Nightingale Way: An Eternity Springs Novel (10 page)

“It
was
a mistake. It’s not anymore. Good-bye, Jack.”

She was leaving him. Again. Perhaps the method was different, but the result was the same. She was giving up on him again. He shouldn’t be surprised. Hadn’t he learned at a very young age that family didn’t last?

The door opened and Catherine Blackburn Davenport Blackburn walked out of his house and out of his life.

As she went down the front steps to meet the van, Cat’s thoughts and emotions were a soup of insecurity and sadness spiced with a dash of shame. She was leaving to protect her sanity, but at the same time she felt she was running out on Jack when he needed her. Which was stupid, of course. When had Jack Davenport, super-spy, ever needed her?

Snippets from last night’s argument echoed through her mind.
Your pain. Your baby. I never got to hold her
.

A wave of guilt rolled through her. Apparently Lauren’s death had mattered more to him than she’d thought.

Celeste Blessing braked to a stop at the top of the circular drive. Cat tossed one last look over her shoulder toward the house before opening the door of the van.

“Hello, dear,” Celeste said. A woman somewhere on the far side of sixty-five, Cat guessed, Celeste wore her silver hair in a short, stylish cut. Her sky-blue eyes seemed to always have a happy twinkle in them and her
smile made a girl feel good just to see it. Silver earrings shaped like angel’s wings dangled from her earlobes. “Isn’t it a beautiful morning?”

“Yes, it is,” Cat replied, and for some inexplicable reason, thoughts of her mother flashed through her mind.

Celeste continued, “I just love these mountains in summertime. Actually, I love them all the time, but summertime is especially pleasant. I adore seeing all the tourists in town and visiting with them at Angel’s Rest. You are going to enjoy your stay, Catherine. Nothing against Eagle’s Way—it’s a fabulous house and everything about it is top drawer—but Angel’s Rest is exceptional. We are comfortable and cozy and the energy on our estate is, well, special. Angel’s Rest is a place where broken hearts can come to heal, and I do admit, our record is impressive.”

Cat couldn’t help but smile at the older woman’s enthusiasm. “I should have come here a few years ago, in that case. My heart is healthy enough these days. The goal is to keep it—and the rest of me—that way.”

Celeste clicked her tongue. “What wicked soul throws a firebomb through someone’s dining room window?”

“Maybe the same wicked soul who likes to watch dogs fight to the death,” Cat replied.

Celeste braked smoothly to wait for a herd of bighorn sheep to finish crossing the road. “People do disappoint, don’t they?”

Naturally, Cat’s thoughts again turned to her mother.

Once the animals disappeared into the trees, Celeste resumed their drive and continued to rattle on about Eternity Springs, local activities, and the people who lived there. Cat leaned her head back against the headrest and closed her eyes, listening with half an ear until she realized that Celeste had asked her a question. “I’m sorry. What did you ask?”

“I wondered if you know anyone in the hospitality
industry who would be interested in running Angel’s Rest.”

“You mean as your assistant?”

“No. In my place. And ‘running’ probably isn’t the right word. I have a wonderful executive director who does all the pesky business things, but he is a quiet, private man who prefers to have someone else be the face of the operation. That’s what I’m looking for, a face. Someone to be the face of Eternity Springs in the community.”

“Do you not enjoy the job?”

“Oh, no. I love it. It’s just, well, I think I may be moving along.”

That statement was enough to surprise Cat into full attention. Nic Callahan had shared the story of how Celeste had moved to town, invested in property and businesses, and almost single-handedly saved Eternity Springs. She didn’t recall Nic’s mentioning anything about Celeste moving away. “You’re leaving Eternity Springs?”

“It’s likely, yes.”

“I’m surprised. From what I can see, you’ve put down roots here.”

“Yes, I have.” The older woman’s smile dimmed and turned wistful. “I love Eternity Springs and I’ve made some dear, dear friends here. However, Angel’s Rest all but runs itself now. I may well have accomplished all I can here in Eternity Springs. My talents may be better utilized somewhere else.”

“You mean like in an Angel’s Rest number two? Are you thinking franchise, perhaps?”

