Riley
“Iguess you already paid the driver.”
The man’s gravelly voice snaps me out of my head and I glance up at him. “Um…no. He’s my…uncle?”
With a chuckle the big man beside me looks down and asks, “Is that a question? Do you not know who he is?”
I can’t help laughing too. “No. I do. But it’s a little complicated. His mother is, was, my great aunt.”
“Was?” He frowns at me.
“Yes. Was. She died a few weeks ago.”
“I’m sorry.”
I’m not. But that’s not the right thing to say. The right thing would be to thank him for his sympathy. “Thanks. It was expected. A relief really. She isn’t suffering anymore.” What I don’t say is, neither am I.
“Should we go inside?”
I look over at the cabin. It doesn’t appear very large, only one level, and I wonder who it is I’m supposed to take care of. Maybe this is my new home and there’s a bigger house somewhere…my gaze moves over the trees surrounding us.
“Is this where I’m staying?” I ask as I follow him toward the front porch.
“Yes.” He glances back at me, a frown on his face again. “Is that a problem?”
“Oh, no. I’m just trying to get my bearings. Warren”—I wave at the empty driveway—“didn’t tell me anything more than he found me a job.”
The bear of a man in front of me stops short. Spins on his heel, his long hair sweeping out in a dark arc. “A job?”
“Yes.” I nod, taking a small step back. “He said I’d be doing what I did for Aunt Bethany.”
His frown deepens so much his eyebrows become one and the scars on the left side of his face go from red to pink as they stretch. “What did you do for her?”
“Took care of her. Cooked. Cleaned. Shopped.” I shrug. “Whatever she needed me to do.”
Anger swirls in his dark eyes, but it doesn’t seem directed my way even though he’s looking right at me. “You didn’t put a profile up on Get Hitched?”
My forehead scrunches in confusion. “What’s Get Hitched?”
“Fuck!”
The expletive is so loud and sharp, I jump.
“Sorry,” he says in a quieter tone. He clears his throat then lowers his voice more. “Didn’t meant to scare you.”
“That’s okay.” I glance around and finally take notice of the dog at our feet. “Oh, hey, aren’t you a pretty thing.”
“Neville.”
I’m bent over, my fingers scratching between the dog’s ears. “Neville? Is that who I’m working for?” I look up but keep contact with the dog.
“No. The dog. His name is Neville. Nev for short. Mine’s Felix.”
“Oh. Sorry.” Straightening, I hold out my hand, forgetting he’s got his hands full of bags. “Riley. I’m Riley Rose.”
“I know.” He easily shifts all the bags to his left hand and grips mine with his large, warm one.
“Yes, yes. Of course you do.” I remove my hand from his grip and take a deep breath.
This is the weirdest conversation. Not that I’ve had many in recent years.
Aunt Bethany shouting demands can’t be called conversation.
Hopefully my new employer isn’t as demanding as she was. Or at least nicer about their requests.
No time like the present to find out. Nodding at the cabin, I say, “Should we go inside?”
“Yes. Before it starts raining…” His head tilts slightly as his eyes narrow on my body. “Are your clothes wet?”
With a sigh, my shoulders slump. “Yes. I got caught in the rain on my way home from the grocery store this morning and I didn’t have time to change before Warren drove me up here.” I don’t mention I have no idea which trash bag my clothes are in.
“I’ll put another log on the fire.” He doesn’t explain further. Just turns on his heel and heads to the small porch that runs the length of this side of the cabin.
Following behind, I look around. The cabin isn’t new but it looks sturdy enough, and the way the trees surround it makes it feel as though I’m being hugged. Not that I’ve had many hugs in my life. The ones I have had I remember felt wonderful though.
“I have stew on for dinner. Once we get you settled, we can eat.”
“Oh. I don’t have to cook?”
“No.” The word is growled and I can’t help wondering if I’ve done something wrong.
The last thing I need is for Felix to fire me before I start. I have nowhere else to go. And no way of getting there if I did. Not to mention the lack of funds in my account. Rolling my lips between my teeth, I stay silent and follow him and Neville into the cabin.
Like the outside, the interior isn’t new, and while a lot of it looks old and well used, it looks comfortable—welcoming. Especially the big armchair next to the fireplace.
A smile curls my lips as I imagine sitting there on a cold day, reading or knitting, or just staring into the flames and daydreaming hours away.
Felix takes my groceries to a counter that separates the kitchen from the living space. There’s no dining room, or table for that matter, only two stools tucked under the counter on this side. On the other, the fridge and stove don’t look new but not as old as the cabin, I think.
“It’s not much. But it’s home.”
Felix’s voice has me turning to face him.
He’s got his arms folded over his wide chest and the frown on his face isn’t angry.
Concerned maybe? I’m not sure. I could read Aunt Bethany’s body language like words on a page, same with Warren, but that skill has never worked with anyone else.
Not that I’ve had many people to practice on.
“It’s a lovely home.” Neville nudges my leg and I glance down and smile. “Hey, boy.”
“Nev, leave her alone.”
“He’s okay—”
“You don’t mind dogs?” Is that relief in his voice?
With a shrug, I bend over and scratch the dog’s head like I did outside; he seems to love it right between his ears. “I’ve never had one, but I’m not scared of them.”
“That’s good.” Slapping his thigh, he says, “Nev, come here. Let’s get the rest of Riley’s things.”
Before I can offer to help, Felix is gone, the dog on his heels, door closed behind them.
Like a row of dominoes, every muscle along my spine loosens, tension flowing down like a waterfall, lowering my shoulders and easing the tightness in my chest on the way. I’m not scared, or worried for my safety, but I have to admit I’m not as tense with Felix’s watchful eyes no longer on me.
Alone, I give the cabin a more thorough inspection.
There are three doors besides the one we came through. The open one near the kitchen is a bathroom, complete with clawfoot tub. The one across the room is a bedroom—you’d have to be blind to miss the big timber-framed bed taking up most of it. The other door is closed.
Another bedroom? The back door?
A pop from the fireplace makes me jump and I laugh, shake my head. I’m not a skittish person. Except I’m in unfamiliar territory, with a man I’ve only just met. Clueless as to what the future holds.
Warren told me he’d found me a job and a place to live.
Except Felix asked if I’d put a profile on something called Get Hitched.
I have no idea what Get Hitched is but I’m smart enough to put two and two together. Get Hitched. As in get married?
Surely not. Warren would not have sold me off as a bride, would he?
With a huff of air, I tip my head back and stare at the ceiling. “Of course he would.”
Noise outside on the porch has me spinning around and heading for the kitchen. I can at least make myself useful and put away the perishable items I purchased. I have no idea how long I’ll be here, but if my suspicions are right, Felix is expecting me to marry him.
What will he do when he finds out he’s been tricked?
Will he make me marry him anyway?
Will he throw me out on my butt? Toss my belongings after me?
I have nowhere to go and no one to help me.
I don’t want to marry a man I don’t know, except at this point, do I have a choice?