by Box Set
“She likes it!” Geri called out.
“I believe she does.” I poured a little more into her mouth from the spoon and she swallowed that one, too. Geri stood watch over me as I gave the woman small amounts of the hot chocolate.
After another few spoonfuls, I set the mug down and pulled off my sweatshirt. The fire was making the room extremely warm and sweat beaded my brow.
Matt returned with the cloth, and I gently wiped away the dried blood, brushing her long brown hair away from her face as I did. The gash on her temple wasn’t too bad; a small butterfly bandage would work to secure it.
“She has pretty earrings,” Geri commented, and I studied them for a moment. I’d bet anything that they were real diamond studs. I’d noticed while I was undressing her that her left hand was barren of any wedding rings, but those earrings spoke of someone special in her life. Why else would she be wearing fancy diamond earrings with jeans and a sweater?
“She didn’t have anything else with her when you saw her, did she? Like a purse?”
Matt shook his head. “No, I didn’t see anything.”
“Look in her coat pockets and see if there is anything in them, maybe a cellphone or something.”
Matt dug around in the pockets but only came up with two pieces of candy and a tissue.
Well, we were going to have to wait until she woke up to find out who she was. I wondered where she was going. Obviously, she was not from this area. Anyone around here wouldn’t have been out in the storm, especially dressed like this.
“Geri, you need to get ready for bed; it’s almost ten.”
“Is she having a sleepover?” my daughter asked as she got up from the floor.
“Yep, she’s having a sleepover.”
“But we don’t even know her name.”
“No, we don’t, and until she can talk, we won’t know it.”
Geri stared down into the woman’s face. “She looks like an angel.”
I took a moment and observed the woman, her skin was pale, but her lips were no longer as blue. Her soft brown hair was fanned out on the cushion, and her mouth was parted just the tiniest amount. Something stirred deep inside of me, something I did not want to feel, but the words slipped out anyway on a whisper, “She does look like an angel.”
Geri leaned close to the woman and pressed her soft little lips to the woman’s forehead. “Sleep well. Don’t let the bedbugs bite.”
I glanced at Matt; he was smiling but shaking his head at his sister.
“Matt, can you get your sister off to bed?” I asked as Geri hugged me. “Night, little guppy.”
“Night, Daddy.” She kissed me and followed her brother out of the room.
I sat on the edge of the couch and looked down at the woman’s face again. She was a beautiful woman, and I wondered who was missing her tonight. I caressed the side of her face in a clinical way and found it finally warm to the touch. I was about to stand and turn the fireplace down when her eyes fluttered and then blinked open. I froze in their gaze.
Her eyes were a crystal blue, the color of an inviting summer pool. She licked her lips slowly. “Thank you,” she whispered just loudly enough that I heard it, and then her eyes shuttered closed again.
I didn’t move an inch as I waited to see if she would open her eyes again, but after a moment, her head rolled slightly to the side and her breathing deepened as she fell into a more peaceful rest.
Matt called down over the railing from upstairs, “Hey, Dad, you need anything else? If not, I’m gonna crash, too.”
“No, I think you did enough. Night, Matt. Thank you; you did a good thing tonight.”
He grinned like any sixteen-year-old would when praised and disappeared toward his room.
I took up watch in my favorite leather lounge chair across from the couch after I turned down the fireplace and covered myself with a light blanket.
As my own eyes fluttered shut, beautiful crystal-blue eyes followed me into my dreams.
Chapter 3
Robin
The feeling of warmth surrounded me, and I burrowed more deeply into it. I had never been so happy to be warm before. Disturbing dreams of blustery winds and walking in snow had plagued me through the night, and I was so glad that as I woke up, I realized it had all been a nightmare.
I winced as I stretched my body. My lower back ached, and now that I thought about it, my toes and hands were tingling like they’d fallen asleep, only not as badly.
I shifted slightly and thought I heard a sound but didn’t open my eyes. Instead, I lay there and listened, and could just make out the soft sound of someone else breathing. When I opened my eyes, I startled. A young girl’s face was less than a foot from mine.
“Wow, your eyes are so blue, they look like the water in the pool,” she remarked as she stared into them.
I cleared my throat. “Thank you.”
“Did you sleep good?” she asked as she continued to stare.
“I think I did,” I replied and tried to glance around her to see where I was, but instead of seeing a room, a man stepped into view. What the hell?
“Well, good morning.” His voice was deep and warm, and I wanted to speak, I really did, but no words would come out of my mouth. I’d had a dream about this man, but how was it possible since I’d never seen him.
The entire night rushed back over me, and I realized that it hadn’t been a nightmare, it had been real. I’d left New York City in a rush and my car had broken down in the storm—but how had I gotten here? Where was here?
“How are you feeling?” he asked, and the little girl leaned closer.
“Daddy, did you see how blue her eyes are? They look like the water in your pool.”
He chuckled huskily as he pulled her out of my face, the sound making my spine feel a little jiggly. “I did. Can you please do me a favor and stay out of her face?”
