In fact, I was in ever-growing awe of this lady.
* * *
Sheriff Andrews pulled up to my cabin at half-past six. I saw his headlights and hurried outside to greet him. Brad arrived moments later, and we all went inside to talk.
“Sorry, I’m late,” the sheriff apologized to us.
“It’s not a problem. Thanks for coming up here, Sheriff,” I answered.
“Of course. Hello, young lady,” the sheriff greeted Lindsay. “How are you feeling?”
“I’m feeling good, thank you,” she said, practically bouncing in her seat. “In fact, I had a flashback, and we were able to find the camera I’d lost during the accident. I remembered why I had the accident, I think.”
“And we learned her name,” I added. “Sheriff Andrews, meet Lindsay.”
“Lindsay? Pretty name for a pretty girl.”
Lindsay blushed and said, “Thank you.”
Sheriff Andrews pulled out his pad and pen. “Brad, when I spoke with you earlier, you said there were pictures of a possible crime? Are these pictures on this camera here?”
“Yes, sir,” Brad answered. “Lindsay and Cole uploaded the pictures on a flash drive for you if that’s helpful.”
“Yes, thank you. I’ll take it with me. Can I see the originals, though?”
“Sure.” Lindsay grabbed the camera and powered it on. Once on, she let the sheriff view the pictures of the two men with their shovel and carpet.
“Hmmm,” Sheriff Andrews hummed as he flipped through the photos. “This does look like suspicious activity, that’s for sure,” he said after he lowered the camera. “Good job taking these photos, Lindsay. Are all of them on the flash drive?”
“All the ones with those men in them,” she answered.
“Great. And I have a couple of questions for you, if you don’t mind?”
“I don’t mind.”
“Okay. Let’s see,” he murmured as he scribbled on his pad. “When did you observe and photograph these two men? And where did you photograph them?”
Lindsay told him when approximately but could not tell him where. She explained to him that when the men chased her, she ran with the camera and made it to her SUV, which she wrecked sometime later.
“I think I photographed these men somewhere along the same road I wrecked on. But unfortunately, right now, I can’t say that for sure,” she told Sheriff Andrews.
“How do you know the men chased you?” he asked her.
“I have a memory of running from them,” she confessed, shrugging her shoulders. “And as you can see in the close-up photo of the one man with the scar on his face, he looked right at me when I took the picture. That’s when they caught me taking the pictures and chased me out of the woods.”
“Now, this question is important. As a witness of a possible crime or coverup of a crime, did you actually see a body at any time?” he asked seriously.
“I never saw an actual dead body. I heard the men talk about a body while they were—” Lindsay stopped mid-sentence.
“What? While they were what?” Sheriff Andrews prompted her.
“Lindsay, are you remembering what the men were saying?” I asked her, putting hand on her shoulder to show support.
“Yes, I can see them in my mind now.” She closed her eyes. “I was hiding behind a thick pine tree trunk. I heard them before I saw them, so I tried to stay out of sight. I was surprised they were even out there.” She huffed a laugh and opened her eyes, looking at each of us. “Before I decided to snap photos of them, I heard them talk about the body. The bigger man told the skinny man that the hole was big enough. The skinny man replied that the hole had to be bigger so the body would stay buried.”
“Go on,” Sheriff Andrews urged when she fell silent.
“That’s when I got scared. Neither of the men had seen me yet.” She swallowed. “At first, I thought about running back the way I’d come. But something told me to take pictures. I saw them dig that hole and toss the carpet inside. That’s when they saw me and started to chase me.”
“I see. But to be clear, you never saw a dead body?” he asked her for a second time.
Lindsay crinkled up her forehead as she played the scene in her mind, trying to remember and put together the scene. She gasped.
“What?” I asked, watching her closely to make sure she was okay.
“The bigger man had a gun! He shot at me! The bullet whizzed over my head!” Her eyes were wide, and she was visibly shaken. “He shot three times. Once more as I made it up the switchbacks and another at the SUV.”
“They had a gun?” Brad asked, shocked. “Damn, Lindsay, you’re really lucky to have survived. Shot at and a deadly crash.” He shook his head. “Wow.”
