Nineteen

A nna moved around the bed, out of the stocky man's way. "Watch out, Wyatt. He's moving fast!"

Wyatt stuck out his foot, tripping the intruder who landed with a hard thump before Wyatt grabbed him and twisted his arms behind him. As Wyatt reached for the papers, the man kicked Wyatt's thigh, his boot heel connected in a sickening thud. The force threw Wyatt off balance, allowing the stocky man to reach the door. It slammed shut behind the intruder. Wyatt stood up, ready to chase, but he stopped when he glanced at her.

"You're shaking." He crossed to her side, gripped her arm, and guided her to sit on the edge of the bed. "Don't worry. I'm not going to leave you alone right now. There's no point trying to run after him."

He rubbed her back. "We know where to find him—or at least who will know where to find him. Good thing you took photos of the documents and the originals are in a safe deposit box. Are you okay?"

Was she? Her whole body shook. She leaned against him, her head dipping to his chest. His strong chest. As he slid his arms loosely around her, she forced herself to inhale a deep sandalwood-scented breath. "We'll let the manager sort it out. There must be cameras around the hotel unless the nervous clerk did something to them."

Wyatt gathered her things and led her from the room. In the lobby, another clerk, a young man, manned the desk.

Anna strode ahead of Wyatt. "When we came in, a young redheaded lady was at the counter."

"She had to go home." The youth kept his focus on his phone. "Sick leave, ya know?"

Adrenaline was pumping through her faster than she could process. Anna inhaled, composed herself, and planted her hands on the wood-topped counter. "I had an intruder in my room. He broke into my safe and stole its contents. The young woman in question was nervous when we arrived, and I now wonder if she was aware or provided a key."

"Whoa. Hold up, lady. That's some serious assumptions." The youth set his phone aside and scratched his head. "I can't tell you any personal information about an employee, but I can call the police if you'd like."

Wyatt shook his head.

She pressed her palms harder against the countertop. "Please inform the manager about my intruder. Surely, you have a camera, and you should be concerned this occurred. We don't have time to wait for the police, but your hotel put a guest at risk. Your manager should decide what's best."

"Your manager should be aware, Shawn." Wyatt read the clerk's name on his hotel badge.

They checked out and paid the bill. Next stop: car rental. Anna would drive ahead. Hopefully, it will go smoothly. They'd met their quota of dramatic events for the day.

After a seamless rental drop-off, Anna climbed into Wyatt's truck, and they headed out of Boise on Interstate 84, then to Highway 21 to avoid Warm Springs Avenue. Then she sat up straighter. "That's Lucky Peak Dam, isn't it?" Her lips quirked as an old memory triggered. "I remember going there, water shooting from the dam."

"They still release using the ‘Rooster Tail' in good water years, but it's rare and only in the spring. It always draws a crowd."

"I can see that. It's rather unique." The memory pleased her, relaxed her. "Man, I miss this feeling of joy. It's been a while." She traced a finger along her ragged nail bed. Wyatt felt like home.

But it was a memory, nothing more. Her peace of mind vanished with her next breath.

"Where is your cabin, Wyatt?"

"It's on my grandparents' old property. The land next to yours."

"What?" She jerked upright, slapping the console between them. "Are you kidding me? We are going toward Idaho City? Why didn't you tell me? You knew it would matter." And here she was just beginning to feel relaxed.

He rolled his shoulders, then rubbed the back of his neck. "Look. I'll take you back if you want. But you know you're not safe there. With me, you can relax. You're safe." His voice, a soothing rumbling, harmonized with the engine. "I'm here, and I won't leave your side until we figure this out."

Those words melted her heart. "I haven't felt safe since this began," she admitted. "I want—no, I need— to feel safe." She tore deeper into her cuticle. "But I don't need surprises, Wyatt. No. More. Surprises. Okay?"

They drove in silence, and then he put some oldies on—Bread, Seals and Croft, and Loggins and Messina. The words of "If" slipped around them, moving and tender, and they drove on like everything was normal. Everything wasn't normal, but a girl could allow herself to pretend, couldn't she?

The storm was brewing again, not just figuratively. Clapping thunder and flashing lightning would arrive soon enough.

"Idaho City Limits," the sign said in tall black letters. Wyatt turned toward the old structures along both sides of the street. The antique gas sign had always been there. The truck jumped over a couple of big rocks as he pulled in beside the pump. An old wood wagon waited on a porch. The ding-ding of the gas pump whirred in the background. Then the bell on the door rang as Wyatt headed inside to pay. He returned with a grin and placed a potato-shaped magnet in her hand. She forced her lips closed to hold back a giggle.

"Let's get some groceries and then head on up the hill."

After they loaded up, the familiar drive was serene, and a wistful sigh escaped. "Wish I knew why Mother took us away."

His golden brows arched. "You don't know?"

"If she ever said, I can't remember."

"Well, we're almost there."

Her heart skipped. She pulled out her phone with a pout.

