladies make quilts and bake and we have a fair number of poets and painters and wood carvers.”

  “So, when it snows people do arts and crafts?” Rene struggled to understand the mind-set of the inhabitants.

  “Sort of” He was openly grinning now. “Look, Miz Nichols, people come here because they like the wilderness. Don’t like cities and crowds and smog. They like the snow. We actually look forward to the first snowfall. Hard as this may be to understand, people who live in Alaska aren’t being held prisoner.”

  “I--I understand,” she said, though she didn’t.

  “I hope so, Miz Nichols, because we’ve been without a teacher for the past few months, and I don’t want to disappoint these people.” Brett fixed her with his penetrating glare. “If you’re going to let us down, do it now.”

  “No,” Rene said. “I’m not planning to let you down. I’m just trying to get acquainted with---with things.”

  “I’ll leave you to get settled in, then,” he said. “Tomorrow we’ll sign that contract, if you’re still interested.”

  Rene stood with her mouth open. As she stared after his retreating form, a hundred possible retorts came to mind. She heard him slam the door of the Hummer and start the motor. Walking out onto the porch, she raised her hand in a silent salute. Though he drove away unhearing, she yelled after him, “I’ll still be interested, Mr. Brett LeCroix, because we have no place else to go.”

  Rene and Seth explored the interior of the cabin as Sara napped on the sofa. The fireplace wall was constructed of native stone and rose all the way up to the high peaked roof. It looked as though the ceiling had been used for some sort of storage as heavy iron hooks still hung from the crossbeams. The loft was at the opposite end of the cabin. Kitchen appliances lined up along the back wall and a small bar separated it from the dining area. The sofa where Sara slept faced the fireplace and sat atop a large wool rug, hand-woven in once-bright colors.

  “What do you think, Seth?” Rene asked.

  “It’s--different,” he said, “but it’s cool, Mom. I like the loft.”

  “I hope you and Sara don’t fall out of it.” She looked at the height of the loft. “There’s no railing and it must be at least---” She paused, judging how high it stood over her head. “It’s at least seven or eight feet off this hard wooden floor.”

  “We’ll be okay. I won’t let Sara fall.”

  “And where am I to sleep?”

  “Right here.” Seth darted to the darkened area under the loft, where he pushed aside a pair of hand-woven blankets hanging from curtain rods attached to the low ceiling.

  Rene pushed in behind Seth. There was a bed made of tree branches tied together and covered with a patchwork quilt. A small bureau held a lamp and a well-worn Bible, and a bearskin served as a rug beside the bed. There was a small curtainless window by the bed. The whole thing seemed rather cozy, however primitive.

  “Look at this bear skin!” Seth said, dropping to his knees. “It’s so cool!”

  “I don’t suppose the bear thought so.” She dragged the blanket-curtains back to allow more light in this niche. “I guess it will do just fine. Wait a minute! I haven’t seen the---"

  “Bathroom?” Seth asked. “It’s over there.” He pointed to one of two doors along the back wall of the cabin.

  She almost ran to throw open both doors. The one closer to the corner contained all the modern conveniences and had obviously been added on recently. Its walls weren’t made of plastered logs and it appeared to be well insulated. There was a small gas heater set into the wall.

  Relief washed through her. She blew out a deep breath and returned to the warmth of the main room.

  The door in the middle of the back wall led out onto a porch. Rene stepped outside noticing a generous supply of wood was piled on one side of the long covered porch. An out-building stood a short distance from the cabin. Split rail steps descended to the worn path leading to it. Rene gripped the splintery handrail gingerly as she made her way down to the nearest building. She tried the door but it was padlocked. Standing on tiptoe, she peeked in the small window and saw that it contained a potter’s wheel, a large kiln and shelves with other craft materials. A skylight spilled more light over the interior.

  “I wonder who this belongs to?” she asked aloud and then walked to the far side of the cabin. There was a silver tank containing some sort of fuel for heating and cooking, she supposed. Good to know she didn’t have to haul in wood for every purpose.

  Seth poked his head around the edge of the porch. “Mom! Sara’s awake and she wants you.”

  Rene hurried inside.

  Sara’s face was puckered into a tearful pout. “Where were you, Mommy? I thought you were gone!” She began to sob loudly.

  “I would never leave you.” Rene gathered the weeping child in her arms and settled herself onto the prickly sofa. “We’ve just been looking around. Tell her, Seth.”

  “There’s a great place for us, Sara.” He was a master of distraction and once more worked his magic to lure Sara out of her misery.

  “Really, Seffy?” Sara brightened at once. She brushed away her tears with the back of her hands. “Where? Show me.”

  “I don’t know about this,” Rene said, a note of caution in her voice. Both children turned to face her. “I suppose we can look at it.” She set Sara on her feet and pulled herself out of the comfortable cushions.

