Chapter 6
B usted.
“It’s just me.” Lincoln stepped out from the shadows, wishing now he’d approached Charlotte in a more direct way. He hadn’t meant to scare her.
“Lincoln. What are you doing here?” Charlotte put a hand to heart. “Did you follow me?”
“No. Well… I followed you, but not the way you mean. I figured you were coming here to make a call or use the Wi-Fi. Problem is, I never told you about the bears.”
“Bears?”
“And coyotes. Possibly wolves.”
“Are you serious?”
He nodded. “I should have said something earlier. You know Elliott Ridge was empty for twelve years—except for Dennis. The local wildlife still thinks of this as their territory.” He didn’t ask her who Steven was, much as he wanted to. Charlotte looked thoroughly frightened and he couldn’t blame her. He’d startled her when he approached .
“That doesn’t give you an excuse to hide behind a bush and listen to my phone conversation.”
“I didn’t hide behind a bush,” he explained patiently. “I just got here. Took a minute to put on some pants before I chased after you. I thought I was in for the night.” When he saw she was still upset, he tried again. “I was trying to protect you.”
“I don’t need protecting!”
“Everybody needs protecting sometimes. Like I said, I just wanted to give you a heads-up.” She was a jumpy one, wasn’t she? Once again, Lincoln wondered what had happened before she came to Elliott Ridge.
Charlotte lifted her chin. “I don’t want to be watched all the time, okay? If I stay here, I want to be my own woman. I want privacy. Is that too much to ask?”
“No, it’s not.” Lincoln took a steadying breath. It would be easy to escalate this if he took her attacks personally. He leaned on his military training and tried to defuse the situation instead. “Look, I scared you, and you’re upset, but I didn’t come after you to listen to your conversation or invade your privacy. I only wanted to make sure you got here safely—and made it back home safely, too. I can leave now, or I can wait until you’re finished and walk you back. It’s your choice.” Their raised voices had probably scared off any nearby wildlife, anyway.
After a moment, Charlotte sighed. “Sorry,” she said grudgingly. “I’m overreacting, aren’t I? I couldn’t get any cell reception at the house, and you said it was better up here. I needed to talk to a friend.”
Lincoln winced, then reminded himself they’d just met, even if they had exchanged a few kisses. He couldn’t blame Charlotte for wanting to talk to someone she’d known longer—even if it was a man.
“What?” she asked when he didn’t say anything. “Is there something wrong with calling a friend?”
“No, but given that friend’s name is Steven, I guess I’m wondering if I have competition.” He knew he’d put his foot in it the moment the words came out of his mouth, but he couldn’t help himself. He’d spent all evening thinking about a future with Charlotte, and he wanted to know if he was barking up the wrong tree.
She stalked past him. Lincoln bit back a curse and followed her. “Charlotte. Charlotte, hey—wait up.” He had to jog a few steps to catch up and step in front of her.
She stopped short and folded her arms across her chest. “You don’t get to ask me questions like that. I don’t know you yet, Lincoln. Maybe I kissed you, and maybe I liked it, but I don’t know if you’re going to be an acquaintance, a friend, or… whatever. Right now you’re just the guy who sold me a house.” She cut around him and stalked off.
Lincoln jogged after her again. Stepped in front of her and made her stop. “If you want me to back off, all you have to do is tell me. I’m not the kind of guy who chases women who aren’t interested. I don’t play games. But I am human, Charlotte. I like you. I want to get to know you. I just don’t want to make an ass out of myself if you’re attached to someone else. It’s that simple.”
She planted her feet and faced him, beautiful in the starlight, her hair loose around her shoulders.
“Life is never that simple,” she said, and his gut twisted. Did she like playing games and juggling multiple men for her amusement? As if she’d read his mind, she lifted her hands. “I don’t play games, either, and the last thing I want is men competing for my attention. I’m a one-man woman, but I’m not interested in being pushed around—physically or mentally.”
Lincoln stilled. “I will never do that,” he said slowly and clearly. She had to know that about him right from the start.
Charlotte raised an eyebrow, as if she didn’t believe him and that stung.
“Asking you if there’s another man in your life isn’t pushing you around,” he said. “But,” he added, forestalling her retort, “if I’d come here with the intention of listening to your phone calls because I thought I had the right to control who you talked to, that would cross a line.”
“You’re damn right about that.” She eyed him. “You sure you didn’t come here to do just that?”
“I’m positive. Like I said, I was worried some critter would cross your path and scare you right out of town before I could convince you to stay.” He stood his ground. His mother had raised all of them to be gentlemen and nothing about his military service had changed that .
She considered what he’d said. Let out a sigh that said she was tired of arguing. “Steven is my lawyer,” she said finally. “He’s helping me sort out my grandmother’s affairs. That’s all. He’s an old family friend, and he’s been a big help to me.”
Relief crashed through Lincoln, and he knew he was in deep trouble when it came to this woman. It wasn’t a question of whether he’d fall for her; he’d fallen, hard.
“Got it. Old friends are worth their weight in gold. New friends can be pretty valuable, too. Any time you want to talk, just come and find me. I’ll be happy to listen.”
“Right. Sure. I’ll spill my guts to you so you can turn around and use what you learn against me the next time you want something.”
“What? No.” Lincoln pulled back in surprise at her bitter words. “Who does that?”
“Men!”
“What kind of guys have you been hanging out with?”
