“I don’t have the energy to unpack tonight, that’s for sure.”
He leaned across the driver’s seat and grabbed her purse, along with the small bag she’d had the foresight to pack with essentials. As they headed up the path to the cabin, Woody followed.
“My place is pretty small.” He unlocked the door and hit the light switch. Track lighting on the overhead beam sprang to life. “Come on in.”
She waited while Woody pushed inside, then shut the door and looked around. “It’s cozy.”
She wasn’t simply being polite. His home had rustic charm, with a living area on one side furnished with a suede couch, built-in shelves stuffed full of what looked like well-read books, a woodstove in one corner, and a large TV mounted between two windows that looked out at the forest. The opposite side of the cabin contained a small kitchen with a table and two chairs, and a door she assumed led to a bathroom. The space above the living area was open to a high, beamed ceiling, and a ladder against the wall led to a loft above the kitchen.
“My bed’s up above.”
She leaned against his shoulder when he slid an arm around her waist. “Right now, that’s all I care about. I feel like I could sleep for a week. Or at least a solid eight hours.”
“You and me both. The bathroom is behind door number one if you want to brush your teeth first.”
She smiled as she took her overnight bag from him. “Where’s door number two?”
“A storage shed outside with all my sports gear. Hey, at least I have indoor plumbing.”
“If you didn’t, I’d take a hard pass on staying with you.”
He grinned. “I figured. Make yourself at home. Yell if you need something.”
“Thanks. I will.”
Five minutes later, she’d brushed her teeth, washed her face, and taken more ibuprofen. Leaving the bathroom, she found Levi at the kitchen sink, drinking a glass of water and staring out the window. The moon rode high in the starry sky, shedding a silvery glow over the lake. At his feet, Woody stretched and groaned.
“It’s beautiful here.” She spoke softly.
He turned to face her. “I’m glad you approve.” Gently, he touched her temple. “You took off the bandage.”
“The cut is scabbed over. It shouldn’t bleed anymore.”
“Good. Ready for bed?”
She nodded.
“I’ll help you up the ladder. Until the doc puts a cast on your wrist—”
“I don’t want to do anything to make it worse.”
He took her bag and waited beside the ladder. As she used her good hand to pull herself up the rungs, he stayed at her back to steady her. Reaching the top, she pushed to her feet beneath the sloped roof. A queen-size bed covered by an emerald green comforter took up most of the space, along with a long, low dresser tucked beneath the eves.
She turned and smiled. “That wasn’t so hard.”
“I guess not, but I wouldn’t want you to slip and fall.” He set down her bag before quickly descending the ladder. “I’ll be back in a couple of minutes.”
“Okay.” After stripping off her jeans and top, she dug an oversized T-shirt from her bag and slid it over her head. By the time Levi reappeared, she was snuggled under the covers. Warm but fading fast, she looked up at him.
His blue eyes darkened. “I could get used to finding you here in my bed.”
She nodded but couldn’t hold back a yawn. “Yeah. Nice.”
His smile was rueful as he yanked his shirt off and dropped it on the floor. “Go to sleep, Raine.”
His muscular, bare chest was a thing of beauty, but she couldn’t keep her eyes open to properly appreciate it. When he hit the light switch on the wall, plunging the entire cabin into darkness, she gave in to exhaustion . . .
Heat engulfed her from head to toe as she slowly woke to sunlight streaming through the skylight above the bed. When she stretched, her feet slid down long, hard legs. The arms around her tightened, and Levi nuzzled his face against her neck.
“Good morning.”
She turned onto her back and blinked. The blue eyes staring down at her glittered with unmistakable desire as he covered her bare stomach beneath her T-shirt with his large, warm palm.
“Definitely a good morning.”
“How’re you feeling?”
“Good. Better than good.” She swallowed. “Rested. Relaxed. More than a little turned on.”
“Thank God. I’m pretty sure I can’t hold out much longer.” Resting his weight on his elbows, he settled over her, pressing her into the mattress. “As long as I won’t hurt you . . .”
