Chapter One
Tucker
“Pretty good deal you got on this place.” Sheriff Williams rests his boot on the second step of the old shaker-style home I got from my buddy Kade.
“I wouldn’t classify it as a good deal since I lost my friend to get it, but… if you say so.”
“We don’t have any evidence of what happened to him, do we?
” The sheriff stays still as the question settles into the crisp autumn air, his palm resting on the butt of his pistol.
I don’t know much about Whiskey Falls, I’m not from Colorado, but it seems that this guy with the thick neck and the biceps thinks he’s running the show.
“You know that girl Kade was hiding went missing too, right?”
I play dumb. “Girl he was hiding?”
Williams rolls his eyes before leaning against the porch post, his boot still dug into the faded, wooden step.
“I have reason to believe Wren Harlow was in your neck of the woods the day she disappeared. Got a few people from that campground you own saying they saw her parking outside of a campsite before a large man covered in tattoos carried her away. You have anything to say about that?”
“I’ve got campers who think they see Bigfoot every other day. Not sure I’d trust any eyewitness testimonies there.”
He tilts his head back slowly and slides his hand down over the handle of his gun, like he’s trying to intimidate me. “And I suppose it’s just a coincidence that you and Kade both came from the same prison, right?”
I groan and stand from the rocker where I’d been comfortably carving a piece of wood before the asshole showed up. “I don’t know what you’re insinuating here, but unless you have some sort of warrant, I’m not interested in finishing this conversation.”
“Your prison sentence,” he continues. “Wasn’t it because you were a part of that heist out in the Springs a while back?
Two buddies, thinking they knew better than the law.
Your partner just joined you over at the campground too, right?
His parole ended six months ago. All of a sudden, he’s there with you and Kade, then a girl goes missing. ”
“Missing, or dead?” I step forward and lean against the front porch railing.
“I reckon Kade and Wren had a thing for each other, so they met up and rekindled the flame. If I had money on it, I’d bet that rich husband of hers had them both knocked off for embarrassing him.
Made all the evidence disappear.” I glance down at my wrist as though I’m checking the time, though I haven’t worn a watch in twenty years.
“Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got to get over to the campground for an interview I have coming in. ”
“Interview?” he says, spinning toward me as I head to my truck. “What’s the interview for?”
“I’m finished with this conversation, Williams. You have any more issues with me, you can contact my lawyer.”
He laughs and follows behind me, his boots heavy on the gravel. “Still using the same lawyer you used for the heist? You just spent years in prison. I’d recommend you find someone else to represent you, given I ‘reckon’ you had a part in the disappearance of Wren Harlow and Kade Anderson.”
I shake my head, climb into the truck, and start the engine before calling out my window, “You don’t know shit about fuck, and I suggest you keep it that way.
” I hit the gas, leaving a cloud of dust behind me as I peel out of the driveway toward the old campground Kade, Atlas, and I have been trying to turn into something since we got out of prison.
It’s a thirty-acre lot set between Rugged Mountain and Whiskey Falls with its own turquoise lake and a view of the mountains that brings campers up from all over the state of Colorado and beyond.
We’ve also got some fairly large campsites with plenty of pine and aspen to create privacy.
Apparently not enough, though.
I don’t know who saw Kade carrying Wren out of campsite four-fifty-seven, but it looks like we’re going to have to change our tactics if we’re going to continue to be successful with our relocations. Then again, I don’t expect another scene like that playing out anytime soon.
I blow out a heavy breath and follow the winding mountain road up toward the campground, a list of questions for the new hire rattling around in my head.
We hadn’t planned on hiring anyone from the outside to run operations, but we didn’t foresee Kade relocating with Wren either.
That’s created its own world of problems, including a hole in our administrative process.
For the most part, Kade and I handled the front of house business, and Atlas handles getting folks to their new location safely.
With Kade gone now, I’m drowning, and I need someone who can pick up the slack, especially during the busy autumn months.
We’ve got a packed campground from now to the end of leaf season, and I suspect the winters will be busy with folks renting cabins for skiing and snowshoeing.
If the front of the house isn’t operating smoothly, nothing will.
I’m pulling into the campground when I see a small electric car waiting outside of the camp store, its taillights red, the music turned up loudly.
That’s probably my interview. I don’t know much about the girl other than she’s a twenty something nursing school graduate from Rugged Mountain who’s looking for a career shift.
Hopefully, she realizes this career shift comes with a severe pay cut.
I park to the side of her little car, climb down out of the truck, and head up toward the office.
We don’t meet for another five minutes, and I didn’t get to make my coffee thanks to Sheriff Williams shoving his fucking bullshit down my throat first thing this morning.
Hopefully, I can get a cup in before she heads up to the cabin for the interview.
I’m rummaging through the cabinets above the office sink, looking for the can of coffee I’m pretty sure Kade kept up here when I hear a knock at the door.
“Sorry to bother you,” a soft voice says from behind. “I’m Tilly. I’m here for the interview.”
I turn back quickly, brown paper coffee filters falling to the ground before I can say hello.
“Oh no!” she says, shuffling towards me, her full breasts bouncing as she moves. I already know this isn’t going to work. She’d distract the hell out of me. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you.”
“Not a problem.” I shake my head, and we kneel down together, both of us on all fours, picking up a hundred brown paper filters.
