Winter Heat

by Jennifer Lucia

  Daisy fidgeted. “Well, when we were talking yesterday, I got the impression that he’s pretty controlling. And then he answered the door with a gun while you were cowering behind a counter. It just looks like a bad situation, and if you need help, I am ready to help you. From one abused woman to another.”

  “One abused woman to another? Have you been abused?” I asked.

  Daisy nodded sadly. "My ex-husband. He was an alcoholic and an asshole. I finally got up the courage to divorce him once Dolores stepped in to help me. I'd love to pay that forward. I hate to see another woman in the same situation I was in, afraid to cry out for help because she's afraid of what people will think of her."

  “Daisy, you have such a kind heart, but you've got the wrong impression here," I said. "I know how this looks, but, honestly, it's not what it looks like. I know that's something people say to deflect, but in this case, it's really not what it looks like. I can promise you that Amos treats me very well and I’m far happier and safer with him than without him,” I said earnestly.

  Daisy was skeptical, searching my face, but finally nodded. “Okay, I believe you. But I know something weird is going on with you guys.”

  “Nothing weird here,” I said. “Just a normal husband and wife on vacation in New Hampshire from Florida.”

  Liam walked back into the kitchen then, fully dressed. I couldn't help but stare- that man cut a beautiful figure in a v-neck tee shirt that hugged his pecs and jeans that stretched tightly across his groin. He dropped a kiss on my cheek as he walked by me into the kitchen, causing me to take in a quick breath. I reached up to touch the spot where he'd kissed me, stopping my swoon when I remembered Daisy's watchful eyes. I recovered by reaching for the lasagna instead.

  “Would you like some wine, Daisy?” Liam offered, holding up a handful of wine glasses and a corkscrew.

  “That sounds lovely,” she replied.

  “Red or white?”

  “Red, please.” Liam nodded and popped the cork on the bottle of cabernet. He poured three glasses and brought them to the dining room, where he set the table for us.

  “You want to heat that lasagna up, Agnes?" he asked as he walked back into the kitchen to pull plates from the cabinet. I nodded and opened the oven, popped the lasagna in, and turned the dial to 350 degrees. "I think we have some stuff I can throw together to make a salad. We can eat that while we wait for the lasagna to cook." He opened the fridge and grabbed a head of lettuce and some tomatoes and placed them on the counter. He pulled out a cutting board and started chopping. I watched in fascination as his fingers worked quickly, scooping all the chopped ingredients into a large salad bowl when he was finished. He grabbed a bottle of dressing, the salad, and the plates. Daisy and I followed him into the dining room, where we all took seats in front of a wine glass.

  Liam picked up his glass and swirled it, looking at Daisy. “So, Daisy. How did you know where we’re staying?” he asked innocently, taking a sip of his wine.

  Daisy picked up her glass, and I followed suit. I was nervous that this was going to turn into an interrogation, which would only worsen Daisy's suspicions about me and Liam's relationship.

  “Well, there are only three empty cabins that people rent in Langdon Falls,” Daisy said. “This was the first one whose door I knocked on, so it looks like I lucked out.” Daisy smiled at Liam, who nodded with satisfaction.

  “Very lucky, indeed,” he agreed. I kicked him in the shin under the table, but he didn’t catch the hint. “So, you own a coffee shop here? How long have you been the owner?”

  “Since my mother passed, so almost two years now. She owned it my entire life. I guess you could call it my inheritance. Not a very welcome one, actually,” Daisy chuckled. “Enough about me, though. What about you guys? What do you do, Amos?”

  “I’m in construction,” Liam said.

  “Oh, that’s interesting,” Daisy said. “Are there a lot of construction jobs down in Florida?”

  “No,” Liam said. “I work about eight months out of the year.” I sipped my wine, wondering how Liam was coming up with such quick lies.

  Daisy looked at the two of sympathetically. "I'm so sorry. Between Agnes being unemployed and you being between jobs, that must be tough to make ends meet."

  “We make it work,” Liam said. “We’re big savers.”

  Daisy nodded politely, taking another sip of her wine. I gulped mine down, then reached for the bottle to pour myself another glass. Liam continued to grill Daisy. “So, Daisy, are you married?”