She flinched, and her gaze dropped to the ground. She shrugged.
Some real assholes, he’d wager. And now she was tarring every man with the same brush.
“I’m not like that,” he assured her. “Neither are my brothers.” Not even Hudson.
“So you say.”
“I’d like to think I’m one of the good guys,” he said softly.
She rolled her eyes. “Now you sound like an ax murderer again.”
“I’m not an ax murderer.” He thought he’d regained some ground, however. It was time to call it a night and try again in the morning, after she’d had some sleep. He hoped this Steven guy had given her the advice she needed.
“Let me walk you back and tuck you into bed,” he said and almost groaned again. He’d been shooting for lighthearted, but it had come out suggestive instead.
“You don’t miss a beat, do you?” Charlotte asked.
“Usually I’m better at this stuff,” he said as they turned to go.
“Are you?”
“No,” he admitted. “But I’m trying.”
“Just walk me home,” she said. “Before the bears get here.”
Charlotte woke to the buzz of her new cell phone on the mattress beside her, far too early in the morning for comfort. She wished she’d set it to mute rather than vibrate, but since it had barely worked here at the house yesterday, she hadn’t deemed it necessary. She fished around through the bedclothes for it and squinted at the screen.
It was a text from Amanda.
If you’re up, meet me at the library.
Charlotte sat up, sleep forgotten. Why did Amanda want to see her so early? It was light out, but only because the sun came up at an unspeakable hour in the middle of the summer .
She supposed she’d better find out.
Charlotte tossed her covers aside and changed into shorts and a cute top, one of the purchases she’d made in town. Slipping her feet into a brand-new pair of sandals, she went downstairs, wondering if Lincoln would follow her again.
She felt bad now for the way she’d attacked him last night, but he’d startled her when he stepped out of the shadows near the town hall, and worse, she’d been afraid he’d overheard her conversation with Steven. She was here to start her life over, and she didn’t want to drag all her ugly baggage along with her. Ivan needed to stay in her past.
After making her way through the deserted streets, she found Amanda in front of the town hall, wearing white shorts and a sweet peach-colored top, her hair in a ponytail.
“Want to help me pull off a trick?” she asked as Charlotte approached.
“What kind of trick?” The last thing Charlotte needed was to stir up more drama.
“A fun one,” Amanda assured her. “Carter and his brothers play a game. It’s basically Capture the Flag, but in their version, someone steals the flag off the pole on house number1 and takes it to their base. Each brother has one in a different area of Elliott Ridge. Everyone else has to try and find it, and the first one who brings it back where it belongs wins.”
Charlotte tried to make sense of what she was saying. “A game?” she repeated. She wasn’t awake enough for this.
Amanda laughed. “That’s right, a game. The Elliott boys are very competitive. They’ll stand together against an outside threat, but among themselves it’s a battle to the death. Last month Gage stole the flag and took it to his favorite beach. Hudson found it and swam it back, but then Carter wrestled it away from him. I managed to get it to the porch of number1, so we won. I figured that means it’s my turn to start the game.” She shrugged. “Their dad is having his surgery today. They could use a distraction.”
“Oh. Right.” A new wave of shame washed through Charlotte. Lincoln had mentioned his father’s upcoming surgery when they’d met, and she’d forgotten all about it. He’d probably been consumed with worry when he spotted her slipping out of her house last night and came after her to warn her about the bears. Charlotte sighed. Another mistake to add to the list. “If we steal the flag, where’s our base?”
“I thought about that. Like I said, Gage’s is on a beach you have to swim to. Hudson’s base is up a huge tree. Carter’s is a lookout near the top of the Ridge. I don’t know where Lincoln’s is.”
“The graveyard,” Charlotte said automatically. “Don’t you think?” she added when Amanda’s brows rose.
“I bet you’re right,” Amanda said slowly. “I wonder if Nate’s is in the woodshop that used to be his grandfather’s or if he has another special place?”
Charlotte didn’t know about that .
“Anyway, I recently found my base.”
“The library?” Charlotte guessed. After all, Amanda was the librarian.
“No—that’s too obvious. I chose somewhere better. Here, I’ll show you.” She led the way around the side of the town hall and up the street to a plain white building behind it that was topped by a short steeple. “This is the chapel.” She opened the door, and Charlotte went in. It was a clean, simple building, the door opening straight into a large room with rows of pews and tall windows. “I’m pretty sure the whole town could fit in here even when it was in its heyday. Carter said the last minister died in the eighties, and they haven’t had one since. I guess religious people went to Chance Creek on Sundays after that.”
“Makes sense. This is your base?”
“No.” Amanda laughed. “Not the chapel. I finally got around to exploring it recently, though. That’s when I found the rotunda.”
“Rotunda?”
“That’s what I call it. I’m not sure what its purpose is. Come and see.” She walked the length of the hall to an unobtrusive door tucked near the vestry. Opening it, she beckoned Charlotte past her. The door led to a breezeway that connected to a small, round structure, tucked in the lee of the chapel and town hall. You couldn’t see it from any road, Charlotte realized. “Go on in,” Amanda told her.
Charlotte opened the rotunda’s door and gasped. Inside, the small building was flooded with light. Large windows were set at intervals all the way around the walls. Beneath them, bench window seats circled a pine floor. The walls were pine, as well, making Charlotte feel as if she was in a tiny, wonderful cabin. Under each bench seat was open shelving.
