by Rye Hart
Could they?
Off in the distance, I could’ve sworn I heard screeching tires. Turning my head, I tried to focus my hearing. The only person I ever knew to make their way back here was my nanny. But I knew she wasn’t senseless enough to travel all the way up here in this kind of snow. There was another house up here somewhere, I knew, but I never saw or heard anyone coming or going from it. I had started to wonder if anyone actually lived in it.
I listened for the sound again, but then the wind started to kick up, slamming against the house and howling around the corner. Time to get back inside.
I opened the door to find Liam sitting at the table. He’d grabbed an apple off the counter and was munching on it happily. It still amazed me how quickly kids’ moods could change. They were like tiny bipolar terrors. I shook my head and ruffled his hair as Hadley began to cry.
“Come here, sweet girl,” I said, as I picked her up. “Let’s go get you changed.”
“Apple!” Liam exclaimed.
“Yep buddy, that’s an apple,” I said as I headed back to Hadley’s room. I laid her on the changing table and made a face as the odor from her diaper hit me. How could something so small and cute, make such an awful stench? I blew out a breath and set to the task at hand.
She was giggling while I got her cleaned up and I smiled at her. Her eyes always seemed to twinkle whenever she looked up at me, and my heart would melt. I got a fresh diaper on her before I put her pants back on, then I turned and started for the kitchen. Liam had moved to the couch, seemingly having forgotten all about his tantrum not ten minutes ago.
“Ready for that story?” I asked.
“Yep!” he said excitedly.
“Alright, but I need you to listen to me for a second.”
“Kay!,” he said.
“It is not okay to behave like you did at lunch. Yelling and throwing a fit is not going to get you what you want. Do you understand?” I asked him.
He looked up at me with a crinkled brow and nodded his head. I wasn’t sure if he truly did understand or not, but at least he seemed to get that my tone meant business.
“Okay. Now, go pick out the book you want me to read and we’ll cuddle up,” I said.
Liam scurried off as I got up and placed Hadley in her pack-and-play. It was something the nanny suggested for her after her first week here, and I relied on it heavily. I could put Hadley in this safe, padded environment as I stoked a fire or did something in the kitchen and I never had to worry about her. I could hear her jingling her toys and blowing spit bubbles while I got a fire going.
By the time the flames were shooting heat into the room, Liam thrust a book in front of my face.
“Again?” I asked.
“Uh huh,” Liam said.
“You really like The Giving Tree, don’t you?” I asked.
“Uh huh!”
“All right. Let’s go sit by your sister and we’ll read The Giving Tree again.”
“Couch?” Liam asked.
“Hadley’s in her playpen right now. Do you wanna get in with her?”
Liam’s face lit up, so I got to my feet and helped him into the playpen with his sister. I watched him cuddle right up to her, his legs wrapped around her body as she leaned back into him. They looked so much like their parents; Liam with my brother’s eyes and Hadley with her mother’s smile. It hurt to look at them sometimes.
Looking at them reminded me that not only had I lost the only immediate family I had left after my parents, but that these two precious souls only had me left in the world.
“Uncle Ev?” Liam asked.
“Yeah?”
“Are you sad?”
Shaking my head, I pulled myself from my thoughts. Liam’s eyes were wide and bright, filled with worry a three year old should never have to experience. Hadley was already falling asleep against Liam’s chest, her eyes closing as the time for her nap grew closer and closer.
“Just a bit tired,” I said. “You ready for a nap?”
“After story,” Liam said.
“Yes. But after we read this book, I think it’ll be time for a nap.”
“Sleep with Hadley?” he asked.
I watched as his sister curled into him before the two of them laid down on the bottom of the pack-and-play.
“Sure,” I said, sighing. “Why not?”
I propped myself against the edge of the couch and began reading The Giving Tree. I’d bought this book for Liam on a whim and he’d been obsessed with it ever since. We’d only had it a few months, but the spine was already falling apart. There were food and drink stains on the pages, some of them were ripped, and others were stuck together. I read through the book and showed Liam the pictures while Hadley fell asleep, and the moment I finished the book I could see Liam’s eyelids drooping as well.
I grunted as I rose off the hardwood floor and grabbed a blanket from the couch. I fluttered it over their bodies before a small smile crossed Liam’s cheeks. I looked down at them, and couldn’t help but feel a pang of aching in my gut.
I quickly pushed it away and resolved myself to do the best I could for them. Even with all the troubles that life had thrown our way, I’d try to be happy we had each other.
CHAPTER 4
MELANIE
The snow was falling so hard I could no longer see where I was going. The roads were a blur and the path was no longer clear. I was slowly winding up a mountain whose edges I could no longer keep in my vision. A downed tree lay across the main road that led to my house and I swore. I knew there was another way, a back way, but I hadn’t traveled it in ages. Right now, though, it didn’t look like I had any choice but to try. I took a right turn off the main road and started traveling through some thick forestry, but then my car started to slide.
It slid and it weaved and I slammed on my breaks. My tires refused to grip the ground and I felt myself losing control. My hands gripped the steering wheel while I tried to dodge the trees, but I fell over an embankment and into a ditch.
