creates lots of steam." She pointed up at a vent in the ceiling. "Hence the vent."
"Clever."
"We'll collect most of the sap in buckets. Guests can participate if they want to. We'll bottle the syrup in mason jars and sell it at the lodge. Any profit will go to our local mountain rescue team."
"A nice little cottage industry."
"I hope so. There's an outdoor fireplace, so we can do some boiling outside. That's really more for atmosphere. The fireplace is made from local stone. I love that, don't you?"
His eyes were on her as he smiled. "A lot of rock in Vermont."
Rose laughed. "Something to keep in mind when you try to argue with one of us." Suddenly warm, she unzipped her jacket. "Nick, if there's someplace you need to be--"
"There isn't."
"It's supposed to get above freezing today. Of course, you're spoiled from living in Southern California and might not realize what an event that is. When are you going back?"
"Sometime. Not today. You forget I haven't always lived in a high-rise condo. Some days..." But he didn't finish his thought and nodded to the open door. "Go on and do what you came here to do. Pick out maple trees, whatever. I'll be right here."
"Scott will want to talk to you."
"No problem."
Rose felt the snow melting in her hair, dripping onto her forehead. Nick struck her as a rich Californian who didn't belong in the middle of the Vermont woods, but maybe it was just her. She'd first met him five years ago, when she was starting out in search management and he and Sean had just formed Cameron & Martini and were struggling to make it work.
Nick had been fearless, confident and sexy, but it hadn't occurred to her to sleep with him.
He'd had his share of close calls fighting wildland fires. She'd run her fingertips over burn scars when they'd made love in June. She'd realized he could be vulnerable, could suffer and bleed. He'd continued to do the work he loved even after he'd taken a hit.
She resisted saying anything else and headed back outside. Jim and Baylee were helping their mother dig snow out of the fireplace. "We have a lot of work to do," Lauren said, her cheeks pink with cold and exertion, "but I think we'll make it before we seriously start collecting sap."
"We should have some warm days coming up to drill tap holes."
Lauren smiled through her obvious uneasiness. "Excellent."
She was clearly holding her breath, hoping Derek's death had been a terrible accident and Robert had simply panicked given the violence of the past few months.
The lodge didn't need another Cameron in the middle of more violence.
Rose heard someone coming through the woods, but it was just Scott Thorne, arriving along the same path she and Nick had taken from the lane. He wore his state trooper's parka over his uniform, his expression tight and serious as he approached the old fireplace. "No sign of Feehan," he said.
Lauren herded the kids into the sugar shack with her. Rose, feeling the cold again, rezipped her jacket and told Scott about her encounter with Robert Feehan. Nick joined them outside and related what little he'd witnessed.
Scott glanced up at the cloudless sky once they finished. "All right," he breathed, then sighed at Rose. "If you see Feehan, call 911. Don't approach him." He shifted to Nick, whose eyes were unreadable. "You, either."
"Scott," Rose said, "do you have any reason to believe Robert's a danger to anyone?"
"You mean other than you?"
"I told you--"
"Just do as I ask, Rose," he said. "No argument, okay? For once?"
She smiled. "Sure, Scott."
He trudged through the snow back to the path. Rose watched him disappear around a curve before turning to Nick. "You look cold," she said.
"That's because it's twenty-six degrees out."
"It's a beautiful winter day. Lauren and I will be fine. Don't let us keep you."
"If I got lost, would you come find me?"
"You won't get lost."
"Bet you're a good skier. I'm okay with snowboarding and alpine skiing, but Nordic skiing--that's work."
"You're
"Clever."
"We'll collect most of the sap in buckets. Guests can participate if they want to. We'll bottle the syrup in mason jars and sell it at the lodge. Any profit will go to our local mountain rescue team."
"A nice little cottage industry."
"I hope so. There's an outdoor fireplace, so we can do some boiling outside. That's really more for atmosphere. The fireplace is made from local stone. I love that, don't you?"
His eyes were on her as he smiled. "A lot of rock in Vermont."
Rose laughed. "Something to keep in mind when you try to argue with one of us." Suddenly warm, she unzipped her jacket. "Nick, if there's someplace you need to be--"
"There isn't."
"It's supposed to get above freezing today. Of course, you're spoiled from living in Southern California and might not realize what an event that is. When are you going back?"
"Sometime. Not today. You forget I haven't always lived in a high-rise condo. Some days..." But he didn't finish his thought and nodded to the open door. "Go on and do what you came here to do. Pick out maple trees, whatever. I'll be right here."
"Scott will want to talk to you."
"No problem."
Rose felt the snow melting in her hair, dripping onto her forehead. Nick struck her as a rich Californian who didn't belong in the middle of the Vermont woods, but maybe it was just her. She'd first met him five years ago, when she was starting out in search management and he and Sean had just formed Cameron & Martini and were struggling to make it work.
Nick had been fearless, confident and sexy, but it hadn't occurred to her to sleep with him.
He'd had his share of close calls fighting wildland fires. She'd run her fingertips over burn scars when they'd made love in June. She'd realized he could be vulnerable, could suffer and bleed. He'd continued to do the work he loved even after he'd taken a hit.
She resisted saying anything else and headed back outside. Jim and Baylee were helping their mother dig snow out of the fireplace. "We have a lot of work to do," Lauren said, her cheeks pink with cold and exertion, "but I think we'll make it before we seriously start collecting sap."
"We should have some warm days coming up to drill tap holes."
Lauren smiled through her obvious uneasiness. "Excellent."
She was clearly holding her breath, hoping Derek's death had been a terrible accident and Robert had simply panicked given the violence of the past few months.
The lodge didn't need another Cameron in the middle of more violence.
Rose heard someone coming through the woods, but it was just Scott Thorne, arriving along the same path she and Nick had taken from the lane. He wore his state trooper's parka over his uniform, his expression tight and serious as he approached the old fireplace. "No sign of Feehan," he said.
Lauren herded the kids into the sugar shack with her. Rose, feeling the cold again, rezipped her jacket and told Scott about her encounter with Robert Feehan. Nick joined them outside and related what little he'd witnessed.
Scott glanced up at the cloudless sky once they finished. "All right," he breathed, then sighed at Rose. "If you see Feehan, call 911. Don't approach him." He shifted to Nick, whose eyes were unreadable. "You, either."
"Scott," Rose said, "do you have any reason to believe Robert's a danger to anyone?"
"You mean other than you?"
"I told you--"
"Just do as I ask, Rose," he said. "No argument, okay? For once?"
She smiled. "Sure, Scott."
He trudged through the snow back to the path. Rose watched him disappear around a curve before turning to Nick. "You look cold," she said.
"That's because it's twenty-six degrees out."
"It's a beautiful winter day. Lauren and I will be fine. Don't let us keep you."
"If I got lost, would you come find me?"
"You won't get lost."
"Bet you're a good skier. I'm okay with snowboarding and alpine skiing, but Nordic skiing--that's work."
"You're
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