by Jill Sanders
Instead of being offended at her sharp tone, Trent just smiled more widely.
Okay, so Trent supposed he could see how this looked from Addy’s point of view. The word stalker popped into his mind. Still, he doubted she’d give him time to explain exactly why he was in North Dakota, in the same town, in the same parking lot as her and more than a thousand other people who some would describe as his enemies. Seeing as he was from an oil family, and everyone here was . . . well, against his kind.
Her blue eyes narrowed at him, and her hands were firmly placed on those trim hips of hers.
“Would you believe me if I said I came here to see a man about a moose?” he said.
Her faced turned a sexy shade of pink, then before he could say anything more, she stepped back and slammed the door on him. He couldn’t help it. He laughed.
Less than a second later, her door flew open again. “Why are you here?” Addy asked. “The truth.”
“I really am here to see a man about a moose . . . it’s a kind of tractor.” Trent nodded toward the parking lot, where a large semi sat a few yards away. On the back of the flatbed trailer was a massive blue tractor. What he didn’t share was that he’d selected the meeting place. To be fair, Joe, the man with the tractor for sale, had suggested North Dakota, about a hundred miles from their current location, but that town didn’t have a runway for Trent’s Cessna. So Trent had picked this place himself.
He turned away from her and smiled at the tractor. “I’m going to call her Bessy. I think I might be in love.” He sighed as he looked at the machine.
This time Addy was the one who laughed. He turned back around. Something close to an electric feeling flooded his body. The light from inside her trailer cast a halo around her long hair. It wasn’t in the braid she’d had it in every other time he’d seen her lately. Now it fell over her shoulders, and she looked even more beautiful than before.
“How did you get here?” She crossed her arms.
“I flew.” He moved a little closer as a strong wind blew up his back. “Landed about an hour ago at the airport. Any chance I could come in for a minute?” He looked around her into the trailer.
“No.” She blocked his way and closed the door slightly.
“Why? Aren’t you alone?” His smile fell slightly.
Her eyes narrowed again. “It’s none of your—”
“Addy, it’s freezing out here, and I need to talk to you about something I overheard.” He glanced around, not wanting to say more.
“About?” She drew the word out.
“Something you’ve just been told.” He really hated being out in the open. Not to mention he was freezing. He’d stood outside for the past hour, waiting for the truck with Bessy on it.
She was silent for a moment.
“Are you afraid of me?” Trent asked, not sure of what he’d do if she said yes. There was one thing you could say about the McGowan brothers: they may be known for chasing women, but they respected every single one of them.
He watched her chin rise slightly. “Of course not.”
“Then . . .” He nodded to the inside of her trailer as another burst of cold air hit them both. He shivered noticeably.
Addy stepped back and held the door open. “Five minutes,” she warned as he entered.
His mother hadn’t raised a fool. To his credit, when he saw how tidy her small space was, he removed his boots and set them on the drying rack next to hers. He hung his jacket next to hers, then moved farther into the small space, ducking his head since the ceiling of the trailer was about six inches too short for him. He noticed her head cleared easily as she shut and latched the door behind them.
She stood back and frowned as she watched him.
“Do you have anything to drink?” He looked around. “I spent the last few hours in the air, then an hour out in the open trying to . . .” He took a deep breath. “Never mind.” He shook his head, remembering how the negotiations to get Bessy home had gone.
“I have tea.” She moved, and when she bumped into him, nodded to the small table. “Sit.”
He edged around her slowly, his head tilted at an odd angle to avoid the low ceiling. He smiled when he heard her breath hitch as he brushed against her. When he sat down, he rolled his shoulders and enjoyed the warmth of the trailer.
He watched her handle the small space like it was the biggest kitchen. She took two coffee mugs down from hooks, filled a small glass container with water and set it down on a black disk, then hit the button to start the warmer.
“That’s pretty cool,” he said about the glass kettle.