“Yes, you are very lucky,” Sheriff Andrews agreed. “The large man had the gun? The gun isn’t in the pictures, is it?” he half stated, half asked.
“No, the gun’s not in the pictures because the bigger man didn’t pull out the gun until the skinny man saw me. The skinny man looked right me as I photographed a close-up of him. Then, I saw the skinny man grab the big man’s flannel jacket, and he turned him in my direction and pointed at me. That’s when the big man pulled out the pistol. Out of his waistband. He pointed it at me and told me to stop. I panicked and turned to run, and he started shooting.” She sucked in a breath, and I noticed she was paler than she had been when she’d started.
“I made it up the switchbacks to the top of the precipice. I followed ] the top of it until I reached the trail that would take me back up to the road. I turned to look back to see how far the men were behind me. I could hear their footsteps crunching in the snow, so I knew they were behind me somewhere. When I turned back, they were at the top of the switchbacks. I ran again, and he shot the pistol at me the second time. The sound of the gun going off was deafening in the quietness.” She sucked in a deep breath. “I made it to my SUV and got inside. As I was pulling away, the men emerged from the tree line. I heard the gun go off one more time, and the bullet hit the side of the SUV. The driver’s side rear.”
I squeezed her shoulder to let her know I was here for her. She seemed really upset after having all these memories suddenly flood into her brain.
“I didn’t notice a bullet hole in the SUV, but I didn’t know to look for one,” I told Lindsay and the sheriff. “Plus, the SUV is all smashed up, so the bullet hole probably isn’t very noticeable.” I turned to the sheriff. “I bet you can get the bullet out of the SUV body for ballistic testing.”
“You can tell me where the SUV is located. I’ll send a forensics team out in the morning,” he agreed. “Do you remember now how far you drove down the road? Before you wrecked the SUV?” Sheriff Andrews asked Lindsay.
She thought for a minute. “No. Not for sure. I remember panicking and hitting the gas pedal full force. I was scared that the men would follow me to get the camera. I thought they were going to kill me.” Her breath shuddered out, and she shivered. “After that, my thoughts get fuzzy again. I don’t remember where I drove or how far I drove. I don’t actually remember going off the road and hitting the tree, either.” Lindsay paused, trying to force her memory to return.
“That’s okay, Lindsay. You’ve been very helpful. It makes sense that you wouldn’t remember the actual accident yet, as that was the cause of your physical trauma. The memories will come back eventually,” he told her.
“Yeah, Lindsay, take it easy. You’ve been through enough,” Brad told her worriedly. “You don’t want to regress because you’re pushing too hard.
I nodded to Lindsay in agreement with Brad.
“Okay, I’m taking the flash drive of photos, and Cole, please show me on the map where the SUV is so I can get a team up there to retract the bullet. If I have any other questions, I’ll be back in touch.” Sheriff Andrews handed me his pad. “I know I have your number, but can you please write it down for me?”
I wrote down my cell phone and house phone numbers. Then, I made an X on the map
the sheriff handed me, marking the location of the wreck.
“Thank you, I’ll talk with you soon.” The sheriff shook Lindsay’s hand. “You did a good job, Lindsay.”
“Thanks.” After he left, Lindsay sucked in a big breath, sighing in relief. “I’m glad that’s over with,” she admitted.
“It’s great that your memory is starting to come back,” Brad told her. “Don’t forget, take it easy. Get some rest tonight. You had a long day.” Then he turned to me. “Talk to you later, Cole. Call me if either of you needs anything,” he said and went out the door.
“Wow,” I said to Lindsay after a moment of quiet. “What a day.”
“Yeah,” she agreed.
“Are you hungry?” I asked her. “I can whip something up for dinner.”
“That would be good,” she agreed.
I made spaghetti with meat sauce and garlic bread, thankful I just happened to have all the ingredients at hand.
“Not bad if I do say so myself,” I said, taking a huge bite of rolled spaghetti from my fork.
“It’s good, Cole. Thank you.” She seemed distracted as she ate.
“What’s wrong? Are you tired?” I asked Lindsay. “Do you want to go to your room and lay down?”
“No. I don’t want to be alone. Not yet,” she replied, apparently shaken still.
