Chapter Seven
Tucker
“You really like putting on a show, don’t you?” Tilly pulls her scrubs out of the canvas bag she brought in this morning. “You’ll be lucky if that guy doesn’t go tell everyone in town what a nutjob you are.”
She’s not wrong. I’ll be lucky if he doesn’t tell everyone who will listen. I don’t know what the fuck I’m doing lately, yet I can’t seem to stop. “That man was saying everything he could to show you he’s interested. It’s sick. He’s twice your age.”
“Aren’t you twice my age?”
“Not quite… but I’m also not telling you how pretty you are every fucking second.”
“You’re right,” she quips, “you’re not.”
I shake my head and step toward her slowly. “You want me to tell you that you’re pretty? Is that what it’ll take to get you bent back over that desk again?”
She stares up at me, her pink lips parted. “Nothing is going to get me bent over that desk again. You’re insane, and I’m starting to think you killed my best friend, you son of a bitch.”
Jesus Christ!
“What?”
“Wren Harlow. I know you were the last one to see her. That’s why I’m here. You did something to her. Both her and Kade.”
“Wren was your best friend?”
“Was?” Tilly crosses her arms over her chest. “See, you’re talking about her in the past tense because you know she’s dead!”
What the hell?
I laugh and shake my head before lowering into the chair behind my desk. “I didn’t kill anyone. Also, I didn’t know she was your best friend… is your best friend.”
“Well,” she pauses and exhales slowly, leaning against the edge of the desk, “now that you do, you can tell me what happened to her. I know you know something.”
“Why doesn’t everyone see the most logical option, that she and Kade ran off together? She wanted to get away from her ex, and Kade would’ve done anything to keep her safe. I assume they—”
“If that’s the truth, I need proof.”
“So you’d blow up their hiding spot just so you can have closure?” I narrow my gaze and divert my attention to the stack of paperwork on my desk. “A little selfish, don’t you think?”
“If your story is true, you’re not the least bit curious what happened to your friend? I thought you and Kade were close.”
I glance toward her, half of me desperate to put her mind at ease, tell her what we do here, tell her that I know Kade and Wren are hiding, that I put them there, that they’re happy, safe, and well. The other half knows that decision would ruin everyone’s lives.
“Of course I care what happened to Kade, but I know him. He’s a good guy who wanted good things for Wren. Wherever they are, I’m sure they’re taking care of each other.”
She shakes her head and lowers down to her chair with a sigh. “I thought I could seduce you into giving me answers.”
“You made me want you,” I nod, “but there’re no answers to give.”
There’s a long pause where the only sound in the room is the clock on the wall.
“You okay?” I glance toward her, a tear rolling down her cheek.
She wipes it away quickly. “Yeah, just tired. I don’t think I slept an hour last night, Victor has been texting me all afternoon, my brother is right behind him, and I don’t have the energy to respond to anyone.”
I pull the key to my cabin out of my desk drawer and hand it toward her. “Why don’t you go lay down for a few hours. I’ve got things up here. Do you work tonight?”
She shakes her head and tucks a strand of hair behind her ear as she stares at me. “No. I’m off tonight.”
“Good. I’ll take you to the Fall Fest down in Rugged Mountain when you wake up. It’ll be good for you to get out, have some fun for a change, and get your mind off things.”
I half expect her to fight me, but she stands from the desk, tucks her giant water bottle into her elbow, and takes the key from my hand. “Thank you. I won’t be long. Maybe a couple of hours. Just long enough to start thinking straight again.”
I nod, our fingertips brushing together as she reaches for the key. “You did good today with the weirdo. He was lucky you were here. You’re a great nurse.”
She holds my gaze a moment too long, and I have to force myself to stay seated. I have to push down thoughts of carrying her into the back room, laying her down, driving into her soft little core, and taking her as my own.
It’s sick the things I have to force myself not to do.
I’m so hyper focused on not moving, that I don’t fully register that she’s left the room and Atlas is now standing in front of me. “Jesus Christ, dude. Could you lay it on any thicker?”
I narrow my brows. “The fuck are you talking about?”
“You’re going fucking overboard.” He crosses one arm over the other and stares at me with tight lips like he thinks I’m a fucking idiot. “I couldn’t even come back in here after the hiker thing. It was so hard to watch.”
“Well, you didn’t miss much. The whole thing took like twenty minutes then he was off to the hospital.” I drag my hand down over my beard and shake my head. “And stuff that other nonsense. I’m good.”
“Whatever you say.” He waves his hand like he knows I’m full of it. “Why don’t we go out tonight. We’ll hit the bar, meet some women, and get you laid. We both know that’s what you need.”
I laugh and lean back in my chair as birds squall outside the window. “You’re the last guy to go to the bar and talk about getting laid. I don’t think you’ve left the campground since we got out of prison.”
“It’s not for me, it’s for you.”
“Well, I’m fine.” I nod and stand from the chair, making my way to the coffee maker. “What news do we have on the accountant Bowers?”
“Thought you were against all that?”
“I am, but something tells me you’re doing it anyway.”
He nods. “He’s ready to go, so I’m moving him tonight.”
“Does this deal give you enough to save your family’s land?”
“Not sure. The seller knows how badly I want it, so she keeps raising the price.” He stares down at the ground and lets out a heavy breath. “I’m going to meet with her next week. Every inch of that land has a memory, and I,” he draws his eyes up slowly, “I hate that I lost it in the first place.”
“You’ve got my half of the cut too if you need it. The cabins down in the valley can wait for a remodel. Your family’s property comes first.”
Atlas nods. “Appreciate it, man, but I can’t do that. You’re risking your ass out here too. We do an even split, like normal.”
A camper pulls up to the gate in an RV, pulling my attention away. “Damn it. I gotta go get this. He’s buzzing for help.”
“I’ll grab it on my way out,” Atlas says, already opening the door. “Think about tonight.”
I don’t tell him I’ve already made plans with Tilly, or how excited I am for them. I don’t tell him because I know the truth about what I feel for that girl, and Atlas is right. It’s downright fucking ridiculous.
I’m ruminating thoughts of licking her soft, little pussy when it hits me that she’s in my cabin. The one place on this whole campground where the truth sits waiting for her to find.