I was stuck and the snow was coming down even harder than before.
“Shit!” I swore and hit my steering wheel with the palm of my hand.
My hands were trembling as I reached for my purse. I gathered up my stuff and checked my phone, pulling it out just in time to watch it die. I scrounged around, hoping I had another charger in my car, but no luck. I was stuck in the woods with snow falling in bucket loads and no one knew I was out here.
Kicking my door open, I finally got myself out of the car. I scrambled up the embankment and looked around as I pulled my coat tight around my body. The ground was already covered in so much snow that I couldn’t even discern the road from the woods, and tears of fear streamed down my face.
Why the fuck did I forget to charge my damn phone?
The wind began to blow and it kicked up a dust of snow. I braced myself and walked through it, following the upward slope of the mountain. I was hoping I could get to a clearing soon and figure out where in the world I was.
But, the longer I walked, the colder I got, and still there was nothing in sight.
Off in the distance, I saw chimney smoke rising. Hope swelled in my chest as I started running, my numb legs taking me as fast as they could go. I tripped through the trees and got snagged on branches, but the closer I got to the smoke the less afraid I was becoming.
I got to the top of the hill and found myself staring at a beautiful log cabin. There was a truck off to the side and the chimney was still billowing smoke into the sky. My body was trembling, bouncing between being petrified and being relieved. My mind automatically recalled my past ordeal, but I tried to push it away before the panic could take hold. I was a much stronger person than I had been back then. Not to mention, I didn’t have much choice. It was either take my chances with the stranger in the cabin or freeze to death out here in the cold. I thought of my dad alone at home and pushed myself forward.
I drew in a deep breath and walked up to the front door. I knocked on it with my
shaking fist, then crossed my arms back over my chest. The door opened in front of me and I froze immediately, taking in the massive man that was standing in the doorframe.
His close-trimmed beard was black and his hair was thick. His brown eyes peeked out from a suspicious face as his body loomed over mine. I took a step back and studied him, taking in the way his six-foot frame was covered with muscle.
Muscle that could overpower me in a heartbeat.
“Can I help you?” he asked.
His voice was low and gravelly, a stark contrast to the chilling nature of the weather swirling around me. My jaw quivered and my hands clutched my coat tightly.
“Yes. I’m sorry. Um—my car skidded and got stuck in a ditch. My phone is dead, too. Do you, uh, have a phone I might be able to borrow?”
I felt helpless. Like that day so many years ago. I stood up tall and tried not to show any fear I might be feeling. Though I’d done a lot of healing in the past four years, I was still leery.
“Why don’t you come inside?” he said.
I stood rooted to the porch for a moment, again mentally weighing my options. I could stand here and freeze, or I could follow this giant stranger into his secluded cabin and hope he didn’t murder and eat me.
“Um, yes, thank you,” I said as I made my way inside.
I stood just inside the door in case I needed to run and took in my surroundings. The furnishings were nice and looked to be somewhat expensive, right down to the massive flat screen TV mounted above the gigantic stone fireplace. I inched my way toward the roaring flames, trying to get myself warm.
“I live just on the other side of the trees but I couldn’t get there before the weather got too bad. My father is probably worried sick about me,” I said, wanting to let this large and incredibly handsome stranger know I would be missed if something were to happen to me. Not that my father could do a damn thing to help me if I needed him.
The man nodded. “So, there is someone living in that house,” he said as his eyes roamed over me.
I couldn’t help but feel a mixture of trepidation and interest as he scanned my body with his dark eyes.
“Yep, lived there my whole life,” I said. “I don’t usually come back this way though, not since I was a kid at least.”
“Uncle Ev?”
I whipped around at the small sound and was shocked to find two children sitting in a playpen. The little boy couldn’t have been more than three years old, and the little girl looked less than a year. She was crawling around and trying to climb up the little boy’s back as he giggled, and my heart melted. They both had bright green eyes and rosy red cheeks, and the little girl had drool dripping down her face while she chewed on a stuffed animal.
“Yes, Liam?” the man asked.
“Who’s that?” he asked.
His little finger pointed to me before the little girl began to giggle at something. My love for children was strong, and it was what had driven me to want to become a preschool teacher. I lifted my hand and waved my fingers at them, giving them a wide smile.
The man cleared his throat.
“This is—”
“Melanie,” I said. “It’s very nice to meet you.”
“I’m Liam! And that’s Uncle Ev.”
“Well, it’s very nice to meet you and your—Uncle Ev,” I said. “Does the beautiful little girl have a name?”
“Hawy,” Liam said.
“Hailey?” I asked.
“Hadley,” the man said. “And I’m Evan.”
I looked up at him and found him studying me even closer. Though I still had my guard up and was a little intimidated by his size, a man with two obviously well cared for children couldn’t be a psycho serial killer. Could he?
“Sit and warm yourself up,” Evan said.
“Thank you.”
