by Cindy Stark
Rick crowded in with the rest of them, and she stood closely behind.
“Kellan?” said the leader of the group. “You and Terry head up Spring Canyon.”
A cute guy with short brown hair nodded. “Will do.”
“Donovan, will your Ford make it up to the old mine?” the leader continued.
“Damn straight,” said an older guy with a graying bushy moustache. “I have chains if I need ‘em.”
“Okay, good. Take Ben with you.”
“Me and my partner will take the road heading up to the old miner’s camp,” Rick added.
The group of people nodded at Rick before their gazes traveled to her.
“Annabelle’s niece,” she heard the cute guy say in lowered tones to one of the other men.
Several people nodded to her as though being related to Annabelle automatically gained her admittance into the local’s club. She’d experienced the opposite side of the fence with Penny and Gert and definitely preferred this treatment.
“Come on.” Rick tugged on her elbow, directing her to follow him.
Outside, they did a repeat of him helping her into his truck before he reclaimed the driver’s seat, bringing along his tempting scent. She softly inhaled, letting the sensation of being near a man settle through her. As ornery as he could be with her, he carried a certain level of self-assuredness that she couldn’t ignore no matter how hard she tried.
Maybe if she could manage to stay off his bad side, they could learn to be friends. If she was smart, that’s exactly what she would do. They both loved Aunt Annabelle, and by the time Erin left, she wanted to be certain she’d be welcome to come back anytime she wanted. Having Rick on her side would definitely help with that.
They were silent as he drove through town, heading for the mountains beyond Annabelle’s home. Rick’s headlights fought to cut through the thick snow as his windshield wipers swished back and forth trying to keep their view clear. The truck slid on the snow, and he stopped long enough to throw it into four-wheel drive.
Rick followed the road, crossing a bridge and continuing on until they reached a grove of trees that delineated the town from the mountains. Erin strained to see where the white ribbon of road would lead them into the pines. The engine on his truck bore down as he started up the incline.
“Will we get stuck?” Her car never would have made it up the first stretch in this kind of weather.
“We should be all right.” He kept his gaze focused on the white out conditions ahead of them.
“Do you really think they’d be dumb enough to stay out in this? I mean they live here, right? They should know what happens when a storm comes in.”
He snorted, giving her a quick glance. “They’re kids. Teenagers. I don’t know about you, but when I was their age, I was invincible, doing all kinds of stupid shit.”
She remained silent. She’d been studying pre-calculus honors and advanced-placement psychology, working for perfect scores in all her classes in an effort to please her parents. At least, she’d been smart enough to stop all that nonsense once she reached the age of twenty-two. Still, four years later, she was barely getting up enough courage to step out of her comfort zone.
“Well?” he asked after a few minutes.
She startled out of her memories. “What?”
“You won’t tell me what rebellious things you did as a teenager?”
She shrugged, growing more uncomfortable. She’d taken enough ribbing in college from her roommates when she passed on attending the wild frat parties. “I stayed out of trouble.”
He glanced at her again and then quickly shifted back to the road when his truck slid a bit. “No drinking? No skipping school?”
“My education was important to me.”
“You’re telling me that the girl who almost gets lost in the dark her second night here followed all the rules in school? I have a hard time believing that.”
She’d tell him that she was working on getting in touch with the wilder side of herself, but he’d only laugh. “Not everyone breaks the rules. I had no need to rebel.” Which might be the biggest lie she’d ever told.
“Never snuck out at night? Never broke curfew?”
“This is a pointless conversation.”
“Sounds like you’ve had a pretty boring life to me.”
She shifted in her seat and stared at his profile. Lights from the dash highlighted the slight stubble on his chin and the curve of his sensuous lips. It’s too bad that everything that came out of his mouth set her on edge. “Why do you have to be so mean?”
He shifted a sideways glance at her. “What are you talking about?”
“You’re rude. And snide. I’ve never done anything to you, and you’ve been trying to make me hate you from the moment you first laid eyes on me.” There. She’d spoken her mind, and her heart fluttered, no longer weighed down by unspoken resentment. Another plus for her.
“Not true.”
Two words and he had irritated her again. “It’s absolutely true. The second you realized who I was after I arrived, you left. No welcome. No introduction.” She took a breath before continuing. “And then when I wasn’t home the exact second you thought I should be, you come out, saying more rude things, and then stomp back home.”
“I didn’t stomp.”
She blew out a cleansing breath as she settled against her seat, focusing on the snow-covered pines and bushes filling the space around them. “I don’t know what you want from me.”
The interior of the truck grew silent except the constant swishing of windshield wipers and the whir of the heater fan. “It’s not what I want from you. It’s what you want from me.”
She snorted. “I don’t want a damn thing from you except a little civility.”
“Don’t pretend you’re not in on it. I know exactly what Annabelle’s doing, and it won’t work.”
“I have no clue what you’re talking about.” And the remainder of her patience was threadbare.
“Annabelle thinks it’s her job to find me a wife and make me forget Melinda.”
