by Wendy Davy
“She got to you, didn’t she James?” Tyler asked as he packed some of the equipment into a storage case.
“You know she did, Ty.”
“So, what are you going to do about it? You have some vacation coming to you. You could stay for a week or two.”
“No. I have something else in mind,” James said as he began to take down the telescope.
“James, you can’t keep working straight from assignment to assignment. You’re going to get burned out. You can’t bring Danny back by working nonstop.”
“I know I can’t bring him back. I’ve accepted that he’s gone and that it’s not my fault.”
“Really? I was there too, James. I saw the accident, what happened to Danny. I’ve also seen what it’s done to you for all of these years. Why now? After all of these years of fighting for redemption, have you suddenly accepted what I’ve been telling you all along?”
“Because I didn’t know how to let him go. I didn’t realize that I needed to forgive him along with myself and the driver. Victoria told me that I needed to do it, then she showed me how.”
“How did she show you?”
“By example. She forgave me when she had every right to hate me.”
Tyler looked at James and nodded his head. “I was right when I told her she was good for you.”
“You told her that? What did she say?”
“I believe she was speechless at the time.”
James smiled. “Well, then maybe she’ll be speechless again when I tell her what I intend to do.”
****
That evening, Victoria sat on the porch with Gramps, both of them rocked in the old wooden rockers, side by side.
“Do you think we’ve seen the last of Phillip Maddox?” Gramps asked.
“Yes. James promised we would have nothing to fear from him again, or his employed assailants. He says after what they have done they won’t even make bail.”
“You know darlin’, we’ve been through a lot in the past several days. Are you okay with it all?”
“Yes, I’m okay. We have been through a lot. Now that it’s settling down I’ve been thinking. How are you going to pay for the taxes on the land? Will you accept my help?”
“I’ve been thinking on that too. I suppose it would be all right. After all, it is your place as much as it is mine.”
“Good, I’m glad you agree with me. This way we get to take care of each other.”
Gramps gave a big smile and slowly got up from the rocker, stretching out stiff muscles. “Well, I think I’ll mosey on inside and get to bed early tonight.”
“Night, Gramps.”
“Night now.”
Victoria walked down to the dock as the sun set behind her. The day had been long for her, knowing that James was across the water in the rental house packing to leave. The breeze carried the fresh scent of the lake with it, and she took a deep breath in, closing her eyes and tried not to think of how to say goodbye to James. As she relaxed on the swing she listened to the birds settling down for the evening and the water lapping against the dock. She hoped that she would be able to hold back her tears until after he left.
When Victoria finally heard footsteps on the dock, her heart rate grew rapidly in anticipation of seeing James, most likely for the last time. She wanted to tell him to stay, but she knew she loved him enough to let him go.
“Hey.” His deep voice captivated her.
“Hey yourself.” She patted the seat next to hers.
James shook his head and remained standing. He held out his hand to her and she took it. He gently lifted her from the swing and enfolded her into his arms. “I hate to say goodbye.”
She buried her face in his chest and he rested his chin on the top of her head. She only nodded her head in reply.
“So I won’t,” he said simply.
She lifted her head. “What do you mean?”
“I’m going to stick around here.”
“Don’t you have an assignment to go off to? Some illegal alcohol to confiscate or bad guys to chase down?”
He shook his head. “Nope.”
“Why? What are you going to do?”
“Well,” he began and placed a kiss on her forehead, “I’ve got plenty of handyman work to finish up around here. That should keep me busy until the election.”
“What election?”
“I’ve decided to stick around and run for sheriff. The people of this county deserve a better one. Don’t you agree?”
Victoria’s mouth flew open. “What are you saying, James?”
“I’m saying that I’m staying here, running for sheriff and asking you to marry me.”
Victoria could hardly believe what she just heard. She stepped away from his embrace. “You want to give up your career with the A.T.F.? I thought it was your life.”
