So could he give it all up for her? Could he call Robbins and tell him the trip had been another dead end and finish out his time here as a guest, Abi never being the wiser? Could he let Vince go free? Could he break the vow he’d made to Ryan’s wife and children—to himself—and still face himself in the mirror every morning?
The answer was no, he couldn’t.
He had to finish this. No matter the consequences. If this relationship with Abi was meant to be, she would understand. He would find a way to make her understand. After he met Maureen. If he told Abi now, she might tip off Maureen and she’d be gone. He might never find her again.
“So you told their father that they can stay,” he asked Abi after she told him about the situation with Leanne and Cindy that afternoon. They were just finishing up the dinner dishes.
“Yeah. From what Eve was able to get from Cindy, there’s a guest her sister likes. I’m guessing it’s probably Eric. Leanne saw Cindy with him and got jealous. Cindy swears Leanne started the fight.”
“Do you believe her?”
“I’m not sure. If it’s true, I can understand why Leanne is upset. Cindy knew from the start that Leanne liked him. She’s so mean to Leanne all the time. Maybe she just snapped. It doesn’t mean it’s okay to attack her sister. And I’d hate to see Cindy blamed for something she didn’t start.”
“Is there anything you can do?”
“Not really. It’s up to her dad to sort this out. I can only hope he’ll be fair.”
He set the last of the clean silverware in the drawer and hung the damp dish towel over the oven handle to dry. Abi was rinsing the sink, so he stepped up behind her and slipped his arms around her waist. He loved touching her, being close to her. The scent of her skin, the softness of her body.
When he’d first met her, he’d seen her as being more like his wives in personality. Quiet, reserved, maybe a touch self-conscious. He couldn’t have been more wrong. He wished he could pin down the thing that intrigued him, solve the mystery of why she appealed to him. But maybe some mysteries weren’t supposed to be solved. Maybe there was no clear answer. Things just were what they were.
She sighed and rested her head back against his shoulder. God, it felt so good to hold her. Just to be with her. It had been a long couple of days waiting for some time alone together. A long, uncomfortable night hiding in the woods, keeping an eye on her camping group. He would be so happy when this was over, when Vince was behind bars and he could get on with his life.
He was already tossing ideas around about what he would do when this trip was over. It was possible he could get a transfer out to this part of the country. It would be a slower pace, low-profile cases. In fact, he’d heard field offices in cities like Denver could be downright stagnant. But he would be close to Abi and Adam. For once he could put work on the back burner and focus on his personal life, maybe even write a chapter or two in his spare time. Have a couple of kids.
A future that felt hazy and unclear two weeks ago was suddenly coming into focus. It could happen—if he didn’t blow it.
“What would you like to do now?” Abi asked.
He flattened his hands over the soft swell of her belly, pulled her close so she could feel just how nuts she made him. “What would you like to do?”
She made a soft purring noise in her throat and turned in his arms, sliding her hands up his chest and around his neck. “How about this?”
She got up on her tiptoes and brushed her lips over his, sinking her fingers into his hair.
Kissing was good.
Then she abruptly stopped and dropped to the balls of her feet. “Oh, crap.”
“What’s wrong?”
“I just remembered, I was supposed to have a talk with one of the employees today.”
“You were kissing me and thinking about work?”
She grinned. “I’m sorry, it just popped into my head. There was a situation I promised I would handle.”
“It can’t wait until tomorrow?”
She looked up at him apologetically. “I’ll just stop by his cabin really quickly. It should only take a few minutes. I promise.”
Will sighed and dropped his arms from around her. “I’ll walk with you.”
“Oh, you don’t have to.”
“I know, but it’s getting dark. I don’t like you being out alone at night.”
She gave him that look—the one that said she thought he was being ridiculous. “Will, this is not the city. Besides, it’s only two minutes away.”
“Humor me. I promise I won’t interfere.”
She shrugged. “If it means that much to you.”
They stepped outside together and she closed the door behind her.
He raised an eyebrow at her. “You’re not going to lock that?”
“Even if there was a thief here, there’s hardly anything worth stealing in there,” she said, starting down the steps.
Except maybe his sidearm in his backpack sitting on the floor beside the couch. He’d been keeping it with him whenever possible since someone had begun following them. Whoever it was appeared to have backed off, but that didn’t mean their shadow was gone for good. Maybe he or she was just being more careful.
“Besides, we’re only going to be gone a minute.” She folded her arms across her chest and gazed up at him. He could see that arguing the point wasn’t going to get him very far. She’d already compromised by letting him come along and now she had that look. That look that said I’ve made my decision and you’re not going to change my mind.
“Are you coming or not?”
When he didn’t move, she shrugged and headed down the path toward the other, smaller cabins.
She sure could be stubborn.
Maybe that’s why he liked her so much, admired her even. She knew what she wanted and she wasn’t afraid to go after it.
Hell, his backpack was on the side of the couch. Even if someone did sneak in, odds were they wouldn’t see it. He took the steps two at a time and caught up with her. “So who are we going to see?”