“It’s my fault. I haven’t been properly caffeinated this morning, and my buddy was usually the one messing with this thing.
I have one of those pod jobbers at home.
” I glance toward her, though I redirect my gaze immediately.
I have to. This shot right here has a direct line straight down the front of her dress.
“I can make it for you. I had all these problems with this rental cabin I was in, so I’ve been staying with my brother.
He uses this kind of coffee machine.” She stands from the ground, her long blonde hair falling back over her shoulder as she twists toward the coffee pot, sliding the filter into place before pouring a bottle of water into the tank in the back.
“Thank you,” I manage, my eyes drawn to her body like a moth to a flame. I can’t look away. Trust me, I’m trying to look the fuck away, but the woman is all curves and long, silky hair. “So, ugh, I read on your application that you were a nurse.”
“Yeah,” she sighs, “but that’s a thing of the past. I can’t do nursing anymore.”
“Why’s that?”
She clicks a button at the top of the coffee maker before sitting in the chair at the front of my desk, folding her long legs over each other before leaning forward just slightly.
“I love helping people, but it’s also so much pressure.
Getting everyone’s pills to them on time, having to work over because someone was too drunk to come in, always saying the right thing to everyone, it’s…
overwhelming. I find I’m much happier when I’m doing something a little more low-key. ”
“Well, this is definitely low-key.” My eyes are on her fucking tits again. Jesus Christ, man! Stop looking! She’s nearly two decades younger than you.
“What kinds of things would I be doing?”
“Well, you’d be answering our phones, getting campers checked in, taking payments for what folks buy from the camp store, and relaying any messages to Atlas and I. The hours will vary and it includes weekends.”
“That’s fine. I’m used to that with nursing anyway.”
There was a list of fucking questions I had in my head, though right now all I’m thinking about is the shade of fucking blue in her eyes. How the hell are they so damn bright?
“Have you ever done any front desk work?”
She tilts her head to the side and sighs.
“Well, yes. When I was a teenager, I did some work at the library in town, but other than that, no. I know it’s weird that I want this job given my nursing background and all that, but I really love the outdoors, and when I saw this listing, I thought it would be the perfect place to spend my days.
It’s beautiful and you’re probably surrounded by happy people on vacation.
” She runs her fingers in slow circles over her wrist as she talks.
“Do you have a lot of people interviewing for this job?”
Is this the part where I’m supposed to lie? Tell her there’s a line of incoming applicants? Make her grovel?
Lord fucking knows I’d like to see this woman on her knees groveling. Jesus, when did I fucking get like this?
“I’ve seen a few applicants already,” I lie, “but I have a good feeling about you. Are you available to start tomorrow?”
Her face brightens, and the prettiest smile I’ve ever seen lights up the room as the coffee maker drips behind us. “Yes! I can totally start tomorrow! Thank you!” She stands and shuffles towards me, heels clicking, arms outstretched as though she’s going to hug me.
Hug me? Why the hell would she hug me? I’m still questioning it when my body stands and leans into hers like instinct has won over thought.
She tips up onto her toes, her arms wrap around my neck, her breasts press into my chest, and she jumps up and down with the sweetest little squeal in her throat. “Thank you, thank you, thank you! I’m so excited!”
Me too, princess. Me too.
My cock presses against my zipper, so I flood my brain with thoughts of Sunday supper with Grandma to make the ache go away.
“Great.” I pull away quickly and glance down at the mess on my desk. “I’ll, ugh, I’ll have you fill out all the paperwork tomorrow morning. How’s eight sound?”
“Eight is perfect!” She grins wider and tips up onto her toes for yet another quick hug.
“You have no idea how much this means to me. I need to get out of my brother’s house so bad!
He’s a cop in Whiskey Falls and he comes home every night with these long, boring stories about all the weird shit that happens up there.
Yesterday an angry goose barricaded a woman in her cabin, I guess.
” She shrugs, and my heart fucking stops.
“I don’t know why a town that small even needs a cop.
I mean, Rugged Mountain is small, but Whiskey Falls is a fraction of the size. ”
My chest tightens as I fumble through my papers, looking for her last name. “Who’s your brother?”
“Oh,” she twists her hair into her index finger, “Sheriff Williams. Sheriff Jack Williams.”
Fuck. Of course, her brother is Sheriff fucking Williams, that piece of shit. He set this up. He sent her here to seduce me and get the answers he needs.
Maybe he’s smarter than I think he is.
I consider sending her away, telling her that this arrangement won’t work, but as I stare toward the woman in the short pink dress with puffy red lips, blonde hair, and more curves than a country road, I realize two can play at this game.
“Actually,” I rest my hand on her back and guide her toward my chair, “sit here. We should do that paperwork right now.” I hand her a pen and point to where she should start.
“After you’re finished here, I’ll put you to work in the camp store.
We had a raccoon break in last night and the place is a disaster. ”
She glances toward me with narrowed brows. “What?”
“Yeah. It should only take a few hours to clean up.”
“Okay.” She nods and refocuses on the forms, her hair falling into her vision as she works.
If I’m wrong about this, I’m an asshole, but I’m fairly certain she’s the devil in disguise, and I’ve always been good at dancing with the devil.