by Jaycee Ford
“Y’all, this is Jordan’s friend, Katherine.”
Her eyes locked with mine and she gasped while throwing her arms around me. “Katherine, I can’t believe you made it.”
“It’s so good to finally meet you, Ellie.” I squeezed her into a hug. I had only talked to her a handful of times on the phone, but I knew that if Jordan trusted her as a friend, then I would too.
“Y’all talk on the phone, too, huh?”
Ellie and I turned to who I assumed was Paul. I glanced at Ellie and nodded as she replied, “Of course.”
“Let’s go, city girl,” Lance said behind me. I smiled at Ellie and Paul as they headed downstairs. I turned my head to watch them go as Paul reached out for Ellie’s hand. I envied them for a second until my eyes met Lance with his shit eating grin planted on his face once again. I groaned as I continued up the stairs ignoring that damned sparkle in his eyes.
When I reached the top of the stairs, I stepped aside to let him go before me. I kept my head down to avoid his wandering eyes and followed a safe distance behind as he opened the door to what appeared to be Tom’s room. The morning sun hid behind snow clouds and the horizon. The neutral color scheme seemed to gray in this light. At least I should be able to get some sleep.
The bags dropped to the ground and Lance broke the silence. “How about we start this again?”
I turned around to his extended hand as he continued, “Hi. I’m Lance Walton. I’m twenty-four. I work for my best friend, Tom, and it’s so lovely to meet you.
I glared at his hand as I folded my arms across my chest. “I’m Katherine Klein. I’m twenty-three. My best friend was kidnapped and I would like to sleep now.”
He moved his hand away as he stepped back to the door. “Well, if you need any help, you just let me know.”
With an unnecessary wink, Lance finally left me to my sleep. I turned back toward the bed and kicked off my shoes. I crawled underneath the khaki coverlet and rested on my side, staring a picture of Tom and Jordan. I had never seen her that happy; never once that happy with Ryan. Tears pooled in my eyes again and I closed them tight. We would find her. We had to.
• • •
After a three hour nap and a long hot shower, my arms were wrapped around a man that I wanted to detest for the simple fact that I liked having my arms wrapped around him; however, I could barely feel my arms as I rode on the back of a four-wheeler in a foot of snow. Lance shot us airborne and we hit the snow hard. My ass was going to be sore from this ride … and not in a good way.
“Do you even know how to drive this thing?” I didn’t even know this guy and he already infuriated me with that stupid shit eating grin and those sparkling green eyes. I hated him. Damn it. I had to.
“Yes, I know how to drive this thing.”
Not a moment later, he ran us into a snow pile, almost throwing me off the back.
“Damn it, Lance!” I jumped off the back of the death machine and walked away to calm my nerves, but the weight crept onto my shoulders. As they sagged, I couldn’t help the tears that came. I crouched down into a squat, covered my face with my gloved hands, and cried. The snow crunched behind me as Lance approached. Could he not just give me a minute? He placed his hand on my shoulder and I shrugged it off. I didn’t want his comfort. I just wanted my friend back. He breathed out and placed his hand on my shoulder again.
“Katherine?”
I peeked through blurry eyes as he squatted down next to me. I became mesmerized once again with his shade of emerald green. They sparkled fervently even through our distressed state. Just his presence alone was doing something to me, and I didn’t like it. I didn’t want it. He squeezed my shoulder gently and said, “We’re going to find her.”
The tears continued to quietly roll down my face, and I nodded, hoping he was right. He wrapped me in his arms and I buried my face in the crook of his neck. I inhaled deeply, willing myself to stop crying, but the only thing I could focus on was his scent. Damn, he smelled good. I snapped myself out of it and pushed away, walking back to the four-wheeler. Before hopping on with determination, I turned to him and mumbled, “Thank you.” Although, in attempting to not appear swayed by his attention, I pointed my finger in his face, and said, “But don’t think this makes me like you.”
His cheeks lifted into that sexy smirk of his, and with the fullest country accent, he replied, “Yes, ma’am.”
• • •
The search ended hopelessly, and I found myself sitting in front of Tom’s fire hoping to feel my appendages again. I was lost in thought of the possibility that I would never see Jordan again. She was my best friend. She was like my sister. When Tom started to cry, I had lost all hope, and I let my tears graze as well. Lance shifted his arm and rested it around my shoulders. I gave up fighting my necessary hatred toward this guy, and I melted into his body, feeling the need to be held as I mourned my friend. Lance pulled me closer to him, wrapping both arms around me. He attempted to rub soothing circles on my back, trying to relax me, but it wasn’t working. I wouldn’t rest until my best friend was found.
Breaking our somber disposition, the door abruptly swung open, crashing against the wall. We all stood and turned toward the front door as Paul ran in from the cold.
“Tom! Get up! Help!”
Tom ran outside as hope fired though me. I looked up at Lance and his green eyes sparkled again with hope that my friend would be alive. As Tom came back in gripping Jordan in his arms, I cried with joy just as Lance wrapped me in a full embrace. Being so close to this man all day, I did the only thing that felt natural in that moment …
I grabbed his face and kissed him with everything that I had.
