by Ivy Jordan
I knew who she was, there was no doubt in my mind. She called me Bailey, just as the male voice had in my mind. I was Bailey.
There was no sadness at the memory of my mother, which made me wonder if my dad had passed. Maybe that’s why it was so sad to hear his voice, to remember him. Maybe it was recent, and that’s why I was out in the woods alone.
“No chicken, but a couple squirrels in the ice chest buried in the snow,” Xander responded with a chuckle.
I guess it was funny to ask if he had chicken. We’d been living on fish, quail, and bear. Now we were down to coyote, yuck! I was okay with squirrel.
“Where did you go?” he questioned, his blue eyes penetrating into my soul.
I wasn’t sure if my memories were accurate or not, so I wasn’t ready to share. What if I remembered something that would tear us apart, like a lover?
“I just zoned out,” I giggled.
“Can you handle squirrel?” he asked.
I nodded. “As long as you have oil, salt, and flour.”
“You’re in luck. Now, let’s just hope you can cook, and I’ll be in luck too,” he teased.
I knew I could. That memory of my mother in the kitchen flooded a few more into my head. I helped her fry chicken on Sundays after church. For some reason, a couple memories of me at the stove didn’t include her, but it was the same yellow wallpapered kitchen.
“Get your bath, and I’ll get the squirrel ready,” Xander instructed.
I went into the bathroom and filled the tub with about four inches of the icy cold water. Xander brought in the first tub of boiling water and dumped it in, creating a steam that immediately fogged over the mirror.
“I think that’s enough,” I assured him, running my hand through the water to mix the cold and hot.
“Okay. If you want more, just ask. I’m gonna put on another tub,” he asserted.
He leaned in, kissing me softly on the cheek before leaving me alone in the room. I slipped out of the socks and the flannel and lowered myself into the warm water. As I leaned back against the cold porcelain tub, my mind raced with curiosity, hopefulness, and fear.
If there was someone else, a lover, wouldn’t I have remembered him first?
I couldn’t shake the feeling that there was something or someone that needed me back home, wherever that was. I didn’t want to leave here, to leave Xander, but something was gnawing at me, telling me there was a real reason I would have to soon, a real reason that I should’ve never stayed.
Chapter Fifteen
Xander
I woke Monday morning realizing that it was yet another peaceful night with Bailey in my arms. Maybe she was right about the nightmares. Holding her at night seemed to keep them away. Waking up with her nuzzled against my chest was another reason that I didn’t want her to leave. The warmth of her body pressed against mine was so much nicer than waking to the chill of the cold room as the fire died down over the night hours.
Bailey started to squirm against me, instantly sending blood to my cock and thoughts of making love to her to my mind. I pushed her hair away from her neck and leaned in, leaving a soft kiss at her nape. I moved my lips slowly to her shoulder, gently kissing the small freckles that rested on her skin.
Her back arched as she stretched in my arms, pushing her ass cheeks into my erection. My hands reached around her body, cupping her breasts delicately, and pulled her back into my chest.
“Good morning,” she mumbled sleepily.
I growled in her ear, playfully biting at her earlobe. “Good morning,” I whispered.
My fingers rolled her nipples as they hardened from her full breasts, and my hot breath rolled freely down her neck and shoulder as she continued to stir awake.
I knew I was growing too attached to this woman, but it was out of my control. I wanted her. I needed her.
Bailey stretched to the edge of the bed and reached into the nightstand drawer. She pulled out a condom, handing it to me over her shoulder, and then turned her body towards me. Her eyes, so green, so fucking innocent, fuck, what was I doing?
My mouth lowered to hers, kissing her with a passion I’d never felt before. I knew it was wrong—it had to be—but I couldn’t stop it.
Bang, Bang, Bang!
Three loud knocks on the front door jolted me away from her and to my feet. Each knock got louder than the last, and it was obvious whoever was outside was determined to get in.
Bailey slid up, pulling her knees to her chest, and the blankets up over them as her eyes stared into mine. They were filled with fear, but she didn’t speak; she only looked towards me for protection.
I grabbed my jogging pants from the floor and quickly slid them on. My erection was still at full mass, even with the startling knock. I shoved my dick downward towards my legs, pushing some of the stiffness out of it, and then tossed Bailey my heavy flannel and pair of small jogging pants.
As she quickly got dressed, I stared out the window. It was still covered in snow and frost, impossible to see out of, but I knew it was still a messy storm outside.
“Don’t answer it,” Bailey shrieked as I headed towards the door.
Bang, bang, bang!
“I don’t think I have a choice,” I shrugged.
There was a heavy lock on the door, one that folded across it, but I knew it would come off easily from the frame if someone wanted inside bad enough. There wasn’t any use hiding from whoever braved the storm to make it up the mountain side.
My thoughts instantly turned to Bailey and her rescuers. Maybe it was the man who loved her, one that had been pining for her all this time, determined to rescue her and bring her home safely. Fuck.
I tried to peer through the frosted glass to get a peek at the brave soul at my door, but it was useless. I reached for the lock, lifted it from the door, and pulled it open.
