Shiver

by Nancy Lee Badger

  SHIVER

  A White Mountains Thriller

  Book #1

  by Nancy Lee Badger

  *BONUS STORY INCLUDED!

  Copyright © December 2014 Nancy Lee Badger

  Revised November 2016

  No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by an information storage and retrieval system-except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages in a review to be printed in a magazine, newspaper, or on the Web without permission in writing from the publisher.

  All characters in this book have no existence outside the imagination of the author and have no relation whatsoever to anyone bearing the same name or names. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. SW

  Originally Published in Sept 2010 by RRP as Destiny’s Mountain, but has been heavily revised

  Cover illustration copyright © 2014

  by Nancy Lee Badger

  All rights reserved.

  THE STORY

  The author has used her EMT, Firefighter, and 9-1-1 background to create this story about a quirky college town, an injured hiker and his beautiful rescuer. Assumptions pull the new lovers apart. Barely surviving two stalkers, a murder on campus, heartache, and hypothermia, their race up a mountain during a snowstorm keeps the pace rolling in this hot and spicy romantic suspense.

  DEDICATION

  Dedicated to all the exceptional men and women of New Hampshire 9-1-1 who keep everyone safe by calming nerves, sending help, offering condolences, and delivering babies over the phone. I miss working with you guys!

  Books by Nancy Lee Badger

  Clan of Dragons

  Spark

  Smoke

  Smolder

  Kilted Athletes Through Time

  My Lady Highlander

  My Dark Highlander

  My Hunted Highlander

  White Mountains Thrillers

  Shiver

  Ignite

  Highland Games Through Time

  My Honorable Highlander

  My Banished Highlander

  My Reluctant Highlander

  Highland Games Through Time-boxed set

  Dragons

  Dragon Bites

  Southern Fried Dragon

  Dragon in the Mist

  Dragon’s Curse

  Military

  Unwrapping Chris

  Find all buy Links on

  Nancy’s Blog HERE

  CHAPTER 1

  Inhaling a lungful of brisk mountain air, Jacob Oliver massaged his left leg where a scar ran beneath his jeans from his thigh to below his knee. A breeze tossed his hair across his forehead, and ragged ends lifted, skimming his collar. He’d lived in this area since July, but still hadn’t found time to locate a barbershop in his newly adopted city of Fairfield, New Hampshire. He shivered. His decision to settle north of Boston brought along its own consequences. If September made him shudder, he didn’t want to think how low the temperature might dip this winter.

  Jacob stretched unused muscles as he soaked up pine-scented morning air. Chipmunks chattered, and he made a mental note to visit the outlet store to pick up warmer clothes. He’d lived in the milder climate of Boston before moving to Fairfield, and winter was closing in on northern New England.

  Kneeling on his good knee, he tightened the rawhide laces of his sturdy hiking boots. With his rugged, flannel-lined blue jeans, he’d be all right for today. The forecast that morning called for bright skies and a light breeze, but his unfamiliarity with this trail prompted him to prepare for anything. Should the weather warm up, he’d roll-up the sleeves of his blue plaid flannel shirt. Pushing to his feet with added care, he stared up at the open sky above the parking lot, and then glanced at the beginning of the trail, where huge pines loomed above the gently swaying white birch trees.

  He and several of his college buddies had hiked the Alps and Rocky Mountains every season before he met his cheating wife, Penelope; before he joined the police force; before the accident that changed his life forever.

  His almost-ex-wife hadn’t cared for anything more strenuous than her lessons at the tennis club. Wore her white skirt and sweater like a badge of privilege as she pushed me toward bankruptcy…only wanted me to pay the fees, provide the lessons, and leave her alone so she could enjoy her friends…and an instructor or two.

  He rubbed his thigh harder, trying to banish imaginary pain. The leg had healed, but not his heart.

