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He started with the electric razor, set the guide to leave a shadow of beard in case there were scratches still in the process of healing, and it worked. In a few more days, he would be able to get a clean shave.
He showered quickly, then dressed in jeans and a red plaid flannel shirt before heading to the kitchen. One breakfast and two cups of coffee later, he began dusting the furniture, then cleaning and mopping the floors. By the time he was through, the house smelled like lemon oil and the floors were shining. After that, it was a matter of sitting and waiting for the federal agent to make contact, so he went to the office to work.
***
A car picked Rusty up at her home in Arlington just after daybreak and delivered her to the waiting chopper. She hadn’t slept enough last night to count, but when she had, she dreamed of her soldier.
Only now her soldier had a name.
Cameron Pope.
She liked the sound of it and how it felt rolling off her tongue. This was going to be the most momentous day of her life. Either it would be heaven or it would be hell, and in the midst of all this angst, she and Cameron Pope both had a job to do.
She took her seat and buckled in and, as always, said a prayer. Unknown territory was always a risk, and strangers only made it worse. Who to trust? Who might put a knife in her back? It appeared the Company decided to trust Cameron Pope, and she’d trusted him enough for one night to give away her heart. Piece of cake.
Many hours and multiple stops to refuel later, they were skimming over the stunning beauty of the Cumberland Mountains surrounding the town of Jubilee. From the air, the forest seemed impenetrable until they began their descent. It was then that she was able to see the road winding up the mountain—like a long black snake. But was it in search of prey, or looking for a place to hide?
She kept searching for signs of habitation as she gazed down into the treetops, looking for rooftops and chimneys. She did see occasional wisps of smoke rising above the treetops, but the forest was too dense and the population within it was too well hidden.
Knowing Cameron Pope was down there somewhere made her heart skip. She was physically closer to him now than she had been in five years, and still a bit shocked by the odds of this reunion.
She needed to contact him today and get him up to speed, then set up a time when they could begin some subtle investigations. But once she got to the penthouse it was going to be not only awkward but also impossible to turn around and walk out today. Her only option was to see Cameron first. She had his contact info in her phone, so as soon as the chopper set down, she sent him a text.
This is Caldwell. I’m on the ground. Text me directions to your residence. Touching base with you first.
By the time she got unloaded and retrieved her rental car, she had directions to his home. She sent him a thumbs-up emoji to indicate message received, then put his address in her GPS and started driving.
She was slightly surprised by the number of tourists in this obscure location at this time of year, but as she drove through the streets, seeing the charm of the little shops and the big music venues, she began to understand the draw.
People were everywhere and taking photos of everything. Posing in front of a blacksmith at his anvil and in front of carvings of black bears outside of restaurants and Native American regalia in the windows of other shops advertising handmade jewelry from early-day tribes that had once been in the surrounding areas. It was a feast for the eyes, and unfortunately an apparent resource for human traffickers.
As she started up the mountain, the frenetic pace from down below fell away. It became obvious how valuable privacy was to people here, and that the forest that appeared so wild and impenetrable from the air felt like a refuge.
She’d been driving for about fifteen minutes when her GPS suddenly signaled a left turn. She tightened her grip on the steering wheel as she made a quick left up a wooded drive and began watching for a house.
It was smoke rising from the chimney she saw first, then the chimney itself, then the shake-shingled roof of a sprawling single-story house with a covered porch that ran the length of the structure and a large carport on the nearest end. The forest-green Adirondack chairs spaced out along the porch were just begging for company, and the man of her dreams was just inside. It didn’t feel real.
Rusty pulled up and parked, thinking this place had everything a wounded soul needed to heal.
Peace. Solace. Shelter.
She pocketed her phone and keys and got out, then paused, overwhelmed by the moment. It felt like the hotel lobby and hiding behind the potted palm all over again. She couldn’t see him. But just like the last time, she felt him before he ever knew she was there.
***
Ghost heard the car and was on his feet and at the door before Cameron could get out of his chair, but he quickly followed. No need scaring off the fed with a yeti-sized dog before they ever said hello.
He paused at the door and laid a hand on the dog’s back.
“Ghost. Sit.”
Ghost sat, then looked up at Cameron, awaiting further orders.
Cameron opened the door and stepped out onto the porch, then stopped abruptly.
A woman! The fed was a woman!
He saw wild red curls flirting with the wind, and then her face. Stunned beyond the ability to speak, he could only watch as she began moving toward him. Then she paused, and when she stopped, he came off the porch and down the steps toward her in disbelief.
