Scent of Cedar Page 3

  Chapter Three

  The back door swung open with a bang as Rhett balanced bags of groceries, his keys, and his bike helmet. It had been a feat to get four bags of groceries home on his bike, but he’d managed without spilling anything.

  As he toed the door shut and walked toward the kitchen, he heard the answering machine beep at the end of a message. He hoped one of the guys wasn’t cancelling. There was enough chili in the slow cooker to feed twelve people. Typically, he and his friends would put a huge dent in it before the evening was through.

  Rhett set the groceries on the counter, flicked on the lights and breathed in the spicy aroma lingering in the air from the chili. His stomach growled in anticipation. Before he put away the groceries, he exchanged his nice wool coat for an old chore coat and hurried outside to feed the animals.

  Lolly entered the barn in her long-legged gait as he put food in dishes for Rover and Murray. Rhett glanced over his shoulder at the camel and shook his head. “Lolly! What are you doing out, again? Didn’t we talk about you staying inside the pasture this morning, girl? Hmm?”

  The camel nudged his back with her head as he tossed feed and some herbivore pellets into her feed trough.

  He checked to make sure she had plenty of fresh water then turned around and rubbed a hand along her neck and over the two humps on her back.

  “You think it’s going to be a long, cold winter, Lol?” he asked, burrowing his fingers into her shaggy coat. “With all this long hair, you’re either planning to start your own rock band, or gearing up for a harsh winter. Which is it girl?”

  Lolly smiled and hummed as she moved slightly, so Rhett’s hand scratched along her back.

  Rhett chuckled. “Rock band it is. If I find you out here beating on a set of drums, you really are gonna be in trouble, Lol. Now, since you aren’t in your pen, might I assume you’ve been over traumatizing our new neighbor?”

  Lolly grunted and walked through the open gate of her pen.

  Rhett latched it closed and shook his head. “I don’t know why I bother when you’ll just open it without my permission.”

  Lolly grinned at him then walked to her food trough, interested in her dinner.

  “Behave yourself and stay in here the rest of the night, Lol.”

  She ignored him as her lips nibbled at the hay.

  Rhett rolled his eyes then set out fresh water for the cat and dog before he returned to the house. After putting away the groceries, he jumped in the shower to wash away the smell of camel along with the odors and grease of his work. He’d just returned to the kitchen to set out plates and bowls when a knock sounded on the back door. Before he could reach it, Seth opened it and poked his head around the door.

  “Hey, it smells good in here,” the rancher said as he stepped inside and closed the door behind him. He left his cowboy hat and heavy denim coat on the bench by the door then moved further into the kitchen and took a deep breath. “You seriously make some fine chili, man.”

  “Thanks.” Rhett took the bag of corn chips Seth held out and opened it, setting it on the counter along with a tub of sour cream and a bag of shredded cheese. “I think that should do it.”

  “Did you talk to Drew or Drake today?” Seth asked as he took a seat on a barstool at the counter and dipped a corn chip in a jar of salsa.

  “Drake sent a text that they’d be a few minutes late, but both he and Drew are coming.” Rhett set a variety of beverages on the counter and dipped a chip in the salsa as they awaited the arrival of the Miller brothers.

  Seth looked around the kitchen Rhett had recently finished remodeling. Pine cupboards he’d found in a storage shed replaced open, splintered shelves. Seth and the Miller brothers had helped put in a new tile backsplash, peeled up four layers of old linoleum and refinished the hardwood floor. They’d also helped him pour concrete counters. “I still can’t get over how different the house looks now that you’ve started working on it.”

  “It needed the work,” Rhett said with a shrug.

  “I know your uncle had his little quirks…”

  Rhett’s eyebrow shot upward, accentuating the scar on his forehead. “Little quirks?” He grinned. “Uncle Will was born a crazy ol’ coot.”

  Seth chuckled. “Probably, but he was a good man, even if he marched to the beat of a drum only he could hear.”

