Wild Ice

by Rachelle Vaughn

  WILD ICE

  Rachelle Vaughn

  WILD ICE

  Copyright © 2014 by Rachelle Vaughn

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events or locales is entirely coincidental.

  The scanning, uploading, and distribution of this book via the Internet or via any other means without the written permission of the author is illegal and punishable by law. Please purchase only authorized electronic editions, and do not participate in or encourage electronic piracy of copyrighted materials. Your support of the author’s rights is appreciated.

  No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission in writing from the author.

  rachellevaughn.com

  Also by Rachelle Vaughn

  HOME ICE

  FRESH ICE

  SUBMERSED

  MAMA’S INK

  WATCH ME

  JINGLE ME

  TEASE ME

  Series

  The Razors Ice Series

  HOME ICE

  FRESH ICE

  WILD ICE

  HOT ICE

  The Me Series

  WATCH ME

  JINGLE ME

  TEASE ME

  Chapter One

  Teal Manor

  JD Mason sat in his SUV and waited. Even though it was early November, the early morning sun shined down with a vengeance. The Realtor was five minutes late, but in her defense JD had arrived a half hour early. He raked a hand through his hair, irritated at how long he’d let it get. What was the point of cutting it? What was the point of anything anyway?

  He rolled down the window, rested his elbow on the armrest and looked out at the sprawling mansion in front of him. It was a spectacular property. In fact, the house was downright magnificent. There wasn’t anything homey or cozy about it, but it looked like just what he needed: a fortress with a huge wrought iron gated entry planted out in the middle of nowhere. After what he’d been through, he had no problem locking himself away and this seemed like the perfect place to do just that.

  Whoever had built this house had done so to make a statement. It looked like it belonged in Beverly Hills or Bel Air and not out here in Hayley’s Point surrounded by marsh grass and oak trees. The Mediterranean style architecture and cement tile roof looked out of place out here in the middle of nowhere where there wasn’t anyone to appreciate its grandness.

  The square footage alone was enough to drop a few jaws. The house was far too big for JD, but it was the only place in the area that sat on more than five acres. When he decided to make the forty-five mile move from Red Valley, he couldn’t figure out if he was taking a step forward or backward.

  In reality, JD didn’t really care about the actual house itself. What drew him to this place was the fact that he hadn’t seen a single person since he’d taken the exit off the freeway and driven the two miles down a dirt road to the house.

  At the end of the long driveway the For Sale sign swayed in the breeze. JD didn’t know why anyone bothered to put one up—no one was going to see it way the hell out here anyway.

  JD’s golden retriever, Mel, looked forlornly out the passenger side window. JD gave Mel a reassuring pat and looked back at the house. The beautiful leaded glass front door glimmered in the sunlight and the second story loomed overhead. Could he imagine himself living inside such a massive home? Did it really matter? The house he’d just sold in Red Valley was pretty damn big and he’d kissed it goodbye in a heartbeat. All he needed was a fridge, somewhere to prop up his feet and a place to sleep. It could be a shack or a chateau, just as long as he and Mel had a roof over their heads. Some peace and quiet might be nice, too. Lately, those two things were in short supply.

  A flock of geese flew overhead, honking like crazy. JD looked up and watched the fluctuating V formation. So much for peace and quiet. The only thing JD wasn’t sure about this house was the damn birds. Birds chirped non-stop in the distance and in the trees around the property. He supposed it was better than living in the city with the sound of traffic or being right next to train tracks or near the airport, but it was still irritating.

  The sound of tires on gravel brought JD’s attention away from the house and its winged nuisances. Beside him, Mel whined anxiously. A late model sedan with the words Red Valley Real Estate Group plastered on the door pulled up next to his SUV and parked. A middle-aged woman stepped out of the car and Mel squirmed in anticipation. The woman wore a tailored business suit in the same dark green as the car and her mousy brown hair was rolled into a tight French twist. She looked as out of place here as a boat on an ice rink. She shielded the sun from her face with her hand and smiled widely in JD’s direction.

  JD sighed, instructed Mel to stay, and climbed down from his vehicle. In his opinion, real estate agents were just as obnoxious as car salesman and he couldn’t wait to get this ordeal over with. He wasn’t in the mood for phony smiles, sales pitches and enthusiastic conversations, but there was no delaying the inevitable. He needed a new place to live and this smiling woman was going to help make that happen.

  Her high heels wobbled as she walked toward him across the gravel driveway. “Mr. Mason?” she asked, tottering over to him, her face stretched into an oversized smile.

  JD nodded and shook her extended hand. When he let go, her hand lingered, clasped with his, until she finally let go an instant later. For a second there, he wondered if he was ever going to get his hand back.

  “Hi, I’m Joan McKinnon,” she said, revealing a mouthful of bright white teeth. “We spoke on the phone.”

  “Thanks for meeting me,” JD forced the reply.

  “It’s my pleasure. It isn’t very often that I get to show such a stunning property.”

  Joan touched her hand to her neck and JD could’ve sworn he saw her flutter her eyelashes. JD stifled a groan. He really wasn’t in the mood for this.

