Jace saluted him. Stone strode out the door. All that mattered now was finding Abi. He raced toward his truck and jumped in, gunning it out of his driveway. The drive to Jeremy Ranch took much too long. When he pulled into Abi’s driveway, he checked the clock on the dash, 7:21. She had to be home by now. There were lights on in the living room and over the porch. He shoved the truck into park and hurried to her front door, rapping sharply on it. There was no response, and his nerves started to fray as he pushed the doorbell this time.
The door flung open, and Julia stood there. Her eyes were wild, and she glared at Stone. “How dare you break my sister’s heart?”
“I didn’t mean to. I need to talk to her. Is she here?” He tried to look past Julia into the house.
“She got home from work and took off snowshoeing.”
Stone’s stomach clenched, uneasiness sneaking over him. “It’s full on dark out here!”
“You think I don’t see that?” Julia clasped her hands together.
“Do you know where she went?”
“No clue.” Julia shook her head, her dark eyes full of worry.
“And you’ve called her?”
“Every five minutes. It just goes to voicemail.”
Ice ran down his spine. Abi, his heart seemed to scream. She could get lost or be hurt somewhere. “Call me if you hear from her.” He commanded Julia before taking off at a run back to his truck.
He had to drive to his cabin first to get his gear and snowshoes. Then he started his search with some of Abi’s favorite trailheads. As he drove to each one and didn’t spot her Cherokee, his stomach got more and more sick and his grip on the steering wheel slicker. He called Julia every fifteen minutes or so. He was going to try above Deer Valley, and if she wasn’t there, he was calling his crew. Heck, he was calling the entire fire department.
As he pulled into the parking lot, his lights shone on her red Cherokee. His heart thumped even faster. He’d found her, but what if she wasn’t okay? He called Julia. “I found her Cherokee. I’ll call you as soon as I find her and have coverage.”
“Thank you, Stone.”
He disconnected the call and dropped a pin to Blue, Nikola, Dax, and Jeremy with a request to please come help him find Abi. He didn’t have time to call or wait for their responses.
He threw on his coat, gloves, and hat and slipped into his snowshoes. It was mild outside for a February night but still well below freezing. He rushed up the trail. The moonlight glistened off the snow, and he was happy to see fresh tracks that looked to be the size of Abi’s snowshoes. He tried to pace himself and not trip on his snowshoes, but he was so anxious to find her he could hardly stand to go slow. Abi, Abi, Abi, his heart repeated as he prayed for help.
Chapter Fifteen
Abi trudged slowly up the trail. She should turn around and head back home. It was almost full dark now, but she was kind of liking the peace and quiet and staring up through the pine trees at the stars filling the sky. A half-moon lit the trail, and the snow glowed prettily.
Today had been horrific. She was so alone and miserable. How was she going to go on without Stone? Part of her thought she should just forgive and forget and beg him to take her back. But he’d not only hidden the truth from her for seven years, he’d proven once again that he was incapable of talking to her about it. Hadn’t she tried last night to get him to talk to her? Hadn’t she tried her entire adult life to get him to open up? What kind of a relationship would they have with her badgering him all the time and him being silent? Not one that she wanted.
She shook her head and focused on the trail and placing one foot in front of the other. Suddenly, she heard a low sort of purring growl that grew into a sharp yelp that had the hair on her neck standing on end. Her stomach churned, and her palms started sweating in her gloves, making it hard to grasp her poles. She’d heard that sound in the mountains before. Mountain lion.
Pivoting, she started back down the trail at a quick pace. She strained to listen for the mountain lion’s footfalls but couldn’t hear anything beyond her own panicked breathing.
Please help me, she prayed silently.
The night grew darker around her, and she couldn’t see anything through the thick trees. Maybe the lion’s growl was a warning to keep her away, or maybe it was directed at something else. Tremors rushed through her as she ran down the trail, being careful not to step wrong and trip in her snowshoes. It felt like something was watching her. Fear rose in her throat. Why couldn’t mountain lions hibernate like bears and other terrifying creatures?
