I took stock in what I now knew. There were so many huge holes that I still had no clear picture. I knew I’d been with my dad on his trip. It would have made sense because he’d often taken me on long trips, especially after Greta had gone back home to Europe. That one major piece of the puzzle also explained why I’d turned up in the area. But this new revelation only added to the confusion. How the heck did I survive the accident? I’d ended up at the forest ranger station, hungry, terrified and confused, but that was all. The new, more urgent question was—who wanted me dead or gone? I was sure the answer to that would tell me everything I wanted to know. As long as I could find it out without dying first.
I hadn’t told Jem about the letter. We’d been having such a good time, and I hadn’t wanted to drop a dark cloud over it. But I would eventually tell him. I felt much less afraid knowing Jem was nearby to protect me.
I pulled on my sweater and swept my hair up in a ponytail. Everly had talked me into going to Rotten Apples. She’d made plans to meet Finn there. I knew Jem was there playing a few rounds of poker, so it made my decision to go much easier. I’d teased him about being able to pull himself away from the card table long enough to come say hello.
Everly swept past me and back toward her room as I headed out of mine. “I forgot my lipstick,” she muttered as she passed me.
She returned with pink frosted lips. She held out her arms to show off her new sweater. “How do I look? Aside from the obvious that I’m a scarred circus freak,” she said and then lowered her arms with a sad sigh. “He’ll never like me enough. I’m his friend, but I won’t ever be his girlfriend.”
I walked over and hugged her. “You’re wrong. First of all, how many guys want female friends? They hang out with girls that they like, the ones they want to be with. And you look gorgeous, by the way. Finn suggested this meeting, right?”
She nodded. “Sort of, but I put the seed in his mind. He was eating one of my oatmeal cookies at the time, so that might have helped his mood and his decision.”
“The important thing is that he suggested it. Let’s go. And if Finn can’t see how amazing you are, then he’s not good enough for you.”
We climbed into her car. After a few false starts, the engine finally turned over. We pulled out onto the road. “Uncle Landon promised to look at this jalopy for me, but his hands have been extra shaky. I don’t think he’d be able to do anything but look at it. I’m really worried about him. He seems so weak, so not like the uncle I grew up with. I’ve been trying to talk him into going to a new doctor, but he’s stubborn.”
“It must be frustrating for your uncle too.”
Everly reached forward and messed with the buttons on the dash. “The defroster in this car is a joke.” She reached up and smeared some of the haze from her windshield. The road was made darker by a thick cloud cover blotting out the moon and stars. “Looks like we might get a thunderstorm tonight,” Everly said. “We probably shouldn’t stay out long. I’ll bet Finn won’t even show.”
I looked over at her. “Wow, my usual bottle of sunshine friend is sure miss glum tonight.”
She smiled weakly. “Sorry. I guess I’m just frustrated. I want—” She turned to me, and her smile widened as she pointed to my face. “I want that.”
I touched my face to see what might be there.
“Those swollen lips,” she explained.
My fingers covered my mouth, and I pulled my face away to hide an embarrassed blush.
“I always figured Jem Wolfe to be a bit of an animal.” She laughed. “That’s what I want. To be kissed so passionately my lips swell up.”
“Jeez, I had no idea it was so obvious. Glad it’s dark in Rotten Apples.”
“How is your investigation going? Did you find the newspaper you were looking for?”
I was thankful for the topic change, even if this one was far less pleasant than being kissed by Jem. I’d only mentioned to Everly that I wasn’t able to find the newspaper. I’d decided not to add fuel to her anti-Wolfe fire by telling her that Jem’s dad had taken it. I also hadn’t mentioned the letter or the incident in the mill. I was a big coward, but I knew I was going to have to bring it up. I was waiting for the right time. I just wasn’t sure when that would be.
“I’m going to go see Alice again this week to see if she’s found it.”
Rotten Apples loomed around the next curve. Everly’s attention was whisked away from our conversation to the parking lot. I knew she was looking for Finn’s car, just as I was scanning the area for Jem’s bike. Instead, his car was parked in a corner of the lot. He’d obviously been predicting the same thunderstorm as Everly.
The first thin, cold drops were falling as we stepped out of the car. Everly had lent me an old coat that had a nice hood. I pulled it up over my head.
Everly did the same as she squinted up at the dripping sky. “Hopefully, it’ll pass quickly. Thunderstorms up here usually do.” She glanced back at her car. “I don’t relish the idea of driving home in unreliable ole’ Betsy in a downpour.”
“I didn’t realize she had a name,” I said as we hunkered down and hurried to the bar.
“Just decided to name her, and I thought Betsy worked. I think that’s what all the farmers used to name their old plow horse. Seemed appropriate.”
“I’m sure she’ll wear the name proudly.”
We reached the door. The rain was falling in heavy drops, and thunder rumbled in the distance as we stepped inside. Finn was a big guy, and he was easy to spot. Everly took hold of my hand to lead me across the room to him.
“No, Ever, you go first and talk to him. I’ll go grab us a couple of apple martinis.”
“All right. Make mine a double. I’m going to need it.” She pressed her lips together to smooth out her lipstick. “How do I look?”
“Absolutely too good for him. Remember that.”
The place was packed. People were talking loudly over each other and over the music pouring through the overhead speakers. Like Finn, Jem’s height made him an easy target to spot. I saw his brother at a side table with a couple of girls, but Jem was nowhere in sight. He’d mentioned that the poker games were held in a backroom. I hoped I’d see him tonight.
Finally reaching the bar counter to order drinks took some effort, but carrying the drinks through the maze of semi-drunk people was even harder. My fingers were wet with apple martini before I’d even made it halfway. I seemed to garner more than my share of attention as I made my way through the maze of people. I was sure there had been plenty of talk about Jem and me. Most people had some connection to the mill, and this town did seem to love gossip.
I stopped to take a sip of my drink, hoping to make it easier to carry, when I heard a voice in the crowd that made me freeze. I swung around. Everyone was deep in conversation, and it was impossible to know where or who the voice had come from. It was just one word, one syllable, ‘that’, but something about the sound of it brought back those terrifying moments in the mill.
My heart was racing as I hurried to where Everly was standing. When we’d walked in, she had wanted me by her side. Now, it seemed she would prefer a little alone time with Finn. I placed the drink in front of her. I was hoping, more than ever, that Jem would step into the bar area. It would give me something to do other than intrude on their date, and I always felt safer with Jem near.
I looked around causally. I only recognized a few faces, mostly men who worked at the mill. How could one word sound so familiar? I pushed the whole thing back as the result of a vivid imagination. I was overreacting for nothing.