  Daisy shook her head. “Divorced.”

  “I’m sorry,” Liam said.

  “Don't be. He was an asshole, and I'm glad to be rid of him." Daisy smiled. "So, Agnes, what do you guys like to do in your spare time, anything fun?" I swallowed the wine I was swishing around in my mouth so that I could answer her. "We both enjoy running. I read a lot and watch a lot of movies. We also are big on pub trivia." I looked over at Liam, silently begging him to back me up.

  “Yeah, Agnes here is a real trivia queen. She's amazing at movie and entertainment categories, and I'm better at the science and sports categories," Liam said, reaching over to squeeze my hand and smile at me. I returned his smile with my own relieved one.

  “I love trivia!" Daisy said. "We should all play sometime." "Okay," I agreed. The oven bell dinged, signaling that it was time to pull the lasagna out. I jumped up and went to the kitchen, pulling the dish from the oven and turning the dial to the off position. I shoved a spatula into the side of the lasagna and brought it out to the dining room, where Daisy was absentmindedly playing with the stem of her glass as she and Liam sat in silence.

  “Dinner is served!" I declared, breaking the awkward silence between Daisy and Liam as I placed the lasagna on the table and seated myself. Everyone took a big slice and dug in. The lasagna was delicious, with layers of ground beef, cheese, Pomodoro sauce, and zucchini, all topped off with a creamy ricotta and mozzarella blend. I focused all my attention on the pasta, simultaneously wanting to learn more about Daisy while not wanting to continue lying to her about the nature of Liam's and my relationship.

  When we’d all finished eating, I stood up and gathered our plates to put them in the dishwasher. On the way back into the dining room, I grabbed another bottle of wine and starting uncorking it while I walked.

  “So how did you guys meet?” Daisy was asking Liam as I walked back into the room. The loud pop of the cork popping free surprised everyone and I jumped before smiling sheepishly.

  “More wine, anyone?” I asked, waving the bottle around. Daisy and Liam both nodded and I poured wine into the glasses they held out. Daisy’s distraction from probing about our past was short-lived, though.

  “So, I was asking how you guys met," Daisy said, smiling as she set her wine glass back on the table. I looked sharply up at Liam, waiting for him to take the lead on this one. My mind was a little fuzzy from the wine I'd been pounding, and I couldn't precisely remember what our cover story was. I took my place next to him, holding my glass of wine between both hands as I gazed up at him.

  Liam grabbed my hand from my wine glass and made a show of staring into my eyes. I fidgeted under the scrutiny, and heat flooded my cheeks, aided by the wine, no doubt. Liam stroked the back of my hand with one finger, and I shuddered, causing one side of his mouth to quirk. He looked back at Daisy, who was looking on in fascination.

  “Well, we met at work, didn't we, Agnes?" Liam murmured. "I was a foreman, and she was a receptionist. It was love at first sight, for me, at least. But I was her boss, and there was a no-fraternization rule, so it took me a year to get her to go out with me."

  His secretary? Couldn't I have been his partner? I smiled, then added, "It only took him a year because I was waiting to graduate from law school. I was free to date him after I no longer worked as his secretary and there was no more imbalance of power. Right, baby?" I smiled at Liam, who shot me a wry smile back. He looked unhappy with my off-script addition, but between Daisy�
��s impression that I was subservient to my husband and being named Agnes, I needed something to bolster my image here.

  Liam pulled my hand to his mouth and placed a soft kiss on the back of it, sending a shot of arousal straight to the junction between my thighs. "Right, baby," he said, winking at me. He turned back to Daisy. "And that's pretty much it. We went on a few dates, and before you knew it, we were living together and then got married within a year."

  “That's so romantic," breathed Daisy. I guess the wine had gone to her head too because she seemed to have completely let go of her mistrust of Liam. She had been completely charmed by our lie, and I couldn't help but feel a little guilty. "Oh my gosh! I almost forgot! Have you guys decided how long you're staying in town?"

  Liam and I looked at each other. "Well, it depends on what our finances are looking like," I said, thinking on the fly. "Definitely another week though."