“More books,” Charlotte exclaimed.
“They’re an interesting mixture of inspirational, crafting and art books, nature manuals and fiction.” Amanda shrugged. “It’s like the best librarian in the world curated the collection. Every time I come here, I pull one out and get sucked into reading for an hour.”
“This would be a lovely place to sit and paint or knit or craft… or just read or chat,” Charlotte said, turning in a slow circle to drink it all in. Each bench seat was topped with a thick, cloth-covered pad, with throw pillows scattered around to lean against. “You picked a wonderful base.” She felt a stab of envy. Amanda had claimed two amazing spaces, the library and this one. But then, she’d come to Elliott Ridge first.
“I’ll claim it as my base as far as the game goes, but I won’t hog it all to myself. This is for all of us women.”
“All of us?” There were only two of them so far. Three, counting the elusive Carolyn Snyder, whom she hadn’t met yet. Yesterday, Amanda had told her Carolyn volunteered at the nearest hospital frequently, played bridge several times a week in Chance Creek and sang in a local choir there, too, among other activities.
“There’ll be more soon. When we need to get away from the guys, we’ll come here.”
“You sure you don’t mind sharing it? ”
“Of course not. Besides, it’s not really mine, is it? I figure if the two of us stake a claim to it, the guys will accept it as ours and keep their distance. I don’t think they even remember it’s here.”
Charlotte looked around again. “We need to start a social calendar. We could do book club night, a craft night…”
“A wine and cheese night,” Amanda suggested. “The sky is the limit.” She went to one of the bench seats, crouched down and pulled a tote bag from the shelf. “Can you keep a secret?”
“Sure.”
Amanda took out a ball of soft yellow yarn. “You can’t tell anyone.”
“Since when is yarn a crime?” Charlotte quipped. She touched it with her fingertip. It was as delicate as a cloud.
“Since I’m knitting a baby sweater and I’m not even pregnant yet.”
“Are you and Carter trying for a baby?” Charlotte supposed it made sense. Amanda had to be in her late twenties, and she’d mentioned wanting kids.
“We’re talking about it, and we both want to, but we haven’t decided about the timing. It’s like we’re waiting for someone to give us permission.” She chuckled. “It’s kind of weird that you can have a baby any old time, isn’t it? I mean, if everything works out. Shouldn’t there be a test or something to pass first?”
“If there was, I’m sure you and Carter would ace it. And I think it’s perfectly reasonable to knit for a baby you want, even if you’re not pregnant yet.”
Amanda pulled out a small, half-finished garment on tiny knitting needles to show her, and Charlotte exclaimed over the delicate work. “That’s beautiful.” She felt a pang she couldn’t quite quantify. Did she want a baby?
Ivan hadn’t been father material. Lincoln, however, was a different matter. She’d bet he’d be a wonderful father, given how gentle he’d been with her so far.
That made her think of their night on the beach, which made her think of the kiss she’d given him. Why had she been so awful to him last night? She hoped she hadn’t scared him away.
“You want to join my knitting club? It’s secret, remember.”
“Of course I want to join your secret knitting club.” Charlotte couldn’t think of anything she’d rather do. It sounded so… safe. So normal. If only all her problems would disappear, and she could focus on happy activities like that.
“No men allowed in the rotunda. That’s the rule,” Amanda proclaimed.
“I can go along with that.” Although given how much Amanda and Carter seemed to be in love with each other, she didn’t believe for a minute the rule would last long.
“We’d better grab the flag before anyone else is around.” She checked the time on her phone. “We’ve got fifteen minutes before Gage heads out for his daily swim. Let’s go! ”
They hurried back the way they’d come, through the chapel, down the hill, around the town hall and over to the big white house near the lake.
“Rule number one is everyone’s lying,” Amanda whispered. “That’s what Carter told me, anyway.”
“Okay.” Charlotte wondered what they were lying about. Maybe whether or not they were the one who’d taken the flag?
“Rule number two is you can’t hide the flag. You have to display it. Since the rotunda is tucked away, we can display it openly, and it will still be hard for anyone to spot it. We need to get the flag to the rotunda and then return to our houses before anyone knows we’re gone. When it’s time to start our day, we need to do everything exactly the way we normally would.”
“I can do that.” Charlotte quietly followed Amanda up the steps and helped her take the flag out of its holder. Now she knew how fiercely the Elliott brothers would play the game once they knew it was afoot, she understood that she and Amanda had one chance to surprise them. After today, they’d be prime suspects whenever the game was played.
They hurried to the rotunda, where there was a similar holder by the door.
“I’m guessing this one held holiday-themed banners back in the day,” Amanda said. “Thank goodness it’s here.”
They stepped back to survey their handiwork. The men would have to come looking to see the flag, tucked away as it was.
“Can you get home without anyone seeing you?” Amanda asked as they retreated toward the Circle. “If they catch us out here, they’ll ask questions.”
“We’ll say we decided to start a yoga practice. That’ll send them running.”
“Good idea.” Amanda laughed. “See you at breakfast!”
Charlotte dropped her off at number23, then cut through to her street, where she slipped her sandals off before padding the rest of the way barefoot. When she reached her house, she let herself in as quietly as she could. Only once she was in her bedroom on the second floor did she relax.
She’d done it, much to her surprise. No sign of Lincoln. Was he sleeping or up and getting ready for breakfast?
