Olivia gave the women a final glance as they piled into the car, laughing and shivering. She honestly couldn’t remember ever being that young. The thought came out of nowhere and had a depressing effect on her. The conversation she’d had with her sister earlier echoed in her mind. Telling herself it was just a small case of birthday blues, she shook off the moment and headed into the warmth of the store.
Stomping her boots at the door, she had to resist the urge to take a detour down the international food aisle. Ordinarily, she could spend hours checking out new products or comparing labels, but now wasn’t the time to linger.
Where some people might like to go to cafés or the library to hang out, she found solace at the grocery store. Her sisters thought it was funny, but she liked being inspired by new recipes and thinking about all the different things she could make.
There was always some strange fruit or vegetable when she went through the produce aisle, and she loved discovering a new kind of cheese, or a product she’d never seen before. For her, it was like being able to go on an adventure without ever having to leave her small town or spend lots of money on a trip.
“Hey Olivia. You’re lucky you got in when you did. Think we’re going to close up early today.” The grocery store manager — a slightly balding, portly man, in his mid-fifties — greeted her. He was used to seeing her wander through the aisles of his store, and had even special ordered quite a few items for her over the years.
“Hi, Herb. Yeah. I was hoping to be home by now, too. Unfortunately, I got held up on the phone, placing my supply order. I’m glad I made it before you closed. I promised my sisters Chicken Marsala tonight to ride out the storm.”
“Sounds good. How’s it looking out there?”
“There’s at least a foot already on the ground and it doesn’t look like it’s going to let up anytime soon.”
“Hmm, I think I’ll inform the rest of the staff to finish up and get ready to go. We’ll probably close in about half an hour or so.”
“Okay, I won’t be but a minute.” She strode through the aisles, quickly gathering what she needed before heading back towards the last open register. There was a gangly teen standing at the counter waiting for her.
She greeted the young man with a nod and set the basket down, beginning to unload it. “Are you new here? I don’t think I’ve seen you before.”
“Yes, ma’am, just started this last week. I’m hoping to earn a little extra money for the holidays.”
Olivia gave him an encouraging smile, but inside she cringed. “Ma’am?!” When on earth did I become a “ma’am?”
Just then Herb showed up. “Wow. I think you set a new record for fastest visit.”
She grinned at his teasing as she pulled out her nylon grocery bags. He loaded the bags himself. Despite the fact that he had mentioned closing early, he didn’t seem to be in a particular hurry. As he chattered away about how long and tough winter had been this year and how it was probably going to affect the cost of food, it was all Olivia could do to politely converse, silently wishing she could get going and head home.
Finally, her items were all rung up and bagged, and she could swipe her debit card through the machine. Thanking them both for their help, she pulled her hat further down on her head and quickly left the store. Her sisters and a good glass of wine were waiting for her at home, and it was about time for her to get there.
Chapter Four
Robert gripped his steering wheel and cursed the fickle bitch that was Mother Nature. All women were worthless bitches until they were trained, why would Mother Nature be any different? If he could get his hands on her, guaranteed he’d get her to do his bidding.
Okay yeah, so maybe he should have been watching the weather a little more closely. Sure, it had been awhile since he’d been in Maine during the winter, but still, he should have known better.
The problem was that he didn’t have much choice after shooting and killing that cop down in Boston. It had been all he could do to gather his emergency stash of money and clothes and cross the state lines without being caught.
Even then, it had been a close call. He probably wouldn’t have managed it if that guy hadn’t picked him up from the side of I-95. No way would he have been able to drive through the toll booths and up to Maine in his own car, not with all the cameras around.
The memory brought a sick grin to Robert’s face. The poor idiot had been only too happy to have help with the gas and toll expenses. He probably didn’t think it was worth the cost now that he was lying dead by the side of the road, under the brush Robert had piled over him. But, hey. What could you do?
That’s what you get for being a Good Samaritan. With that thought, he pounded on the dash, trying to get the heater to kick back on. Too bad the guy hadn’t had a better car, though.
Preoccupied, his attention divided between the road and the dash, he didn’t see the hill until he’d already started to head down it. The car picked up speed rapidly and he struggled to keep it under control, praying the old sedan didn’t have bald tires to go with the beat up heater.
Suddenly, a pair of headlights speared out of the white wall of snow. Robert managed to shift the wheel, just barely preventing the two cars from colliding. Cursing the other driver, he quickly regained control over the car, sliding the rest of the way down the hill without incident.
No way was he going to be able to make it up to the cabin tonight, he thought. He was going to have to hole up in the area until the storm passed and the roads were plowed.
If he remembered correctly, there was a little motel just outside of town. Maybe they’d still have a vacancy for…Robert reached over and grabbed the wallet he’d taken from the previous owner of the car…Samuel Wellfleet. Caucasian male with brown hair? Chuckling, he thought, close enough.
After another twenty minutes of navigating the storm, he finally pulled into the rattrap motel. The vacancy sign flickered in the wind, cautiously catering to passing motorists as the long, one-story building huddled against the blowing snow and elements.
