Yearning, page 6
“Not at all,” Samantha said and smiled. “Just a natural
phenomenon that occurs this time every year. It brings in
tourists and much-needed revenue before the skiing season
begins. We’re not Aspen, thank God, but we get our fair
share of skiers around the holidays and onward. That’s when
you see the Airbnbs pop up. There’s also a log-cabin retreat
on the opposite side of the lake. It’s no gold mine, but it
does all right.”
“I have a lot to explore,” Darian said. “There’s a lot more
to Dennamore than I thought possible. I knew very little
about it until Gran started getting homesick.”
“I’m glad you returned,” Samantha said, looking over at
Camilla. “I hope you’ll be able to reconnect with old
friends.”
“So do I.” Camilla shifted on the couch, a faint grimace
betraying her discomfort. “Darian, I’m sorry, but I can’t
seem to get comfortable. I think I need to lie down.”
“Let me help you,” Darian said and stood.
“No, thank you, dear. I’m fine. Just give me a hand to get
up from the couch. The sooner it’s reupholstered, the
better.”
“I hear you, Gran.” Darian assisted her grandmother.
“Careful.”
“Yes, yes.” Camilla turned to Samantha, who also stood.
“It was so lovely to meet you, Samantha. Please don’t be a
stranger. Come peruse our books as often as you like. I look
forward to discussing all the details with you and Darian.”
“Thank you. I look forward to finally making some
headway in my research about Dennamore. I hit a roadblock
several years ago, and this opportunity means more than I
can say. That, and getting to know you and Darian, it’s truly
my pleasure.” Knowing she sounded her usual formal self,
Samantha hoped the other two women could still tell how
heartfelt her words were.
“I’ll retire to my recliner and my TV,” Camilla said after
squeezing Samantha’s hand between her own trembling
ones. “I believe some of my favorite shows are on.”
“They are,” Darian said after checking the time.
“I should let you both continue with your evening,”
Samantha said, thinking Darian might need to tend to
Camilla. “I’ll be back soon enough.”
“Oh, no, don’t leave earlier on my account,” Camilla said
as she slowly made her way to the hallway. “Darian will be
disappointed.”
Samantha cast a glance at Darian, who groaned.
“Thanks, Gran. Now I know you’re okay.” Darian looked
toward the ceiling.”
“You’re welcome, dear.” Camilla nodded and left them
alone.
“You really don’t have to go yet,” Darian said, pushing
her hands into the pockets of her jeans.
“I don’t want to. I’d rather stay here and discuss our
projects and learn more of your life before Dennamore, but
Chief Walker reminded me of the Lake Light Festival, and I
have to go over the plans for Town Hall.” Samantha checked
the time. “It’ll get dark very soon.”
“At least let me walk you home.” Darian didn’t wait for a
response but hurried out into the hallway and returned
moments later, holding Samantha’s cardigan and wearing a
leather jacket.
Samantha had thought to object, as there really was no
need for Darian’s gallant gesture. Samantha was used to
walking around her hometown at all hours, and she’d never
been in danger or felt unsafe. But she really wanted
Darian’s company for a few more precious moments, and
the revelation was mindboggling. She didn’t know this
woman, not really, and already their upcoming days and
weeks, perhaps even months, were enmeshed because of
their series of inexplicable finds. Samantha told herself she
felt so eager about their research because of her interest in
Dennamore’s history. Another voice, one that rarely spoke
up at all, insisted that there was more to it. The mere idea
that Samantha would find Darian interesting on a personal
level was disconcerting and equally mystifying. She
shrugged on her cardigan and quieted the voice.
“All set?” Darian smiled, and the room seemed brighter
than before.
“I am, yes, thank you.” Samantha stepped past Darian
and out the front door. As she walked down the garden path,
she turned her head and looked back at the house. The
sun’s last rays framed it from behind, giving it a golden hue
that made her think of storybooks she’d read as a child.
“It’s pretty,” Darian said quietly.
“It is.” Samantha kept walking, and soon they were
shoulder to shoulder on the sidewalk. “It’s been an
interesting day, to say the least. If I were prone to believing
in fate, I’d say such forces were at large.”
“I’m not much for fate, horoscopes, and so on.” Darian
shrugged. “I have to agree though. As soon as I ran into you
—literally—one thing after another has slipped into place. I
mean, like into a prefabricated slot, like a perfect fit.”