The growl came again, starting low then ending loud and angry. Abi screamed then wished she hadn’t. She upped her prayers and increased her pace, panting for air.
How far away had the growl been? Was the mountain lion stalking her? She’d seen her neighbor’s border collie be pounced upon and then hauled off by a mountain lion when she was a teenager. They never found the dog. Abi hadn’t forgotten the horror of seeing the dog clenched in the mountain lion’s jaw and then hearing the dog’s terrified yaps growing quieter and quieter. Abi was bigger than a dog, but a mountain lion would definitely outweigh her, and she knew it wouldn’t be a fair fight.
She tried to move even faster, but it was awkward running in snowshoes. The growl came again, that harsh yelp making her entire body shudder. It was so close she knew she had to turn and fight or it might tackle her from behind. Every nerve was on alert. She wanted to weep as she spun around and screamed as loud as she could, praying she sounded big and scary and she could make it rethink attacking her.
The mountain lion appeared on the trail just twenty yards up from her. It was big—long and lean and snarly-looking. Abi couldn’t catch a breath. She couldn’t think what to do. Could she possibly fight it? The animal could easily rip her apart.
“Abi!” Stone’s yell came from behind her.
She turned, stunned to see him barreling up the trail toward her. He knocked her off her feet and into the snow on the side of the trail as the mountain lion charged at her. The mountain lion flew past them.
Stone grabbed one of Abi’s poles and sprang to a crouch, whirling to face the mountain lion. Abi struggled to stand behind him.
The mountain lion came at them as Stone yelled like some medieval warrior and swung at the beast as if he were slashing with a sword. The pole connected and ripped the lion’s fur, but the animal’s momentum kept it coming, and it knocked Stone off his feet.
Abi cried out in horror, grabbing her other pole and smacking it at the lion’s back. The lion snapped at her with his teeth and growled, but she kept whacking. Then she screamed as loud as she could. Please let me frighten it away before it rips Stone apart.
Stone shoved the mountain lion off of him and jumped up, adding his yell to Abi’s desperate scream and bringing the bent pole down on the lion’s snarling mouth.
The animal whimpered and backed away from them, keeping his focus on them until it melted into the trees.
“Stone,” Abi whispered. She dropped the pole and leaned toward him.
Stone caught her in his strong embrace and pulled her in tight. “Come on, we’ve got to get you out of here.” Trickles of blood ran down his cheek from the mountain lion’s claws, but he was concerned about her.
She nodded. Stone grabbed both of her poles and gestured for her to go first. The fight and fear had wiped her out. She was so tired she could barely put one foot in front of the other, but she forced herself to keep moving down the trail, listening carefully for the mountain lion’s return. They’d probably only gone half a mile when she stumbled and her legs gave out. Abi cried out as she fell face-first into the snow.
Stone plucked her off the ground like she weighed nothing. He handed her poles to her to hold, and she clung to them with one hand and his neck with the other.
“Sorry,” she murmured. “I’m so tired.”
“I’ve got you.” He brushed his lips across her forehead as he plunged down the trail. Her snowshoes banged agains
t his side, but he didn’t seem to notice.
“You’ve got me?” she asked, staring up into his handsome face, dabbing away the blood with her glove and hoping the scratches would heal, though the scars wouldn’t detract from his perfectness. Not for her.
“Always, Abi. I’ve always got you.”
“Please don’t ever let me go.” It was too needy and desperate, but she couldn’t survive without this man. Even if he couldn’t express emotion or discuss sensitive issues, she loved him heart and soul.
He grinned. “I won’t.”
Abi sighed and leaned into his chest. Stone was here. He’d protected her, and she hoped this would be a turning point for them, but right now, she was content to simply be close to him.
Chapter Sixteen
Blue, Nikola, Jeremy, and Dax met them on the trail. Stone heard them thundering toward him, and his shoulders lowered as the tension drained out. No mountain lion would stand a chance against his crew. They’d come to help him and Abi. He knew they would always come if he called, but it meant a lot to see that truth in action.
