Wyne and Song (10 page)

She planned to take a long bath, eat junk food, and watch a
Doctor Who
marathon on TV.

“That’s great. How are things going? You settled in at Jill’s cottage?”

“Yes. It’s a really cute craftsman. You’d like it,” she said, turning off the road onto the long drive that led up to the resort.

“Oh.” Her mother’s excited voice echoed through the car. “Great woodwork, I bet.” 

She nodded. “Yep.” Her mother always did have a thing for carved wood. “When are you coming down for a visit?” Phoebe could hardly wait for her mother to see the resort, too. She’d fall in love with the wood at the cottage, and the Wynes.

“Probably not until Lea’s wedding, I’m afraid,” she replied. “There’s still a lot to do with the fundraiser at the end of June for that off Broadway theater.”

Damn
. She’d forgotten. Shame on her. 

“Okay, just let me know if there’s anything I can do.”

“Will do, hun. And, listen, Henry told me to tell you there was a stranger with a tattoo on his chest arrested outside Rachel Hawthorne’s dressing room last night.”

Her heart lodged in her throat. “Did he hurt her?”

Rachel wasn’t exactly a friend. The woman was one of the cutthroat actresses, but Phoebe wouldn’t wish a crazed fan on her.

“No. Henry said the guy wanted Rachel to sign his chest. He had a tattoo shaped like a real heart with F + R in the middle. I bet he’s the creep you told me about. Probably altered the P into an R. I’m glad you’re not in the city.” Her mother’s voiced sounded a little strained. “Rachel filed for a restraining order.”

“That’s good. Maybe he’ll find a new hobby.” She laughed in an attempt to lighten the mood as she parked in front of the resort. 

“Are you in a car? It sounds hollow.”

“Yes,” she replied. “I’m on my way to see Jill. I got a frantic text asking me to taste test some chocolate she needs for a job tonight.”

“Ah, sucks to be you.” Her mother chuckled before hanging up with a promise to check in again next week.

Phoebe shut off the car, tossed her keys and phone in her crossbody purse, and strode into the building. She knew time was of the essence for Jill, and well, she was addicted to the woman’s chocolate. And since her vocal chords had the night off, she was ready to get drunk on the stuff.

“Phoebe! Thank God.” Jill rushed around the counter to grab her arm and tug her in the kitchen in the back of the store. “I was supposed to pour this into the molds ten minutes ago, but…I don’t know…something’s off. You’re the only one I know who’s extra in-tuned with their palate. My customer wants dark with a hint of mint, but it tastes too sweet to me. Here, try it. Tell me what you think.”

She took the small bowl and sampled a spoonful of melted chocolate, and refrained from moaning since Jill wasn’t as pleased with the taste as Phoebe. But, damn, the rich, decadent, cocoa slid down her tongue and hugged her tummy. She sampled another spoonful. Then one more for good measure. “I think it’s perfect, but maybe if you add a pinch of cayenne. Is that what you told me you use to burn off sweetness?”

“Oh my God, Phoebe. You’re a genius!”

“Does that mean I get to finish this bowl?” She smiled, hugging the chocolate to her chest.

Jill laughed. “Yes, absolutely.”

Her friend reached for the pepper on a shelf, added some into the big vat of chocolate on table, hand mixed it a few turns before placing the bowl under the beater for a minute. “Sorry I made you drive all the way out here, Phoebe.” Using a clean spoon to scoop out a sample, Jill tasted the new mixture. A big smile crossed her face. “That’s it. That’s what it needed. It’s Mason’s fault. He…ah…interrupted me while I was mixing the ingredients, and the dang man muddles my brain. I completely forgot to add the cayenne.”

“No worries.” She smiled, holding up her empty bowl, completely understanding the muddled brain thing. Seemed to be a trait of the Wyne men. She kept that to herself, too. “I got free chocolate. You won’t hear any complaints out of me.”

“I’m glad you enjoyed it.” Jill nodded, glancing at the clock on the wall. “I’ve got just enough time to get these done.”

“Do you need any help?” She hoped not, since the clock told her she had just enough time to get the hell out of dodge before Tyler came home from school.

Her friend shook her head. “No. I’m good, but you don’t have to rush off. Ethan took the late hike today for Keiffer.”

“Oh, wow. Was he not up to it again?”

The pattern was getting more and more frequent.

