She stared out the window, trying to think of ways to enhance her sales pitch. The lodge had been listed with her agency for five months, and she only had the listing for one more month. That gave her only weeks to find a buyer. The Boones’ inquiry about the property had been the only real bite she’d gotten in all that time. She had to make this work, somehow. Risk hadn’t been overly impressed with the photos of the lodge, and that parking lot kiss had only put a strain on their professional relationship.
“Cold?” he asked.
“A little.”
He fiddled with a dashboard dial, and soon a flow of warm heat pushed out of the floor vents.
“Better?”
She nodded. “Yes, thank you. As long as it’s not too hot for you?”
He gave her a sideways glance. “I’ll let you know if it gets too hot.”
Was that an innocent comment? She never knew with Risk. But she had to give him the benefit of the doubt, since he’d been put in his place the other night after she’d told him she was engaged.
Thank you again, Jenna Mae.
They drove a few more miles in silence, and then Risk gestured to the basket. “Since Aunt Lottie packed us up some food, why don’t we have a muffin?”
“Sounds like a good idea.” She lifted the basket onto her lap and then folded back the lid. “Oh wow. Your aunt Lottie sure knows how to make a care package.”
“Why, what’s she got in there?”
“Well, let’s see. There’s about eight muffins, a coffee thermos, protein bars and two apples.”
A grumble rose from Risk’s throat. “She still thinks we’re twelve.”
“It’s sorta sweet that she cares so much.”
April picked up a muffin, peeled back the cupcake paper, removing it entirely, and handed it over to Risk. It seemed an intimate gesture, but it was easier for him to eat that way. “Here you go.”
“Thanks.” A few bites later, the muffin was gone.
“Want another?”
He nodded. “One more will do. Make sure you have one, too.”
“Oh, I intend to.” April took a bite of her muffin. Warm and fresh, packed with cranberries, it was just the right amount of sweet and tart. “These are good.”
“It’s a family recipe. That coffee smells good.”
“Want some?”
The wipers were at top speed now, and April hoped Risk wouldn’t suggest they turn back.
“You first,” he said. “Have some. It’ll warm you up inside.”
“Okay. Thanks.”
She unscrewed the thermos and poured coffee into the cup. As she took a sip, the pungent aroma comforted her and made her smile. She handed the thermos over to Risk, and their fingers brushed again. “H-here you go.” The contact wasn’t lost on her. She quelled her racing heart and watched his throat work as he gulped down coffee.
Risk slid a glance to her left hand. “When’s the wedding?”
Whoa. She wasn’t really prepared to answer him. She’d hoped that wearing the ring was enough. Apparently she was wrong. “Uh, we haven’t set the date yet.”
“No?”
“No. A...a lot goes into planning a wedding, and my fiancé and I are very busy.”
“Does he have a name?”
“Everyone has a name,” she said rather evasively.
Risk scratched his chin. “So, you’re not willing to tell me? He must not be—”
“He’s amazing, okay? I met him when I was living in Willow County, and we’re very happy.”
“Bob? Bill? Toby? Or maybe it’s more like Hector or Bubba?”
Bubba? Lordy. She folded her arms over her middle but still couldn’t hold back a belly chuckle. “Risk, what are you doing?”
“Just making conversation. It’s a long drive to the lodge. Especially with the rain slowing us down.”
“Okay then, if you’re so willing to talk, why don’t you tell me about your love life?”
He grunted. “Or lack thereof.”
She raised her brows. “That’s hard to believe.”
“Tell me about it. After what happened with Shannon, I think I got gun-shy. No more permanent, all-in relationships for me.”
“Are you saying you don’t date anymore?”
He spared her a glance, his dark eyes meeting hers. “Now who’s being nosy?”
“Okay, you’re right. Forget I asked.” It wasn’t fair of her to ask such pointed questions of Risk when she’d barely given him the time of day about her fake engagement.
He was silent for a while. “The truth is, I haven’t had a date in three months, maybe longer. I guess I lost count.”
“I see. So, you must be really into your work, the way I am.”
Risk’s mouth twisted, and he gave his head a small, almost inconspicuous shake. “I’m trying to help out. The truth is...”
“What?” She gave him a pointed look.
“Nothin’.”
She let it drop, because anybody with eyes in their head could tell that Risk wasn’t the tycoon his brothers were. If he was, he wouldn’t have become a rodeo rider.
“What did you think about the history of the lodge?” she asked, steering the conversation out of personal territory.
“Kinda crazy...neither one of them wanted to give in for the sake of success.”
“So, you did read the articles.”
“I surely did. That brother and sister team mixed as well as oil and water.”
April nodded. “I don’t have a brother or a sister, but I would think one of them could’ve given in rather than see the lodge fail.”
“Yeah, those two were doomed from the get-go.”
It was sort of like her and Risk. Doomed from the beginning.
Luckily, because of the ring on her finger, all she had to think about was convincing Risk that the lodge was worth the investment.
* * *
Halfway into the drive, Risk turned to April. “The storm’s not really letting up. Let me know if you want to turn back.”