“Holy fuck!” I yelled in surprise, wrapping my arms around Liam.
“Brother, you don’t make it easy to make house calls,” he chuckled, pulling the fur-lined hat from his shaven head.
I patted him on the back, quickly ushering him through the door so I could close it.
“How in the hell did you get here?” I questioned.
“Oh, it wasn’t fuckin’ easy,” he stated.
Bailey was staring at me with a bewildered look in her eyes as Liam smiled in her direction.
“This is Bailey. Bailey, this is Liam,” I introduced her to the strange man standing in the cabin.
“Nice to meet you,” she muttered in a weak voice.
Liam nodded in her direction, and then turned to me.
“I tried to call, but I never could get you,” Liam explained.
“I never did get another signal after we talked,” I responded, still amazed that he was actually there,
His eyes drifted to my jogging pants, a half erection still very visible, and then shook his head.
“Good to see you two haven’t killed each other yet,” he chuckled.
Bailey moved from the bed to the fireplace where she grabbed a metal cup and filled it with the warm pot of coffee.
“Coffee?” she offered Liam.
“Yes, thank you,” he winked.
He took the cup from Bailey, and I watched his eyes scanning her, lingering on her curves.
“We’ve actually gotten along quite well,” I smiled.
“It sure looks like it,” he chuckled, moving to the couch.
“Are you hungry?” I asked.
Liam’s eyes lit up. He rubbed his belly as he pulled off his gloves, and then wiggled from the heavy insulated coat.
“Yes, starved,” he groaned.
“I’ll get it,” Bailey offered, quickly moving from the room towards the cooler near the sink.
Liam’s eyes followed her as she pulled the left-over squirrel from the cooler and placed it in a small iron skillet.
“So, what’s the deal here?” Liam asked, his eyes shifting over my shoulder to Bailey as he spoke.
“What deal?
” I snorted.
His eyes rolled and his grin grew.
“You two, looks like you’re playing house,” he noted.
“Why don’t you get warmed up, something in your belly, and then we’ll talk,” I diverted.
Bailey placed the skillet over the fire, close to the flame, and then sat down on the chair by the couch. Liam rubbed his hands together to warm them as his eyes shifted back and forth between myself and Bailey. I knew he had a ton of questions, but I was more hoping he’d brought some answers.
Liam sipped his coffee, not offering up any information, and neither Bailey nor myself pushed. I knew why I wasn’t eager to learn of who was looking for her, but I found it odd that she wasn’t chomping at the bit to ask Liam what he knew.
“How are you feeling?” Liam asked Bailey as she brought over the warmed fried squirrel.
I noticed him eyeing her ankle as she walked.
“I’m a lot better, but still not a hundred percent,” she responded quickly.
“This smells amazing,” he smiled, taking a leg and thigh from the pan Bailey sat in front of him.
“It is. She is a great cook,” I winked in her direction.
I could tell she was nervous, uneasy, and maybe even a little irritated, but I wasn’t exactly certain why.
Liam took a large bite, ripping the tender meat from the bone with his teeth. He let out a hoot, and then smiled at Bailey.
“Now I see why you don’t want to let her leave,” he laughed.
He had no idea. There were so many reasons I didn’t want her to leave.
“So how did you find me?” I questioned.
“Luckily, you’re the only introvert in these parts, and being a small town, everyone’s been talking about the man in the woods since ya got here,” Liam chuckled.
“No one knows about this cabin, at least not where it sits,” I defended.
“Relax, no one could tell me where you were exactly, just a standard direction,” Liam assured me.
I wasn’t about to end up in the same situation as Molokai, where every fuckin’ tourist that visited the island ended up on the path towards my cabin.
“So, in town, they are looking for a woman that matches Bailey’s description, and surprisingly, Bailey is her name,” Liam announced.
Bailey grabbed a throw and pulled it over her legs as she shoved them into her chest. She stared at Liam as he spoke, but still didn’t push for the information he had.
“Who’s looking?” I asked reluctantly.
“That I’m not sure. Local police chief had her name, description, and that was all. They said her car was found below the mountain, right where I parked my truck,” he explained.
A strange sense of relief fell over me. Maybe there wasn’t anyone looking for her; it was just the empty car that set forth the search.
“Bailey Martin, 31, petite build, long red hair, that’s you,” Liam grinned towards Bailey.
Her face fell pale at the news he delivered.
“Does Martin sound familiar?” I questioned.
She shook her head slowly as she played scratched at her hand.
“I don’t think I’m good enough to make it down the mountain yet,” Bailey announced, lifting her eyes to Liam.
He paused, staring at her with seriousness. I knew he was trying to analyze her, to get inside of her head.
I was elated that she wasn’t ready to leave, but I wondered why she wasn’t eager to get back home to whoever was searching for her.
Chapter Sixteen
Bailey
Why the fuck was this man here? He was ruining everything, not only the love making he interrupted at his arrival, but everything.
I watched Xander as he struggled to be friendly and hospitable to the man he called a brother, but it was obvious he was a little irritated too. I wondered if it were for the same reasons I had. Was he dreading me leaving as much as I was?
“Are the roads cleared then?” Xander asked.
