Her husband winked at her. “That’s my roughing-it Maggie.” He turned to Gabe and Felicity. “How ’bout you two?”
“We just hiked up Carriage Hill,” Felicity said.
“You could always pitch a tent up there,” Brandon said. “It’s not on Quabbin land.”
Gabe sat at the terrace table. “Mark and I used to camp out in the woods out here. He liked sleeping under the stars better than I did, which is funny considering he became an architect. We never noticed mosquitoes. I probably would now.”
“Spoiled by life in the city,” Maggie said with a grin.
Gabe laughed. “I’d at least want a tent now.”
“What about you, Felicity?” Brandon asked. “Tempted by adventure travel?”
“When you do inn-to-inn tours, let me know.”
“We’re planning one in Scotland. Newfoundland’s up next later this summer. I’m leaving that one to someone else. We’re getting started on construction at Red Clover Inn, and I want to take Aidan and Tyler camping. They’ll be happy pitching a tent out at Heather and Brody’s land on Echo Lake.”
“They’d love it,” Maggie said.
Felicity was aware Maggie and Brandon had been separated last summer but had worked out the problems in their marriage after he, Dylan and Noah had hiked up Mount Washington together. She didn’t know what had precipitated their near breakup or what compromises had been involved in their reunion, just that they were renovating a house off Knights Bridge common and clearly happy with each other and their lives, separately and together.
After lunch, Aidan and Tyler whisked Brandon off to show him some discovery in the backyard.
“He’s never happier than when he’s slept on rocks and roots,” Maggie said with a laugh, watching her husband. She turned to Felicity. “Kylie’s book launch worked out well. She’ll be happy to return to her routines. The fairy-tale books she’s doing are amazing. I’m glad there were no incidents.”
Meaning Nadia. Felicity nodded. “Everything worked out great.”
If Maggie wanted to ask about Nadia, she didn’t. “Well, you deserve a quiet day.”
Gray clouds to the west and a rumble of thunder reminded Felicity of the impending turn in the weather. “My Rover’s down the road,” she said. “I’ll get going. Thanks for lunch.”
“Anytime,” Maggie said.
Felicity thanked her and headed out with her wild blueberries. Gabe stayed to meet with Dylan, whatever that was about. She’d resisted asking. Dylan likely still had more connections in San Diego, even now, than he did to Knights Bridge, and Gabe had just spent two months in Southern California.
When she reached the isolated spot where she’d parked, Felicity was surprised when she spotted another car. Nadia was shutting the driver’s door. “I didn’t expect to find you here,” she said. “I’m off for a walk to clear my head.”
“Alone?”
“Mmm. I left a note on the windshield in case I get lost or trip on a rock or something, but I’m not worried. I’m not going far. I have a cell phone, but I know coverage can be spotty.” She pointed at Felicity’s container. “Blueberries?”
“Wild ones,” she said.
“Yummy. What are you making?”
“Cobbler, I think.”
“Gabe’s favorite.” She held up a hand. “Just something I know by accident. It’s not some crazy stalker comment. I’m really sorry I’ve been acting weird—I went overboard trying not to look like a stalker. Look, enjoy your blueberries. I’m off. It looks as if it’s a pretty good walk to reach the water. My dad used to love to fish on the reservoir, before we moved West. I went with him once or twice—I couldn’t have been more than five or six. He told me about the lost towns. I remember thinking there were houses and people under our boat. Little kid logic, huh?”
“It’s understandable.”
“Your grandfather was from one of the towns, wasn’t he?”
Felicity nodded. “Prescott.”
“It was a small farming community. What a hardscrabble existence for most people, but your family—the MacGregors were bankers even then, weren’t they?”
“A family tradition. I should get these blueberries home. We’re getting bad weather. You know that, right?”
“That’s how Justin Sloan and Samantha Bennett met. In a thunderstorm. Maybe I’ll get lucky and meet some hunky guy. My weather app says I’ve got about ninety minutes before any real weather gets here. That’s plenty of time for this city girl to take a walk in the woods.”
Feeling somewhat hesitant and ill at ease, Felicity wished Nadia well and got in her car. She had lousy cell coverage and waited to text Gabe when she turned off Carriage Hill Road toward town. Nadia on walk in Quabbin by gate.
You saw her?
Just now. On my way home.
Good.
She’s alone.
Thanks for letting me know.
By the time Felicity reached her house, the sky had darkened with ominous-looking clouds. The radar on Felicity’s phone showed storms approaching but not overhead. She took her blueberries inside and set them on the kitchen counter. Had Nadia spotted her Land Rover and decided on the Quabbin walk? Had she followed Gabe? Whatever she was up to, Felicity didn’t like the idea of her being out in unfamiliar woods with severe weather on the way.
But wasn’t that the whole point? Nadia wanted people thinking about her.
Specifically, Gabe.
It might not be romantic jealousy at work, but it wasn’t anything good.
She let Russ know and wasn’t surprised Gabe hadn’t been in touch. Maybe he was leaving Nadia to her own devices—not getting sucked into her drama—or was handling her on his own. Either way, Russ promised to investigate.
“I hope I’m not meddling,” Felicity said.
“You’re not, but meddling makes sense when you’re dealing with someone off her stride like this woman is.”
“Russ, if she went on this hike with the idea of hurting herself—”
“You said she left a note on her windshield?”
“That’s what she told me.”
“I’ll take a look. Kylie’s deep into her work, but you can save me some cobbler.”
“This is what happens when you tell people you’re making blueberry cobbler.”
But her attempt at levity was short-lived, and when she hung up, Felicity had to work at focusing on cobbler. She started by picking over the blueberries, getting rid of stems,