“Tom Sterling,” Abi told him. She could kick herself for forgetting about this earlier. She’d been so preoccupied with the situation that had occurred between Cindy and Leanne, talking to Tom had completely slipped her mind. But she couldn’t go back on her promise to Brit. She owed her.
And she couldn’t wait to get it over with so she and Will could get back to her cabin and their evening alone. She’d decided that they would have a little fun first, then talk about the future. That way, if they decided this relationship should end, she would have at least had one last chance to kiss him and touch him again.
It was completely selfish, and she was just setting herself up to be hurt, but she didn’t care. It was what she wanted.
They walked side by side. Hints of dusk peeked through the trees, but around them the forest was dark and quiet. Peaceful. Tom’s cabin was the farthest from hers to the east. Warm light glowed through the curtains and the inside door was open.
“I’ll just be a minute,” she told Will when they reached the porch. He hung back as she climbed up.
She lifted a hand and rapped on the screen door. Though she could see that the bed was unmade and there were dirty clothes and towels strewn everywhere.
“Come in!” he called, she was guessing from the bathroom, since she didn’t see him in the room. “I’ll be right out.”
She stepped inside, kicking a pair of discarded tennis shoes out of her way. His duffel bag was sitting open on the floor half-full, as if he were prepared to make a quick escape.
That was her past talking. In Tom’s case, it could simply be that he was too lazy to unpack—which was very possible since he was obviously too lazy to clean, either.
The bathroom door swung open a second later and steam billowed out, followed by Tom.
Wearing nothing but a smile.
Oh, boy.
When he saw it was her standing there, he froze and the smile slid from his face. For a
few long seconds neither moved. They just stood there staring at each other.
“Tom,” she finally said, breaking the spell, keeping her eyes pinned to his face. “My, this is awkward.”
“A-Abi.” He frantically reached behind him for a towel and covered his…equipment. Not that she was looking at it.
Well, she might have taken a quick peek.
“I—I thought you were someone else,” he said.
“Sorry. I’m very sorry. I wanted to have a talk with you, but it looks like this might not be a good time.”
He glanced nervously behind her through the door, then back to her face. “Uh, yeah, not really.”
“If it makes you feel any better, it’s nothing I haven’t seen before. I mean, obviously I haven’t seen your particular—never mind.”
He was looking at her as if she was a loon.
“How about we talk tomorrow morning in my office? Seven-fifty?”
He nodded and clutched the towel. “Yeah, okay. Seven-fifty.”
“I am very sorry,” she added.
“It’s okay. I should have asked who it was.”
“I’ll see you tomorrow.” She turned and slipped out the door. Will was still waiting for her at the bottom of the steps. She hooked her arm through his and dragged him toward the path. “Let’s go.”
“That was quick.”
“I’m going to talk to him tomorrow.”
He looked back toward the cabin. “Why not now?”
“He was…busy.”
“Busy doing what?”
“Showering.”
“He was in the shower?”
“Well, no. Just getting out, actually.”
“He wasn’t….” He trailed off.
“Naked? Yes, he was.”
His steps slowed. “How naked?”
“There are no degrees to nakedness, Will. You either are or you aren’t.”
He stopped altogether and she turned to face him. It was pretty dark, but she could see he was frowning. “What I mean is, he was wearing a towel, right?”
“Nope, no towel.”
“He was naked?”
“Isn’t that what I just said?”
“What did you do?”
“We just sort of stood there looking shocked, I guess.”
“Did you cover your eyes?”
“Um…no.” Honestly the thought had never occurred to her.
“Why not?” he said, sounding indignant. “Does he always answer the door naked?”
He was jealous. How incredibly sweet.
“How should I know? He thought I was someone else. He’s expecting company. Which is why I’m talking to him tomorrow.” She wondered which lucky member of the staff he was entertaining, then had a disturbing thought. What if it wasn’t one of the staff? Suppose Brit was right, and he was messing around with a guest. He’d seemed awfully anxious to get rid of her. Cindy’s father had said she was on house arrest, but what if she’d snuck out?
Up ahead on the path she saw someone walking toward them, coming from the direction of the main building, not the other cabins.
Oh, hell. She grabbed Will’s arm and dragged him off to the side, behind a tree.
“Why are we hiding?” he whispered.
“Shhh! Someone is coming.”
As the figure got closer, she could see from the slight stature that the person was female and she wore a dark hooded jacket that hid her face. No member of the staff would have any reason for hiding her face. And as she got closer, Abi could see that she kept looking around, as if to make sure no one saw her.
Abi cursed under her breath. She was the right size, right height. It had to be Cindy.
And she had to put a stop to this now.
Abi waited until Cindy was almost parallel with the tree they stood behind, then stepped out in front of her.
Cindy let out a screech and stumbled backward, her hood slipping off her head, and Abi got her second shock for the night.
