watched her leave, and wished he’d pointed out the road that would take her around the north side of the lake. If she missed the junction, she could wander around for hours on the wrong side, looking for Hidden Cove.
Impulsively, he quickly took care of his tab, and followed her outside, but as he watched her fasten the baby carrier in the car, he hesitated to approach her. She might misinterpret his helpfulness, and he certainly didn’t want to create any kind of a scene. He decided it might be better to get into his own car, and keep a discreet distance behind her as she took the interstate through the center of town. That way, he’d be ready to catch up with her if she missed the correct turnoff.
The prosperous resort town of Manitou hugged the north side of the expansive lake, and frontage roads circled the water on both sides. In his new two-door sports car, it was easy for Neil to keep her taillights in view. When she made the correct turn at the junction, he was pleased.
Most of the women who had passed through his life were totally predictable. No surprises. No challenges. He hadn’t met anyone in a long time who intrigued him. Something about the way the young mother had handled herself gave him the impression that she was an interesting combination of softness and honed steel. He couldn’t believe he’d let her get away without finding out her name. If she wasn’t married, he’d like to know her better. He wondered which one of his neighbors the attractive young mother was going to visit.
His home was one of the scattered, fashionable houses built on the wooded slopes overlooking Hidden Cove. The northern lake road ran between the water’s edge on one side, and steep mountain hillsides on the other. He was puzzled when she began to slow down because all the homes in the cove were still some distance ahead. He stiffened. Was something wrong with her car? Did she have a flat tire?
She kept going at a slow speed as if looking for something. When she pulled into a narrow parking area above the lake, he let out a soft whistle. So that’s where she was headed! Her destination must be one of the houseboats nestled around the cove.
Well, what do you know? he thought. His real estate company handled the rentals on those particular houseboats. As he headed up the steep winding road to his home, he laughed softly. He was pretty sure he could come up with a good reason to drop by and check on his renters.
Courtney found a parking space marked with the number her aunt had written her. She sat in the car for a long minute before getting out. A brisk wind had come up and she could see ruffled water on the dark lake catching glimmers of moonlight as ripples moved restlessly upon the shore. The scene was a foreign one to her. Because she’d never been around the water very much, she’d never learned to swim. Living in a floating house would be a new experience for her, and she wasn’t sure she’d like it all that much. A strange sense of dread settled on her as she sat there and struggled with some undefined reluctance to get out of the car.
“I’m just tired,” she said aloud. “Come on, honey bun. Let’s go meet your auntie.”
Holding the baby securely, she descended narrow steps leading to a narrow dock and the houseboat snugged up to it. She’d unpack the car later when she had Jamie settled. She had brought only necessities with her and had stored her few possessions for the summer.
An orangish light mounted on a high pole above the stairs gave an eerie cast to the brown, boxlike structure. The name of the houseboat, Nevermore, was carved in a wooden sign swinging in the wind, and a small rowboat tethered at the small dock made a moaning, sucking sound.
A sliver of light edged one of the curtained windows and was the only sign of occupancy. Courtney knew Aunt Devanna had only taken possession of the houseboat a few days ago, but she’d written that she had hired a woman to help her get settled.
A relentless flickering of shadows on the surrounding lake, and the play of boards under Courtney’s feet, added to her growing uneasiness as she stepped on the narrow deck of the houseboat and approached the front door.
Shifting the baby, she freed one arm and knocked loudly on the weathered wood. Nothing happened. Not a sound from inside.
She knocked again and the door opened slightly. She sensed someone peeking out, but couldn’t clearly see who it was. Courtney knew her aunt hadn’t seen her since she was a youngster, and they’d never exchanged photographs, so she quickly identified herself.
“It’s me, Aunt Devanna. I’m sorry to be arriving so late. You gave good directions in your letter,” she offered the reassurance. “I found the houseboat without any trouble.”
The door slowly opened and a woman was silhouetted by the small light behind her. Courtney couldn’t see her features clearly as she opened the door wider and motioned her inside.
When she didn’t say anything, Courtney said, “I really appreciate your invitation to come and spend the summer with you.”
As they stepped into the light, Courtney could see that her aunt was a rather plain, sturdy woman, about five foot eleven, with hair obviously dyed to cover any gray. She was plainly dressed in slacks and a pullover, and looked a lot younger and healthier than Courtney had expected.
The frown on her aunt’s face eased as her gaze dropped to the baby in Courtney’s arms, and a visible warmth rose in her face.
“This is Jamie,” Courtney said quickly, pleased at her aunt’s reaction. As she reached for the baby, Courtney promptly handed Jamie into her waiting arms. “He’s probably ready for his nightly bottle and another diaper change.”
“A baby boy.” Her aunt’s voice was soft and loving as she gazed at the infant. “How old?”
“Four months,” Courtney answered. Her aunt must have forgotten that she’d told her his age in one of her letters. At the time, Courtney had been concerned that Devanna wouldn’t appreciate all the fuss and paraphernalia that a baby required, but that worry was put to rest as she watched her aunt sit on the couch, cuddling Jamie.
How sad that Devanna had never had any children of her own, Courtney thought, watching her with the baby. Her aunt had married a man twice her age, and when he died, she’d inherited a modest lifetime income that allowed her to withdraw into herself and live as a recluse. She must be close to fifty years old now.
Courtney’s mother had rarely heard from her sister. Apparently there had been some friction between them. After her mother’s death, an exchange of Christmas cards with her aunt had been the extent of their communication until Devanna learned of the death of Courtney’s husband and the birth of the baby. No one was more surprised than Courtney when her aunt made the effort to mend family ties. As Courtney watched Devanna with the baby, she was glad she’d decided to come.
Glancing around the houseboat, Courtney could see her aunt had made little, if any, preparation for their arrival. In fact, it didn’t even look as if Devanna had gotten herself settled in. A galleylike kitchen area at one side of the room had numerous boxes sitting on the counters. There were stacks of books on the floor waiting to be put on shelves. Clothes were piled on chairs in the sitting and dining areas.
“Haven’t had time to straighten up,” her aunt said as she watched Courtney’s gaze pass over the clutter.
“I thought you had hired a woman to help you.”
“She didn’t work out,” she answered flatly. “I had to get rid of her.” For an instant it seemed as if a faint smile hovered on her lips.
“Oh, that’s too bad,” Courtney answered, puzzled why her aunt would be pleased
