Chapter Nine

 

 

“LET ME OUT of here!” Rose shouted, banging on the delivery truck’s metal door. Outside, a latch clicked into place.

“Good job, boys,” Nugget could be heard saying, his voice muffled but chipper. “Dot? Brody? Did you two put the milk I set out in the cooler for our expectant momma?”

Brody said, “Affirmative.”

“Let me out!” Rose screamed. “Are you people nuts? This is kidnapping! Double kidnapping!”

Colby, drawing Rose onto one of the comfy pillows lining the truck’s floor, said, “Wouldn’t that be a triple kidnapping, or don’t I count?”

“Grr…” In the oddly romantic light of at least fifty green glow sticks, she glared at her baby’s daddy. “Tell them to stop. This isn’t funny.”

“Hey…” He held up his hands in surrender. “See me laughing? I’m just as much a victim as you. And look on the bright side.” He pointed to a heart-shaped basket filled with a bottle of sparkling cider, crackers and Rose’s favorite squirt cheese. “At least they gave us snacks.”

She made a good show of frowning, but couldn’t quite hide the twinkle in her eyes when her gaze landed on the cheese.

The truck engine rumbled to a start. From outside, Nugget hollered, “Don’t you two worry about a thing. Brody and Dot were just pretending to be drunk. They’re both sober as preachers on Judgment Day. They’ll get you where you’re going, nice and safe.”

Rose groaned, spotting boxes of what she guessed were supplies in a corner.

“Okay, hit it!” On Nugget’s command, the truck lurched forward, flinging Rose against Colby’s chest.

He shook his head. “Sometimes I wonder if the area’s isolation isn’t throwing a few people off their rockers.”

“This thought just now occurred to you?” A tooth-jarring pothole left her holding on to Colby for dear life.

“Hey!” Colby shouted toward the truck’s cab. “You two fruitcakes mind slowing down?”

They did, and thankfully, although the ride was still bumpy, the bumps became easier to bear.

A few minutes later, Rose realized she was still clinging to Colby, her arms around his neck, her cheek pressed against his warm, solid chest. She knew she should let go, but didn’t want to. He was not only a safe harbor in this bizarre storm, but a comfortable one.

“Relax. We’re going to be fine.” He stroked her hair. “This is what my so-called friends consider an Alaska-sized therapy session.”

“Yeah, but where are they taking us, and what do they hope to achieve?”

She felt him shrug. “Probably some cabin out in the woods. Most of us have places in the boonies we use to get away.”

At that, she leaned back and sighed. “Like the stress of being around all two hundred or so occupants of this town can be a strain?”

“Try over a thousand occupants. Kodiak Gorge is a happening place.”

“Sorry.”

“You should be.” He tweaked her ear.

“What was that for?”

“Sass. Now, where was I?”

“Explaining why your high-stress lifestyle requires you to get away.”

Shaking his head, he said, “Have you met any of the people who locked us in here?”

She laughed.

“Anyway, I imagine they’re planning to leave us wherever they drop us off until we either bicker each other to death or agree to marry.”

“They have to know we can’t be manipulated like that.”

Back to stroking her hair, he said, “Oh, I don’t know. When Nugget gets a hankering to do something, there’s no stopping him. He did this to my friend Tanner and his wife Jenny when they announced they were getting a divorce.”

“So? What happened? Are the two of them still married?”

Sighing, Colby said, “Guess they fell under the category of bickering each other to death. I have to confess to being in on that kidnapping, though. After their time together, they never spoke again.”

“Ouch.”

“Yeah…”

 

 

WHEN THE STEADY rise and fall of her breathing told him she was asleep, Colby cradled Rose closer.

There weren’t many roads leading out of Kodiak Gorge. Two, to be specific—Old Gold Road and New Gold Road. And Old Gold Road should’ve been downgraded to Old Gold Mule Trail about twenty years back. Judging by the increase in bumps, Colby guessed they were on the trail.

The one that led straight to his fishing cabin.

He knew Nugget and the rest of the gang meant well, but having Rose in his town was hard enough. Why in the world would they believe he wanted her at his sanctuary? Especially since every time he cast out his fly rod from now on, he’d be thinking of what quiet joy could have been found in having his son standing beside him, proudly holding up his first fish.

