Three Simple Words - A Finding Sam Novella

Chapter 13

The attempted break-in turned out to be mail theft. While the police couldn't do anything about it being under federal jurisdiction, at least, it eliminated any connection to the break-in at the casita in Josh's mind. It was one less thing to worry about, at least.

Life went on until his father called him two days later to remind him about his mother's scheduled treatment. Josh had been having breakfast on Erik's patio with Olivia, Erik, Sam and the kids, Bella and Michael and he almost leapt off the chair when he realized he'd forgotten. He'd been too distracted by other things, from the break-in at the casita to his relationship with Olivia, the latter eventually taking over his life, but in a good way.

This was no friends with benefits arrangement. They were a full-blown couple. He hadn't even had time to tell his parents although he had a feeling they knew. But then everyone else saw it long before he and Olivia ever did, or cared to admit. They'd lived too long in that river called Denial.

Although she wanted to go with him, Josh insisted he had to go alone. The forecast had called for rain starting in the late afternoon which meant that as soon as he arrived around noon and see his parents off, he'd set right to work.

And he did just that. Together with the groundskeeper, they filled up sandbags and distributed them around the resort, lining up the verandas of low-lying casitas like his. When he finished, he stayed in the main office until seven that evening as the dark clouds hung heavily over the resort and he made his way to his casita.

Josh could easily stay in the main inn but the night manager had arrived and he hated stepping on toes. He also needed to be alone and think. Come to think of it, ever since Olivia returned into his life, he'd barely had any time to himself–not that it was a bad thing, but he'd gotten used to those quiet moments in the casita. Just him and nature, the sound of the trees rustling in the wind and at night, the yipping of coyotes and the hooting of owls. Of course, tonight, it would be the sound of rain, but rain falling on leaves was a sound he enjoyed hearing as well. He also needed to take a shower.

As he showered, he looked out the glass window that faced the ravine below, watching the rain clouds in the distance. Already the skies were rumbling, and judging from the darker clouds in the horizon, rain had already begun to fall in some places. The dampness in the air made his injured knee ache, and he chuckled at the thought that he'd become one of those people who could tell the weather from how their joints ached. Welcome to the club, old man, Josh muttered as he turned off the water, grabbed his towel and stepped out of the shower.

Five minutes later, he emerged from the bathroom wearing a gray sweatshirt over a pair of running pants. The place was still in shambles from the break-in and he needed to tidy things up a bit in case Olivia made true her promise of joining him in the morning. That woman would be the death of him, he mused wryly as someone knocked on his front door.

The sight of the older man outside the screen door caught him by surprise as the rain came down. "Dr. Ecklund, what are you doing here?"

"I was in the neighborhood and thought I'd stop by," Douglas Ecklund said, pushing his thick-rimmed glasses higher up his nose. "May I come in?"

"Of course, Doc," Josh said as he unlocked the door and pulled it open. "You could have called and I'd have met you up at the inn. That hill's hell to use in the rain."

"Nah, it wasn't too bad. Not yet." Douglas brushed the rain droplets from his gray hair and stomped his feet on the door mat. "I figured I'd see how you were doing. You never missed an appointment until this week."

"Life happened, Doc. What can I say?" Josh shut the door behind his visitor. "But you could have called me. It's late."

"I know. But I was in the area. After all, you're one of my favorite patients, Josh. You work hard."