by Jennie Marts
“You’ve got to try rainbow trout. I gut ’em then fill them with slices of onion, a few pats of butter, and a good sprinkling of lemon pepper, then grill them up and they’re the best.” His stomach growled just thinking about it.
“Are they as good as cotton candy?” she teased.
He laughed. “They’re a different kind of good than cotton candy.”
“But your ex didn’t think so?”
“No. She did not think so. She thought fish was disgusting—couldn’t even handle me cleaning it in the backyard. And then she’d complain that I always smelled like fish. Even if I hadn’t been fishing in days.”
“It sounds like she was just plain mean.”
“She was mean. And she still is. But she’s more than mean. It’s like she blames me for everything that went wrong in her life. And she’s money-hungry and vindictive as hell. Which is the main reason I don’t want you to use my name or the shop in your article.” He’d already shared more with her about his life than he’d ever planned. But he might as well tell her the rest, get her to understand why it mattered to him.
“I don’t get it. What does my article have to do with your ex-wife?”
“Everything. And nothing. I don’t really like to talk about it—in fact, I don’t think I’ve really told anyone this.” He couldn’t look at her, could only look down at the sofa where he picked at a stray thread coming loose from the seam of the cushion.
“The truth of the matter is that she took everything from me. Well, she wanted everything, and I guess I gave it to her. We were so miserable. In the end, I just wanted out. I didn’t care about the stupid house or the car or any of the furnishings—she picked all that stuff out herself anyway. The only thing I cared about was the shop and this property with the cabin. So I kept those, and she took everything else.”
“Sounds like you got the better end of the deal,” she said. “You got rid of her and got to keep this awesome cabin.”
Sadie lifted her head, and he rubbed the fur on her back. “And the dog. I got the dog.”
“Then you were definitely the winner.”
“I don’t feel like a winner. She made me feel like I’m a total loser.” He sighed. “Listen, I’m not saying that I think I am a loser—just that she made me feel like one.”
“That’s ridiculous. Believe me, I’ve known some real losers, even dated a few of them, and you’re nothing like them.”
“Thanks, I guess. But I can tell you that I lost in this deal. She went to the judge, and because she hadn’t worked outside the home, she got them to award her alimony. At least until she finds another guy to sucker into marrying her. Then I’ll be off the hook.”
He cocked his head at her. “Do you know any rich guys that would be interested in a manipulative, controlling woman who is obsessed with material things? And who lives really far away? Like, Antarctica, preferably.”
She laughed. “Actually, I know plenty of guys that are looking for a woman just like that. Well, not guys that live in Antarctica, but ones that want the trophy wife to look good and give them a beautiful home and that want to surround themselves with material possessions.”
“Not me. I’m not like that at all. I’m a simple guy. I don’t need a lot. I need my dog, and a few good books, and time to fish. I have a life filled with simple pleasures—a boat, time on the water, a good steak thrown on the grill once in a while. The house I have now is a cabin not much bigger than this one, but with a stream running behind it. I can fish when I want and take the dog on a hike every night. And having the shop allows me to do those things. I make just enough to sustain that life. That’s why I don’t want you to write about me in your article.”
She pulled her foot off his lap and sat up next to him. “But those are the exact things that will make the article so great. And the publicity will only bring you more business. It’s free advertising. It sounds like a win-win to me.”
“In normal circumstances, I would agree. But my life and my ex-wife are not normal. If my shop gets too successful or even gives the impression that it’s successful at all, the She-Devil will come after me for more money. She still calls me every few months to try to get more out of me as it is. The alimony I pay her now is based on my income. So I don’t want to make too much. If she thought the shop was making a lot of money or got it into her head that I was too successful or making too much, she’d come after me and either try to up her alimony or try to take them away from me. And the shop and this cabin are all I have.” He looked over at her, pleading with his eyes. “Can you understand that?”
“I guess. Although I can’t imagine how she would even find out about the article.”
“She already knows. Half the town knows, and she still has a few friends here. She’s already called me because she heard you were in town, and she thought I was getting paid a bunch of money to be featured in a magazine. That’s why I have to shut this thing down before she gets carried away and either tries to take more from me or punishes me by starting false rumors about me or my business. She’s threatened to do it before.”
“I just can’t imagine someone being that cruel.”
“Yeah, well, she is.” He picked up her hand. “Do you see now why I don’t want you to write the story about me?”
“I understand what you’re saying, but I need this story. It may not seem like that big of a deal because it’s just for this little outdoorsy magazine, but it’s my chance to get promoted to a bigger magazine. I had a big New York editor tell me that I needed to prove myself, that they’d be watching this story. Otherwise, I could turn it into a fluff piece, but this article is too important to me. I need this. I’ve got to get out of Chicago, so I need to make it good, and Sully, you’re the best part of this story. You’re the part that will make or break the article.”
Her words both flattered and frightened him. It was a compliment to hear that she thought he was the thing that would make her story good, but that was also what had him grinding his teeth. Hadn’t she heard anything he just said?