The strange thing about that image was the absence of little-boy-Nick’s mother. Did the fact that Colby couldn’t imagine Rose in his future mean he was destined to only see his son part-time?

No. The very idea was unacceptable. He snuggled his son’s mother close, settling in for a long, bumpy ride—both emotionally and physically. Colby also drifted off.

Hours must have passed when he woke to blessed peace from jostling and the old truck’s chugging engine.

“Rose, hon, wake up.” Colby eased her from his chest, grinning at the tiny wet spot in the middle of his green shirt where she’d drooled sometime during their journey.

“No…” She snuggled closer. “It’s too early.”

Moving her off him and onto one of the dozens of pillows lining the truck’s floor, he tried the door, and it slid right open. Hand to his forehead, shielding his eyes from still potent sun, he was treated to the sight of one of his favorite places on earth—his log fishing cabin in all its rustic glory, nestled among towering Sitka spruce, mountain hemlock and cedar.

Between the trees the lake glittered.

As far as Colby knew, the lake didn’t have a formal name. He’d always just thought of it as his lake. Although now, oddly enough, he looked forward to sharing it with Rose.

Usually, he flew in, and the aerial view of his private paradise always filled him with quiet pride, but the place was just as sweet from this angle. Even though Rose was a big-city girl, he couldn’t imagine her not forming an instant attachment.

Turning to her, he knelt, sweeping her thick hair back from her ear so he could whisper, “Wake up, sleeping beauty. We’re home.” Still beside her from her last snack was a can of squirt cheese. Knowing she’d be wanting another hit soon, he put it in his pocket for later.

“Hey…sleeping beauty. Time to rise.”

She swatted him. “I already told you it’s too early to wake up.”

“Judging by his momma, our son’s gonna be a bear to wake for school every morning.”

“He’ll go to night school.” Though her eyes were still closed, a grin tugged the corners of her lips.

“That’s all well and good,” he said, taking her hands in the hopes of making her sit up. “But last I heard, Kodiak Gorge didn’t offer late-night kindergarten.”

“They would for our boy—he’ll be a VIP.”

Colby’s spirit soared. “That mean you’ve rethought your plan to head back to Chicago?”

Her eyes popped open, and she bolted upright—surprisingly fast, considering her size. “What?”

“What you just said—you know, about our son being a VIP, and how Kodiak Gorge would open a kindergarten just for him. That mean you’re sticking around?”

“No—absolutely not. I was half-asleep. I wasn’t in my right mind after not getting a moment’s decent rest.”

“That’s funny,” he said with a wry laugh. “Most of the ride, your snoring kept me up.”

“I can’t help it,” she said, scrambling to her feet. “All this dry air up here messes with my sinuses.”

“Oh.”

“It does.”

He hopped down from the truck, then held out his arms to help her.

“Thanks,” she said, “but I’ve got this.”

“By all means.” He stepped aside. “I wouldn’t dream of interfering.”

“Thank you.”

Using the side of the truck for support, she seemed poised to jump, but the truck floor looked to be a good two feet off the ground, so she opted for another approach. After turning around, she eased onto her knees as if prepped for a backwards hop, but considering how her belly got in the way, that didn’t seem to be working, either.

“Need help?” Colby tried not to laugh. Really, he did.

“I’m fine,” she muttered from between clenched teeth.

“Sure. Just asking.”

“Yeah, well, don’t.”

She next tried a forward squat, but when she damn near toppled over, for her and his son’s safety, Colby snatched her from behind, briefly cradling her before setting her on her feet.

“Thanks.” She fussed with her hair. “Eventually, I could have done it.”

“I had absolute faith you would.”

Arms folded, her initial reaction was to glare, but then she laughed. “Who am I kidding? The only way I could’ve exited that truck alone was with a remote-controlled forklift. Thanks for the rescue.”

“You’re welcome. But for the record, I believe in you—your ability to do anything you set your mind to. I forgot to mention it, but the folks at the Global site are psyched about your recommendations. You made a real positive change in their lives.”

“T-thank you.” Arms lowered, she made a half-step forward. If he hadn’t known better, he might have thought her on the verge of hugging him. But then she froze in place. “That was a seriously nice thing to say. And thanks again for the rescue. I do appreciate your help.”

