Chapter 3

CHAPTER 3

B ella

Charity.

I’d never thought since reaching adulthood that I’d be forced to accept anyone’s charity again. I wasn’t that kind of woman, priding myself on climbing from the depths of hell, my hard work allowing me a lucrative career.

But that had been before.

Before my life had fallen apart in a few days.

I’d followed my GPS, heading for the location I’d selected at random, uncertain of the name of the town or the resort. What I did know by the festive and posh interior including marble floors and gleaming brass accents was that I was in way over my head.

With little cash available at this point, and my credit cards cut off, I had few options. Being despondent wasn’t going to get me anywhere, but tears had formed more than once during the trip. The bastard I’d left had worked quickly, no doubt eliminating any chances for resuming my old life or being able to afford much of anything.

So charity it was.

Cally was starving, the few bites of food I’d provided screaming I was a bad mother.

Jagger was staring at me. I had a feeling he sensed I was on the ropes. That was putting it mildly. His kind gesture was something I never would have gotten back in Baltimore. Maybe that’s why I couldn’t find the right words.

The man towered over me. He had a look about him that reminded me of a grizzly bear crossed with a mountain man. His thick, curly dark brown hair was unruly as if he’d been running his fingers through it all evening long. In my world, men either wore expensive suits in an effort to appear rich to lure ladies into a night of passion or they were wearing scrubs, hiding their natural physique.

Not that many of them were anything to write home about. They’d likely never gotten dirt under their fingernails. Not like Jagger. He was the epitome of rough and tumble, his scruffy beard creating a slightly dangerous persona. But it was his piercing eyes I couldn’t seem to glance away from. The man was a definite breath of fresh air and I needed that desperately right now.

“Okay. Let’s get some food for Cally. Thank you.”

“Good, but no need for thanks,” Jagger told me. “I don’t like seeing a pretty young lady starving to death.”

I sensed Jagger wasn’t used to dealing with people, his stilted words giving him away. But he was trying and for that, I would be forever grateful. Cally had already been through a lot, her entire life disrupted. I hated myself for being forced to do so and about a dozen other things.

“Come on,” he suggested. “We’ll head to the grill. They make the best burgers this side of the Mississippi.”

He was trying harder to seem more likable, yet his jaw was as clenched as before. His vibes were electric, his gruff demeanor likely turning off everyone who didn’t know him. But with me, I felt an odd sense of connection. Why? I had no clue and I couldn’t allow that to cloud my judgment.

Never trust anyone ever again.

As he led the way, I realized I’d never felt so uncomfortable with a stranger in my life. He was sexy, very much so in a rugged, almost mountain man kind of way. I had a tough time not throwing him glances, feeling tiny next to his six foot something muscular body. His dark, very thick shoulder-length hair couldn’t hold a candle to his whiskey-colored eyes. But they were pained, haunted.

Almost dead.

Still, my bestie would call him eye candy for the soul.

Maybe former best friend. Would I ever see her again, enjoying a night of my favorite treats including mojitos? I reminded myself for the tenth time this was best for my little girl’s life.

As well as mine.

“Who are you, Jagger? If you don’t mind me asking?”

“Meaning what?” he asked as he glanced in my direction.

“Are you the resort manager?”

He laughed at my question, shaking his head. “One-third owner.”

“Who owns the other two-thirds?”

“My brothers.”

“There are two more of you?” I realized my question could seem flirtatious and that was the last thing on my mind. No matter how hot he was or how lonely I felt already, men were completely off the radar.

At least he finally smiled. “My father might say unfortunately so.”

“Oh, cold.”

“Trust me. The man is ice cold. I took after him.”

“What a pity.”

The moment we walked into the restaurant my stomach growled so loudly Jagger looked over at me. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d eaten. He said nothing while my face flushed. I felt the heat and was embarrassed, tugging down on the sleeves of my jacket. I must look like some homeless person looking for freebies. I had to remind myself I was close to that and would be if I wasn’t extremely careful with my money.