I walked over and sat down on the couch as my eyes continued to watch the little ones. Liam was helping the little girl—who I assumed was his sister—try to do something, and she was getting frustrated with him for taking her toy. She was swatting at him and he was asking her to stop, and all the while I was trying to hold back my giggles.
They were perfect.
I settled back into the couch cushions and sighed as the fire warmed my body. I watched the snow continue to fall outside and started to become concerned for my father. I knew there was plenty of food in the house and that he was capable of making a few things for himself, but he often forgot to take all of his medicine if he wasn’t reminded. Since it was beginning to look like I was going to be stuck here for the foreseeable future, I needed to at least be able to call and remind him. Hopefully, Evan had a phone I could use or a charger to charge my own.
Though my body was still tense, I began to relax in his presence. I just hoped I wasn’t making a mistake by letting my guard down.
CHAPTER 5
EVAN
She was beautiful, sitting there on my couch. Her long black hair fell down her back, covering a delicate neck. She had deep blue eyes that seemed to match the warring storm outside. Her short stature brought her only to my chest but, even underneath her bulky coat, I could tell her body housed curves that could make a man salivate. My fingertips burned with electricity while I made her a cup of coffee.
“I made some coffee. Want some?” I asked.
“That would be nice, thank you. My hands are still really cold,” she said.
“I don’t have cream, but I do have sugar.”
“That’s fine. I’m not picky.”
Reaching for the sugar, I craned my neck back to take her in. She was nestled into the cushions of the couch as the kids continued to play. Her voice was light and innocent but held a confidence beneath it. The contrast between her small stature and her slightly aloof nature burned me to my core, and I had to take deep breaths to quell the urges rising in my pelvis.
“Here you go.”
I walked her coffee over to her and she gracefully took it. I sat beside her on the couch as she brought the cup to her lips and I watched the way those plump beauties curved over the edge. My attraction to her was undeniable, but I had to shake myself from it. I had two children that were depending on me during what was looking to be one of the roughest snow storms Montana had ever experienced.
“What the hell were you doing out in this storm?” I asked.
Her eyes slowly panned over toward me, and she regarded me with a cool look that said she didn’t appreciate me questioning her.
“I met a friend for breakfast and didn’t quite make it back in time. Not that I owe you an explanation,” she added, with a hint of annoyance.
I bit back a smile. She was definitely an odd creature. At times, she seemed nervous and guarded, then she became indignant and confident. I was beyond intrigued.
I studied her, trying to keep my eyes off the parts of her my hands wanted to touch, while her gaze moved back over to the kids. There was an untamed sparkle in her eye as she watched them play, and it made something in my gut twist. For the briefest of moments, I allowed myself to imagine what it would be like to have this beautiful woman here with me and the kids. She seemed taken with them, her demeanor immediately changing when she turned her attention to them.
Liam climbed out of the playpen, leaving Hadley squalling in his wake. As I went to stand, Melanie beat me to it and strode over to pick up the crying baby. She bounced her on her hip and make soft cooing noises that had Hadley soon giggling instead.
I stood rooted to the floor as I watched how instinctually and easily Melanie calmed my niece, and I was entranced. As Hadley quieted and Melanie bent to put her back in her playpen, Liam reached his arms up and asked “Up?”
Melanie turned to him and smiled before lifting him onto her hip and doing a funny little dance that sent a fit of giggles erupting from the boy. It was equal parts heartwarming and sexy as fuck. After a few moments, Liam shoved his face into the crook of her neck. She bounced him around just like she did Hadley, cooing in his ear as she cradled h
im close. Her eyes closed as she pressed a kiss on the top of his head, and I started wondering if I was enough for these kids.
If I could ever be enough, given what they’d been through.
“They’re my niece and nephew,” I said. “I’m watching them for a while.”
Her eyes met mine again and she nodded. I wasn’t about to tell her the entire truth, but I knew she was curious about them nonetheless.
“Do you have kids?” I asked.
She shook her head. “No, I don’t, but I’ve always loved kids,” she answered. She bent over and deposited Liam back into the playpen with his sister and the two began to play once again.
“You’re really good with them,” I said, motioning to the kids. “I haven’t quite gotten the knack of getting them calmed down quite so quickly.”
She smiled as she looked over at them. “They’re like tiny little animals; they sense fear,” she chuckled. “If you act like you know what you’re doing, they will feel safe and will trust that you can take care of them.”
I nodded. “Sounds easy enough, though I’ve never been that great of an actor.”
She let out a soft laugh and stifled a yawn. I looked outside and realized that it was getting dark out.
“If you’re tired, I could show you to the guest bedroom and you can rest,” I said.
A quick look of suspicion clouded her beautiful blue eyes for a second and I held my hands up in front of me in a gesture of mock surrender.
“There’s a lock on the inside of the door and I haven’t been able to find the key for it,” I said to reassure her.
That seemed to get through and I noticed her shoulders relax.
“What I really need right now is a phone charger or a phone so I can call my father and let him know I’m okay,” she said.
I rooted around in one of the drawers in my kitchen and found a spare charging cord that I handed over to her. The look of relief that washed over her face made me wonder if she truly was afraid to be here with me.