by Anna Sugden
Seriously.
She hated it.
She’d left the cosmopolitan appeal of Charlotte a couple of hours ago, and now it was just field after field of...what? Corn? Tobacco? Cotton? What did they grow in North Carolina, anyway? Cotton, right?
Some of the fields looked like golden-green grass and were undulating prettily in the wind. Was that wheat?
...amber waves of grain...
Wasn’t wheat a grain?
She cursed softly behind the wheel of her rented red Mercedes. She was completely out of her element driving through farm country, and she laughed at her reflection in the rearview mirror.
“You’re a long way from Hollywood, girlfriend.”
This seemed like such a good idea last night. But last night she was still in the civilized world. She’d been happily ensconced at her cousin Amanda’s palatial stone castle, Halcyon, in the Catskill Mountains of New York, sipping pink champagne at Amanda’s baby shower. Then she got the news that upended her tidy little world. The consensus was she needed a place to stay that was out of the public eye. Amanda’s best friend, Caroline, offered her mother’s rural farm as the perfect place to avoid both paparazzi and crazed stalkers.
“‘Go to North Carolina,’ Caroline said. ‘You’ll be safe there.’” Bree glared at her reflection as she continued her one-sided conversation. “‘Mom has a cute little cottage you can use.’ Didn’t that all sound so delightful last night at Halcyon? And look at me now. Driving down country roads in the middle of nowhere. Me! Miss California!” She shook her head. “I haven’t been here three hours and I’m already talking to myself. How am I supposed to last a month?”
According to Caroline’s scribbled directions, the small town of Russell should be coming up anytime now. Thank the good Lord for that. This was not how her life was supposed to turn out. She was not supposed to be driving past feed mills and dusty double-wides that had signs in their front yards advertising things like Steve’s Stump Grinding and Bob’s Deer Processing. She didn’t even want to know what “deer processing” was.
No. North Carolina was not her life. Her life was back in Los Angeles. She owned that freakin’ town. Clerks in the shops on Rodeo Drive knew her by name. The waiters at the finest restaurants knew which tables she preferred, and had a Sapphire martini waiting for her before her ass hit the chair seat.
Then it all went to hell. And now she was driving to East Bejesus, USA. To hide. The whole situation ticked her off royally.
Village of Russell, North Carolina
Founded 1820
Population 249
She nearly wept with relief when she saw the faded wooden sign. Russell looked like so many of the other towns she’d driven through since leaving the Charlotte airport, except it was even smaller than most. Downtown, for lack of a better word, consisted of five or six buildings, washed out and faded in the scorching-hot summer sun. It looked like the set of a movie out of the 1950s, with aged and dusty brick storefronts. The Methodist church at the edge of town was the largest building, with the exception of the towering metal silos gathered directly across the street. It was midafternoon on a Monday, and the streets were quiet. A few pickup trucks were parked along the side of the road. Four in front of the farm supply store. Two in front of the bank. And one particularly dirty one sat in front of the only restaurant in town. A sign identified the business as The Hide-Away, and there was a neon beer sign in the window. She grinned at the irony—it was just what she was looking for.
She hadn’t eaten anything since that reheated egg and biscuit concoction she bought at the airport, and she could most definitely use a drink. Caroline told her to stop in town and ask for directions to “Miss Nell’s house,” and the restaurant was as good a place as any to do that. Apparently Caroline’s mom was so well-known in town that last names weren’t necessary. Bree uncharitably wondered what it took to become famous in a place this small. She pulled the Mercedes into a spot next to the enormous black pickup truck caked with dried mud. Her car was as out of place in this dirty little town as she was.
The Hide-Away was dark and cool inside, with the blinds narrowed to block the heat of the sun. As her eyes adjusted, she saw an old-fashioned wooden bar that ran down the right side of the room, complete with a massive etched mirror on the wall behind it. The wooden bar stools had seats of well-worn dark leather. The place was straight out of a John Wayne Western. Dining booths lined the left wall, with more tables in the back of the room. A wide accordion door was pulled across an opening that seemed to lead to whatever business was next door. She didn’t see any other patrons, and she wondered for a moment if the place was closed. Then she saw the good-looking man standing behind the bar.
