Christmas at Black Cherry Retreat

by Angela Britnell

  ‘Are you going to ring her?’

  ‘I suppose so.’ Reluctantly she found her mother’s number and crossed her fingers that it’d go to voicemail and she could get away with leaving a message.

  ‘Freebird?’

  Her mother’s distinctive low, gravelly voice hummed down the line.

  Chapter Sixteen

  ‘Hello, Mum,’ Fee murmured.

  ‘Allain rang me today.’ Maddy sighed. ‘I’m not sure he believed me when I swore I’d passed on his phone number and email to you.’

  ‘Please say you didn’t tell him how to get in touch with me?’

  ‘Of course not. What do you take me for?’

  You don’t want to know.

  ‘The last thing he wants is to upset you but he really wanted me to pass on how much it would please him to be … in your life in some way. I promise I won’t bother you again and you don’t have to tell me if you decide to contact him or not. How much more transparent can I be?’ she pleaded and briefly Fee felt sorry for her mother.

  ‘I’ll think about it some more and that’s all I’m agreeing to. I’ve got to go.’ She said a quick goodbye and turned the phone off, shoving it back in her bag.

  ‘It’s time we went.’ Tom’s quiet words reminded her where they were. ‘We’ll talk later.’

  A few minutes later Fee discovered herself sitting in Tom’s truck with her seat belt fastened but with no recollection of getting there because her mind was elsewhere.

  ‘Lie back and close your eyes. I’ll wake you up when we’re home.’

  She didn’t have the energy to argue.

  Tom approached the entrance to Black Cherry and glanced down at Fee who was still fast asleep. Her fresh perfume and the heavy warmth of her head pressing against his shoulder had disturbed him all the way and made him think. This complex woman was sneaking into a place he’d long ago closed for business. Wasn’t one broken heart enough for anyone’s lifetime?

  Gina had deserved better than him in a myriad of ways. She should have married Phil Donaldson instead with his steady nine to five accounting job. Phil wouldn’t have forgotten his wedding anniversary because he was consumed with nailing a suspected murderer or neglected to call his lovely wife when he couldn’t make it home for dinner for the third night in a row. One evening, Tom remembered dumping his frustration all over her when she expected him to admire the new kitchen curtains she’d made after he’d spent his day working a particularly nasty child abuse case and couldn’t erase the images from his mind. Life in the law enforcement community wasn’t for everyone and it wasn’t Gina’s fault she had expected more from him than Tom was able to give. He stopped the truck outside Fee’s cabin and rested his hands on the steering wheel.

  ‘Are we here already?’ She blinked and opened her eyes. ‘Have I been asleep?’

  ‘Yeah, you could say that,’ he agreed. ‘If you don’t mind I’ll leave you here for now and catch up on some work.’

  ‘Oh, right. I’d hoped we might talk?’

  ‘Can I take a rain-check?’ His reaction appeared to confuse her and Tom came close to admitting the truth.

  ‘Of course. Don’t worry I’ve plenty to occupy my thoughts for the rest of the day.’ She agreed with a smile although he sensed a deeper meaning behind her words. Fee retrieved her bag and denim jacket from the floorboard under her feet. ‘Thanks for an interesting day out.’ She opened the door and jumped out before he could remember his manners. Tom watched her fumble with the door key before disappearing inside her cabin out of sight.

  He fired up the engine again, turned the truck around and drove down to his own cabin. Fee had come close to begging for his help and he’d blown her off because he was scared of risking everything all over again. Good one. Without letting himself think any more, he hurried inside and headed for the office. Maybe later he could … Don’t go there, idiot. Stay away.

  The next time he glanced at the clock he’d got through the best part of two hours’ work with only sore shoulders and a growing headache to show for his trouble. Tom logged off his computer and closed down for the night. He grabbed a can of beer from the fridge and tugged on his faded dark green sweatshirt before heading out on to the porch. Lights were on in all the occupied cabins meaning his little community were settled in for the night. The Burtons had probably eaten an early supper and were now sitting together in front of a log fire. No doubt the Waters clan were doing an educational family activity but they weren’t bugging him so it was all good.

  And Fee? For a second he could’ve sworn he smelt lemons in the air. Tom decided she’d made him more than a little crazy.