  “He was good, and kind, and admittedly strange. I sure miss him.” Rhett cleared his throat and swallowed down the emotion that suddenly threatened to swamp him. “I have no idea why he did the things he did inside this house. Outside it looks normal enough, but inside? I mean, who puts a sink in the middle of the living room or a wood-burning cook stove in the bathroom?”

  “Speaking of the bathroom, did you get the guest bathroom project completed?”

  “Yeah, I did. I finished the tile over the weekend. Want to see?” Rhett asked, pushing away from the counter. Seth followed him down the hallway to a small guest bathroom. Rhett had gutted the room then put in a corner shower, a new toilet, plank shelving, and a deep sink. Three pendant lights hung over the sink, illuminating a pewter-framed mirror.

  “It looks great, man.” Seth thumped him on the back and stepped into the room, looking at the dark gray tile on the floor that complimented the pale gray walls and white trim. “You do good work, for a grease monkey.”

  Rhett playfully slugged the cowboy. For years, Seth had teased him about being a grease monkey while he jested about his friend being a two-bit buckaroo. “I appreciated your help installing the shower.”

  “Anytime. How many rooms do you have left to finish?” Seth asked as they headed back to the kitchen.

  “Two bedrooms and the utility room. I should have the work all completed by spring. It’s a good thing Uncle Will had most of the stuff I’ve used in the remodel stored here and there. What do you suppose he was going to do with that big tub we put in my bathroom?”

  The sauna tub weighed what seemed like half a ton when they maneuvered it into the master suite.

  “Who knows? With your uncle, he might have been planning to install it in the front yard as a fish pond.”

  Rhett laughed and removed the cap from a bottle of soda. He took a long gulp of the bubbly liquid as the back door opened. Drew and Drake Miller blew inside along with a blast of frigid air and a flurry of snowflakes.

  Although the two brothers bore a strong family resemblance and were almost the same height, they weren’t much alike. Drew tended to be quiet, serious, and had the build of a linebacker. Drake was lean and goofy, and always the life of the party whether at a gathering of friends or in the classroom where he taught first grade students at Faraday School.

  “What the heck did you two do?” Rhett asked as he glanced outside at the swirling snow. “It’s too early for a snowstorm.”

  “Tell that to the weatherman,” Drew said as he shook snow from his thick brown hair and brushed it off his shoulders. “I certainly didn’t order it. You think I enjoy delivering mail in this kind of weather?”

  “The temperature dropped ten degrees in the last five minutes,” Drake said, removing his coat and giving it a shake outside to dislodge the snow before closing the door. “Is that your famous chili I smell or has Lolly been breathing through the window again?”

  “Ha, ha. Very funny,” Rhett said, scowling at Drake as he dished four heaping bowls of chili and set them on plates at the counter. “She’s been too busy tormenting the new neighbor.”

  “Have you met her yet? Is she young? Pretty?” Seth asked as he crumbled corn chips into his chili then added a heaping spoon of sour cream.

  “I have no idea and don’t care. I figure she’ll move before Christmas ever arrives, if her screams of terror this morning were any indication of how long she’ll last.”

  Drew smirked as he spooned salsa on top of his chili. “I take it she didn’t appreciate Lolly’s welcome to the neighborhood visit.”

  “You could say that.”

  “I heard she called dispatch c
omplaining about a wild animal trying to break into the house,” Drake said, pouring a glass of milk then following the rest of them into the living room where they sank into the comfortable cushions of a large sectional sofa.

  “Lolly wouldn’t hurt anyone.” Rhett glanced through the big picture window toward the pasture outside. At least he didn’t think she’d hurt anyone. The worst she’d do is spit on someone she didn’t like. She could kick to kill, but he’d never seen her kick anything in all the years he’d known her. “Let’s forget about neighbors, runaway camels, and snowstorms. We’ve got a game to watch, guys.”

  “Did any of you watch it last night or read the scores today?” Drew asked as he stirred his chili then blew on a bite.

  “Nope. So if you know the score, keep it to yourself,” Seth said, settling back with a relaxed sigh.

  Who needs anything more than good food and good friends? Rhett questioned silently as he watched the game with his friends.

