Prologue

June 2005

             She sat in the lawyer’s office and pulled on her necklace, straightening it against her crisp, freshly pressed blouse for the hundredth time that afternoon. The chair felt ancient and scratchy through the thin nylon fabric of her skirt, and a bead of sweat trickled down her back between her shoulder blades. The open window was not helping to move the air. Silently, she wished the assistant would flick the switch to the ceiling fan just over their heads.

           She was nervous – guilty to be doing what she was doing, but it was her property. The issue was legally buttoned up, her name on the deed. This was what her husband had wanted. It was what he had told her to do if anything ever happened to him. She had brushed him off then, not taking him seriously. What could possibly happen to him? They were young, healthy and had their lives ahead of them.

           But the unthinkable had happened, and now she was sitting in this lawyer’s office making sure his brother and his family would never own the family estate. His father had left it to him. He had left it to her, and now she would leave it to her family. The Stone House Inn would never be owned by a natural member of the Stone family again.

Instead of paying attention to the stifling air in the room, both the attorney and his assistant were engrossed in their notetaking of the conversation. “Ada, we just want to be sure we are capturing the specifics in your will. You are saying everything you own, the house, business, property, and any funds are to be left to your daughter, and her heirs. You are naming your niece Christina, and her heirs as a secondary, if your daughter does not survive you.”

She nodded.

“And you are stipulating that Daniel James Stone and his son Jeremy William Stone, and any heirs, are to be clearly excluded from any claim to the estate, the business, and anything left to you by your late husband William Brant Stone. Essentially, they are to be left out of any inheritance at all. Is that correct?”

Again, she nodded, eyes cast downward. “It’s a family matter…” she began.

“No matter.” The bespectacled attorney waved off her concern. “You are the rightful owner of the property and business. It’s up to you what you wish to do with it upon your death. It’s up to us to advise you in the matter.”

She raised her eyes to meet his over the desk piled with files, folders, and loose papers. He had a look that both peered into her and offered comfort and reassurance. She was surprised, but not put off by the clutter in his office. He had come highly recommended by a trusted friend. She had wanted someone thorough, quick, and private; the orderliness of his office didn’t matter.

The two-hour drive to Burlington was filled with worry as she wondered if her actions would create turmoil where calm currently resided. It was an uncertain and questioning calm, as far as she was concerned. The sense that something would be ripped from beneath plagued her, disrupting the serenity that her life should be. Her husband gone now for a few years, had left her well off; she should have no financial worries. She worried constantly that someone or something would push her and her precious daughter out of their home. After all, her husband had been torn away from her in a stupid and senseless accident. The risk was real.

She steeled herself. She had to be sure that what she was doing would outlast her own life. Under no circumstances should her wishes be disrupted or overturned. “If I did that…put that in the will…. Can anyone come along and turn this over? Could they take the inn away from my daughter?”

“The people you are specifically excluding?” 

“Yes. I want to be sure.”

He looked at her carefully. He had seen a lot in the past 20 years; liars, sociopaths, even a murderer or two. Simple estate plans were pretty run-of-the-mill, but they were not in his sphere of expertise any longer. He had taken her case as she was referred by a client and her circumstances intrigued him. The widow wanted to ensure that her will specifically excluded her husband’s only remaining relatives from having any claim to her late husband’s property. It was a property that had been handed down to the oldest son for nearly a century, and this apparently had been the first time the oldest son did not have a son to hand it down to. He had taken the time to review the available documents on the property to validate that this particular filial donation pattern was not a condition of ownership nor had a legal precedence. Apparently, it was a family tradition, and not a condition of inheritance on the estate.

What also had drawn his attention was the adoption paperwork he had come across while doing his research. It appeared that Mrs. Stone’s daughter was adopted by her husband shortly after their marriage. It added a layer of interest to the transaction, but it didn’t cast any legal bearings on her wishes.

“Once we have drawn up the final paperwork and sign with the appropriate witnesses, you can file the will in the probate court for safe keeping. That will ensure clarity.” He nodded to her. “How old are the heirs? Should they also have copies?”

“No,” she answered firmly her tone surprising him, “they are in school.”

He nodded unabashed. “Any other relatives or close friends? Anyone you would make power of attorney or executor?”

Surprising him, she shook her head.

He pressed on. “We often create the documents as a package for these items, as part of estate planning.”

“Not now,” she said firmly. “I just want the issue handled. When the time comes, I’ll think about all the other things I need to. For now, I just want this taken care of.”

He nodded. She was the client after all.

