Chapter 5
CHAPTER 5
AXL
I closed the door to my bedroom.
Fuck me. This was not what I expected tonight.
What was I going to do with that pretty, spark-of-a-woman in the kitchen? She was Louise’s granddaughter? I didn’t know a damn thing about Louise’s family. She talked about them in general, but never gave me details. Our conversations were brief and mostly by email.
Meeting Louise, and relocating to Smoke River, was never my plan.
I stopped at the Smoke River Airport on my way to Big Sur in California to wait out the weather. Word amongst the pilots was the black coffee and cinnamon rolls at the Buzz On In Bakery Cafe were worth the stop. I didn’t feel like playing pinball turbulence in my Cessna across the Rockies, so I landed and picked up a copy of the Smoke River News to kill time.
An ad in the paper caught my eye.
Wanted
Smoke River Cabin needs renter/caretaker.
Views of the woods. Path to the river .
Trees. Flowers. Quiet.
Keep it clean and repaired, cheap rent!!!
I was on a long overdue sabbatical from work in Florida and ready for a break from the grind. Trees. Flowers. Quiet. Damn. Those three words sounded like poetry. After years flying in and out of Florida, I missed seasons. I missed trees. I couldn’t remember the quiet feeling of walking through the woods and listening to the wind. I needed a change.
I called the number in the ad, talked to Louise, and made a plan to walk the property. Louise lived in Denver. She asked me a few questions, then explained that Mason would manage most of the day-to-day details for her. He drove me to the property and pretty much left me to it.
I remembered standing in front of the cabin for the first time. I inhaled the scent of pine trees and walked the trail that led to the river. I was a goner. Plus, it had a barn. For once in my life, I could store my gear and tools where I slept. I loved the privacy of the land, and the fact I could stand on the porch and not hear a goddamn thing was heavenly.
I was looking for a place to disappear, and I found it.
I confirmed with Mason that dogs were welcome. I signed a lease on the spot, and I wrote Louise a check for one year’s rent in advance. It was such a good deal that I felt a bit guilty. I offered to pay her more, but she wouldn’t have it. Instead, Louise agreed to let me make upgrades to the cabin. Money wasn’t my issue anymore; I had more than I needed. What I lacked was peace.
The truth was, this past year in Smoke River was the most drama-free time of my life, outside of my ex-girlfriend, Angel, and her bullshit. And now a cutie-pie named Billie Prescott was standing in my kitchen. I supposed that counted as drama, but only if it took me longer than an hour to get her out of my house.
The last thing I needed was another woman walking through a revolving door and into my life. That door needed to stay the closed.
I shook my head and picked out a pair of clean briefs and jeans, pulling them on. I’d done laundry that morning, so a freshly washed, long black tee-shirt was at the ready. I buttoned my red-and-black flannel over the top, then grabbed my down vest and a pair of wool socks. My boots were by the back door of the cabin.
I heard a bang, and Billie’s voice carried down the hall. “Sorry! I dropped the poker. Putting it back!”
“All good!” I shouted back.
Billie scared the shit out of me, and I was grateful that she let Cam back in the house. She must have snuck out when I was drawing the bath. That dog was smart enough to open and close the kitchen door without me knowing it.
I wasn’t lying about worrying there was a raccoon inside the cabin. A family of raccoons lived in a hedge along the south field. They were plentiful, sneaky, and clever as hell. They gnawed through a rope tie and got into the barn twice to chew on wires. Cam scared them out last time. I loved animals, but wouldn’t grieve if I never saw another one of those masked black-and-white bandits in my trash.
Well, at least it wasn’t Angel standing on the counter rummaging through the liquor cabinet. I wasn’t proud of leaving her at the rest stop, but I knew damn well that she would call her driver or someone else on her “A” team for a rescue. I just hoped she didn’t come back to talk things out with me.
“No more fucking the wrong woman, buddy,” I said, glancing down at my dick, safely stowed in my pants. I wasn’t someone who usually talked to my dick, but that night I figured it couldn’t hurt. My relationship with Angel was based first on lust and second on lies. What once seemed promising devolved into just a bad decision.
I stopped in front of my dresser mirror and ran a finger through my now-dry hair. I smoothed my beard and pulled down the corners of my flannel. I couldn’t help but smile, remembering the surprised look on Billie’s face seeing me naked.
Sure, I could have gotten dressed faster, but what was the fun in that? The truth was, once I realized she was no longer terrified, I enjoyed messing with her. It was kind of fun to parade around naked and watch her react .
Her dark eyes sparked so bright when she threw that first bottle. She was a goddamn firecracker when cornered. Feisty, hot body, cute as hell, but there was also a hint of kindness in her smile. That was something I hadn’t seen in a while. The women in Florida were beautiful. Hell, Angel was gorgeous, but I hadn’t met a woman without something to hide in a long while. I caught Billie watching me clean the floor, and there was something sweet and transparent about her expression. She looked precious to me, like gold.
Where the was that thought coming from?
I needed to remember that Billie was here because she thought of this place as her home. I didn’t know why Louise or Mason hadn’t told her about me, but that was not my business. Billie might be adorable. She might even be sexy, sweet, and all the things I sensed in the kitchen, but she was undoubtedly upset I was here. She didn’t own the cabin, but I was sure that she felt she belonged here more than me.
I zipped up my vest and patted the front pocket, checking for my keys. A plan formed in my mind. I needed to get back out there before Billie came looking for me. Again, the image of her walking in the door made my dick jump in my pants. “Stay where you belong,” I muttered to myself. “You’ve gotten me in enough trouble this year.”