Jill glanced up with a measure of sadness pulling her features down. “Something like that.”

Anger spiked through Phoebe. Ethan couldn’t keep filling in for his brother, his life was busy enough. But she knew the youngest brother was dealing with heavy issues, so she remained quiet. Besides, it was none of her business. She just hated what it was doing to Ethan.

Again, none of her business.

She set her empty bowl and spoon down in the sink, said goodbye to her friend, then left the shop.

Her heart was heavy as she exited the building, but she needed to focus on her own life. Which sounded great in theory. Too bad she sucked at following through. This time would be different, though. This time, she’d get in her car and drive away. Leave the Wynes and their troubles behind.

She reached her car, opened the door, and was about to get inside when she noticed a familiar young boy with dark hair disappearing up a wooded trail.

Alone.

Phoebe glanced around, waiting to see an adult follow.

Nothing.

Dear God, where’s Tyler going?

He wouldn’t hike without his dad. Would he?

Maybe his grandfather was close by. She continued to stand there, gripping her car door, willing someone, anyone to follow the boy up into the woods.

Still no one.

She glanced at her clothes. Tan capris, slip-on canvas shoes, and a sleeveless blouse.

Perfect for strolling through town, not the woods. But, she couldn’t follow. She’d promised Ethan she’d stay away from his son. Besides, she never hiked. Didn’t know the first thing. And her agent would freak out if she got hurt.

Her mind immediately raced through people she should call. Ethan, he was unavailable on a late hike. Mason, also unavailable on a fishing thing. Jill, unavailable with work. Ben…at work, a good fifteen minutes away.

Dammit
.

Promise or no promise, she was going in. Ethan could kill her later, if she didn’t manage that on her own.

P
hoebe slammed her door and raced across the parking lot, phone in hand. She might be stupid for going into the woods alone, but she wasn’t too stupid to call for help.

No reason to worry Ethan, since he was too far to do anything, so she called Ben.

“Which trail?” he asked without saying hello.

She stumbled, taken aback by the fact he seemed to know what was going on before being told. “Um…” She reached the sign at the bottom of the path where she’d seen Tyler disappear. “The South Ridge Trail,” she replied and alarm increased tenfold when she heard Ben mutter a curse. “What’s wrong with this trail?”

“It’s one of the steeper ones.”

Funny, she always associated the word
south
with downhill.

“Doesn’t seem so bad so far.”

“What do you mean? Dammit, Phoebe. Stay put. You can get hurt. I already alerted patrol at the resort. They’ll be at your location in three minutes, and I’m already on my way. I’ll be there in five.”

That meant he would’ve left the armory before she’d called?

“Do you hear me, Phoebe? You need a seasoned hiker to go up this trail.”

“Well, seeing as Tyler doesn’t have one, and I’m closer than anyone else, I’ll continue if you don’t mind.”

She braced herself for Ben’s tirade but it never came…because her phone lost signal.

Super
.

It was useless now. She shoved it in her purse and picked up her pace. “Tyler,” she called. She thought for sure she would’ve seen him by now. The urge to sing to keep her nervousness of being surrounded by wildlife at bay was strong, but would hinder her from hearing the little boy. So, she sucked it up and continued her search.

As the brush grew thicker and trail grew steeper, she prayed the child stuck to the path and didn’t stray. If he had, there was a good chance she’d passed him.

Phoebe continued to call his name, then stopped periodically to listen, and silently cursed her stupidity for waiting to follow, even though it hadn’t been more than four minutes. Sweating, muscles shaking, she laughed at the thought she was in the best shape of her life.

Maybe for dancing, but not hiking a damn mountain.

She stilled, her ears straining at what she thought was a whimper.

“Tyler? Where are you?”

“Phoebe? Is that you?” came the response. “Help! I’m down here. I fell down here, and I can’t reach to get up.”

Her heart leapt with relief, then dropped to her knees when she followed his voice to the edge of a cliff on the right and found him about seven feet below on a small ridge, which led to a thirty-foot drop off.

And he was bleeding.

Holy hell
. She wanted to panic, but thought maybe it would be best if she waited until after she got him up off the ledge.

“I’m here. It’ll be all right. Are you hurt?”

He shook his head. “No. Just scraped my arm.”

It was a miracle he hadn’t broken anything or hit his head.