“Those men won’t come here. They would be foolish to do so. My brothers will keep a look out for them.”
“I know,” she said. “Just remembering the gun and how they shot at me has gotten me all shook up.” Lindsay looked like she was going to start crying.
I went to her and put my arms around her, trying to give her some measure of comfort. I was trying to think of something to do that would take her mind off the situation. I thought of putting a movie into the DVD player, but I didn’t think she would be able to enjoy a movie right then. I thought of the rocking horse I was working on in my work shed. Christmas was right around the corner, and I still had a lot of work to do on it. I didn’t know if she would enjoy it, but it was worth a shot.
“How about grabbing a beer and coming with me out to my workshop?” I asked Lindsay. “I’m working on a project for Brad and Angela’s daughter, Abby.”
“Okay, that sounds good,” she replied, smiling now.
Happy to see her smile, I quickly washed our plates and put them in the strainer to dry. I grabbed a six-pack and put it in a small hand-held cooler. “Okay, let’s go. Come on, Bella,” I called. She got up from her place in front of the fire to follow us to the work shed.
We put on our boots and slid on coats before walking over. Once inside, I started a fire in the wood stove, and I took Lindsay’s coat and hung it up beside mine on the hooks by the door. I opened us each a bottle of beer and handed her one, then led her to my project.
“Oh, it’s so cute!” she exclaimed, taking a sip of beer. “A wooden rocking horse. I bet she’ll love it.”
“I think she will, too,” I agreed. “I still have to finish sanding it down and making sure it’s smooth. Then I’m going to stain it a nice maple color, I think. And paint on the eyes, mouth, and ears. Maybe the hooves.”
“Add a red satin bow around the neck for Christmas,” Lindsay added. Then, she paused again, her face scrunched.
“Are you wondering if you have any family?” I asked her gently.
“Yes. I wonder if anyone is missing me. Christmas is coming, and I don’t even know if I have a family. If I do, do they know I’m missing? Do they care?” she wondered.
“Let’s look at the facts we know,” I suggested, and she tilted her head. “Your job takes you all over the world, to what looked like some pretty remote spots. Am I right?”
Her face lit up. “That’s true! I probably travel all the time, gone for weeks, maybe. And if I’m in, say, Africa, in some remote village taking pictures, there’s no way I could communicate with my family.”
“Exactly!” I agreed, nodding my head, happy that she felt better about her family. “They probably aren’t even worried yet.”
“That makes me feel better, but I’ll feel even better when I remember everything.”
“Soon you’ll start to remember,” I tried to reassure her. “Until then, I’m here for you.”
She looked at me and beamed. “Thanks, Cole. You’re sweet. I really appreciate you and everything you’ve done for me.”
Her bright green eyes mesmerized me. Looking into them, I was transfixed. She came to me, and I put my arms around her small waist. Our lips met, and I kissed her gently.
Lindsay
Cole kissed me tenderly. He put his hands around my waist and hugged me close. It was a different kind of kiss than the last. Less lust and more passion. It seemed, in a way, more personal, not just about sex. I put my beer down and kissed him. I wanted to let go of all of my anxieties and fears and just enjoy this beautiful, sexy man’s company. I put my arms around his neck and leaned against his burly, hard body.
I moved my hands from his neck down his chest, over toned, rounded pecs. I paused, enjoying the feel of his rock-hard upper body. I slid my fingers over his carved abs and let my fingers trail the outline of each toned muscle.
His kiss made my abdomen flutter, and my pussy responded, becoming hot and wet. I pushed against his torso, feeling his hot-blooded body next to mine. I wanted to take his clothes off and feel his skin on my skin.
I stepped back, but he held on to my waist and pulled me back to his lips. His hands moved to my ass, and he pulled my pussy to his crotch. He was rock-hard. I ground against his hardness and moaned into his mouth. He bit my lip and held on, grinding me against the hard rod in his pants. I moved my heat over his erection, and he moaned.
I put my hands to his chest and pushed myself away from him. He let me and stopped to watch me, pure lust in his eyes now. He wanted me, and I wanted him. I watched his chest heave as he breathed deeply. My heart was racing.