She’d better get ready, too, she thought ruefully. No time to go back to bed. Instead, she opted for a shower, hoping the hot water and some coffee later would be enough to get her through the day.
Lincoln was just leaving his house, his hair damp from the shower, when a text came in. To his surprise, it was from Hudson.
Heard anything about Dad? No one else has. Mom isn’t answering my texts.
Not yet , he texted back. They’re probably on their way to the hospital now. His father wasn’t due in surgery until noon Eastern Time but needed to arrive earlier to be prepped. Lincoln had called during a quiet moment yesterday to wish his father well, but his dad had gotten off the phone quickly. He wasn’t one to dwell on medical matters. Lincoln knew his mother would call as soon as the surgery was over, around lunchtime here in Montana.
He’d made it halfway to the town hall when his phone buzzed again. It was Gage.
Flag’s gone.
Excitement jolted through him. Who’d taken it this time? Last time Gage was the culprit. He’d brought it to his beach retreat, probably by kayak, and returned to number1 before anyone noticed.
Lincoln’s first instinct was to race to Hudson’s favorite tree and stop by Nate’s workshop on the way, killing two birds with one stone. If neither had taken it, Lincoln would be well on the way up the Ridge toward Carter’s favorite lookout, where he’d hang the flag if he was the one who stole it.
He hesitated, though, made a decision and dashed for Charlotte’s front porch instead. She answered his knock more quickly than expected. To his relief, she was already dressed.
“Flag’s gone!” he blurted. “Come on. I’ll explain as we go.” He took her hand, tugged her out the door and shut it behind her. “Nate’s workshop first.” He set off at a run, pulling her along with him. He expected her to protest, especially after their argument last night, but she ran along with him gamely. Lincoln’s estimation of her went up a notch, something he didn’t know was possible until that moment.
“What flag?” she cried.
“Our family’s flag.”
“Who took it?”
“I don’t know. That’s the whole game.”
“Game?”
“It’s like Capture the Flag. Someone steals the Elliott flag from house number1, and whoever finds it and gets it back there first wins.”
“I like winning!” She was doing a good job keeping up with him despite wearing sandals. He should have told her to change her shoes.
“Good. Because I love winning.”
They exchanged a grin, and any worry that remained after their disagreement the previous evening fell away. Lincoln tightened his grip on her hand and increased his speed. “It’s not at Nate’s workshop.” They passed the rustic building with its sliding barn doors at a fast clip, and the ground began to slope up under their feet.
“This is… steep,” Charlotte puffed. “Where are we going now?”
“Hudson’s tree. It isn’t far. You’re doing great!” Exhilaration filled him. Lincoln knew many women wouldn’t be amused by this game at all. Most would want to sit on the sidelines. Charlotte was throwing herself into it, no questions asked.
He swore as Carter and Amanda came into view, also running hand in hand. His brother waved as they raced past but didn’t slow his steps. Amanda exchanged a smile with Charlotte. Had they come from Hudson’s tree? Or was Carter the one who’d taken the flag? If so, he might have left it at his lookout.
If he hadn’t, maybe Gage had taken it again, fooling them all.
“What’s wrong?” Charlotte asked as he hesitated.
“If Carter took the flag, then it’s at his lookout about three-quarters of the way up the Ridge. If he didn’t take it, he and Amanda must have just been at Hudson’s tree and the flag wasn’t there. So do we think Carter took it or not?”
Charlotte shrugged. “You know him better than I do.”
She was so damn pretty, even out of breath, pink-cheeked from the exercise. For one moment, Lincoln didn’t care about the flag. He cared about being alone with Charlotte. Getting closer to her.
But he needed to stay focused. “Up or down?” he asked. “Use your woman’s intuition.”
Charlotte hesitated. Traced Carter and Amanda’s course down the slope. “Down,” she said after a moment.
“Down?” Lincoln knew they were taking a gamble. Carter very well could have taken the flag. “Down it is.”
They raced together back the way they’d come, bursting out of the rows of houses onto the Circle and dashing straight across it. His brothers were gathering near the steps to number1’s porch.
“Gage doesn’t have it,” Nate gasped, slightly damp and very disheveled. “I saw everyone else racing for the Ridge, so I played the odds and went the other way. Kayaked all the way to his beach. It’ s not there.”
“It’s not in Hudson’s tree,” Carter said.
“It’s not in Lincoln’s graveyard,” Gage said. “Just checked. Didn’t see it at Nate’s workshop, either.”
“We were just there, too,” Lincoln said. “No flag.”
“Well, it’s not at Carter’s lookout,” Hudson huffed. “I went all the way up the damn Ridge. I was sure it was him.”
“That’s everywhere,” Lincoln said. “We’ve checked the beach, the tree, the lookout, the workshop, and I know it’s not in the graveyard.”
They stood in a ragged circle, breathing hard, Lincoln and his brothers eyeing each other.
“Did… Warrington take it?” Hudson finally asked.
Amanda laughed, then clapped a hand over her mouth.
Carter turned on her. “Did you take it?”
“Gotcha!” Amanda cried. “Charlotte and I took the flag this morning. Now you have to figure out where it is!”
“You’re in on this?” Lincoln asked Charlotte. “Why didn’t you say so?”
“Rule number1: everyone’s lying,” Charlotte said giddily. “That’s what Amanda told me.”
“She’s right.” Gage laughed heartily, to Lincoln’s surprise. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d seen his brother do that.
