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I’ve agreed to a lot of ridiculous things in my life. Hell, I once jumped off a lakeside cliff on a dare and spent a week in the hospital with a broken rib. I should’ve learned my lesson, but I did the same thing that following summer. Thankfully, the second time I leapt without injury, but that doesn’t change the fact that I shouldn’t have done it.
I also married a man when I was twenty, believing it was true love. He left me with one great souvenir, a mountain of debt, and a broken heart. I’ve sworn off men since.
Deep down, I shouldn’t even pretend to like my boss. He’s rude, rough, and all he’s focused on is himself. Yet here I am, walking out of the lodge with a fuzzy excited feeling in my stomach for what lies ahead.
Someone send help. I have a feeling I’m going to need it.
Chapter Two
Luke
Mae’s cabin is nestled into a grove of pine trees that rise up and out of the earth and disappear into the sky. It’s a simple log cabin with snow piled up against the walls where snow has slid off the roof. A front porch extends off the house and a basket with pine boughs and red bulbs hangs off the hooks. No Christmas lights. I’m surprised, considering how much she enjoys the holiday.
From the gravel driveway, I can see her standing over the kitchen sink scrubbing dishes. The house is dim except for the light over the sink. Her long red hair flows down over her shoulder. She’s gorgeous.
Maybe that’s the problem all along.
Her beauty has had a hold on me for a while now, and it’s made me do some things that I’m not proud of. From this spot, I’m sure she can see my car… because it’s not my usual.
I remember the day that Mae walked into my office for the job. I was smitten from the start. Brains and a body that took my breath in a way that I’m still trying to recover from.
Since she started, I haven’t been able to focus on anything but her, and the fact I have a usual spot to watch her at nightshouldscare me… but it doesn’t. I’ve run the numbers. If I’m just a colleague, I’m irrelevant. So, I push. I take more time than I should. I’m rough with her, so she’ll haveanyopinion of me. I can be patient. She doesn’t have to love me right now, but I want to be an important part of her life until she can.
The whole thing is fucked up. I know it is, and it’s not an act I’ve ever made a habit of in the past, but there’s something about Mae that I can’t let go of. When I lie in bed at night, I need to know she’s safely tucked away until the next morning. I need to know she’s protected from the dangers of the outside world. And if I happen to see her thick, round ass more in the process, well… I don’t hate that either.
I open the door to the truck, but my cell phone buzzes on the dashboard and a call rings through. It’s my daughter, Tinley.
“Sweetheart, where are you? You make it past the dairy yet?”
“Haven’t even left. Just finished my last exam, so I’m heading out now. How are you, Dad?” There’s empathy in her voice every time she calls, almost like she’s looking for something. A problem, a reason to come rushing back and save me from something.Iwonder who she got that from?
“This the biology test? How do you think you did?” She’s always wanted to be a nurse, but biology isn’t her strongest subject.
“Okay…” She drags in a deep breath and recalibrates her processing. “Dad…”
This can’t be good. “What?”
“I need you to be prepared for something.”
“Prepared for what?” My stomach clenches. “If you have something to say, say it. You know I don’t like surprises.”
“I think we should talk in person. I’ll be there tomorrow morning. I just wanted you to prepare yourself for something you’re not going to want to hear.”
“Why would you tell me something I don’t want to hear?”
“Because it’s my life and I need to make decisions that are best for me.”
“I always want what’s best for you too, so just spill it.”
“I will,” she says as her tone lifts, “soon. I’m excited to meet your girlfriend. How are things between you two?”
I glance through the kitchen window and watch as Mae tosses down the dish towel at the edge of the sink. “Really good. I just pulled up to her house. We’re having dinner tonight.” Finally, I don’t have to lie, except for the part about her not being my girlfriend.
“Oh, I’ll let you go. I’ll call you when I get to the dairy. I’m staying with friends, and should be done around ten. I’ll meet you at Memaw’s.”
I miss the age when I told her to tell me something and she had to tell me. I grunt in agreement, tell her to be safe, and disconnect the line. I can’t imagine what she has to say, but the last time she did the whole‘I have something to tell you’thing, she told me she was going skydiving after graduation and there was nothing I could do to stop her. I can’t imagine her doing that again. Once seems like enough for that sort of thing… I hope.
The front porch light flicks on and the door swings open. “You going to sit out here all night long?” Mae wears a pair of leggings and a light hoodie. The long red hair that had been on her shoulders is now tied up in a loose bun on top of her head. I bite back the urge to stalk toward her and tear everything off.