"Sorry, Anna, not much cell service up here. Once you pass Lucky Peak Dam, it's spotty. There are a few places reception works, but you never know where. There is a special place at the top of the hill, with the right cell carrier and the right angle of your phone—if you stand on your tippy-toes." He grinned at her. "Otherwise, you have to rely on the poles and wires that survive each winter. Landlines."

"Do you have a landline?"

"Yes. You'll have everything you need."

Wow, what a killer smile! But why did it send electricity from her arms to her toes? Her pulse raced, and she felt warmer.

"We're here." He pulled onto another gravel road, then pushed a button on his console. The solar-powered wrought-iron gate edged open, and while he drove past the brick fence flanking it, she tried not to act impressed.

The truck bounced up a long driveway that looped around a hill. Fruit trees and ponderosa pine lent shady spots to the grassy hills, and a low whistle slipped free. "What bliss."

"Yeah, coming here rejuvenates me."

They continued up a steep hill. A gurgling creek ran parallel along the road, its waters spreading wide, then narrowing, and then widening. She rolled down her window as the creek bubbled and smashed across the rocks.

"Will you please stop just for a minute? I want to see the creek." With her voice so high and eager, he must think she sounded like a curious child.

Still, he didn't hesitate, almost slamming on his brakes. As her seat belt stopped her forward motion, she sent him a surprised look. His smirk spoke for him before he jumped out long enough to open her door. Then he climbed back in and waited, allowing her time to remember.

She slid out of the truck and pattered toward the clear water rushing downstream. It was as if she were a child again. She slid off her shoes, stepped into the water, then squealed. "Yikes."

The water was clear enough to reveal her toes, but cold enough to be like putting her feet into the snow. But who cared?

A gust of wind swirled, blowing a leaf. It floated toward the truck. Her gaze followed it and then drifted to Wyatt. She never wanted to forget the way he was looking at her. It was a look she hoped to see for the rest of her life.

Her foot slipped on a mossy rock when she stepped onto the bank. Her leg flew into the air, and her bottom crashed into the water. Her scream probably reached Wyatt before the splash. After scrambling back to her feet and climbing the bank, she slowed her pace and took care with each step as she carried her shoes while watching for sharp rocks.

Wyatt stood tall in her path, holding a towel, then wrapped it around her, his arms snugging her in, his breath tingling her neck. Leaning back into him, she inhaled his sandalwood scent to slow her heart. What was this she was feeling? Anticipation? Attraction? Or something more?

He cleared his throat and released the towel when her hand brushed his. Then he hesitated, kicked his toe in the dirt, and moved away. His husky voice carried over his shoulder. "I'll wait in the truck."

She pulled the towel tight and steadied her knees before climbing in.

He faced forward, pressed on the gas, and drove up the hill. He nodded to the left. "That's the cabin."

"Whoa. Your definition of cabin so doesn't match my definition. I'd say we're using different dictionaries." The cabin was spectacular! Green mountains behind and green mountains in front. Undaunted trees shaded rolling land and dipped limbs into the bubbling creek where an incline seemed to continue into the blue sky. "Nothing like Texas—blue spruce, western and ponderosa pines." Majestic blue spruce stood watch over the cabin. She hugged her arms across her chest and whispered, "This cabin must've been on the cover of some luxury retreat magazine."

Hopefully, Wyatt, sliding from the driver's seat, didn't hear. As he walked around the front of the truck cab, she ogled "the cabin."

Chimneys flanked the north and south sides, three balconies climbed the front, and a huge porch greeted visitors with rockers and swings. And she'd been his neighbor, living next door in a shack.

"My grandparents built this cabin after they bought the property." He opened the back passenger door and hauled out her suitcase, then got her door. "I updated some things the past few years and added the pool, but it still feels like the cabin I remember from my youth. You will be comfortable here, and the place has excellent security."

He must come from money. What had he thought of her growing up? She didn't remember him, but he seemed to remember her. Why was that?

"The house on Warm Springs where my newly-found great-uncle lives is larger and grander, but dark and cold." She accepted his hand, hopped down, and waved toward "the cabin." " This is a home that became part of its surroundings."

A home with balconies to sit on and appreciate life's bounty. A home to spend time with family and live an adventure. A home for love and happiness. Her arms crept around her middle again. Why did she feel it was home?

Wyatt winced as he lifted her suitcase and lugged it up the front steps. "Did you bring rocks? We already have rocks here."

She blushed and eyed the two orange "heavy" stickers slapped on it. "At least I'll have some dry clothes. I always over pack, but I never have everything I need."

He grunted dramatically as he carried it in and nodded to her muddy clothes. "I imagine you'll want to get cleaned up."

"Thanks." With the truck unpacked, she grabbed some of the cold groceries off the counter, its live-edge oak agleam. She let out a small gasp at the refrigerator like one at the corner market. "Wyatt, this fridge is huge."

