“Maybe we could come,” Hallie said, looking at me and then Nate.
“The leaves will be changing soon. It might be a nice weekend getaway,” he agreed. A year ago, my brother Nate, with the help of his then-assistant Hallie, took his pharmaceutical company public. Overnight he’d become richer than he’d already been. He’d made me and the rest of the family richer too as we’d all bought stock.
“What are you doing these days, Mitch?” my mother asked. It was her way of asking if I planned to ever work again. I’d retired at twenty-seven after selling the tech company I’d started in my dorm room as a junior in college. I’d thought about going public with it, but lies and betrayals had me saying fuck it to the world. I sold the company for over a billion dollars and left to live in the woods.
I wasn’t completely idle, though. Occasionally I’d help my brother Will out in his security firm with tech issues. I did a little consulting when I was feeling bored. Mostly I volunteered with the National Park Service doing things like keeping the trails clean and recording wildlife in the area.
“Same old things.”
“Slacker,” Nate quipped.
I shrugged. “I imagine you could slack off too if you wanted.” Then again, the world needed Nate and his continued research of illnesses like multiple sclerosis and the development of medicines to help people who suffered. “Of course, your contribution is much more needed than my skills.”
“Don’t sell your skills short,” my mother said, frowning at me.
“She’s right,” Will said. “Your skills have helped me keep assholes from doing bad things.”
I took a drink of the water I’d switched to drinking after dinner since I had a long drive back home. “There’s a lot of people who can help with that.”
We chatted for a bit longer, but not wanting to get home too late, I finally stood and prepared to leave. My mother walked me to the door, as she always did since I was usually the first to leave because I had a longer drive.
“I worry about you all by yourself out in the woods, Mitch,” she said as I made my way to the front door.
“I’m good, mom.” I opened the door and let Duke out. “Go to the car, Duke,” I said to him. He bounded out the door toward my SUV.
“Are you going to hide out there by yourself forever?”
Yep, I thought, but knew she wouldn’t want to hear that. “I’m happy out there. You should come and visit.”
“Maybe I will.” She hugged me, and then I headed out.
In my SUV with Duke in the front seat next to me, I wove my way through the streets and roads of northern Virginia. Even on a Sunday evening, they were crowded, and it seemed to take forever before I reached Interstate 66 to take me west toward Front Royal.
Although traffic moved along, it wasn’t until I reached the slopes of the Blue Ridge that I felt like I could take a full breath again. Since it had just turned dark, I knew the September heat and humidity would be down now that the sun was gone, so I rolled down both my windows. Duke stuck his head out, and I laughed.
“You feeling the need for fresh air too, Duke?”
He turned his head to me and barked, which I took to mean, “Yes, I prefer nature to the city too.”
I finally reached Front Royal, and then headed south up into the less inhabited parts of the Blue Ridge. The road was dark and empty, just like I liked it.
“We’ll be home soon, Duke.”
I was about midway to the Old Blue Lodge, when I came around a corner, and my lights caught a car in the turnout on the northbound side of the road. There wasn’t much of a view at night, but perhaps it was a couple of teenagers making out. I planned to drive by until I saw a female figure walking to the vehicle holding her phone up as if she was trying to get service.
“Good luck with that.” As I passed, I looked out and felt a niggle of familiarity. I shook it off. No one I knew would be out here. But I couldn’t shake the idea that perhaps she was in trouble. I pulled off the road, made a U-turn, and then headed back down to the turn-out.
When I reached the area, I pulled in behind the dark sedan. I turned my lights down so I wouldn’t blind her.
“Stay here, Duke,” I said as I opened my door and climbed out. I strode toward the woman. “Do you need—” I stopped short. “Hope?”
She stopped too and looked at me in surprise. “Mitch?”
Had I never fucked her, I would have immediately hugged her. But since I had touched her, and it ended badly, I wasn’t sure I should. She was the one who finally, awkwardly, gave me a quick hug. It was long enough that I could note that she still smelled good.
Having sex with my friend Parker’s sister was something that should have never, ever happened. I regretted betraying him like that from the moment my orgasm ended. And yet, another part of me was glad it happened because touching Hope Caldwell had been the highlight of that summer. In fact, in some ways, I resented Parker because I would have liked to have spent more time with Hope as more than her friend.
Although I’d been Parker’s friend first, since they were twins, she was often around, and we’d become friends too. I’d remembered the summer when we were fifteen and hanging out at the river when I’d seen her in a blue bikini that matched her eyes that I’d gotten a hardon. It was the first of many I’d have over her.
It was frustrating to have a thing for my friend’s sister and not be able to do anything about it. Then nine years ago, I did do something about it. I’d fucked her on the banks of the river, and it was beautiful and physically satisfying until I remembered that her brother would kick my ass for it.
I didn’t handle it well and had always regretted that. But as Hope looked up at me now, I realized she’d probably forgotten it, or at the very least, relegated it to the past. She didn’t still look angry. Then again, she appeared to be stranded on the side of the road, so maybe she wasn’t in a position to be angry.
“Are you okay?” I asked.