Amazed at Darian’s words, because they described how
she felt in several ways, Samantha knew she had to be
careful. She couldn’t be tempted into reading too much into
what Darian was saying. Darian was talking about the
basement and the journals, nothing else. That was fortunate
because a worldly person like Darian, born and bred in Los
Angeles, a tough woman who had made detective in such a
city this early in life, would not be a good fit for a small-town
librarian. Looking over at Darian to confirm her own
thoughts, of course the setting sun ignited highlights in
Darian’s hair and made her brown eyes sparkle. At this
moment, Darian Tennen was the most attractive woman
Samantha had ever seen.
Groaning inwardly, she knew she was in trouble.
CHAPTER FOUR
Darian pulled the car up to the lake’s crowded parking lot.
Thanks to Camilla’s new disability tag she found parking for
them. Then she helped Camilla into the lightweight
wheelchair she used when the walking distances were too
long for her grandmother to handle. A stroll around the lake
in the evening was far too much, especially at this late hour.
“Need the blanket, Gran?” Darian asked.
“I might as well. It’s not cold, but it can change as the
night moves on. I don’t want you to have to go home any
sooner than you want to because I’m vain about blankets.”
Camilla pursed her lips. “At least we brought the cashmere
one so I can ride in style.”
Darian chuckled as she spread the blanket across
Camilla’s lap. “So true.”
They made their way through the crowd. A wooden path
enabled visitors maneuvering wheelchairs and baby
carriages to walk around the calm lake, a forest on three
sides and a field on the fourth. Captured in an indentation in
one of the mountains, it reflected the full moon and the
stars like a mirror. Darian had tried to look up which river
supplied Lake Dennamore with water, but the town’s
website stated only that the water came from within the
mountain towering above it. The outlet created a small river
that ran between two mountains in the chain surrounding
them.
“Perhaps we’ll run into Samantha.” Camilla’s words
startled Darian. “Pity that she became so busy after her
visit. I know the two of you were ready to go at it.”
Darian agreed but didn’t respond. A week had passed
since she walked Samantha home, and after that, Samantha
had been busy with the festival. The Elder Council had given
her extra assignments, and Darian had heard the frustration
in Samantha’s voice when she called to explain. Darian
would have been even more disappointed at their delayed
plans if she hadn’t had her own unforeseen chores. Camilla
had needed help getting to the local doctor’s office. Then
Camilla’s medical files had disappeared, and Darian had
spent almost an entire day on the phone before they were
relocated. It was one thing after another, and now it was
Saturday, a little more than a week later. The Lake Light
Festival had begun this morning, and now Darian and
Camilla gathered around the lake with most of the
Dennamore population and enough tourists to boost the
town’s economy for the upcoming months.
“I’m so glad I found you.” Samantha’s voice made Darian
pivot so fast, she nearly toppled over. “I managed to shake
the Elder Council’s chairman and went looking for you. I’ve
been at his beck and call for a week. Enough is enough.”
Darian took in the vision that was Samantha. Dressed in
tan chinos, a white turtleneck, and a navy-blue down vest,
she managed to look outdoorsy and elegant at the same
time. She kept her hair in a twist, but the faint breeze had
tugged a few tresses free that caressed her cheeks.
“Finally,” Camilla said and waved Samantha down to her
level to place a kiss on her cheek. “We’ve missed you.”
“And I’ve missed you.” Samantha looked a little amazed
at her own words, but the sparkle in her eyes warmed
Darian.
“Let’s hope the elders don’t monopolize you this way
again until next year,” Darian said. “Are we at a good spot
to watch the lights?” She peered into the lake. “That’s not it,
right? The moon’s reflection?”
“No, not at all.” Samantha chuckled. “Trust me, when
they start, you’ll know.”
“I can’t understand how I’ve never thought of the lake
lights until now. I mean, for all those years away from here,
it’s like I completely forgot them. When you mentioned the
event last week, Samantha, it was like a pinprick to my
brain—and then I remembered all our family outings to the
lake and how we always came here to watch the lights. So
strange.”
Darian agreed. Camilla had never mentioned any light
phenomena in her hometown.
“Oh, look!” a female to their left exclaimed. “It’s
starting!”
Curious, Darian leaned against the railing. Small tendrils
of light seemed to flicker deep in the black water. Not only
did the lake resemble glass, but it gave Darian the
impression that she would be able to walk on the surface. It
was a silly thought, but she had never seen such a still
surface—and despite the gentle breeze. Gazing around the
lakeshore, she saw the huge crowd completely focus on the
water. Normally, some kids would be throwing rocks, but it
was as if the lights had everyone enthralled.
“Good evening, ladies. I see I’m just in time.” A soft
baritone sounded behind them, and Darian turned her head
and saw a handsome older man carrying a camera attached
to a tripod. “Mind if I join you?”
