Sweet Town Love

by Maggie Ryan

“This isn’t funny, Casey.” His voice was serious. “I needed her to stay safe. You two staying together was going to accomplish that. We still have no idea who it was that vandalized her.”

  “Oh, I know, but if you could see your face, it’s telling a story. You really do care about Willow. It does bother you that she might be alone right now.” Casey paused a moment, looking at the doorway before continuing. “You have to know she’s independent to the extreme at times and has lived alone since college. Her marriage was over after the first fall rainy season post-college. Heck, she can go for days without resurfacing. She could be in a creative jag and not notice the time.”

  He pushed his plate away. “Aren’t you worried that something could have happened to her?”

  “Well, only because you now mentioned it. Otherwise, this is normal for her.” Casey finished her coffee. “Tell you what. I’ll ask her to go out to have fish tacos with me. She loves those things and only has them when I invite her because she says fried food isn’t good for you.” She laughed.

  When she saw that Tristan wasn’t laughing, she sobered. “We eat them at the Crew’s Galley, off Main Street. You know where it is?” Tristan nodded. “Good, I’m off tomorrow so meet us there at six tomorrow night. Give me your phone number so I can let you know if she doesn’t accept but she will. Then I’ll make up something or go to the bathroom, whatever, and you’ll have some time to chat with her. No matter how you two leave it, I’ll need to come back because I don’t want her mad at me too. You have to pretend you just came in and saw her.”

  “I don’t like this. I’m really an upfront guy.”

  “Yes and I can see that but so is Willow, usually. Therefore, she must like you and not want to disappoint you. I can guarantee you it’s not because she wants you to leave her alone. I bet she’s thinking that if she waits you out, after a while, you’d be okay with her staying alone. That way she’d never have to tell you she sent me home after one night.”

  “Smart girl, I would have been.”

  “If you get the chance, make a date with her so I don’t have to share my girls’ night out with you anymore.” Casey smiled.

  Tristan wrote his number on the back of his card. “You’ve got a deal. Listen, I have to go. Don’t forget to call me.”

  Casey made an “x” with her finger over her heart and reached into her back pocket for her phone. “Promise.”

  Chapter 3

  Willow looked at the caller ID and answered the phone with curiosity and concern. “Casey, what’s up? Is everything all right?”

  “Hey, nothing’s wrong. Can’t I call my friend and chat about life?”

  “Um, sure, except you never do it at lunch. You’re busiest at lunch.”

  “True, but that’s when I think about eating, and we haven’t had fish tacos in a while. Besides, I wondered if you’d heard anything about the break ins.”

  “Oh,” Willow sighed. “I’m working on a piece right now. I don’t think I can leave.”

  “Leave it where you do every night and then come out with me. Fish tacos…”

  “Mmm, fish tacos it is, but tomorrow, okay?”

  After a few more minutes of conversation, they agreed to meet the next night at six.

  Casey called Tristan. The stage was set.

  By the next evening, Willow was excited about the break. She breezed into the Crew’s Galley and looked around for her friend. She’d never let Willow entirely withdraw from the world when she was on a creative kick. Casey waved at her from the corner.

  After settling in her seat, Willow spoke. “Thanks for suggesting this. I hardly ate or much else in the last couple of days because my entry for the Art of Alaska Show next month has consumed me.”

  “Are you nearly done?”

  “Almost done, but not with the class they asked me to teach.”

  “Oh, you’ll do fine.”

  The Crew’s Galley was already filling up when Tristan walked in the door. He took a quick scan around the room. He spied Casey facing the door and Willow with her back to it. They were chatting animatedly. Tristan had no doubt, that she’d strategically placed Willow so she couldn’t see him coming up to the table. He began to saunter over to them as Casey leaned over and said something before going towards the bathroom. Tristan stood just long enough for her to disappear through the doors marked “maiden.”

  He walked up behind Willow sliding his hand under her hair and cupping her neck before leaning in to speak. “You have been a naughty young lady, Willow Ashcroft.”