“It was. But it’s not anymore. I’ve learned something from you, Vic. I’ve learned how to forgive. I’ll never let Danny go from my heart or my memories, but now I can at least let go of the pain.” He paused to cup her cheeks in the palms of his hands. He angled her face toward his and said, “You’ve also made me realize that there are other ways I can help people and still have a life of my own. A life that includes you - if you’ll have me.”
James bent down on one knee and took her hands in his. “I love you, Vic. Will you marry me?”
She looked down into his deep brown eyes and saw a vulnerability that she had never even caught a glimpse of before.
“I love you too, James.” Victoria’s tears ran unabashed down her cheeks. She lifted her hands from his and ran them down the length of his upturned face, finally resting them on his shoulders. “But, are you sure you won’t regret…”
“The only thing I would regret is walking away from you.”
Victoria let the words sink in as she came down to her own knees in front of him. “Well, I wouldn’t want you to have any regrets.” She smiled and wrapped her arms around his neck and tilted her head a little to the side. “So, I guess I’ll have to marry you.”
“I guess so.” He laughed and pulled her in for a soft, tender kiss.
As the last of the day’s light blinked out into darkness, and the night claimed another day, they sat hand in hand in the swing. She looked out over the calm lake water and watched the moon rise over the crest of the mountain, content to lean on James and dream of a lifetime together.
A Matter Of Trust
Coming Soon…
Drake’s Retreat
by
Wendy Davy
“I don’t have a husband,” Maggie Reynolds’ statement caught everyone’s attention. All chatter stopped and she cast a glance at the curious faces watching her. She felt heat climb up her cheeks and it had nothing to do with the unusually warm, early September day. She ignored the other resort guests and kept her attention on the man standing in front of her.
The broad-shouldered lumberjack of a man stared at her in silence. He ran his deep blue eyes over her, as if he searched for what was wrong with her.
Maggie added, “The two weeks at your resort are paid for. What does it matter anyway?”
“This is a couple’s retreat. Specifically designed for couples. I assure you, Miss Reynolds, it does matter.”
Maggie’s heart tripped a beat. He wouldn’t really turn her away, would he? She pasted a smile on her face to hide her growing anxiety. “I won’t be a bother to anyone. I’ll keep to myself and…”
“Keeping to yourself is precisely the problem, ma’am. My cabins are in a very remote area of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Going off on your own is strictly prohibited. I lead the group excursions, but any hiking or exploring aside from that must be with a partner.”
She searched for a concrete reason he couldn’t turn her away. She came up blank as she met his steely glare. Maggie squared her shoulders. “Look, Mr.?”
“Mr. Drake Strong.”
Maggie studied the owner of the resort, searching for a glimpse of compassion. H
is too long, dark hair did nothing to hide the irritation that crossed his rugged features. He stood with his muscled arms crossed and his booted feet wide apart. She saw no more compassion in him than she did in the bark on the tree rooted behind him.
“Mr. Strong, I won’t be any trouble. I need to be here,” she said trying to keep the desperation out of her voice.
The sturdy owner swept his eyes over her. “Are you sure you wouldn’t be more comfortable in a spa resort setting. There’s a nice one not too far away from here. I’m willing to give you a full refund.”
Maggie tilted her head and lifted her chin a notch. “Don’t presume to know me Mr. Strong. I’m tougher than I look. I can handle a little bit of wilderness,” she spoke in a smooth voice, trying to hide her uncertainty.
Bold laughter erupted from his throat. “A little bit of wilderness? Lady, you have no idea.” He captured her hand in his and lifted it to inspect her fingernails. “These manicured nails wouldn’t last a day.”
Maggie yanked her hand out of his rough, warm grasp. “You’re mistaking me for someone who would care. I’m not leaving.” Maggie crossed her arms and tapped her right foot. She tried to ignore the lingering warmth where he had briefly touched her.
“Suit yourself. But you have to follow the rules. No one goes off alone. No hiking, caving or any kind of exploring by yourself. Not anywhere. If you want to be a tag along…” his voice trailed off as he gave an exasperated shrug.