“But you told me to watch her,” the little girl declared earnestly as she looked up at her father. In fact, she had to really look up at him, he was tall. Even from my position lying on—hmm, what was this? Oh, a couch—a couch, he was very tall.
“I told you to keep an eye on her in case she woke up and needed something, not to hover over her and make her uncomfortable.”
“Sorry,” the little girl said as she pulled her shoulders up.
“That’s alright. Thank you for watching over me so carefully. It made me feel safe.” I was rewarded with a bright smile. “What’s your name?” I asked her.
She got back to her original position of inches in front of my face.
“My name is Gerilynn, but everyone calls me Geri. What’s your name?”
“That’s a very pretty name, Geri. My name is Robin.”
“Robin, like the bird.”
“Yep, just like the bird.”
“Would you like something to drink?” the man asked me and pulled Geri by the shoulders out of my face.
“I made you hot chocolate last night, and Daddy fed it to you.”
“You did?” I peered up at the man momentarily. “Why, thank you. Can I have some more?”
“Do you want marshmallows in it?” she asked excitedly.
“You can’t have hot cocoa without marshmallows, now can you?” I asked her playfully.
She turned to her father, “See I told you. You should have let me put them in her cup last night.”
He laughed softly, “Go make her some, please.”
Geri dashed off, and I glanced around the room. Everywhere I looked, I saw wood. It was a log cabin, but on a huge scale with a gigantic stone fireplace. I sat up on the couch, wincing as I did. Every inch of my body hurt.
“How are you feeling?” he asked as he sat on the footstool of a leather armchair, a blanket tossed carelessly in the seating area.
“My back aches, and my hands and feet are tingly, and my head is throbbing, but otherwise I think I’m okay.” I swallowed, “I want to thank you, but I don’t even know your name.”
He got d
own on his knees and walked on them over to me while extending his hand, “My name is Christian Landry, but my friends call me Chris.”
His hand was large and warm as it engulfed mine.
“Robin Cove,” I said as we shook. He let go and sat back on the floor where he’d stopped.
The two of us stared at one another, and I found myself drawn to his warm green eyes. Maybe they were a bit hazel, or maybe the green just had a touch of gold to it, I wasn’t sure from this far away, but they were set deep into his face, with strong cheekbones and an even stronger jawline dusted with stubble. His dirty blonde hair looked like it was freshly washed and drying in a side part.
My heart began to beat faster the longer we remained quiet. Something dropped in the kitchen, and Chris glanced away, giving me a look at his profile.
This guy was freaking gorgeous. Where was his wife?
“So I should thank you and your wife for helping me.”
His brows rose and he answered gruffly, “No wife.” He paused for a moment and when he spoke again, his voice had softened. ”It was actually my son Matt who found you on the side of the road and brought you home.”
“Your son found me?” I glanced around, wondering if he was hiding someplace.
“He’s still sleeping. They didn’t have school today because of the storm. Probably won’t have it all week.”
I straightened at that. “How long is the storm supposed to last?”
He contemplated his answer. “The weather forecast says it will snow for at least three more days. Then it will take another day or two to get the roads cleaned up.”
“What?” I came to a full upright position, the blanket falling away from my neck. I glanced down and just then realized I was not in my own clothes. “Where are my clothes?”
He held his hands out to calm me. “Relax, Robin, we had to get you out of them. They were wet, and we needed to get you warm as quickly as possible. Don’t worry; I didn’t take advantage of you, both the kids were present.”
I thought about that for a second. “Your other child is a son, the one who found me. How old is he?”
“He’s sixteen.”
“And he helped you change my clothes?” I gaped at him.
“Well, I couldn’t do it alone, but you have my word as a gentleman that we did not do anything to you but remove your shirt and pants and put on warm, dry clothing.”
Of course I was uncomfortable with the whole thing, but what could I do now? “Well, thank you, again.” I put my hand to my head as a wave of dizziness hit me.
“You alright?” he asked as he slid back and perched himself on the footstool again.
“Yeah, just a little dizzy.”
Geri came back into the room walking gingerly with a mug of steaming liquid in her hands. She brought it over to me, and I tried not to laugh when I saw all the marshmallows piled high on top.
“Wow, this looks great. Thank you.”
Geri climbed up on the couch next to me. “I even put two ice cubes in it so it would be cool enough to drink. Daddy does that to mine.”
“That’s a really good idea.” I sipped from the cup and let out an exaggerated sound of enjoyment. Her eyes lit up as she bounced beside me. “How old are you, Geri?”
“I’m five. I’ll be six in June.”
“Really? June what?”
“June fifteenth.”
“No way! My birthday is the thirteenth.”
Her eyes grew as big as saucers. “Really? How old will you be?”
Chris intervened, “Geri, that’s not a nice question to ask a lady.”
I winked at him. “I don’t mind. I’m going to be thirty-one.”
“Do you have kids?”
“Nope,” I replied and sipped from my cocoa, “but one day I’d like some. Do you have kids?”
She giggled. “I’m not old enough to have kids. Do you have a husband?”