  Willow shivered but said nothing. She knew the voice, and his overwhelming maleness invaded her being, intoxicating her senses, demanding she inhale deeply. She glanced up and saw his face that displayed a look of indulgent chastisement. She shivered again, this time in anticipation of his displeasure, but it didn’t come, not really. He nudged her over in the booth as he slid in next to her, effectively closing off her escape, should she want one. As Willow peeked at him out of the corner of her eye, she felt his hand caressing hers, encapsulating them in his.

  His words rumbled as he spoke. “Nothing to say?”

  “I don’t know what you mean? I’ve met all my obligations this whole week without fail. Even as rocky as the start of the week was, I did my civil duty.”

  She tried to pull her hands away but didn’t work hard when his grip tightened slightly. He rubbed his thumb over hers.

  “I’m glad, but that isn’t the part I was referring to, and I’m sure you know it. You’ve been avoiding me.” She opened her mouth, and he put his finger over her lips. “Always be honest with yourself and always be honest with me. Am I right?”

  “Yes,” she whispered.

  “I thought so. Now tell me, are you avoiding me because you want me to go away or because you didn’t do as I said and keep Casey with you at night.”

  “Casey. Really, Tristan, I was safe. No one came by, and nothing has happened. He won’t come back.”

  “I hope you’re right, but I don’t create guidelines without good reason, and there was a real concern for your safety. Promise me that if I tell you to do something, that’s as important as that was, you will do it.”

  “You might believe it’s important but what if I don’t?”

  “Then you say something, and we discuss it. What if something had happened to you, if the burglar had come back?”

  She shrugged. “But he didn’t.”

  “Willow.” His Trooper Hart voice appeared, and the couple in the next booth looked over, deepening her already pink cheeks.

  “I promise, I promise.”

  “Good. When I call you, pick up or call me back from now on.”

  “I will.”

  “Will you also have dinner with me Friday?”

  “Oh, I really can’t, I have to finish my work. I shouldn’t be here now but, I mean, fish tacos.” She smiled.

  “I’ll bring it to you. You have a beautiful kitchen, so there’s no reason for you to go anywhere.” He leaned over and kissed her gently. “Okay?”

  “Yes,” she sighed. “If you’re sure, that is.”

  “I’m sure. But Willow, you need to know that there are consequences to ignoring my instructions.”

  “Oh? Like what?”

  “We’ll talk about it later. I see that Casey is coming back so I’ll leave you ladies to have your dinner.” Tristan kissed Willow again and slid back out of the seat. “Goodnight, Willow. Goodnight, Casey.”

  As Casey slid into her side of the booth, she looked over at Willow.

  “Oh, stop acting as though you had no idea. It’s insulting,” said Willow as she swatted at Casey’s hand on the table.

  “Okay, so I knew, but you seem good. It was okay, right?”

  “You’re off the hook. It’s not going to get you sentenced to the ex-best friend dungeon.”

  “Good. He’s cute, you know.”

  “Yeah, I know. A little bossy, though.”

  “He really likes you.”

  “I thin
k I really like him,” replied Willow.

  That night, as Willow snuggled in her bed, she wondered what it would be like to nestle into Tristan Hart as she fell asleep. She missed a man’s heat in bed. The thought gave her warm tingles and hot dreams she didn’t want to wake up from when the conscious part of her brain turned on the next morning. Her internal clock didn’t need sunlight to wake her up, but she groaned at the mental loving she left behind in her bed. Only her expectation of a completed project today made her leave her soft sanctuary.

  Willow made sure she locked her car when she went for a run in the drizzle. It looked and felt like sleet preparing to turn to snow soon. She hoped it held off because even four-wheel drive didn’t always make it out to her house if the weather was bad enough. She had her dad’s old truck with the plow attached but she hadn’t started it since last winter. The battery was dead at the least. She made a mental note to hook up the charger to it as her feet slipped on the slush at the end of her run.