“You won’t.” She wrapped her good arm around his back as he lowered his face to kiss her. Finally coming up for air, she smiled. “Nothing about this hurts.”
“In that case—”
Downstairs, the door squeaked open. Something heavy landed on the floor with a thump, and toenails clicked against hardwood. The dog let out a low woof.
Levi flopped over onto his back. “Shit.”
“There you are, Woody.” The speaker’s voice was high-pitched and loud. “Uncle Levi, Uncle Levi, are you still in bed? Can I come up?”
“No, you can’t come up.” He gave her a pained look as he threw back the covers. “You know you aren’t supposed to climb that ladder.”
“You let me before.” The voice was closer now.
Raine scooted upright in the bed and pulled the comforter up beneath her chin.
“Well, you can’t today. I’m coming down.” He yanked on his jeans and zipped them before pulling a sweatshirt from the dresser drawer to tug over his head.
“Can you play with me? I wanna go fishing.”
“Uh, I have a friend visiting, Dex.” Bending, he dropped a quick kiss on her lips, then went in for a second. Finally, he pulled away with a groan.
“Is it that girl, Mona, who used to come over? When she stopped, Daddy said we dodged a bullet. Isn’t that funny?”
Levi paused at the top of the ladder and met Raine’s gaze. “Hilarious. No, this is a different friend.”
“What’s hilarous?”
“Never mind. I’m coming down. We’ll take Woody for a walk.”
“Okay.” Dex raced across the room, and the door smacked against the wall. “Come on, Woody!”
“Sorry about that.” Levi ran a hand through his hair and gave her a cautious look. “I’ll be back shortly.”
“No rush. Your nephew obviously missed you. I’ll shower and make breakfast while you’re gone.”
“I dated Mona six months ago. I’m amazed he still remembers her.”
“Hey, we both had lives before we hooked up.” She fought back a surge of irrational jealousy that knotted painfully in her chest. “I’m not judging you.”
“Uncle Levi, let’s go!” Dex shouted.
“Coming.” He met her gaze. “I won’t be long.”
After he disappeared down the ladder, she flopped back against the pillows. Her wrist throbbed with a dull ache that matched the one in her heart.
“Get a grip, Raine. Mona is obviously old news.”
After sliding out of bed, she grabbed her overnight bag and carried it to the edge of the loft. With a shrug, she dropped it to the floor below. It landed with a plop. Hesitating for only a moment, she climbed onto the ladder and gripped it with her good hand as the front door opened.
“Jesus, Raine. Hold on.” Levi ran across the room, pushed her bag out of the way with his foot, and climbed up until he pressed against her back. “Okay, now I’ve got you.”
“I could have managed.”
“I didn’t want to risk it so I told Dex to wait outside with Woody.”
Once she reached the floor, she turned and smiled at him. “Thanks.”
He feathered his fingers through her hair. “Not that I wouldn’t prefer to pick up where we left off in the loft when I get back.”
He bent to kiss her, and she looped her good arm around his neck and leaned into him. “Maybe later.”<
br />
“Deal.” He took a step back. “Do you need help waterproofing your splint?”
“Nope. Go. Your nephew won’t wait patiently outside forever, and I’d rather not meet him wearing a T-shirt and nothing else.”
“Good point. I’ll be back to help with breakfast after we take Woody for a quick walk and I deliver Dex to his mom.”
“Have fun.”
Once the door closed behind him, Raine searched the kitchen for a plastic bag, managed to awkwardly wrap her splint, then stepped beneath the hot spray of the shower. Just standing there with the hot water beating down and the steam rising around her felt great, but after a couple of minutes she forced herself to get down to business. By the time Levi returned, she’d dressed, made coffee, and cracked eggs into a bowl to scramble.
He paused to kiss her before taking a package of bagels out of the cupboard to toast. A few minutes later, they sat down to eat.
Raine slathered cream cheese on her bagel and took a bite. “What’s on your agenda for today?”