“Okay. Don’t move. You’re uncle’s already on his way, but I’m going to see if I can figure out how to get you back up here without a rope.”

“Uncle Ben?”

“Yes.”

“That’s cool.” He grinned. “Dad said sometimes Uncle Ben has
prammunition
and visions. He must’ve saw me fall.”

All thoughts of correcting his words disappeared when she caught a flash of movement below him to her right.

A mountain lion.

Shit.
Who invited him? And why was he able to climb cliffs?

He was twenty-five feet below Tyler and moving steadily upward. Like her pulse.

She whipped out her phone. Still no signal.
Dammit.

Phoebe glanced back at the trail. How far behind was patrol and Ben?

The low rumble of the cat confirmed the answer. Too far.

Help would come too late.

“Phoebe. Look at the cougar. Isn’t he beautiful? I was following him when I fell.”

Any bit of room she’d had left in her for air disappeared under the invisible vice squeezing her chest. Thank God the cat hadn’t noticed him sooner.

She had to get Tyler off that cliff. Now. Then hope to God the guys arrived before the cat made it to the top.

“But he looks mad.” His lower lip trembled. “I’m scared, Phoebe.”

With a prayer on her lips, she hit the ground and dropped to her belly. “All right, hun. Let’s see if you can grab my hand. Jump like I taught you.”

“Okay.” He nodded.

Stretching every one of her muscles, she reached down, straining to grab his hand, but it was no use, he missed her by a good foot.

“Okay. Plan B.” Her voice came out sounding a hell of a lot calmer than her insides felt, especially now that the cat was twenty feet below Tyler.

“What’s Plan B?”

Good question.

Although, she knew the answer.

“I’m coming down to boost you up.”

Pulling out Ethan’s knife, which,
thank God
was still in her purse, she cut the leather straps from the purse, blew out a breath and quieted her pulse.

I can do this.

She moved to a tree next to her at the edge, grasped both ends of the strap in one hand, the looped end in the other, wrapped the strap around the tree then fished the ends through the looped end and tugged tight.

With one last glance at the empty trail, she held onto the leather and lowered herself as far as the straps would allow, then glanced down and let go, falling the last foot. When her feet found purchase on the ledge, she turned to Tyler who rushed close and hugged her tight.

“Thank you for coming for me! Thank you! Thank you!”

“You’re welcome, hun.” She knelt down and hugged him proper, gently feeling him for broken bones. None.
Thank God.
“Let’s get off this ledge before the cat joins us.”

He released her and nodded. “How?”

“I’m going to lift you up on my shoulders, then I want you to grab that strap up there and climb the rest of the way.”

His gaze bounced from the strap hanging six feet up then to her, disbelief and fear darkening his eyes. “I don’t think I can.”

“Sure you can. You didn’t think you could jump high a week ago, but you can now. Trust me, this is even easier,” she said, keeping an eye on the cat nearly within jumping distance, his growls growing louder as he got closer. “Once you stand on my shoulders, you’ll already be able to peer over the top.”

“Okay.” His voice wobbled, sounding brave but unsure.

She pat her shoulders. “First, you need to sit on me.”

“Okay.”

Once he was sitting, she hugged his legs and stood close to the rock wall. “Now, try to reach for the straps.”

If she was five-seven and he three-and-a-half to four feet, he should have no issue reaching the top seven feet up, let alone her strap.

“Got them.”

Placing her hands under his feet, she pushed him up with all her might, ignoring the stinging in her flesh as she scraped the cliff. “Climb, Tyler! Climb.”

A second later, his weight was gone and relief rushed through her, nearly making her weak when she saw him peering down from the edge above.

He made it. He was up top.

The roar of the mountain lion reminded her she still needed to get off the cliff.

“Phoebe! He’s close. You gotta get up here.” Tyler’s panicked voice echoed down as she jumped to reach the straps and missed.

“Tyler? Where are you?” a familiar male voice called.

Ben. Thank God.

“Uncle Ben. I’m here. Hurry, Phoebe’s stuck on a ledge with a cougar.”

Because she could practically feel the cat’s breath, she didn’t wait for Ben. She jumped again. This time, she grasped the strap and began to climb, praying the thin leather didn’t break under the strain.

“Phoebe?” Concerned green eyes under an army cap peered over the edge, then grew round with alarm. “Keep climbing! O’Donnell, fire off a shot above the cliff into the trees. Now!”