He gave her a warm smile, and she relaxed. Somewhere around his late thirties, he wasn’t overly tall, but he was muscular. Not Hollywood Beach muscular, where the muscles came more from steroids than actual exercise. No, this man had the lean, sinewy muscles that came from real physical labor. Dark brown hair fell across his forehead, stopping just above golden-brown eyes.
She slid onto the first bar stool she came to, settling down with a dramatic sigh. The still-smiling man wiped his hands on a thin towel and nodded toward her.
“How y’all doin’ today, ma’am?”
Ma’am?
She was only twenty-nine years old. Well...okay, she’d be thirty-one in six months, but very few people on this earth knew that. Still, nowhere near being a “ma’am” to anyone. She bit back her protest when she met his kind eyes, and reminded herself that she was in the South, after all.
“Would you like a menu, ma’am, or just something cold to drink on this hot afternoon?”
She finally remembered her manners and returned his smile. “Both, please. I’d like to see a menu. And I’d absolutely love to have a chilled white wine. Do you have a Sancerre?”
She flinched when she heard a sharp snort of derision to her right. A man sat in the shadows just a few feet away, at the short end of the bar. He was close to the wall, and there was a shot glass of amber liquid in front of him. She couldn’t see his face because of the camouflage ball cap pulled low on his forehead. His jeans were worn thin and covered with dirt and something that looked and smelled worse. She wrinkled her nose. His Western boots were crusted and cracked. He wore a sweat-stained dark green T-shirt that stretched snugly across his broad chest. Dark tribal tattoos wound their way down his left biceps, looking three-dimensional. His hands were rough, with dirt plainly visible under his short fingernails. A day’s growth of stubble covered what little she could see of his jawline. If she saw this guy in LA, she would have assumed he was homeless, or perhaps a day laborer. And he’d just snorted at her.
She pulled her shoulders back and sat up straight, but the bartender spoke before she could.
“Don’t start, Cole.” So the bum had a name. Cole sounded like “coal,” which was basically dirt. It fit.
“Come on, Ty,” Cole said with a gravelly voice that made her breath hitch for some weird reason. “A Sancerre? You really think this lady drove to Russell in her fancy red car to eat one of your famous Hide-Away burgers? Clearly she’s lost. Give her directions and send her on her way.”
The man behind the bar, Ty, leveled a glare in Cole’s direction. She still couldn’t see Cole’s face under the brim of his hat, but the two men were having some sort of unspoken conversation as they stared at each other in stony silence. Finally, Ty turned back to her, slipping his easy smile back in place.
“Ma’am, for white wine we have chardonnay and also pinot grigio, mostly because that’s what my wife likes.”
She liked the way his soft Southern accent made “wife” sound like “whahf.”
“Your wife has excellent taste. A glass of the pinot would be perfect, thanks.”
Her nemesis in the corner spoke up again. The angry rumble of h
is voice made her skin tense and tingle, setting her on edge. “You better tell her what vintage it is, Ty, and maybe offer to take her on a tour of the wine cellar. And don’t forget to let her sniff the cork.”
He turned his head subtly in her direction. She could see the hard outline of his chin, but she still couldn’t see his eyes.
Arrogant jackass.
Ty’s voice was no longer gentle. “I won’t say it again, Cole. Shut up or go home.” He turned back to Bree and looked chagrined. “I’m sorry, ma’am. My brother’s being more surly than usual. And he was born surly, so that’s saying something.”
Her eyes went wide. “You’re brothers? Really?” She made a point to smile at Ty. “But you seem so nice...”
Ty laughed as he poured the wine, but Cole just grunted and stared back down into his glass.
“Cole’s my baby brother. He’s not always as bad as he seems this afternoon. I’m Ty Caldwell.”
She took his extended hand and shook it. She was sure no one in this little burg had ever heard of her. “Nice to meet you, Ty. I’m Brianna. You can call me Bree.”