“Jeremy, grab the poles. Nikola, take off her snowshoes. I’ll carry her.” Blue tried to take charge like usual, but this was Stone’s girl, and he wasn’t about to relinquish his hold on her to anyone.
“No, Blue. I’ve got her.”
Blue studied him for half a beat then nodded. “Yeah, you do.”
Nikola removed her snowshoes and Jeremy took her poles. Blue turned and plowed the way down the trail. The rest of the guys followed as Stone carried Abi. They finally made it to the parking lot, and he got her settled in the passenger side of his truck. Nikola took her keys and drove her Cherokee back to her house with Blue and the others following in Blue’s truck.
Stone had so many things he wanted to say to Abi he didn’t know where to start. “I want to talk Abi. I promise I do. I won’t shut you out again.”
“Thank you, Stone.” She squeezed his hand and leaned back against the seat with a big smile on her face. “Let’s get back to the house, and I’ll let you talk until your throat hurts.”
“I’m not sure I can wait that long. I feel like I’m bursting inside.” That was a lame thing to admit, but he didn’t care.
Abi giggled, and it was the cutest sound he’d ever heard. “Bursting with lo-ove for me.”
Stone laughed. “That is for sure.” He lifted their clasped hands and brushed his lips across her knuckles. Nikola would’ve been proud. “That is for sure.” He repeated.
Abi blinked, and a single tear rolled down her cheek. He brushed it away then tried to focus on the road. It was still winter in Utah, and he wasn’t going to risk this woman to a car wreck if he could prevent it.
They made it to her house, and Stone rushed around to help her out. His buddies congregated on the sidewalk.
“Thank you so much for coming for me,” Abi said to all of them.
“Yeah.” Stone added.
“We only came because you know JFK wants your spot, and we couldn’t have that.” Jeremy winked. “Couldn’t have you dying on us and leaving us to deal with him.”
“I feel ya,” Stone said.
Abi tilted her head up and gave him the sweetest smile, somehow an invite to be a little more open with his friends. Stone remembered his promise to talk. Maybe that included talking to other people in his life too.
“Even if it was just to keep JFK away, it means a lot to me that you came.” Stone managed to say, barely able to hold Blue’s gaze.
Blue’s eyebrows arched up, and Jeremy and Nikola exchanged glances. Nikola slapped him on the shoulder. “Of course, my friend.”
“Let’s go, guys,” Blue said.
They all walked away, but Nikola turned back. “Are we going to have to change your nickname from Stone Cold to Lover Boy?”
Stone grinned. “I’d like that.” He honestly would love that. He didn’t want to be cold anymore.
Nikola laughed, and the rest of the guys looked stunned. Stone ignored them and wrapped his arm around Abi, turning her toward the house and escorting her inside. Julia freaked out when she saw her sister. It took a lot of hugging and reassuring to calm her down. Julia forced Abi to take a bath while she cleaned up Stone’s face and then made hot cocoa for all of them. Finally, Julia disappeared into her room and left them blessedly alone.
Stone sipped his hot cocoa then set it on the coffee table. He slipped his arm around Abi, and she tucked her legs up under her and leaned against his chest. He thought maybe she was too tired and was drifting off to sleep, but suddenly she sat up and rubbed her hands together. “You said you’d talk. You’d better be prepared for twenty million questions.”
Stone arched an eyebrow. “If I get a kiss for each question, I might agree to that.”
Abi pushed at his chest. “No way, nuh-uh, you promised talking. There was no kissing involved in this verbal contract.”
Stone leaned closer and inhaled her cinnamon and vanilla scent. She was like Christmastime and happiness rolled into one for him. “You’re saying you don’t want to kiss me?”
“I never said that, but talking is more important right now.” She gave him an impertinent little glare, but her eyes were sparkling and telling him she’d let him get away with a lot.
Stone tenderly covered her lips with his, aiming for a short kiss so they could “talk,” but the love and passion he felt for this beautiful and amazing woman took over quickly. Before he could stop himself, he’d lifted her onto his lap and was making short work of any protests she might have had.