  They’d gone to the kitchen at half-time to refill their bowls with chili and snag more drinks when the phone rang. Rhett looked at the caller ID and glared at the unknown number. Rather than answer, he let the machine pick up. He rarely used the house phone, but kept it in case of a mechanical emergency and someone couldn’t reach him on his cell phone. In storms and bad weather, cell service in the area could be spotty at best, so landlines offered much more reliable sources of communication when that happened.

  “Aren’t you gonna answer that?” Drake asked as Rhett ignored the fourth bothersome ring of the phone before the answering machine picked up.

  “Nope. We’re watching a game. If it’s an emergency, I’ll get back to them.” Rhett sprinkled another scoop of cheese over his chili and grabbed a handful of chips before a feminine voice cut through the noise of his friends as his neighbor left a message.

  “Mr. Bolton? This is your new neighbor across the pasture. Hey! Get away from there!” Her voice bordered on panic although plenty of irritation oozed across the line. “Your camel is over here, again! Can you please do something about it? This is the fifth time today. I’m afraid I’ll have to call animal control to handle the situation if you refuse to take care of it. Please, call me back. I know you’re home. I can see lights on over there. I’ve yet to receive a reply to my previous messages, so please give me a call back or come get your camel!”

  The line disconnected as four men stared at the answering machine.

  Unable to stop himself, Rhett pushed the play button and they listened to four phone calls, all from the new neighbor. The tone of the woman’s voice went from uncertain and hesitant in the first call to downright testy in the last call. In spite of her obvious anger and dismay, something in her voice intrigued Rhett. If his buddies hadn’t been there, he would have replayed the messages just to listen to her voice again. Heck, he might even have called her back.

  Rather than give in to the urge to speak to her, he added more cheese to his chili and picked up his bowl, ready to get back to the game.

  Seth gave Rhett a wicked grin as he spooned salsa on his chili. “I guess she told you. She sounds a little excitable to me. Probably not girlfriend material.” His gaze lifted to the window over the sink. “Want us to help you round up Lolly?”

  “No. She’ll put herself back in when she’s good and ready and not a minute before. No need for all of us to go out there in a blizzard.” Rhett feigned casual indifference although everything in him wanted to find out what the neighbor looked like and if she was half as pretty as he imagined. Her sister was pretty, although he thought her a bit brash and slightly pushy.

  He racked his brain for details. Had the sister mentioned his neighbor’s name? He recalled her mentioning something that made him think of Christmas.

  Ah, that was it. Cedar. Cedar Haynes.

  The woman was probably one of those high maintenance city girls who needed their nails done every other day and wouldn’t know hard work if it bit them right on the rear. Besides, what kind of lunatics named their daughters Cedar and Juniper? They were probably from some free-thinking new-age hipster family who would find everything about life in Faraday alarming and backward.

  Determined to ignore Miss Haynes and her threats to turn Lolly over to the authorities, he focused on the game and his friends. There would be plenty of time to deal with his neighbor later.

  Chapter Four

  “Are you sure you don’t mind taking my ski stuff with you?” Juniper asked a third time as Cedar closed the back of her SUV.

  “I’ve got plenty of room to store it in the garage, Juniper. It’ll be ready for you whenever you want to go to Mount Hood.” She gave her sister a long look followed by a teasing smile. “Did you find a house in Faraday for me just so you’d have somewhere to stay close to Mount Hood?”

  “No!” Juniper said hastily. Too hastily. She laughed and shook her head. “I didn’t choose the house there just for that reason, although it is definitely a perk. You have to admit it’s terribly convenient that your house is only thirty miles from Mount Hood. You can ski anytime you want.”

  “You are well aware I’ve never skied a day in my life. I’d probably break my neck out there. I’m glad you’ll be able to go, though. I know you love to ski and hang out in the lodge.” Cedar walked to the driver’s door then gave her sister a hug. “Thanks for letting me stay last night. I didn’t really want to drive back in the dark and I needed to relax a while after spending the day with Mom and Dad. I’m fine with them being gone for Thanksgiving, but why did they insist we do it early? I like my Sundays far more peaceful.”