Her stomach rumbled, making her laugh. “You know, a burger sounds absolutely divine right now. Could I have one, medium rare?”
She glanced in Cole’s direction. She shouldn’t engage with him, but she just couldn’t resist. Tossing her hair over her shoulder like she used to do for the cameras, she raised a brow coquettishly. “That is, if my order meets with your approval?”
He turned slowly and, for the first time, raised his head to look straight into her eyes. The effect was momentarily paralyzing. His eyes were blue-gray. And they were hard. Flint hard. His features were sharp and handsome, but they seemed to be chiseled into ice. Every muscle line was tight and tense, like a cat waiting to pounce. The corner of his mouth twitched into a semblance of a smile that never reached his eyes.
“Ma’am, I don’t give a flying fu—”
“Jay-sus, Cole!” Ty seemed stunned by his brother’s actions. But Bree was grateful to have a target for all the anger she’d been nursing for the past twenty-four hours.
“Well, forgive my confusion,” she said with saccharine sweetness, “but just a minute ago you were so terribly concerned about what I ordered. And if you think for one minute that tossing profanities around will make me faint dead away, think again. I can out-curse the best of them. I doubt you qualify as the best in any category.”
His eyes narrowed dangerously, but he didn’t speak. Her anger gave her a rush of adrenaline, and her lips parted as she took a deep, steadying breath. His gaze flickered down to her mouth, and his chin turned to granite.
Ty looked back and forth between Bree and Cole in stunned silence as the atmosphere crackled with tension. Then he started to laugh.
“Brother of mine, I do believe you’ve just met your match. Miss Bree, I’ll be happy to go make that burger as long as you two promise not to kill each other out here.”
Cole’s eyes met hers, and she didn’t flinch from his hard glare. She nodded. “I promise. Thank you.”
Cole just turned back toward his drink with a grunt. That seemed to be his favorite form of conversation. Ty looked between the two of them one last time then nodded, apparently satisfied no crimes would be committed in his absence. He turned and walked through the swinging door that led to the kitchen.
Bree picked up her wineglass and silently cursed her trembling hand. It was just adrenaline and exhaustion, but it made her look weak. She raised the glass for a sip and slowly set it down again. The base rattled against the gleaming wood. Cole snorted again, and she lost it.
“Look...” She spun and pointed her finger at his rock-solid chest. She saw a flash of surprise in his eyes, but he hid it quickly and returned to his usual glower. “I’ve had a miserable few days. I’m tired, I’m hungry and I’m angry.” She left out “terrified,” because she thought he’d enjoy it too much. “I’m in the middle of nowhere. On purpose. But I at least expected a little freakin’ Southern charm. Is that too much to ask?”
This time his grin almost reached his eyes. He seemed amused by her outburst.
“Yeah, well, I ran out of charm a while ago,” he said, lifting one eyebrow. “Maybe around the same time you did.”
She sat back and her mouth dropped open. Then she smiled thinly and lifted her glass in his direction in a mock toast. “Touché.”
He nodded and turned back to his drink, swirling the liquid absently. She caught a movement near his feet and saw a dark-haired dog lying close by his bar stool.
“Are dogs allowed in restaurants in North Carolina?” She tried not to sound snobbish about it, but really, was it sanitary?
“This one is, in this restaurant.”
“He’s yours?”
“She is.”
The dog was beautiful, with a sleek coat. Her ears stood up and she stared at Bree intently.
“What’s her name?”
“Maggie.”
“What breed is she?”
“Belgian shepherd.”
“Is she friendly?”
“Most times.”
The guy wasn’t exactly a conversationalist.
“May I pet her?”
“Nope.”
“Why not?”
He finally raised his eyes to hers. “Because she’s not a damned pet, that’s why. She’s a working dog, and she’s working. Leave her alone.”
A working dog? Did she sniff out seizures? Was Cole disabled in some way that he needed a dog for balance or fetching things? She couldn’t see any crutches or canes nearby. He turned back to his drink with another grunt.