It wasn’t Cindy sneaking to Tom’s cabin. It was Claire—Noah’s mother.
Chapter 15
“You don’t believe her story about just being out for a walk?”
Abi looked over at Will sitting at the opposite end of the couch. “Of course not. I know exactly what she was doing. And I think she knows that I know.”
“You don’t suppose he’s charging her?”
“Charging her for sex?”
He shrugged. “It’s not unheard of. It happens at places like this. A kid needs extra money for college and the guests are willing to pay.”
She dropped her head in her hands and groaned. This was awful. If something like that got around to the other guests and then to the public, it could be a disaster. “I’m going to have to fire him and I’m going to feel like the biggest hypocrite on the planet.”
“You’re not a hypocrite.”
Oh, yes, she was. She’d never actually taken money for sex—that was a line even she wouldn’t cross—but she had used it to manipulate men. What Tom was doing was really no different.
“I just don’t get it,” she said. “I talked to the director of the last resort he worked at. He has impeccable references. They loved him.”
“Was it a woman, by any chance?”
She shot him a look. “That’s terrible.”
“But not unlikely.”
He was right. She wondered how long this had been going on and if there were others. Brit had tried to warn her, and Abi should have believed her, trusted her. But she’d been too preoccupied with her personal life, too self-absorbed to care.
“Abi, can you really blame Claire? Her husband left her for a younger woman and she’s about as angry and bitter as they come. Some good-looking young guy pays attention to her. Of course she’s going to be interested. Hell, it might even be therapeutic. A little revenge goes a long way.”
“That doesn’t make it right. I’m going to have to tell Maureen. I can’t help thinking this is my fault.”
“Because of us, you mean?”
“Maybe he thought it was okay because I’m doing it.” She felt like such a louse, even though she knew what she and Will were doing was different. They really cared about each other.
At least, she hoped he did.
“Abi, come here.” He patted the cushion beside him and she scooted over, cuddling against his chest. He folded his arms around her and kissed the top of her head. “You and I both know this is different. This is not about sex.”
She rested her face against his chest, feeling his heart beat against her cheek. “What is it about then?”
He was quiet for several seconds, then asked, “Are you asking how I feel about you?”
“I—I guess I am. I don’t want to push or rush you into anything. But I need to know if we have the possibility of some kind of future together. I need to know where this is going.”
He sighed and rested his chin on the top of her head, stroking her hair back from her face, the way he always did. Already they’d formed habits, little things to show affection. Like a couple.
“I was convinced I would never get married again, but since I met you, everything has changed.”
She looked up at him. “What are you saying?”
“What if I was wrong? What if I could be a good husband, a good father?”
“I think you would be,” she said softly. “I think Adam does, too.”
He smiled and touched her cheek, gazing into her eyes. “I want the chance to try, Abi. With you.”
She let out a sigh of relief and hugged herself to his chest. “I do, too.”
He wrapped his arms tightly around her. “I am so relieved to hear you say that.”
“How will we do this? You live two thousand miles away. I’m not sure if I could handle a long-distance relationship.”
“The branch of government I work for has offices all over the country. I was thinking maybe I could get a transfer. Denver isn’t too far from here.”
Her heart rose up in h
er throat and tears burned in her eyes. “You would do that? For me?”
“Yeah, I would.” He brushed his lips over hers, so soft and sweet. “I want to be with you, Abi. No matter what it takes.”
“I want to be with you, too.” She’d never wanted anything more, and nothing had ever felt as right as what they had together. “But there are things about me you don’t know.”
“What things?” he asked gently.
She pressed her face against the softness of Will’s T-shirt so she would have to look him in the eye. If she saw disgust, she might not be able to handle it. “My mother took off when I was seventeen. I learned to take care of myself the only way I knew how. The way she taught me. I used sex to manipulate men. To survive.”
Instead of being appalled, instead of pushing her away, he squeezed her tighter. He didn’t speak. He just held her.
“I knew they were using me, too, but after a while I just…stopped feeling. I was dead inside.”
“That’s not you anymore,” he said. “You have a good life and a beautiful son.”
She smiled, the way she always did when she thought of Adam. “Everything changed when I found out I was pregnant. Everything that I’d done, it didn’t matter anymore. And I knew that no matter what, I had to make a better life for my baby. I would do things differently. Adam means everything to me, Will.”
“I know he does.”
“I’ve done so many things I’m ashamed of, but I’ve changed.”
“I know you have.”
She should have known he would understand, that he wouldn’t care. Maybe someday she would even tell him the rest. “I’ve never trusted a man before, but I trust you.”
A stake driven through Will’s heart couldn’t have stung more or pierced deeper. Only then did he realize what he was doing getting involved with Abi. But it was too late. He was in too deep.
He loved her.
For the first time in his life he knew what a relationship was supposed to feel like.
Exactly what he felt with Abi.
It didn’t matter what had brought him there, what she had done in the past, only that at this point in time they were both exactly where they were supposed to be.
Out of Sight Page 15
