I turned off the water and wrapped a towel around me. My hand swiped the condensation buildup from the mirror, revealing a clean face but I could still somehow see the blood on it. Perhaps it was a part of me now. I took a deep breath and pulled open the bathroom door. As soon as I stepped into the hall, I crashed into another person.
“Calvin . . .” But it wasn’t Calvin.
“Sorry, ma’am. I didn’t expect you to spring out like a chicken.”
I wrapped the damp towel tighter around my body. “Who the hell are you?”
The man was hefty, dressed in dirty overalls. He had to have been in his sixties. His peppered hair was shaggy but not intentionally—just as if he didn’t take good care of himself. His nose was large, and his skin was covered in rosacea and patchy facial hair.
Loud footsteps made their way toward us. “Grace! Ahh,” Calvin paused as his eyes caught the scene before him “I see you two have met. This is Albert. He’s another Airbnb guest who will be staying here for the next couple nights.”
A wave of emotions flooded over me.
“I didn’t know another guest was coming, Calvin. On my booking, I actually requested to be the only guest.” I narrowed my eyes.
“I must have missed that, and I do have two rooms listed. So sometimes, although rarely, they can overlap. Albert here was a last-minute booking.”
“That’s true, little lady. I’m just passing through but needed a place to stop off to get some rest.” His smile revealed a dead front tooth.
“I see. Where’s Sheriff Almond?” I redirected my attention to Calvin.
He cleared his throat and slid a hand into his front pocket. “He left.”
“Already?”
“Yep, didn’t find what he was looking for.” His eyes bounced from me to Albert and back again.
I wasn’t sure how long I had been in the shower. Time didn’t seem to exist here in Wyoming. But he left rather quickly for someone looking for a missing person, especially on such a large property. Perhaps Sheriff Almond wasn’t convinced Calvin had been involved.
“I’ll be in my room.”
I needed distance so I could try to think clearly.
I walked around Albert and closed my bedroom door behind me. I didn’t even look at Calvin. Something didn’t feel right. Between the rare mountain lion attack, the missing woman, and now this strange guest. Why wouldn’t he tell me there was another guest staying? I collapsed onto the bed, letting out a groan. I highly doubted a man like Albert would even have an Airbnb account, let alone know what it was or how to use it. Picking up my cell phone from the nightstand, I verified that I was still screwed. No service. I groaned again. In the hallway, I heard whispers, but I couldn’t make out what was being said. Why were they even whispering?
I tiptoed to the door and pressed my ear against it.
“Sorry about her. She’s just a little rattled. Mountain lion nearly attacked her earlier,” Calvin said.
“That’s terrifying. She all right?” Albert whispered back.
“She will be, I think. You can stay in this room,” Calvin said.
The door to the room next to mine creaked open. Everything in this house creaked. Boots clomped a few steps—first Calvin’s, then Albert’s. I could tell the difference between them. Albert’s steps were too heavy, like he was more stumbling than walking. Calvin’s were hard but controlled, like a slow beat on a drum.
“Thanks. I’ll be out of your hair in a few days,” Albert said.
Calvin whispered something back, but I couldn’t make it out. The door creaked again and closed. Then, there was a knock on my door. I scrambled back to the bed and took a seat looking at my red fingernails nonchalantly. The paint had chipped off on several of them.
“Come in,” I said.
The door opened, and Calvin popped his head in.
“Hey,” he said. His eyes scanned my face, evaluating if it was safe to take another step into the room. My face was unchanged though. I simply glanced over at him for a moment and then returned my attention to my chipped nails.
“I’m heading into town. You want to come with me?”
I thought for a moment, pretending to consider his offer. I didn’t want to go into town, and I didn’t want to stay in this house with Albert either. What I wanted was my car fixed.
“No,” I said.
He dropped his head a little and shuffled his feet, disappointed.
“Are we okay?” He worked up the courage to take another step toward me.
“Sure.” I turned my head, staring out the cracked window. We weren’t okay. I wasn’t okay. I should have gone with my gut feeling on day one and left. Something was off with this house, with this town, with Calvin. He took another step toward me and sat on the edge of the bed.
“You sure, Grace?”
“I’m sure.”
He scooted a little closer and rested his hand on the bed in the space between us. There was more than physical space between us now. There was distance. What added to the distance were all the uncertainties, the unanswered questions, the answers I could not or did not believe. Calvin moved his hand on top of my bare knee, and my body instantly tensed up. Last night when he touched me my skin warmed, now I felt a coldness run through me. They say love makes you blind. This wasn’t love though. This was lust, and it makes you downright stupid.
“I’m really sorry, Grace. I’m going to make this up to you. I want this to work. Us, that is. We still have a few days together. Please don’t shut me out yet.” His voice was deep yet soft. He patted my knee. “You haven’t shut me out yet, have you?”
I looked at his hand resting on my body. A shiver ran down my spine. I shook my head.
He smiled and leaned in, planting a kiss on my cheek. “I’ll be back soon.” Calvin’s eyes lingered on me while he stood. I thought he’d say more but he turned and left the room, closing the door behind him.
I took a deep breath. Calvin was right about one thing: we only had a few more days left, he only had a few more days left . . . and then I would leave all of this behind me.
32.
Calvin I pulled my truck into a parking spot in front of Betty’s Boutique and grabbed the empty cake pan from the passenger seat. Only a few people walked the downtown area because it was still early in the day. I exchanged greetings with them as I made my way inside.
“Hey, sweetheart. To what do I owe the pleasure?” Betty asked, standing from her seat behind the register. The store was empty, another slow day for business.
I held up the cake pan. “Just returning this,” I said, setting it down on the counter.
Betty came around and wrapped her arms around me, pulling me in for a tight hug. “How ya doing today?”
“Not great.”
She took a few steps back and looked me up and down. Her brows pinched together. “What’s wrong, Calvin?”
I ambled around the store, glancing at some of the men’s clothes. I didn’t really need anything, just needed to talk. “A mountain lion nearly attacked Grace this morning.”
Betty’s eyes widened, and her hand sprung to her mouth. “Nearly?”
I nodded. “Yep. Shot and killed the thing just as it was coming at her.”