The Naughty Box (9 books in 1 box set)

by Davis, SJ

  “You will come?” he asked.

  She nodded.

  “Is that a yes?”

  “Yes.”

  The meadow outside was silent as they made love in the early shadows of the evening. When the last rays of the sun dipped behind Foss Mountain and their bodies were still, he spoke again. “I’ve grown very fond of you, Selene.”

  She buried her face in his chest; inhaled the smell of sex, and lake, and sweat. They weren’t the words she’d longed to hear, but they were close enough. Joy replaced her fear and doubt. There was no more Alex, no more marriage, no obligation or obstacle left between them that she couldn’t surmount. Odin cared about her; that was all that mattered.

  “I’m fond of you, too.”

  “Will you divorce Alex, then?” he said.

  Divorce. Lena considered the word. It didn’t sound so scary with Odin’s arms around her.

  Two days later, she was standing in the middle of her meadow when the sound of a motor sent her scurrying for her sundress. Surrounded by Black-Eyed Susans, she’d been posing as Eostre, the pagan Germanic Goddess of spring and fertility. Odin’s easel was across the field. He stood behind it, shirtless, as she pulled the dress over her head. Snugging the skirt around her hips, she turned to greet the Ford 250 as it rounded the last curve of her driveway, both curious and annoyed by the unexpected intrusion. Odin’s portrait was almost done. He’d been working on it for days and she was eager to see the results.

  Her curiosity was soon put to rest. Jake Morris stepped from the cab of the truck and held his arm out to his companion. Pam Desjardin jumped from the passenger’s seat, taking in the view as the door slammed shut behind her.

  “Hi, Lena,” she said. “I hope we’re not interrupting. My God, Jake, you were right…it’s spectacular up here.”

  Jake nodded. “The place looks great, Lena,” he said. “I see you didn’t give up on it after I left.”

  She blushed and stared at the ground avoiding Jake’s puzzled frown as Odin cleared his throat and placed his hands on her shoulders.

  “Aren’t you going to introduce me to your friends, Selene?” he asked.

  “This is my neighbor, Jake,” she said. “Odin Andreassen, from across the pond. Odin, my friend Jake Morris and his girlfriend, Pam Desjardin. Jake and I went to school together back in the day. He’s the one who helped me fix this place up.” She fidgeted with the hem of her dress while Odin and Jake eyed each other up. Odin was the first to extend his hand.

  “Nice to meet you,” he said with an easy smile. “Lena’s told me a lot about you.”

  “Funny,” Jake replied, frowning. “I’ve never heard mention of you.”

  Lena blushed as Odin resumed his grip on her shoulder. She leaned against him and felt his arm relax.

  “What’s up?” she said, addressing Jake. “You finally decided to take me up on those burgers I promised?”

  “Uh, not exactly.” Jake crossed his arms and scuffed his toe against the rocks and dirt at his feet. “Alex sent me up to check on you. He called me last night and said he was worried. He’s left you a few messages, but you haven’t returned them. I told him I’d drive up here and make sure you were all right.” He looked up, shifting his gaze to Odin. “I guess I’ll tell him not to worry. I can see you’re in good hands.”

  Odin’s fingers left her shoulders. “If you’ll excuse me, Selene, I’ll let you visit with your friends in private,” he said. “What Jake has to say is for your ears, I think. I’ll be back to finish the painting later on.”

  “You don’t have to go, Odin,” she said, reaching to take his hand. “Anything he has to say concerns you as much as it does me.”

  Jake and Pam exchanged a worried look that didn’t escape her eye.

  “It’s okay,” Odin said. “Alex is your husband and Jake, here’s, his messenger. This is your business, not mine. I’ll see you later.”

  Lena watched him carry the painting inside and fold the easel. She beckoned Jake and Pam to the front porch as he climbed into his kayak. “Dinner’s at six, right?” she called.

  “I’ll bring the wine.”

  Turning away, she opened the door and stepped aside as Jake entered the cabin.

  Pam remained outside. “I think I’ll wait out here, too,” she said. “Your neighbor’s right…this conversation’s between you and Jake.”

  “Suit yourself,” Lena said. “We’ll be quick, I promise.”

  Jake shut the door and followed her across the living room. The painting of Eostre, still wet from Odin’s brush, stood propped against the far wall. He studied it for a moment before commenting. “He’s quite talented, isn’t he?”

  “Yes,” Lena said. “I think so, anyway.”

  “Is that you in the picture?”

  She blushed as she followed his gaze. The goddess gazed at them from her field of flowers, her arms around her belly and bare breasts ripe with pregnancy. “I suppose it’s a semblance of me, yes.”

  “You model for him.” Jake’s tone was disapproving.

  She shrugged. “There’s nothing wrong with it. The man’s an artist. He asked me to pose and I said yes.” She turned away to retrieve three beers from the refrigerator.

  “Alex said the two of you might be friends.”

  Returning to the couch, she smiled. “Did he ask you to spy on me?”

  Jake’s tan cheeks flushed. “Kind of, I guess. He called me last night… he said he thought you might be seeing someone behind his back. Are you, Lena? Are you sleeping with that guy?”

  Lena started to speak then stopped and tapped a bare foot against the floor as she formulated her answer. “Did Alex tell you what happened the last time we saw each other, Jake?” she said, finally.