  “Stop it.” His words echoed around the empty trailhead parking lot. Why waste any more time on the ungrateful bitch? Today was the start of a new chapter in his thirty-six years of life. Remembering he had woken happy, healthy, and ready to hike a new trail, he stared at the cold-steel color of the morning sky. The big mountain’s apex loomed surrounded by black trees and hidden by fog.

  Hope it burns off by midday. I’ll stop for lunch at a sunny place with a great view.

  He prayed he’d find something even better.

  Like peace.

  Hefting his backpack onto one shoulder, he stared at the trail he’d discovered while exploring his new town. The weathered signpost called it Wolf Rock Trail. He’d thought about nothing but this hike all week.

  After his accident, recovery had taken a long time. Rehabilitation helped him regain strength in his leg. Today’s hike was only one physical expression of his life’s new direction. Leaving his home in Boston and branching out on his own meant more to him than anyone could possibly imagine.

  Jacob forced away the memory of screeching tires and searing pain, as he slammed the hatch door on his beige Land Rover. The hike ahead needed his undivided attention.

  Heading from a sunlit parking area into a shadowy tunnel of huge trees and thick vegetation, he noted sections of the trail covered in wet leaves from a recent storm. Traversing around the muddy spots, he strode gradually higher and higher. He waved his cell phone to catch a signal.

  No bars. I’ll have to be extra careful. I don’t want to ruin a pleasant hike with another broken leg.

  A weary sigh escaped, ending when a smile tugged at his mouth.

  One fellow teacher had mentioned a small waterfall just off the trail. “You’ll hear Opportunity Falls, but you can’t see it from the main trail. The pool at the base is a great place for a lunch break or a sex romp. Take your pick.”

  Jacob recalled the man’s suggestive wink. He could only groan at the continued ribbing about his lack of a love life. He’d ended their conversation by promising he’d keep an eye out for the waterfall, not mentioning he planned to just eat and rest there.

  Judging from the empty trailhead parking lot, he might have the entire mountain to himself. He liked that thought. With lightness in his step, he followed the trail signs as he lost himself in the beauty, the sounds, and the smells. A woodsy aroma of moist, decaying bark mingled with the early autumn breeze, smelling oddly of vanilla. Small animals scampered across the forest floor, all but hidden by thick vegetation.

  “Let’s hope I don’t meet up with a black bear,” he muttered. He’d much rather see one of the peregrine falcons known to nest along Garnet Cliffs. That would have to wait for a day he hiked the southern trail.

  When the trees closed up above him and the sun disappeared, an eerie sense of aloneness descended upon him. Animal noises faded away, leaving only the rustle of the leaves far above his head. Another shiver skittered down his spine.

  “Shrug it off, Oliver.”

  He set out to locate a sunny spot for lunch. Exercise would suppress his appetite, so his backpack held little to eat. The hours flew by, marked by the sound of his steady footfalls. He thought of the waterfall his coworker had mentione
d, and chuckled when he realized all he wanted was to sit, eat his sandwich, drink bottled water, and enjoy a peaceful afternoon.

  Time passed in the quiet pleasure of contentment. With his breathing steady and his leg muscles keeping up, he followed the muddy trail higher and higher. Splashes of sunlight filtered through the trees. Vegetation thinned and the air turned cooler as he climbed. His laugh died in his throat when his ears picked up an unfamiliar sound.

  Singing?

  Definitely a female voice. He stood transfixed until he forced his feet to move. He picked up the pace. Along with the angelic sound on the breeze, a distant thunder echoed off to his left.

  “Where are those sounds coming from?” He stopped, quieted his leaf-crunching footsteps, and listened again. The now-recognizable rumble of rushing water mingled with the velvet voice.

  A footpath led off to his left. Picking his way through the smaller overgrown trail, which looked more like a deer path, he followed the sounds. Both the sweet melody and the roar of falling water grew louder.

  Abruptly, the beautiful singing turned to playful splashing.

  Peering through a blueberry bush, conscious of the possibility of berry-eating bears, he focused on the magnificent waterfall. From his vantage point, he couldn’t see the top of the falls, but at its base, a round pool of silvery foam churned under the weight of the falling water. He didn’t see the singer.

