by Jennie Marts
This book is dedicated to
Todd, Tyler and Nick
The keepers of my heart
You have my love for now and always
Believe
Table of Contents
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Other Books By
Acknowledgements
About the Author
Prologue
If Jim Edwards had only known that today really was the last day of the rest of his life, he definitely would have spent it better. He would have stopped at Starbucks on his way to work for a latte instead of being on his sixth cup of awful office coffee. He’d have gone out to lunch and enjoyed some of the late-summer sunshine instead of absently eating a bologna sandwich while he worked at this desk. He’d have left work early instead of still being hunched over his computer at eleven o’clock on a Saturday night. He would have taken Charlotte Foster out to dinner, somewhere nice, maybe even to a movie where they could have held hands in the dark. And he would have chosen today as the day to finally tell her that he loved her.
Instead, he had stayed at the office, lost in the world of software and codes, methodically plodding away at the new program he had been working on with his boss, Jeremy Rogers. He had been with Jeremy’s video game production company for two years and was excited about the latest game they were working on. With its new AI capabilities and revolutionary character building, it was bound to change the future of gaming forever.
Unfortunately, Jim’s part in this game was over, as his dead body currently lay slumped atop his desk. Dark coffee from his overturned cup lay pooled on his desktop, soaking into his ergonomically correct mouse pad, and his head lay across his now silent keyboard. The spacebar pushed his mouth into a macabre death grin as the green light from the computer screen, bearing the logo of Rogers’ Realms, reflected off his balding forehead.
Chapter One
Gravel crunched under the tires of the SUV as Maggie, Jeremy, and the boys pulled up to the cabin in the woods. From the passenger seat, Maggie gazed at the charming setting—the rustic little log cabin set against the backdrop of the Rocky Mountains—and hoped the spider crawling across her new hiking boot wasn’t an indication of how the day was going to go.
She kicked the spider off and crushed it with the toe of her shoe, then looked across to the man sitting in the driver’s seat.
Jeremy grinned. “I’m so glad you came up here with me. I can’t wait to show you my cabin.” He wiggled his eyebrows at her. “You ready for an adventure?”
Good question. Was she really ready for an adventure? Not just for a day in the mountains, but for this new adventure in her life called dating. A year and a half ago, her world had been turned upside down when Chad, her husband of eighteen years, walked into their bedroom and told her he was leaving her for a waitress he had met at Hooters. Hooters! Maggie had a law degree, and he preferred to converse with a woman whose wardrobe included scrunchy socks and shiny orange booty shorts.
In under ten minutes, he had shattered her world as she knew it and left a huge, gaping hole where her heart had been. She’d tried dating a few times, but evidently the anger and bitterness she carried toward men didn’t make her a very good companion. Until Jeremy.
They’d met this summer, and his kindness and attention had begun to chip away at some of the hard edges of the wall she had built around her heart. She found herself letting him in, one step at a time, then fear and distrust would slam another door closed, and she would retreat into a dark, locked room of solitude and pain. But he hadn’t given up. Every time she shut a door, he showed up at a window, shining a flashlight into her darkness and inviting her back into life.
She looked at him now as he unfolded his tall frame from the seat and stood to stretch. His dark hair flopped across his eyes, and he pushed his black-framed glasses back up his nose. He was the quintessential nerd who grew into his looks and didn’t realize how handsome he was.
He leaned into the car, his eagerness to show her around evident by the huge grin on his face. “You ready?”
His smile and enthusiasm were infectious, and Maggie nodded. “Ready as I’ll ever be.”
She opened the car door and inhaled the crisp mountain air. It was late summer, and the sun shone through the aspen trees, a few of the leaves already turning yellow in anticipation of fall.
The scent of pine trees and wildflowers filled the air, and for the first time, she felt as if she might actually be ready. Ready to step out of the dark shroud she had pulled around herself and to take a chance on this new man. She smiled at the thought that Jeremy would actually appreciate the symbolism of a dark shroud due to his love of all things Star Wars.
The back doors of the SUV opened, and her two sons tumbled out. The sight of her oldest son, Drew, stepping from the truck caught her off guard. At seventeen, and a recent graduate, he was on the cusp of becoming a man. She still wasn’t used to the whiskers evident on his chin, and his going to college in less than a month was one more new adventure she would have to face.
Chad had walked out on not only her but their two sons, and the boys had become fiercely protective of her, forming a tight unit of their small family. Drew had taken on the role of the man of the house and bonded with Maggie over taking extra care to safeguard the emotional well-being of his fourteen-year old brother, Dylan.
Drew looked at her, and they shared a smile as they watched Dylan run around the cabin, proclaiming everything to be “cool” and “so awesome.”
As protective as they were, both boys had bonded with Jeremy over the last few months. He originally sparked their interest by telling them his company had designed their favorite video game, Call to Action, but had won them over with his easy laughter and all around nice-guy-ness. He was a big kid at heart and would spend hours playing video games with them, teaching them strategies and giving them inside tips on the game. Treating them as his buddies, he often brought over pizza and Skittles—not as a way to buy their affection, but as a nice gesture, and because he loved Skittles.