She shook her head and inhaled a deep breath as if she was trying to keep it together. “My car just stopped, and I can’t get phone service to call for help.”
“Let me drive you where you need to go. Are you up at the lodge?” Then I realized she was facing toward town. “Or back at Front Royal.”
“I was supposed to be at the lodge, but for some reason, they didn’t get my reservation. I was going to see if I could get a room in town.”
I knew two fairly good-sized events were taking place this week, and it would be difficult to find a room if she didn’t already have a reservation.
“Listen, I’ve got a guest area at my place. Why don’t you come home with me? We can arrange to get your car towed to a mechanic.”
She looked at me for a long moment, and I wondered if maybe hard feelings from nine years ago were still there. Or maybe she thought I might touch her again.
“You’ll have your own space,” I said. “I won’t make any moves.”
Duke barked from my truck, startling Hope.
I grinned. “That’s Duke. He’ll protect you too.”
Her expression appeared resigned, and I tried not to be offended that she seemed to wish anyone other than me had stopped to help her.
“Yes, thank you, Mitch.”
“Do you have a bag or something?”
She opened her truck, and I put her bags in the back of my SUV. “You moving to the woods?’ I asked, noting the amount of luggage she had.
“I’m supposed to stay for a month. I’m on a retreat of sorts.”
“Oh?” I opened the passenger side door for her. “Duke, get in the back.” I wiped the seat of any dog hair and then helped her in.
“I’m planning to finally start my design company.”
I smiled. “Awesome, Hope. That’s great.” I shut her door and then went to the driver’s side and got in. “I’d have thought you’d be in New York already.”
She shrugged. “I got sidelined.”
I knew she worked for her father, but I hadn’t
kept close tabs on her. I always had this fear that if I asked Parker about her, he’d figure out that I had unlawful carnal knowledge of her.
She was quiet the rest of the way until I pulled in front of my home. “Wow,” she said as he looked toward the house. “This is bigger than the lodge.”
“Not quite.” It was bigger than I needed, but I liked having lots of open space. I helped her out and then went to the back of the truck and pulled out her bags.
I unlocked and opened the front door. “Lights on,” I said. The great room lit up.
“Wow, a smart house?” she said, taking in the open space that made up the living area.
“Gabe’s idea,” I said.
She walked towards the back where full floor to ceiling windows held the view of the rolling hills of the Blue Ridge.
“That’s right. He had that home renovation show. What’s he doing now?” She asked, looking out the windows. It was dark, so there wasn’t much to see, so perhaps she was trying to avoid looking at me.
“He’s married and has a kid,” I said. I walked to the kitchen. “I have an extension off the kitchen you can stay in. It’s away from the rest of the house so you can have your space.” I hoped that might make her feel more comfortable.
The extension was actually like its own little cabin connected to the house by a long, enclosed breezeway. At one time, I thought I’d have a home office and start working again, but in the end, I turned it into a guest area even though I never had guests.
“I heard you sold your company,” she said as she followed me toward the guest area.
“Yep.” Her brother Parker, now a successful lawyer, had helped me broker the billion-dollar deal.
“You don’t get bored out here all by yourself?”
I laughed. “You sound like my mother.” I turned the lights on and put her bags down. “No. I’m quite content here.”
“This is more than a room,” she said, looking around. “It’s like a suite.”
“There’s a bedroom in there and a full bath. It’s never been used so you’ll need to tell me if it needs anything.”
She stood in the middle of the room, looking over the space, while I remained at the door.
When she turned toward me, I got my first real good look at her in the light since picking her up by the side of the road.
Christ, she was beautiful and even more so than I remembered. She was a blonde-haired, blue-eyed beauty, but not in a fake way. She wore dark jeans and a white t-shirt with a light swath of lace along the collar. It was a basic outfit, and yet there was something about the style that made it pretty and stylish. That was Hope, I remembered. She was not flashy and yet always gorgeous and sexy. I worked to ignore how her jeans showed off the curve of her hips or how the scoop of her t-shirt showed tantalizing swells of her breasts.
“Are you hungry?” I asked.
“A little actually. But I don’t want to put you out.”
“It’s not a problem. I’ve got plenty of food. Why don’t you get settled in here and when you’re ready, just come back to the kitchen, and we’ll find something for you to eat.”
She nodded. “Thank you, Mitch. Really.”
“It’s my pleasure, Hope.” I left her to get settled and headed back to the kitchen. Duke was in one of his giant pillow beds strewn throughout the house. He looked up at me as I entered the kitchen. “It’s nice to have company, isn’t it?” I asked him.
He jumped up and trotted toward me. I patted him, then washed my hands and began to go through my fridge and cupboards to find something to serve Hope. As I did, I felt a lightness in me that I hadn’t felt in a long time. Perhaps my mom was right and all this alone time wasn’t a good thing. It would be nice to catch up with Hope, and maybe we could become friends again. I’d just need to keep my libido in check because that was one thing that hadn’t changed around her.
Hope—I Think I’ll Stay
Hope
The last thing I wanted was to stay the night at Mitch’s house. Well, not the last thing. Being with Mitch was better than sitting in my car all night. And it was better than hoping a stranger wasn’t a strangler. But it was extremely awkward to be around him again, after nine years.