“The kitchen,” Hudson roared and took off running for the town hall. Carter, Nate and Gage took off after him, pushing and shoving as they ran. Gage tripped Carter, and the two of them went down hard in the dirt. Hudson and Nate got into a shoving match in the town hall doorway.
Meanwhile, Lincoln grabbed Charlotte’s hand. “I bet I know where it is.” He raced toward the old chapel. If Amanda was using it as a private oasis, she might have chosen it as her base.
Charlotte ran along with him, but there was no flag in sight. “Shoot— is it in the kitchen?”
Charlotte shook her head. “You’re warm,” she said, then looked guilty.
Lincoln looked around. “Warm?” he repeated. Suddenly he straightened. “I know!”
As soon as he pulled open the chapel door, he could tell he’d guessed correctly from the way Charlotte was grinning. They ran through the chapel, out the little door and through the breezeway. When Lincoln spotted the flag waving beside the door to the rotunda, he gave a roar of triumph. “I knew it. Mom claimed it as her own back in the day. Said it was the one place we weren’t allowed to bug her. I thought it was funny when I noticed Amanda was using the chapel to get away from us, too.”
“I suppose you need a break once in a while when you have five sons,” Charlotte said. “You still need to get that flag to your parents’ place,” she reminded him.
“You’re right.” And his brothers would know it wasn’t in the kitchen by now. “We’ll have to be fast!”
He took off, pulling her along with him, and in no time they reached the Circle again.
“They’re coming!” Charlotte pointed toward the town hall where his four brothers were spilling out of the doorway empty-handed. Amanda stood nearby, laughing.
Lincoln put his head down. “Run!”
They raced across the Circle, over the road and onto number1’s front yard. His brothers reached it at the same time.
“Get him!” Carter yelled, leaping toward him. Lincoln dodged him, shoved Hudson out of the way and slammed into Gage, knocking them both over. Charlotte, still holding his hand, fell, too, but quickly scrambled to her feet. She snatched the flag from Lincoln’s hands and screamed when Nate caught her. He tried to take the flag, but she refused to let go, the two of them getting into a tug of war.
Regaining his feet at the same time Gage did, Lincoln saw Hudson lunge toward Charlotte. Lincoln ducked his shoulder and rammed his oldest brother into Hudson, whirled, grabbed Charlotte by the waist and lifted her off the ground, snatching the flag out of Nate’s hands.
“Look out!” Charlotte screamed as he gave her the flag.
Too late.
Carter launched himself at them and knocked Lincoln off his feet, falling with him. Lincoln dropped Charlotte, who rolled several times and curled up in a ball. When Hudson went after the flag again, trying to rip it from her hands, she cried out in pain.
Hudson backpedaled quickly. “Shit. Are you okay? ”
“Charlotte?” Lincoln elbowed Carter aside, got to his feet and rushed toward her. He dropped to his knees. “Charlotte? Where are you hurt?”
She thrust the flag into his hands. “Run!” she hissed, then sprang up to block Hudson and Nate from reaching him. “Lincoln, run!”
He ran. Carter was still on the ground. Hudson hadn’t figured out what was happening yet. Gage had stopped and was shaking his head. In a flash Lincoln was up the steps. He slapped the palm of his hand on the front door.
“We won!”
“What? That’s not fair,” Hudson protested. “Charlotte took the flag. She can’t help get it back.”
“I’m the one who got it to the house,” Lincoln said.
“Never thought this game could get any dirtier. I was wrong,” Nate grumbled.
“Whose team are you on, anyway?” Carter asked Amanda. “I thought you were on mine. Now you’re pairing up with Lincoln’s girl?”
Lincoln looked to see how Charlotte would react to that designation. She was grinning. So was Amanda.
“Maybe there’s a new team,” Amanda said. “The women’s team.”
“You can make a women’s team,” Nate said. “But if you do, you can’t be on Carter’s team, too.”
“It’s supposed to be every man for himself.” Hudson put his hands on his hips. “No fair some teams have two people on them.”
“You’re just mad you don’t have a girl,” Gage said.
“You don’t, either.”
Gage turned to Amanda and Charlotte. “What’s it going to be? Are you on your men’s teams, are you together, or are you each going to play on your own team next time?”
Charlotte glanced Lincoln’s way with a questioning look that made him warm all over.
“Charlotte’s on my team,” he declared, knowing he was taking a chance but willing to risk it. “Right, Charlotte?” He came down the steps to take her hand.
“Do you mind?” Charlotte asked Amanda.
“No. Today was fun, but I’m Team Carter all the way,” Amanda said, going up on tiptoe to kiss her husband. “I’m a newlywed, after all.”
Carter kissed her back. “Don’t you forget it.”
“Team Lincoln it is,” Charlotte said.
“That’s settled, then. Time for breakfast,” Gage said. “We’re going to be late to work.”
The others followed him, Hudson still grumbling and Nate wondering out loud how the addition of teams skewed the odds of winning. Lincoln waited until they were gone.
“Team Lincoln, huh?” he asked Charlotte, taking her other hand, too.
“Why not?” she said, smiling.
“I like the sound of that,” he admitted. It felt natural to bend down and brush a kiss against her mouth. When she closed her eyes and let him, he let go of her hands, wrapped his arms around her and stepped in close. It felt good to hold her, his whole body waking up.