“No,” April said firmly. “I don’t think we need to. We’ve come this far.”
“Okay, fine by me.” Risk didn’t want to turn around, either. He wasn’t opposed to driving in the rain, and he was sort of enjoying the adventure with her. He’d been in a rut lately, trying to figure out where he fit in the world.
He liked listening to April’s melodic voice as she went into detail about JoAnna and Joseph Sutton, the twins who’d inherited the lodge some sixty years ago from their great-aunt. Her take on it was certainly more passionate and animated than any conversation they’d had before.
“JoAnna was a woman of the earth,” she said, “a free spirit who wanted to use the lodge as refuge for the enlightened of heart. She wanted bonfire parties and folksy dances, while Joseph was a hard-core outdoorsman who wanted to keep the rustic tone and promote it as a boating and fishing lodge.”
“Must’ve made for some crazy interaction between the guests,” he said. “Can you imagine the hunters and fisherman going head to head with the vegetarians? I’m sure it wasn’t pretty.”
“It was a total failure. Finally, they sold the lodge to a recluse. He liked the fact that it was remote, off the beaten path.”
“Is he the one selling the lodge?”
“No, he passed on. We’d be dealing with his grandson, Michael Hall. I can’t wait to show it to you. If we ever make it there.”
“We will, trust me,” Risk said, just as he hit a pothole in the road. The SUV bounded up in the air and landed with a huge muddy splash.
April gripped the handrail, color draining from her face.
“You okay?”
She gave him an unsure nod.
He reached for her hand clutching the seat and gave it a slight squeeze. “We’ll be fine. The SUV can take i
t.”
She slid her hand from his and slunk back in her seat, warily folding her arms across her middle.
There wasn’t much else he could say, so he shut his trap. It was better to forget the solid connection he’d felt when he grabbed her hand a few seconds ago. She was pretty and intelligent, and touching her quickened his pulse. For a man who hadn’t had sex in a while, it was dangerous territory.
And he wasn’t forgetting about that engagement ring on her finger. No, sir.
Rain pelted the windshield, and he concentrated on driving through the storm, the wipers giving him glimpses of what was ahead. He came to a low-lying bridge just around a curve in the road and slowed the car as the long wooden planks rattled under the tires. “It won’t be long now,” he told April and took a right-hand turn down a tree-lined road. April’s face relaxed in relief.
A minute later, the road separated into a three-foot-wide ditch. “Holy crap.” He swerved instantly, missing the biggest part of the gouge in the road, but luck wasn’t with him. The car hit the very edge of the gap, and the front end plummeted into a gully of mud. He hinged his arm out to stop April’s momentum, while her seat belt did the rest.
“You okay?” he asked her.
“Yeah, I think so.” Color left her face. “W-what happened?”
“The rain washed away a good chunk of the road. It came up so fast, I couldn’t see it, but I think we’re on the edge of the ditch.”
“Are we stuck?”
“Afraid so. The good news is GPS says the lodge is less than a mile away.”
She sat silent for a few seconds. “And you can’t get us out of the ditch?”
“Unfortunately, I left my superhero cape back at the ranch. We can’t just sit here. We might sink farther into the ditch. Gather up your things, April.”
He needed to make sure she was safe, and that meant high-tailing it to the lodge before the storm worsened. “We need to make a run for it. I’ll get out first and help you. We’ll call for help when we’re safely at the lodge.”
He gathered up a few essentials from the back of the SUV and dumped them into an old duffel bag he kept in the back. When he opened his door slightly, a wild gust of wind blew it open the rest of the way. He jumped down into a foot of mud, his boots catching the brunt of the ooze. Tossing the bag over his shoulder, he made his way around the back end of the SUV and opened the door for April. “Got what you need?”
She tucked her briefcase and her purse under her coat and nodded.
Risk reached for her, his hands firmly on her waist, and lifted her out of the car, holding on tight and twirling her around until they were clear of the ditch entirely before he set her down. “Ready to go?”
“I’m ready.”
“Okay, let’s get out of here.” He took her hand and they trudged along the waterlogged road toward the lodge.
* * *
April had never been this soaked in her life. The mile sprint had her breathing heavily, but she was in good enough shape to keep up with Risk, who kept a tight grip on her hand. They hopped over potholes and dodged floating debris and then, finally, the sight of the lodge loomed like a big beautiful refuge. She hadn’t been happier to see anything in her life.
Minutes later, they took the wide river-rock stairs together and landed under the protection of a covered veranda. Rain ceased to pelt them now, and the low veranda walls broke the wind gusts.
Risk stood by the double-door entry. “You have the key?”
Shaking from the cold, she opened the briefcase she’d kept as dry as possible and handed Risk the key. “H-here you go.”
He opened the door and gestured for her to go inside. She’d been here twice before and remembered the layout. Risk followed directly behind her, a consoling presence after the ordeal they’d just been through. For a moment there, when the earth parted and the car careened into the ditch, she’d feared for her life. But Risk was there beside her, making her feel safe. Right now, it went a long way in reassuring her.
“Stay here while I check out the place and see if the power’s on.”