Considering the dense crowd around the lake, Darian was
surprised this man had managed to push through. Then
again, he possessed a certain authority that perhaps made
people defer to him.
“Chief Walker.” Samantha smiled broadly. “Please, take
my spot.”
“No need, Ms. Pike.” Chief Walker shook his head. “I’ll
just set this thing up real quick and work it remotely.” He
gazed down at Camilla, who had pulled herself up by the
railing. “Need a hand, Ms. Tennen?”
“I’m so sorry.” Samantha made quick introductions.
“Oh, I’d recognize young Geoff anywhere,” Camilla said.
“And no need for assistance for the moment. Please, call me
Camilla.” She placed her frail hand in his and shook it.
“Thank you. And Geoff, or just Walker, is fine. I’m not the
chief anymore.” Walker took her hand between his in a
gentle gesture. After shaking hands with Darian, he deftly
placed his camera on the other side of the railing and
directed it to the lake. “Last year, I shot from the woods,
and the year before, from farther up the mountain. It’s been
a while since I was this close.”
They returned their focus on the lake, and Darian saw
how the tendrils had become long, broad streaks of colors
going from bright yellow to dark blue. They looked oddly like
flames, which only added to the mystery. Moving slowly, as
if waves shifted them, even if the lake was entirely still, they
almost danced under the surface.
“Amazing.” Camilla breathed the words and clutched the
railing. As if on cue, both Samantha and Darian placed a
hand gently against the small of Camilla’s back. She merely
smiled but didn’t take her eyes off the water. “How could I
have forgotten this? I came here every year, like most of the
townspeople and an increasing number of tourists, but after
I left…I kind of forgot.” She shook her head slowly.
“If it’s any consolation, I never thought of the lake lights
when I was away at college,” Samantha said. “I was
singularly focused on my studies, and then when I returned,
I went back to what I call Dennamore mode. This place is
magical once you let it under your skin.” She shot Darian a
glance as she spoke.
Not sure what to say, Darian merely nodded. “I can feel
it. And I think there’s a lot here to discover.” She didn’t want
to reveal what they’d found at Camilla’s house among all
these people, or Walker.
“There sure is.” Samantha looked back at the lake. “It’s
time.”
Time for what? Darian scanned the surface, and then the
lights shifted again. Trembling and growing in size, they
seemed to be trying to ignite everything under the surface.
After a while, Darian couldn’t tell how long, perhaps a
minute, they began to fade. At the same time, they swelled,
and the bigger they grew, the more they appeared to dilute
in the water. Eventually, all Darian saw was the perfect, still
reflection of the moon. When she automatically checked her
smart watch, she saw the lake lights had actually lasted for
forty-five minutes.
“What the fu—” Darian turned to Camilla. “What time do
you have, Gran?”
Camilla sat down in her wheelchair and pulled up her cell
phone. “Eight twenty. We’ve been here a while.”
“Feels shorter, doesn’t it?” Walker said after returning
from retrieving his tripod. Darian saw it was an interesting
contraption, able to hold two cameras. “One for still and one
to film the event.” Walker disassembled his equipment and
placed it in a backpack. “May I invite you to my humble
abode for tea, or coffee? I’ve made a carrot cake.”
Camilla laughed, and people passing them turned their
heads and smiled. “Who can pass up carrot cake at any hour
of the day? What do you say, girls?”
Darian was immediately eager to pick Walker’s brain
about the lights and Dennamore in general. “Sounds great.
I’m in.”
Samantha seemed to hesitate but then accepted. “It
would be lovely. Your baked goods are legendary for a
reason.”
“See you at the house then. You know the way.” He
directed the last comment to Samantha and then strode
through the throng of people who, just like Darian had
noticed earlier, parted as if on cue to let him through.
“He’s quite something,” Camilla said as they began
making their way toward the parking area. “Authority
without even trying.”
“So true. I miss him being our chief of police,” Samantha
said. “The current one is all right, and comparing him to
Walker is really unfair, but I doubt there’ll ever be another
Chief Walker.”
After helping Camilla into the car, Darian waited to back
out until she saw Samantha pull up in a small blue car. She
followed Samantha through the streets and found that
Walker lived near a wooded area. He too resided in a log
house that seemed to originate from the time Dennamore
was founded. It stretched halfway into the woods to the
west, and on the other side of the house sat a large
conservatory. It was lit by a multitude of fairy lights that
made the house look magical.
“I remember this house very well.” Camilla steadied
herself against the car. “Look at the roof, Darian.”
Darian lifted her gaze and gaped. “Is that grass?”
“It is. Grass. Wildflowers when they’re in season. Our
