Fate and Destiny

by Claire Collins

  “So why do you live out here in the middle of nowhere?” Destiny asked between spoonfuls of the tasty stew.

  “Actually, I live most of the year in California. I built this place so I could get away from the city to relax and fish during the summer and ski in the winter.”

  “Why did you pick this place? I’m sure you could have found something a lot closer to home.”

  “I work as a property developer. My company determined this part of the country is growing in popularity. People would want to come here for vacations or summer homes. We bought most of the mountain, developed the small lake into a large activity center, built cabins and campgrounds. I liked it so much that I took first pick of the cabins and had it outfitted for my own needs.”

  Destiny licked cheese from her fingers and used the last bit of bread crust to soak up the remaining soup in her bowl.

  “So what did you have done? I would have made it bigger with lots of windows or something.”

  Her eyes traveled over the small area, imagining it larger.

  “More windows mean more areas for heat to leak in or out. Larger spaces are also more costly to heat and keep cool. Besides, it’s just me. I never bring anyone up here. This is my retreat. I usually only sleep and shower here because Shadow and I spend the rest of our stay out communing with nature.

  “I had a cellar put in under the kitchen area to keep most of my supplies indoors. I installed top of the line thermal plumbing and electrical, extra insulation. That kind of thing. I try to get up here at least once during the winter months and I wouldn’t be able to survive here without those little extras.”

  Destiny nodded her approval, seeing the small space with a new outlook.

  After dinner, Destiny sat on the floor playing solitaire, while Shadow watched intently. Andrew washed the dinner dishes and then got out the first aid kit so he could clean Destiny’s wounds.

  Sitting next to her on the floor, facing her with his thigh against hers, he gently removed the bloody bandage covering the lump on her forehead.

  “Sorry, honey. Guess I should have warned you this might sting a little.”

  He replaced the cap on the antiseptic before placing a clean bandage over the abrasion. She sat before him, a fragile waif wrapped up in his thickest blanket, feet propped on a pillow, bandage on her head. She seemed cold no matter how many logs he put on the fire and how warm the cabin was to him.

  He never needed more than three blankets before. She used two of them while he slept with only one. An extra blanket would come in handy on top of the rug to soften the hard floor.

  While he tended her, she watched him silently. Her face so close that he could detect the clean soapy smell of her skin.

  She had green eyes, the same color as new grass on a warm spring day, fairly emitting an inner light all their own. He concentrated on making sure the area around the wound was clean and there were no signs of infection. Brushing her bangs out of his way, marveling at how soft and fine the hair was. It was thick and a soft brown color with red highlights set off from the glow of the fireplace.

  Satisfied that she would survive the night, Andrew packed everything back into the first aid box and rose to return it to the cabinet in the kitchen. As he passed by Shadow, the dog turned his head and whined softly. Returning from the kitchen, Andrew planned to open the door enough for Shadow to squeeze through.

  Upon releasing the lock, a blast of cold wind rocketed into the cabin blowing out the fire. Destiny gasped from the sudden cold and the shock of the darkness. Shadow bounded out into the snow and Andrew quickly latched the door after him. Long steps brought Andrew back to the fireplace and he soon had the fire burning again.

  An urgent bark alerted Andrew that Shadow returned to the door hastily. He was ready to return to the warmth of the cabin.

  “You’re gonna have to wait a minute Shadow!”

  Andrew wrapped the last blanket around Destiny to protect her from the cold air.

  She tucked herself up tightly, burying her face in the blankets while she shivered. Shadow impatiently scratched at the door. This time, Andrew was prepared for the force of the wind. Easing the latch open, he used his body to block as much of the cold wind as he could while Shadow slipped between the doorframe and Andrew’s legs to get back into the cabin. The door slammed shut behind him.

  The dog stood in front of the slowly growing fire and roughly shook his whole body to expel some of the cold and wetness before happily trotting over to the woman wrapped up in the blankets. Shadow plopped down on the excess blankets that circled her, and then laid his head on his paws.