Charlotte reached her arms around his neck and pressed herself against him in a way that fired up all his senses. He’d hoped this would happen from the moment he’d spotted Charlotte at the airport, but he’d never dreamed they’d become a couple so fast.
He kissed her again, a hungry, satisfying kiss that went on and on. When they broke away from each other, he found it hard to catch his breath, and he wasn’t sure what to say.
“Hungry?” he finally settled on.
“Very,” she admitted.
“Charlotte.” He didn’t know how to put into words all the thoughts that were running through his mind as they turned toward the town hall.
“I know. We hardly know each other. We’re rushing this. I keep telling myself to hold back.”
“You do?” Did that mean she felt the way he did? Desperate to get close to him the way he was desperate to get close to her?
“Of course. I’m trying to make good decisions for once, and good decisions take time, but I like you,” she said. “I just… do.”
“I like you, too.”
“But—”
Lincoln’s phone buzzed, and he grabbed it from his pocket. It wasn’t his mom. The name on the screen was familiar, but he couldn’t place it. “I’ll call them back,” he said. This conversation was too important to interrupt.
Charlotte shook her head. “Take the call. I’ll wait. I mean it,” she added. “I’m in no rush.”
Reluctantly, he lifted his phone to his ear. “Hello?”
“Lincoln Elliott?” a woman’s voice asked. “This is Anne Thatcher. Alice Sanders’s friend?”
It took him a moment to realize she meant Lena’s sister, Alice Reed, who was married now to Jack Sanders. “Right. Lena told me about you.”
“She asked if she could give you my number, but I was in a hurry, so I made her give me yours. You’ve got houses for rent, right? Inexpensive ones?”
“Possibly,” Lincoln said cautiously.
“Like I said, I’m in a hurry. I need a house with six bedrooms. I need a fast internet connection. My start-up just received angel investment funding, and we need to make it last until we’re ready to ship our product. I’m looking for somewhere dirt cheap for us to live and work. Is that what you’ve got?”
Lincoln thought it over. There were one or two houses on the Ridge with that many bedrooms, but the goal was to sell the ones in Lucy’s Corner, and none of them was that big. “You sure you don’t want to buy? Our prices are low right now, and they’ll go up over time.”
“No,” she said decisively. “This is a temporary situation—at least at first. If we meet our deadlines and our eventual sales goals, there’s a chance we’ll want to stay, but for now I’m concerned only with getting our first product out the door. We need proof of concept before we commit to anything.”
“What’s your product? ”
“It’s called Couture Campaign—a fashion game. I can’t go into any more details before you sign an NDA.”
Couture Campaign? Lena was right; that did sound girly. Lincoln pictured a group of fashionable women taking matters into their own hands and coding the game they always wished they had when they were teenagers. Given how desperately his family needed to attract more women to the Ridge, Anne and her friends sounded perfect. “Of course. I think I have something that might suit you, and I can offer you reasonable rent,” he said. “But our internet won’t be upgraded until September. There might be a workaround, though, if you can be flexible.”
“What kind of workaround?”
“What if I can find you a workspace in town with fast internet for the rest of the summer—rent free? In return, you commit to staying through next June. You’ll need time to move your operations here, anyway, right? It’ll be only a couple of months and then the service out here will be upgraded.”
She sighed. “That’s not ideal, but I suppose I can fly in the day after tomorrow to check out the place. If you’ve got something worked out by then that covers our needs, I’ll consider it.”
“Day after tomorrow?”
“If everything’s up to par, we’ll move in next week.”
“That’s… fast.” He needed to talk it over with his brothers. Charlotte was waiting for him expectantly, her br ows raised.
“That’s how I operate. See you on Wednesday.”
“Wait—I’ll need your flight details so I can come pick you up.”
“No need. I’ll rent a car so I can get the lay of the land. I will text my arrival time, though.” Anne hung up.
“Who was that?” Charlotte asked him when he pocketed his phone.
“A new neighbor, I think. Let’s go eat, and I’ll fill you in.”
Once they’d reached the town hall, stood in line and filled their plates, they took their seats with the rest of his brothers and Amanda at their usual table. He related his conversation with Anne as they ate breakfast.
“Good work,” Nate said. “Six more women will liven up the place.”
“They’re coming here only temporarily,” Hudson pointed out unnecessarily.
“How many women have you recruited to our town?” Lincoln shot back. Was his twin still out of shape that he hadn’t won the game?
Hudson stood up so fast his chair scraped across the floor. “That’s not my job, is it?”
“When are you going to do your job?” Lincoln said, surprised at his reaction. Hudson’s face darkened. He dropped the dishes he’d just bent to pick up and stalked out of the cafeteria instead. The rest of them watched him go.
Nate shook his head. “What has gotten into him?”
“I don’t know, but I’m over it.” Lincoln turned to Gage. “We have to have logs. If he can’t get it together, you’d better take that on.”
“Working on it.” Gage got up slowly, gathered Hudson’s dishes as well as his own, returned them to the kitchen and followed his brother outside.
Lincoln met Charlotte’s questioning gaze as he stood, too, and took a deep breath, struggling to let the tension seep out of his muscles. “Guess it’s time for me to get to the mill. What will you do today?”
She stood, too. “I’m going to keep working on house plans, and Amanda and I are going to town later so I can buy a few things I forgot.”
“I’ll see you at lunch then.”
“Looking forward to it.”
