Chapter 23
Chapter Twenty-Three
COLE
My spine tingles as I study the forest.
I heard something.
The snow is undisturbed along the trees. Now the only sound is the wind lightly stirring the trees.
My sixth sense urges me on. I step into the woods. It will be obvious if anything is out of place.
Snow can be helpful for tracking… but not always.
The sun slips through the branches, dotting the snow here and there with bright circles. Between that, the dense trees cast shadows all around me.
I still my breath and listen.
These are my woods. I’ve spent hundreds of hours in them since I purchased this land five years ago.
I know the sounds. Know every tree. My brothers and I have camped out in hammocks here many times.
A bird flutters to my left. I whip my head in that direction. The hairs on my nape are erect already when I spot its shiny eyes studying me.
The deeper I move into the trees, the more hushed the air feels. A deer has been here. The hoof prints are only a few hours old.
I follow its trail. Studying the small hoofmarks that depress the snow. There’s a rabbit track as well.
A gust stirs the trees. Snow showers down around me. Coating my shoulders.
It’s a winter wonderland. The heaps on the branches are at least six or seven inches deep.
I track the rabbit’s trail farther up the hillside, keeping sight of the deer’s trail as I go. Nothing else has been in the woods.
“What the hell did I hear?” I mutter to myself.
It was a thud. Which makes no sense. The closest road is a quarter mile away.
I was sure it came from this direction.
Being as quiet as I can, I move through the snow. The same bird flutters near me again. Through snow-covered branches, I spot its perch.
And…I find the culprit.
A freshly snapped branch hangs by a thin piece of bark. It wasn’t there a few days ago.
I let out a breath. Stand down, man.
It’s bad when a broken tree limb is enough to send me into gunslinger mode. Not that I’m armed.
That won’t happen again.
Shit. I’m definitely wired. Next, I’ll be blasting rounds at shadows cast by bunnies.
Muttering a string of curses, I follow my trail back to the yard and stride to the house, kicking snow out of my way as I go.
When I shove open the back door, Sierra’s waiting on me. Worry creases her forehead. My parka is still zipped up to her chin. She looks like a little kid.
“Is everything okay?”
Her voice has a shake and I feel like a dick for scaring her.
Not even bothering to stomp off my boots, I pull her into my arms. “False alarm. A broken tree limb. Sorry if I scared you.”
She sags into me. “Whew. I was worried about you.”
I don’t want her to worry about me, but damn if it doesn’t feel good that she cares.
“I’m fine, sweetheart. I can take care of myself.”
She presses herself closer. “I can still be concerned for you. Are you worried about something happening here?”
I press my nose into her snow-covered hair and kiss her ear. “Never have been before. Having you here makes me think about security completely differently.”
She tugs me closer by the front of my coat. “Thanks for looking out for me.”
I close my eyes and try to steady myself. When I get my shit together, my hands cup her face and I ask what I was going to ask before the interruption. “How would you feel about going to pick out a Christmas tree?”
Her eyes brighten like I’ve given her a diamond. “No way! Really? A fresh tree for the cabin?”
A diamond. Damn, why did I think that?
“Yep. I promised I’d pick one up for my parents today,” I say as I brush some snow off her damp hair. “I thought maybe it would be nice to have one here too.”
A broad smile replaces the worry she had a moment ago. “With decorations and all?”
That I hadn’t thought about.
“Um, I’m sort of out of my element on the decorations piece. But I have a feeling I know someone who can help with that.”
As we are taking our coats off and dealing with the snow we tracked in, Sierra turns abruptly toward me. “Cole, when is Christmas?”
“Three weeks.”
She frowns. “I swear it’s the weirdest thing being without my memories. I have no clue what I was doing all year.”
I know what she was doing seven months ago.
Being furious at me. Fighting to get her brother out of jail.
I can’t tell her this yet. Too much is at stake.
“Does it matter right now?” I ask.
“I guess not. I’m enjoying you. And the snow. And I’m pretty stoked about another orgasm or three.”
She wiggles her brows at me as her lips part.
I groan as my blood heats, and my cock begins to stir. The simple mention of an orgasm shuts my brain down.
“Stop. Don’t say that word or we won’t make it to the tree farm.”
“Do we have time for a quickie?”
I narrow my eyes at her. “Sierra…”
She swipes her tongue across her full bottom lip. Lord, she’s sexy in my flannel shirt with that teasing gleam in her eyes.
“Come on, big boy. We can make it fast.”
She bursts into laughter when I sweep her off her feet.
“Your call sign should be Trouble.”
* * *
“I looooove this one.” Sierra shakes the snow off the branch of a fat fir tree. She’s so damned adorable in my parka and beanie that I can hardly keep my eyes off her and on the trees.
