Part 27 (2/2)
A moment later, Caroline came around the corner of my chair with Nate. Trevor rose to his feet. ”Oh, don't get up,” she said, her eyes twinkling as she brought her guest forward.
Nate reached out to shake each of our hands. ”h.e.l.lo, Gwyn, Trevor. Nice to see you again.”
Caroline whispered down toward my ear. ”Where's Linda? I wanted to say h.e.l.lo, but I haven't seen her.”
”I don't know. I talked to her earlier. Must be busy with something.” I scanned the roomful of people, but Linda wasn't among them.
”Oh, well, I'll find her eventually.” She turned to Nate. ”Want something to drink?”
”Sure.” He turned to us. ”Could we get you anything while we're up there?”
We shook our heads. ”Thanks, we're good,” said Trevor.
Nate led Caroline away.
I tapped Trevor on the arm, but his gaze had moved in the direction of the hors d'oeuvres table. ”She likes him,” I said. ”I haven't seen her look that happy in a long time.”
”That's nice. Let's get some food. I'm starving.”
I noticed Josh making his way toward me with the gla.s.s of wine he'd promised. ”One second,” I said.
Trevor spotted Josh also, but grimaced, manufacturing a smile as Josh neared. ”Hey, Josh,” he said, watching as Josh offered me the winegla.s.s. ”So what's been going on with you? How are you these days?”
”Great. And you?”
”Can't complain. Didn't expect to see you here though. What brings you to Glenwood?”
”Oh, visiting the family, enjoying the holidays.”
”How are they?”
”Fine.”
”That's good. You planning on going out with the guys later, on Wolfgang's snowmobiles?”
”No, I thought he was joking.”
”Don't think so.”
”I didn't bring a change of clothes,” Josh said.
Trevor waved a hand. ”I'm sure Wolfgang's got extra stuff you can borrow. You're not going to stay inside with the women, are you?”
”I thought the women were invited too?”
”Yeah, but Gwyn's not going. She has a cold.”
”I haven't decided that for sure,” I said, ”but you're right, probably not.”
”Sure, I'll go,” Josh said, ”if Wolfgang can suit me up. What the h.e.l.l?”
”Yeah, what the h.e.l.l,” Trevor said, smacking Josh on the back so hard his drink slopped over the side.
Josh narrowed his eyes at Trevor, then excused himself and walked off toward Caroline and Nate.
”Doesn't that guy ever bring a date?” said Trevor. ”If he wasn't your ex, I'd swear he was gay.”
”I thought you said you weren't going out, that you'd changed your mind.”
”Well, I changed it back.”
”It's a bad idea and you know it. It's freezing out there and you've had too much to drink. How many is that anyway?”
”Don't worry. I'm fine. I'm hungry and I'm getting some food. You coming?”
”Yeah, I guess.”
After the snack, I ditched Trevor and searched for Linda. I'd spied her once, briefly, when she'd stopped to talk to a few guests, but just as quickly she'd disappeared again.
I looked for her in the kitchen, then in the rooms off the hall on the main floor. Finally, I found her in the room Linda referred to as the library, a grouping of chairs and loveseats surrounded by bookcases only partially lined with hardbound books.
”What are you doing in here?' I asked.
”Nothing, trying to find a little s.p.a.ce.”
”Oh. Just wondered where you were. I can leave if you'd rather be alone.”
”It's okay. Go ahead. Sit if you want.”
I noticed a weird odor in the room, masked somewhat by the heavy scent of Linda's perfume. ”This room smells a little funky, don't you think?”
She sniffed the air. ”Yeah, guess it does. Books are probably moldy. n.o.body actually reads them. If I opened one up a moth would probably fly out. It feels cold in here too, doesn't it?”
”A little chilly.”
”I'll start a fire.” Linda rose and turned on the gas jets for the fireplace. ”If this d.a.m.n thing works.”
After a few seconds, flames ignited. We sat quietly, staring at the fire.
”Looks real,” I said.
”It should. I spent enough on it.”
It was then that I noticed a tear slip down her cheek, then another.
”Sweetie, what's wrong?”
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