When she leaned forward to meet his kiss, satisfaction filled him and he went to work with a light step despite his disagreement with Hudson. For once, the equipment worked without a hitch, and they were able to make progress toward the orders they were trying to fill, but as the morning went on, Lincoln found himself pulling his phone out of his pocket more frequently, checking the time and looking for messages from his mother he might somehow have missed.
His phone rang finally just as they were breaking for lunch, all the workers heading for the door to walk to the town hall. Instantly, Hudson, who’d kept his distance all morning, was by his side. “Is it Mom?”
“Yeah.” Lincoln accepted the call. “Mom? Everything okay?”
“Dad’s out of surgery and in the recovery room. The doctor says he did great.”
The tears of relief in her voice hit him like a blow to the chest, and Lincoln suddenly realized how worried he’d been that something would go wrong. Hip surgery was routine, and he’d told himself everything would be fine, but ever since his father’s heart problems started, he always feared the worst.
“I’m so glad.” His voice was husky, and he cleared his throat. “When will you get to see him?”
Hudson nudged him. “Well?”
Lincoln gave his brother a thumbs-up. “He did great,” he mouthed.
Hudson rubbed his jaw with his hand, then ran it over his face and through his hair as he turned away from Lincoln.
“Soon,” his mother said. “Oh, Lincoln, I’m so relieved it’s over. I told myself everything would be fine, but you know how I worry.”
“I know, Mom. I was worried, too. I’m glad it’s over. Want to talk to Hudson?”
Hudson glanced back at that, and Lincoln felt he’d been punched all over again. Hudson, who would rather die than betray a vulnerability, had tears in his eyes.
“Hey,” Lincoln said, reaching to put a hand on his twin’s shoulder. Hudson knocked it off, eyed him wildly for a moment, then stalked away again, like he had that morning, flinging open the door and slamming it shut behind him.
“Of course I want to talk to Hudson,” his mother said.
Lincoln swallowed. “Um… sorry, Mom. He left be fore I could grab him. I’ll tell him to call you when I see him at lunch.”
There was a silence on the other end of the line. “Be good to him, Lincoln. He needs you, even if he won’t admit it.”
Despite the sorrow he’d just seen in Hudson’s eyes, or maybe because of the strangeness of it, Lincoln’s temper flared, and he fought to keep it under control. Why did everyone expect so much of him and let his twin off the hook? “Do you ever say things like that to Hudson?” he asked. “Do you tell him to be good to me ? To make sure I don’t get into trouble?”
His mother hesitated again. “No,” she admitted. “You’re not the one who needs watching. You never were.”
He let out a disbelieving snort. “You seem sure of that.”
“I am. I’m sorry, honey. I know it’s unfair, but that’s the way life is. Some people are given more responsibility than others, and you’re one of them. But don’t knock your brother. He’ll come through when you really need him.”
“Huh.” Lincoln doubted that. When they were boys, he would have trusted Hudson with his life. Now he knew better. “Love you, Mom,” he made himself say. “Say hi to Dad when you see him, and let us know when it’s okay to call.” He’d watch out for Hudson. He’d keep the mill running and get those loans paid off, too. His mother was right; he owed his parents that much.
“Will do. Love you, too.”
Charlotte was happy to pull on her brand-new jogging outfit the following morning, one of the things she and Amanda had found while shopping together the previous day. She was happy, too, that Lincoln’s father had come through his surgery with flying colors. Although he was uncomfortable now, the prognosis was that he’d soon be up and walking better than ever. Dinner the previous evening had been a festive affair, marred only by Hudson’s absence. Apparently, he left straight after work and ate elsewhere. By the time she and Lincoln walked home, it had been getting late. Lincoln had left her at her door after a hot and heavy make-out session on the front porch that left her feeling like a teenager. She’d been very tempted to invite him inside, but in the end she hadn’t. She was enjoying this slow courtship. It made her feel young again, like she’d erased all the years she’d wasted with Ivan and been wiped clean of the cynicism and bitterness he’d engendered in her.
She must have adjusted to her new surroundings, because she woke up at six feeling rested and ready for some exercise. Taking Steven’s advice, she hadn’t responded to Ivan’s threatening email. He hadn’t sent another, so she was beginning to hope that was the end of it. While in town with Amanda, she’d gone back to the phone store and made them help her switch providers. The boy behind the counter hadn’t wanted to break her contract at first, but Amanda had asked to see the owner, who understood the problem the moment he found out where she and Charlotte lived. Now Charlotte could make phone calls whenever she wanted, no matter where she was.
A quick run would clean all the cobwebs from her brain and solidify her grasp of the layout of the community. She planned to make a circuit of the settlement, following the same path she’d taken with Lincoln on her first day in town. She’d mentioned to him last night she might start today with a jog if she woke early enough. He’d visibly struggled not to ask to come along but restrained himself and told her to have a good time.
“Take your phone, though,” he’d added. “Just in case. And watch for bears. Make a bit of noise as you go so they know you’re coming. They don’t want to meet you any more than you want to meet them. They’ll clear off if they hear you.”
“I will,” she assured him.
Outside, she warmed up a little by walking to the Circle, then broke into a jog, passed the town hall and turned toward the road that led up toward the mine. Soon she was breathing hard, since the hill was steep. When she finally reached the mine, her legs were wobbly.
From there she found Carter’s lookout, where the vista that spread before her took her breath away. Up here, she could pretend she was the only one for miles.