Abi planted her hands on his chest and pushed back. “You play dirty, my friend. How am I supposed to resist those kisses?”
Stone grinned. “You’re not, but a deal’s a deal. You get one question now.”
“One!” She protested. “I think that was twenty million kisses right there.”
“It felt better than twenty million.” He agreed.
“For sure.” Abi cuddled into his chest, and they were both quiet for a minute.
“Before you start the questions, I want to apologize again for keeping information from you.”
Abi didn’t look at him, but she squeezed his waist. “Why didn’t you just tell me?”
Stone blew out a long breath, wondering how he could explain the turmoil he’d gone through. “When I promise something, I never want to break that and feeling like I was the reason Virginia died had sealed that promise in my mind. It was the only thing I could still do for her, to honor her memory.”
Abi nodded. “I understand, and I’m sorry I said you lied. I just wanted to be the one you share everything with.”
He considered that. How to explain his reticence to somebody like Abi, so full of light and able to love the whole world? “I’ve never shared much with anyone, really. I think I’m scared that the dam will break, and I’ll start talking nonstop.”
She glanced up at him. Her dark eyes sparkled. “Would that be so terrible?”
“No.” He shook his head. “Not if it’s you. I’m honestly glad we saw Jace and he spilled the secret so I didn’t have to break my promise to Virginia, but I’m sorry for what I put you through. Sorry I was scared.”
She nodded then winked. “So I’m scary now?”
“Terrifying.”
“Oh.” She protested, but he cut it off with a long kiss, figuring it was better to show her how he felt rather than mess it up with words.
Finally, he forced himself to pull away. Abi needed answers, and he would give her anything she wanted or needed.
“Okay.” He reclined against the cushions. “Ask away, my beautiful girlfriend.”
Abi didn’t say anything. Stone waited, but then he heard her sniffle. He tilted her chin up. She tried to smile, but tears were streaming down her face.
His heart slammed against his chest. He’d known this would be hard, but he hated to see her hurt. “I didn’t mean to make you cry.”
“It’s okay.” She pressed the back of her hand to her nose.
“These are happy tears. You’re willing to talk, and even though I can’t think of one intelligent question to ask right now, it means so much to me that you’re willing. And it’s stinking adorable that you called me your girlfriend.”
Stone had never been called adorable, but he could get used to it. “I never thought a world would exist where Abi didn’t have a question.” He couldn’t help teasing her.
She shook her head and blinked back more tears.
“There was one other thing I wanted to tell you,” he said. “Last night, when I promised we would talk, I’d reconciled myself to telling you everything about Virginia, Jace, and the baby. I didn’t want to break my promise to Virginia, but I wanted to put you first. It was all a mess in my mind, but for you, I wanted to figure it out. Then seeing Jace made an even bigger mess.”
“He’s pretty good at messing stuff up.”
“He came to see me today.” Stone smiled at the memory. He’d liked that fight.
“What did he say?”
“Well, he tried to thump me. We had a great fight.”
“Oh, my goodness, stupid boys.” She touched his temple tenderly where a bruise must be developing. He knew there were scratches on his other cheek and paint in his hair. He probably looked like a mess.
“Did he do this or the mountain lion?” she asked.
“Jace did. It felt great.”
She rolled her eyes.
“He also told me that he’d give anything to be with Virginia and not to waste one more day without you.”
“So I have Jace to thank for all of this?” She cuddled in closer to him and kissed his neck.
Stone trembled from her lips on him. “I guess he sort of redeemed himself.”
“Not really, but I’ll try to forgive him.” She kissed his neck again.
“Stop doing that or the only talking we’re going to be doing is the nonverbal kind.”
“You’re better at nonverbal anyway.” She kissed his neck. Stone growled and bent his head, capturing her lips with his. She was right. They excelled at nonverbal communication. Plus, he’d tried to talk, so he couldn’t be blamed when the kissing took over and there was no room for anything else.
Stone Cold Sparks Page 10