  A hot shower and two cups of coffee later, the weather seemed to calm as Willow went into her artist’s sanctuary to put the final touches on her entry. She worked long and hard but was exultant when it was time to photograph and put her finished piece in her vault. She never deviated from her end of session routine.

  Satisfied, she snuggled into the sofa cushions she often slept on when her muse refused to go to sleep and watched as the final vestiges of daylight meandered away in a swirl of watercolor wash. She could see the light of a full moon and pink sky peeking behind the remnants of the day’s splendor.

  Definitely snow but she got out her colors and began to recreate the scene in front of her. This view was why she had a full bank of huge floor to ceiling windows put in when her parents sold her this house. The ocean scenery was incomparable as she faced the inlet and the mountains that surrounded it. She watched the first tiny fluttering snowflakes float to the ground. She glanced at the clock and seeing it was almost four o’clock, she locked the smaller windows.

  Tristan wouldn’t come tonight. The ground would likely be thickly covered before he came out. Suddenly she felt lonely. For the first time since she had made a healthy living with her art, she felt isolated. She longed for the companionship of not just anyone but Tristan. Someone who knew her so intimately that she wouldn’t need to speak if she didn’t want to. She knew Tristan could be that man. The one person who saw to her needs her desires, her safety, and her happiness before his. Something told her he would, whether she liked it or not. Before meeting him she might have balked at such ideas. Today, she eagerly entertained them.

  Glancing out the windows again, she saw the flakes had gotten larger and were falling quickly. With grim resignation, she picked up the phone to call her date off. He answered on the third ring.

  “Hi. What’s wrong?” His tone gave away his hyper vigilance.

  “Wrong? Nothing, well, except it’s snowing.”

  “Honey, a little snow won’t hurt you or me.”

  “It’s turning into a lot of snow. It’s beginning to stick out here. I bet it’s slippery in another hour. Likely dangerous in two, so you had better stay home tonight, just to be safe.”

  “It’s not snowing here, and that’s just a handful of miles away.”

  “Two handfuls and you are on the southern side of the cove. I’m on the northern side.”

  “Well, I’ll be there so don’t pull out the peanut butter yet.”

  “Okay. But if it’s bad, you turn around and go home.”

  Tristan laughed. “Oh, so you’re taking care of me, are you?”

  “Of course.”

  “I like it,” he rumbled. “See you soon.”

  Willow wandered her house, looking out of every window and watched the snow stick and pile up on her deck railings, the tree limbs, and her driveway. Even the rocky shore of her inlet view was beginning to have a white covering in places. She put on the kettle before gathering candles and matches in case the electricity went out. She had an earth stove and plenty of wood. She’d learned early in the first winter she was old enough to pay attention that you prepared for every season very specifically. She learned and never forgot. The phone rang.

  She knew it was Tristan. She wanted to answer and then dreaded what he would say. On the third ring, she answered.

  “Hello? Tristan?”

  “Who? No, Willow, it's me, Amy. Have you found out who broke into your place?”

  “No, why?”

  “I guess I thought you might be worried out there alone and I wanted to offer to come and stay with you if you needed it.”

  “Thanks but someone is coming over.”

  “Got a hot date?”

  Willow laughed, “Yep.”

  “Well, okay, I just wanted to check on you and see if I could do anything.”

  “No, I’m fine. Thanks for the offer, though.”

  “Welcome. See you.”

  That was something. Amy didn’t usually call unless it was for some project they were working on. She shrugged her shoulders, it was sweet of her. Her brother Jon probably suggested it.

  It had been forty-five minutes since she’d spoken to Tristan. What if he had slid off the road, or had an accident and was hurt? Did anyone know he was coming out here? On the other hand, maybe he decided it was getting too dangerous outside and turned back. Should she call him? If he was trying to concentrate, he might lose it answering the phone, and something terrible would happen.

