Reckless Hearts Series, Book 1

by Heather Van Fleet

  “Da-da-da-da.” My baby girl held a hand on one of the dining room chairs and waved her fist at me, a giant smile on her little face. And then she let go. Then she took a step. And then another and another, until she was in Max’s arms, squealing.

  I jumped off the couch and raced toward my little girl, only to swipe her from Max’s arms and into my own. I tossed her into the air and laughed. “Did you guys see that? Holy hell, she just walked!” I looked at my two best friends and sister, pride filling my heart. Chloe giggled, smacking the top of my head with her hand like she was saying, Put me down. Let me do it again. But I couldn’t. Not yet. Just wanted to keep that moment in my head a little longer.

  “She sure did, Big Brother.” Lia smiled sadly and turned away, but not before I saw the tears on her cheeks.

  I hugged Chloe close and kissed her nose, then her head, then her cheeks. But as happy as I was, I knew the pain in my chest wasn’t gonna go away until I brought my other girl back home.

  For now though, I knew I had to let her go.

  At least for a little while.

  Chapter 39

  Addison

  “I’m not sure if I’ll be coming home tonight. So don’t bother waiting up.”

  My eyes narrowed as I watched my best friend run around the small bungalow we’d been sharing for a week now. Her brother was very well off, a surgeon with more money than he could ever count. His two-story mansion-like home was less than a quarter mile up the road.

  “I still can’t believe you’re leaving me alone on New Year’s Eve.”

  McKenna rolled her eyes and grabbed a pair of bright-green pumps by the door. She slipped them on and said, “Sorry. I need a piece of ass, and as much as I love you, you’re not quite man enough for me.” She winked.

  I slumped down on the couch, pulling my fleece robe tighter around my shoulders. The chilled wine and movies waiting on the coffee table in front of me were for naught, and all I could do was blink away my tears.

  Of course I wanted my best friend to enjoy her last few days in Maine. She’d met a few guys, most of them of the bearded-lumberjack variety, but to ditch out on me on my last night here? Yeah, that had to go against some best friend’s code. I was sure of it.

  Still, I had been kind of a lump this week, so I couldn’t exactly blame her for wanting to leave a miserable witch like me for the night.

  Kenna crouched down in front of me, poured a glass of wine, and frowned as she handed it over. “Look, sweetie. I’m not trying to be mean, but you’re miserable. Why don’t you just call him already?”

  I pulled the wine close to my chest but didn’t drink it. Because drinking alone would surely bring me past the point of misery.

  “He’s avoided me all week. When I try to call him, he doesn’t pick up. It’s like he’s just forgotten about me.”

  “Has he texted you?”

  I nodded, staring into my glass.

  “And has he told you he loves you in those texts?”

  I nodded again, knowing how much I lived for those three typed words on my screen.

  When I didn’t move to drink my wine, Kenna grabbed my glass and sucked it down, then poured me another one and shoved it back into my hands. “He’s just giving you space like you wanted him to, remember? Plus, the guy is absolutely miserable without you.”

  I leaned forward, resting my elbows on my knees with a frown. “How do you know he’s miserable without me?”

  She reached for my next glass and drank it down too. Then stood and tossed another piece of wood into the fireplace. “I meant he’s probably crazy miserable without you.”

  “Doubt it.” Of course the tiny butterflies coming to life at the mention of Collin missing me like I did him were fluttering like crazy. His touches, his kisses, the way he spoke too loudly, and loved me louder… I missed him so much I could hardly think, let alone move from the couch most days.

  “Seriously. Why don’t you, I dunno, get dressed at least. Maybe put on some makeup, do your hair up pretty.”

  “What, for Patrick Swayze in Dirty Dancing?” I snorted and folded my arms over my chest as I leaned back. “Don’t think so. I’ll probably just go to bed early, maybe start packing up the rest of my things.”

  “Whatever,” she grumbled. “Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

  I followed her with my gaze as she walked toward the closet. She pulled out her gray peacoat and slipped it on.