“It’s supposed to be. Mr. Hall is keeping the electricity on through the sale.”
Risk nodded and took off while she stood there, shivering. She scanned the interior of the main lobby. It had a floor-to-ceiling river-rock fireplace and settees positioned around the large room. Thick wood beams crisscrossed the tall ceilings, and black iron chandeliers hung from various points in the room. Though the room was cold, it was shelter from the raging storm outside.
“Looks like the storm knocked the power out,” Risk said upon his return. “But there’s some firewood here on the hearth, and I’m sure it’s enough to keep us warm until the storm clears.”
A puddle of water formed at her feet, droplets dripping from her clothes, her coat, her hair.
“I think that’s a good idea.”
“Give me a second to get a fire going.”
While he was building a fire, she removed her coat and foraged inside her drenched handbag for her cell phone. Checking the screen, she wasn’t surprised she had no service. Even on a good weather day, the cell service out here had been spotty. Now, it seemed nonexistent. She imagined the same was true of Risk’s cell.
She walked over to the massive fireplace, where Risk was stacking logs. She found a magazine lying on one of the tables and rolled it up. “You can use this for kindling.”
“That’ll work.”
She slapped it into his palm and shivered again. “I don’t suppose you checked your phone yet.”
“The minute we got inside. No service. You?” He tossed the kindling under the logs and lit it up.
“Same. Nothing.”
Just then the kindling caught, and a small fire crackled and flamed. The burst of color also lent warmth, and she scooted closer to the new blaze.
Risk turned to her. “We should get out of our wet clothes. Get dry.”
She blinked. She couldn’t believe he’d suggested it. “How do you suppose we do that?”
“Peel ’em off.”
“That’s not what I meant. I don’t have a change of clothes.”
“Neither do I. But there’s got to be towels or bedding or something we can wrap ourselves up in until our clothes dry out.” He gave her an up and down glance. “Unless you want to shiver yourself into pneumonia.”
Uh, no. She didn’t want to do that, but she couldn’t bring herself to say it. Risk caught her dumbfounded look and shook his head.
“April, you’ve got nothing to worry about with me. That ring on your finger might as well be a chastity belt. I’m only suggesting we don’t catch our death of cold in these wet clothes. Should only take an hour or so to dry them.”
She stared at the blaze burning bright orange, the glow rapidly growing. Risk was right, and boy, she hated to admit it, but the fire would dry out their clothes in no time. And that comment he made about her engagement ring hit home. She believed he’d be true to his word. “Okay. Let’s see if we can find something to wrap up in. There’s a master bedroom and a few other rooms on the ground level. I think Mr. Hall said he stays over once in a while.”
“Sounds good to me.” Risk walked over to where he’d dropped his duffel and came up with a utility lantern flashlight. He pulled the handle, and the light came on, flashing a halo over six feet of the room. “We’ll use this only if we need to. Want to save the charge for tonight.”
“Tonight?”
Risk turned to look her square in the eye. “The storm’s going strong, and we’re stuck. It’s doubtful we’ll get out of here today.”
Thunder boomed, making her jump. She hadn’t really thought that far ahead. “Won’t someone come looking for us?”
Risk shrugged. “Don’t know. Most around here must think this place is empty. No one’s lived here for years, right?”
; She nodded.
“And with the rain coming down in buckets and the car sunk in the mud...”
“Oh.” A few seconds ticked by. “What about your family? Will they come looking?”
Risk smiled, his deadly dimples making an appearance. “My brothers know I’m smart enough to get out of the way of the storm. Wouldn’t be the first time I didn’t make it home at night.”
April bit her lower lip. “I see. And your aunt?”
“Goes to bed kinda early. She probably figured I’d get in late.”
That left Clovie. She was the only one April had told about this trip. And she wasn’t due in the office until Monday afternoon.
It was her own fault for getting in this predicament. She should’ve postponed the meeting when the weather turned bad or at least asked Risk to turn back when the storm first hit. Now, she had to spend the night...with him. And soon they were going to get naked.
“Don’t worry. We’ll make do. We have some food, thanks to Aunt Lottie.”
“You brought the basket?”
“Yep.” He pointed to his duffel. “Now, let’s go find us some warm things. Which way?”
She pointed to the passage to the left and then followed Risk down a murky hallway to a big double door. “This is the private master bedroom.”
Risk opened the door, and they peered inside to a bedroom filled with just enough light to see a king-size bed made up with blankets and a quilt. They stepped into the room and began rummaging through a chest of drawers, and it was like finding a trove of precious treasures. They found extra blankets and sheets and candles. The furniture was large and sparse, made of solid wood. A fireplace sat against the far wall, and one big window faced out to angry gray clouds and pounding rain.
Risk grabbed two of the blankets and a big sheet. “This should do for now. You want to get out of your clothes in here? I’ll get mine off in the lobby.” He handed her the blanket, not really waiting for a reply, and walked out of the room.
She made quick work of peeling off her clothes, shoes first. She’d have to put her modesty on hold out of necessity. Just thinking about putting on dry, warm clothes again, undies included, made her heart sing.
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