Was she just going to ignore all of that and write the story anyway?
A bitter feeling stuck in his throat, burning like he’d coughed up acid.
He’d had a suspicion that this story was somehow more important to her than she was letting on, but now he knew for certain that it was. But he didn’t know to what lengths she would go to make sure that she got a great story.
Would she pretend to be someone’s girlfriend? Would she have sex with someone in order to get them to let their guard down or to agree to let them write the article?
The questions swirled in his gut, and he wasn’t sure he wanted to know the answers.
He did know that he didn’t want to talk about this anymore. His head (and his heart) hurt just thinking about the stupid story and how betrayed he would feel if she went ahead with it. “What if I asked you not to write the story?”
She looked down at her lap and twisted her hands together. “I hope you don’t. I don’t want to hurt you, but the article is important to me, too.”
“I need some air.” He pushed up from the sofa, crossed to the front door, and picked up the bag with his fishing gear. “I’m gonna go down to the river, walk a little, see if I can catch us something for supper.”
“You think you could catch me a trout that tastes like cotton candy?” She’d tried for a teasing tone, but it fell flat.
He opened the door and whistled for the dog. Sadie jumped off the sofa and shot out the front door, and he slammed it shut behind him.
He probably didn’t need to shut it that hard, but he wasn’t in a teasing mood.
Chapter Eleven
Sully hiked up to the top of the ridge behind the cabin. He had his cell phone in his pocket, and this was one of the few places he could get reception.
He called the utility company to see if they could clear the downed tree from the road, but they informed him they were swamped with calls about issues from the storm. They’d add it
to the list but probably wouldn’t be able to get to it for a few days. “Just forget it, then,” he muttered and hung up.
Plan B. He sent a quick text to Matt:
Stuck at the cabin. Lightning hit a tree n it’s blocking the main access road. Think u can bring the truck up tonight n help me get it cleared?
His phone buzzed with a reply.
Can’t tonight but I can come up in the morning.
That works.
Avery’s rental car is still at the shop. She with you?
Yep.
Have fun.
Matt followed his text with a winky face.
Screw u.
LOL. See u in the morning.
He shoved his phone back into his pocket. There was nothing “laugh out loud” about any of this. And now he was stuck out here for another night with Avery.
He stomped back down the mountain and walked the banks until he found a good spot to fish. Digging through his gear, he pulled out his rod and reel and fastened them together.
Usually the act of assembling his rod was enough to calm him down and start the peaceful feeling in his chest. But not today. Nothing felt calm or peaceful.
He felt like everything was in turmoil. And he didn’t know how to fix it.
Tossing out the first cast, he swung his line back and forth, trying to find his rhythm but feeling off-kilter. Thoughts of Avery filled his head—of her laughing and teasing him, of the sexy way she ate cotton candy, of the way her hair fell across the pillow in wild curls as she lay naked beneath him.
Shit. Now he was thinking about her naked.
He dropped his line. Too soon. It snagged in the row of bushes growing on the bank behind him.
Damn it. He tried to push the images of her out of his head as he worked to untangle his line.
It wasn’t going to work.
Neither untangling the line or the so-called relationship with Avery. Nothing good was going to come out of them getting more involved. Hell, she hadn’t really even told him she liked him yet.
He pulled out his pocket knife and cut the line, then ripped the loose mess of snarled cord out of the bushes. He sunk to the ground, sitting on the edge of the bank, the ball of line clutched in his hands. It reminded him of the whole thing going on with Avery. Everything was turning into a jumbled, knotted mess.
And every time he tried to untie one part, he seemed to snare up another, until it was one big mass of tangled up line full of knots and kinks.
A smile tugged at the corner of his lip. Okay, the kinks could stay. The kinky part of their relationship was easy. And if that were the only knot, he could handle it, he could find a way to work it out. But it wasn’t.
Now it was a whole mess of multiple knots that involved other people and emotions and freaking feelings. And pulling on one knot only seemed to make another worse, until he had a whole complicated ball of chaos that he had no idea how to put back together or salvage. And he was left with only one choice.
That was what he needed to do with Avery. He needed to cut her loose. To snap the line that tied him to her and all of this mixed-up, muddled mess of turmoil.
That’s all there was to it. He didn’t need this crap.
Hadn’t he just been telling her how he liked his life simple? Uncomplicated. Without the havoc of dealing with emotions and another person’s baggage.
Yep. That’s what he needed to do. Cut her loose. Make a clean break.
The only problem was that he would miss her chaos. Would miss the crazy, bumbling blonde that had literally stumbled into his life. He would miss her laugh, her sarcasm, the zeal and fun that she brought to things as she experienced them for the first time.
It hit him like a punch in the gut. He didn’t want to cut her loose. He liked being tied to her. Liked having that connection—that line between them.
He wasn’t ready to let her go.
He had so many more things he wanted to teach her, to show her. And not just in the bedroom. Well, he had things to show her there, too, but he meant on the river and in the mountains. He wanted to make her waffles and lay in bed on a Sunday morning propped up on pillows while they both read books. He wanted to take her backpacking and show her the magnificent views above timberline. She would die if she saw a marmot. He could imagine her trying to lure it into her backpack so she could bring it home.