Erin considered that for a moment, not entirely surprised by his revelation. “And you think she intends for me to be that person?” That part did surprise her.
He snorted. “It won’t do you any good to deny it.”
“Wow. That’s…” Her words wouldn’t form.
“Don’t take it personally. Trust me, if I was looking, I’d definitely be looking at you.”
A shiver raked across her skin, and it wasn’t from the chill in the air.
“But I’m not interested,” he continued.
“Because of this Melinda.”
He stiffened. “Because I’m not looking for a relationship. I don’t need a reason why.”
A cynical laugh escaped her lips.
“I’m not seeing the humor here.”
Obviously. “Perhaps you should check your facts before you start drawing conclusions. First, I’m recently divorced.” If two years counted as recently. “You think you don’t want a relationship? Try being in my shoes. I’ve been there, done that, and don’t need another man telling me every choice or decision I make is wrong.”
She folded her arms across her chest. “Another relationship is the last thing I want right now.”
He pulled into a turnout and stopped, his headlights illuminating a small wooden building plastered with snow. The wipers continued to swish, marking the awkwardness between them. He watched her for a moment as though processing their conversation. Then he opened his door. “Be right back.”
Cold rushed inside the truck as he jumped out and pulled his hood over his head. He headed into the relentless storm, his head turned away from the wind. She could barely make out his form as he jerked on the door to the wooden building. When it didn’t open, he moved around to the side of the building and disappeared from view.
A few minutes later, he was back. He lifted a radio mike that was anchored to the underside of his dashboard.
> “Allen, this is Rick.” He waited for a person on the other end to respond before he continued. “I’ve reached the mining camp. No sign of them in the parking lot. The little building is locked up tight.”
“Gotcha, Rick. Still no sign of them anywhere else, either. Donovan hasn’t called in yet, though.”
“I’ll check in when we get back down the mountain.”
“Roger, that.”
Instead of putting the truck back in gear, he shifted in his seat. “I’m sorry.”
“For what?” she asked, trying not to let her frustration show.
“That your marriage didn’t work out.”
She turned away, looking out the window. She didn’t want his sympathy, didn’t need this conversation. “It doesn’t matter. That’s all in the past now.”
He paused for a moment, but when she didn’t turn back his way or engage in further conversation, he put the truck in gear.
“It still sucks. When someone you love lets you down, it can hurt for a long time.”
Was he talking about him or her?
They drove for a while in silence. The more time that passed, the more she felt like a jerk for tossing her issues in his face. Then again, he’d been the one to accuse her and Annabelle of somehow tricking him into a relationship.
“I sure hope someone finds them,” she finally said when the silence grew louder than a shriek.
“Me, too.”
“It sounds like they’ve done this before.”
“I think Gert’s daughter feels like she has something to prove to her mom.”
Erin refrained from commenting. She couldn’t blame the girl. Not with a mother like Gert.
“Last summer, the girl took off with the Thomas boy. This year, she’s hooked up with Braiden Cannon. He’ll break her heart if she doesn’t break his first. His dream is to become a world-class surfing champion. He’s spends some of the year with his dad along the coast in California, and I hear he’s pretty good. Soon as he graduates from high school, he’s out of this town, and I doubt he’ll take her with him.”
“Surfing? Does he drive a white SUV with surfing stickers all over it?”
Rick pressed on the brakes, his truck sliding down the steep decline before it came to a stop. “Have you seen him?”
She bit the inside of her cheek, knowing her next words would cost her. “I saw a white SUV when I stopped today to capture some shots of the mountains.”
“And where was that?”
“The first little parking area up the road by the cross.”
He cursed under his breath and grabbed the radio mike. “Allen. Rick here. That kid’s SUV was spotted at the first turnout up Cross Canyon this afternoon at about…” He leveled a formidable look at Erin.
“Three o’clock.” The SUV had still been there when she’d come down from the hills.
Rick repeated her answer, and Allen sighed off, saying he’d contact Kellan and see if he’d be willing to head in that direction. Rick hung up the mike and then trapped her with a disappointed look.
“I don’t want to hear it,” she said, cutting him off before he could lecture her.
“What happened to the truce we made earlier today? The one where you promised to not cause anyone any grief?”
“I didn’t,” she tossed back at him. “Annabelle wasn’t worried, and you didn’t have to come looking for me. If I hadn’t said anything just now, you wouldn’t even know.”
“Did you hurt your foot or not?”
She rolled her eyes. “Listen, Rick. I don’t understand where all this concern is coming from. I’m a grown adult perfectly capable of taking care of myself, and you don’t even like me.”
He narrowed his gaze. “I like you…I just don’t like you.”
Ouch. “I don’t want you to like me. I just don’t want to feel like we’re at odds all the time.” And she meant that. As much as she was attracted to his looks, she didn’t need this kind of contention in her life.
He stared out the window into the blizzard beyond, and then sighed. She hoped he’d realize he’d pegged her all wrong. If he really took the time to think about it, she hadn’t made any kind of overtures where he was concerned. She’d been polite, but mostly stayed out of his way. He couldn’t possibly think she was after him.