He shrugged. “It wasn’t a big deal.”

“It would’ve been in about five minutes if I hadn’t got to a bathroom.” She grinned. Hand to her forehead, she looked around, then said, “This place is straight off the pages of a storybook.” A few seconds later, she added with a wince, “A nice, happy storybook, if you’d kindly show me to the facilities.”

“Sure. Right there.” He pointed to a crude path leading off into the trees.

“I’m confused. Is this cabin like a storage shed, and the real house is down that trail?”

“No, I just mean the bathroom is down the trail.”

“Oh—like you’ve got a bathhouse,” she said, already on her way. “That’s cool. A bubble bath would feel fantastic.”

“Just keep walking,” he said. “I want it to be a surprise.”

She grinned over her shoulder. “Maybe this whole kidnapping thing won’t be so bad? Kind of like a spa weekend.”

“Just keep walking,” he said. “You can’t miss it.”

With a perky wave, she rounded a bend in the path. Leaning against the truck, Colby crossed his legs at the ankles, then counted. “Five…four…three…two—”

“An outhouse! Your only bathroom is an outhouse?”

Dot and Brody charged up the other path that led to the lake.

“What’s the commotion?” Brody asked. “There a grizzly?”

Colby let out a snort. “Oh, there’s a grizzly, all right. A big old momma bear who just realized there’s no flush toilet.”

“That’s my cue to beat it,” Dot said, hopping into the back of the truck to grab a box Colby presumed held supplies. “Brody, lend me a hand. I want to be gone before she comes back.”

“For crying out loud.” Colby had his hands on his hips. “You’re not really planning on leaving us here?”

“If we don’t,” Brody said, “Nugget told us he wouldn’t serve us for the next year.”

“And you two actually believe that?”

Brody had already dumped one box onto the dirt at Colby’s feet and was going for another, plus three Yeti coolers.

“Aw, come on, man. Don’t leave me up here with her. She’s scary.”

“Yeah, well you shoulda thought about that before you—”

“Speed it up, Brode—this here’s the last one.” Dot hefted the last box off the truck, yanked the roll door down and secured it, then hightailed it around to the cab.

Brody followed hot on her heels.

Colby wasn’t far behind them. “Come on, guys,” he wheedled. “You know how well this worked with Tanner and Jenny, so what makes you think it would work with—”

They’d shut and locked both cab doors.

Dot started the engine, grinding it into first gear.

“Hey!” Colby pounded on Dot’s door, chasing the truck out of the cabin’s overgrown yard. The place used to have a driveway, but since he’d never used it, sometime over the years it had blended with the forest—a fact made only too evident when a birch sapling whipped his left cheek. “Damn…”

In the time it took to mutter a few more curses, his two supposed friends and their truck vanished behind a dust cloud.

Raking his fingers through his hair, Colby muttered, “Behold, the power of Nugget’s home cooking on a bachelor and an old married woman who between them can’t open a can of soup.” Dot might hold the official title of Global’s caretaker, but she sure wasn’t the cook.

“Where’s the truck?” Rose asked, eyes wide. “All the squirt cheese was back there—and those yummy little crackers with the—”

“Do you like trout?”

“What do you mean?” Gaze narrowed, she folded her arms, resting them atop their baby. “Like they just went off for a quick bite to eat at a restaurant down the road, right? After that, they’ll be back?”

He sighed.

“Colby? They will be back, right?”

“In a few days.”

 

 

AFTER ROSE GOT over the initial shock of realizing she wasn’t going anywhere, Colby planted her on a comfy rocker on the cabin’s screened porch, then hauled in the supplies. Thankfully, there were lots, including her suitcase and toiletries from the lodge.

She’d offered to help, but he still seemed under the impression that just because she was pregnant, she was also helpless. Normally, she’d have delighted in proving him wrong, but—she yawned—this was one time when she was happy to abide by his manly suggestion she rest.

Granted, the outhouse thing was a real drag.

And instead of a proper stove, the kitchen had a wood-burning monstrosity that looked as though it had been hauled up here in the gold rush days. But sitting as she was now, gazing out at yet another postcard-perfect lake view, she was surprised that she couldn’t think of anything she’d rather be doing—including working at the job she loved.