Something ate at him about her, but he could not put his finger on what it was exactly.

The outer office intercom signaled his next appointment had arrived; it was time to move on. He would see her briefly for the final signatures of the documents in a few days. Beyond that, Ada Stone and her family drama would be out of his mind.

It wasn’t until much later, while sitting home with a bourbon after a long day, that the seasoned lawyer remembered what was bothering him about the client in his office earlier. There had been strong suspicions of foul play when both parents of the now deceased Mrs. Stone’s spouse had died under suspicious circumstances. He was sure there weren’t any charges in the case, as a murder trial in rural Vermont would have been memorable. He vowed to look it up when he was back in the office the next day, just to settle his own curiosity.

As life goes on, and busy lives fly by, the thought from the evening was not revisited the following day and was left without further consideration.

June 2010

Five Years Later

           Christina walked through the woods with the setting sun shining brightly through the trees behind her. He was up ahead and from the splashing sounds, had already entered the water. She heard his sharp intake of breath as his body hit the icy water of the spring fed pond. She could visualize the chilly water gradually covering his muscular legs, then his belly, and finally reaching his chest. Her mouth went dry.

She abruptly stopped walking the trail, hesitating from exiting the woods. Was she ready for this huge step in their relationship?

Her heart thudded loudly at the thought of him naked in the water. Her body ached for his touch, but she still hesitated, nervous. Everyone was at the party. Everyone in their small circle of friends would all know where they were, and what they were undoubtedly doing.

Her cousin Annie had promised to cover for her, although she seemed slightly reluctant and distracted. She hadn’t been her usual self. Christina had blamed her cousin’s moodiness on her recent breakup with her long-time boyfriend, made more difficult during this busy summertime of social gatherings and activities. They had been having the time of their lives and suddenly, Annie had broken it off with Shawn. They had always had a tumultuous relationship, but this time the breakup felt a bit more serious. The cousins had each been spending more time out with their boyfriends while on break from college, and now Annie was single and on her own.

Ada, Annie’s mother, had stopped closely monitoring their whereabouts since their first school break a few short years ago; instead, she had implored them both to watch over the other. As long as they were being smart and safe, she didn’t demand to hear the details of their whereabouts. They were technically adults after all, even though they were still dependent on her for tuition and room and board until after graduation.

Christina pushed these thoughts aside and concentrated on the man waiting for her in the picturesque pond.

She loved him, and she knew he loved her. He went to a different school but had stayed committed to her throughout the past few years. Their relationship had blossomed from a high school crush into something deeper, into an intense love. She had never felt for anyone what she felt for Kevin. He was steady, calm and patient with her as their relationship matured, never pushing her for more before she was ready.

She stepped from the woods to the water’s edge. It was an idyllic spot; the pond on the mountainside was glinting in the last rays of sun. She could see him swimming toward the far shore. Reaching a spot where he could stand, he turned and looked toward her, their eyes meeting over the length of the water.

All his clothes were tossed casually at her feet on the small beach. As she stared into his eyes, knowing he was naked beneath the water, she felt bolstered. She was ready. She had waited for this moment and was glad to have it now with him and in this beautiful place.

She removed her shirt and shimmied out of her cut offs. He became still, watching her. Slowly and deliberately, she unclasped her bra letting it fall to the ground as she slipped out of her panties. She heard him take a sharp intake of breath and knew it was not from the icy water this time. Her skin tingled as she imagined his eyes moving over her body to places he had not seen altogether bare. She appreciated her build; long legged with a bit of curve to her hip. Encouraged by his reaction. She dove into the water, and quickly met him on the other side.

“You’re beautiful.” He said with his eyes full of wonder.

She smiled at him, knowing she looked at him with love in her heart. “You’re pretty hot yourself.”

His hands trembled slightly as he reached out for her in the clear water. Without hesitation, she wrapped her arms around him, kissing him deeply. Her tongue darted into his mouth as he deepened the kiss, his tongue meeting hers. Her silky skin burned where it touched his in the chilly water. They had come close to making love many times, but this time they planned to go all the way. Neither had ever been fully naked with the other, so their hands searched and caressed newly revealed skin. Her nipples contracted from the cold and grazed his chest as his hardness grew against her belly.

Without a word, Kevin lifted her into his arms, continuing to kiss her eager mouth as he brought her to the shoreline. A few steps away, an old hunting cabin stood empty and waiting for the two lovers. He had prepared the cabin earlier that day with sleeping bags in keeping with their plan for the night.

