“Right. This is about the guy in Cabin Seven, isn’t it? You’ve roped Aaron into investigating him.”
Shelby sighed. She’d been trying to convince her family for more than a week that something strange was going on in Cabin Seven and no one had taken her concerns seriously. But everyone sure seemed interested in what was going on with her and the occupant of Cabin Eight. “I haven’t roped Aaron into anything.”
“But you asked him to look into it?”
“Maybe,” she muttered. “He still invited me to have dinner with him. His idea, not mine.”
“Right. “ Maggie nodded as though a question had just been answered for her. She straightened away from the desk. “Now I understand. Okay, have fun playing detective with the hot twin. Just try to stay out of trouble, okay? Hannah’s got enough issues for the lot of us.”
Thinking of her other cousin’s current situation, Shelby nodded grimly. “I’ll see you later, Maggie.”
So maybe her cover story wasn’t quite so foolproof, after all, she thought when Maggie left her office. So far both her mother and her cousin had almost instantly guessed that she’d asked Aaron to spy on Terrence Landon. And Maggie hadn’t seemed to think it likely that Aaron had met Shelby yesterday and been instantly attracted to her. Which wasn’t particularly flattering, but not really a surprise, either, she thought pragmatically.
“You’re a great girl,” Pete had told her the night they’d had their breakup talk. “One of the best pals I’ve ever had, you know? But the thing is—well, I guess I’m not looking for a pal as a girlfriend.”
She hadn’t even gotten mad at him for saying it—other than wishing she’d been the one to say it first—because she’d felt much the same way. Pete was a nice guy, fun to be with, nice-looking in an average way—but she’d been aware that something was missing in their relationship. She’d been considering breaking it off herself, but he’d beaten her to it. Which meant no one had believed she wasn’t really heartbroken. They simply assumed that when she said she’d
planned to break up with Pete, she was bravely saving face.
She sighed and reached for the computer mouse. The thing was, she’d learned how to cast before she could write, could clean a fish blindfolded, could back up a boat trailer into a space barely wide enough to clear the tires, could jump a ramp on water skis and spin around in midair before landing on the water again, could keep the books balanced and taxes in order...but she had never mastered the simple art of flirtation. She was just as likely to get the giggles if she tried being vampy, was more prone to sprint than slink, and tended to rattle off whatever thoughts crossed her mind rather than carefully choosing words designed to appeal to a man’s ego.
She knew Aaron was entertained by her. He seemed to like her. But as for anything more, she had asked him to play a part and he was going along with her, either as a favor to his brother’s friend or because it amused him to do so. Maybe a little of both. He’d kissed her, but only because Landon was watching them. Not that he’d seemed to mind. He had probably even enjoyed the experience. Whereas she’d been so stunned she’d had to concentrate fiercely on driving the half mile to her home without running into trees.
Shaking her head in self-recrimination, she focused on her computer monitor, reminding herself that she had work to do.
* * *
Aaron cleaned his catch, stashed the filets in the fridge, put away his gear and then checked his watch. Not even quite noon on his second day of vacation.
With a wry smile, he glanced at the resort brochure on the kitchen bar, the flyer he’d found on Andrew’s office floor. The colorful photos weren’t misleading. So far this morning, he’d seen people fishing, swimming, boating, biking—all the activities shown in the ad. Maybe he’d had vague ideas of throwing himself into that action when he’d impulsively headed this way, but he wasn’t really in the mood for any of it at the moment. If Shelby had been free to play with him, he was sure he’d have enjoyed any of those pursuits, but she had to work. Unlike her obviously boneheaded ex, Aaron admired rather than resented that she took her responsibilities to the family business seriously.
He had several hours to kill before Shelby joined him for dinner. He could call home, but he wasn’t in any hurry to listen to more of his mom’s fretting or his dad’s lectures. Maybe because of his own painful and unsettled past, Ryan Walker was convinced that his sons should be settled down and career-focused.
Aaron knew he needed to start job hunting. He’d even thought about going back to school, training for a new career, getting a more specific focus than the general business degree he’d already earned. He had cousins who were doctors, lawyers, teachers, cops, even a professional poker player. There were plenty of choices open to him. As long as it wasn’t doing endless computer searches or boring stakeouts for Dee-Dub. Andrew might love that life, but it wasn’t for him.
He should drive into town for a few extra supplies for the fish dinner he would serve to Shelby later, but he had plenty of time for that. He decided to walk around the resort for a while, instead. It wasn’t yet too hot for a long walk, and he wanted to get a good look at the place.
If his neighbor had returned from his fishing outing, Aaron saw no sign of the guy when he dutifully glanced that way upon heading out. Directly opposite his cabin, a road led through two parallel rows of RV pads before joining the main road that circled around to the exit on the far side. He turned right instead, taking the main road in the opposite direction of the marina. RV pads lined the riverbank on his right, between him and the glittering water, and most were occupied even on this Wednesday morning. The occupants ranged from pickup-mounted camper shells to hydraulics-expanded motor homes that probably had more living space than his apartment in Dallas. Small vehicles that had been pulled behind the RVs sat in the parking spaces, and he spotted quite a few bicycles and scooters. Vacationers visited in folding chairs or puttered around their campsites laying out lunches while children played noisily and sullen teens hunched with their cell phones and headphones.
He paused to study the tent-camping area. Okay, this was more his style, he thought. Shelters ranging from one-man pup tents to multiroom family tents were arranged beneath large, shady trees. Strings of multicolored plastic lights in whimsical shapes hung from tree branches, and folding chairs were grouped for conversation around fire pits. Additional RV pads lay beyond the tent area, and because they were farther from the water, more of them were vacant. He imagined that would change as the weekend grew closer.
Having walked halfway around the circumference of the resort, he came to a road marked with a private-drive sign. This, he would bet, would lead to the homes of the Bell family. Through a heavy stand of trees, he could see glimpses of houses. During their fishing outing that morning, Shelby had mentioned that she and her brother and cousins lived in manufactured homes in a private lot near their parents. He was tempted to explore, just for curiosity, but decided the family’s hospitality did not extend to trespassing.
A green utility ATV buzzed up behind him, the driver a sandy-haired man in his twenties. Tall and fit-looking, muscles work-hardened rather than gym-toned, he wore a resort-logo cap and polo shirt with khaki shorts, and looked enough like C.J. and Shelby that Aaron had little trouble identifying him.
“Wow.” Stopping the vehicle, Steven Bell pushed his cap back on his head with his thumb to give him a better look at Aaron. “They warned me, but I’ve got to admit it’s still a shock how much you look like Andrew.”
“You must be Steven. I’m Aaron.”
“Yeah, I figured.” Steven leaned out to shake Aaron’s hand. “Nice to meet you.”
“You, too.”
“Checking out the resort?”
“Yes. Great place.”
“I was just headed to the utility shed to get a saw and a stepladder. I noticed a dead limb dangling over one of the sites earlier and thought I would take it down before it falls. If you want to ride along, I’ll show you around the family compound.”