  Juniper returned her hug then pulled back. “You know you’re welcome anytime. And I totally understand about the need to recuperate after seeing our lovely parents. What is their deal, anyway? Couldn’t they act like normal people just for one day?”

  “Apparently not.” Cedar dreaded spending the day with their family, but had agreed, more for Juniper’s sake than anything. She didn’t want to leave her sister alone at the mercy of their parents and grandparents. Her mother nagged nonstop about the two sisters approaching thirty with no prospects of marriage. Their father lectured them on wasting their lives by not following in his footsteps as a corporate attorney. While Nana, their odd grandmother, insisted they try her latest herbal remedies and meditation techniques, their grandfather chain-smoked cigars on the balcony of her parents’ condo and grumbled about losing a day of investment opportunities with the nonsense of wasting time with family.

  Cedar and Juniper left the gathering the minute they’d finished the meal, not even staying long enough to eat Nana’s gluten-free, dairy-free, and taste-free dessert.

  The girls went back to Juniper’s apartment and binge-watched Hallmark movies then ate pumpkin pie they’d picked up at the store for dinner.

  “I really did have fun with you, once we escaped the house of tyrants.” Cedar hugged her sister again then opened the driver’s door and slid behind the wheel. The two sisters both had blonde hair and big, blue eyes, but the similarities ended there. While Juniper shared their mother’s petite frame, Cedar took after their father’s side of the family. Tall and curvy, Cedar’s grandmother had often told her she could have been a model. However, Cedar much preferred crunching numbers to walking in a spotlight.

  “So how are things with the camel next door?” Juniper asked as Cedar rolled down her window then pulled the door closed.

  “Lolly comes to visit at least once a day, but I’ve grown used to her. She’s pretty entertaining, actually. One day, I found her guzzling a bottle of Mountain Dew. I don’t know where she found it, but she was holding the bottle with her teeth and drinking it like she’d never tasted anything quite so good.” Cedar grinned. “I know I freaked out a little when I first saw her, but she’s really sweet and has been good company.”

  Juniper smiled. “I knew you’d warm up to her, once you got past having a hissy fit about her.”

  “I did not have a hissy fit,” Cedar said, glaring at her siste
r. “You could have warned me about her, you know.”

  Juniper shrugged. “There are a lot of things I could have warned you about, but a little adventure is good for you, sis.”

  “Whatever,” Cedar said. Suddenly wary of what else her sister had conveniently failed to mention, she narrowed her eyes and glared at Juniper. “Please tell me there aren’t more surprises.”

  “Have you met Lolly’s human yet?” Juniper asked, abruptly changing the subject.

  “No. I’ve heard Mr. Bolton is quite an eccentric. I left several messages for him when I first discovered Lolly, but he never called me back. I haven’t seen anyone outside over there, either.”

  “That’s interesting.” Juniper backed away from the door, looking as though she held onto a tightly guarded secret.

  “If you’re keeping something from me, you better spill it. Right now.” Cedar waggled a finger at her sister in warning.

  “It’s all good, Cedar. Now, drive safely and enjoy your weekend. I’ll let you know when I plan a day for a ski trip.”

  “Okay, Jun. Talk to you later.” Cedar waved then rolled up her window and headed out of town.

  Juniper lived in a posh apartment in Portland. The location was just a few blocks from her real estate office and in the heart of the vibrant downtown area. After spending the past few weeks in the peaceful community of Faraday, all the traffic and noise gave Cedar a headache. She couldn’t wait to get back to her big, beautiful house on the edge of the quiet little town.

  Cedar hadn’t thoroughly explored Faraday in the short time she’d lived there. Juniper had stocked the cupboards so well before Cedar arrived, she hadn’t needed to leave her house since she’d moved into her new place. A freak blizzard a week after an early-in-the-season snowstorm had made her hopeful she could stay home and avoid her parents’ Thanksgiving meal. In spite of her lack of experience driving the SUV and driving in the snow, her vehicle made it down the mountain with no problem.