“Noah,” she whispered without realizing it until he responded.
“Yes?”
Casey spun to face him, catching a hint of surprise in his eyes as he quickly rose to his feet and stepped toward her.
She pointed at the photo with his name written on the bottom. “I was just looking at the photos. Is that your brother?” she asked, pointing at Brian.
Noah’s shoulders slumped. He looked as though he was sad she’d gotten his name from the photo rather than her memory bank.
“No, he’s not my brother. He’s my cousin and best friend.” Noah seemed to lose himself in the photo for a moment before he reached up and pointed at the older men in the picture. “That’s my dad, and this was me and Brian’s grandpa. He taught us everything we needed to know about hunting. He died last year.”
“I’m sorry.”
Noah smiled softly. “Thanks. He was such a great person. I really miss him, but he had a good run. He lived to be ninety-two and still hunted with us up until two years ago.” He sucked in a breath and held it for a bit before he pointed at a dusty old buck mount, a fourteen pointer with a drop-tine, hanging high in the peak of the cabin. “That was his buck. He stalked him for a couple of years before he finally got him.” Noah chuckled and shook his head. “The stories he told, especially about that one, were awesome.”
“I don’t see any women in the photos.”
“Well, the women in our family don’t care for camp too much. Even now that we put in the bathroom a few years ago, they still don’t like the remoteness of the place.”
Casey shot a glance around the camp. It was tiny but homey. The furniture in the living room and kitchen was dated, but clean. The bunkroom was small, but sufficient, and the tiny bathroom had what it needed: a toilet, sink and shower. It certainly wasn’t a place to live full-time, but weekend visits wouldn’t be so bad. The one thing that was extremely appealing to her though was the light woodsy scent that lingered in the air. She wasn’t sure if it came from the walls or the freshly split wood stacked next to the fireplace, but she couldn’t get enough of the outdoorsy scent.
Another glance out the window informed Casey they still wouldn’t be going anywhere for a while. What were they going to do to pass the time? Honestly, Noah didn’t look like he knew what to do with himself either. He glanced about the room and then back at her. “Do you want to play Cribbage?”
“I don’t know how.”
“I’ll teach you,” Noah replied as he motioned for her to take a seat at the kitchen table. She watched as he pulled a deck of cards and pistol shaped cribbage board from a cabinet drawer.
He was a patient teacher, and she thought she was catching on pretty well until he handily won the third game. Maybe cribbage wasn’t her thing. Noting the checkerboard on the bottom shelf of the end table next to the couch, Casey thought maybe switching games would be a wise choice. “How about we try a different game,” she offered, pointing at the game box.
Noah nodded as he retrieved the box.
Reaching for a checker to make her first move, her hand froze in place, then it began to shake. Tremors of terror rocked her body. Tears flooded her eyes. She didn’t know who she was yet she knew how to play checkers? What if she never regained her memory and figured out who she was? Where would she go? What would she do? Was anyone looking for her? Why did all these questions suddenly hit home now?
Noah reached over and grabbed her shaky hand. “Casey,” was all he said before her full-blown sobs drowned out his voice.
He flew out of his chair, snatched her up and carried her the few steps to the couch and sat, holding her on his lap, rocking back and forth in a soothing manner. His arms held her snugly. “Shh, it’ll be okay. We’ll figure this out.”
Her fingers dug deeper into his bicep. His hold tightened. She buried her face further into the crook of his neck.
* * * *
Noah’s heart nearly cracked open at the sight of the fear in Casey’s bright blue eyes and the sounds of her sobs. It about killed him to know there was nothing he could do for her; he couldn’t fix this like he couldn’t fix their marriage. Good God, he felt like crying himself, but held back in an attempt to appear strong for her.
Even through the flannel material, he could feel Casey’s nails digging into his arm. She was so afraid, and when she buried her face into the crook of his neck, he couldn’t help but like it and hate it all at the same time. He hated what she was going through but liked being able to hold the woman he loved in his arms. Selfish.