"Well, we have a generator, and it stays stocked in the winter if I'm here and the roads are closed."

"Wow."

"Look around and choose a room. They should all have fresh linens. Mine is the blue one on the left once you go up the stairs. It'll have my bag inside the door. Any other room is available, but the one by mine has a balcony and a great view. Just sayin'. They all have restrooms, even the one downstairs." He jerked his thumb toward a hall, then slapped his hands together. "Then how about a walk before dinner? We can unwind and explore before we get serious with all the things we need to sort out."

"Sounds like a plan." She began the quest for a room.

The moment she entered the second bright and cheery room, she settled in. Soft turquoise walls mirrored the sky, as did the creek running behind it. She rubbed her hand across the mosquito screen, eager to leave her window open to enjoy the burbling creek and the spring night air. She'd feel safer closer to Wyatt. Her lips quirked.

She laid a set of pink pajamas by the puffy white pillow, scurried to freshen up, then headed back to the main room, her feet slapping on each wooden stair on her way. Wyatt was already there, waiting, in a sage sweater, khaki jeans, and hiking boots. He scooped up the jacket hanging over the side of the couch. She'd brought an old coat, hoping it was warm enough.

He reached out and touched her coat, using his forefinger and thumb to test the thickness. When he shook his head, a glossy hunk of hair dropped over one golden-brown brow, and her fingers twitched to brush it back.

"What?" She shrugged. "There isn't much need in Texas for a heavy coat. It's cold like one month a year."

Clicking his tongue, he walked to the closet and tugged something off the hanger. He held up a thick black hiking jacket. The tag was no longer attached to the white thread hanging from the pocket.

Her mouth slightly opened as he handed it over.

"This belongs to my younger sister, Summer. She keeps it here for her rare visits. She won't mind."

The front door moaned as he pushed it open. Cool air rushed in, welcoming her senses. He kicked a rock that bounced down the path, the stone stilling at a clump of wildflowers. The creek created music along the pathway—drums pounding on rocks, bells chiming in the whirls, and soft harps playing with the rushing water.

A white-tailed deer paused in the distance, and a coyote howled on the mountain with the promise of a full moon. Pine, rose, and a light scent of orange mixed with fresh crisp spring air. Their boots kicked up puffs of dust and bouncing rocks as they followed the path, the musical creek meandering beside them.

Wyatt pointed to the corner of the fence. "That's the end of the property."

The trees and mountains continued on the horizon. Seeing them only as a background, Anna focused on Wyatt.

"We should head back up to the cabin." He adjusted a black wildlife camera watching the fence line. "We can grill outside tonight."

She pushed her legs and feet harder toward the ground, exerting more force on the steeper incline. With him farther up the hill, she quickened her step, her endurance from walking in the diner paying off. The black top of the chimney and the tips of the blue spruce were peeking over the hill, each step taking them closer to the enchanting cabin.

Rocks crushed down in the dirt as they strode through the back gate toward an outdoor kitchen with a bar. He pressed three buttons on a door panel. As the glass doors opened, he stopped and waited for her to go inside first.

The flame flared into the air when he started the grill. Anna made a salad and sliced fruit. Charcoal and seasoning scented the evening. She dropped tart lemon slices into cold spring water and carried the glasses onto the deck, his casual, easy manner invoking an unfamiliar longing.

They ate while they chatted, discovering one another's likes and dislikes. Ironically, she cheered for the Dodgers, and he supported the Astros. That rivalry could get them into trouble.

"What sits at the bottom of the sea and twitches?" she asked.

"A scared crab?"

"A nervous wreck."

"Ha! Ha!"

The sound system played his favorite vintage rock, and he raised his lemonade glass in salute to her. "That's why I stopped at your diner. Love the good oldies."

"Well, some of them get old after a while." His rolled eyes made her laugh so hard her eyes began to water. "What? Too cheesy?"

She grew silent and closed her eyes, listening to the music with her heart.

Then Wyatt's feet thudded to the decking, dropping from the wrought-iron chair he'd had them kicked up on. "I guess we'd better shut things down for the night. You've had a long day." He held out a hand for hers and led her back to the house, then paused to check the locks and the security monitor by the front entrance.

Their footsteps pat-pat-patted up the stairs and down the hallway together. At her door, he hesitated, and beneath the note of sandalwood and spice, she caught a whiff of hickory and pine—the mountains.

"Wyatt, thank you for rescuing me." The whisper rasped her throat. Her pulse quickened as he moved closer, and she tipped her face up, awaiting his kiss.

"Good night, Anna." He brushed his fingers across her cheek, then retreated to his room. He didn't glance back.

With the full moon as her night-light, she slipped into her silky pink PJs and opened the glass door, leaving only the screen. She sat on the edge of the bed and hugged her knees to her chest, the intensity of her attraction unsettling her.

A chill arrived with the cool breeze. She closed her eyes, reliving the tingle of his breath warming her nape. Be cautious, Anna, the wind whispered.