The Apple Tree

by Kara Jimenez

  THE APPLE TREE

  Kara Jimenez

  The Apple Tree

  Kindle Edition

  Copyright © 2013 Kara Jimenez

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner without permission, except in the case of brief quotes used for review purposes.

  This is a work of fiction. With the exception of Faustino, my wonderful husband, who has graciously given me permission to use his name and character in my work, any similarity to actual events and persons, living or dead is purely coincidental.

  Any trademarks, service marks, product names and celebrity names are assumed to be the property of their respective owners and are used for reference only.

  Papa’s Pizza is a real restaurant in Corvallis, Oregon. The use of their company name and setting has been done with permission, although Papa’s Pizza in no way endorses the content of this novel.

  Formatting and cover art by Mayhem Cover Creations

  Many, many thanks to my husband and children for putting up with me spending long hours in front of the computer screen and always supporting me. I love you.

  Thank you also to the many friends, both in real life and online, who helped me polish this baby.

  TABLE OF CONTENTS

  CHAPTER ONE

  CHAPTER TWO

  CHAPTER THREE

  CHAPTER FOUR

  CHAPTER FIVE

  CHAPTER SIX

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  CHAPTER NINE

  CHAPTER TEN

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

  CHAPTER NINETEEN

  CHAPTER TWENTY

  CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

  CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

  CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

  CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

  CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

  CHAPTER THIRTY

  CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE

  CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO

  CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE

  CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR

  CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  Bianca shoved moss-covered branches out of the way as she stumbled through the woods. Where the heck was the highway?

  She kicked a pebble across the forest floor and cursed the deer who’d led her into the dense vegetation. The animal had stood only a few feet from the road and would’ve made a lovely photograph. Easy, right? She should be cursing herself for being so foolish.

  The sun slipped lower in the sky. No way was she spending the night out here. Her heart pounded as she dug the phone from her backpack and glanced at the screen. A photo of Owen smiled back at her. If she didn’t find her way home soon, she’d miss her little brother’s bedtime story and the boy didn’t need any more disappointment in his life.

  Above the toddler’s golden hair, the clock read just after six. Didn’t cougars come out at dusk? A vague memory of a sighting, written in the newspaper, lingered in her mind. She shivered and held the phone above her head— still no signal. “Just my luck.”

  In every direction, tangles of trees, ferns and thorny bushes scraped against her skin. A low hanging branch blocked her way and she ducked, squeezing beneath it. On the other side stood several apple trees surrounded by a waist-high wire fence. Her stomach rumbled, reminding her that lunch had been hours ago.

  Pushing the wire down, she stepped into the tiny orchard. Surely the owner wouldn’t mind if she ate one? And maybe this meant there was a house nearby where she could ask for directions.

  A sweet, earthy scent filled the air and made her mouth water. She removed a golden apple from the nearest branch and bit into the crisp, ripe flesh. It tasted every bit as delicious as it smelled.

  Light bulb moment— Apple cobbler would be a fantastic recipe for her blog. And then she could do a tutorial on homemade ice cream. Or even better, homemade ice cream made with coconut milk for those who avoided dairy. Maybe she should be thanking that deer for leading her to such an inspiring place, except, she was still lost. And there were still cougars.

  She glanced around the labyrinth of twigs and thorns before taking another chomp. The ache in her stomach eased. Unfortunately, the bite revealed a tunnel and a green tail wiggled out of the core.

  “Ugh!” She grimaced, tossed the apple into the woods and stalked to the center of the grove where the biggest tree stood. On her tiptoes, she pulled a shiny, crimson fruit off the branch with a snap and inspected for bugs.

  “Drop it!” A deep voice broke the silence.

  She jumped and the apple slid from her hand.

  A man stood about ten feet away, on the other side of the trees. He looked mid-twenties, maybe the same age as her. A burgundy flannel shirt stretched tightly over his muscular body while broad shoulders tapered to a narrow waist and flat stomach. Brown hair hung in short, coarse curls over his forehead and stubble covered his square jaw.

  Her heart pounded under the thin blouse. Was it caused by exhaustion, fear or attraction? Who knew such handsome men hung out in the middle of the woods?

  “What are you doing?” An irritated expression covered his face and his hand tightened around a rifle, thankfully pointed down. “You shouldn’t be here.”

  “I-I’m sorry. I got lost. I’ve been walking for over an hour.” She bit the inside of her cheek. Hopefully he didn’t use the gun on trespassers. Her fingers clutched the straps of her backpack. A pocket knife lay tucked in the side pouch. Would she be able to reach it, if needed?

  Who was she kidding? A tiny knife was no match for a gun.

  “Did you eat an apple?” His gaze darted from the branches overhead to her face.

  The sweet flavor lingered in her mouth and she licked her lips. Angering the guy would be a terrible idea and technically, she hadn’t eaten the whole apple… “No, I’m just trying to find my way back to the highway. But I am hungry—”

  “No apples. Did you put any in your bag?” He gestured toward her backpack.