  “This way, Sara.” Seth clambered quickly up the ladder. Sara and Rene stood at the bottom, looking up. “C’mon, you guys.” He peered down at them.

  Rene half pushed, half carried Sara up the ladder and crawled onto the floor of split logs that were rough on the underside, but had been shellacked on top. Woven rugs and animal skins covered most of the floor and hung on t
he walls. There was a dormer window cut into the roof facing the front of the house but it had a blanket nailed up to form a floor-to-ceiling curtain.

  “I suppose all this is necessary for insulation in the winter.” Rene gestured to the hanging blankets, rugs and pelts. The double bed had layers of quilts and wool blankets. The small chest under the dormer also held bedding. “We’ll certainly be warm... I hope.”

  “Mommy, I want down!” Sara looked frightened as she gripped Rene’s hand.

  “Me too,” Rene said. They managed to creep down without incident. Seth tossed a couple of soft, old quilts down to Rene, who placed them on the sofa.

  “You can sleep with me, Sara. We’ll consider the loft situation tomorrow.”

  “What about me, Mom? I can sleep up here, can’t I?” He looked hopeful.

  “Seth, do you realize how high the loft is? If you fell out, you could break your neck.”

  “I won’t fall out,” he insisted.

  “You don’t know that.” Rene shook her head adamantly. “It’s too big a risk to take. You could get confused sleeping in a new place. I think we’ll all sleep down here tonight. You can bed down on the sofa”

  “Aw, Mom!”

  “Just for a while,” Rene said. “I’ll talk to Mr. LeCroix tomorrow and see if it can be made a little safer.”

  She found the refrigerator and pantry full of food. Apparently, Mrs. Jolly, Brett’s housekeeper, knew a lot about children. They were well stocked on a lot of nutritious foodstuffs. Rene gave the children a snack of fruit and milk as she inspected the larder. A fresh home-made apple pie covered with a layer of foil sat on the counter and some sort of casserole had been placed in the refrigerator. Rene put the casserole dish in the oven and tried to figure out how to light it. There was a box of wooden matches beside the stove. Rene turned the knob for the oven and heard the sound of the spewing gas. She struck the match and squatted hurriedly, peering into the open cavern. A nauseating sulfur smell assailed her nostrils followed by a loud whump sound. The pilot light was lit and a row of blue flames danced brightly in the open holes. Startled, Rene shook out the match she was holding as the flame reached her fingers. Closing the door, she felt to see if the front of her hair had been singed. Soon the delicious aroma from the oven permeated all areas of the cabin.

  Rene busied herself with unpacking and making lists of things they would need. She placed her clothing in the bureau by her bed and folded Sara’s things on top. Seth took his belongings up to the loft, stacking them on top of the blanket chest.

  Lastly, she made a stack of the papers Maddy packed for her. These must be closely inspected to learn what would be expected of her.

  Setting the table with stoneware dishes she found in the cupboards, Rene filled their plates from the stove. The casserole dish proved to be a combination of beef and vegetables in rich gravy. She found a fresh loaf of crusty home-made bread in an old-fashioned bread box and cut it into thick slices. Cold milk completed their repast. Rene thought of the many gourmet meals she had prepared with no word of thanks from Mark.

  “This tastes great, Mom.” Seth dug into his food with gusto, requesting more bread and milk.

  “Yes, Mommy,” Sara said. “This tastes good.”

  “Mr. LeCroix’s housekeeper made this meal for us,” Rene said. “We may meet her tomorrow. It would be nice to tell her how much you liked it.”

  “I will, Mommy.”

  “Did she make that pie, too?” Seth used his bread to sop up the last of the gravy.

  Rene smiled at his actions, which would have earned him a rebuke or worse in Houston. “Yes, she did.” Rene smiled. “Are you ready for a slice?” Seth nodded and she rose to cut the pie. She had just picked up the knife when a shaggy face at the window caused her to scream and drop it to the floor. It clattered noisily as she stared speechlessly at the smiling man. He swept off his battered hat and held it over his heart. His thinning black hair was arranged artfully over his head but it stuck out abundantly in the back, touching his shoulders in places. He had untamed black eyebrows over slightly protruding blue eyes, one of which wandered unsteadily to the outside, though its mate was staring in at Rene. The man showed large white teeth with spaces between them in what she supposed was a grin. He pointed to the door.

  “God, help us!” Rene said fervently as she opened the door.

  “Are you the teacher?” Rene nodded wordlessly and the man went on. “I’m Ben Franklin. Your neighbor. Over thatta way.” He gestured to the back of the house and Rene noticed that the path to the outbuilding disappeared into the woods beyond.

  “Ben Franklin?”