He had easily won over the kids, but Maggie’s heart needed more than pizza and rainbow-colored candies.
Jeremy came around the car and took her hand. “You look amazing, by the way. Not that you don’t look awesome in your courtroom power suits and heels, but I like this outdoorsy look of you all decked out in hiking boots and shorts.” He leaned down and nuzzled her neck. “And you smell good. Is that a new perfume?”
Maggie laughed. “Yes, it’s called bug repellent. And I’m still not sure about these hiking boots. They make my feet look ginormous.” She looked down at her outfit. She had been blessed with great metabolism. Her figure was tall and slim, so she could get away with most clothing choices, but being tall came with big feet, and the boots felt heavy and awkward. For what they cost, they should have made her feet look small and come with solid gold laces.
She had made a mad dash to their local outdoor store the night before to purchase the expensive boots and spent another hundred dollars on this outfit and what she deemed outdoor necessities. The khaki
shorts and light blue V-neck Henley were comfortable and boasted of quick-drying material and UV protection. The bug spray, two-pound bag of trail mix, and bird-watching guidebook may have been overkill, but she was in a hurry and wanted to be prepared.
“Well, I think you look great. I’m still amazed that a hottie like you is interested in a dork like me. But I’m not complaining.” Jeremy laughed and pulled her toward the cabin.
He called for the boys and gave them all a tour of the little log building, which had been in his family for years. The cabin was set against the side of the mountain, a rock chimney climbing up one side and blue-and-white-checked curtains in the windows.
Opening the door, Maggie was enchanted by the big stone fireplace and thick throw rugs on the wood plank floor. Rocking chairs and cozy throws sat around the fireplace, ready to be snuggled into and curled under. The cabin smelled like pine and a mixture of cinnamon and vanilla. “What time do the seven dwarves get back? I want to make sure to have the dishes sparkling and their supper on the table.”
“You don’t have to make them supper, Mom,” Drew said, stepping into the cabin and lugging a big tub of food from the car. “You brought enough trail mix to feed them for days.”
Maggie grinned sheepishly. In truth, she didn’t really even like trail mix. It was like having M&M’s, but with obstacles.
Dylan raced in behind his older brother, grabbing for the giant bag of granola. “I love trail mix. And I love this place. It’s awesome.”
Jeremy looked like he would burst from happiness. “I knew you’d love it! Isn’t it so great? Snide fairy-tale comments aside, there are a few things you should know.” He pointed at the light fixtures on the ceiling. “We have electricity but no running water. This place is rustic.”
“No running water?” Maggie asked in dismay. “What about the ladies’ room?”
He pointed out the window to a set of steps carved into the mountain that led up to a small building painted a sunny yellow. “We call that Tinkle House. You might have to share it with a spider or two, but it’s stocked with toilet paper, and it gets the job done.”
Maggie shuddered at the thought of sharing her personal space with a spider. Or two. She figured she could just hold it.
Jeremy clapped his hands together. In the few months they’d been dating, she’d yet to see Jeremy in a bad mood, but coming to the cabin today had him simply delirious with joy. “Who’s ready for a brisk hike before we eat lunch?”
Drew shrugged, but Dylan dropped the bag of trail mix, jumping to his feet in excitement. “I’ll go.”
Maggie shook her head. “Count me out for this one. I have a little work to finish before I can thoroughly enjoy my day. You guys go on ahead. I’ll stay here and get my case file finished and be ready to roast hot dogs by the time you get back.”
In truth, she did have work to do, but she was also glad to give Jeremy time to spend alone with the boys. They needed more male bonding in their lives and going for a hike in the mountains would give them time to spit and burp and kick rocks and do whatever other manly things men did in the mountains.
Jeremy looked a little disappointed, but he quickly rallied as Dylan asked him a question about deer tracks, and Maggie’s heart filled to see her son get so excited. She had a feeling the tall, cute, nerdy guy who claimed he was her “boyfriend” had something to do with her heart filling as well—but for now, she was giving Dylan the credit.
Smiling, Maggie watched her sons take off up the trail with her “boyfriend.” She sighed and did a mental eye roll. She was thirty-nine years old and using the term “boyfriend.” It felt so juvenile, like she was back in high school and trying for the affection of the cute football player. But in her case, she had tried the football player, and that hadn’t work out so great. She was now trying to win over the cute, nerdy guy with the glasses who was the president of the Math Club and understood physics. She sighed and headed to the car for her briefcase.
Almost an hour later, she had finished the case files, but her plan of “holding it” was not working. She pushed a lock of her long, dark hair behind her ear and blew her bangs out of her eyes as she climbed the steps to the little yellow building with the half-moon crescent cut out of the front of the door.
Reaching the top of the stairs, she hesitantly entered the little outhouse and after checking for spiders and snakes, she quickly took care of her business.