  Andrew tended to the fire, trying to get some of the warmth back into the cabin while Destiny sat behind him shivering, her teeth chattering.

  With the dog back in the cabin, and the fire sparking into flames, Andrew went into the bathroom, turning the shower on to the hottest it would go. It was a waste of precious propane to heat the water up to this level, but she had to get warm. The shivering and teeth chattering were probably making her head throb.

  Back through the door, into the main room of the cabin, Andrew bent down in front of Destiny.

  “I’m going to carry you into the bathroom with the water running hot. The steam will warm you while I get the fire going again.”

  She nodded her head in agreement since opening her mouth would cause her teeth to clack together, leading to a tom-tom drum in her head. Andrew scooped her up, carrying her into the small steamy room and depositing her on the porcelain seat.

  Closing the door to maintain the heat, he returned to the fire that was just beginning to flame up in the grate. It took several minutes to get the temperature in the cabin warm enough. Once it was an acceptable temperature inside, he opened the door to the bathroom to retrieve Destiny and bring her back into the main room.

  The steam from the hot shower escaped out the door, temporarily blinding him with the warm, moist blast. His eyes quickly adjusted however, and he could clearly see the pile of clothes on the floor and the naked woman standing in the shower directly in front of him. Eyes closed, she rinsed the remaining shampoo out of her hair. She hadn’t yet noticed him standing there.

  His brain was telling him to turn back around, close the door, and knock. Which he should have done in the first place, but instead he found himself unable to move. She was beautiful standing there before him, balanced on one foot. Even though he had taken off her clothes to cleanse and warm her, he hadn’t really put all of the pieces together to imagine her fully naked as she was now.

  Her long hair hung wet and thick down her back. Her face turned up to let the water run down her back and her neck was long and graceful. Her shoulders were soft, creamy, curving nicely down to full breasts. Her arms were raised over her head, her hands smoothing through her hair. The angle perfectly displayed her to his eyes.

  His legs turned to cement although he tried to turn away. His neck wouldn’t work either. His eyes locked on the sight before him. Her breasts were round and firm with large rose-colored nipples. The thought of flicking them with his tongue fleetingly ran through his mind before he could stop the vision. The cement effect spread warmly up from his legs.

  With a mind of their own, his gaze traveled down to her waist, over the well-shaped roundness of her hips and down her incredibly long legs before he was finally able to force his body to turn around and leave the room.

  Quietly closing the door, Andrew walked directly across the cabin and straight out the front door, again using his body to block the wind. He stood in the frigid air only a few moments, just long enough to calm him, and to rid the thoughts of touching her from his mind. The image of her standing in the shower, her silky skin shimmering with thousands of tiny beads of water kept running through his head.

  The cold air did not help much, but he felt composed enough to go back in and knock on the door. The cabin was extremely warm compared to the cool air outside. Part of that was due to the increased blood flow throughout his whole body
. He ran his hands through his hair in exasperation, and gently knocked on the bathroom door.

  6.

  “Come in.”

  The voice beckoned from the other side of the door. He took a deep breath to steady himself before opening it. She sat where he originally left her, fully dressed again in the flannel and sweats, brushing her hair.

  “I hope you don’t mind me borrowing your brush.” Smiling, she ran the brush through her long glossy hair. “And your shampoo and towel too. I couldn’t resist not getting in the shower. It just looked so relaxing and warm.”

  Andrew swallowed the lump in his throat and found his voice.

  “You can use anything of mine that you want to.”

  He barely hid the tremors in his voice, hoping she could not detect the effect she had on him. He carried her stiffly back to the bed, not trusting himself to hold her too close. The cabin warmed with the help of the fire and the steam escaping from the bathroom although a chill remained in the air. He removed her sweater from where it hung over the fireplace and handed it to her. Taking the sweater, she dropped it in her lap instead of putting it on. Andrew wanted her to wear it, but was glad she didn’t.