She smiled as she pulled two packets of tea down from a cupboard. “It heats water up in under a minute.”
He could tell she was trying to stay busy until the water was hot. She got out some crackers and put a slab of cheese on a plate and set it in front of him.
Instantly his stomach growled. The sound echoed in the small area, causing Addy to look over at him. She frowned again, and he could tell she was debating what to do with him.
“Like I said, I had to rush here to meet Joe.” He took a cracker and shoved it into his mouth.
“I can heat up some soup, if you’d like,” she said, watching him take another cracker.
“I don’t want to put you out,” he said automatically.
“It’s not a problem, actually. I’m kind of hungry myself.”
He nodded and nibbled on the crackers as she went to work on her new task.
“Why do you need . . . Betsy?” she asked as she glanced over her shoulder.
“Bessy,” he corrected.
She shook her head and turned back around. “Why do men always name their machines?”
He chuckled. “Because we can.”
“Why do you need such a big tractor?”
“I’m clearing my land, and since I still have the blisters from helping Tyler clear his land for his house, I figured I’d be smarter than he was. Besides, I found out I love driving one.”
Addy set a bowl of tomato soup in front of him along with a chunk of French bread.
“Why did you have to pick it up here?” she asked, sitting next to him with her own soup.
“I’m not picking it up. I’m flying back home. I just came out here to inspect it and sign off on it so he could drive it out to me,” Trent said between spoonfuls of hot soup.
“You flew all the way out to North Dakota to buy a tractor?” she asked.
He nodded.
“In a snowstorm?”
“Well, it wasn’t snowing when I left Montana.”
She peered out of the windows next to the table. “You should probably fly out tomorrow. It’s really starting to come down out there.”
He looked out too and held in a curse. “Can’t. I have a meeting tomorrow morning.” He sighed and finished off his soup. “Besides, I’ve flown in worse.”
“You’ve . . .” She turned and looked at him, then shook her head. She set her spoon down. “What did you want to tell me?”
Trent took a deep breath. “I know that your boss . . .”
“Beau,” she supplied, and he nodded.
“I know he’s gotten wind of my family’s plan to purchase the Lenz family’s land.”
Her eyes narrowed at him. “How did you . . .”
“It’s not what it seems,” he added when she didn’t finish her sentence. “I overheard him telling you about it.”
“Okay,” she said slowly. “What is it, then?”
He shifted his feet under the table. “I can’t tell you anything about it yet.”
She pushed her half-empty bowl away. “Then why say anything to me at all?”
“Because I don’t want you to get all worked up about something that’s . . . nothing.” He smiled again when he noticed her brows arch. “You don’t believe me?” he asked.
“I don’t believe half the stuff you say to me,” Addy said with a smile.
“Why?” He leaned closer. “What did I ever do to you t
hat would give you the impression that I am anything but trustworthy?”
She laughed, and he realized he enjoyed the sound. Soft, yet caressing. The way her eyes changed when she was enjoying herself was mesmerizing. What would they look like in the heat of pleasure?
She stood up. “It isn’t what you did to me, more like . . . I’ve seen every smooth move that you’ve used over the years with all those other women.”
CHAPTER THREE
How was it possible that Trent made the area she’d lived in the past two years seem like a shoe box? He filled the space almost completely. Even the scent of him, woodsy and fresh, wove through every inch of air.
Addy kept herself busy by putting their bowls in the sink and then turned around. Without her knowing, he had moved directly behind her, and she almost bumped into him. His arms came up, covering her shoulders so she couldn’t fall back into the sink.
Just the feeling of his hands had her body responding. Her knees almost buckled as his eyes met hers. She’d always believed that Trent’s eyes were just brown; however, this close, she realized there was hazel mixed in, giving them an almost lighter hue. His hair had fallen in front of his eyes and he automatically flicked it away, almost bumping his head on the top of her trailer.