  The doorbell rang, and Kenna’s eyes grew wide with excitement. “Love you!”

  “Yeah, yeah,” I called after her. “Love you too.”

  And there I was…alone. The epitome of a sad, broken woman in a gorgeous log cabin up in the hills of some ski town, alone on New Year’s. This had the makings of a bad romantic comedy written all over it. Except that I wasn’t Kate Winslet or Cameron Diaz. My happiness was far away, and he might or might not be missing me like crazy too.

  “No crying, you idiot.” I wiped at my damp cheeks. “You’re the one who needed space, remember?” I mocked myself, stooping to a new life low.

  This trip was supposed to give me time to wrap my head around my and Collin’s relationship. But one night away from him had verified what I think I already knew deep down.

  That I loved him and wanted to be with him all the hours I could, that he wasn’t my father but instead a man who was overly emotional, not to mention broody, but loved me and let me make my own choices…most of the time. So yeah, I did want to move in with him. Pride be damned. Which was exactly why I’d put my house key on that key ring twenty-four hours after I’d stepped off the plane.

  What I didn’t expect was for him to actually abide by my need for space. God, if anything I needed him here more than ever. I needed his arms wrapped around me. I needed to hold his warm hand in mine. And I really, really needed to hear his laughter and feel his heartbeat against my ear.

  Not to mention I’d missed a huge step in Chloe’s life—learned about it in a text at that. Her first few steps, and I hadn’t been there to see them.

  Talk about a broken heart.

  Outside the door, a crash sounded, breaking me out of my pity party. My back went rigid as I glanced at the window. A shadow flickered from the other side, indicating movement—someone was there. Suddenly my romantic comedy premise held a more thriller-horror vibe. All alone in this cabin, barely any cell service, and a trek up the road to get to McKenna’s brother and family, who weren’t even home.

  Yeah, this wasn’t creepy or anything.

  “Quit hallucinating.” I squeezed my eyes shut before standing.

  Next to the door was a snow shovel—plastic and not really useful to take someone out, but it was better than nothing. I grabbed it, readying to whip it at a head just as I flung the door open. The whoosh of the icy air from outside burned my cheeks, but the shadow was no longer there.

  “Hello?” I looked to my right, then my left, but the area was clear.

  Taking a step back, I gulped. “God, I need that wine.”

  Frustrated and tired, I pulled the door half-closed, freezing in place when the shine of something caught my eye. On top of the small snowdrift next to the railing was a box wrapped with a red bow.

  Slowly, I reached down to grab it. If there was some sort of freak out there, planting crap to get my or Kenna’s attention, I sure as hell wasn’t staying here to find out who it was.

  Sticking the box in my robe pocket, I grabbed Kenna’s sister-in-law’s car keys off the rack hanging near the front door and took off down the cement stairs. Of course I didn’t bother with a coat or actual shoes other than my slippers, or even my cell phone. This wouldn’t be a real nightmare if I did.

  Teeth chattering, I made it to the black Audi in record time, hopping in and slamming the door shut behind me. I clicked the locks, that sound the only noise I could hear. My heart raced like I’d run a mi
le, and my eyes bulged wide as I searched the perimeter of the cabin. Still, I saw nothing.

  Until I flipped on the headlights.

  “Fuuuuuck!” I screamed, slamming the car into reverse.

  I didn’t look where I was going, just went for it, crashing against something. Hard. My head whipped forward and the air bags blew.

  “Oh God.” Chest tight, I barely released a breath as I glanced behind me to find a light pole coming through the trunk.

  “And this would be how I die.” I laughed hysterically. “Tragic death by murderous lumberjack and a light post.” I could see the headlines now.

  There was a tap on the window, and I screamed louder. Then laid on the horn, thinking someone would come running. But then again, nobody was home. Kenna was gone, and her brother and sister-in-law and their kids were off skiing for a few days at some resort.

  The door wrenched open, and the dark shadow of a man growled. Out of self-preservation, I curled into a ball and screamed.