Several of the employees greeted him as we passed, although I wasn’t certain if their extended glances were out of respect or hatred.

He headed directly for a table, pulling out the chair for my daughter. I helped her remove her jacket, putting it on the back of the chair before she sat down. Her little giggles were a wonderful sound to a mother who felt like Mommy Dearest. She’d acted like a big girl the entire trip, napping a good portion of the way. I could tell she was close to shutting down, the ache in her tummy just another reminder of the horrific actions I’d taken.

Everything was aching straight to my bones. Even my pulse had increased from continued anxiety. I yanked off my jacket, shivering almost immediately. I remained turned away from him, pulling on the three-quarter sleeves of my sweater. I hadn’t expected seeing anyone who might ask questions.

“The jackets you have are too thin for the area.” His words sounded like he was chastising me, but I didn’t take the bait. He studied me intently, including allowing his eyes to fall to my arms.

Dropping my arms into my lap, I almost told him I could be pretty nasty myself when shoved into a corner.

I shouldn’t have been surprised when a waitress appeared almost immediately, but I was.

“Samantha, these young ladies are my guests so anything they’d like is on the house,” Jagger told her.

“Yes, sir.”

“What would you like to drink?” he asked me. When I hesitated, he lifted his eyebrows. “White wine?”

“I’m not a white wine kind of girl. Merlot? Cabernet?” I still felt guilty, but the thought of a glass of wine seemed like a small slice of heaven right now.

He nodded as if appreciative. “Bring my guest a glass of our finest cabernet and reserve the bottle. And for the little lady?”

I wouldn’t have thought a man as gruff as he appeared to be would allow my little girl to feel more comfortable in strange surroundings.

“Milk for the little princess,” I told them both. Her nose wrinkled, but she knew better than to ask for her favorite soda. Although I could tell she was going to try to twist his arm.

“And you, Mr. Fox?” Samantha asked.

“I’ll have a bourbon. Neat. We’ll also have three juicy cheeseburgers with all the trimmings, including crispy fries.”

I would ordinarily be pissed when a man dared order for me, but this time, I was honestly grateful. Exhaustion was taking a toll, the stress of worrying and wondering sapping my energy.

“Coming right up, sir.”

Being comfortable around a stranger wasn’t possible and I sensed he wasn’t interested in chitchatting. At least Cally did it for us, jabbering about deer she’d seen on the way. She loved animals, constantly asking for a guinea pig or a puppy, neither of which she’d been allowed to have.

Jagger tried to engage, his uncomfortable demeanor apparent by the tenseness in his body and the pulsing of the thick cords in his neck. He was ruggedly handsome, completely unlike the men I was used to dealing with. Especially with the beard and mustache. I could see him in jeans and holding an ax, a flannel shirt tossed over a log after he’d gotten sweaty. The thought and the naughty images forced me to bite back a laugh. He was also doing everything not to look in my direction.

After the milk was brought, Cally stopped talking long enough for me to get a word in edgewise. I was just as uncomfortable doing so as he was talking. “It’s pretty here.”

“Yeah,” he said quietly. “Real pretty in Danger Falls this time of year. Like I give a…” He caught himself before cursing in front of my daughter, which prompted me to laugh.

His brow furrowed, making him look even more dangerous. “What?”

“Nothing. Danger Falls. That’s the name of the town?”

“Yep. Did you get lost coming up the mountain?” His question was almost accusatory.

“Not really. I just didn’t remember the name.” I was a terrible liar. I’d forgotten it the moment I’d tossed our things into the back of the SUV, screeching out of the driveway before Joel returned to a house he no longer belonged in.

Neither did I.

“Mmm… Well, it’s a quaint and happy little town in a beautiful part of the country. So I’m told.”

“You don’t like it here?” I took a sip of wine and thought it to be as close to heaven as I’d ever experienced. “This is delicious. Thank you.”