The control freak in her should have been railing. Instead, Rose felt an odd sense of peace. If pressed, she couldn’t have even explained why. For whatever reason, this cabin was where she needed to be. For now, anyway, it felt like home—the one she’d secretly always wanted, but never known.

The diamond-shot lake was ringed by spruce. At the far end stood aspen in a field of wildflowers. Behind those towered a snowcapped mountain. In the patch of enchanted forest serving as a yard, a woodpecker had his way with a half-dead cedar, and from over the lake came a flock of geese’s occasional honks.

The sweet smell of wood smoke hung in the air. Colby must’ve gotten the stove to work. He’d explained earlier that he couldn’t light a fire in the rock fireplace because a bird family had moved in for the summer.

“You cold?” Colby asked, strolling through the cabin’s open door with a fuzzy red blanket.

“Maybe a little.” She cuddled into it when he tucked it over her lap. “Thanks.”

“You’re welcome.” He pressed a tender kiss to her forehead before heading back inside.

The baby kicked. “Colby?” she called out.

“Yeah?”

“Despite our differences, let’s try having a nice time up here—for however long those so-called friends of yours decide to leave us.”

“Sounds good. Anything you need?”

“Other than that nice, long soak I was wishing for, along with a snack, I’m pretty much content.”

“You really want a bath?”

“It’d be nice, but I’m guessing that the only shower or tub up here is the lake, right?”

He winked. “What do you want for a snack?”

“Colby? What did that wink mean? Do we not even get the lake to bathe in? Is it infested with ultra-winter-hardy piranha or flesh-eating arctic bacteria?”

“Snack?”

“Pizza?”

“How about baby carrots and ranch dip?”

“Yum.”

Yet again avoiding her hygiene question, he disappeared inside the cabin.

Wrapping the blanket around her shoulders, she followed him, only to be pleasantly surprised by what he’d done with the place in the past thirty minutes. On her first trip through, the sofa and few chairs had been shrouded in old muslin dustcovers, as had the bed, giving the whole cabin the appearance of ghost central.

But now…

Now it was a cozy haven with a gently worn red sofa and chairs, and a big wrought-iron bed, fluffy and inviting with its mounds of pillows and cheery, red-plaid spread. Above the rock fireplace hung an uncannily accurate watercolor rendition of the lake.

Colby caught her appraising the room and blushed.

“What’s wrong?” she asked, admiring the red-calico curtains with their pretty lace trim.

“What’s wrong?” he asked with a slight cough. “I’d forgotten how girly this place is. My mom painted that.” He pointed to the picture Rose had just admired. With any luck, their son would inherit his paternal grandmother’s artistic flair. “I used to spend so much time up here that she redecorated the place for my twenty-fifth birthday. Guess she thought I could use it for a love nest.”

Now it was Rose’s turn to redden. “Well?”

“What?”

“Did you? Use it as a—you know.”

He looked sharply away.

For a second, Rose couldn’t figure out what would make Colby react that way, but then understanding dawned. As much as she wanted to believe he’d never been with any woman but her, she wasn’t that naive. “You came up here with Margot, didn’t you?”

He nodded.

“And knowing how well that turned out, you’re figuring the same is about to happen with me?”

“Actually,” he said with a half laugh, “I was thinking more along the lines that at least with Margot I’d had a fighting chance, but with you…”

“Oh—you think I should agree to give up my entire life—my work and friends? Just because you want me to?” He had no idea what she’d lived through. Relinquishing control meant opening herself to the chance—however slim—of once again suffering abuse. Stop. Knowing Colby like she did, that excuse was no longer going to fly. He was a good man. The kind of man who would never hurt her or their baby.

“No, I think you should accept an exciting lifestyle change because our son needs you to. Can you imagine what a kick he’d get out of coming up here? Fishing, camping, learning how trappers and miners used to live off the land.”

“Getting bitten by mosquitoes.” She slapped a little sucker about to tear into her arm.

“God help our kiddo if he’s even half as bullheaded as you.”

“Why am I bullheaded just because I know what I want?” More like what you don’t want.