Northern Light
…Her lips tilted up at the corners and her cheeks flushed a dusty rose color. He wondered if her skin looked so pink and lovely after making love. Whoa, buddy, back the boat up! Thoughts like that had no room in his head during this trip.
Taking a step back, he worked to shake loose his last mental wanderings as she climbed into the suit and began pulling it up and over her body, punching her arms through each sleeve. “It seems a little loose.”
Trying to keep his mind on the task, Nathan studied the suit. “Yeah, I think you’re right. Don’t bother zipping it. Just take it off and try the other one on.”
She wiggled out of one garment and into the other, and struggled to get her arms in the sleeves. “Is it supposed to be this tight?”
“Yes. The better the fit, the less chance the suit will let icy water in.”
She wrangled her second arm into the sleeve, then groped around for the zipper.
“Here, let me do that.” Nathan reached for the zipper. It was supposed to be a benign gesture meant to help her, but when his hand brushed against her abdomen, sparks raced through his fingers and up his arm. She sucked in a quick breath, and his gaze flicked up to meet hers. Her eyes radiated her surprise and something more. That something more drew him in and pulled at his very soul.
As much as he wanted to deny it, he couldn’t. The attraction was too great, too powerful for him to ignore. Before he even realized he’d done it, his other hand spanned her waist, holding her in place. For a few heartbeats, their surroundings faded away, and he had a sudden overwhelming urge to lean over and kiss her…
Warning
This e-book contains adult language and subject matter that may be considered offensive to some readers. E-books containing adult content are for sale to adults ONLY, as defined by the laws of the country in which you made your purchase. Please store your files wisely, where they cannot be accessed by under-aged readers.
This e-book is a work of fiction. While reference might be made to actual historical events or existing locations, the names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
Northern Lights
COPYRIGHT © 2012 by Michelle Cary
Contact Information:
Published by
Michelle Cary
P.O. Box 1792
Laurel Springs, NJ 08021
[email protected]
Cover Art by Ginger McCarty
The Virtual Page Web and Graphic Design
www.thevirtualpage.com
Originally published 2008 under the title Ransomed Heart by The Wild Rose Press
Published in the United States of America
NORTHERN LIGHTS
MICHELLE CARY
To my family.
CHAPTER 1
“You want me to do what?” Nathan Lowery pinched the bridge of his nose with this thumb and forefinger, closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He couldn’t possibly have heard his sister-in-law correctly.
“I want you to take Brooke with you for king crab season.” Willow stood, hands on hips, her shirt pulled tight against her six-month pregnant belly, looking at him with eyes radiating both challenge and hope.
Yeah, he’d heard right the first time.
In her late twenties, with softly curled russet hair and legs that went on for miles, Brooke Hague was an enigma. Shy and unassuming, she and Willow had somehow become best friends while taking a cooking class several years back. Brooke was a subject he never took lightly.
He still remembered the first time he’d met her—at a picnic Willow and Adam had held during the summer.
He’d spotted the auburn-haired beauty from across the deck and his heart almost stopped in his chest. Still grieving, he hadn’t been much into making new friends back then, but he’d taken a liking to her straight away. She hadn’t spoken much that day, but in the years that followed, she’d slowly warmed up to him. For the last couple of years Nathan had finally begun to feel more like Brook’s friend than Willow’s brother-in-law.
Nathan sighed and attempted to keep his frustration in check. He’d come to talk to Adam about the new season and the remaining repairs on their boats the Talisman and Northern Lights, not take on his stubborn and slightly hormonal sister-in-law.
Feet planted, Willow stared at him. A formidable wall of womanly determination and power, Nathan couldn’t help but wonder how Adam faired in arguments with her. He was considering that thought when she cocked her head to one side and said something he never expected. “Please.”
Please? He arched a surprised brow. Willow never said please. “Do you understand what you’re asking me to do is impossible?” He didn’t doubt Brooke could handle the job, but the Bering Sea was no place for a woman. The conditions they worked in were inhospitable, to say the least; especially for a woman as petite and private as Brooke.
Willow shook her head. “No, it’s not. I know other crab boats allow women on board to cook, so why won’t you?”
He blew out another long breath and found no relief. Willow wasn’t going to make this easy on him, and Adam would surely kick his ass if he got her riled in her condition. She was one of those people who had a personality that put them into one of two categories—you loved her or you hated her. There wasn’t an in between. Usually Nathan’s affection for her fell into the former, but at the moment, the latter wasn’t out of the question. It irritated him when people challenged his authority as captain and Willow was pushing her luck.
Fighting to keep his temper at bay, he crossed the room, plopped down onto the well-worn beige sofa. “It’s not that I won’t allow a woman on my boat, but you know it’s not a safe environment.”
“It’s safer than what she’s facing right now.”