Celeste shrugged. “It’s been suggested. I admit to mixed feelings about the idea. I do love the friends I’ve made here. It’s important, though, that a woman keep busy. Don’t you agree?”

“I do.” Cat glanced down at her hands and thought
that she needed a manicure. “Although in my case idle hands might have served me better. After I was laid off from my newspaper job, I figured out fast that I wasn’t happy unless I had something keeping me busy. That’s why I got involved with the animal rescue organization, which in turn led me to the story that got my house bombed.”

“But that brought you to us, and personally, I think that’s a good thing.” Celeste braked at a stop sign, looked both ways, then turned left onto the state road that led into town. “You mentioned being a writer. Have you met Rose Anderson? Dr. Rose Anderson?”

“No, I don’t believe so.”

“She’s Sage Rafferty’s sister. She stayed in our attic suite for a few months when she first came to Eternity Springs and she wrote half of her first novel there, a medical thriller. She recently signed with a literary agent.”

“That’s exciting for her.”

“Isn’t it? We all have our fingers crossed that she’ll sell her book. My first thought was to put you in that same suite, but after some reflection, I’ve decided one of our cottages will better suit. We have some that are set at the far end of the property, a little more isolated. They have a kitchenette, so you’ll be able to cook meals if you’d like. Is that all right with you?”

“That sounds wonderful.”

When Celeste led her toward the half-dozen small Victorian-style cabins built along the bank of Angel Creek, Cat decided she’d never seen such cute little cottages. Each had a white picket fence and a hummingbird feeder hanging from an iron bracket beside the front door. Her cabin, Nightingale Cottage, was painted a light blue with white gingerbread trim. Cheery pots of red geraniums lined the front porch, and when Cat stepped inside, she smiled with delight.

Nightingale Cottage offered a perfect retreat for a
writer. In the small living area, built-in bookcases lined one wall, and the antique writing desk made you want to sit down with paper and pen and an inkwell. A floor lamp placed beside an overstuffed chair and ottoman offered a cozy place to read. The pillow-back sofa that stretched in front of a picture window framing a spectacular view of the snowcapped mountains looked like a great place to nap. The kitchenette had a small refrigerator, a built-in oven/microwave combination, a storage cabinet, and a sink. “Wow. How great is this?”

“Come see the bedroom,” Celeste told her.

It was just as wonderful as the front room with a queen-size bed on an iron bed frame and an antique chifforobe for storage. A second door led to a back porch and a yard that sloped down to where a pair of Adirondack chairs sat beside the bank of Angel Creek.

“I love it.” Cat meant it, too. The lavender-scented cottage was charming. “Thank you, Celeste. I know I’m going to be comfortable here.”

“I hope you are.” Celeste patted a leather folder lying on the bar that separated the living area from the kitchenette. “You’ll find all sorts of goodies in here—menus from our restaurant and from other restaurants in town, tourist activities, and the latest edition of our weekly newspaper, the
Eternity Times
. If you need anything, just call the front desk and let them know.”

“I will.”

When she was alone, Cat unpacked her bag and settled into the room. She hadn’t minded staying in the lap of luxury at Eagle’s Way, but being in Jack’s territory, so to speak, even when he wasn’t around, had been intimidating. Now, though, what to do? How should she spend her days?

She reflected on the conversation she’d had with Celeste about idle hands. While having nothing substantive to do didn’t mean she was wandering into devil’s-playground
territory, she remained at a bit of a loss as to how to occupy her time. She had nothing new humming for her blog. Despite the fact that her email in-box overflowed with leads and suggestions, she simply didn’t have the heart to dig into another investigation right now.

Her gaze settled on the writing desk and she gave a brief moment’s thought to the doctor and her novel. No, Cat didn’t have any desire to write a book. She’d always been a column-inch girl, and moving from newspaper reporter to blogger didn’t change that.

Speaking of column inches
. Cat shifted her gaze back to the leather folder, pulled out the copy of the local newspaper, and skimmed the front page.

