Gingham curtains hung in the windows but did little to soften the harsh reality of the stark dwelling. There was no porch, just a bare door in front. Haley couldn’t imagine living here.
“Come on in, I’ll start the teakettle.” Libby held the door open for her.
Haley shut it behind her as Libby went to the stove in the kitchen. “I’m not the best cook, but I can at least make tea.” Haley’s gaze wandered the room. The walls were painted a soft yellow, a color she loved. The blue-and-white gingham curtains added a cheery touch to the kitchen. Haley knew Libby would need all the cheer she could get through the long, dark winter months.
The kitchen and living room were one, an area about twenty feet square. A blue sofa and two yellow chairs sat on a rag rug on one end of the room. A set of weights occupied the far corner. A rough wooden table and chairs sat under one window with four open cabinets on one side. The bare necessities and not much else, though it felt homey and welcoming. A box of toys had been pushed against a wall by the couch. Three doors led to bedrooms. Maybe by cabin standards it was spacious, but it wasn’t much by Haley’s standards. She was used to carefully chosen pieces that reflected style.
Her gaze caught a cello in one corner. A miniature cello sat beside it. “You’re a musician?”
Libby’s face brightened. “I played with the Philly Orchestra. I’m teaching Brooke to play as well, and she has a natural aptitude. I’m afraid my poor brother has come home more than once to burned meals because of our passion for music and has had to make do with peanut-butter sandwiches.”
Brooke went to a small bookshelf and brought a dog-eared copy of a book. “Here’s my book.”
“Thanks.” Haley took the small volume. “I’ll read it and get it right back to you.”
Brooke smiled, then went to the toy box and began to root through her toys. She came up with a Frisbee. “Can I throw it to Oscar?”
“As long as you stay where we can see you.”
“I will.” She called to the dog, and they ran outside to the yard.
Once the tea was ready, Libby joined Haley at the table and sat where she could watch her niece through the window. She pushed a plate of cookies toward Haley. “I’m sorry these are a little burned. Brooke and I were playing Beethoven’s Ode to Joy .”
Haley smiled and selected a cookie. “Thanks. So how long do you expect to stay out here?”
Libby shrugged. “As long as Tank needs me.”
She nibbled on the cookie. It tasted a bit charred. “Don’t you resent giving up your career for him?”
Libby was silent for a moment. “I couldn’t do anything less. He and Brooke needed me. There was no one else to care for Brooke. Marley, Leigh’s sister, would never live here.”
“Tank could move to the city.”
“It would kill him. He couldn’t study his bears in the city. At least I can still play my music here. And seeing Brooke’s natural talent has been amazing.”
“Is Tank his real name?” Haley shocked herself by asking the question she’d been wondering.
Libby giggled. “If I tell you the truth, I’ll have to kill you.”
Haley began to smile. “He’s sworn you to that much secrecy?”
“I can’t say I blame him.”
The big man intrigued Haley. “You say his wife drowned? I don’t imagine that’s difficult in the lake. It’s huge and looks bottomless. And cold.” She shivered.
Libby stirred honey into her tea. “No one knows how it happened. Tank found Leigh floating facedown in the lake just after dawn. She’d been dead several hours. She always wore a wetsuit, but she didn’t that night. It might have been hypothermia.”
“She was swimming in the middle of the night?”
“She loved to swim. Everyone said she could have made the Olympics if she hadn’t married Tank. She’d been acting weird for a couple of days before, though. Ever since the Walsh cabin burned. Knowing she could do nothing to help them really
“Come on in, I’ll start the teakettle.” Libby held the door open for her.
Haley shut it behind her as Libby went to the stove in the kitchen. “I’m not the best cook, but I can at least make tea.” Haley’s gaze wandered the room. The walls were painted a soft yellow, a color she loved. The blue-and-white gingham curtains added a cheery touch to the kitchen. Haley knew Libby would need all the cheer she could get through the long, dark winter months.
The kitchen and living room were one, an area about twenty feet square. A blue sofa and two yellow chairs sat on a rag rug on one end of the room. A set of weights occupied the far corner. A rough wooden table and chairs sat under one window with four open cabinets on one side. The bare necessities and not much else, though it felt homey and welcoming. A box of toys had been pushed against a wall by the couch. Three doors led to bedrooms. Maybe by cabin standards it was spacious, but it wasn’t much by Haley’s standards. She was used to carefully chosen pieces that reflected style.
Her gaze caught a cello in one corner. A miniature cello sat beside it. “You’re a musician?”
Libby’s face brightened. “I played with the Philly Orchestra. I’m teaching Brooke to play as well, and she has a natural aptitude. I’m afraid my poor brother has come home more than once to burned meals because of our passion for music and has had to make do with peanut-butter sandwiches.”
Brooke went to a small bookshelf and brought a dog-eared copy of a book. “Here’s my book.”
“Thanks.” Haley took the small volume. “I’ll read it and get it right back to you.”
Brooke smiled, then went to the toy box and began to root through her toys. She came up with a Frisbee. “Can I throw it to Oscar?”
“As long as you stay where we can see you.”
“I will.” She called to the dog, and they ran outside to the yard.
Once the tea was ready, Libby joined Haley at the table and sat where she could watch her niece through the window. She pushed a plate of cookies toward Haley. “I’m sorry these are a little burned. Brooke and I were playing Beethoven’s Ode to Joy .”
Haley smiled and selected a cookie. “Thanks. So how long do you expect to stay out here?”
Libby shrugged. “As long as Tank needs me.”
She nibbled on the cookie. It tasted a bit charred. “Don’t you resent giving up your career for him?”
Libby was silent for a moment. “I couldn’t do anything less. He and Brooke needed me. There was no one else to care for Brooke. Marley, Leigh’s sister, would never live here.”
“Tank could move to the city.”
“It would kill him. He couldn’t study his bears in the city. At least I can still play my music here. And seeing Brooke’s natural talent has been amazing.”
“Is Tank his real name?” Haley shocked herself by asking the question she’d been wondering.
Libby giggled. “If I tell you the truth, I’ll have to kill you.”
Haley began to smile. “He’s sworn you to that much secrecy?”
“I can’t say I blame him.”
The big man intrigued Haley. “You say his wife drowned? I don’t imagine that’s difficult in the lake. It’s huge and looks bottomless. And cold.” She shivered.
Libby stirred honey into her tea. “No one knows how it happened. Tank found Leigh floating facedown in the lake just after dawn. She’d been dead several hours. She always wore a wetsuit, but she didn’t that night. It might have been hypothermia.”
“She was swimming in the middle of the night?”
“She loved to swim. Everyone said she could have made the Olympics if she hadn’t married Tank. She’d been acting weird for a couple of days before, though. Ever since the Walsh cabin burned. Knowing she could do nothing to help them really
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