  Did I dream all this? In the middle of the day?

  He leaned closer, causing prickly branches, weighed down by fat, juicy blueberries, to claw at his shirt. A sudden splash of foamy water pulled his attention toward a woman as she burst up out of the pool, her glorious back to him. A long gold braid fell between her tan shoulder blades, reaching the top of her well-rounded bottom. Froth dripped down her slickened body.

  “Beautiful!” he shouted.

  Uh-oh. He clapped his hand over his mouth. Too late.

  She turned his way, as if searching the thick vegetation for a voyeur…, which was him. Water dripped over her milky skin, and pert nipples pointing his way testified to the temperature of the water.

  “Who’s there?” she demanded, then grabbed a towel. She didn’t seem too concerned he’d discovered her bathing in the nude. He watched in silence as she wrapped her mouth-watering curves in a fluffy towel the same yellow as a crumpled shirt lying on the edge of the pool next to abandoned hiking boots. Instantly, the sight of a bit of lace hardened a part of his anatomy.

  The knowledge she wore delicate lace against her full breasts made his mouth go dry. His throat constricted as he forced his lungs to take a deep breath. He had to do something. He had scared her, and owed her an explanation. Jacob pondered his best course of action. Seconds passed until he vowed to suppress his sexual urges for the sake of chivalry.

  “I’m so sorry,” he croaked. He coughed twice, then added, “But I thought I heard something, and came to investigate. Please excuse the intrusion. I’ll continue on my way.” He retraced his steps with care, finding it uncomfortable to walk with a swollen groin.

  Out of hearing, he mumbled, “If I continue up the trail toward Falcon Ridge, I’ll find another nice place to have lunch. Then I’ll get this hard-on under control.”

  ***

  Unable to spot her intruder, Destiny Blake waited for the low, masculine voice to speak again. She wrapped the terrycloth around her and pulled herself up onto the moss-slickened edge of the pool.

  Were those footsteps fading into the distance?

  Did Marcus or Pete follow her? No, if it had been either of them, he’d still be leering at her, so her thoughts turned to a recent conversation with her boss at the Fairfield College dining hall.

  “Those boys are stalkin’ ya, Destiny. Get yourself a restraining order or at least talk to both the college dean and Pete’s boss down at the fire station.”

  “I couldn’t do that, Tilly. It would mess up—”

  “Listen here, darlin’…I don’t know much about Pete Thayer, but that Marcus comes in here sniffing after ya every day. I know I said you needed some romance, but that guy looks like he wants to just swallow ya up. It’s a bit scary, if ya ask me.”

  Recognizing the concern evident on her round face, Destiny had known Matilda Johnson only offered motherly advice. Wolf Rock, a less-traveled trail, was north of her cabin. When the glorious sunshine beat down, she’d felt safe skinny-dipping. The sun-warmed water had looked inviting and she’d been unable to resist its call.

  So, who disturbed my swim? And, why did he disappear without explanation?

  Destiny clenched her fists. If either man had spied on her today, they were in for a surprise. Anger bubbled up at their lusty perseverance until she recalled the voice. Hadn’t he apologized?

  Since no one answered her inquiry, she quickly dressed. Gathering up her gear, she shoved underpants, bra, and wet towel into her daypack and hurried along the narrow path until she spied a bit of blue cloth snagged on a blueberry bush.

  ***

  The girl’s image filled Jacob’s head, and blood pumped into his groin as he walked. With curves and dips in all the right places, she looked so unlike his soon-to-be ex-wife, Penelope. He groaned aloud. Her sensuous thighs looked soft, cushiony, and inviting. “Stop!” he shouted to the empty trail. A distressed squirrel scurried up a tree and out of sight. The need to distance himself from this feminine temptation made him pace with rapid steps along the narrow path toward the main trail. Vegetation grabbed at his arms. Twigs cracked under his heavy footsteps. When his feet managed to find the main trail, he continued with his original intent, hurrying up the mountain. Glancing over his shoulder every once in a while, to make sure she hadn’t followed, was his undoing. His foot slipped on wet leaves, and bam! His right ankle gave way and he slammed down hard onto his left knee. Sliding down a muddy slope, he managed to grab onto the nearby branches of a small tree, halting his downward descent, but with all the breath knocked out of him, pain clawed his entire body. He struggled for uncounted minutes to refill his lungs while blackness hovered at the edge of his vision.