  ‘Are you drinking alone?’ Fee spoke from the bottom of the steps and he stumbled to his feet.

  ‘Where did you spring from?’ Through the shadows he made out the slight curve of her smile.

  ‘I came to give you another chance.’

  The woman must be mad. He’d rejected her earlier so what made her so sure he wouldn’t do it again? Was she simply braver than he was? Fee joined him on the porch and wound her arms around his neck before kissing him softly on the mouth.

  ‘Do I get any say in this?’ he murmured. ‘You’re making a big mistake, sweetheart. I’ve nothing to offer you.’

  ‘All I’m offering is me, now, tonight.’

  Tom stroked his thumbs over her cheeks and trailed his hands down to rest on her backside.

  ‘Is that a yes?’ she whispered and a heart-stopping smile crept across her beautiful face.

  ‘What do you think?’ Fee was probably used to men who communicated for a living but Tom hoped his straightforward desire for her would be enough. ‘Shall we go inside?’

  Without any hesitation she nodded and Tom swept her into his arms and carried her into his cabin hoping against hope neither of them would regret this in the morning.

  Later he’d go over this in his head minute by minute but right now Tom refused to think too much. Instead he fixed his gaze on Fee’s beguiling smile.

  ‘It’s been a long time for me,’ he explained. ‘A very long time.’

  ‘I can’t say the same. Does it matter?’

  He shook his head and cupped her face in his large hands so he could kiss her properly. Taking his time, Tom was hyper-aware of everything from Fee’s short, rapid breaths to the soft scent rising from her warm body and his own pounding heartbeat. He slipped his right hand down to the hem of her sweater and teased his fingers underneath, making her gasp as he stroked her bare, smooth skin.

  Tom made himself ask her again before he went any further. He focused on her sparkling blue eyes, flared wide with desire for him and prayed she wouldn’t change her mind. ‘Are you still sure?’

  A smile tugged at her wide mouth. ‘Yes, Tom. I’m absolutely sure. I could send you a written invitation if you prefer?’

  ‘Send it Next Minute Delivery, or it’ll be way too late,’ he joked.

  Fee rubbed her fingers over the end-of-day stubble roughening his face and shivers of pleasure raced through him.

  Without another word he began to undress her and made short work of getting rid of her shoes, jeans and sweater. Tom stopped for a moment and feasted his eyes on her simple nude coloured bra and panties before removing them too, pushing her hands away when she attempted to cover herself. ‘You’re beautiful.’

  ‘I wish I had more curves. I know men like …’

  ‘Don’t assume. We all have our preferences the same as you do.’ Tom trailed his hands in a lingering sweep down over her lean, strong body until she shuddered. ‘And right now my preference is for you.’ He let go of her and stripped off, tossing his clothes to the floor.

  Fee pressed her hand over his racing heart and a wicked smile crept over her face. ‘That’s perfect because mine is very definitely for you.’

  He walked over to the bed and pulled back the covers. Tom tossed her a challenging grin, patting the clean white sheets. ‘Are you coming to join me?’

  ‘Oh, yes.’
/>   Tom grabbed her hands and pulled her down on top of him. ‘Right answer, sweetheart.’

  They laughed together and the touch of fun did the trick, freeing him to go ahead and love her exactly as she’d asked him to.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Tom surfaced from sleep enough to zero in on the fact his limbs were entwined with Fee’s in a wonderful tangle. He snuggled closer and pushed her short, silky hair out of the way to kiss the back of her neck and she wriggled back against him with a happy sigh.

  Loud knocking sounds penetrated his half-comatose state and he realised they were coming from his front door. He reluctantly shifted to glance at the bedside clock. ‘Seven o’clock. Who the hell’s botherin’ us at this ungodly hour?’

  ‘I suppose you’d better go and see.’ She sighed. ‘One of your other guests might need you more than I do.’ Fee pulled the covers up around her shoulders and smiled. ‘You’d better put on some clothes first.’

  ‘Open up, Tom you lazy devil.’