  Joan fished through her briefcase and handed him a printout of the listing information. The page was speckled with words and phrases like “entertainer’s delight” and “grand” and went on to describe in detail the home’s custom features such as: a spacious master suite with sitting area, tray ceilings and a fireplace, state-of-the-art modern kitchen with granite, rich cherry cabinets and stainless steel appliances, exclamation point.

  The only thing that caught JD’s attention was the name on the top of the page. “Teal Manor?”

  “Yes. It’s not often you see a house with its own name, huh?”

  It seemed kind of pretentious to him. “Did it used to be painted teal something?” he asked, looking at the beige painted stucco.

  Joan consulted her notes and frowned. “I believe it’s named after the man who built the house.” In a flash, the bright smile was plastered back onto her face.

  JD wondered if she smiled the same way at people who were looking at much less expensive homes. Probably not. This must be her million-dollar plus listing smile. Lucky me, JD thought.

  Curiosity got the best of him and Mel climbed down from the vehicle to circle around the woman. His thick tail wagged so hard that it threatened to throw off his balance.

  “Oh, I see you brought your dog,” Joan said nervously and sidestepped, nearly teetering over in the ridiculously high heels.

  JD pretended to study the printout in his hand while Joan tried, rather unsuccessfully he observed, to pretend she wasn’t bothered by the big dog. She thwarted Mel’s boisterous advances and eventually the dog gave up. Mel didn’t seem too impressed by her anyway. He was still too sad. The Realtor wasn’t who he was expecting to see and he quickly lost interest. Disap
pointed, he plopped down on the gravel next to JD and rested his chin on his front paws. JD knew exactly how he felt.

  “Well,” Joan said primly, grateful that the threat of the dog was over for now. She kept one eye on Mel and the other on JD. “There’s plenty of space out here to roam around.”

  JD glanced up from the listing to survey the property surrounding the house. The wide open space would be good for Mel. He had a big enough backyard now at their house in Red Valley, but JD never took him for walks like he used to. He didn’t do any of the things he used to do. Everything was different now.

  While JD admired the sprawling acreage, Joan launched into her spiel about the house and its impressive amenities. JD forced himself to pay attention.

  “The house was built by a man for his fiancé,” she mentioned with a twinkle in her eye. “Very romantic, don’t you think?”

  JD didn’t care if it was built by Frank Lloyd Wright himself, he just wanted to put some miles between him and Red Valley.

  “Are you married, Mr. Mason?” Joan asked with another bat of her eyelashes.

  His marital status was none of her business. He dodged her question like the seasoned hockey player he was and closed the door to his vehicle with a slam. The sound startled her and she took a step back, her ankles wobbly as they balanced in the heels.

  “How many bedrooms does this place have?” he asked dryly. The printout plainly said five, but JD needed to get her focus off of him and onto the business at hand. Surely she didn’t behave this way with everyone, practically throwing herself at every potential buyer. It must be because of the possible commission on a property of this size.

  Joan’s coy smile faded and was quickly replaced by a professional one. “Five,” she answered. “Well, let’s go inside and take a look,” she said with a huff.

  JD instructed Mel to stay and then he followed Joan up the stone path to the ornate front door. After fumbling with the lockbox, Joan finally opened the door and they both went inside.

  “As you can see, the house has been vacant for some time now,” Joan said, leading him from the entryway into the foyer. “It does come fully furnished, which is quite a find considering the quality of the pieces.”

  JD looked around and was pleasantly surprised by the interior. Even though no one lived here, every surface sparkled and was free of dust. The warm paint colors and dark toned furniture appealed to him and he liked how the decor was manly and not frilly or feminine. He was no expert, but some of the antique furniture looked like priceless heirlooms.

  “Why are they selling the place?” he asked with genuine curiosity.

  Joan pursed her lips and ran a manicured fingertip over a Victorian fainting couch. “When the owner passed away, the house went to his estate and the family decided to put it on the market,” she answered sadly. “It’s somewhat of a shame. A place like this should be passed on through the generations.”

  JD shrugged. It was their loss.

  “And there’s a fireplace in virtually every room,” Joan boasted. She looked at JD, waiting for him to respond, but he avoided eye contact and scanned the room. Joan pursed her lips and continued with the tour. “To the left is the living room and to the right is the formal dining room. As we move into the kitchen, you’ll notice the custom cherry wood cabinets, stainless steel appliances and granite countertops.”

  The six-burner range and double oven seemed a little excessive to JD, but someone who entertained regularly would probably appreciate the extra details and appliances. Needless to say, he wouldn’t be doing any entertaining—now or in the foreseeable future.

  He looked through the glass doors leading out onto the patio. There really wasn’t anyone around for miles. Just grasslands, birds, and a sky that stretched on forever. Beyond an empty field, a row of birch trees ran along what he assumed was the property line. Beyond the trees were acres of grasslands and mudflats. Flocks of geese swarmed the sky, their staggering numbers reminiscent of a horror film.

  JD thought he could get used to sharing the property with a bunch of birds. It would be better than a nosy neighbor or well-meaning family and friends. At least Mel would get a kick out of watching the geese fly around like lunatics.