  “Yes Ma’am.” He nodded, still clutching his hat to his heart.

  Rene burst out laughing. She laughed and laughed, backing away from the door and motioning him inside. She laughed until her sides hurt and tears rolled down her cheeks. She felt her body releasing the tension of the past few days as she laughed helplessly. The children seemed frozen as they stared at the spectacle.

  “I’m---I’m so sorry,” she gasped. “It’s just so funny. I mean...your name.”

  “Yes Ma’am,” the man agreed pleasantly.

  “I’m sorry,” she repeated, struggling to recover some composure. “I’m Rene Nichols. These are my children, Seth and Sara. We were about to try some of Mrs. Jolly’s apple pie. Would you join us? Please, Mr. Franklin.” As she said his name, Rene burst into a fresh spasm of giggles. “Sit here, please.” Rene pulled out the remaining chair for him.

  “Well, I don’t mind if I do.” He hung his hat on the doorknob and took the chair she offered.

  Placing a large slice of pie in front of him, she then served the children. “Would you like milk? I’m afraid that’s all we have in the way of liquid refreshment.”

  “Water’d be fine, Ma’am.”

  “I only have tap water.” Rene thought how stupid that must sound to this man. She filled a glass with water and found that it ran ice cold.

  She served herself a slice of pie, tasting it as she took her chair. “Oh, this is delicious!” The light flaky crust and sweet apple-cinnamon filling was heavenly.

  “Yes Ma’am. Miz Jolly always wins blue ribbons at the festival.” Mr. Franklin was using the tines of his fork to scrape up every morsel of the tasty pie.

  She offered him more pie, which he accepted readily. “What brings you here tonight, Mr. Franklin?”

  “It’s just Ben, Ma’am,” he said, fixing her with his good eye. “I wanted to introduce m’self, Ma’am, an’ see if you needed anything. Mr. Brett said I was to do for you.”

  “We’re glad to meet you, Ben,” Rene said. “We’re just fine for tonight. Thank you for your concern.”

  “I’ll be getting home, now.” He was nodding his head again as he got up from the table and began a crab-like sideways shuffle toward the door. Once there, he retrieved his hat from the doorknob, holding it over his heart until he stepped outside. “Remember, Ma’am, if you need anything, my cabin is just a little ways on this path.”

  Rene thanked him, noting that the color of the sky seemed to be changing. She closed the back door and crossed to open the front. The display of colors reached with long fingers across the sky, took her breath away. It looked as though someone had smeared an artist’s oil palette overhead. Wordlessly, she dropped into one of the rocking chairs by the door and watched the spectacle before her. Seth took the other rocker and Rene lifted Sara onto her lap. They watched as reds, fuchsias and oranges cooled to mauves and shades of purple.

  “You children need your jackets.” She realized it was chilly without the direct sun. They couldn’t tear themselves away from the brilliant display. “Let’s go in. It’s nippy out here.”

  Rene wondered if she was capable of laying a fire in the grate but found she had forgotten to turn off the oven and the cabin was quite cozy. The fireplace still had the remnants of the previous fire. She carefully positioned two more small logs among the glowing embers and replaced the screen. She w
eighed the options of freezing to death against burning the cabin down and decided to risk the latter.

  Rene tucked Sara into bed and cleared away the remains of supper. Seth grumbled but bedded down on the sofa with the soft quilts to protect him from the coarse wool.

  “Seth, are you feeling better about coming here with me?” She snuggled the quilt around his shoulders. “I was really scared on the plane but everyone seems so nice here.”

  “I know, Mom. I--- I’m just worried about when Dad comes. I don’t want him to hurt us. I hate it when he hurts you.”

  “Me, too.” She kissed his forehead. “We have to be very careful and very smart.”

  “I’ll try.”

  “We’ll be okay,” she said with more confidence than she felt. Let’s go to sleep. I’m really tired.” She glanced at the papers Maddy assembled for her. “Tomorrow,” she vowed. “First thing tomorrow I’ll read those papers.” She found a warm gown and crawled into bed beside Sara. Rene was asleep when her head hit the downy pillow.

  ~*~

  If Mark was angry when he left Byrondale School, he was rabid by the time he got home. He spent some time rearranging the condo. He knocked over the china cabinet, demolishing the entire service for twelve of antique Rosenthal china. The pieces that survived the fall were quickly dispatched under Mark’s heels.

  “Nobody screws with Mark Desmond!” His voice echoed off the glass. He felt a little better.

  Mark went to Rene’s dressing room. All the luggage was in place. He couldn’t tell if any of her clothes were missing. He checked the children’s rooms and they looked untouched. It was as though they were coming right back.

  “Stupid, stupid bitch!” What was she thinking? What was in her little brain? He slammed his fist into the drywall and then again.