She took his answer as affirmative and she nodded. “Fine.”
Maggie plopped herself on one of the log benches next to the other guests waiting to be transported to the remote cabins and shoved her hair back from her face. She avoided eye contact with Mr. Strong as she flipped open the brochure for Drake’s Retreat, but she could feel his penetrating eyes remaining focused on her. She tried to look at ease, but her heart still beat at a frantic pace. Would he change his mind and send her away?
Finally, she saw Mr. Strong turn and walk away at a leisurely pace. She let out a pent up breath and her shoulders sagged in relief. She did it. Now, she would have a chance to start picking up the pieces of her shattered life and try to figure out how to paste them back together again.
Her eyes scanned the brochure of the resort where she had won the right to spend the next two weeks. She read the first line three times before giving up. Her mind couldn’t focus enough to allow the words to make sense.
A light tap on her shoulder from behind made Maggie jump. She turned to find the youngest member of the group smiling at her.
The doe-eyed woman leaned forward and whispered, “You’ve got grit to stand up to such an intimidating man.” Her conspiratorial smile widened. “He’s cute though, don’t you think?”
Maggie liked the young brunette immediately. She remembered a time long ago when she had been as carefree as the young woman looked. “I’m Maggie Reynolds.” She introduced herself.
“Oh my. Now I’ve forgotten my manners. I’m Cyndi Marcus. I’m here on my honeymoon. Why’d he ask where your husband is? Are you supposed to be married?” she asked without reserve.
“It’s a long story.” Maggie shrugged.
“Well, whatever happened, remember there’s a reason for everything. Maybe you’ll be better off anyhow. Look at Mr. Hunk. He’s watching you.” Cyndi Marcus looked past Maggie’s shoulder.
Maggie’s gut reaction almost made her turn around and look, but she caught herself just in time and continued to look at Cyndi. “Mr. Strong doesn’t like me. Even if he did, I’m not interested.”
“Why on earth not?” Cyndi gave her an incredulous, you’re out of your mind stare.
“The last thing I need right now is a man.”
“Even if he’s hot?”
“Aren’t you supposed to be a newlywed?” Maggie accused.
“I am honey.” Cyndi answered dreamy-eyed while resting her chin on the palm of her hand. “But I can still recognize eye-candy when I see it.”
Maggie laughed, which helped to release some of the tension that had built up in the last few weeks.
Cyndi added, “You know. I heard that Mr. Strong designed the cabins himself, and built them with his own two hands. Could be just a rumor, but by looking at him? I’d believe it.”
Maggie cast a quick glance over her shoulder at him and noticed his broad shoulders bunch as he hauled luggage to a long, narrow dock jutting out from the shoreline. Maggie looked past him to the lake that lay beyond and wondered why he was moving the guest’s luggage onto the dock.
She turned back to Cyndi and said, “The brochure says the rockers on the porches are handmade. Maybe he carved them out of a tree.” Maggie intended her comment as a joke, but just from the looks of him, she imagined him capable of a lot of things.
Cyndi giggled again. “There is some interest in your eyes. I can see it.”
“No. If you knew what I’ve been through recently, you wouldn’t say that.”
A tall, lanky young man walked over and straddled the bench next to Cyndi and wrapped his affectionate arms around her. A fuzzy growth of beard lined his angled jaw and his long hair hung down his back in a ponytail. He directed his warm expression to his new wife.
Cyndi introduced them. “Dillon, this is Maggie.” She leaned in, and snuggled with her husband.
He took a brief look at Maggie and nodded. “Nice to meet you,” he said with sincerity before he turned his attention straight back to Cyndi.
“You too.”
Cyndi immediately engaged in a steamy make out session with her new groom as if Maggie had ceased to exist. Maggie felt more amused than awkward and turned around quickly with a hint of a smile and a shake of her head. A slight wisp of a breeze carried a wavy strand of hair across her eyes and she absently reached up to tuck it behind her ear.