  “Perfect,” Daisy said. “The winter ball is a week from now, on next Saturday. Have you asked Amos about it yet, Agnes?”

  I shook my head, stealing a glance at Liam’s curious face. “No, it completely slipped my mind.”

  “Well, I don't mind putting you guys on the spot if it means I get my way," Daisy said. She looked at Liam and me with giant brown eyes. "Pretty please, will you guys come to the Winter Ball?"

  “Um,” Liam said. “We’ll see.”

  Daisy pouted.

  “We’re not saying no,” I piped up. Daisy’s face brightened.

  “I'll work on softening you guys up, and I'm sure I can get you to come," she said. Looking out the window, she said, "It is starting to come down harder now. I should head home. I don't want to be snowed in with you guys and be a third wheel." She pushed her chair out and stood up, stretching as she walked to the front door. Liam and I followed her, and Liam handed Daisy her heavy winter coat, nodding at her thanks. He retreated to the living room, no doubt to watch hours of golf on television.

  I hugged Daisy. "Thanks for coming over. The lasagna was amazing," I said.

  Daisy nodded, squeezing me. “Don’t be a stranger,” she said. “Come into my shop whenever you feel like having a chat.”

  I nodded, hugging my arms to my chest as Daisy pulled on her parka. "Not like we're doing much here anyway."

  “Oh, I don’t know about that,” Daisy said with a wink. “I can think of plenty of things that you guys could do while holed up together in a snowstorm.” A blush came to my cheek, and Daisy opened the front door, letting cold air drift in. “Don’t get too busy,” she said, clicking the unlock button on her key fob. She walked carefully down the icy steps towards her parked car. I gave her one last wave as she pulled out of the driveway, then shut the front door. I leaned against the door, willing the blush on my cheeks to go away before I had to face Liam.

  I pushed back from the door, heading back to the living room to join Liam on the couch, but he was already standing with his arms crossed, a stern look on his face. I heaved a big sigh and plopped into the armchair, preparing myself for another lecture.

  “Kelsey,” Liam began. “Do you have trouble comprehending the concept of laying low?”

  “Of course not,” I said. “I’m not stupid.”

  “You're not acting like you're not stupid," Liam said, coming to stand directly in front of me. I stuck my tongue out at him, trying to lighten the mood, but his stern look only deepened. He bent over me, bracing himself on either side of my armchair. I was distracted by the muscles bulging from each bicep and couldn't stop myself from biting my lower lip as I remembered the way he'd caressed my hand earlier. He had been oh so convincing for Daisy. Liam's eyes followed that motion for a brief second before flicking back to look into mine.

  “Stop making friends with the neighbors, or you're going to blow our cover," Liam said softly, still gazing into my eyes. I wanted him to lean in a little farther, to finish what he'd started earlier. The silence roared around us as I wondered what he was going to do. With a sigh, he pushed himself back up, moving over to the couch and picking up the remote. I watched three minutes of men using clubs to push balls into holes, then I scurried off to my room, locking the door behind me. I needed to find a little release from all the tension that had been building today. I laid in bed and thought about strong arms, flat abs, and shirtless men splitting wood. I made quick work of myself and bit down hard on my pillow as I came, hoping against hope that Liam couldn't hear me as I softly moaned his name.

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  I awake with a jerk, but something is holding me back from moving freely. I look down at my hands. They’re bound tightly with thick ropes. I try to scream but it’s muffled- my mouth is covered with a filthy rag that’s held in place with duct tape. I feel myself starting to panic now and I try to calm myself down by breathing in deeply through my nose. Inhale, exhale. Inhale, exhale. I calm myself down sufficiently enough to study my surroundings.

  I appear to be in a basement, but there’s a green hue to everything, giving it an otherworldly glow that distorts reality and makes everything look more sinister. Fright threatens to overtake me, but I continue to breathe- inhale, exhale- and for the moment, I am calm. I look around for any point of exit, but there are no windows in this room. There’s only a door with four locks in the upper right corner. Even if I break free of these restraints, there’s no way I can get through that door.