Nathan frowned. Something about her statement seemed off, and the desperation in her voice set his senses on edge. In all the years Nathan had known her, he’d never seen Willow this worked up. “Why? What’s going on?” Was Brooke in some sort of danger?
Willow shook her head and began to pace, her bare feet barely making a sound as she padded over the plush carpet. “I promised I wouldn’t say anything, but under the circumstances I think it would probably be okay.” She turned back to look at him. “Years ago, Brooke testified in a criminal trial back in her hometown and put away a dangerous man.”
“What kind of trial?”
“I don’t know.” Willow chewed at her fingernails and turned to again pace. “You know how Brook is—she doesn’t like to talk about her past. I wouldn’t have even known about the trial, except for the fact the man was recently paroled and now women who have a resemblance to Brooke have turned up dead.”
His frown deepened and his gaze rocketed up to meet hers. “Dead? What do you mean dead?”
“I mean dead, Nate. As in heart not beating, lungs not breathing, bury you in the ground dead.” With each word, her voice rose a little until he feared she’d break into hysterics.
Willow’s body shook and tears pooled in her eyes as her normally cool self-control began to slip. “The last one was found in the trunk of his car and apparently he’s disappeared. Now the police think he might have discovered where Brooke’s been living and is on his way here to kill her.”
“Hey.” He reached for Willow’s hand and pulled her to the couch. “Calm down. You don’t need to be getting so upset in your condition.”
Willow shot him a small smile and placed a hand over her rounded belly. “I know.” She eased down onto the couch next to him. “I can’t help myself. Brooke is my best friend and if anything happened to her
I don’t know what I would do.”
While he understood her feelings, in his line of work, allowing emotions instead of logic to dictate decisions might cost lives. He needed to be practical about this. The police were already working this case, so he could only assume they had a plan in place to protect her. “What do the police say?”
“From what Brooke told me, the Seattle Police are working with Bristol City Florida PD. They’re considering the idea of putting her in protective custody, but that means she’d be locked away in some safe house and won’t be able to go anywhere or talk to anybody until they find the bastard.”
“Considering? Why haven’t they done it yet? What in the hell are they waiting for?” Nathan pushed to his feet, scrubbing a hand over his face as he fought to rein in his flaring temper. Getting emotional wouldn’t help anyone.
“Didn’t you hear what I said?” Willow asked. “If they put her in custody, she’ll be no better off than some prisoner. Where’s the fairness in that when she was only doing the right thing?”
He had to agree. It didn’t seem right to lock Brooke away when she’d done nothing wrong, while some psychopath was out on the loose. Still, having her safely ensconced in the arms of the Seattle PD would give Nathan the peace of mind he needed. She’d be protected from the killer on the boat, too, but the risk of injury and loss of life was great in his line of work. She’d simply be facing a different type of danger. “Honey, I understand what you’re saying. I really do, but even if she is inconvenienced for a little while, she’d be safe.”
“Maybe, but she’d be safer if you took her with you. There’s no way this psycho can reach her in the middle of the Bering Sea. Plus she trusts you, and Brooke doesn’t trust too many people.”
He rolled his eyes skyward and prayed for the strength to survive this conversation. He’d rather face forty-foot seas and icy spray than have this debate with Willow. She was like a dog with a bone when it came to something she wanted. Once she’d sunk her teeth into a subject, there was no letting go until she got her way. “She might be safe from him, but she’d have other dangers to face and even if I agreed, there’s no guarantee she’d say yes.”
Willow’s eyes pleaded with him even before she spoke. “Can’t you at least ask her? But don’t tell her I told you about her situation. I promised her I wouldn’t say anything to anyone.”
His stoic, salty sea captain demeanor slowly crumbled under the force that was Willow, revealing the compassionate man he diligently kept hidden. He rubbed at his temples, gazing at her from beneath his palm. “If I’m not supposed to know about her situation, then how do I ask her?”
Through her tears, a slow smile spread over her features. “So does that mean you’ll do it?”
It was bad enough he had to deal with her crying, but the hope in her tone nearly undid him. “I didn’t say that. I’m simply trying to get all my information straight and think this through before I decide.”
Her smile faded slightly, replaced in part by a contemplative expression. “Well, Adam said you’ve been kicking around the idea of adding a sixth deckhand to pick up the slack and do the cooking. Brooke could do that.”
Nathan dropped his hand to his side and resisted the urge to curl his fingers into a fist. Adam was lucky he’d gone with Danny to make repairs to the Talisman. Otherwise, Nathan might have wrung his brother’s neck for opening his mouth. “You want me to put her on deck?” He shook his head. “Honey, no offense, but I think those pregnancy hormones are affecting your brain.”
“Okay, maybe she couldn’t work the deck, but she could cook and clean for you guys. Come on, Nate. It’d only be for one season, and you know she’s a good cook.”