“Sorry,” he said under his breath. She watched that dimple next to his mouth appear, her eyes drawn to the spot like a magnet. She’d always wondered what those lips would feel like next to hers, under hers, against her skin. Again, her body tried to take over, and she felt herself sway toward him. His hands moved up to her arms, holding her steady even as he drew her nearer.
She realized instantly that she’d seen this move from him before. Many times, with many other women.
“No, you’re not.” She moved to the side, needing the moment to breathe through her attraction to him. “You forgot one thing,” she continued, after taking a moment to compose herself. “I’ve known you for too long. You and your brothers. I’ve seen almost every move you guys have used on other women, like I said.” She picked up the mugs from the table and put them in the sink with the bowls. The fact that her hands and knees shook with want didn’t escape her notice. She just hoped he didn’t see them as well. “I don’t know why you’d try them on me.” She turned back around, and he was in her way again. She easily sidestepped him one more time. “Now if we’re done . . .” She cocked her head toward the door.
Trent shook his head slightly, his dark eyes searching hers. “I’m sorry,” he said. “Honestly I only wanted you to know that there’s no reason to be worried about our purchasing the land.”
“Unless you can tell me that your family business won’t be drilling for oil on the land directly next to the reservation, there’s nothing more to talk about.” She walked over to her door and waited.
She could tell he was thinking about what to say next. After a moment of silence, he walked over and slipped on his boots. “You won’t have to worry about Brian,” he said as he pulled on his jacket.
“Oh?” She stiffened. “Why is that?”
“I’ve arranged for him to ride with the truck driver.” He pulled on his beanie, tucking that wonderfully dark hair underneath the cotton.
“Why did you . . .” She stopped herself. “Thank you.”
His smile caused that damn dimple to flash again. She needed him out of her trailer and fast.
“Have a safe trip home,” he said, then let himself out of her trailer and disappeared into the night.
It took forever for Addy to fall asleep after that. When she finally did drift off, her dreams were filled with chocolaty eyes and hot lips running all over her body.
She woke with the sun and headed back out on the road after a quick meeting with Beau and Joy. It was official; she was now in charge of everything at the Haven location.
It was up to her to find out what exactly the McGowans wanted with the Lenz land, if they were indeed going to be fracking, who they were working with, and most importantly how to stop them.
When she finally pulled into town that evening, exhaustion had begun to fray her focus. She didn’t waste any time and headed directly to the state park, where they had set up camp almost a full month ago.
When she pulled into her designated spot, she groaned when she noticed Brian, back already, step out of the shadows. It had been wonderful not having to spend almost nine hours trapped with the guy.
She was surprised he hadn’t chosen to stay in North Dakota instead of coming back to Haven. His mother, Rea, still had a restraining order out against him.
She knew his past, one of the reasons she tried to steer clear of him. He was the kid that, for as far back as she remembered, had bullied or picked on the weaker kids. Some of the kids back in junior high had gossiped about him decapitating cats and other small animals, but she knew how rumors were in small towns and chose to not believe half of what she heard.
He’d been a loner for the most part until he joined the protest group. Now he had a few guys to hang out with, shadier people she also stayed away from. But now that she was in charge of the operation, she knew she’d have to deal with Brian and his followers.
“I didn’t think you were coming back until late next weekend,” he said as soon as she stepped out.
“No.” She frowned. “Who . . .” She let her question fall short since she knew exactly who had said that to give her a quiet drive home. “My plans changed,” she added as she unhooked her trailer. She needed to run into town and restock her kitchen, and she knew that it would likely take her longer than she thought.
“I saw Trent McGowan go into your trailer in North Dakota,” Brian said, leaning against her Jeep, blocking her from unhooking the power cables. “Fraternizing with the enemy?”
The statement from anyone else would have been a tease, but from Brian it sounded more like a threat.
“Brian, I’m exhausted and I have to get into town before the store closes.” She nodded to her hitch.