  Noticing the top two buttons on the flannel shirt unbuttoned, Andrew couldn’t decide if he was greatly relieved that her body was covered up or if he needed her to button the shirt up to her neck. Despite the layer of clothing, he could still see her naked before him by allowing his mind to wander.

  To distract his thoughts, he sought out the deck of cards, sitting at opposite end of the bed from Destiny to play rummy. The talk started out very casually. The weather, the nuances of California and Nevada.

  She was much more relaxed in his presence but he hoped she would feel comfortable enough to tell him who kidnapped her and left her for dead in the woods. He could help her if he knew what happened. As a second thought, maybe if he reminded himself of what happened to her, he would be able to control his urges. Remembering her resistance to his earlier questioning, he wasn’t sure how to bring the subject back up, finally deciding the direct approach was best.

  “I know you don’t want to talk about this, but did you know the men who kidnapped you?”

  The abrupt change in the conversation took her by surprise. She looked up from the Ace of Diamonds and into Andrew’s golden eyes. He searched her face, waiting for an answer. Her mind cleared enough in the last few hours that she now remembered almost every detail of those events. They could both be in danger. She realized she could not lie to him now.

  He might end up being her only hope for survival. If he were involved with the kidnappers, maybe he would take sympathy with her and help her escape. No answers to the dilemma were printed on the cards in her hand. Folding them into a pile, she placed the cards between them on the bed.

  “Yes,” She said quietly, “I knew one of them, but I guess I better start at the beginning.”

  Taking a deep breath, she prayed she could trust him.

  “I used to be a barmaid in Vegas at the Diamonds Casino. The owner of the casino was Marcus DeMont. He noticed me and I guess he took a liking to me.

  “I was barely making ends meet. Marcus would sit and have a drink every now then, and he would talk to me. He was a very down to earth person, so I accepted when he asked me out to dinner with him.”

  She spoke slowly and quietly, testing each word before she said it.

  “I didn’t know anyone in Vegas and he was always a gentleman. I worked for Marcus in the finance department for almost six years.”

  With Andrew’s complete attention, she continued.

  “Marcus’s son, Charles, had access to the checking accounts. He was an awful man. Addicted to drugs and alcohol. He was also Marcus’ only child. I found out someone skimmed a lot of money out of the company. There were strange charges to the company account for trips and cars and houses.”

  Andrew brought her a fresh cup of hot tea while she talked.

  “Well, I took everything I found to Marcus one night. I went to his house because I didn’t want anyone at work to know what was going on with Charles. Marcus was a very proud man. Anyway, I wanted him to know what was going on privately. I was in his home explaining what I found and how, when someone came knocking on the door.

  “While Marcus went to answer it, I took the opportunity to use the restroom. I heard shouting. I snuck down the hall and saw Charles wildly waving papers around. He screamed about how he had a right to do whatever he wanted with the money. Marcus just kept saying over and over, ‘How could you? All of it would have been yours someday’.”

  Destiny paused. Her throat tightening, she took a sip of tea.

  “Charles backhanded Marcus across the face. Then he hit him with a fist and Marcus fell. I think that’s when Charles realized what he did, because he suddenly made a phone call. I didn’t stick around. I crept back down the hall and went out the bathroom window. I was so upset and scared that I kept dropping my keys. By the time I started the car, I saw another car come around the corner and pull into Marcus’s driveway. I sat there and watched as two of Charles’s cronies ran up the steps and into the house.

  “A few minutes later, they came back out. One carried Marcus over his shoulder and Charles had my briefcase. Then they all got in the car and left.”

  She paused again to collect herself, tears flowing down her cheeks. Reaching over, Andrew took her hand in his to offer encouragement. His thumb gently stroking the back of her hand.

  “I didn’t know what to do. I went to a pay phone and called the police. I gave them a description of the car and told them what I saw, but I wouldn’t tell them who I was. I was too afraid of Charles. Then I went home and waited to hear from Marcus. I really thought everything would be okay. On the news the next morning, they reported Marcus was dead. They labeled it an accidental death from a fall down the stairs.”