  She shook her head. “No.” Geeze, this guy was possessive.

  “Let me see.” His gray eyes remained dead serious as he reached toward her.

  “No. I’m not going to let you search my bag.” She took a step back, stumbling on a rock behind her.

  He sighed, stood the rifle on the ground and leaned against it. “Do you want me to help you find the way to the road or would you like to wander around the woods some more?” His head nodded in the direction she’d come. “I think you have about an hour of daylight left. Just enough time to build a nice little shelter out of sticks and leaves.”

  She grimaced, pulled the bag off her back and unzipped it. Who did this guy think he was, the TSA? This was so demeaning.

  He stepped forward, grabbed the bag and rummaged through the contents. When satisfied, he handed it back. “The road’s this way.” He pointed behind him. “Come on, I’ll show you.”

  She stood in place. “You don’t… use the gun on trespassers, do you?”

  An amused scoff broke through his tense demeanor. “Only if they try to eat my apples.” His eyebrows rose.

  That had to be a joke, right? She swallowed and grabbed a piece of her hair, twisting it around her finger.

  “Come on.” He waved his hand.

  Her gaze darted over his well-developed muscles as she considered whether it would be safe to follow him. “I don’t know if…”

  His features softened. “I’m not going to hurt you. I
want to get you out of here just as much as you do.”

  She took a deep breath and walked toward him. It wasn’t like she had any other options. “Why are you so protective of the apples anyway? I mean, isn’t that why you grow them? For people to—”

  “Just forget about the damn apples, okay? They’re not for eating.” The hard expression returned to his face.

  “What else do you do with apples besides eat them?” Her brows furrowed.

  He turned and stalked down a thin dirt trail into the forest.

  She scanned the area behind her. Where had that half-eaten core landed? Fallen apples and twigs littered the ground, but no obvious bites. It’d better be hidden, because she didn’t want to be discovered as a liar. Even if she was long gone by then. She took a deep breath and followed him down the trail.

  His boots crunched over the dead leaves and sticks littering the path. Otherwise, he remained silent, glancing at her only occasionally. She studied his features, telling herself it was in case she needed to recall anything in a police interview later. But if she was being honest, she couldn’t stop checking him out. His sturdy figure moved through the woods easily and when his eyes flicked toward her, there was something there, written in the gray depths— sadness, worry, fear? What could he possibly have to fear from her?

  After a few minutes, the woods opened to a clearing where there was a tidy, one story log cabin with navy blue curtains hanging in the windows and a swinging wooden bench on the porch. On the side of the house, a fence surrounded a large garden with neat rows of vegetables. An older, blue Toyota pickup truck was parked in front.

  She smiled at the homestead. It looked similar to what she envisioned herself having one day. A perfect fit for the Oregon landscape surrounding it.

  “Follow the driveway about a mile and you’ll reach the main road.” He pointed toward the gravel path, which curved and disappeared into the trees.

  “Thank you.” She headed down the long driveway, her sandals crunching on the tiny stones as she walked.

  “Wait,” he called.

  Turning, she found him standing on the porch with what looked like a forced smile on his face.

  “Do you need a drink or something?”

  A drink sounded nice, but she wanted to get home. Despite the man’s attractiveness, she got some really creepy vibes from this whole situation. “I have, um… water in my bag. So, I’m fine, thanks.”

  He nodded, opened the door and walked inside.

  Did he live way out here by himself? There weren’t any signs of female influence on the little house, but he seemed too young and gorgeous not to have a companion.

  She continued down the long driveway for at least a mile. Her leg muscles burned and wobbled like noodles from the all the walking. The road appeared ahead and about a hundred feet away, her bike lay against a tree where she’d left it two hours ago.

  Thank God. There’s no way she could afford another bike, not to mention, it would have been a very long walk home.

  She climbed on the seat and started toward town. The sun fell lower in the sky, casting long shadows from the trees onto the road. A shiver tore through her and she wished she’d brought a sweater. But, seriously, how could she have guessed that she’d be out so long?

  For once, her irresponsible mother had been right— she’d have been better off just staying home. Even though she loved riding her bike along the quiet roads south of Corvallis, as she’d done for years, she’d never been tempted to venture off in the forest before. What had she been thinking? What if she hadn’t found the road? She shuddered and pedaled faster at the thought.

  Levi stood in the window and watched the thin-framed woman disappear down the driveway. His fingers played with the coins in his jeans pocket as he considered what to do.

  No one had ever come this close to the apples before.

  He walked across the room, footsteps echoing on the wooden boards, turned and walked back to the window. Aldo lay across the floor watching him pace. Levi bent to give the dog a scratch behind the ears. “What do we do, Al?”

  The chocolate Labrador lifted his head, huffed and relaxed back on his paws.

  “Yeah, I can tell you’re worried.”

  The woman’s guilty expression flashed in Levi’s mind. He straightened and clenched his fists by his side. She had to have eaten an apple before he got there.