Unintentionally, she spoke her thoughts out loud. “Well, if she’s supposed to be making you human, you’d better return her, because it’s not working.”
He started to turn toward her again, and Bree drew back. She may have poked this bear one time too many. But the kitchen door started to open, and Cole stilled and went back to the intense study of his drink.
Ty walked through the doorway and checked the atmosphere in the room before he turned to Bree.
“Your burger will be ready in a few minutes, ma’am. So where are you headed?”
She stammered then steadied her voice. “Um... I’m actually headed right here, to Russell. I’m...vacationing for a few weeks. I wanted some peace and quiet, you know? I was told to stop in town and ask for directions to Miss Nell’s farm.”
“Miss Nell? You’re renting Nell’s cottage? For vacation? In Russell?” Ty shook his head and chuckled. “Well, that’ll be quiet, for sure. Where you from?”
“Southern California.”
Cole let out another snort. She sent him a dark look.
“What?” she snapped.
He just shrugged and avoided Ty’s warning glare. Ty turned back to Bree.
“Would you like another glass of wine?”
She stared at her empty glass.
“Gee, Ty, I wouldn’t want to offend your brother’s sensibilities by ordering more wine. Maybe I should try what he’s having.”
Cole let out a sharp, humorless laugh. “You’d hurt yourself, honey.”
Oh, no, he didn’t. “Let’s make one thing clear. I am not your honey.” She impulsively reached for Cole’s glass. His hand shot out so quickly she didn’t see it move until he grabbed her wrist. His fingers were as hard as his eyes, and she gasped at the feel of his calloused skin on hers.
Ty’s voice dropped to a growl. “Cole, I’ll throw you out the door myself if you don’t let her go. What the hell is wrong with you today?”
Cole pierced her with his eyes, and he didn’t let go. His voice was low and threatening.
“Don’t start something you can’t finish...honey.”
They glared at each other, then he releas
ed her hand and pushed it away, causing some of the golden liquor to slosh over the rim of the glass onto her fingers. She kept her eyes locked on his as she lifted his glass to her lips and emptied it. His eyebrows rose just enough that she knew he was surprised, even if his expression remained carved in stone. Both men probably expected her to have a coughing fit or some other girlish reaction, but they were going to be disappointed. She welcomed the burn as the strong drink warmed its way to her stomach. After setting the glass on the counter, she slowly licked the spilled whiskey from the tips of her fingers. Cole’s nostrils flared just a bit at that move.
“Not bad.” She shrugged, and Ty laughed.
“Day-um, woman. You may look city, but you sure act and drink country!”
She grinned and looked down at what she considered to be casual traveling clothes. She was wearing a pale green broomstick skirt with ballet flats and a simple ivory knit top. Her dark red hair was long and straight, enhanced with several hundred dollars’ worth of extensions. In Russell, North Carolina, she probably looked like a cover girl.
She was just starting to respond when the door from the kitchen opened again. A teenage girl walked through it, carrying a plate holding a delicious-looking burger. Bree guessed she was around fifteen; pretty in a wholesome, cheerleader sort of way. She had long blond hair and lightly tanned skin, with big brown eyes. Those eyes snapped to a halt when she saw Bree.
A lot of things happened very quickly in the next few seconds. The girl nearly dropped the plate, but Ty caught it just as the burger was ready to slide to the floor.
“Emily! Watch what you’re...”
Emily was reaching for something in her back pocket as her eyes grew even wider.
“Oh. My. God. You’re Bree Mathews! Right here in The Hide-Away! Oh, my God! No one’s going to believe this!”
Bree saw the iPhone in Emily’s hand. The girl was raising it to take a photo. An image of Bree blasted out to the internet would ruin her plans to hide here in Russell. She jumped to her feet and reached for the phone with a distressed cry. Cole stood and grabbed Bree’s wrist, yanking her back and closer to him. Ty snatched the phone from Emily’s hand. They all stared at each other in confusion, panic and anger.