AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Why is it that every female I meet is bat-shit crazy?” Declan mumbled, more to himself than to her, but regardless, she heard it.
This guy was more unpredictable than the weather, going from light snow to a squall in a matter of seconds. The spin fromlet me make this righttoshe’s bat-shit crazytook him all of a minute. And apparently not being afraid of a little snow made her crazy.
Declan leaned against the wall, bracing one hand on the doorframe while Natalie stomped her way out of the bedroom and down the stairs. She paused on the front porch of the cabin, taking in her small car covered in snow. Surely it looked worse than it was. Right? But after climbing in and starting the engine, she had her answer.
The snow on the windshield was so thick and heavy, the wipers didn’t budge when she engaged them.
Declan’s glare burned on her back as she brushed the snow from her windshield. She couldn’t help but peek over her shoulder and take in his wide stance and crossed arms. The grumpy bear was back in full force. That and the fact that he was married made Natalie question whether she’d made up that heated moment in the bedroom doorway.
She’d stopped believing in fairy tales a few years ago, but she guessed her imagination hadn’t caught up. There was no way the hot grumpy guy brooding on the porch had been checking her out. The gorgeous log cabin set in the perfect woodsy mountains had probably put her under a spell. The whole place screamed happily ever after.
Or maybe murder mystery.
She shivered before removing the last of the snow from the windshield. There was a hotel a few miles down the road. She’d stop there for the night and head home tomorrow. Five miles would be fine—no issue. She’d just drive slowly.
Trying not to regret her decision, she drove at a glacial pace, fishtailing her way down the driveway, gritting her teeth. Mountain cabin had screamed picturesque Christmas in her mind. Why hadn’t she gone on the Caribbean cruise her best friend Melissa suggested?
Everything was easier in theory.
Take this no-issue five-mile drive—one that would probably take an hour. Perfect example of great plan in her head but shit in execution. She reached for her charging wire to plug her phone in, but her hand connected with nothing. Glancing from the road for one second, she searched the console.
Dammit.
It was sitting on the kitchen counter where she had plugged her phone in before her call with Addy. She jammed her phone back into the pocket of her white coat before pounding her fist on the console. Nothing was going her way. She sighed and glanced out the windshield again. It looked like something black was floating in the driveway.
What was that?
Natalie leaned forward, and awareness hit her as she slammed on the brake.
Shit. The gate.
4
“You let her leave in a snowstorm?”Finn snapped. “Are youtryingto get us sued? Or is that just a pleasant fucking add-on?”
“I tried to stop her, man. But she ran out like a crazy woman into the blizzard. And I’m not taking the blame on this one. I told you six times that Chris and I were coming here—notFlorida, for crap’s sake.” Declan paced across the hardwood floors in front of the stone fireplace once he’d gotten Chris settled in front of the TV.
What the hell else could he have done?
“It’s because you were being your crappy-ass Eeyore self, wasn’t it? Would it have killed you to be nice? Or even passably polite?”
What the fuck?
“Iwasbeing niceandpolite.” He gritted through his clenched jaw.Finnwas the dumbass who’d rented out the wrong property and still hadn’t bothered to acknowledge—
A loud crash and the sound of twisting metal echoed through the house.
“Shit.”Declan looked out the window, squinting into the thick snow. There was only one explanation for that thunderous noise.
“What now, Declan?”
“I gotta go. I think she crashed into the gate.”
He hung up on his brother, who was back to ranting about being sued. He was more concerned about Natalie’s safety than a lawsuit right now. The woman should have listened to him rather than storming off into the night.
“Chris, stay here while I deal with this damn woman.”
He waited for a nod from his son, who didn’t even look his way. He was snuggled against one of the big pillows on the sofa, enraptured by the Christmas movie playing on the big screen. That should keep him entertained for a few minutes.