  ‘Wonderful,’ he groaned. ‘It’s Sandy, my oldest brother. You met him the other day when he was out for a run around the lake. You might want to stay in here unless you want all of Pine Ridge to know how we spent the night.’ Tom leapt out of bed and scrabbled around on the floor for his clothes. ‘Comin’ bro, hold on,’ he yelled out. Tom dragged on his jeans and sweatshirt. ‘If I don’t hurry he’ll pick the lock.’ Fee raised her dark, straight eyebrows at him. ‘Remember he’s a cop.’ He hurried from the bedroom and slammed the door shut behind him.

  Fee had a multitude of faults but being a coward wasn’t one of them. She was a free agent and so was Tom which meant they had nothing to hide. Taking a shower would only be a delaying tactic so she skipped the idea and got dressed. Fee glanced in the mirror and cringed at the sight of the pink blotches left on her face and neck by Tom’s rough stubble.

  She crept out into the narrow hall and listened for a few moments. The two men were talking and by their deep, gruff tones she guessed all wasn’t well. Fee took a few steadying breaths and plastered on a bright smile. Tom glanced around as she approached and his face was dark with anger. She hoped he wasn’t mad with her but took a chance and walked over to stand by him. Fee linked her arm through his and was relieved when he didn’t push her away.

  ‘Fee, you remember Sandy.’

  His attempt to smile didn’t reach his serious eyes. He gave her a silent nod and crushed her fingers in a rock-hard handshake.

  ‘Would you prefer it if I left?’ She directed her question at Tom and was pleased when he shook his head.

  ‘Let’s all sit down.’ Tom led her towards the sofa.

  ‘Are you sure?’ Sandy asked, fixing his hard stare on Tom. Private matter. She’s not family. It didn’t take a genius to work out his thoughts.

  ‘Yeah. Fee knows about Gina. I’m good with sharing,’ he declared.

  Sandy shrugged and turned to face her. ‘I don’t know how much Tom’s told you but Gina’s murderer, Gary Higgins, was paroled the other day.’ Tom’s stony face told Fee he’d plunged back into his deepest, darkest place. ‘Our father found out this morning that Higgins skipped out on his last meeting with his parole officer and no one knows where he is.’

  ‘Could he be headed here?’ Fee asked.

  ‘Possibly,’ Sandy admitted. ‘I wanted to warn Tom because we don’t want him doin’ anything stupid.’

  Tom snorted. ‘You mean like paying him back for killin’ my wife?’

  ‘Yeah, exactly, you dumbass. Do you want to break Mama’s heart all over again?’ Sandy’s brusque reply helped Fee to readjust her impression of him. They were a tight family and she was the outsider.

  ‘Nope,’ Tom said with a heavy sigh. ‘I’m not a moron.’

  Fee caught the first hint of a smile in the depths of Sandy’s standard-issue Chambers family chocolate-brown eyes. ‘Do you have a recent photo?’ she asked. ‘I’d feel safer knowing what this man looks like.’

  He reached into his jacket pocket to pull one out and passed it over. ‘He’s a dangerous bastard.’

  ‘One assumes a murderer would be.’ Her dry comment made both men smile. Fee studied Higgins’ pale, angular features and took note of his bright green eyes and distinctive shoulder-length white-blond hair.

  ‘I don’t see any need to show that around to the other guests,’ Tom declared. ‘They’ll think they’re staying in a hotbed of dangerous criminals instead of a peaceful retreat.’

  ‘Peaceful? I’ve decided that’s rather a misnomer,’ she teased.

  Sandy glanced between the two of them. ‘I’d better be getting off. Some of us have work to go to.’ He lumbered to his feet and headed towards the door.

  ‘Stay safe, big brother,’ Tom said and the serious edge to his voice clutched at Fee’s heart. She couldn’t imagine how hard it was for their mother every single day. At one time her husband and all three sons were in the police force. When she sent them off to work Sarah Chambers must always wonder if they’d come home safe.

  ‘Will do. Promise you’ll call me or Pop if you see Higgins?’

  ‘Yeah,’ Tom murmured. Fee knew he wouldn’t break his word. The core of decency and honesty running through him was the main reason she’d been drawn to him in the first place although she couldn’t have articulated it then.

  ‘Good to meet you again, ma’am.’ Sandy nodded and opened the door. Fee stayed behind as Tom followed his brother outside. She heard more conversation going on before car tyres crunched on the rough gravel.

  ‘Now we’re well and truly up how about I fix us some breakfast?’ Tom’s cheery smile didn’t fool her for a minute. She considered forcing him to tell her what had been said but kissed him instead. Later would be soon enough to find out what he was holding back.