  I suck in a deep breath as the locks begin clicking, one by one, and the door swings open. I’m blinded momentarily as a flood of bright light fills the room, but it is quickly dimmed as the door shuts. I can make out the silhouette of a large man carrying something in his right hand. I squint, trying to identify what he’s holding, and gasp when I realize it’s a knife.

  “Hello Kelsey,” he says in his raspy voice. “Do you know the lengths I’ve gone to to get to you? It’s time to pay the piper for your lies, pretty.”

  I swallow the bile that comes to my throat, unbidden. Tears stream down my cheeks and I shake my head NO. No, I’m not the one who lied, I desperately want to shout. It was you. You’re the liar, the master manipulator.

  Jack leans in close to me and yanks the rag from my mouth. “What’s that, pretty? You have something to say? Are you going to tell more lies and say that you never lied to me?” He runs the knife down the side of my cheek, dragging it down my neck and coming to rest on my rib cage. He applies more and more pressure until it breaks skin. He plunges the knife deeper and deeper, until all I see is black.

  ***

  I woke up Sunday morning with the vague feeling that I’d had another nightmare, but none of the details would sharpen for me, so I tried to shake off the uneasy feeling. I spent all Sunday slightly hungover from all the wine we’d drank on Saturday. I lazed around in bed, avoiding Liam’s smug looks and the bright light from the living room windows. Sunday rolled into Monday easily, and Monday was shaping up to be as uneventful as the day before had been. I sat at the kitchen counter, absentmindedly eating cereal and drinking coffee while watching the news for any sign of Jack Nelson. No news had to be good news, right? Or maybe it was a bad sign that he wasn’t being talked about on the news. Who knows? I sighed, flipping off the television and digging into my breakfast.

  Liam emerged from the bathroom freshly shaved, with wet hair barely touching the nape of his neck. He sat down on the stool next to me and propped his tablet on a vase on the counter. I scooted away from him, trying to minimize the effect his nearness had on me. When Liam turned to me and smiled, though, I wanted to scoot right back next to him. Liam Sullivan was too sexy for his own good, or mine. I focused on my cereal and ignored him.

  “Okay, so we have an important video conference in ten minutes,” he announced. I glanced up from my cereal in alarm.

  “What?” I asked. “I look gross. Why didn’t you tell me there was an important meeting this morning?”

  “I just did,” Liam said. “Besides, you look fine. It’s only McIntyre. It’s not like he can smell your breath anyway.”


  My hand shot up to cover my mouth and I frowned as the corners of Liam’s eyes crinkled. Ugh. I ran to the bathroom to brush my teeth and run a comb through my hair, cursing Liam the whole time.

  “Hurry up!” he called from the kitchen. “I’m starting the conference call in three minutes. You can join us after you’re done primping.”

  “Primping?” I snorted. I ran through the trunk in my bedroom in a whirlwind, pulling out the least wrinkled blouse I could find. I didn’t bother to scrounge up slacks, instead leaving on the yoga pants I’d been lounging in since Sunday morning.

  When I got back to the kitchen counter, Liam was still trying to connect the video call. He looked up in frustration, patted the stool next to him, and went back to fiddling with the video app. I slid onto the stool, adjusting my top and looking on as the loading line on the screen continued to beep.

  “What is this, dial-up?” I asked. “Why is this taking so long?”

  Liam’s look told me I wasn’t being helpful, so I sat in silence next to him as he kept trying to connect.

  “Maybe it’s not the connection. We’re probably just waiting on McIntyre to pick up. He’s a busy man,” Liam said. “We operate on his schedule, not the other way around.”

  “Damn straight,” came McIntyre’s gruff voice from the tablet. “And don’t you forget it, Marshal.”

  “Sir,” Liam said, straightening up.

  “Marshal Sullivan. Miss Jones,” McIntyre said, inclining his head in greeting. “How’s it going up there in your winter paradise?”

  Liam glanced at me, then cleared his throat. “Nothing to report here, sir. It’s been wholly uneventful while we wait this situation out.” I shot him a small, thin-lipped smile before turning back to the screen to face an uninterested McIntyre.