“Not particularly,” he answered, giving a slight nod. The man was as closed off as anyone I’d ever met.

“Then why are you here?”

I had a suspicion the man didn’t like being hassled with questions. The expression he wore screamed of a shutdown. Maybe even a warning to let it go.

Fortunately, the food arrived a few seconds later.

I was too busy paying attention to keeping Cally eating to notice until much later that he’d been staring at me. When I finally caught a glimpse of his pensive face, I was instantly on alert. What if he was going to report where I was?

That was ridiculous. The odds of that were slim to zero.

My deep breath was scattered and he caught the sound, tilting his head as he continued studying me. We munched in silence and I was grateful my daughter wasn’t shy. She’d managed to shut down some of the awkwardness.

A flash caught my eye as a different waitress rushed in our direction.

“I’m sorry to interrupt, Mr. Fox, but Carlos is hurt pretty badly. There’s blood everywhere.”

The girl was almost panicking. I could tell he was annoyed by the deep sound rumbling up from his throat.

“Did you grab the first aid kit?” he asked.

“The cut is too bad. I think he’s going to need stiches and I tried Doc Welby, but he’s not answering. I don’t know what to do. Carlos is losing a lot of blood.”

“Where is the cut?” I asked,

“His hand and wrist. It was a sharp knife.”

“Did the blade cut the major artery on his wrist?”

The girl’s eyes opened wide. “I think the knife nicked it.”

Shit. I bit my lower lip and shifted my gaze toward Jagger. This was the absolute last thing I needed, but I wasn’t able to let an injured man go unattended. “Can you watch Cally while I see what I can do to help?” I realized as soon as the words slipped from my mouth naturally how idiotic they sounded. Why would I leave my daughter with a stranger and how the hell could I help in any way? “I have some first aid training. You know because I was once a camp counselor.”

I was racking up the lies today.

“Abby, why don’t you take our little guest here to my office and keep her company while we take a look at Carlos. Cally. Abby is going to take you to a special place. Call it a little adventure. Will you go with her?”

“Of course, Mr. Fox.”

My daughter had been taught as early as she could understand never to talk to a stranger let alone go anywhere with one. Yet she stuck out her little hand as if we were all best friends or family.

“You don’t need to go with me,” I stated through gritted teeth. If he did, he’d possibly suspect I was lying.

Not that I’d told him anything about myself.

“It’s my hotel,” he said with more than a harsh tone.

“Come on, Cally. Let’s go on that adventure.” Abby didn’t miss a beat, taking Cally by the hand.

Once she was gone, I pushed back the chair. “We need to attend to your employee quickly. A cut in that area could be life threatening.”

“I’ll take you to the kitchen.” Jagger led the way, taking long strides as he headed to where we were going.

There was near pandemonium inside, the entire staff freaking out about the amount of blood. One of the men was close to yelling at them. I wanted to tell him to shut the fuck up as he wasn’t helping the situation. Carlos was close to panic mode, his face far too pale. He was holding his wrist, blood seeping through his fingers. His white jacket was stained, his body swaying even though he was seated.

I immediately snatched a couple of clean towels folded on a rack, rushing toward him and kneeling down. “Hi, Carlos. I’m Bella and I’m going to try and help you. I promise I’ll be very gentle, but I need to take a look.”

He wasn’t any more trusting than Jagger was, but finally agreed. I held my breath, expecting the worst. Fortunately, I was wrong.

“How bad?” he asked in broken English.

“Not as bad as I thought, but you’ll need stitches. Okay? Jagger, I have my old counselor bag in my vehicle. Let me get it. You need to keep pressure on the wound and maybe find us a quiet space. Can you do that?”

I knew the man wasn’t used to taking orders or even suggestions from a woman. His eyes reflected a hint of anger. I responded with defiance in mine.

“Jagger. I can help this man if you’ll trust me and do as I say.”

He huffed, but finally nodded. “Come on, Carlos. Let’s get you comfortable.”