  “Dammit!” His fist slammed against the window frame and he winced as pain shot through his arm. He grabbed his keys off the kitchen table and stomped out to his truck. With his hand on the wheel, he hesitated again.

  Normally, he went to town and didn’t worry too much about the tree since he lived so far out, but the woman finding it that evening made him think twice about leaving. What if someone else came along? But even with city limits expanding, that was highly unlikely. He sighed and turned the ignition. There was no choice, he had to follow her.

  He crept down the country road behind the wheel of his Toyota. Where was she?

  A bike appeared in the distance and her ponytail swung as she pedaled. He smiled as he remembered the freckles sprinkled across her cheeks and the striking combination of red hair and brown eyes.

  Shifting in his seat, he glanced in the rearview mirror. This whole situation made him uncomfortable. She seemed like a nice person and didn’t deserve the invasion of her privacy. But, he had to know if she ate one of the red apples. Once he discovered where she lived, he'd be able to keep watch for any changes in her or her loved ones.

  His grip on the steering wheel loosened as they neared the edge of town. With all the other cars to serve as distractions, he followed at a closer distance.

  The bike swerved slightly as she glanced over her shoulder.

  Did she see him? The woman continued straight ahead. No, she hadn’t noticed.

  The novels he read made trailing someone sound easy. He’d once read a story about a detective who’d followed a woman home, because she was the next target of a serial killer. The detective hid behind a dumpster outside her apartment. At least he wasn’t that bad.

  The redhead rode down the center of the bike lane, pausing and looking both ways before crossing any intersections. She seemed like such a cautious person. How had she let herself get lost in the woods?

  When the distance closed between them, he pulled over into a store parking lot while she rode further down the road. He tapped the gear stick with his thumb as he waited. Maybe he should’ve built a better fence around the apples. But that might draw Peter’s curiosity. He wanted the tree to look like a normal part of his garden. How could he have known a hungry woman would come stumbling through the woods?

  Minutes later, he pulled back onto the road, scanning the bike lane. Where did she go? Did he lose her?

  Her red hair flashed from a side street, behind the drive-through coffee shop. Swerving the truck just in time, he followed her onto Lilly Avenue, a quiet residential road filled with apartments and duplexes. On the far end sat a playground with a colorful plastic climbing structure. Nice neighborhood, although a little crowded and low on the economic scale. She hopped off her bike in front of a white, colonial-style townhouse apartment building.

  He parked the pickup along the curb, a building down from her.

  Pulling a chain out of her backpack, she locked her bike to the support beam on the porch of apartment B.

  He dug through his glove box, pulled out a little notepad and pen then wrote: 2809 SE Lilly Ave, Apt. B.

  Peter sped down the highway in his silver Ferrari. A familiar, blue truck caught his attention and he slowed. Something about the way Levi lurked in the far corner of the parking lot, watching down the road, didn’t seem right. He sighed and pulled a U-turn. They’d been watching Levi for almost a year and hadn’t found anything helpful yet. But his father had been clear: report all suspicious activity.

  Shame he’d be late meeting the sexy brunette at the sports bar, but she’d wait. And if she didn’t, there were others. He tapped his
fingers on the steering wheel as rock music blared from his speakers. That had to be one of his favorite things about this century: music anytime you wanted.

  He parked a few buildings down from Levi’s truck and for the first time regretted driving such an ostentatious car. If Levi looked in his direction, he’d notice him in a heartbeat. Luckily, he seemed too focused to pay much attention to anything else.

  When Levi pulled onto the four lane highway, Peter followed a short distance behind, lowering the music so he could concentrate. They turned onto Lilly Avenue and it became apparent what Levi was so focused on: a stunning twenty-something woman on a bicycle. Tight jeans accentuated her delicious form along with a floral blouse and delicate summer sandals. Smears of dirt dotted her clothes as if she’d been working outside.

  Peter snorted with amusement. He’d told Levi he needed to find the company of a woman, or several. Living in that cabin so long by himself, he’d been reduced to spying on pretty girls. A deep laugh filled the car’s interior. It was amusing watching Levi turn into a super creep. Peter briefly debated getting out and flirting with her. It would drive Levi crazy to watch him hit on the woman he wanted and she would certainly agree to a date. She might even invite him inside. The thought tempted him, but somehow it was more fun watching Levi’s pathetic actions from the sidelines, unnoticed.

  The woman walked across the porch and her movements sent a jolt of recognition through him. He rolled down the window and leaned forward for a better look. Her hair was red, not blonde, and she was shorter. It couldn’t be her. It wasn’t her. It wasn’t possible.

  He pushed the thought away and concentrated on the task at hand. Should he report this to his father? The old man was desperate to figure out why they were all immortal. Apparently, Levi knew why and how to make it happen again. He was just too selfish to share the information with anyone else. But perhaps if he cared about this woman, she could be a bargaining chip.