“You’re right. I’m sorry.”
His apology shocked the hell out of her and stole her words once again. Just when she’d given up on him, he had to do another switch, giving her a glimpse of the friendly guy she’d experienced when others were around. Not fair.
“We both care about Annabelle. We should be friends.” He nodded as though agreeing with himself. “Things will be better between us. I promise.”
She sat for a moment not sure how to respond, and then nodded as she relaxed against the seat. “Okay.” She hoped she could trust him to not be a jerk.
He put his truck in drive. The tires gripped the ever-deepening snow, moving them forward as some of the awkwardness evaporated from inside the truck cab. “Let’s hope by the time we get back to town they’ve found those kids.”
Chapter Ten
When Erin and Rick returned, the atmosphere inside Town Hall had completely changed.
“We got ‘em,” Allen announced as she and Rick walked into the large room. She caught Gert watching her, and she quickly looked away.
The leader of the group had removed his beanie and coat. A short blond ponytail held his hair back from his face, and he looked like he’d be at ease on skis or a mountain bike. “The kid’s battery was dead, and they couldn’t get cell service up on the mountain. They were in his car, out of the storm, but it would have been a long, cold night for them with those freezing temps we’re supposed to have tonight.”
“Thank God they’re okay,” Rick said as the others gathered around.
“It’s all thanks to you.” Allen gestured toward Rick.
Rick put a firm hand on the small of Erin’s back, guiding her forward, and she tried not to notice the warm tingle that shot through her. “Not me. Erin’s the one who spotted their car earlier.”
“Then it looks like Erin’s the hero for the day.” Allen reached out to shake her hand. “Or would that be heroine?”
A warm blush heated her cheeks as she took his hand. She was never one to be the center of attention. Her gaze strayed to Gert again, and the woman actually gave her a nod of thanks.
“Allen is the mayor of Argent Springs,” Rick said to Erin before shifting his gaze back to the mayor. “This is Erin… Hell, I don’t even know your last name.”
“Erin Silvestri,” she filled in for him.
“Annabelle’s granddaughter,” Rick added.
“Niece,” she corrected. “Actually great niece.”
“I knew that.” Rick shook his head as though it would help him clear it.
“She and my grandmother were sisters,” she said to Allen.
“Ah,” Allen said with a nod. “Another descendent of the infamous Rosa.”
A plump woman with graying strands of brown hair flicked a glance heavy disgust with in her direction, and for the second time since arriving in Argent Springs, Erin felt slightly unwelcome.
If she didn’t count Rick’s overtures, that was.
“We don’t get to pick our relatives,” Erin said with a smile, and for some unknown reason, she’d hoped the woman had overheard her. In the short amount of time since she’d arrived, Erin had fallen in love with the place, and she really wanted the townsfolk to like her.
Allen laughed in agreement. “Mine was a known gambler and a womanizer. Might have even slept with Rosa a time or two,” he said with a look that suggested he might not be opposed to the idea of repeating history.
The plump woman released an annoyed sigh and tugged on the elbow of the man standing next to her. “It’s time to go home, Roland. Show’s over.” She said it loud enough to draw Allen’s and Rick’s attention.
Allen linked his arm through Erin’s. “Come sit with me
in my office for a few minutes, will you?”
Erin glanced at Rick who had a less-than-happy look on his face. “Don’t leave me, okay?”
He gave her a curt nod that she hoped meant he agreed to wait. Annabelle’s house wasn’t far away. She could probably get there within a couple of minutes if the snow didn’t slow her up too much. But frigid air owned the night, and, although she was sure Allen was a respected member of the community, she really didn’t want to be alone with a man she’d just met.
“Don’t worry about it, Rick. I’d be more than happy to give Erin a ride home when we’re finished.”
“Whatever.” Rick shrugged and turned away.
Slightly unnerved, she followed the mayor down the hallway and waited while he unlocked his office. Inside, wood paneling and a large mahogany desk warmed the room, even if the furnishings were far past outdated.
“Please, sit down,” Allen said, indicating the red upholstered chair across the desk from him.
She took a seat, not quite sure what to expect from his impromptu meeting.
“Erin Silvestri.” He leaned back in his chair, his gaze taking in as much of her as possible, making her a little uncomfortable. Then he sat forward in his chair, folding his large hands in front of him, his blue eyes sparkling with charm. “It’s very nice to meet you. I’m a huge fan of your aunt’s. She’s always been a dependable supporter of Argent Springs and of me personally.”
His comments were enough to break the ice, and Erin smiled in return. “She’s a wonderful person. I actually just reconnected with her this summer, and I’m so glad I did. She’s brought a whole new perspective to my life.”
A warm smile lit his face, and he nodded. “I think she has that effect on everyone. We were fortunate when she decided to move back. Most especially Henderson. He was a lucky man to have her.”
Melancholy over lost opportunities crept in. “I wish I could have met him. I would have liked to have known the man who could make my aunt swoon.”