She circled around a bit before she found the trail that led to the settlement. Hudson’s tree was around here somewhere, wasn’t it? Charlotte wasn’t sure, but she followed a hunch, struck off the path and went looking for it. If she was going to play the game again, and she hoped she would, she needed to know where everything was.
Fifteen minutes later she stood at the base of an enormous tree with a wooden flagpole planted in the dirt nearby. This had to be it. She stared up at the branches that made a ladder to the sky. Did Hudson actually climb this behemoth? She’d loved clambering up trees when she was a girl, favoring a wide maple down the road from her grandmother’s town house. She hadn’t climbed anything in years, though.
“I don’t have the flag, if that’s what you’re after,” a voice said behind her.
Charlotte let out an unladylike shriek and spun to face the intruder.
Hudson.
He stared at her, his dark eyes sizing her up. He was so similar, yet so different from Lincoln. There was nothing flirtatious about him this morning. If anything, he looked… haunted.
“I wasn’t after anything,” she said quickly. “Just getting some exercise.”
“Me, too.” He was dressed in running pants and a black T-shirt. “I like to make sure everything is in its place before I start my day.”
“I just like the sunshine and oxygen,” she said warily. “I find if I run before breakfast, everything goes right, you know what I mean?”
After a moment he nodded. “Let’s go, then.” He gestured to a path she hadn’t even noticed. She’d have to figure out how it connected to the other trails .
“You want to jog with me?” she asked in surprise.
“Why not?”
“Aren’t you here to climb your tree?”
Hudson frowned, distant again. “You can climb it if you like.”
“I don’t think I’m up to that,” she said truthfully, craning her neck to look up at the tree’s crown.
“It’s not tree-climbing time, anyway; it’s jogging time. You coming or not?”
“After you.” Charlotte wasn’t sure why she was going for a jog with him, given his grumpiness, except she had a feeling if she didn’t accept the invitation, she’d never get another one. Hudson reminded her of a temperamental stallion, as apt to buck you off as to let you ride. Still, her intuition told her Hudson could use company this morning. He’d been jumpy these past twenty-four hours and quick-tempered, and she could only suppose his father’s surgery had something to do with it.
He set a quick pace that soon had her breathing hard again. As if knowing she’d already been to the top of the Ridge, he set off in the opposite direction, downhill toward the mill. They made a circuit of the log yard and the large, rectangular building, swung by the graveyard and headed for town.
When it became clear they weren’t going to engage in any idle chitchat, Charlotte decided to take the bull by the horns and ask the obvious question. “What’s with you and Lincoln?”
Hudson slowed a little. “What do you mean?”
“You’re twins. Why aren’t you close?”
“Who says we’re not close?” He kept jogging.
“No one has to say it. It’s obvious.”
He slowed down until he was walking, his hands on his hips. “You ask a lot of questions.”
“That’s the only way I know how to get answers.”
Hudson stopped short and faced her. “We’re not close because I fucked up, okay? I thought I was doing him a favor, and I still think I was in my own way, but I should have handled things differently.” He walked on.
Surprised, Charlotte trailed after him. Lincoln hadn’t mentioned anything like that. “When did that happen?”
“Before we left the Ridge. I was kind of an ass back then. Air Force knocked some sense into me, I guess you could say. Lincoln just can’t see it.”
“Why don’t you tell him you’re sorry?”
He stopped again. “I shouldn’t have to say it. He should know.” Hudson stared down at her a moment, then sighed and took off. In a few strides, he set a pace fast enough to leave her sprinting after him. Soon she was too winded to speak at all. Whenever she drew near, Hudson went faster, until she had to admit defeat. He wasn’t going to answer any more questions this morning.
Lincoln was sitting in the deck chair he’d placed on the front porch of number35 when they rounded the corner, and he stood up slowly as they approached, waiting for them.
“Morning,” he said when they arrived. Charlotte had the feeling he wasn’t too pleased to see his brother .
She walked in a tight circle, fighting to regain her breath, then bent over and braced her hands on her knees. When she could speak, she said, “I met up with Hudson in the woods.”
Lincoln nodded. “Doing better today?” he asked Hudson.
“I’m fine.” Hudson didn’t meet his gaze. “See you at breakfast,” he said to Charlotte and jogged off.
“He caught me snooping around his tree,” Charlotte told Lincoln. “I think he set that impossible pace to punish me.” She was sweaty and her face felt flushed, her hair falling out of her ponytail. She thought about relaying the rest of their conversation but decided it would be better if Lincoln and Hudson worked things out between themselves in their own time.
“Did you climb it?”
“His tree? Are you kidding me? It’s enormous. Hudson didn’t climb it, either. I guess both of us wanted our feet on the ground this morning.”
“Sensible,” Lincoln said. “Half hour until breakfast.” His gaze still tracked Hudson.
“I told you I wouldn’t fall for him,” she said.
He turned her way. “That’s what you said. Hudson has a way of changing women’s minds.”
“He won’t change mine,” she assured him. “He’s not you.”
She moved toward her house, already anticipating her shower, but a moment later a pair of strong arms caught her around the waist. Lincoln turned her, lifted her straight off the ground, spun her in a circle and set her down, dropping a kiss on the top of her head.
“What was that for?” she asked, her heart beating fast as he pulled her into an embrace. She loved the feel of his arms around her and the solidity of his chest under her hands.
His voice rumbled low, and she felt it as much as heard it as she leaned against him. “For saying exactly the right thing.”