He ended the kiss looking intently into her eyes. “I love you.”

She pulled his mouth to hers kissing him again. “I love you too,” she breathed as the kiss ended.

He carried her to the cabin, pushing the door open with his broad shoulder. He lay her gently on the bed of sleeping bags, pausing to admire her. With his hands shaking he retrieved a foil packet nearby and ripped it open, applying the condom with clumsy fingers.

She giggled as he joined her on the bed. He kissed her neck and her nervous giggles turned to soft moans.

His dark head moved from her neck to her breasts. Taking a nipple in his mouth, he sucked and gently grazed his teeth across the soft skin. His hands moved down her body and found her hot wetness. They both moaned breathlessly as he shifted and took her in his mouth, she cried out surprised by the sensation. It was glorious, and she wanted him desperately. She had for some time, but was scared and uncertain about having sex. Now she was so very sure, as he gently pushed his hardness into her. He thrust his hips forward as she called out. He stiffened, looking at her face, sweetly afraid that he had hurt her. He held himself still. “Chrissy,” he whispered in her ear, “You ok?”

Slowly, she relaxed her face as he watched. She opened her eyes. Passion clouded her vision as she reached for him. “Don’t stop,” she begged, “Oh Kevin, don’t stop.”

A thrill rushed through her as he gently and slowly moved his hips. She moaned, wrapping her legs around him. She shuddered beneath him as she called his name. He could hold himself no longer and he shuddered and collapsed on top of her.

Long moments passed as they lay on the sleeping bags entangled in each other’s arms. “You brought me flowers,” she said, pointing to an old beer bottle with daisies jammed into its neck. It was truly a sweet gesture as the flowers were her favorite, he had picked them for her on their first ‘official’ date.

“Everything for my girl,” he said, spooning her on the makeshift bed.

They dozed, holding each other, and listening to the night fall outside of the cabin. Bull frogs croaked outside in the pond and crickets chirped, filling the night with sound. He rolled from the makeshift bed and fumbled around, finally locating the candle he had brought. He lit it, brightening the small space and creating a gentle light for the lovers to see each other.

He moved back to the bed, kissing her face. “You ok?” he asked with some concern.

She blushed deeply. “Yes,” she replied, reaching for him. She surprised herself with her need for more of him.

They kissed deeply as she pulled him onto her again.

“Now you’ve had me, you can’t get enough of me?” he laughed, kissing her neck, overjoyed at her reaction to him.

The hours that followed were as passionate and sweet as the two new lovers discovered and enjoyed each other. Dawn crept into the decrepit cabin and birds began singing loudly, stirring them from their post sex dozes. The air had remained warm throughout the night and a mist rose off the pond as the predawn light filled the sky with pinks and light blues. The young pair marveled at the sky, holding each other closely. “We better get back before everyone wakes up,” she said reluctantly, holding him close.

He pulled her on top of him. “Oh no,” she giggled and kissed his ear, “no more sex.”

“Ever? Maybe a little dip would change your mind.” 

He rose from the bed, taking her with him. His strong arms and broad chest easily lifted her with him as he ran out of the cabin and directly into the chilly water. She giggled and screamed while teasing her by dropping her into the icy pond. Finally, he submerged her completely, sliding her suggestively down the length of his body. They kissed deeply.

“I love you so much.” He said, holding her in his arms as they stood hip deep in the icy water. “I want to spend the rest of my life with you.”

She kissed him back. They had had this conversation multiple times. He wanted to remain in Vermont after he was done with school and had begun searching for jobs for the start of the following year. Her career choice in hospitality management opened more opportunities for travel. She would need to build experience which would come if she could get a start in a more metropolitan area. “I wish you would come to New York with me.”

“No cities for me. I’d die.” 

She grinned, knowing full well he would enjoy a visit but would never leave his woods. He loved the undeveloped land and the quiet found in the outdoors. “You’ll still come visit me?”

He nodded, grinning. “As long as I don’t have to stay.”

Kevin loved being out in nature, where he was happiest and most at ease. It suited him that his career choice was biology, forestry, and education. She had been studying hospitality management in the city. They’d known each other for years as friends from her summers spent on the mountain, but it was not until the past few years that their relationship had blossomed.

She shivered in his arms. “Come on. We better get dressed.”

They exited the water and in the early morning light, Kevin collected their discarded clothing from the bank of the pond. He handed her clothes to her as he determined who was the owner of each article. As he retrieved both pairs of their shorts, they were barraged with a series of text messages from each of their phones.