“Apparently, a hike with a group from the family reunion we’re currently hosting at the lodge. Dalton cornered me earlier and told me to show up at eleven. If I hustle, I can get your car unloaded before then.” He forked eggs into his mouth and chewed. “Want to come on the hike with me.”
“I would, but I have things to do. Besides unpacking some clothes, I’m meeting with a rental agent to look at office space in Truckee this afternoon. She quoted me prices over the phone, but I want to see what all that includes. I told Camille I’d have a proposal with costs put together by the middle of next week for her to consider. If she isn’t interested in investing—”
“She seemed pretty excited about the prospect.” He studied her for a moment. “You sure aren’t wasting any time jumping on this.”
“If I want to get a business off the ground, I don’t have time to fool around. I made this appointment last week. I also contacted some local caterers, and a couple said they’d be interested in working with me. I have appointments with them tomorrow to go over their standard costs and get a feel for the party scene up here. I imagine it’ll be a whole lot more casual than what I’m used to in the city.”
“Aren’t you seeing a doctor tomorrow?”
“Yep. I have a busy day planned.”
“Sounds like it.” His tone was neutral.
She set down her fork and frowned. “Is everything okay?”
“Sure. I thought we’d spend some time just hanging out together, but we can do that in the evening. I need to get back into a running routine, too. I’ve been slacking on my training lately.”
“How far do you run?”
“A hundred miles a week when I’m in shape.”
She paused with her coffee cup halfway to her mouth. “That sounds horrible.”
“Running ultras isn’t for wimps.”
“I’m not a wimp. But I’m also not crazy.” A frown pleated her brow. “I don’t know. Maybe I am. Crazy to think I can start a business just like that.” She snapped her fingers. “Crazy to pack up and move on a whim. Crazy to . . .”
He raised a brow. “Hook up with me?”
Her responding smile was a little shaky. “Right now, that’s actually the only thing I’m sure about. I didn’t like spending the last couple of weeks apart.”
He reached out and squeezed her hand. “Neither did I.”
* * * *
Twelve miles into his run, Levi was feeling good. Really good. Maybe knowing he’d be going home to Raine had something to do with it. He grinned as he wiped his wrist across his sweaty forehead and picked up his pace. When his phone rang, he pulled it from his shorts’ pocket to glance at the display.
Raine. He swiped to connect. “Hey.”
“Something weird is going on.”
Slowing, he stopped and gripped the phone a little tighter. “What do you mean?”
“I’m on my way back, and this SUV has been following me. I noticed it earlier today when I was with the real estate agent, looking at rental spaces. A couple of times, actually, but I didn’t think anything of it. Then it showed up behind me again as I left town.”
His heart thumped a little harder. “You’re sure it’s the same vehicle?”
“Yeah. A dark gray Explorer with a carrier bin on the roof rack plastered with second amendment stickers. That alone makes me nervous since I’m going to assume the driver is armed.”
“Maybe it’s just a coincidence. Unless the guy is doing something strange—”
“He’s following pretty close behind me. I slowed down on that straight stretch, thinking he would pass, but he stayed right on my bumper.”
“Shit.”
“After that car tried to run me down in front of my apartment, I’m a little on edge.” Her voice rose. “What do you think I should do? Call 9-1-1 and tell them that some guy is tailgating me? They’ll think I’m a nutjob.”
“How far until you reach the turnoff leading to the lodge?”
“Probably about four miles, but I’m afraid to leave the main road. Whenever a car passes going the opposite direction, the driver drops back a little. Once I’m alone on the access road—”
“There won’t be any chance witnesses if he tries to run you into a tree.”
“The thought crossed my mind. Should I just keep going toward Sierraville?”
The fear in her voice sent his adrenaline surging. “I’m only a mile from the highway. Slow down to kill some time, then speed up once you turn onto our road. I’m going to put my phone on speaker and run like hell to meet you. Yell if that asshole tries anything.”
“Okay.”
Turning, he jammed his phone in his pocket and took off at a full sprint. His shoes pounded the rough pavement as evening shadows crept across the road, and his breathing came in harsh pants.