With a resigned sigh, he flipped the collar of his coat up and pulled his hat lower on his head, letting the brim shadow his eyes. Reluctantly, he climbed from the car and headed into the office.
The counter stood prominently across the back of the room and was unattended. He could hear the droning voice of a news anchor coming from the room behind the check-in area. Impatiently, he slammed his hand on the bell a couple of times to let them know he was there.
He heard the squeak of an office chair and the heavy footfalls of a man making his way towards the front, and gave a curt nod to the large man who appeared through the curtained doorway.
“Wasn’t expecting anybody else to come in tonight. Have you been out driving in this storm the whole time?”
Putting on his best “Aw shucks” face, he gave the man a sheepish grin and nodded. “Yeah, unfortunately. Got worse than I thought it would on the roads. Can I get a room?”
“Looks like you’re not the only one who was caught by the storm. You’re lucky we have one room left. Fullest we’ve been in a while.”
Robert pulled out the dead man’s ID to procure a room for the night, almost forgetting to sign with the other man’s name. Luckily, the proprietor didn’t look too closely at the license that had been handed to him and seemed more interested in getting back to his TV program. Ten minutes later, Robert set his bag down in the threadbare, dingy room.
Shuddering, he glanced around the sparse surroundings. The TV was bolted to the dresser, and the remote tethered to the nightstand with a thin cable. He hated places like this. He sat down on the bed, grimacing at the way the springs squeaked and groaned with his weight. He’d be lucky to get any sleep on that thing.
Next he poked his head into the tiny bathroom. The tile floor was cracked in one corner, and the once white bathtub had faded to a dingy yellow. He supposed he should be grateful, though. In spite of the unfortunate color, it looked relatively clean.
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An old familiar sense of panic welled up in him. He’d spent so many years of his childhood in places just like this. Too often, he’d be huddled in the bathtub with the door closed, trying to block out the sounds of his mother and whatever man was willing to pay her to make the springs creak.
How many times had he woken with his cheek pressed against the porcelain, a crick in his neck, and drool running down his chin? When he was old enough to realize what was going on, he’d promised himself he’d never settle for a used bit of trash like his whore mother.
Agitated, he sat down on the one chair by the window and worked to compose himself. He pulled out a lock of hair from his pocket, a memento he’d taken from his latest lady. Fingering the silky length of it, he remembered how shy and frightened she’d been when he’d taken her. He’d felt omnipotent when she’d stopped her begging and struggles, finally succumbing to his dominance. Just thinking about it made him hard.
Shifting in his seat, he tried to find a more comfortable position for the aching bulge in his pants. His thoughts turned back to his latest conquest and his eyes darkened. Who knew the woman had managed to retain a bit of fight in her after all? In the end, she’d been a whore just like all the rest of them. He regretted not being able to take care of her before leaving town.
He clenched his fists thinking about the two cops coming to his door. If it hadn’t been for those bastards, he’d be having fun between that bitch’s thighs, not sitting on some damn squeaky bed in a rundown room reliving the past.
What a rush it had been to pull the trigger on them! He still couldn’t get over the look of surprise on that first guy’s face when he’d blown his chest wide open. He knew he’d shot the second cop, as well. Too bad he’d heard on the radio that he was expected to live.
If things hadn’t gotten so hot for him, he may have stuck around to finish the job. Would serve them right for ruining the good thing he’d had going on. Frustrated, he began to stroke the length of silky hair again.
It’ll be okay, though. Once he got up to his cabin and settled in, he’d find another lady to train. And this time, no one would be able to find him.
Chapter Five
The headlights cut a swath through the hypnotic swirl of flakes coming down as Olivia hunched over her steering wheel. The squeak-swish of the wipers kept pace with her heart as they struggled to keep up with the storm. Luckily, the snow plows had been hard at work and the accumulation on the roads wasn’t too bad.
At the end of Centre Street, she took a left and made her way up the hill and out of town. The roads were icier here, the reason she always hated driving this hill in the winter. Olivia knew she’d have to accelerate to have any hope of making it up the slope, and mentally crossed her fingers.
The good news was she was used to Maine’s storms, having lived in the area all her life. The bad news was she was driving her 4-door sedan with no four-wheel drive and very little tread on her tires. She’d been saving up money to replace them, but hadn’t gotten around to it yet.
Just before she reached the crest of the hill, another vehicle came flying over the rise, sliding around the curve. Olivia had just enough time to take her foot off the gas and turn the wheel, barely missing being side-swiped by the reckless driver. Her car began to lose its forward momentum up the slope.
“No, no, no…come on!” She muttered as her car started to slide down the slope backwards. She pressed on her brakes and could feel the tires spinning without purchase as the backside of her car slid, angling towards the ditch on the side of the road.
“Ugh!” she pounded her hands against the steering wheel. “This is NOT what I needed right now.”
She climbed out and looked at her car lying canted sideways in the ditch. At least she wasn’t blocking the road, she thought ruefully. Olivia climbed back into the driver’s seat and pulled her cell phone out of her pocket.