  Tom would be buying Sandy’s beers for a damn long time but it’d be worth it. Out of Fee’s hearing he’d asked his brother not to gossip about them, hopefully buying them some time. Fee showed more guts than him this morning and Sandy’s parting comment was that Tom had found him a good one and he better not screw up. The casual observation stopped him short and made Tom wonder what Fee might expect of him now. After breakfast he’d made the excuse of needing to finish painting the canoe shed but Fee only gave him a sweet smile and invited him to join her for dinner later. Tom came within a hair’s breadth of offering to go with her when she mentioned her plan to drive into Knoxville and buy a new camera but managed to resist.

  He took advantage of the pale sunshine and worked through lunch to get the last coat of white paint on the shed door. A sudden movement in the trees caught his eye and Tom glimpsed a large, dark shape moving through the shadows. Pretty sure it wasn’t an animal he laid down his brush on top of the open paint tin. He inched along the path before veering off through the long grass moving in the quiet deliberate way his father taught him when they first went hunting. An empty cigarette packet lay in the grass and he bent down to pick it up. Officially, smoking wasn’t allowed in the resort but he had to trust his guests to comply. Walking further along he spotted a crumpled crisp bag and an empty soup tin before a glint of metal caught his eye. Tom frowned as he retrieved his aluminium water bottle from the dense grass He pushed away the niggling idea of any connection between this and the two escapees, reassured by his father’s update last night on another unconfirmed sighting of the pair in Jacksonville. He kicked at a large stone and exposed a small ring of blackened ground, the remnants of a recent fire. Kids with nothing better to do messing around that was all.

  ‘Long time no see, Mr Chambers.’

  Damn. ‘Hello, Pete.’ Life in prison hadn’t filled out the young man’s scrawny body but his deep-set eyes were dark with weariness. ‘I thought you’d have headed for sunnier parts by now.’

  ‘Who’ve we got here then, boy?’ A deep, gravelly voice boomed out and a man with a massive build stepped out from the trees.

  Randy Watling. 35 years old. Heavyset. Light brown hair. Blue eyes. A rattlesnake
tattoo on his right arm and a jagged scar on his left cheek.

  ‘Tom Chambers. He owns this place.’ Kemp’s voice wobbled. ‘He’s an ex-cop. His daddy’s the local sheriff.’

  ‘You dickhead.’ Watling snarled. ‘You didn’t fuckin’ tell me that when you brought us here.’

  ‘But your pal from Florida wasn’t around to pick us up and we didn’t have no money. We couldn’t pester my folks because the cops would be checkin’ up on them so I thought—’

  ‘Thought? You haven’t got a damn brain to think with, you moron. I should’ve known better than to trust some dumb yokel.’

  ‘What’re you goin’ to do, Randy?’ Kemp asked and Tom was pretty sure he wouldn’t care for the answer.

  Watling swung his right hand out from behind his back and waved a gleaming knife in the air with a harsh laugh. ‘I’m thinkin’ I might cut up his pretty face.’

  ‘That wouldn’t be a smart move,’ Tom ventured.

  ‘How’d you work that one out, smartass?’

  He forced his legs to relax because if he decided to make a run for it he needed them to function. ‘It won’t be hard for the authorities to put things together.’

  ‘Oh yeah, and what fuckin’ difference is it going to make to me?’ Watling jeered. ‘I’m headed for Death Row anyway. I might as well go down for you too. One more don’t matter.’

  Tom swallowed hard as the cold logic settled in the air between them.

  ‘I’m not gettin’ involved in no murder.’ Kemp turned chalk white. ‘That wasn’t our deal. I said I’d get us to the meetin’ point and you’d give me a ride to Florida then we’d split up.’

  Watling swung his other arm in a wide arc and swatted Pete to his knees. The young man flung out his hand in an effort to stop himself falling but his wrist hit the ground and buckled. The loud crack of bone breaking ricocheted around them along with Pete’s agonised screams. Instinctively, Tom moved to help the boy.

  ‘Leave him,’ Watling yelled. He gave his accomplice’s arm a swift kick, setting off another round of pitiful cries. ‘Shut up or I’ll slice you.’