Maggie pushed open the door, preparing to take a deep breath of fresh air, but instead let out a screech of terror. Scrambling back into the outhouse, she yanked the door shut behind her. Her breath came in quick puffs. She looked out the little window in the door and there, sitting in the path, effectively blocking her exit, sat a large brown bear.
Maggie pulled her phone from her pocket and speed-dialed Jeremy’s number.
“Hey, you,” Jeremy’s voice sounded through the phone. “Did you miss me already?” She heard him chuckle softly.
“I’m in the outhouse,” she screamed into the phone. “And there’s a bear outside! Come back and help me!”
“What? I told you…reception’s terrible…here. What did…say? Something…your hair?”
“Not my hair!” she shrieked in frustration. “A bear! A bear! I’m trapped in the outhouse!”
“A bear…outhouse?”
“What’s going on?” Maggie could hear Drew’s voice. She could hear snippets of the men talking to each other in the background.
“I couldn’t really hear her… reception’s spotty up here…she was kind of shrieking…” Jeremy told her sons.
“My mom doesn’t really shriek,” she heard Dylan reply.
“I think…said there’s a bear trapped in the outhouse,” Jeremy said.
Maggie groaned.
Her frustration grew worse as she heard Dylan’s voice take on an excited tone. “Cool, let’s go.”
No. Not cool. Definitely not cool. “Jeremy, get back here. Please.”
A large thud slammed against the outhouse door. Maggie screamed. The bear’s snout poked into the half-moon window. He seemed to be sniffing out this weird animal with the expensive perfume.
A puff of hot, moist air came through the window and bear spittle landed on Maggie’s arm. She screamed again, and the phone flew from her hands.
“No! No! Nooo!” She scrambled to catch it before it hit the side of the shelf and dropped into the one-seater.
Helplessly, she looked into the murky depths of the hole and croaked, “Can you hear me now?”
The bear scratched his large paw down the front of the door. She jumped and screamed once more. He was up on his back legs, his big head obscuring the little window, as he curiously looked inside.
“Okay, this is ridiculous,” she said out loud. “I am a highly paid, professional lawyer. I deal with drug dealers and criminals every day. I am a mother of teenage boys. I have a college degree. How hard can it be to deal with a bear?”
She continued her litany of self-talk as she scanned the little house for a weapon. The walls were painted a cheery yellow, and a blue and yellow braided rug lay on the floor. A magazine holder was affixed to the wall, and Maggie gawked in amazement at the Better Homes and Gardens that was dated July 17, 1968. The pages were curled and yellowed with age, but otherwise the magazine was still in pristine condition. However, unless she was going to read him recipes and tips on how to be a sixties housewife, the magazines were not going to help her with the bear.
In one corner of the outhouse sat a tall toilet paper holder, handcrafted from old coffee cans and flowered contact paper. A framed picture of an outhouse hung on the wall, rounding out her arsenal of weapons. Well, she was nothing if not resourceful.
Minutes later, a trickle of sweat ran down the side of her face as Maggie carefully scooted forward to peer out the tiny window. The bear’s head had disappeared from view, and Maggie silently prayed that the beast had lumbered off so she could escape the hot, stuffy little building.
Cautiously easin
g the door open a crack, she saw today was not the day her prayers would be answered. She simultaneously launched both rolls at the bear while she screamed, “Go on!” then slammed the door shut again.
She cautiously looked out the window, hoping to see a bear-free path, but the big beast still sat there, completely unfazed by the launched Charmin missiles that had failed to land anywhere near his hulking body. Maggie groaned as she saw the white roll stuck in a bush, a foot of loose end waving in the breeze as if in white-flag surrender.
“Okay, you can do this. I am woman, hear me roar!” She began her self-talk again as she tried to think of how to get herself out of this predicament. She leaned against the wall and untied her expensive hiking boots. They would be worth the hundred dollars if they could get rid of this bear. She had spent sixty dollars on the shirt she was wearing. It deflected harmful UV rays and had built-in insect repellant. She warily thought she should have looked harder to find the shirt that had wildlife repellant. Who cared about a little mosquito when she was trying to ward off a bear?
The door creaked as Maggie eased it open once again. She took a deep breath and tried not to rush her attack this time. She wanted to scare it off, not make it angry. The bear sat about six feet away, in the middle of the path, eyeing her curiously as it licked its giant paw.
It used its teeth to dig at something between his claws, and Maggie took aim and threw her hiking boot at her furry foe. The boot thudded against the bear’s large haunch, and he grunted and shifted his weight.
“No,” Maggie cried in defeat, a tear threatening to spill from her eye. She shook her head and drew herself up to her full height of five feet, nine inches (now in her sock feet), and she clutched the second boot tighter in her hand.
“You can do this. You can do this.” She drew her arm back, ready for the next shoe launch.
“Hey, bear,” she yelled. “You’re not so tough. Go on! Get out of here! Go find some honey!”
The bear just looked at her, impervious to her taunts.