I glanced at Chris, who seemed to be watching closely. “No, I don’t have one of those either.”
“Why not?” Geri questioned.
“Because boys can sometimes be jerks, and I haven’t found one who isn’t.” I couldn’t help but glance back at Chris and found him still looking on, the right side of his lip lifted in a smirk.
“Daddy’s not a jerk. Sometimes he can be angry, but he’s not a jerk,” Geri said honestly, and I chuckled behind my mug while Chris rolled his eyes.
“I’m glad you don’t think I’m a jerk, little guppy. Now go wake your brother up, please. It’s after nine.”
“Okay.” She raced away.
“Sorry about that.”
“Out of the mouths of babes—my grandmother used to say that all the time when she’d overhear a kid say something embarrassing,” I shared.
“Ah, yes, very true.”
“So how can I get someone out to look at my car? It broke down last night.”
“How did you get stuck outside of your car?” He leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees. A movement that made his shoulders appear both stronger and wider.
“I’m an idiot, that’s how. My car broke down, and it started getting cold inside. I remembered I had a blanket in the back, but to get to it, I had to get out of my car, so I did, then I slipped on the ice, fell under my car, and banged my head. I guess when I fell, my elbow hit the automatic door lock.”
“Ouch.” He winced in sympathy.
“Yeah, but then I remembered that the back door doesn’t lock unless I manually do it—my car’s a piece of crap—anyway, I was able to get into the car, but I could only open the door a little bit because of a snow pile, that’s how I hit my head the second time.” I reached up and touched the spot gingerly, feeling a bandage of some kind over the area. “I was finally able to get to the blanket, and then I locked the door and closed it.”
“So where was the blanket?”
I leaned back. “I’d left it in the car while I put all my things back inside, but I closed the door before I unlocked the front door, so I was really locked out this time. I must have had brain damage from the first fall,” I joked. “By then I was freezing. I couldn’t feel my fingers, my ears, or my toes, so I huddled up next to the tire where some of the engine heat was still coming out, and I guess I passed out when I got too cold.”
“Do you remember anything after that?” he asked as he studied me.
I thought back on it. “I think I remember someone telling me I was going to be alright, and I remember breathing in warm air, but then nothing.” I glanced around the room, “Wait, did I say something to you last night?”
“Actually, you did. You opened your eyes long enough to say thank you.”
“I thought I dreamed that.”
“No,” he shook his head with a handsome smile on his face, “that was real, but it’s nice to know I could have been part of your dreams.”
I laughed and glanced away, suddenly feeling embarrassed. I heard Geri talking above my head, and I glanced up to see a young man staring down at me. He was a younger replica of the handsome man sitting in front of me. “I guess you would be my knight in shining armor,” I called up to him and was rewarded with a very handsome grin.
“Oh, please, don’t go making his ego any larger than it is. Do you have any idea the size of a sixteen-year-old’s ego?” Chris joked as he stood up.
Matt came down the stairs and jokingly said, “I heard that, Dad.”
“I bet you did.” He clapped Matt on the shoulder, “So, Robin, this is my son Matt. Matt, this is Robin Cove.”
He reached over and shook my hand.
“Thank you, Matt. I probably wouldn’t be alive if it wasn’t for you—and I am only assuming these are your clothes that I’m wearing, so thank you for that, too.”
His cheeks filled with color as I finished, and I wondered if he was thinking about helping his father get me out of my clothes. Maybe I shouldn’t have mentioned that.
“You’re welcome,” he said softly, without making eye contact.
“Are you sure there isn’t a way for me to get to a hotel or something?”
He shook his head, “No, after last night, all the roads are impassable. We received another ten inches or so after you got here, and there won’t be a tow truck that can come get your car for a couple days. Is there anything in there, like maybe a suitcase, that we can get for you?”
I laughed. “My whole life is in that car—well everything that was important to me anyway.”
He stared at me, but I waved away the question I knew was coming, “It’s a long story. There is one bag I could definitely use, but since my keys are locked inside, there is no use going back to it. I’m going to have to find someone to open it and then take me to a motel until my car is fixed.”
“Robin, there is no motel for twenty miles, and I told you they can’t get to your car for days. You’re welcome to stay here; it might not be your ideal vacation spot, but the kids and I would love to have some company so we don’t drive each other nuts waiting out the storm.”
“But I have to figure out how to get some things out of my car.”
He winked down at me. “Don’t you worry about that. If you can keep an eye on Geri, Matt and I can take care of that.”
“If you’re sure,” I said quietly and chewed my bottom lip. While they all seemed nice, I didn’t know if I should be staying with them for a few days, especially when no one knew I was here.
Who was I kidding? There wasn’t anyone who’d care if I lived or died.
Chapter 4
Chris
I’d woken up early that morning a little stiff from having slept in the chair all night, but not as bad as I suspected the lady on the couch was going to feel.
I observed her for a few moments in the flickering light of the fireplace. The color appeared to be back in her cheeks, but that could be because it was so damned warm in the room. I got up and turned the fireplace to low.