curious gaze. He’d always been an eye-catcher, but who’d have thought that was a mere fledgling phase?
“Okay, then,” the deputy concluded. “I guess that finishes things up here. I’ll file the report, Mr. McGuire. Ms. Diaz. Thank you both for your time.”
He shook hands with Rob, nodded at her, then headed down the steps and toward an official-looking SUV parked in the pine-rimmed clearing.
“Wait.” She moved to the edge of the porch, wrapping an arm around one of the thick, hand-hewn wooden posts. If she was to be Singing Rock’s manager, she’d better start acting the part. “Do you have any leads? Evidence? Anything forensic to identify the culprits?”
Officer Karel turned. “No, miss, nothing to speak of.”
“You’ll keep me posted if something comes up?”
“I will. Good day to you both.”
She remained standing on the broad wooden porch of the house, watching the officer climb into his county vehicle. An approaching older model minivan passed him on his way out before pulling up in front of another two-story log structure across the clearing—the lodge, hub of Singing Rock activity housing the office, recreation room and an apartment upstairs. Olivia’s nose curled at the odor of the vehicle’s exhaust, entirely out of place in the pristine, pine-scented retreat. Guests must be returning from an early breakfast or errand run to town.
She turned again to the man standing a few feet away, keeping her arm looped around the post for fear she might float off in euphoria. Drinking in the sight of him, she couldn’t disguise the delight in her voice.
“Rob McGuire, of all people. I can’t believe after all this time you’ve shown up in Canyon Springs. Welcome to Singing Rock.”
“Thanks.” He brushed an unruly lock of sun-streaked brown hair from his forehead and offered a faint, though not unfriendly smile. But from the puzzlement reflected in his eyes, it was apparent that while he’d heard her name he still hadn’t placed her.
“Remember me? Northern Arizona University? Church volleyball team? Friday night Bible study?”
He frowned, uncertainty still evident as he searched her features.
“The sole girl to jump off that bridge during the spring break mission trip to Mexico?” Surely he’d remember that. “The one who came as a smiley face to the church’s autumn college kick-off party?”
It was at the costume party where they’d first met and she certainly hadn’t forgotten him. A debonair masked Zorro. She still remembered his first words to her. Well, now, aren’t you enough to make a man smile.
Was that romantic or what?
His eyes widened ever so slightly. “It’s coming to me now. You dressed all in black and painted your face bright yellow with big black eyes and an ear-to-ear grin.”
“Bingo!” Ha ha. She’d been stuck the entire evening in that perpetual state long after the other partygoers—including Rob—disposed of removable masks. But freshmen are entitled to a few missteps.
“Well, what do you know? Good to see you again.”
Was it?
He continued to study her as if sifting through a box of memories, comparing then and now. “You’ll have to forgive me—I thought you looked vaguely familiar when you came to the door, but I sure didn’t recognize you.”
Thank goodness. Vanity hoped she’d changed since her freshman days of tomboyishly cropped curls, skinny bod and multi-pierced ears. Late bloomer. She proudly shook back her now-cascading black locks, her smile widening in hopes she could coax one from him.
“I still can’t believe this. What a small world. I mean, I haven’t seen you since—since—”
Their gazes collided at the mutual memory, and from the discomfiture in his eyes she knew he’d remembered her at last. Warmth crept into her cheeks.
Oh, good going, Olivia.
The last thing she wanted to do was remind him of that public turndown of a marriage proposal she and half the church witnessed. Standing but a few feet from the ring’s intended recipient, she’d had a front-row seat to his humiliation. “So what brings you here as a guest at Singing Rock?”
With his hands jammed in his jacket pockets, she couldn’t get an answer to the question she most wanted to know. Then again, seven years had passed so of course he was married. Guys like him always were. And likely to a woman far more beautiful and spiritual than she’d ever hope to be.
Just her luck, he was probably here with the little wifey and a carload of kids. Or on his honeymoon.
“Actually … I’m the manager here.”
Her smile faltered. “Here? At Singing Rock?”
He nodded. “Have been for a couple of weeks now.”
She gave an uncertain laugh. No way. As achievement-oriented as Rob had been in college, he had to be heading up his own Fortune 500 company by now. Or maybe even pastoring one of those mega churches. “You’re kidding, right?”
He shook his head, his eyes narrowing—apparently at the disbelieving tone of her voice.
Realization slammed into her, leaving a meteor-size crater somewhere in the vicinity of her stomach. Mom and Dad had finally given up on her? They’d hired someone outside the family to run their business?
Her grip tightened on the post as she willed herself to renew a smile. Hiring Rob had to be a temporary situation, right? Until she came back. Until they could get things worked out between them.
“Hey, Rob!” A familiar female voice rang out from across the parking lot where the minivan had pulled up moments ago. She caught sight of her sister Paulette Alston standing beside it. “Would you give me a hand, please?”
Still shaken by Rob’s revelation, Olivia stepped back inside the door to retrieve her flip-flops, then caught up with him at what must be her sister’s new mom-mobile. She hadn’t recognized it when it drove in. A slightly newer model than the last.
Paulette, not expecting to see her this morning, shot Olivia a sharp look as she approached. But Olivia shouldn’t have been so surprised to see her oldest sister this early in the day. When you have five kids aged six to sixteen, you have to stay on your toes. This morning Paulette, her senior by a decade, appeared older than her thirty-five years. Black-brown eyes, devoid of the characteristic Diaz sparkle, were shadowed below with dark circles. Tendrils of limp, shoulder-length black hair, haphazardly tied back, escaped to brush her cheeks.
Paulette slid open the side door to the van, gaze focusing on Rob. “What was the deputy doing here? More trouble?”
“Timberline this time.”
The hairs prickled along Olivia’s arms. “This isn’t the first time something like this has happened?”
Her sister shook her head. “Twice now in the past week. Lucky Rob.”
Singing Rock’s manager fished around in his jacket pocket. As he produced a piece of paper, Olivia at last confirmed the left hand holding it out was ringless. Her heart took flight, but only momentarily. With the way her love life had been going lately, that omission didn’t mean much. But ever the optimist, Olivia pounced on the possibility.
“I jotted down a few things while the deputy and I inspected it.” Rob unfolded his notes. “They outdid themselves this time.”
Olivia stepped closer to get a better look at his neat, compact handwriting, her proximity bringing a fading bruise and healing scrape along the side of his cheekbone into view. Paulette’s stare darkened, as if to remind her that by her own choice she had no part in Singing Rock business. Her choice? Not hardly.
“I assume you’ve introduced yourself to our new manager,