4. Chapter Four
Chapter Four
LUCAS
A fter six hours of driving, which included Penelope needing three bathroom breaks and a stop for snacks, we finally arrive at the cabin. Thankfully, for the last two hours, she’s been sleeping, and I could try to pretend she wasn’t in the car. Except the soft rose and vanilla scent of her perfume drifting toward me wouldn’t allow me to.
What have I done? Last night’s events have snowballed into something I never thought possible. Helping Penelope and taking her to my cabin is the last thing I’d ever imagine doing. Years of resentment toward her is coiled in my gut. Yet I’ve pushed it aside to get her out of the shit she’s fallen into. What the fuck?
Pulling up in front of the cabin, I turn off the engine and nudge Penelope’s shoulder. “Wake up.”
She doesn’t move. This woman really can sleep, even without alcohol.
I try again. “Wake up. We’re here.”
Her eyes blink open, and she stretches her arms out wide. I dodge a fist that is heading toward my face. Wouldn’t surprise me if she did that on purpose.
After rubbing her eyes, she glances out of the windshield, looking confused. “Where are we?”
“The cabin.”
“This is your cabin?”
“Yes.”
“It’s so…small and… old .”
“What were you expecting, the Taj Mahal?”
“No. Something…else.” Worry lines crease her forehead.
If she’s changed her mind, she can find her own way back. I’m not spending another six hours trapped in a car with her again. Once is enough.
“Well, this is it,” I say. “Sorry it doesn’t meet your standards. Are you coming inside or staying here?”
She nibbles on her bottom lip with indecision. As she decides, I get out and head around to the trunk to take out my bag.
What was I thinking bringing her to the cabin? Obviously I wasn’t thinking. The place isn’t big enough for the two of us. The last thing I need is to be cramped with her in a tiny room.
Penelope must have decided, because she gets out of the car and takes her luggage from the backseat and follows me.
“Careful of the top step. It wobbles,” I warn her.
The cabin needs a few repairs. It’s never bothered me before; I spent my time hiking or fishing. Now with Penelope here, and the way she’s cautiously scanning the cabin, those necessary repairs to the log shack are glaringly obvious. The porch sags, and the timber stairs are rotting—it’s only a matter of time until my foot breaks through one. The support beams holding up the awning look like they can keel over with a puff of wind. And I know there are shingles missing from the roof. There are buckets inside in case it rains.
Maybe I should have warned her about the cabin’s condition before I offered her a place to stay. Oh well, it’s too late now.
As I open the door, her eyes widen with surprise. “It’s not locked?”
“Don’t need them. I’m the only one who comes here.”
Penelope is standing on the rickety porch like she’s too scared to go any further. “What if someone does?”
“They won’t.”
“What if they do?”
I sigh with frustration and drop my bag onto the floor. Dust particles bounce in the afternoon sun. “I have a gun if I need it. It’s mainly to scare off bears, but I’ll use if for intruders if I have to.”
Her face pales. “There are bears here?”
“Yes.”
She fiddles with the strap of her purse on her shoulder. I bet she’s regretting her decision to come here. “Oh…”
“Don’t worry. They rarely come to the cabin.”
“So, we will be safe here?”
“Don’t annoy me and you will be.”
She pulls a face.
I hold my arm in a way to gesture her inside. “In or out.”
Lifting her luggage, she steps inside then gasps, “This is it?” Her mouth falls open as she slowly spins on the spot to take in the small space.
The interior isn’t much better than the exterior. The one room functions as bedroom, dining room, and kitchen. The bathroom is outside. An old, blackened fireplace needs missing stones replaced, and the chimney needs cleaning. Timber floors have gaps between the planks, letting in cool air, and the log walls do little to keep the draft out either.
Feeling defensive of my home away from home, I cross my arms over my chest. “It’s not a five-star hotel, but it’s comfortable.”
Her nose screws up. “If you say so.”
“You don’t have to stay.” I point toward the door. “Follow the track until you get to the main road. Maybe you can hitch a ride back. You better hope some psychopath doesn’t pick you up. And oh…watch out for bears.”
She dips her head. “I’m sorry. I’m acting like an ungrateful bitch. All I’ve done is complain when you have gone above and beyond for me.”
Giving the room another scan, her gaze lands on the double bed up against the wall. I’ve never brought a woman here before, and therefore, needed nothing bigger or cleaner.
“There’s only one bed,” she says, stating the obvious. “Umm…We’re not going to…arhhh… Where will we sleep?”
Now she has a problem sharing a bed with me? She seemed quite comfortable last night.
I pull the dust sheet off it. “The bed is mine. You can sleep on the recliner.”
She stares at the old chair with disgust. The brown faux leather is peeling off the seat, and if you sit on a certain spot, a spring pokes you in the ass. Garrett hated it and opted to sleep on the floor in a sleeping bag.
“This is my only option?” she asks.
Is she hinting for an invitation for me to give up the bed? Not going to happen.
“Your options are the chair or the car.” I fold the sheet and place it inside a cupboard.
Her shoulders sag on a sigh. She looks so miserable I think she might cry.
“While you’re sorting out your sleeping arrangements, I need to head into town to get supplies.”
“There’s a town?” Hope sparks in her eyes.
“A small one. There’s a convenience store with a post office, a diner, and a bar. That’s about it.”
“Do the locals know you?”
I frown. “Yes, why?”
“Do they know you’re Lucas Alessi from Alessi Fashion House?”
I shrug. “Not sure. It’s never come up in conversation with anyone. Why are you asking?”
“If anyone recognizes you as ‘Lucas Alessi’, someone might realize I’m here with you.” She gnaws at her fingernail with worry.
I chuckle. She has no clue about this give-no-fucks town. “No one will care.”
“Really?”
“Yes, really,” I reply.
“That sounds like heaven.”
She smiles, the gesture lighting up her face and drawing my attention to her full lips. Kissable lips. I quickly glance away. Why am I looking at her mouth? And why the fuck am I tempted to kiss it? Nothing good comes out of that mouth.
Oblivious to where my mind has wandered to, she says, “If there’s a town, do you think they have accommodation?”
“Ready to leave so soon?” It’s a great idea. Two minutes alone in the cabin and I’m wondering what her mouth tastes like.
“It feels a little crowded in here,” she says.
Is she too polite to tell me the cabin is a run-down piece of shit? It’s mine and I love it. I’ve had many great memories here. Mostly with my best friend Garrett. He never complained about where he had to sleep. If Penelope wants to find accommodation elsewhere, it’s probably for the best.
“Last I heard, they were renting rooms at the bar. If one’s available, I’m sure Allie, the owner, will rent it to you.”
“That would be amazing,” Penelope says with exhilaration.
I cock an eyebrow. “Sick of me already?”
“Oh…no…I didn’t mean…”
“Yeah…well, I like the idea of you not being here too.” The sooner she’s out of my life, the better.
She huffs. “I know you don’t like me, but you can at least pretend you don’t hate me so much. I’m no fan of yours either, yet I’m not nasty.”
“Why would I do that? I don’t hide my feelings.”
“So I’ve noticed,” she says dryly.
“I didn’t promise you a trip to Disneyland.”
She grabs the handle of her luggage and rolls it toward the door. “Nor did you mention you were taking me to hell.”