“I’m turning now. He’s still right behind me.” Her voice came faintly as Levi pressed for even more speed.
Not far to go.
“He just hit my bumper. Oh, my God. Oh, my God!”
Faint lights glowed between the trees in the distance. “I’m almost there. Hold steady,” he shouted.
“Levi!” A shrill scream echoed from his phone. “He shoved me into a ditch.”
“Get out of your car,” he yelled. “Stay in the trees so he can’t run you down with his vehicle.”
Up ahead, headlights illuminated the road as a door slammed. Running the final stretch, the muscles in his legs burned. A big man stood near the front of Raine’s Jeep, which was tilted sideways off the edge of the road. The powerful beam of his flashlight swept the forest.
“Gotcha! You think you can play games and threaten people, bitch? You messed with the wrong person.” The man headed into the woods as thrashing sounded in the underbrush.
Levi sprinted after him and tackled him from behind. They both hit the ground with a jarring thud that knocked the breath from his lungs. Gasping for air, he struggled to hold on as the heavier man rolled to his side and jerked free. Before he could move, a hard fist connected with the side of his head, and blinding pain ricocheted through his skull.
The world tilted as he tried to focus, and the sound of an engine racing registered moments before Raine appeared above him.
“Levi, are you okay?” Her voice quavered. “Did that bastard hurt you?”
“Is he gone?”
“Yes.” She touched his face, her hand cool against his sweaty skin. “Can I help you up?”
“Give me a minute.” After a few seconds, he pressed hard against the ground and sat up. “I feel like I wrestled with a bull.”
“He was a large guy. I couldn’t see his face in the dim light, but he was well over six feet and probably outweighed you by forty pounds. Maybe more.”
“That was my take, too.” Getting his breathing under control, he pulled his phone from his pocket. “We need to call the police. Hopefully they’ll be able to pick up that dude’s car.” His head throbbed as he dialed 9-1-1. “I wa
nt to know who that asshole was.”
Chapter Thirteen
“Yep, the money was deposited into our business account. I’ll write a check for the rental space today, and High Sierra Celebrations will be off and running.” Raine stood in the yard next to Levi’s cabin, staring into the forest as the crying inside grew louder. She tightened her grip on her phone. “I can’t thank you enough for taking a chance on me, Camille.”
“Don’t thank me. I expect to make a handsome profit from all your hard work.” Her friend and new business partner’s upbeat tone registered a note of concern. “I’m really impressed with how much you’ve accomplished in such a short time, especially with that crazy lunatic nearly running you down. Have the police found the man yet?”
The cry from inside the cabin escalated to a piercing wail. “My knee hurts. I want my mommy!”
“Dude. It’s just a little scrape. Hardly any blood. I put a Band-Aid on it.” Levi sounded like he was close to losing it.
With an effort, Raine focused on her conversation with Camille. “No, I’m afraid not.”
“What about motive? If someone targeted you in both San Francisco and Truckee, the person must have a strong reason.”
“If you stop crying, I’ll give you a cookie.” Desperation colored Levi’s voice. “Uh, Raine, a little help here,” he shouted.
Ignoring his plea, she headed into the woods. “I’ve spoken to Detective Gilbert a couple of times. Based on what the thug who ran me off the road said about playing games with the wrong person, the detective believes the attacks on me are related to Cooper’s death. He thinks whoever killed Cooper is convinced I know more about it than I’m saying, which makes me an active threat.”
“But that man wasn’t anyone from our Yosemite trip.” Camille’s voice held a hint of confusion. “You would have recognized him, right?”
“Yes, but he could be a friend or relative or even someone the killer hired. What I’d like to know is who told the creep I’d be staying with Levi.”
Camille was silent for a few moments before finally speaking. “Last week after we talked, I may have mentioned it to Rosa. We chat frequently, and I told her about High Sierra Celebrations.”
Midnight Reckoning (Leave No Trace Book 1) Page 14