Casey’s sobs subsided, and she drifted off to sleep. Noah held her in place until his arm started to fall asleep. He intended to ease her into a laying position on the couch, but as he shifted to get out of the way, her grip on him tightened. Easing himself back she unconscientiously followed along until they both wound up lying on the couch, Noah on his back with Casey tucked under his arm. She placed her small hand on his chest. The heat penetrated through his shirt, warming his core. Her dark brown silky hair tickled his chin, but he didn’t mind. Rather, he welcomed it wholeheartedly. Inhaling deeply, he took in the faint coconut scent of her shampoo. He recalled how she liked the fragrance because it reminded her of sunny beaches and palm trees.
Shifting, Casey edged one of her legs over his. He wished she hadn’t done that. He was already aroused enough with her simply lying at his side. As she napped, he considered several options in regard to how to tell her who she was and who he was. He felt he should at least try to explain but wondered if it would actually do any good. Would she believe him? Would it cause her more harm than good at this point? Should he wait until she had the proper medical attention available before he broke the news?
Yawns of exhaustion consumed him.
Chapter Seven
Casey’s eyes fluttered open and then closed again. She inhaled deeply. The familiar scent of Irish Spring soap floated into her nostrils. The pleasant warmth of a body surrounded her. Opening her eyes and lifting her head slightly, she found herself enveloped in Noah’s arms. A tinge of embarrassment rippled through her as she recalled her panic attack and Noah’s effort to calm her. She was sure he must think she’s some sort of crazy woman and probably couldn’t wait for the storm to blow over so he could rid himself of her.
Casey studied Noah’s handsome face. With his olive colored skin tone, long dark lashes and dark hair, she assumed he was of Italian descent. Recollection of his dark chocolate eyes reinforced her assumption. Just as she reached up to touch his inviting cheek he shifted. Casey stilled, hoping he wouldn’t wake so she could lie in the comfort of his arms a bit longer. With as much as she wanted to glide her fingertips over his skin, she fought the urge and returned her hand to his chest. His heartbeat tapped lightly against her palm, and the soothing rhythm relaxed her. How was it the hold of a stranger could feel so right, so comforting? Deciding it was best to rest a bit longer, she closed her eyes.
A brush of cold air washed over Casey’s face, waking her. Noah pushed the door shut with his shoulder, then walked over to the metal rack next to the fireplace, crouched down and started unloading the split wood from his arms. He stood and brushed off his shirt before he spun and faced her direction. Instantly his gaze caught hers.
In a few quick steps, he was by her side at the couch and took a knee. His intense gaze nearly melted her. “How you doing?”
Words caught in her throat. If he didn’t stop looking at her like that, she’d probably never be able to speak.
“Casey?”
“Sorry, I guess I’m still waking up. I feel good. How long was I out?” And the longer you look at me the better I feel.
“A couple of hours.”
“Wow, I didn’t realize,” Casey replied as she pushed into a sitting position and stretched her arms in the air.
“Are you hungry? I can start dinner...or we can wait a bit if you’d like,” Noah said as he rose to his feet.
“Dinner?”
Noah shot a quick glance at the win
dow and then returned his gaze to her. “Yeah, the storm hasn’t let up any so we’re stuck here for the night. Sorry.”
Casey looked out the window. It was already dark, and the howling wind substantiated his statement in regard to them not going anywhere for a while. Oddly, she didn’t seem to mind. A compelling need to get to know this stranger better consumed her.
“I’ll help you,” Casey said, rising to her feet.
Casey sliced the potatoes thin for frying in oil as Noah butterflied the venison loin and sprinkled it with seasoning. He pulled two cast iron pans from the oven, placed them on the stovetop and spooned gobs of butter into each pan. As the butter melted, he sliced an onion to fry with both the meat and potatoes.
Noah plated their food and placed it on the table. “Would you like something to drink? Water, milk, beer?”