He’d had the pleasure of eating Brooke’s meals on more than one occasion and definitely agreed. Brooke did know her way around a kitchen. “Yeah, I know she is, but—”
“But nothing,” Willow interrupted. She rose from couch and stepped in front of him. All five-feet-six-inches of her, taking his six-foot-two-inch frame head on. “In all the time we’ve known each other I’ve never asked you for anything, but I’m asking now. Please do this for me.”
Nathan rested his hands on her shoulders while he scrambled to find a way out of this situation. Willow was right. In all the time he’d known her, she’d never asked anything of him, but saying yes wasn’t as easy as it sounded. If he agreed, he’d have to answer to his brothers, who were partners in the family’s two boats—although he suspected Willow had probably already talked Adam into it. He’d still have to get Danny and Michael on board with the idea, not that it would be a difficult sell.
Danny had hired a female cook a few years back and to date still hadn’t suffered any problems. Nathan could use those grounds to lobby for Brooke’s position if need be. Besides, if he said no and something bad happened to her, he’d never survive the guilt.
Other boats in the fleet also carried female cooks, though most were usually wives, daughters, or relatives of the crew. Still, it wasn’t unheard of. And while he was as suspicious as any of the captains in the fleet, he never believed having a woman on board was bad luck.
After several long minutes, he finally decided being the oldest brother and the captain gave him an advantage. Once he’d convinced his brothers his was the right decision, he’d inform the rest of his crew of his decision and they’d simply have to deal with it. Besides, if he paid her from his own share of the profits, no one would have any reason to complain.
“Fine.” He pushed up from the couch. “I’ll ask her.”
* * *
A loud knock on the front door caused Brook to jump and nearly slice her finger on the knife she was using to chop the romaine for her salad. Nobody ever came to her apartment to visit, and certainly nobody came after dark. She glanced at the microwave clock and debated whether to take the knife with her.
If she lived in a better neighborhood, and for that matter a better apartment, then maybe the few friends she did have would want to come over for dinner or to watch a movie. She’d found this place when she’d first move to Seattle nearly ten years ago. It may have been old, with its chipping plaster walls and creaking floorboards, but it was hers.
The knock came again and she decided, under the circumstances, it might be best to bring the knife along. According to Detective Morrison, who was heading up her case and playing liaison with the Bristol City PD, the last murder had happened only three days ago. She didn’t think it was enough time for Wayne to get from Florida to Seattle and locate her, but why take the chance?
She wrapped her fingers around the handle, getting a good grip before starting down the steps. Her hands shook as she prepared for battle. Careful not to make any unnecessary sounds, she eased her way down the rickety steps inside her apartment and sidled up behind the front door.
Would she even be able to recognize Wayne after nearly ten years? The last time she’d seen him was the day of sentencing. People could change a lot in that amount of time, in appearance and personality.
If worst came to worst, she could pretend nobody was home, then make her way back up stairs to call Detective Morrison.
That would only give him another reason for wanting to place her in protective custody. She’d balked at the suggestion, knowing they would hide her away until Wayne was caught, which could be as short as a few days or as long as several months. The thought of spending weeks, even months on end in isolation, with only members of the police department to talk to, seemed a bit tough to take. Besides, she’d made a promise to herself years ago that she’d never allow Wayne to ruin her life again. Up to this point, she’d stuck by her promise, but now, as she hid behind her front door with the real possibility of having a psycho standing on the other side, the idea of protection didn’t seem so bad.
With a certain amount of dread, she rose onto her tiptoes and peered through the peephole. Shocked by what she saw, she drew back, not believing her eyes, before going back for a second look. Sure enough, Nathan Lowery stood on
the other side of her steel door waiting patiently in the frigid evening air for her to answer. His hair blew wildly in the crisp fall wind, as he tugged his coat up around his ears and blew warm breath into his hands. What was he doing here?
She knew Nathan through her best friend, Willow. He was the oldest of Willow’s three brothers-in-law. Unconventional, with an earring and long, straight chestnut hair he kept in a low ponytail, he always reminded her more of a rogue pirate than the captain of a crab-fishing vessel.
Being around men tended to make Brook nervous, but from the moment she’d met Nathan she’d felt oddly at ease with the man, which had given her an entirely different reason to worry. Over the years, their relationship had evolved from casual acquaintances to friends. Much to her surprise and disappointment, though, he’d never made a move on her, instead choosing to take the friendship route.
She peered through the hole a third time. What could he possibly want with her?
Stuffing the knife behind her back with one hand, she reached to unlock the door with the other.
“Nate?”
“Uh, hi, Brooke.”
“What are you doing here?”
“I needed to talk to you about something. Can I come in?”
“Sure.” She stepped back, allowing him space to enter. As he passed by, she caught the faint whiff of spices from his cologne and worked to keep herself from melting into a puddle in front him. Nathan Lowery had the ability to make her go weak in the knees, and the feeling both irritated and excited her on levels she’d never enjoyed with any other man.
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