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“GPS is a little tricky out here, need some help finding it?” I half expected her to refuse, but she surprised me by agreeing to let me lead the way. I waited until I saw her close her car door before driving forward. Shadow Lodge was hardcore roughing it but in a cabin. It didn’t seem like the place little miss priss would enjoy.
I could almost hear the creak of the rusty sign swaying in the wind as we approached the so-called rustic timeshare cabin. The rain hadn't let up, and the place looked like a set from a low-budget horror flick. I glanced in the rearview mirror at Rebecca following behind me in that rental SUV, her headlights cutting through the gloom.
I stopped, rolling down my window as she parked beside me and rolled down hers. “You sure about this place? It's barely a two-star on a good day.”
Rain speckled her face as she leaned out. “It's just for a few nights, Connor. What, you don't think a city girl can handle a little roughing it?”
Her stubbornness was both infuriating, and—I hated to admit—kind of hot. But I wasn't about to tell her that.
“Of course, you can,” I said with a grin that felt more like a challenge. “But even bears avoid this place.”
Becca snorted, unfazed. “Challenge accepted.”
Shaking my head, I drove up to the cabin, the tires of my SUV squelching in the mud. We got out, and the weight of her gaze on me, as I assessed the sorry excuse for a vacation spot, was palpable. The door looked like it all it needed was one good kick and anyone could get in.
“Look, let me get a fire started, at least.” I offered, already moving towards the trunk where I kept my emergency kit. “And help unload your stuff.”
“Connor.” Her voice held a sharp edge as she blocked my path, hands on her hips. "I can take care of myself. You don't need to play the big, strong man here."
“Play?” A chuckle escaped. “Sweetheart, I'm not playing. It's my job to ensure you're safe, and this—” I gestured to the decrepit cabin, “isn't safe."
“Your job is to watch over trees and wildlife, not me.” She pushed wet strands of hair out of her face, her eyes flashing with that same fierce independence I remembered from when we were kids. “Thanks for the car rescue, but I've got it from here.”
“Fine,” I ground out, frustration boiling inside me. Did she always have to be this damned headstrong? I couldn't decide if I wanted to argue with her or….No, I definitely shouldn't finish that thought.
“Fine,” I repeated, softer this time. I was pissed she wouldn't accept my help, but what could I do? Force my assistance on her? “Just…be careful, okay?”
“Thank you, Ranger Smith,” she said with a smirk that didn't quite reach her eyes.
“Let me know if you need a picnic basket, Yogi,” I said with a final nod and turned back to my SUV.
But ass I drove away, I couldn’t shake the feeling that leaving her alone was a mistake.
4
Rebecca
I watched Connor's retreating form, his broad shoulders rolling with each step as he left me in front of the rustic cabin. Damn him for being a walking, talking cliché of rugged masculinity, all piercing blue eyes and muscles that seemed to flex with the very breeze that rustled through the trees.
“Let me know if you need a picnic basket, Yogi,” he said with that infuriating smirk, the one that had always made my blood boil—and, annoyingly, my body thrummed with unwelcome heat. I scowled at his back. I didn't want to admit it, even to myself, but there was something about Connor that stirred more than just irritation within me.
With an exasperated huff, I turned to face my temporary prison. It was quaint. After finding the hide-a-key right where Candice told me it would be, I unlocked the door and stepped inside, the smell of dust and disuse hit me hard.
I used my phone flashlight and found the light switch. Luckily there were lights. I was a little worried the cabin was too Little House on the Prairie to have electricity, but I was pleasantly surprised.
I almost instantly regretted turning on the light, though.
Connor was right, this was no four-star hotel. The living room had a small wooden-framed sofa with serape print blankets covering it. The dining table was a picnic table and the kitchen was just a fridge, woodburning stove, and a counter. The three bedrooms were just bare mattresses on low metal frames. Now the sheets that Candice had packed made sense. Well, at least I wouldn't be sleeping directly on a mattress that probably predated my birth.
Unfolding the sheets with more force than necessary, I attempted to cover up the floral abomination of a mattress. As I wrestled the fitted sheet over the corners, I couldn't help but snort. If Connor could see me now, he'd probably laugh his ass off—Mr. Park Ranger, so at home in the wild while city girl Rebecca couldn’t even make a bed without breaking a sweat.
Bet his idea of camping didn’t involve wrestling with bedsheets. No, those rough big hands were meant for the wilderness. Flashes of what those same hands exploring every inch of my skin might feel like ignited a fire within me.
Damn it. I shook the image from my mind. This was Connor. The same guy who’d mercilessly teased me, was best friends with my overprotective brother, and was the last man on earth I should ever fantasize about. Especially when I was stranded in the woods in a cabin that was one stiff breeze away from being reclaimed by nature.
There were still a few supplies in the car. I really didn’t want to go back outside, but the rain had turned to a light sprinkle—so it was now or never. As my boot squelched into the muddy path leading from the cabin, my phone buzzed weakly in my hand. Three bars of service flickered like a mirage before vanishing again.
“Yes,” I muttered, thumbing a quick message to my mom Safely made it. Connor lives out here. I’m fine, Mom.