“Beer.”
He set a Miller Lite in front of her. Perhaps that would help calm her nerves, which were starting to act up again. Only this time she wasn’t sure why they were starting to run rabid. She could see two options. Option one, she still didn’t have any recollection of who she was, and option two, the intensity of his dark gazes nearly drove her insane.
Casey took a sip of her beer, then forked a piece of venison. “Mmm, wow, this is wonderful. It’s so tender.”
The compliment drew a smile from him. “The loin is the best part of the deer.”
The dinner banter was minimal, but the gazing was plentiful. Getting him to speak was like pulling teeth. He was obviously a man of few words. She couldn’t help but wonder what his story was. Hell, she couldn’t help but wonder what her story was. Damn accident!
“There are a lot of pictures of you and your cousin, Brian, on the bulletin board.”
“Yeah, we spend a lot of time together.”
“Do you have any brothers or sisters?”
“I have an older sister. She lives in Wisconsin.”
“Oh, Wisconsin?”
“Yeah, she moved from the Upper Peninsula to Wisconsin when she graduated from college.”
Casey was grateful he’d expanded on his explanation so she didn’t have to actually ask where exactly they were. This whole ‘not knowing anything’ situation was utterly ridiculous, not to mention exhausting. She needed to find a way to keep her mind off the issue for now, or it would be the death of her.
“What do you do for a living?”
He finished chewing his food and took a swig of his beer. His hesitant response told her that maybe she was asking too many questions, or perhaps he was just a really private person.
“Well, up until almost a year ago I was a manufacturing engineer for a wire forming company. They closed the plant I was working at and offered to transfer me to another facility, but instead, I moved back home—here—to take over my father’s construction company.”
At first, the look in his eyes seemed sad, or maybe disappointed, as he spoke about his job situation, but it didn’t take but a second or two for that look to change to pleased.
“That must have made your parents happy, that you’d be returning home to carry on with the family business.”
He nodded. “That was always the plan. My dad wanted me to go to college, get some work experience somewhere other than for him, and then return home to take over his business. I was honored when he finally trusted me enough to hand over the reins of the business he started from scratch over thirty years ago.”
Speaking of that trusted bond with his father caused his gaze to glow. It was evident this man loved and was very proud of his father.
“What does your mom do?”
A smile spanned his face from ear to ear. “She did the books for the family business. In fact, she’s staying on to help me for a while. So is Dad, so I guess they’ve only semi-retired.”
“That’s awesome. It sounds like you are all so close,” Casey commented, pleased for this nice man sitting across the table from her, yet sad because she didn’t have a clue as to what her family life was like. She hoped when she finally came to from this nightmare that her family situation was as pleasant as Noah’s. The anxiety swirling in the pit of her gut told her that might not be the case.
Her nauseous stomach threatened to reveal her anxiety. Casey squeezed her eyes shut and tried to concentrate. Nothing. She couldn’t remember the accident or anything about herself. It was all so odd. It wasn’t like she hit her head or anything. No soreness. No bruises. Nothing. She swallowed the bile rising in her throat. The mere thought of discovering an ugly truth about herself sliced through her heart like a knife. Maybe I can’t remember who I am because I’m a person not worth remembering.
The warmth of Noah’s hand surrounded hers, allowing her anxiety to trickle away. She opened her eyes to find him gazing sympathetically at her. Now she was a charity case. Great.
Over twenty-four hours had passed, and Casey had yet to ask Noah how he knew her and her real name. Why? She must have debated, at least a hundred times, searching through the pockets of the snow gear hanging by the front door for her driver’s license, or anything that would let her know who she was, but she didn’t. Even when she found no clues in the pockets of her jeans, she not only felt disappointed, but relieved as well. Deep down she knew she avoided asking Noah the identity questions, for fear she wouldn’t like the answer. But in reality, how long could she go without knowing? She’d have to face it sometime.
She swallowed hard and kept hold of his gaze. “How do you know my name? How do you know me?”
