Chapter 2
JOY
Iknow I should be nervous. Alarm bells should be ringing in the back of my mind, announcing that I’m in a dangerous situation. Yet this man simply doesn’t have a single drop of aggression about him.
There’s something about Bear’s face that tells me he doesn’t grin very often. Yet here he is, watching me laugh at him, and chuckling right along.
His rich brown eyes meet mine. Instantly I’m floating, even though I’m still wearing his thick jacket, bundled up in a blanket with a towel around my hair. Mmm… The jacket collar smells like him. Warm, masculine, with a hint of pine.
He looks like a lumberjack, with thick dark hair and a bit of a beard. He’s certainly fit enough: he carried me as if I were a small sack of potatoes. The feeling of his thick arms around me…the sensation of being safe and cared for… It made me melt. I’ll be thinking about that for a long time.
Bear is still studying my eyes, even though our laughter has died out. He looks puzzled.
“You may not have heard of that,” I say. “A while back, women were asking each other online if they’d rather run into a strange man or a bear if they were alone out in the woods.”
His mouth hardens into a line. “Let me guess. Lots of women have known some shitty men, and they pick the bear. Don’t blame them.”
Another crack of thunder threatens to shake the entire mountain, yet he’s completely unfazed. "Is your bike locked?"
"No. I, um, forgot the lock, actually."
He jumps out and grabs my bike, picking it up and laying it down in the back of the truck as if it were a feather.
The man is strong. Honestly, he looks like he could pull a tree right out of the ground and hurl it, like those caber tosses at highland games.
Down, girl. Don’t think about what he’d look like in a kilt.
The truck lurches a bit when he climbs back in, running a hand through his wet hair and flicking some of the water free. "Okay, where can I take you?"
"I'm camping down in the fields beside the Edwards farm. Thanks so much—"
"No." He turns to look at me, his striking eyes pained. "Sorry. What I mean is, you can't get warm there. Everything will be wet. And I’m not sure how long you’ve been here, but in case you didn’t know, the wind picks up something fierce at night."
"Honestly, it'll be fine. I have one of those thermal sleeping bags."
"I can’t let you freeze.” He frowns, looking uncomfortable. “Look, I can take you to the Old Hemlock Valley Inn. Or a friend's house. I could even take you to my place. I just cannot in good conscience leave you to a soggy tent in a storm. There'd be nothing left of you in the morning."
"I appreciate it, but—"
He holds up a finger. "Any building you like. Really. But I'm putting my foot down about a tent.” His lips twitch at the left corner for a split second. "Call it kidnapping if you like. I call it making sure a nice young woman doesn’t freeze to death."
I can't help laughing. "Well, at least you're the politest kidnapper I've ever heard of."
"Do you know anyone in town?"
"I live with my brother in Cedarvale, but that's pretty far in—" Another blast of thunder crashes directly over us, so loud that I squeal in surprise. Then my heart flutters as Bear grabs my hand.
"It’s okay, Joy. I won't let anything happen to you."
He looks down at our hands, as if shocked to see what he's done, and lets go instantly. "Okay, I'm headed to my house unless you stop me. A hot shower, a big meal. And let me know if the bed in the guest room is comfortable – you'll be the first person staying there."
"Thank you." Since he seemed so uncomfortable accidentally grabbing my hand, I reach out and squeeze his forearm instead to show him I'm okay with it. "I really appreciate it."
"No trouble at all."
He begins driving in the opposite direction of Old Hemlock Valley. There's something ultra-steady in the way he drives, like a man who is completely unhurried and knows these roads like the back of his hand.
"Where do you live?" I suddenly ask.
“Rathlock.”
"Wow. Never heard of it."
He flashes me a look. "That's exactly how we like it. Under the radar. Maybe a quarter the size of Old Hemlock Valley. Barely a town, really. Perfect for those of us who like to keep to themselves."
"So, wait, are you one of those mysterious loner mountain men?" I giggle. “The kind that the town kind of forgets about, because they only see them once a decade?"
His broad shoulders tighten. Seriously, the guy is built like a football player.
"Sorry," I say quickly. "I didn't mean to tease you."
"It's fine." He hesitates. “Trying to decide if I should tell you my last name." He slows down to take a corner and then glances over to me. "It's Wolfe."
"Oh, like the mountain? I've seen a whole bunch of businesses with that name."
"Yeah. I'm probably related to all of them."
"I've always thought it would be fun to have a huge family."
"Fun?" He snorts. “More like outsiders getting up in your business all the time."
I laugh again. When I catch his eye, I realize he actually likes it when I laugh at him. "And here you are taking a total outsider right into your home. Doesn’t get more up in your business than that. Sorry, this one's on you, buddy.”
This time his laugh is richer, deeper. "The mouth on you, sugar."
We reach his house in about twenty minutes, discussing all the ways he resembles the quintessential loner in movies and classic books.
I hope we're not driving up to some creepy little shack. My backpack is at my feet, so if it really came to it, I could run like hell into the woods. Sure, his legs are longer, but I could duck under branches a lot faster than he could. Okay, realistically, I’d probably slip and break something immediately.
But honestly? I get nothing but good vibes from Bear.
The truck rolls around the corner, then into a clearing, and I gasp in surprise. His place is much bigger and more modern than I was expecting. It's like a forest cabin decided to grow into a stunning house.
Once we’re inside I look around, taking in the wide plank flooring, thick timber beams, and cozy, oversized furniture. Everything is clean and inviting.
Maybe it’s crazy to feel so safe with a total stranger, but everything about this man makes me feel like I’m in the right place at the right time.
As Bear helps me out of the blanket and coat, I get a crazy impulse to spin and tuck right into his arms, wanting to inhale that woodsy male scent again and try to make sense of how that twinkle in his eyes sends prickles of heat blooming in my lower belly.
Instead, I just grin at him. “Yeah, this is definitely the best kidnapping ever.”