Her brief smile faded as thoughts of Nathan invaded her. He had never liked to show affection in public, or anywhere else for that matter. A fresh stab of pain washed through her. What would it be like to be head over heels in love like Cyndi and Dillon? Maggie chewed on her bottom lip. She didn’t know the answer, and yet she was supposed to have gotten married yesterday.
Determined to put Nathan out of her thoughts, she opened up the resort’s brochure again and reviewed the pages. Maggie knew from a brief look at the information once before that Drake Strong owned a large portion of wilderness which backed up to the Sierra Nevada National Forest. The pictures showed a quaint, yet rustic setting on a clear blue lake that drew her into daydreams of rest and tranquility.
Maggie flipped the brochure to the back and her breath caught in her throat. A list of must have equipment printed in bold-red lined the page. How could she have missed it before? She didn’t have one thing on the list. No mosquito repellant, hiking boots, long underwear or gloves. Even a handheld GPS system made the list. She wouldn’t know how to use one of those gadgets anyway. She suddenly felt ill-prepared as she swatted at a mosquito. Too late, it had bitten her. She felt the annoying itch already. Great.
Maggie sneaked a peek at the other guest’s feet. She felt even more unprepared when she discovered they all wore hiking boots. Cyndi and her new husband had them on and a couple in their early fifties had them on. Even the last couple in the group had them on. They looked too old to hike, but they still had them on.
She felt a tinge of embarrassment and wished she had more time to prepare for this trip as she looked down at her meek tennis shoes. Were they adequate for the rough terrain? As she studied the soles looking for answers, a tall shadow closed in over her.
Maggie’s eyes slowly trailed up to a pair of well-worn boots resting in front of her. Then her eyes traveled further up to a pair of well-worn jeans. Then they finally found the well-worn eyes of Drake Strong. His blue eyes reminded her of the deep sea, turbulent and unforgiving. Maggie guessed him to be in his early thirties, but his eyes held the secrets of a much more experienced man.
“Wondering if those shoes are adequate?” He directed his low voice
to her alone.
How did he read her mind? Her annoyance level hitched up a notch as she asked, “Are they?”
“For around camp they are, but not for hiking or caving. Since you’ll be going to the resort without a partner, you won’t be allowed to remain behind if everyone else chooses to go on an excursion. So, I would suggest you buy some new hiking boots at Jenkins Store. He’ll have what you need.” He pointed to one of the many quaint village stores that lined the large lake at the check-in center.
“I know I’m coming on this retreat alone and so does everyone else.” Maggie looked around at the other guests who pretended to mind their own business. “So, you don’t have to keep reminding me. I’ll get some boots. I like to hike anyway.”
He gave her another quick perusal and sent her a doubtful look before he turned on his heel and strode to the front of the group.
Maggie wanted to stick her tongue out at him, but decided she better not. She’d behave for now, and save her opinions for later. He still might refuse to let her come if she deliberately provoked him.
“Good afternoon and welcome everyone. I’m Drake Strong, owner and operator of Drake’s Retreat. Is everyone ready for an adventure?” He asked and smiled when the guests seemed eager to hear more. Maggie sucked in a breath when she saw his lips turn upward. Drake Strong was a handsome man even with a scowl on his face, but when he smiled, he transformed into nothing short of gorgeous. She couldn’t blame Cyndi for noticing. Maggie tore her eyes off of the charming dimple on his cheek and concentrated on his next words.
“We’ll have a brief introduction then go over some rules.”
Maggie watched as each of the guests introduced themselves. All together, seven guests waited on the benches to go to Drake Strong’s all inclusive resort. The first couple to speak up, Beverly and Stephen Riley, looked to be in their early fifties. Beverly wore tailored slacks and a matching cardigan with layers of jewelry. She sat with a stiff back and held her head high as she spoke her name in a rigid monotone.
Maggie looked at Beverly’s husband, Stephen as he stood tall, ran a hand over his thick, gel-coated hair and adjusted his neck tie. He gave his name to the group then bent slightly at the waist.