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“Just coffee is fine if you’re sure it’s not too much trouble.”
“Not at all.” She headed into the kitchen to make a pot of coffee, engaging in small talk the entire time. When the brew was ready, she tucked a notebook under one arm and carried both mugs to the table. Once she resumed her seat, Barbra reached across the table and laid her hand over mine. “I am so sorry to hear about Earl’s passing. Your grandparents were one of a kind. I hope you find solace in knowing they’re reunited now.”
I was agnostic regarding religion, but my grandparents were devout in their faith. I wanted them to have the afterlife they’d expected, and I did find comfort when I allowed myself to imagine their reunion. So I wasn’t lying when I said, “Yes, ma’am.”
“Good,” she said. “Now let me tell you what’s been happening around here.”
She flipped open her notebook and rattled off dates, times, and details of every incident over the past few months. She knew what was missing and from where and gave detailed accounts of unauthorized and abandoned campsites uncovered in the woods. I sipped my coffee and asked follow-up questions, learning that the vagrant never lit fires in the woods.
“He’s using the empty cabins for showering and food preparation too,” Barbra said. “Mostly, he cleans up after himself unless something spooks him.” She shivered hard. “It’s creepy. What would happen if someone stumbles upon the guy unexpectedly?”
“It doesn’t sound like he’s trying to hurt anyone. It sounds like he’s trying to avoid people at all costs. Still, I think it’s best to stay on alert.”
We chatted for a few more minutes while we finished our coffee. I gave Barbra tips on what the residents can do to minimize break-ins and capture images of the burglar. Most residents were like my grandparents and had lived there for decades with no problems. The idea of Ring doorbells, spotlights, and trail cams to capture a vagrant seemed foreign to her, but her eyes lit up with hope.
“I think I’ll make a Facebook group and invite residents to join. Maybe you could pop in and share these tips. I think the residents will take this advice more seriously if it comes from you.”
“Sure. I’d be happy to. Send me a link when you set it up.”
Barbra offered me a second cup of coffee, but I declined. She hugged me and offered her condolences again before I headed back to my cabin. A thick copse of trees separated my property from Barbra and George’s, and I didn’t realize I had company until I stepped out into the clearing beside my place. My heart sped up when I saw Lio’s gray truck parked beside mine. I scanned the yard and porch but didn’t see him. Lio had his own key and didn’t need to wait for me to arrive. I left my duffle in the truck for now because the only thing that mattered was already inside the cabin. I recalled Earl’s ashes were still on the seat, but I could almost hear his voice telling me to get my ass in there and claim my man. I broke into a light jog, took the porch steps two at a time, and flung open the front door. Lio, who was unpacking grocery bags, spun around and squared his body for an attack. When he saw it was me, tension melted from his lithe frame, and a sweet smile spread across his face. I didn’t bother closing the door behind me because two more seconds away from him was two too many. I started toward Lio as he pushed off the counter and strode toward me. We crashed together in the center of the cabin, our arms entwining around one another and our lips fusing in a hot, hungry kiss.
I didn’t tease Lio’s lips apart; this wasn’t the time for finesse. I pushed my tongue between them, groaning when he wrapped his lips around it and sucked. My heart sped, pumping blood and lust throughout my body. I slid one hand down to cup his firm ass and tangled the other in his hair, tilting his head back so I could deepen the kiss. Lio slid one hand between us and eased it up my torso, leaving a fiery trail in his wake. There were too many clothes between us, and this wasn’t the position where I’d do my best work.
“Lio,” I groaned when he pulled back. “I know there’s so much we need to say, but I need you.”
Lio released a pitiful whimper as he rested his forehead against my shoulder. “We don’t have enough time for what I want to do to you.”
My fingers flexed against his ass. “Notwithme?”
He lifted his head and met my gaze.Christ. Lio’s dark eyes burned hot enough to incinerate everything around us. “That too, but it will have to wait until they leave.”
I blamed the blood flooding south for why I’d missed the first reference to a time constraint. All I’d heard was that Lio wanted to do things to me, but I definitely picked up on the second reference. “They? Who?” Before he could answer, a vehicle pulled up outside. I stepped away from Lio but didn’t look to see who’d arrived. “What did you do?”
Lio smiled hesitantly, but I didn’t want to be swayed. I had been looking forward to having him all to myself for the weekend and was annoyed it wouldn’t happen. “This seemed like the perfect time for the fearsome foursome to get together.” That was the moniker our army unit had given Jeremy Abbott, Allen Mancini, Lio, and me. No task was too challenging for the fearsome foursome.
“You called them?”
“They’re your friends, and they know how much Earl meant to you.” It was on the tip of my tongue to ask if this was a test. I’d promised to make things right with Jeremy, and Lio had seized the opportunity to make me put up or shut up. I dismissed the notion as quickly as it arrived.
Lio’s warm brown eyes pleaded with me for something. Understanding? Forgiveness? Heavy boot treads on the wooden porch steps said our time was up, and I turned to face our first visitor. The sun was behind the intruder, which meant all I saw was the silhouette of a man. It didn’t match either Jeremy or Allen. This guy was much leaner than either of them.
“Just like old times,” the man said, and recognition dawned.
“Jeremy,” I said, moving toward the door. He stepped farther into the cabin, and I could finally make out his face. He was so much thinner than the last time I saw him, and I probably wouldn’t have recognized him on the street.
“Good to see you,” Lio said. The two men hugged, but the tension between them was unmistakable. They’d worked great together in the field, but their personalities were oil and water. No doubt my stupid hookup with Jeremy didn’t help matters. Even if Lio didn’t orchestrate this on purpose, this weekend would be the perfect time to set things right.
“It’s been a while,” Jeremy said, his gaze bouncing between us. “What’s new?”
Before I could answer, a vehicle door shut outside, and another familiar voice filtered into the cabin. “You better not have started without me,” Allen yelled out.
I couldn’t decide if his timing was a blessing or a curse, but I’d take the reprieve from the conversation I needed to have with Jeremy.
Lio
Abe headed onto the porch to greet Allen, leaving me alone with Jeremy, who didn’t bother to hide that he was ogling Abe’s ass. Jeremy was leaner than I’d ever seen him, but his tight olive-green Henley and faded jeans displayed a cut physique. He looked to be in better shape than he had been when we were on active duty. Jeremy’s face was thinner, gaunt almost, but the combination of hollow cheeks and heavy dark stubble on his jaw and upper lip drew attention to his full mouth. And I didn’t want to think about where it had been. I needed to let it go before jealousy ate me alive. Calling Jeremy and Allen had probably been a big mistake. With the way I sprang it on Abe, he probably thought I was testing him.Fuck. Did he think that?
Jeremy turned around and caught me watching him. A wry smile curved his lips, and it made me want to punch him. So much for letting it go. “So that’s the lay of the land, huh? It was only a matter of time before you two figured out what everyone else knew.”