  “Lie still,” Jacob told his stressed body. In one painful instant, his mind flashed back to life as a Boston cop the night he sped through city streets chasing a dark sedan driven by a brutalized woman’s assailant. The scream of tires on a rain-slickened road, followed by the thud of impact, pounded in his ears.

  “Focus!” As fog cleared inside his head, he realized those were memories of a long ago night in a far away city. His mind pulled back from the pain that radiated up his leg until he realized that he currently lay on the muddy ground of a mountain trail in rural New Hampshire.

  Moving his left knee brought forth a groan that echoed off the trees. He broke out in a cold sweat that cooled the lust he’d felt for the naked girl under the waterfall. Agony easily displaced the thrill of physical desire. Concentrating on his limbs, instead of his softening erection, he moaned through clenched teeth. Assessing his situation, as beads of sweat bathed his forehead, he doubted he’d dislocated or fractured his knee—this time.

  Chilled, trembling fingers searched for open wounds. Not finding any broken skin, he relaxed a little. Blood loss wouldn’t be an issue. Glancing at his surroundings, his confidence faltered.

  I’m going to be in trouble if I cannot walk to my car.

  Shivering at the thought, Jacob shifted his attention to the other leg. He straightened his right ankle, pleased to find it just a little sore. With a glance at his watch, he focused on the facts.

  One o’clock…I walked a couple of hours. My car’s far away.

  Sitting back, supported by his right arm, he sucked in a long, cleansing breath and remembered he wasn’t the only person on this mountain. Pushing aside the image of a wet, naked, young woman, the flood of pleasure that brief memory caused, coursed through his battered body, and made him wish he was back at the falls, and its soothing pool of cold water.

  If he stuck his legs in the water, it might help the swelling. Then he shook
his head in disgust. He’d crushed his left leg in a long-ago car wreck. Somehow, he’d endured months of immobility and rehabilitation. He’d recovered, but had now re-injured the same leg. Dipping his throbbing knee in an ice-cold mountain pool seemed like a good idea until he remembered why he could not. No way would he retrace his steps and possibly come face-to-face with that girl.

  “Help is within your grasp. Ask, and she shall appear.”

  Sweat poured off Jacob’s forehead even though the rest of his body shivered on the cold, wet ground. His breath left him in a ragged grunt while his head swung left to right.

  “Who’s there?” He sat and listened to the crackling leaves and chirping birds of the surrounding forest. The woman’s familiar voice had spoken crystal clear; soft, low, and mysterious, but he saw no one.

  “Ask for help? What do you mean?” Jacob tried again, not expecting an answer. At the silence, he folded his sore ankle under him, leaned forward, pushed with his arms, attempted to stand, and failed.

  This is embarrassing, and I’m not prepared to be stuck out here all night.

  Maybe he could manage to crawl to the other side of the trail where larger trees grew, but if he let go of the tree root, he’d slide down the hillside.

  With food and bottled water, in his pack, he could wait for help. Still, his jeans were wet and muddy, chilling him. When he’d retreated from the pool, his flannel shirt had ripped. He looked up. Sun filtered through the tall trees, warming his sweaty forehead, but nightfall promised colder temperatures.

  No one knows I went hiking. No one will notice if I never reach home.

  With a pitiful moan, he shook his head.

  “What a fine mess you’ve made. Penelope will curse your memory when she finds out you canceled your life insurance policy.” Then he considered it was sad that only Penelope would miss him. Totally his fault, since he hadn’t made any effort to make close friends.