“No bars. Of course. This afternoon just gets better and better,” she grumbled. It was already nearly full dark due to the storm, and the last thing she wanted to do was to wait until someone came along to help her out. Most sane people would already be cozied up in their homes by now. Who knew when the next person would be by?
With that thought in mind, Olivia secured her hat on her head, fastened her coat, and gathered her grocery bag from the passenger seat. It wasn’t too long a walk back to the house. Besides, she was already halfway up the hill. She’d just have to get Liz to pull her car out and tow it back to the shop tomorrow after the storm. Reluctantly, she locked the car, and with a final backwards glance, started the trek up the hill to her house.
About twenty yards from her car, she wondered if she’d made the right decision. The whole world felt cold and desolate. The sky was already gray, and growing darker by the minute. Soon she’d feel like the last person left in a frozen, lonely world.
Maybe she should have just stayed in her car. At least she’d be able to have the heater on. She briefly debated pulling her phone out and checking for service, but pulling her gloves off to use the phone seemed unbearable in the wind.
Just then, a Ford pickup truck pulled up alongside her and the passenger window rolled down. “Hey! I’m guessing that was your car back there. Need a lift?”
Sighing with relief, she smiled and turned towards the truck, surprised to find herself facing the man she’d noticed earlier at the diner. Oh wow, was her first thought. He was even better looking up close.
He leaned across the cab and popped the door open. “Here, get in. It’s way too cold, let alone dangerous, for you to be walking alongside the road like that.”
Gratefully, she lifted her grocery bag onto the seat and crawled up into the cab. She briefly fought the wind to close the truck door, and then just sat back with her eyes closed and breathed for a moment. The man let her take a second to get her bearings, but she could feel him watching her and discreetly looked back over at him.
He was dressed in a Carhartt coat that did amazing things for his shoulders. Black, tousled hair was in disarray, probably from the knit hat that was on the console beside him. His jaw had a couple of days’ worth of scruff, which just worked to make him seem even sexier. He had a high brow and straight nose, but really, it was his eyes that stole her breath away. They were clear and as blue as a distant summer’s day, and at the moment, looked more than a little concerned.
“Are you okay? How long were you out there?”
“Not long, maybe fifteen minutes. I was actually thinking I might have made a mistake about leaving my car. When you drove up I was debating whether or not I should go back and just wait until someone came along.”
“Yeah, the visibility is really bad out here. You’re lucky I saw you at all. I could have just as easily run you over, especially now that it’s getting dark.”
“I tried to call my sister, but there’s no service here because of the storm. Some car ran me off the road and…well, you saw where it ended up. I really appreciate you stopping for me.”
“No problem.” He proffered his hand. “My name is Mason Clark. I think I saw you earlier today at the café.”
“I’m Olivia Harper, and it’s nice to meet you. Yes, I saw you sitting at the breakfast counter this morning.” He noticed how delicate her hand felt in his, and that even though her fingertips were chilled, her grip was firm and sure. Mason took in her smooth, tawny skin and the long, chocolate-brown hair that had managed to work its way out from under her beanie. Now that he was closer, he saw that her eyes were still gold, like the color of warm honey, but they also had little green flecks in them.
She felt a catch in her throat as she looked into his eyes and swallowed. The unruly tuft of stray hair didn’t detract from the intensity of his gaze. Her fingers itched to reach up and run her hands through the errant strands. “I don’t usually see many unfamiliar faces in the off-season. You’re from out of town?”
His mouth quirked up at the corner in a little half-smile and set off a slew of shivers in her system.
He shot a glance towards her. “I’m visiting my sister for a few weeks.”
“That must be nice. She lives up this way? Who is she? I might know her.”
“Melody Clark. She owns the La Luna Vista Bed and Breakfast.”
At that, Olivia gave him a dazzling smile. “No kidding? That’s the gorgeous Victorian on top of the West Chops Point with the big wrap-around porch, right? Oh, I admire it every time I drive by there! The views must be incredible from that vantage point.”
Mason sat, stunned by the transformation caused by Olivia’s smile. Her face was already beautiful, but when she smiled that way, it was as if the sun had come out from behind a puffy white cloud to make everything seem better and brighter. “Yup, that’s the one. You should stop by. I’ll give you a tour of the grounds, if you’d like.”
“Do you come to visit your sister often? What do you do?”
A shadow crossed over his face. “I’m a Boston police detective. I’m actually on disability at the moment, recovering from an injury.” He pulled away slightly and turned back towards the steering wheel. “Okay, where do you live? Let’s get you home.”
Sensing his discomfort, she said, “Oh, I’m sorry to hear that.” Way to open mouth and insert foot, Olivia.
He shrugged, but didn’t expound any further. She was briefly caught off guard by the abrupt change in subject, but quickly recovered. “It’s not very far. At the top of this hill, you’ll want to take the first right.”
Mason deftly pulled the truck back onto the road and made his way up the slope, taking a right into the middle-class neighborhood. The silence in the cab filled the space between them.
She wasn’t sure if she was just imagining things, but one moment Mason had seemed warm and personable, and the next he had grown removed and distant. She hadn’t expected that asking him what he did would bring about such a change in him.
Secret Hunger (The Harper Sisters) Page 3