There it was. The dreaded question he knew she’d ask at some point. On one hand, he’d hoped the storm would have blown over, giving him the opportunity to take her back to town to the clinic, before she asked. That way someone else could explain it to her. Coward! But on the other hand he’d hoped the storm would last for several days so he could spend more time with her and maybe win her love back. Idiot! For crissake, what am I thinking? Like that plan would really work. At some point she’ll figure this all out, or in the near future, someone will tell her.
“Noah.”
He flinched. How long had he zoned out? Her pleading blue-eyed gaze was on him. How was he going to answer her? He didn’t want to lie, he really didn’t, but he didn’t want to tell her the truth either.
Her ocean-blue gaze stayed on him while he contemplated his answer, bringing him back in time to the first night they met. It was spring break during his senior year of college. Those who couldn’t afford to go to Florida for the week signed up to go to Wisconsin Dells for a long weekend. He hadn’t noticed her on the noisy bus trip to the Dells, but the second she entered the waterpark in her orange bikini he couldn’t take his eyes off her. The bright colored suit contrasted with her milky white skin and hugged her tiny yet shapely body in all the right places. Her bright blue gaze grabbed hold of his with the strength of a vice-grip. The knowing smile on her face told him he’d been busted. Since he’d been caught anyhow, he risked scanning her over again. She smiled wider and glided with the grace of an angel in his direction.
“You’re Noah, right?”
He wondered how she knew his name. They’d never met before. At least not that he could recall. “Yes.”
She giggled. “Don’t you remember me?” she asked, as she batted her long lashes and used her hand to fling her long dark hair over her shoulder.
Shit! He hated when he didn’t recognize people he was supposed to know. Searching every bit of his memory bank, he couldn’t place her.
She laughed again. “I’m just messing with you. We’ve never met before. I heard someone say your name on the bus.” She extended her hand. “I’m Casey.”
Gorgeous and a sense of humor. He fixed his gaze on her smile. It was a beautiful smile, full lips covered in pale pink gloss, but not too full, easily kissable. Reaching out he took her small hand in his, electricity sparking through every cell in his body. At that very moment he knew his life would never be the same.
“Noah, are you okay?”
; Hearing his name roll off Casey’s tongue slapped him back into reality. He needed to answer her questions. ‘How do you know my name? How do you know me?’ Ignoring the consequences, he decided on telling her the truth once he swallowed the ungodly sized lump lodged in his throat.
* * * *
The sick feeling in Casey’s stomach worsened at Noah’s hesitance, indicating that what he contemplated telling her wasn’t going to be good. But if it wasn’t good, why was he being so nice to her? Though she was utterly confused, the one thing she was crystal clear about was that she couldn’t bear the thought of the kind and handsome stranger sitting across the table from her not liking her. Her heart fluttered every time she caught his gaze, and when he held her earlier in the day, she nearly melted and longed for more.
Casey reached out and touched his hand lying on the table to get his attention. He gasped and quickly pulled back as if he’d burned himself on a hot stove. Were those tears in his eyes?
He blinked rapidly, inhaled deeply and let his breath out slowly. “Casey...”
One of Casey’s hands flew over her mouth and the other into the air, gesturing for him to stop speaking. “Don’t.” He pulled a frown around his confused gaze. She sucked in a breath and let it out. “I’m not ready.” His puzzled gaze stayed on her, and his silence about killed her. “Let’s just not talk about this. I’ll deal with it later when the storm blows over and you take me back to town,” she said, nearly choking on the last of her words, knowing that meant he’d probably dump her off at a medical clinic as quickly as he could.
Noah nodded, rose from the table and started clearing their dinner dishes. Casey rose to help him clean up the kitchen, which didn’t take but a minute. Now what were they going to do with the remainder of the evening with no television or radio for company, and forty-mile-an-hour winds beating against the cabin walls?
Frozen: A Winter Romance Anthology Page 7