He tried to grab me again, but I sidestepped his grasp, and he grinned at me slyly and waited. I moved to him and pushed his shirt up over his hard abs and chest. He put up his arms so I could remove his shirt. I tossed it to the floor and slid my hands down over his thick arms. I felt his biceps flex under my touch, and I gave him a knowing, sexy grin.
He moved fast, and I didn’t have time to step back. His arms wrapped around my body and he moved his hands up through my hair. He pushed his lips to mine again, harder, sucking on each lip. His eyes were open, watching me as he took my mouth feverishly. I squirmed, and he moved his hands over my slim body, feeling my curves, lingering over my breasts, lightly squeezing them.
Cole groaned as he felt my body, and he pulled me tightly against him. He let go of my breasts as his hands slipped to my waist at the hem of my shirt. He reached up under it and felt me up before pulling it off. He quickly unclasped my bra, and my plump, round tits with pink erect nipples bounced from their enclosure. Kissing me again, his hands massaged my breasts as he circled my nipples with his thumbs.
The sensation of him playing with my nipples drove me wild. I groaned loudly against his mouth, and he moved his lips from mine to suckle my breasts. I leaned back, pushing my tits into his mouth. He sucked on one, then the other, nipping at each pink nipple.
“Oh, Cole,” I moaned as he took a hard peak into his warm mouth. His tongue circled it, and he pulled on it with his lips. My breath was quick as I enjoyed the feeling of his mouth on me.
I was so wet I could feel it seeping through my jeans. I felt Cole’s hard cock throbbing against my wetness, ready to be released from its prison. I moved my hands to his belt and undid it. I unbuttoned his jeans and pulled on the zipper. I moved my hand inside his pants and pulled out his thick member. I put my hand around it and moved my fist downward and found his balls. He inhaled profoundly as I lightly squeezed each ball before stroking his cock again.
As I stroked his long, thick member, Cole undid my pants and tugged downward on them. I wiggled to help him, and my jeans slid down my lo
ng legs. We still had our boots on, so Cole leaned down and untied mine, then his. We kicked out of them and then our jeans. Cole pulled down my panties, and we stood naked before each other.
“I want to taste you,” he told me, and without waiting for an answer, he picked me up and set my ass on a worktable. I leaned back on my hands, and he spread my legs. Cole kissed his way up my thighs. My pussy throbbed in anticipation of his warm tongue.
His tongue found my clit, and he pushed on it. He flicked in and out, causing a warm sensation to build in my groin. I leaned back and let the feelings overtake my body. He sensed my orgasm and flicked his tongue quickly over my clit. He moved it in circles and up and down. I opened my legs further to allow him more room to please me. I began to moan with each flick, and I pushed my pussy toward his lips. I arched my back and yelled out.
“Cole, I’m coming! Don’t stop,” I screamed as he tongue-fucked me.
My body thrashed up and down as the orgasm rocked through my core. I came hard all over his face. He kept at it, his tongue never stopping.
I felt him lapping up my juices and a second orgasm erupted. My body shook uncontrollably as Cole drank from my pussy. I screamed again, out of control. I couldn’t hold myself up anymore, so I let my body fall back onto the table as the last spasms rocked through my body.
I lay limp for a second before I noticed that Cole was standing above me, watching me. His eyes were radiant, telling me how much he desired me. They never left mine. Watching me, his fingers found my pussy and slid into my wetness. I inhaled sharply as he pushed three huge fingers into my convulsing pussy. He finger-fucked me until I was ready to accept his thick cock.
“Fuck me,” I ordered him in a hoarse tone. “Fuck me now.”
Cole pulled out his fingers and jammed his erect cock into my pussy. I screamed in delight as he pushed deep inside me. I heard him groan when his dick pushed through my tight walls.
For a moment, he remained still, enjoying the feel of my snug wetness around his throbbing cock. Then he moved his long shaft out before thrusting in again and again. He fucked me harder and harder, pounding against my thighs, his fingers working my clit. I felt his balls slapping my ass as he lifted me an inch from the table. He thrust hard and deep, rougher and rougher until he was yelling in pure ecstasy himself.
Take a Mountain Man Home for Christmas: A Mountain Man Romance Christmas Collection Page 30