  “Do you cook, Mr. Mason?”

  Joan’s shrill voice cut through his serenity and he turned to glare at her. “No.”

  “Well, with a kitchen like this you might be inspired to start.” She ran her hand over the island, looking like she was auditioning for a job on The Price is Right. Again, she waited for his reply and when he didn’t give her one, she moved the tour upstairs. “There are four spacious bedrooms upstairs, each with its own adjoining bathroom...”

  To further add to Joan’s frustration, JD gave each room only a passing glance. While she practically fell over herself over the master bathroom and its garden tub and imported floor tiles, JD only nodded. While she raved about ample storage space and soaring ceilings, JD only muttered “mmm-hmm.” While she gushed about custom light fixtures and dual-pane windows, he kept on walking.

  Joan probably interpreted his lack of enthusiasm for disinterest, but JD didn’t need Joan to “sell” the place to him. The truth was he didn’t even need to look at the inside to know he was going to buy the place. He already knew that the minute he drove up to it. But buying it sight unseen would raise even more eyebrows and questions from Little Miss Million-Dollar Smile and that was the last thing he wanted.

  A year ago JD would have oohed and awed over the custom kitchen and four-car garage with custom workbench, but today he couldn’t care less about the crown molding, coffered ceilings and state of the art amenities. Now, his only concern was that the house was secluded, private and miles away from the godforsaken Red Valley city limits. He’d lasted six more months in Red Valley than he thought he would and he couldn’t wait to see it in his rear-view mirror for good.

  “Okay,” Joan said on a sigh after showing him the enormous walk-in closet. “Let’s go back downstairs and have a look at the backyard.”

  In the dining room, Joan pushed open the French doors and moved aside. JD stepped onto the patio and was greeted by the twittering sounds of an orchestra of birds. The location was perfect—except for the noise, of course—and the house was more than JD could have asked for. The birds seemed cheerful here and a bit too upbeat, but he wouldn’t hold that against the place.

  “Are you a wildlife enthusiast, Mr. Mason?”

  “No,” JD answered. He could tell that his short, abrupt answers were ruffling Joan McKinnon’s feathers, but that didn’t keep him from giving them.

  “The reason I ask is because this property borders the Red Valley National Wildlife Refuge.” When JD didn’t respond, she continued on unfazed. “The refuge is made up of 35,000 acres of ponds and seasonal wetlands that provide a habitat for waterfowl.”

  She sounded proud of herself for doing the research, but JD wasn’t impressed. Any fool could look information up on the internet and spout it out during a sales pitch.

  “So, these birds are always here?” he muttered.

  Joan straightened her shoulders, preparing to put a positive spin on the unique location. “They’re only here for a little while in the wintertime during their migration. It’s such a romantic setting, don’t you agree?”

  That was the second time Joan had tried to sell him on the romance of the place and JD wasn’t buying it. “How many acres did you say it was on?” Again, he already knew the answer to the question but he wanted her to earn that hefty commission she had coming.

  “Twenty. The property is long and narrow and runs horizontal to the house. There’s a creek straight back that runs along the edge of the property. On a clear day, the peak of Mt. August is visible to the north.” She peered into the distance looking for the mountain.

  JD didn’t care about the mountain. As majestic as it was, he’d seen enough of Mt. August in Red Valley to last a lifetime. What interested him were the twenty acres of tranquility around Teal Manor.


  His eyes swept over the land and when he looked to the left, he noticed that a small cottage sat nestled in the trees. It was closer to Teal Manor than he would’ve preferred, but it didn’t look like anyone lived there anyway. JD wouldn’t have even noticed it, but one of the windows glinted in the sunlight and caught his eye. Maybe he and Mel could live there instead. It certainly wouldn’t be as daunting as the oversized mansion. “Is the cottage included?”

  Joan sighed as if the sale depended on her answer. “No, I’m afraid not. The property line ends right before it on the north side.”

  “Does anyone live there?” JD squinted, but it was hard to get a good look at the place with all the trees surrounding it.

  “I’m not sure if it’s currently occupied or not. I can find out for you,” she offered eagerly.

  “That won’t be necessary.”

  They stood in silence for a moment as JD watched flocks of geese fly overhead. Despite the constant quacking, it seemed rather peaceful out here. How could it not be? It was miles away from civilization.

  “Well, Mr. Mason,” Joan prompted. “What do you think of the property?”

  JD crossed his arms over his chest and went for the metaphoric jugular. “Why has it been sitting on the market for so long?” He knew it would be the toughest question for her to answer. After all, Joan was here to talk up the house, not to point out its flaws.

  “The remote location is probably the main reason,” she replied thoughtfully. “The idea of being so far from town doesn’t appeal to all buyers. I just don’t think the right person has come along yet.” She looked at him hopefully.

  JD eyed her with a scrutinizing scowl. Any other time, he might have been nicer to her. She wasn’t bad looking and he couldn’t rightly fault her for trying to make a hefty commission from the sale. It was just that too much had happened to him this past year and his tolerance for niceties was at an all-time low.

  “How much is it listed for again?” he asked, not really caring what the answer was. Anything to distract her from any further romantic intentions.