My heart raced as I waited for the answer. I bit my bottom lip into my mouth and calmed my breathing with slow, deep breaths until Liam finished chewing his piece of squirrel.
“Some of the roads in town are okay, but closer to the mountain, they are still pretty bad,” he informed.
Relief. Sweet relief.
“I had a hellish time getting my truck through the last two miles of road to the mountainside. I left my truck in the parking lot next to Bailey’s car, which is covered in ice by the way,” he chuckled.
“It’s a long hike from that parking lot to here,” Xander blurted.
“Yeah, and I wasn’t even sure where the fuck I was going,” Liam chuckled.
Liam’s eyes moved to mine, making me uncomfortable with his glare. His hands wrapped together as he wringed them like an old washcloth.
“You don’t have any idea who’d be looking for ya?” he asked me.
I shook my head. I really didn’t.
“I still don’t have a memory,” I explained.
“Nothing? By now you should be having some memories flooding back,” Liam exulted.
“Just the lyrics to a song, and the ability to fry chicken, well, squirrel,” I smiled softly at the man.
He was just like Xander described him, short, stocky, and looked like a body builder. You could barely see his neck from the muscles rippling up from his shoulders, but he still appeared to be very soft and gentle.
I watched as he leaned back on the couch, obviously ready to make himself at home. My blood boiled at the thought of him staying, but I knew that trip up the mountainside had to be harsh, and sending him away would be more than rude; it would be dangerous.
“Looks like there’s one more storm this evening, nothing major though, and then it’s all clear,” Liam announced.
“We should be able to get you off this mountain soon,” he winked in my direction.
That wasn’t what I wanted. That wasn’t what I wanted at all.
I smiled as politely as I possibly could, but I wanted to leap across the room and strangle the man who brought nothing but bad news and interruption from the time I had with Xander. Now, he would most likely be here until I did leave, dragging me down the mountain himself if he had to. How was I going to have any time with Xander? There would be no more intimate talks, no more snuggling in the bed all day, and no more love making.
I hate Liam.
“Until everything is clear, I don’t see the point in risking getting hurt,” I interjected into Liam’s plan of rescue.
“What was the mountainside like?” Xander asked, his eyes piercing into mine with anxiousness.
“It was still rough, very slick. The wind blowing snow from the treetops was making it feel like a blizzard was surrounding me, so I got lost for a while,” Liam explained.
“You’re lucky you made it up here,” Xander sighed.
“Yeah. I figure you know the way like the back of your hand, so getting down should be a cinch,” Liam added.
“But I have to get back up,” Xander pointed out.
“What, you sayin’ you’ll have problems?” Liam chuckled.
It was obvious Liam knew his friend was more than capable of handling this weather and this mountain. Xander had told me he could get me down, even during the worst of the storm, so I knew he was stalling. I was more than a little grateful that he wasn’t eagerly packing me up to get rid of me.
“Maybe. Got attacked by a coyote the other night, so my arm’s not as strong as it was,” he patted his shoulder as he spoke to his friend.
“Well, we can just hold up here until you’re both ready,” Liam smirked, glaring at each of us before leaning back on the couch cushion.
Ugh, he’s staying.
I didn’t want to appear to be ungrateful that Liam had come all this way to offer up news, and possible rescue me, so I offered him more coffee and then disappeared into the bathroom to splash some cold water on my face.
Martin wasn’t ringing any bells as I tried to connect to t
he last name. My mind was blank with stress over Liam’s arrival, making it impossible to think straight. Maybe after I calmed down, it would be more familiar.
I ran the water, letting my hands slip under the stream just for a second, and then splashed my face. I grabbed the towel on the sink, dried my face, and then stared into the mirror. Who was looking for me, for Bailey Martin?
Liam’s assessment of my lack of memory had me rattled as well. I had remembered my mother, and I believe my father’s voice, but that wasn’t hardly enough to make sense of my life, whatever life it was before I got here.
I’d kept the secret of my brief memories from Xander, so I surely didn’t feel the need to share them with Liam. When I knew more, I would divulge.
Liam was leaning into Xander as I walked out of the bathroom. He appeared to have been whispering something to him and quickly pulled away when I appeared. A warning, I was certain of that, telling Xander that he shouldn’t be getting too close to me, to this strange woman with no memory.
I picked up the empty skillet from the table, smiling at Liam warmly as I did, and then took it to the sink.
Xander’s eyes followed me. I could feel them on my back. I wished I could read his mind, to know what he was thinking, feeling.
I wiped the skillet out with a damp towel, and then seasoned it with oil before hanging it back up where it belonged. Heat pushed into my back, and then Xander’s strong hands rested on my hips.
“Are you okay?” he whispered in my ear.
“Yes. Are you?” I retorted.
“I am,” he said softly, and then quickly moved from his position behind me.
I turned, watching Xander grab the bottle of whiskey from under the sink. Great, now they were going to have a drink, hang out like old pals, and where did that leave me?
“Would you like a drink?” Xander asked, holding up the bottle with a grin.
“Sure,” I agreed, realizing that it would be a long night if I kept myself excluded.