  Her whole body shook as she cried so hard it was difficult for her to speak. Andrew moved to her side, wrapped his arms around her, trying to comfort her. Putting her arms around his neck, she buried her face in his shoulder while sobs wracked her body. Andrew couldn’t even imagine the nightmare Destiny went through before she ended up sitting in his cabin. She hadn’t even told him how she was abducted yet, but he didn’t want to add any more pain to her already heavy heart by making her relive anymore of it. He hugged her tightly as she quietly cried for her murdered friend. Andrew had the feeling Marcus DeMont was one of the few people who had ever shown any kindness to Destiny.

  Too soon, Destiny pulled her face away from Andrew’s shoulder and dried her tears on her shirttail.

  “I’m sorry,” she said quietly. “He was such a good man, and he died so tragically.”

  Andrew hushed her apologies.

  “Don’t be sorry Destiny. You have every right to be upset after all you’ve been through.”

  She tried to force a smile, but it was only for his benefit. Holding her tightly against him, she wrapped her arms around him, returning the hug as if they had been lifelong friends.

  “Destiny, you need to rest. We can get you to safety after the storms let up.”

  Andrew moved slowly away from her warm embrace. She nodded her head in agreement, wiping away a few remaining tears.

  After she settled in under the warm covers, Andrew resumed his position on the floor. He soon found the blanket and his sweater to be too confining and uncomfortable, so he removed the sweater and pushed the quilt down to his waist. Sleep eluded him as he thought about Destiny. Her friend died at the hands of his own son, but she had not explained how that led to her being left for dead on the mountain. Putting his hands behind his head, the warmth of the fire heated his chest while his thoughts tumbled.

  He heard her quietly speak his name as if she was afraid of waking him.

  “Yes, Destiny?” he replied just as quietly.

  “Why don’t you sleep in the bed?” The simple question startled Andrew. His eyebrows rose slightly but he quickly guarded his surpris
e before he answered.

  “Well,” he said cautiously, “I usually do, but it seems to be otherwise occupied at the moment.”

  Again she paused as if thinking before she continued.

  “You can’t be very comfortable on the floor, and it isn’t fair you can’t sleep in your own bed because I took it over.”

  Andrew wasn’t sure what to say. Was she actually suggesting they share the bed? He wanted to lie to himself and disregard the situation as wishful thinking. Images of her in the shower jumped to his mind and he knew lying next to her in the bed would make it impossible for him to sleep.

  “The floor isn’t so bad,” he answered. “Besides, I don’t want to hurt your leg or make you uncomfortable.”

  Perhaps his answer would stop her line of questioning. He really didn’t want her to feel guilty for sleeping in his bed.

  “Andrew?” she said again, just as quietly as the first time she spoke his name. “I don’t want to be alone.”

  The realization of what she was saying smacked Andrew in the face with the force of a prizefighter. She was scared and the memories wouldn’t fade. Opening his eyes, he tipped his head to watch her on the bed. The fire lit her eyes and he could see the terror in them. A wave of shame washed over him for thinking of the sight of her in the shower and using that as an excuse not to comfort her. He should have heard the fear in her voice or at least realized what was wrong with her after knowing the secrets she kept.

  7.

  Andrew rose from the floor, grabbing the blanket, and climbing into the bed behind Destiny. He pulled the blanket over both of them and settled himself under the thick pile of cotton. Careful to keep a distance between them, he tried to get comfortable in the small bed, but it was almost impossible in the available space.

  The cabin was only equipped with a twin-size bed, which had always been enough for just him. Destiny didn’t help matters any by sliding her body against his as soon as he had found a position that limited the amount of body contact. Her length pressed against him with her back against his chest. Stifling a frustrated groan, Andrew pushed thoughts of her out of his mind. He was there to comfort her, not to enjoy the closeness of her body. Taking advantage of a frightened woman was not in his nature.