  “Shouldn’t have l-listened to my sister. Should’ve d-done my own thing.”

  I stopped screaming and sat up, knees colliding with the air bag.

  “Collin?”

  He lifted his baseball cap off his face. The whiskers on his chin were frosty, his cheeks red.

  “Oh my God, what are you doing here?” Unthinking, I jumped from the car and wrapped my arms around his waist. He wore a thin jacket and what felt like a long-sleeved shirt beneath, but most of his body felt like a human Popsicle.

  “Y-you’ve had enough s-space, sweetheart.” My eyes widened as I pulled back and took him in from head to toe. He was shaking, stuttering, and his lips were blue.

  “Where are your boots?” His feet were bare. “Oh my God, where’s your car?” I took off my robe and wrapped it around his shoulders.

  “D-don’t n-need this.” He tried to shove it off, but I pushed his hands away and held it there, urging him back toward the cabin.

  “Don’t be a stubborn ass. You’re frozen and hardly dressed right for this weather.”

  “S-says the g-girl in a r-robe.”

  I rolled my eyes. “Least I’m wearing long underwear underneath.”

  “S-sexy.” He smiled, just enough to show me his dimples. I shivered in response.

  The dimples: always my weakness.

  “Come on, Casanova. Let’s get you stripped down by the fire.”

  “Y-you gonna s-strip too?”

  Just inside the door, I turned to glare at him, but before I could think of a smart-ass remark that didn’t lead to me doing just what he’d asked, Collin’s knees buckled and he fell to the floor.

  “Collin!” I fell down beside him, cradling his head in my lap. “I need to call an ambulance.”

  He scrunched up his nose, shooing me away with a weak hand. I caught it and immediately started blowing hot air on the skin. It was so cold—ice-cube cold.

  He winced but still managed a small grin. “L-like you t-taking care of m-me.”

  Tears burned my eyes again, but I kept blowing on his freezing skin, moving one of my hands to rub the wet hair off his forehead.

  “Can you just stop with the sweet talk and tell me what happened?”

  He rolled so his face was inches from my waist. If this were any other time, I’d have questioned his tactics, but I knew from how much he was still shaking that this was survival of the fittest.

  “Rental car got stuck down the hill. W-walked.”

  “How the hell did McKenna not see you?”

  “T-took a wrong turn. M-made m-my way through the w-woods.”

  I yanked my robe and jacket off his shoulders, trying to get him to move. But he didn’t. “I’ve got to get you closer to the fire, Collin. There’s a bad draft by the door and—”

  “No.” He sighed, pulling his hands away to press them under the waistline of my shirt. I hissed at the contact, but if this was the only way to get him warm, then I’d deal with it.

  “Fine, you stubborn ass.” I leaned my head back against the wall next to the door. Nodding once, he stayed silent. And within seconds his breathing evened out and his eyes shut.

  Okay then. Guess I’d be sleeping on the floor tonight.

  Chapter 40

  Collin

  If this was a dream, I never wanted to wake up. Addie’s scent was all around me, her hands tangled up in my hair. I rubbed my fingers over her soft skin, her curvy waist, her hip.

  But then I heard the sound of her moan and felt the vibration against my skin. So I opened my eyes, looked up, and found her holding me in her arms like I’d imagined, face lax in sleep.

  “No dream,” I whispered, reaching up to rub my finger over her nose, her forehead, her eyebrow and cheek…

  Damn, did I miss her.

  Her eyes fluttered open and met mine. “Hi.”

  It was one word, but I felt it everywhere.

  “Hey.” My voice cracked, but at least I wasn’t stuttering. Stupidest thing I’d ever done was take the advice of my sister and McKenna. Women thought they knew romance, but what they didn’t know was that their version damn near froze me to death.

  “You okay?” She moved to sit up and away from the wall.

  “Perfect now.”

  “You’re here.” A line between her eyebrows surfaced and I reached up again, running my finger down the middle of it. Hated seeing it there. Meant she was worried.

