Chapter 1
I stood on the cabin’s porch and looked out into the wooded area surrounding the lodging we’d be calling home for the next week. Emma sat at attention by my side, watching the chipmunks by the firepit. The smell of pines filled the air. The Oregon Coast reminded me of home but with a forest next door. Today we would be playing on the sand dunes. We’d arrived late last night in the dark so I hadn’t been able to take in the absolute stillness and beauty of the area. Until now.
The so-called cabin Blake Jennings and Kathi Corbin, South Cove’s newest couple, had rented for the week was more like a lodge but I wasn’t complaining. By the time Thanksgiving arrived in a few days, all the bedrooms would be filled with people. Aunt Jackie and Harrold were driving up and would be here Wednesday night. Amy and Justin would be here for dinner on Thursday and staying through the weekend to play. My friends and family were driving eleven plus hours to put on Thanksgiving with me this year. I hoped the change in venue didn’t change the essence of the day. I loved the holiday, especially since it was centered around food.
What can I say, I’m addicted to food. I probably should introduce myself. I’m Jill Gardner, and typically, I say I own and manage Coffee, Books, and More in South Cove, California. South Cove is a little tourist town on the central coast. We cater to large tour buses as well as the family day at the beach. But today, I was a few miles south of Reedsport, Oregon, and getting ready to ride the sand dunes with my boyfriend, Greg King.
As if I’d called him by thinking about him, Greg circled his arms around me, nuzzling my neck.
I smelled the coffee before I saw the mug he held in front of me.
“I come bearing gifts,” he whispered.
I took the mug and set it on the railing. Then I returned to his embrace to kiss him. “You read my mind. I was just about to go in and grab some. It’s chilly this morning.”
“We’re not in California.” Greg had his own travel cup and he sat it next to my mug. His blue eyes were bright with excitement. To me, his sandy hair made him look like a surfer dude, but here, dressed in a flannel shirt and jeans, he took on the role of woodsman. The guy was a chameleon. “Look at the way the fog settles in the trees. This could just be heaven. Do you want to retire here and build a cabin?”
Retirement was a long way away. I’d always thought when the time came, I’d go south, not north, but that was before I was part of a couple. Still, it was pretty here. I gave him a totally solid response. “Maybe.”
“Way to commit.” Greg took his coffee and pulled a couple of rockers closer to the railing. “Come sit with me. I want to test out the fantasy.”
“I think you want to retire near the sand dunes so you can sneak in a daily ride.” I grabbed my mug and went to sit with him. Emma moved too, but she didn’t lie down like she normally did. All the nerves in her body were on high alert. “I can’t tell if Emma likes it or not, but she’s definitely interested.”
“She’s smelling the different animals around the cabin. Blake said they saw a deer just down the path on Friday. He and Kathi have been here since Wednesday because he had a gig in Portland last weekend.”
The newest couple in South Cove, Blake and Kathi, were also a long-distance couple most of the time. They’d met and fell in love in South Cove. Then Blake’s singing career had taken off. He was gone most weekends. Since Kathi’s shop, Tea Hee, was just across from my coffeeshop/bookstore, I often saw him show up during the week. Making a relationship took work and compromise, even if you were in the same city. Which was one of the reason I’d said yes to the Thanksgiving trip to this remote cabin.
Pulling my hoodie closer, I sipped my coffee for warmth. There had been frost on the ground and on the porch when I’d first come outside. Now, the sun was melting it away. My dark curly hair was feeling the humidity, just like at home. I’d run some product through it when I got ready for the day and let it do its thing. We were camping. “Is anyone else awake?”
“Nope. It’s still early.” Greg looked at his watch. “Do you and Emma want to take a ride to the beach? Blake showed me the trail last night before we crashed.”
“Might as well.” I’d been hoping for an hour or two to read before the day’s activities started, but like I said, compromise.
“You don’t have to sound so excited about it.” He pulled me out of my chair. “Let’s go grab you a travel mug and a cookie or two to take with us. I’ll get your blood sugar up and you’ll be fine.”
“I can’t believe I’m up this early on vacation. What is it, five?” I followed him back into the cabin.
“Six.” He looked at my feet. “Change into tennis shoes and layer up. By the time we hit the beach, it might start getting warm.”
I headed upstairs to our room and changed out of my yoga pants, redressing in jeans and a heavier hoodie. And Greg wondered why I’d brought two suitcases of clothes. I’d had no idea what I’d need for November in Oregon. If it snowed, I was ready. I even had both boots and a parka, just in case.
By the time I got back down, Greg and Emma had already left the cabin for the barn. I grabbed a cookie from the box on the counter. I’d brought a backpack so I stashed a couple of bottles of water, a plastic bowl and a couple of plastic bags inside. As an afterthought, I added two apples. Just in case the ride went long.
Greg stood outside the barn at the left of the cabin. A four-seater side by side off-road vehicle sat warming up in front of the barn. Emma sat in the back seat. The side by side was a cross between an off-road Jeep and an ATV. Two helmets sat on the front seats. Greg strapped a cooler in the rear cargo area.
He finished and grinned at me. “First one up gets their choice of rigs. Isn’t this one sweet? I think I need to get the council to buy a few of these for policing South Cove. We couldn’t outrun a suspect in a vehicle, but it would be way easier to move around during the festivals when the streets are closed. And it would be awesome for patrolling the beach.”
“Good luck with that. I’m sure Mayor Baylor won’t be on board.” I smiled at his excitement. He was like a little boy who’d just received a new toy. I was more hesitant about riding. This was my second time in one of these and I hoped I could relax more than. . .
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