The front page had a tourist family profile, a wildlife sighting report, a gorgeous color photograph of a hot air balloon floating over Hummingbird Lake, and a reminder about an important town meeting tonight at seven. It was a nice little newspaper with an inviting layout, and she was impressed. She wondered what Emily Hall’s background was.

Cat unpacked her suitcase, then decided to take a walk. The Angel’s Rest property was lovely, with the rose garden and the hot springs pools both tempting her
to explore them further. Now, though, she chose to cross the footbridge over Angel’s Creek and wander through town, and twenty minutes later, she stood in front of the building that housed the
Eternity Times
. A brass plaque mounted beside the door dated the building to 1889. She eyed the door handle and asked herself,
Is this a stupid idea?

She blew out a heavy breath, then opened the door. A chime sounded, and the woman near her own age seated at an ancient wood desk with a phone to her ear looked up. She lifted a finger, gesturing “One minute.” Then she picked up her pencil, took a note, and said into the receiver, “That’s a big bear, Jasper.”

Cat glanced around the office. Framed copies of the newspaper graced the walls and a clear round jar of silver-wrapped Hershey’s Kisses sat atop the counter that divided the work space from the lobby. A pink ribbon tied a Mylar balloon declaring “Happy Birthday” to the swinging gate at the center of the counter.

The woman on the phone had shoulder-length brown hair, a round, friendly face, and the clip of Maine in her voice as she said, “Got it. I sure will, Jasper. Thanks. You, too. Good-bye.”

She hung up the phone, stuck her pencil behind her ear, and stood. “I appreciate your patience. Can I help you?”

Now that the moment was here, Cat didn’t quite know how to respond. “Are you the editor of the
Times
?”

“I’m the editor, custodian, and everything in between.” She extended her hand for a handshake. “Emily Hall.”

“My name is Cat, uh, Catherine Davenport. I’m in town—”

“You’re Cat Blackburn,” Emily said, her eyes going bright.

“Uh …”

Emily waved a hand. “Don’t worry about it. Your secret is safe with me.”

Yeah, well, that’s what she had thought with Nic and the group. “How do you …”

“Jack Davenport has been the mystery man of Eternity Springs for years. He kept a totally low profile around here. When Celeste first moved to town, she asked me to help her track him down and I discovered he was married. Your maiden name was in my files, so when Lori Reese said that his ex was up at Eagle’s Way, I reviewed the file, did a little research, and put two and two together. So, after they find the guy who firebombed your house, will you give the
Eternity Times
an interview?”

This might be a small-town newspaper, but this was no small-time reporter. “I can’t say that I’m excited about being the news instead of reporting it, but I’ll be happy to give you an interview when the time is right.”

“Excellent. Thank you.” Beaming, the reporter asked, “So, Ms. Davenport, what can I do for you?”

The idea that she now realized had been hovering in her subconscious came spilling from her mouth. “I have time on my hands right now, and I’m not ready to dive into another investigation. At home, I do a lot of volunteer work that keeps me busy during the downtime, but here … well … I was wondering if you’d like some help around the newspaper?”

Surprise flickered across Emily’s face. “Oh, I’d love to have help, believe me, but I simply can’t afford it. Things are better now that Celeste Blessing moved to town and opened Angel’s Rest, but we still operate on a shoestring.”

“Well, see, that’s the thing.” Cat gave her a sheepish smile. “I was hoping you would consider allowing me to do it on a volunteer basis.”

“You mean … for no pay? You’d write for free?”

“Yeah. I’d write for free.”

“Pardon me if this sounds … insulting, but are you out of your mind? You won the Goldsmith Prize.”

Cat couldn’t help but preen a little. She was awfully proud of the Goldsmith. “Honestly, volunteering is not something I’d want to do long term, but I need something to keep busy while I’m here.”

“At risk of sounding like I’m looking the proverbial gift horse in the mouth, I have to ask. Won’t you be posting to your blog? Won’t that keep you busy enough?”

“No. The biggest part of my workday ordinarily involves an investigation, and I don’t have a new one going. Except for answering email, I don’t have much to do.”

Emily cocked her head, studied Cat for a long moment, then grinned. “Welcome to the
Times
, Cat … I mean, Catherine.”