  I’d scared her.

  “Wouldn’t be anywhere else.” Slowly and steadily, I sat up, moving to sit by her side.

  Reaching out, she grabbed my hand and pulled it to her lap. “Not that I’m complaining, but why are you here?”

  I shut my eyes and leaned closer, pressing my forehead to hers. “Want the long story or short?”

  “Short.”

  Only thing I needed now was to touch her. So I did. And as I told her my story, I trailed my hand along her chin and cheek, writing the words I love you over the surface.

  “About lost my shit without you.” I pulled back and found her cheeks red, her eyes sparkling too. “Was on my way to the airport the same day I dropped you off.” I cleared my throat, wanting to laugh at myself for being so stupid. “Luckily Gav and Max talked me down off my ledge. Lia too.”

  Addie sighed and looked at the floor, almost like she was disappointed. But that couldn’t be right.

  “Realized what a paranoid dick I’d been the week before Christmas. So I figured the least I could do was give you what you’d asked for.”

  “And what was that?” She met my eyes again, testing me.

  “You needed space.”

  “And you gave it to me.” She squeezed my fingers tight.

  “I did. Damn hard too, because it’s not what I do. Second you got on that plane, I was at the desk, begging some poor girl who looked no older than a kid to make the plane stop. Had security called on me and everything.”

  “Oh, Collin.”

  “Told you I can’t help myself when it comes to you. But now?” I sucked in a breath. “I’m damn scared to love you the way I wanna love you, mostly ’cause I’m afraid I’ll wind up pushing you away.”

  “I called you.” She cupped my cheek, changing the subject. “The second I got to this bungalow, I picked up my phone and dialed your number. You didn’t answer, so I thought maybe it was the service or something. But then you texted me right back a minute later saying you were too busy to talk.”

  “Addison rehab. I was going through it.”

  She snorted. “I didn’t know there was such a thing.”

  I leaned back and held my hand against the side of her throat. I watched as she melted into my touch, and the way her head tilted to get closer to me was everything I needed right now. “Gav told me I needed to take things down a notch when it came to you and me.”

  “You?
Take things down a notch?” she scoffed and wrapped her arm around my waist. My hand went around hers in turn, and she laid her head on my chest, right where it belonged. “I didn’t fall in a love with a man who takes things lightly, Collin. I fell in love with you. Broody, gloomy, overbearing Number Six.”

  She poked my stomach and I grunted. Didn’t bother to push her away—liked any kind of touch she offered. But I did grab her wrist, pulling her hand to my mouth when she was done. I kissed her palm and asked, “What’s with the Number Six thing?”

  One half of her mouth moved up into a slow, sexy grin. “That night we met, your jersey said number six. I watched you in the middle of the dance floor.”

  My eyebrows rose. “Did you?”

  “Yeah, I couldn’t see your face. But I could see your hands wrapped around that girl’s thighs.” She sighed. “All I could think about was how big they were. Massive even.”

  “My hands?”

  She nodded, touching my chest. “Yep. Then you held me against that table and, well…you know what happened next.”

  I kissed her forehead and shut my eyes, remembering what I’d thought when I first saw her sitting alone. Quiet, approachable, someone to practice talking to, someone to just…be with, if only for a few minutes while I waited for Gavin to go to the bathroom. Didn’t expect her to be beautiful though. And I sure as hell didn’t expect her to be the other half of my heart.

  “Hate to break it to you, but six isn’t my normal number.”

  She gasped and lifted her head. “I feel like I’ve been living a lie.”

  It was my turn to laugh. “Not sure things would’ve ended the same had you seen what my real jersey looked like that day.”

  “Oh?”

  I shrugged. “Pink and green are not nearly as hot. Max messed up the laundry that morning.”

  As she laid her head back down on my chest, the silence grabbed the air between us again. My eyes were heavy, but my heart was happy.

  “I’m sorry, Addie,” I finally said.