License to Love: Holiday Box Set (Contemporary Romance)

by Kristen James

  “Are you cold? Are your legs okay?” he asked, turning and shining the light down on her.

  “I have much bigger problems to worry about than scratching my legs up.”

  He paused and swung the light around, almost as if he felt the same eerie sensation as she did. She tried to see into the blackness and considered racing off into the trees. Nick took a hold of her blanket and gently pulled her along. He was guiding her. It wasn’t menacing at all. She began to soften toward him. No. She had to hold onto her anger and keep the distance between them.

  The trees opened and he shined the light up towards a small wooden building. Really, it was a tiny shack trying to hold its own against the forest.

  “I’m sorry about this dump,” Nick said, looking the place over.

  The wood structure looked like a building from an oil painting: lots of character, but not good for much. Instead of a porch or steps, just a plain wood door marked the entrance. Nick put his arm around her and led her inside. He shut the door and walked to something – a table maybe. His shadow blocked the light.

  “I can’t see anything,” she said, panicking. Why did he bring her here?

  She heard something, and then a light came on. He had a propane camping lamp that hissed as it burned. “Let’s look around and make sure everything’s okay.”

  What could he possibly mean by okay? This was not okay.

  The dark interior contained a stove, a table, two wooden kitchen chairs, and a worn brown couch. There was a tiny bathroom in the corner. A wall extended from the bathroom to create a semi-private space for two twin beds. It was just a one room cabin. Cans of food sat stacked next to the stove. No pictures hung on the walls, no carpets padded the uneven wood floor.

  “I have to go to the bathroom,” she said and glanced at him.

  “Oh, here, take the lamp.”

  She grabbed it, and her workout bag, and left him standing there as she went into the bathroom, which was the only room in the cabin with a door. It had running water, at least, but it didn’t have a window. That killed that idea. She changed into cotton shorts and a tank top and stuffed her other clothes back into the bag.

  When she opened the bathroom door, she saw Nick trying to light the cooking stove with a match. She set the lamp on the table and walked around the wall over to the beds. There was a tiny window, but it had boards nailed across it from the inside. If they were nailed form the outside, she might have been able to push or kick them off. They also looked newer and sturdier than the rest of the cabin.

  She could hear Nick making noise by the stove, and she peeked toward the door. She soon realized he was close enough to easily grab her if she ran.

  Who would have built a cabin so far out in the country? It was hard to picture a couple or family living here and being happy. Maybe it was an old hunting cabin. That made more sense. Now the Holloways used it to hold people hostage.

  She sat on the bed. The plan was to think up a plan. Instead she let the tears come, and it felt good to let go. She had every right to be upset, mad and scared.

  She fell across the bed, covered her nose so she wouldn’t smell it, and let the tears run down the sides of her face. How could her dad have gotten into so much trouble? Why hadn’t he just quit that job?

  “Cora?” He stopped by the end of the bed. She hadn’t heard him walk over. “I have some dinner on the table. Nothing fancy, but you have to be hungry by now.”

  Cora didn’t want him to see her wrecked emotional state, so she just nodded. She had her arm over her face and it was dark, so he wouldn’t see. She couldn’t find her voice.

  “Cora?”

  He sat down next to her and touched her leg. That made her jump. Still, he didn’t move his hand.

  “You should eat something.” He took her hand and tried to pull her up. She fought at first, but couldn’t find a reason for it so she gave in. He pulled her up so quickly that she bumped into his chest. His arm came up around her back.

  It’d feel so good to lean into him and cry some more. He wiped her wet cheek and began soothingly rubbing her back. There was a desperate feel to his caresses that revealed his guilt.

  She needed someone to reassure her, but not him, not now. “Don’t.” She pushed off the bed and walked to the table. He had set just one metal camping plate and a full glass of water.

  “Sit down,” he said, pulling the chair out.

  It would feel very strange to sit down and eat with him, but she felt uneasy about the single plate too. She glanced toward the stove and then up at him.

  “Your candle lit dinner,” he said, trying to smile. When he stepped back to the stove, she finally spotted the other plate full of food. She was staring. Did he know what she was thinking? He took a bite of his food and raised his fork in her direction. “It’s not as bad as it looks.”

  That wasn’t what she was worried about…

  She smelled rice and her mouth watered. Saying a prayer, she took a bite.

  The plate contained a cooked, boxed dinner and some canned vegetables. She could barely taste it because she was so hungry. She was a little surprised by his polite gesture, letting her use the table by herself. It was now clear that he was nice enough not to poison her as well.

  He rinsed their plates and boiled them in a large pot, due to the lack of any dish soap. She walked around the wall and laid down on one of the beds. She was surprised by how tired she felt.

  Nick came in and sighed as he sat on the other bed. He set the lamp down on the ground and its glow spread up into the room. It sounded a bit like a campfire when she closed her eyes. She could still feel him looking at her.

  “Your father isn’t completely alone,” he said. “I’m not the only one in the family that disagrees with what they’re doing. My cousin is trying to keep tabs on Jerry.”

  “If you think this is wrong, and you want to help, why won’t you and this cousin grab Jerry and me and run? We could get away and go to the police.”