“Must have just gotten a signal,” he laughed.

“It’s so spotty here. You can move a few feet and get a signal, take a few steps and its dead as a….”

“I got ten missed calls!” he shouted. But then his smile faded to concern. “Look at all these texts.”

She dug in her shorts for her phone, quickly scrolling through the messages as apprehension built in her gut. “We’d better get back. It’s something about Annie. Apparently, she didn’t show at the party. Everyone is looking for her.”

She grabbed his hand as they quickly made their way down the forest path to his truck. She would call once she had a good signal, away from the mountain. This wasn’t good. No one knew where her cousin was.

The last message she had gotten was a call from Ada. Worry and apprehension permeated her voice. Annie had not shown up to the party as expected and had not come home either. The girls had gone out around the same time last night, but no one had seen Annie since she left the inn. The tone of her aunt’s voice on the message had her stomach churning with anxiety and guilt. “I hope you know where your cousin is. Your friends said you were with Kevin last night.”

Guilt burned in Christina’s stomach. She and Annie had always looked out for each other, ever since they were small. They were best friends. It was that simple between them. Yet here she was, sneaking around with Kevin while Annie had gone missing. Deep dread came over her as the couple careened down the gravel mountain road.

Christina had no idea where Annie could be.

10 Months Later

April 2011

           She pulled away from his attempt at an embrace, pushing her palms flat against his chest. He had expected her dismissal. It was what he had grown used to over the past few months; nonetheless, it still hurt. “Crissy…?” he whispered the question into the air, not anticipating a response.

           “I took a job in the city.” She said icily, steeling herself for his reaction.

           He placed his hands to his thighs and exhaled slowly. He dropped his gaze to his empty hands. Hands empty of her, as she pulled away, reflecting the void he was feeling inside. He could not bring himself to respond to her statement. Deep in his soul, he had expected it. She had been pulling away since Annie disappeared, and it mystified him. Not only was she pulling away from him emotionally, but now this push of physical distance was sealing the deal.

           He stood looking at her slender form in the moonlight, waiting for a response. He wanted to take her in his arms, kiss her silly and profess his undying love for her. He wanted to whisk her away to the nearest justice of the peace and make her his. Instead, he remained still, knowing as he knew her that that kind of action would push her away for good. She would be forever gone if he tried to pin her down.

She had a drive to prove herself in the world. A drive she had doubled down on. With Annie gone, all eyes were on her. She felt she carried that responsibility to succeed. He also knew that she carried a horrible guilt, since she was here and Annie was not.

They had all been tortured by Annie’s disappearance. There hadn’t been a clue, not a single piece of evidence or even a suspect had been unearthed alongside her missing cousin. Now, after a year of waiting for anything, they had begun to slowly move on with their lives. They had all been changed, but most of all, Christina had.

He took a cautious step toward her. He reached out to touch her fingers, just the tips, gently and lightly. He knew anything more would be too much, and she would pull further away from him. “I will always love you,” he whispered, his voice husky with emotion.

She pulled her hand away from his and walked toward the path back to the house. She stopped, turning back to him. She tilted her head without making full eye contact. It seemed like she was going to say something, but then she stopped herself. Turning her face downward and angling her body away from him, she walked away, along the path back to the house where her aunt waited. The same house where her aunt would wait forever for her daughter to return.

Watching Christina go, Kevin felt an indescribable burning grow in his chest and his broad shoulders slumped with despair. He knew at that moment that his heart was breaking, cracking his chest open. As the tears coursed down his face, he watched until he could no longer see her figure on the path.

Chapter 1

2018

The early spring rain that had held off during the brief graveside service started to pick up intensity as the mourners carefully picked their way back to their cars over the soft sodden ground. Christina stood, watching them staring solemnly while her mind drifted miles away. She wanted to be anywhere but here.

An unexpected squeeze on her arm startled her from her thoughts. The grip was strong and bony. “We’ll meet you down at the parish center,” said a wiry old woman. Her name was Mabel Brown and she spoke loudly, carefully over-enunciating her words.

Christina smiled to herself, realizing that Mabel was probably accustomed to talking to her husband in that manner. He was a stubborn man who was hard of hearing but refused to wear his hearing aids. “OK great, thank you again for arranging all that…” Christina replied.

“Not sure who will come,” Mabel retorted, gruffly shaking her head, “probably anyone looking for a free lunch.”