He leaned closer to her, and she stopped herself from taking a step back away from him.
“I’ll be watching. And I have a direct line to Beau.” He glanced around. “Don’t think you’re above all this. Remember, I know people.”
She felt her skin crawl and raised her chin. “Oh?” She refused to let the man get to her.
“I know people.” He smiled and took a step back. “You think you know what’s going on around here? You don’t know shit,” he said, and turned and walked away, laughing.
As Addy drove back into town, her frustration surged. She’d gone all her life without so much as a flirt from the opposite sex. Then suddenly Brian, Haven’s notorious bully, and Trent McGowan, Haven’s hottest hunk, were both trying to get into her camper. Why?
She parked her Jeep in front of the grocery store and when she got out, she noticed Kristen Howell.
“Oh.” Kristen was still a little pale from her kidnapping ordeal a few weeks back. Addy could still see the worry and fear behind the woman’s eyes.
The last Addy had heard, Dennis Rodgers, the former project manager at NewField, was up at a state facility awaiting trial for the kidnapping. The man had not confessed to taking Kristen, but had admitted to siphoning funds from the McGowans’ business.
“I’m sorry.” Kristen smiled at her. Then stopped. “Addy, right?”
“Yes, Kristen, how are you feeling?” Addy instantly regretted the question when Kristen’s green eyes filled with sadness.
“Fine.” She looked down. “I’m getting used to . . . things.” Addy noticed the sadness retreat as a smile covered Kristen’s face. “The movers just arrived with my stuff from New York.”
“You’re moving here for good, then?” Addy asked, knowing she’d never consider a permanent move back herself.
“Yes, my mother is as well. We’ll start looking for a more permanent place for her.” She waved to someone over Addy’s shoulder.
Addy turned and noticed a woman approaching them.
“Hello.” Th
e woman smiled at her. Kristen looked so much like her mother that Addy almost did a double take.
“Hi.” Addy held out her hand and shook the older woman’s hand. “I’m Addy Collins.”
“Hi, I’m Kristen’s mother, Trisha.” The woman shifted a cart full of groceries toward the back of the truck. She smiled at her daughter. “Well, I think we bought enough groceries to last a month.”
“You don’t know the McGowan boys,” Kristen said.
“That might last you a week.” Addy chuckled and Kristen smiled.
“I’d better get going.” Kristen gestured to where her mother was loading the truck with the bags. “Are you staying in town long?”
Addy sighed. “Until I’m needed elsewhere.”
“Like Mary Poppins.” Kristen grinned. “Tyler told me what you did to help when I was . . .”
Addy watched the woman shiver and wrap her arms around herself. She stepped closer and put a hand on her arm. “Anytime,” she said warmly. “I’m glad you’re okay. I’ll see you around.”
“We’re having a small get-together tomorrow night, for everyone who helped look . . .” Kristen took a deep breath. “Tomorrow night at the McGowans’. My mother is staying there until she finds her own place.”
“Sounds good. Can I bring anything?”
“Just yourself.” Kristen waved as she got into the truck. “See you around six.”
Addy nodded and as she watched the mother-daughter duo leave, she thought about if she’d ever felt that close to her mother. Once again, the answer was no.
Trent was muddy, tired, and hungry by the time he let himself into his mother’s place. They’d gotten Bessy unloaded from the truck, and he’d spent a good five hours on her, hauling muck, rocks, and tree stumps from the site he planned for his home.
He’d walked from his land to the main house and up the rear stairs to let himself into the utility hallway. After shedding his boots at the door, he looked down at his clothes and made sure to step directly on the doormat. Better to strip here than track in all that dark mud.
He left his socks and boxers on since Kristen’s mother was staying in the guest room—Tyler’s old bedroom. After tossing his soiled clothes into the washing machine in the hallway, he started the laundry and headed for his room, then stopped dead in his tracks in the kitchen at the sound of laughter.