  “We can’t get you and Jerry at the same time. Keith might do something awful if…”

  “If what?” She wasn’t going to let it go.

  “Alright. If one of you gets away, Keith might hurt the other one. It won’t keep him at up night to have Alexander kill someone.”

  “Have you ever killed anyone?” she asked without opening her eyes. She wanted distance, and maybe to hurt him, and that’s why she asked. A part of her also wondered if he’d admit to hurting anyone before.

  “What?” He asked slowly, sounding hurt and insulted. “I really scare you?”

  She opened her eyes.

  “Cora…I’ve never purposely hurt anyone in my life. I’ve never done anything like this before.” He sat on the edge of his bed, leaning over and resting his elbows on his knees. The pleading look in his eyes made her want to believe him.

  “Then why start now?”

  “To fix all this. I didn’t plan on having anything to do with my family, but I couldn’t stay out of it.”

  “You could have called the police,” she accused. “Or told me what was going on when you stopped me at the restaurant.”

  “I wanted to go straight to the police with all this, but I can’t be certain Keith doesn’t have some of them on his payroll. Or, Alexander might have been watching me. I couldn’t figure out a way to get help without putting Jerry or you in more danger. This bought us time.”

  But was it enough time?

  She closed her eyes and willed her body and mind to relax, remembering a day long ago spent on the beach with both her parents. Like always, the memory brought tears to her eyes. She soon remembered that Nick was watching her; she rolled the other way and wiped her eyes. She pretended to be asleep for so long she actually started to drift off.

  ***

  She woke with a start in complete darkness. Nick must have turned the lamp off.

  He was asleep!

  She jumped up and felt her way to the door. It creaked as she opened it, and the entire cabin compla
ined at any movement. Nick didn’t wake up. She stepped outside into more darkness and took a deep breath of fresh night air. It could have been midnight, or two, or four. She had no idea.

  The frogs and crickets were even louder out here. The moon had set. There was millions of endless stars suspended above, amazing her with their brightness. Staring straight up, she felt as if she could reach up and touch them. After a minute spent in awe, she looked down and found herself in complete darkness. Her breathing sounded very loud. She heard soft footsteps coming toward her.

  She froze.

  “Cora?” His soft whisper caused her to jump. “Cora? You’ll scare yourself silly. Come on, let’s get inside.”

  Nick guided her through the door so quickly that she didn’t speak until they were inside. “Why are you sneaking around like that?”

  He shut the door behind them and said, “Someone else could be sneaking around out there, besides the two of us.”

  She felt his hand on her arm as he guided her back to the beds.

  “Let’s get some rest.” That’s all he said as he sat her on the bed. She lay down, feeling relieved that she didn’t have to make a run for it into the black night. She needed to escape… but she knew she wouldn’t be able to find her way under a moonless sky, through the forest.

  Her relief quickly turned into irritation. She wasn’t doing anything to get away from Nick, and back to her father.

  She felt a blanket fall over her and realized he was pulling her blanket up. A strange guilt hit her when she thought about her plan to sneak away from him. His bed creaked when he sat down.

  “Goodnight…And Cora, somehow I’ll fix this.”

  ***

  The breeze brushed the outside of the cabin walls, gently waking Cora in the morning. The room appeared out of focus and dark. Only after a confusing minute did she remember where she was. The night before rushed into her memory like a pounding migraine.

  The dark room became incredibly warm as the sun shone on its weathered walls. Reaching above her head, she stretched for a long minute to relieve some of the tightness in her body. She felt as if she’d slept too hard, but cold water from the bathroom sink helped clear her mind. She rubbed her temples and ran her fingers through her hair. So last night wasn’t a nightmare after all.

  She opened the front door to let some light in. It was so dark and depressing in here, as if the situation itself wasn’t enough to make her want to curl up and cry.

  Nick had left several cans of food and a can opener on the table, but there wasn’t a note or any sign of him. This was her chance… but she looked back at the cans and decided she needed to eat something first.

  “Canned peaches, canned nectarines, or canned pears for breakfast?” Settling on canned peaches, she opened and ate the entire can.

  After eating she slowly walked to the front door, planning to look around for Nick before darting out. The aged wood of the cabin creaked and groaned with each step. The brightness outside blinded her at first.

  It looked clear but she swore she heard footsteps approaching along the cabin. She stepped back, wondering if it was Nick or her imagination. If he wasn’t right there, she was going to run for it.

  Alexander, and not Nick, stepped into view and sent her back several feet as she gasped. He smirked and tilted his head in greeting, looking her up and down.

  “Cora, what are you doing sneaking around?” He blocked her way, his hands on his hips and wet spots on his T-shirt under each arm.

  “I’m not.”

  His hair, slicked to one side, annoyed her. She didn’t like his over-kept look, and really didn’t like the way he looked at her.

  She felt offended and let it show before saying, “Where’s Nick?”

  Even with all the anger she felt for Nick, she preferred him any day over Alexander. The smirk fell from Alexander’s face. Ha!

  “So the two of you got better acquainted last night?” Alexander, though not a huge man, had a hard face and curt way of saying each word. He tried to bully her into the house. She felt the overwhelming need to defy him and win this one tiny battle. She crossed her arms and stayed put.