Nodding my thanks, I yanked a clean towel for myself so I could wipe my bloodied hands, heading out of the kitchen quickly. I managed to grab my coat and purse, fumbling to find my keys, my fingers were shaking so badly. Once outside into the frigid air, I took a deep breath.

“What the hell are you doing?” My words barely registered in the wind. But I heard them. I had no decent answer either. I couldn’t allow the man to remain hurt. I’d taken the Hippocratic Oath years before. Maybe Jagger wasn’t the kind of man to ask any questions.

I weaved my way to my vehicle, grabbing my doctor’s bag. I’d always seen myself as a house doctor. As soon as I’d had my medical license, I’d purchased a special leather bag, equipping it with all the goodies that I’d seen on television growing up. Fortunately, my doctor instincts had pushed me into making the kit useful instead of a piece used for reminiscing.

That included a suture kit. Bandages. A stethoscope and other implements for a basic first aid adventure.

Not that I’d needed another one.

I rushed back inside and into the kitchen, a couple of the employees pointing the direction of where Carlos had been taken.

Jagger was still holding the man’s arm, talking to him in a low voice to keep him calm. I was pleasantly surprised he’d known what to do.

“Let’s get this washed off so I can get you all cleaned up,” I told Carlos, giving Jagger a nonverbal thank you. I took over talking to Carlos as I worked, finding out he had a wife and two little girls, working in the resort his only income.

I sensed the poor guy was terrified he’d lose his job. He continuously glanced at Jagger. There was no mistaking fear in a man’s eyes.

When I was finished stitching him up, I offered him as bright a smile as I could handle. “You’re going to need to take a couple days off and have your wrist looked at by a qualified doctor.”

“I cannot do that,” Carlos exclaimed. I was certain the guy was going to go into a panic attack. “I need money. Bills. Food.”

“I’m certain Mr. Fox is prepared to pay you for your down time. You were injured on the job.” I threw a look over my shoulder at Jagger’s smug face. He knew the rules. He couldn’t deny time off or fire the man.

If he dared try either one or not to pay him, I’d turn his ass in to the Employment Commission myself. There were several crackles of electricity and I was surprised Carlos didn’t react to them.

Maybe it was the only real language Jagger and I could share. He was glaring at me as he’d done before. For a hot as sin man, he could get under a person’s skin by his looks alone.

Let alone his gruff attitude.

“Won’t you, Mr. Fox?” I repeated.

Jagger sighed. “Take as much time as you need, Carlos. Your job is secure and you’ll be receiving your paycheck plus a bonus.”

“Thank you, Mr. Fox. Thank you, Doctor.”

“Oh, I’m not a doctor,” I told Carlos. How many lies was I going to tell in a single day? “You should be good as new.”

“Go home, Carlos,” Jagger told him.

I headed to the sink to wash up, trying to ignore the flashes of heat I felt surrounding me. The stings were prickly, red-hot, and unwanted. How could I be so attracted to a man whose picture was likely in the dictionary under grumpy?

As soon as I dried off my hands, I turned around. “Thank you for the room, dinner, and the excitement this evening. I haven’t had so much fun in years. I should get going.”

Yes, there was some sarcasm in my voice, but it seemed Jagger brought that out in me. Or maybe I was just tired. Either way, this wasn’t leading anywhere but to a bad place for both of us.

I found myself holding my breath as he walked closer. I was struck that I hadn’t noticed his aftershave before. The scent was as rugged as the man full of the scent of timber and moss, fresh rain and sunshine. Wasn’t I suddenly the little romantic?

As he came closer, I was still holding my breath. He threw a heated gaze all the way down to the old pair of tennis shoes I’d shoved my feet into. He also took a deep breath as if catching that I’d been indulging in his manly fragrance.

A wry smile crossed his face and I sensed he was about to say something. For a couple of different reasons, I gripped the edge of the stainless-steel sink with one hand.

“You sure could have fooled me about you not being a doctor, Bella. I’m wondering what else you’re hiding.”