The truth was, I wasn’t sure what to expect. Since that night I’d handed him my V-card, and then he’d humiliated me with his regret and disappointment, I’d avoided him. Occasionally, my brother would mention something about him because they remained friends, but for the most part, I didn’t know Mitch anymore. The last thing I remembered my brother telling me was years ago when he’d been planning to take his tech company public, and then all of a sudden, sold it instead. My brother said it had to do with one of his managers or maybe it was his fiancé betraying him. The end result was that he sold his company and moved to the woods.
At the time, I’d imagined a tiny rustic cabin or even a cave. But this house was incredible. I wasn’t joking when I said it was like the lodge. Walking through the door, I noticed that the living area was huge, with ceilings up to the second level. There was a hall across the living area, but it was too dark to see how far it went back.
He walked me through the kitchen which had appliances that looked restaurant-grade to me. Did he like to cook?
The room he showed me was like a suite in a fancy hotel, with a living area, a bedroom with a king-sized bed, and a full bath. Why did he need this? Especially since he said it hadn’t been used yet.
I put the bag with my grooming case on the couch and opened it up. I pulled the case out and went to the bathroom. It had a large walk-in shower with the rain showerhead and a deep oval garden tub with jets. Looking at it made my body want to climb in for a soak. I looked in the mirror and sighed. I was vain enough to wish I’d made a better impression on him if only to make him regret what he could have had.
My hair was tangled, and my eyes looked tired. I pulled out my brush and brushed away the tangles and then put my hair up into a ponytail. I washed my face, pinching my cheeks to give them color. I wasn’t about to redo my makeup now. I wasn’t quite that vain.
Feeling a little more presentable, I wandered back through the enclosed breezeway to the kitchen. Halfway through, I could smell bacon and onions cooking. My stomach growled.
I entered the kitchen area where Mitch was at his stove, cooking something. It was the first time I could get a good look at him. He wore dark jeans and a t-shirt pulled tight around his shoulders. I’d thought he was pretty buff nine years ago, but he looked stronger and bigger than I’d remembered. Perhaps he worked out more with all his free time.
His head turned, and he smiled at me. “I hope you didn’t become a vegetarian. I mostly have meat and dairy.”
His face looked older now like he’d finally grown from young man to full-fledged man. He was still handsome, but the lightheartedness and spark in him was gone. I wondered what that was about. I wished I could remember what my brother had told me about Mitch being betrayed. Had that been what took the fire from his eyes and sent him to the woods?
“I like meat and dairy.” I moved closer to see what he was cooking.
“Omelet and bacon. Is that okay?”
“Perfect. Thank you.”
He served the omelet with a couple of pieces of bacon on a plate and handed it to me. “There’s a table there,” he said nodding to the other side of the island that had the stove. “Do you want anything to drink? I’ve got water, orange juice, wine, and beer. In the other room, I have a bar if you want something stronger.”
I thought I should order water, but I wanted wine. Hell, I wanted something stronger. I decided to settle for the wine. “I’d love a glass of wine.”
“Coming right up.”
I noted that he didn't have anything to eat. “You won’t be eating too?”
“I ate at my mom’s place. I’ll have a beer with you, though.”
I took a bite of my omelet as he got my wine. I was unable to hold back the groan at how delicious it was.
“You like it.” He smiled as he handed me the wine.
“Are you a chef?”
He shook his head. “Nah. I have a lot of time, and I fill it learning stuff. Cooking was one of the first things I learned, grilling actually.”
Sitting across from me, he stared at me for a moment and then looked down, as if he was uncomfortable too.
“How are your parents?” I asked.
“My mom is good. My father died about three years ago.”
My stomach dropped. Had Parker told me that? “Oh God, Mitch, I’m sorry I didn’t know.”
He looked at me for a moment. “Parker didn’t tell you?”
I shrugged, “I don't remember if he did.” That sounded horrible. “I’m so sorry. I know you were close to him. All you Sloane boys were.”
He played with the condensation on his beer bottle. “Yes. It was…unexpected.” He swallowed, and I realized the loss still got to him. Well, of course, it would. I couldn’t imagine getting over the loss of my parents either. Doing the math, I also realized that his selling of the company would have been around that time too.
He rolled his shoulders like he was pushing the melancholy away. “Mom is doing great, though. We have dinner with her every Sunday. I was on the way back when I saw you on the road.”
“Don’t remind me. Thank goodness you came by. I couldn’t decide what to do, and my phone didn’t work.” I took a bite of bacon and sighed contently. The three best foods in the world were chocolate, wine, and bacon.
“No, cell service is bad in some places. It’s good here though if you need to call anyone, Parker, your parents, or…whoever.”
I looked up from my eggs, wondering if he was fishing for information on whether or not there was a whoever in my life.
“I’ll text them and let them know I’m okay.” I decided not to clarify if there was someone besides my family in my life. It was none of his business. If he thought there was, that would ensure that he wouldn't think he could have a repeat of our time at the lake. Not that he’d given any indication that he’d like a repeat.
Her Mountain Hero Page 3