  “You must be one lonely and desperate man.” She felt a little too smug when saying the words.

  Immediately, Alexander’s eyes narrowed and his nostrils flared. He stood so close that she could see sweat beading up on his face.

  For a horrifying second, it looked like he would hit her. She stepped away, and a fever-like shiver ran down her back. They both heard footsteps, behind Alexander, running toward them.

  Between Alexander and the door, she could see Nick. He was dressed in a dark green T-shirt, khaki shorts, and hiking boots. Alexander followed her gaze back to Nick; while his head was turned, she darted back behind the wall and sat on the bed.

  Five

  Seeing Alexander that close to Cora made Nick’s skin crawl. He was glad she went inside and Alexander walked to meet him.

  He didn’t waste any pleasantries. “Did Jerry find the money this soon?”

  Alexander snorted. “Hardly.”

  Nick had to play his role and pretend they were on the same team. “So what’s the news?”

  “He still claims someone else stole it. He’s investigating, he says. My guess is he’ll get himself killed.”

  Nick held a straight face even though he felt like punching Alexander right in that straight, pointed nose of his.

  “Did I ruin your plans by showing up?” Alexander’s mouth twisted. “I hope you won’t bother pretending you’re not trying to get her into bed.”

  Alexander’s crude words pushed Nick’s buttons. Still, he only shrugged.

  “I’m just doing what my father needs me to.” Nick tried to take a non defensive stance to avoid a conflict. “Keith wants her up here for a while, so this is where we’re staying.”

  “I don’t buy it, and I don’t know why Keith does.”

  Alexander wanted a fight, and a reason to grab Cora and take off with her. “Guess it’s a family thing,” Nick said, abandoning his plans for avoiding a conflict. That had to piss Alexander off.

  “Keith doesn’t need a lawyer around,” Alexander said. “You know that, don’t you? You walked away and you’re not getting back in.”

  It was obvious why Alexander felt so strongly. He was Keith’s number one man, and he got there because Nick chose to leave his family.

  “Don’t be so sure.” Nick took a new line of defense. “Maybe a lawyer in the family could prove useful.”

  Alexander was so stunned that he took a step backwards. Nick immediately regretted his words because now Alexander had another reason to watch him closely.

  “What do you want with Cora?” Nick asked. He knew it was a dangerous question, but he hoped Alexander might let something slip. “Why did you really get her involved?”

  Alexander laughed. “You know it was the only way to get Jerry to find the money while trusting that he wouldn’t go to the police. We can’t let information like this reach the press.”

  Alexander’s story remained the same but his actions said otherwise. Nick couldn’t imagine Alexander sacrificing his job, but his instincts told him that Alexander wanted Cora for something more. Nick stepped back. “We don’t need to get in each other’s way. You do your job and I’ll do mine.”

  “That’s right. You do what you’re told.” Alexander turned and stalked off to the path leading to the shed.

  Nick glanced toward the cabin, wondering if Cora heard the conversation.

  ***

  Cora couldn’t imagine what the two men had to talk about. She had been able to hear parts of the conversation, and it sounded like they were just trying to insult each other. A pissing contest, nice. Maybe it would help her that they weren’t working together.

  Nick entered the cabin alone. “Alexander’s leaving now, but I doubt he’ll stay away long. He might have one of the guys check on us too.”

  That didn’t help her plan.

  “Wan
t to get out of here? We could walk down to the stream, it’s not far. I found a great spot.” He walked over to her and extended his hand. “The mountain air will be good for you.”

  “Aren’t you worried about Alexander?”

  “He has work to do in Eugene. He can’t stay out here spying on us all day.”

  She glanced at his hand, accidentally letting her look linger, and stood by herself, too afraid of what touching him might do to her.

  “I’ll walk to the stream with you, but it doesn’t mean I trust you.” She wasn’t sure why she felt the need to say that and throw another jab.

  He exhaled and looked hurt for a tiny second. “Fair enough.”

  She had to pause outside the door to let her eyes adjust again. He waited and then led the way across the grass to the forest.

  “Do you know how my father’s doing?” she asked, thinking maybe Alexander had brought news.

  “He thinks he can find whoever actually stole the money.”

  She followed him on a deer path through low-laying ivy and short holly trees that grew between large tree trunks. The soft forest floor hardly made a noise as she walked on it and became a part of the large landscape.

  If she timed it right, she could make an escape when he wasn’t looking. Alexander might be watching though, and that thought chilled her.

  The sound of the rushing stream grew louder as they neared. The path ended after just a few more steps, and the ground sloped down to the water’s edge. She sat on a large, flat boulder and pulled off her shoes, and placed her bare feet in the cold water. The coolness seeped up through the air, giving her tangible relief from the tension she had been carrying. Cora could breathe again.

  It was truly beautiful here, untouched by man or the worries of modern life. On the other side of the stream, lush greenery hung over the water while water skippers skimmed across the stream, flying over the round pebbles in the riverbed.

  Through her peripheral vision, she noticed him watching her. She quickly glanced in his direction, mostly to make him look away. He didn’t.