Hell, I don’t care what she’s wearing. She’d be adorable or sexy. But I’m biased and thoroughly enjoying seeing her in my clothing.
With a smile that feels like a neon sign on my face, I say, “Then that one it is.”
The saw I brought with me sings against the wood. Within a minute, I’ve cut through its sturdy base. When you grow up on a ranch, you get good with tools.
The tree shudders and falls to the ground in a puff of snow.
Sierra claps. “Impressive, Master Sergeant Strong.”
“You carry the saw. I’ll drag these to the sled.”
“Cole…”
I glance her way. “Yeah?”
With her eyes soft and a gentle smile curving her lips, she says, “Thank you.”
Dusting off my gloves, I walk over to her. I try to stay away, but fail. Her eyes are luminous as I pull her tight against my front.
Damn, she feels good. But her eyes are my ruin.
Emotion tightens up my throat. “You’re welcome, babe. I know you don’t remember this, but you helped me through some of my darkest hours. I hope I’m able to do that for you.”
She hops up and plants a fast kiss on my lips. “You deserve a medal.”
I shake my head. The heaviness in my heart is never far behind her sweet comments. I say, “Hardly. Let’s get going.”
When both trees are loaded on the sled, our driver picks up the reins to his matched black horses. He gives a little flick of the leather and clicks his tongue. With a lurch we take off, gliding over the snow-covered path.
Sleigh bells and all.
It’s the kind of moment that is so good, you can’t dream it up, and somehow, here I am.
Sierra’s snuggled against my side, the world pure and white and pristine, with the biggest worry at the moment being conjuring up some decorations and hot chocolate ingredients.
Life can be so good.
I send up a silent prayer. God, please let it last. Even though, if there’s one truth I know, nothing lasts.
+++
An hour later, we turn into the lane that leads to the Strong family ranch on the outskirts of Eden. I motion toward the farmhouse. “Home, sweet home.”
“Wow, this is amazing. To get to live in a place like this as a kid had to be incredible. Do you know where I grew up?”
“Virginia.”
“But that’s all you’re going to tell me, isn’t it?”
I nod. “Are you getting any bits of memories?”
She frowns for a second. “Not really. I mean, the snow seemed brand new to me. But I can’t imagine that I’ve never seen snow.”
“You’ve seen snow.”
“With you?”
“No. But I know you have. I know where you’ve been stationed.”
She groans. Her head falls back against the seat. There’s agony in her expression. “Cole, this is so hard.”
“I know, babe,” I say as put the truck into reverse and stop near the front porch, “just try not to fret with it. Come on. Time for you to meet the dynamic duo.”
Sierra helps me carry the tree. She manages the tip as I navigate the stairs with the base of the big ten-foot-tall beast. After I shake off the snow, I lean it against the porch railing.
Pushing open the door, I listen for sounds. My mother’s in the kitchen, talking to Dad. “Mom! There’s something on the porch for you.”
A squeal of happiness is followed by the rapid fire patter of her size six feet.
“Get ready,” I warn.
Nolene Strong bursts out of the door, sock-feet and all. “You went to the tree farm in the snow?”
“Of course. It was awesome. We had an amazing afternoon.”
Mom’s eyes flare. Her body jolts. Her breath catches and she clutches her chest. “Oh, my heavens. I didn’t know you had company!”
With that remark, she turns and eyes me. Oh boy. I’m gonna catch it for this later. With a brow lifted, she says, “Well, you two need to come in so I can get to know your friend.”
Sierra’s eyes go wide for a second, then she smiles and extends her hand. “I’m Sierra.”
“I’ve heard your name before. Beautiful, by the way. I didn’t know you were visiting.”
Sierra answers smoothly, “I just arrived. And just in time, apparently, because the snow is so beautiful and the sleigh ride at the tree farm was one of the nicest things I can remember.”
For me too.
I stomp the snow off my feet. “Ladies, let’s go in and continue this chat in the kitchen, where I am sure there are some cookies. Unless you want the tree inside now?”
Mom narrows her eyes at me. “Why, yes, I want it inside now. No use letting that beautiful thing sit out here when it could be brightening up my living room. The tree stand is already there.”
“And the cookies?” I tease.
Mom laughs. “Cole Strong. Not a thing about you has changed.”
“Not my love of cookies, at least. So, what did you bake?”
“Snickerdoodles.”
I grin. “My favorite.”
Mom clucks her tongue. “They’re all your favorite.”
Chuckling, I say, “Guilty as charged.”
“Alright, you ladies take care of the cookies. I’ll set up the tree.”
“Deal,” Mom says as she wraps an arm in Sierra’s arm and drags her inside.