  What if she didn’t hear from him all night? She made a cup of Hudson Bay tea from her dried leaves and put too much honey in it, just the way she liked it. As she was putting the little strainer in the sink, there was a pounding at the door. Willow raced to the large wood barrier and pulled it open.

  Tristan pushed bags at Willow, his voice urgent. “Quick, do you have a tarp?”

  Stunned for a second, Willow stared at Tristan covered in snow.

  “Willow,” he prompted, “Tarp.”

  “Um, yes, in the garage.” She sat the bags on the floor and hurried to the inner door to the garage, reaching for the light switch as she pulled it opened.

  She pointed to a large pile of blue folded plastic. “There, in that corner.”

  “Good, now open the garage door and stay here.” He was gone underneath the door as the opener was still doing its job.

  Willow grabbed her yard work parka, also in the garage, and followed him. Her deck lights inadequately lit the area, and she stopped to watch the shadow of Tristan as he laid the tarp on the ground. Jogging over to him, he threw his hand up to stop her approach.

  “Stop. Don’t come any closer. I’m sure I told you to stay inside.”

  “You did. What are you doing?”

  “I’ll tell you in a minute. Since you’re here, hold this end down.”

  He handed her an edge of the tarp. “Pile snow over the edges to keep the plastic in place.” She did as he went to the other end to repeat the process. When finished, he grabbed her hand and drew her into the garage, locking his SUV door with the remote. He watched as Willow keyed in the combination to close the garage door behind them.

  “What were you doing?” she demanded.

  “Come on, let’s get you inside and warmed up. I’ll tell you there.”

  He guided her inside and put both of their wet coats on the wall pegs. Willow walked into the hallway, returning with two towels. She took hers and began drying her hair. He did the same. Finished, he tried his cell and made a face when it wouldn’t go through.

  “Huh, it worked the other night.”

  “It’s sketchy. You need a booster for out here. Use mine or the house phone but after you tell me what is going on.”

  Tristan hesitated and then started speaking. “When I was pulling into the driveway, I saw a figure taking off across where we just were. I thought it was a deer, so I grabbed the bags and started inside but then I saw another figure run where the first one had gone into the woods.” He handed his towel to Willow. “I thought I could
grab the tarp and preserved a sample of the footprints and possibly plaster them tomorrow.”

  “Huh. That’s smart thinking. Nevertheless, running into the woods, at dark, in the snow is risky. There are areas of boggy muskeg. Someone could get really hurt in there unless they know the area.”

  Tristan shrugged. “Well, it isn’t the first time a person ran off into the woods from here recently, and I bet they have a good idea of the lay of the land. Besides, right now I won’t worry about them after I call it in. If someone wants to tromp through the woods tonight, have at it.”

  Willow chewed her lip and handed the phone to Tristan, listening as he called in the report and chatted with the trooper on the line for a few more moments before hanging up.

  “Okay, so where are the bags I brought?” he asked as he looked around the room.

  Willow walked over and grabbed them, displaying her worry as she sat them on the counter. Silently, she returned to the front room. She flopped on the sofa and pulled her feet under her. He followed closely behind.

  “Sweetheart, don’t worry. I promise you’re safe. I’m here, and I’m not leaving until we figure this out. Okay?” Tristan snuggled in behind Willow, kissing her temple while tucking her tightly into his protection.

  Her body stiffened. “But why me?”

  “I don’t know, but we’ll find out. I promise we will.” They paused for a few moments just drawing comfort from each other. “Are you sure no one is really upset with you for some reason?”

  She shook her head. “No. I’m a nice person.”

  “Of course you are. I just wondered if there was something on the councils you sit on that might be causing you trouble, or did you vote the wrong way on a controversial topic? Maybe you were on jury duty lately?”

  She shrugged. “I often vote controversially. It’s nothing new.”

  “Well, when the weather settles down, we’ll see if we can get some information on the footprints.”

  “Tristan?”

  His chin rested on top of her head. “Hmm?”

  “Are you actually staying with me?”

  “Well, I heard you had a spare bedroom up for grabs.”