Expecting to feel the cat’s jaws and claws tearing into her legs at any second, she let out a cry of relief when Ben reached down, grasped her arm, and yanked as she continued to climb. Then someone else grasped the waistband of her pants and the two hauled her up the rest of the way, while another shot fired out.

“Don’t shoot him,” she yelled, rolling onto her butt. She made to stand, but Ben set a restraining hand on her shoulder.

“Relax. He’s not. It’s just another warning shot.”

She released a breath and slump onto her back on the ground. That’s when she first noticed the pain in her shoulder.

“Just lie still while we check you out,” he said, looking all imposing standing over her in his ACUs and stern green gaze.

She sat up again and glanced around. “Where’s Tyler?”

“I’m right here,” the little boy said, throwing himself at her and holding tight. “I’m so glad you’re okay.”

She drew back and smiled. “And I’m glad you’re okay, too.”

He glanced down at his hands. “I’m sorry. I know I wasn’t supposed to be up here alone, but I waited all week to hike with my dad. All week! And when I came home today and he wasn’t here, I went myself.”

She brushed a tuft of hair off his forehead. “Your dad had to work.”

“But he’s always working,” he whined. “This was supposed to be
our
time.”

“I know. It’s tough. My mom worked two jobs when I was growing up. I didn’t see her a lot, either. And it was just the two of us, too.”

He shook his head and slouched. “It’s not fair.”

“I know that, too.” She pulled him close for another hug. “But when I got older, I realized why my mom was always working. It was for me. So I had a roof over my head, clothes to wear, the video game I played until my eyes were beet red.”

He drew back and smiled. “I do that, too.”

She returned his smile. “Your dad works so hard because he loves you, Tyler. Trust me. He’d love nothing more than to spend his free time with you. He told me that.”

Numerous times.

“He did?” His big brown eyes grew wide.

“Yep.” She nodded and glanced up to meet Ben’s troubled gaze. “Sometimes grownups are forced to work extra that they hadn’t planned.”

His uncle knelt down and set a hand on Tyler’s shoulder. “Your dad wanted to hike with you today, but he had to fill in for Uncle Keiffer.”

“Is he sick again?” The little boy’s brows rose. “He’s been sick a lot lately.”

A shaft of pain skittered through the man’s gaze, then disappeared. “I know, buddy.”

She squeezed Tyler’s hand. “So you see? Your dad wanted to take you on a hike. Next time, wait for him. Okay?”

“Okay.” His little mouth quivered again. “He’s going to be so mad at me. And I just wanted to make him proud.”

“But you
do
make him proud,” she said automatically. “And every time you listen to him, it makes him even prouder.”

“It does?”

“You bet,” Ben answered, rustling the boy’s hair. “Now, it’s time we let the workers do their jobs and check you both out.”

After Tyler went with one of the patrollers and sat on a fallen log, Phoebe waved the other worker away. “I’m fine. Just worry about Tyler.” Her gaze stayed on the little boy while she spoke to Ben. “I checked him over quick for broken bones, I didn’t notice any. But he is bleeding.”

“So are you.” He got in her face, looking all stern and foreboding. “Your shoulder is bleeding, Phoebe.”

“That explains why it hurts.” As her adrenaline faded, she started to shake, and the throbbing became more insistent.

Someone handed him a blanket, and he wrapped it around her. “It’s just shock. You’ll be okay.”

Good to know.

She wondered briefly if a blanket would work on Niles when he found out she got hurt. No, not when…
if
…because she wasn’t going to tell him. Ever.

“You need to be checked out, too,” Ben insisted.

She stared him down. “Does that mean my name will show up on paperwork?”

“It’s standard procedure,” he replied. “You were hurt on resort property. They have to be filled out for insurance purposes.”

Dammit
.

“Can’t we just say an anonymous stranger? I mean, I’m not even a registered guest here.”

He shook his head. “No. Sorry, we can’t.”

She sighed, then stood, letting the blanket fall at her feet as she adjusted her shirt and brushed away a piece of leaf. “Then, if you’ll excuse me, I have to go. I’m not signing anything.” And with that, she grabbed her strap and her purse, then made her way back to the trail on shaky legs.

“Phoebe. Wait.”

She heard Ben curse and the crackling of brush and heavy footfalls as he apparently rushed behind.