What the hell am I thinking?
Backpacking? Sunday morning? Waffles, for chrissakes? She didn’t even live here. She lived three states away, which might as well be on the other side of the country, as far as he was concerned. He’d have to get on a plane to even see her, and he hated flying.
He let out a sigh.
Because it didn’t matter. Didn’t matter what he wanted. The line was going to be severed anyway. She was only going to be in town a few more days, less than a week now. She’d go back to Chicago—to her shopping malls and fancy coffee bars. And she’d forget all about the stupid, dull guy she met in the mountains of Colorado.
No, he didn’t have weeks or months to show her things. He only had a few days. And only a few hours left to be alone with her in the cabin—where they could shut out all the chaos of the rest of the world and just be together.
So, what the hell was he doing out here in the woods instead of curled up in bed with her?
…
Avery wandered around the cabin. She’d already washed their few dishes, made the bed, and brought in more firewood. Her clothes had dried and she’d put her shorts on and a clean tank top that she’d had in her backpack. She wished she’d thought to pack a bra.
She’d tried to write but couldn’t concentrate.
Couldn’t think about anything except Sully.
What the hell was it about that guy?
Why was she letting him get under her skin?
He couldn’t be serious about her not writing the article. This was her chance. Couldn’t he see that?
Maybe he was like all the other men that had been in her life—the ones that were selfish and only thought of themselves. But she didn’t think so. He wasn’t like that.
He was different. Different than anyone she’d ever met before.
Even though she hadn’t known him that long, she still felt like she knew him—where it mattered. She’d seen him around other people and could tell he let down his guard with her, even admitting that he hadn’t shared that awful stuff about his ex with anyone but her.
Something about him touched her heart, her soul. Yeah, maybe that was it. It was like they were soul mates. She’d heard of this happening—of couples having an instant connection and falling in love after one day.
Heck, she’d had four days with Sully. And she already knew. Knew they had something special. Something that she didn’t want to walk away from, didn’t want to lose.
But could she give up her chance to get what she’d always wanted? Her opportunity to write for a big magazine? To travel the world and go on adventures?
And if he really felt the same way about her that she did about him—could he really ask her to?
There was no way this could work. She was kidding herself thinking it could. She’d tried long-distance relationships before and they’d always failed. Besides, she didn’t want anything tying her down right now. She yearned for her freedom, to see things, to do whatever she pleased.
This cabin and the mountains were great. But great places to visit. She couldn’t see herself actually living here.
Besides, it wasn’t like Sully was asking her to stay anyway. He seemed more concerned about the stupid article and having his name mentioned than he did about her.
She glanced out the window, at the sun dipping below the horizon. Where was he? How long would he be gone?
Maybe he’d hiked back to town without her—left her here to starve or get eaten by bears.
Stop it. He wouldn’t do that. Wouldn’t leave her here. She knew him well enough to know that. Besides, there was plenty to eat in the cabin, and unless the bears ran
out of berries and figured out how to open doors, she was probably safe from a bear attack.
The breeze coming in the window turned cooler, so she found some matches and lit a few candles around the cabin. It made the cabin seem cozier and somehow less lonely as she settled back on the sofa, covering herself with a blanket.
That lasted about two minutes. Too restless to sit still, she pushed off the blanket and stood. Maybe she could try to build a fire.
She jumped, letting out a little shriek, as the door of the cabin burst open, and Sadie bounded into the room.
Sully stepped in after her, his hair wild, his cheeks flushed. He was out of breath, as if he’d been running.
“Oh my gosh. What’s going on? What happened?” Alarm filled her chest. “Did you run into the bear again? Is it chasing you?”
“No. I just needed to get back.”
“Why? What’s wrong?”
He pushed the door shut with his hip and dropped his gear onto the floor. Not taking his eyes off of her, he walked toward her. “What’s wrong is that I was standing out in the woods trying to catch a stupid fish when I’d already hooked a gorgeous woman then walked out on her. What’s wrong is that I stormed off in a huff over something stupid when I should have picked you up, carried you into the bedroom, and spent the last hour getting you naked and out of breath.”
Her heart leaped to her throat, and she tried to swallow.
He looked so intense—wild, even. Like a caveman intent on throwing her over his shoulder and dragging her back to his cave. Hell, he even had a dried leaf stuck in his beard.
She should have been terrified, the way he advanced on her, the hunger in his eyes.
But she wasn’t. She was excited.
The muscles of her inner core tightened as she waited to see what he would do—part of her even hoping he would throw her over his shoulder.
Where the hell had that come from? She didn’t usually go in for that stuff. But nothing with Sully was usual. It was all new and different. And passionate as hell.
He stepped up to her, sliding his hand around the back of her neck and tilting her face up to his. He wrapped his other arm around her waist, pulling her against him, and she could feel the rise and fall of his muscled chest with each of his labored breaths.