Mabel turned away, walking carefully on the muddy grass. She was one of Ada’s oldest friends. They had grown up together in this small town on the side of a Vermont mountain and had known each other nearly 60 years. Ada had a habit of making derogatory comments about her to Christina whenever they had a spat, which was often. Mabel was prone to drama and loved to sensationalize any situation she could. Ada had once said that Mabel could “complicate a two-car funeral.”

           Christina watched her for a moment, as Mabel walked gingerly down the small hill to her enduring husband who was holding the car door open for her. As Mabel reached the car, both she and her husband turned and looked back at Christina. “Don’t stay too long, you’ll freeze,” Mabel said. “It’s getting cold, and those city shoes won’t keep you warm.”

Christina glanced down at her feet, suddenly self-conscious of her high heels, unlike the more utilitarian shoes worn by other mourners. Only here could anyone make me feel incompetent, she thought, shaking her head. The older couple drove away from the grave site in their ancient, paneled station wagon. They both looked back at her, and Mabel’s lips were incessantly moving as she spoke to her husband. Self-conscious of their looks, Christina raised her hand and waved in a small gesture suited to the muted occasion. But the wave was not returned.

The rain started to become heavy, and a cold breeze blew through her unlined trench coat, making her shiver. The elderly couple probably wondered why she chose to stand alone in the chilly rain while everyone else left. Christina was used to others thinking that she was different. She had always been the outsider here and never quite belonged. She was the perpetual visitor from out of state. She opened the large utilitarian umbrella she kept in her car, ever the Girl Scout, and was glad she had thought to bring it with her for the brief service.

Kevin had not come to the funeral. She was sure as she was certain she would have sensed his presence if he had shown up. In a way, she was relieved to not have to face him or any kind of an awkward exchange. He had sent her a note after Ada passed; it was a kind gesture. Yet she had kept it, unsure of her reasons for doing so. She had left him behind as much as she had left her aunt. She recognized the old guilt rising in her gut.

She stood looking at the granite memorial. The family name was inscribed at its base in huge letters.

Stone

The memorial held several generations of inscriptions, noting the birth and death dates for those buried nearby. A new marking indicated a date earlier this year – February 1, 2018 – as the most recent. Ada’s ashes had already been buried by the funeral home prior to the service, leaving a patch of fresh turf covered in mud splattered flowers. Funeral workers had already removed the few chairs from the service, but their impressions were left in the soft ground.

Christina had not cried during the brief service. Her grief was assuaged by a few months. But coming back to this place after so many years laid an emotional weight on Christina’s shoulders that she had not experienced when she was absent. She had avoided trips back, preferring to keep in touch with Ada over the phone. And sometimes, Ada even came to her in the city. Of course, as Ada grew older and became less able to travel freely, Christina had relented and visited her infrequently.

Gravestones covered the ground all around her. Large ones, like the Stone memorial nearby, and many more of varied shapes and sizes, as varied as the lives they represented. Small stones, heart wrenching for the brief lives they represented, were nearly covered by grass as they sank into the cold dirt over the seasons of alternating warmth and freezing temperatures. It was the latter reason why the services were held until today, as Mabel had insisted. Any friends of Ada’s that were capable of paying their respects would only attend a burial service when the weather broke. Then the threat of broken hips in the snow and ice was not an issue.

           As Ada had no one remaining in her immediate family except for Christina, a brother-in-law and his son, so the delay was not an inconvenience. It had further put off the need for Christina to come back to this spot, which was a plan she favored.

Carefully, using the heels of her shoes to give her purchase in the soft ground, Christina made her way to a unique blush marble headstone nearby. The color of the stone was in contrast to those in the vicinity. She stood for a moment, her eyes moving slowly over the inscription carved into the soft marble. “Always loved, always missed, gone from our sight but not forgotten in our hearts.” 

The first tears of the day began to well in her eyes as she read further.

Anna Margaret Stone

Born September 7, 1988   Lost June 19, 2010

Christina remembered that the last time she had come here was with Ada. It had been emotional torture. She was reluctant to come to the cemetery and could not fathom what Ada had been thinking at the time. “I need a place,” she had said, “To come and pay respects, to talk to her, to feel like… I have some kind of closure.” 

Seeing her best friend’s name on a cold gravestone had torn Christina apart. It made her death seem so final – that she was really gone and would never be coming back. Her heart ached with renewed pain as she wept now, just as she had all those years ago. Christina had not been there to help her then, and now, nothing or no one ever could.

She turned and walked away from the cemetery, and got back to her car, tears coursing down her face.

There were no ashes, no casket, and no bones beneath that stone.