  He shook his head.

  “Remember that weekend when he was supposed to visit and cancelled?”

  “It was about three weeks ago, wasn’t it?”

  She nodded. “Well, I took your advice and went home. I felt like things were slipping away so I drove all the way down to Connecticut to talk to him.” She wrapped her arms across her chest and shook her head. “I didn’t call him first. I wanted it to be a surprise. I guess that was a mistake, because when I got home I found him in bed with his agent.”

  Jake’s face fell as he shook his head. “Damn, Lena. I had no idea. I’m sorry.”

  “So am I. I don’t think I have to tell you how much it hurt.”

  “What did you do?”

  She opened two beers and poured them into pint glasses. “Nothing. I got in the car and drove back here and Alex went to Alaska with Amanda. We haven’t spoken since.”

  “Is that it, then, Lena? Are the two of you done?”

  “I think so, Jake. I’ve moved on.”

  “You are sleeping with him, then.”

  Lena nodded. She walked to the window and looked out at the pond. Pam was sitting on the dock watching the Loon and her chick. It was the perfect picture of a perfect place with a not so perfect ending. Yet.

  Jake sighed heavily. “Are you sure that’s such a good idea? I mean, I know all about rebound sex - I had plenty of it when Annie dumped me the first few times – but that’s all it usually is…rebound sex. It’s not love and it’s not real.” He took a swig of beer and shook his head. “I’m not judging you and I don’t mean to criticize, I just don’t want to see you get hurt.”

  “If you want to call my relationship with Odin rebound sex, go ahead, but I feel better about myself these days than I have in years. I care about him, Jake – I mean really care - and he cares about me, too.”

  “How will you feel when he leaves?”

  “If I tell you something, will you promise not to tell Alex?”

  Jake shifted uncomfortably. “I guess so.”

  “He asked me to go with him.”

  Jake’s eyes widened. “Get out of here. Really?”

  “Yes,” she said smiling. “We’re heading to Europe. Venice, Paris, Vienna, and Rome…his lease is up at the end o
f September.”

  “So what about Alex? Where does that leave him?”

  Lena shrugged. “I don’t know, and frankly, I don’t care. I want a divorce, Jake. He can have the Connecticut house and I’ll keep the camp and my dad’s place in Greenville. We’ll both get a car and he can have the rest. I’ve got enough money from my dad’s insurance policy to keep me for a while, and when Odin and I get back from Europe, I’ll get a job.”

  “You’re serious.”

  “Yes. I care about him. We’ve become good friends.” Stepping to the window, she stared across the pond at the woods surrounding Odin’s cabin. “To tell you the truth, I think I’m in love with him.”

  “But Lena,” Jake protested, “it’s only been a few weeks. How can you be sure?”

  She shrugged. “What’s sure, Jake? You and Annie? You and Pam? Me and Alex? I don’t know and neither do you, but one thing I do know… I’ve never felt this way about anyone in my entire life. I’ll take my chances.”

  “But--.”

  “Don’t worry about me. I’m fine. I’m a big girl. I know what I’m doing.”

  “You might be fine, but what about Alex?”

  “What about him? He made his choice and he’ll have to live with it.” She studied her beer thoughtfully. “Besides, Alex and Amanda are an item now. I wouldn’t be surprised to see her all moved in before the papers are signed.”

  Jake returned to the painting and stared at it for a long minute. “It’s okay to make a move, Lena, but if you want my opinion I think both of you are going a little too fast. You and Alex have been together for nine years. Married for seven. Maybe the ‘having kids’ thing took too much out of you and what you really need is a little break from each other.” He scratched his head and reached an arm around her shoulders. “I know it’s not my place and you didn’t ask for my advice, but I’m giving it to you anyway…take your time. I’m glad you’re happy and I hope things works out, just go easy.”

  “I appreciate your concern, Jake. I’ll try.” She pointed to the dock where Pam sat waiting. “Maybe we should let it go for now. Poor Pam – she’ll think we’ve abandoned her. Come on. Let’s enjoy the afternoon, huh? You didn’t drive all the way up here to fight with me.” She held the door, balancing two glasses of beer, as he stepped onto the porch and headed for the dock.

  “You’re right,” he said. “Any more of these closed-door meetings and she’ll think you and I are the ones screwing around, not you and Odin. The whole town’ll be gossiping.”

  Pam looked up when they arrived but tactfully kept her silence.

  “What’s going on in town?” Lena asked, taking a seat on the dock beside her. “I looked in on Jane Janson a couple of weeks ago, but she wasn’t around to catch me up on the local gossip.”

  “She’s really worried about Annie,” Jake said. “She finally filed a missing persons complaint a couple of weeks ago.

  “I know,” Lena said. “I stopped in to see Stinky. He told me.”

  Beside her, Pam frowned. “You’d better not call him that to his face. He’s not too fond of that nickname and now that he’s a big man on the squad he can make life difficult if you rub him the wrong way.”

  “What do you mean ‘big man’?” Lena said. “He’s just a detective, isn’t he?”

  “Chief Basker had a heart attack last week,” Jake said, filling her in. “Stan’s been named Interim Chief until he comes back.”

  “So Stan took the quick track up the ladder, huh?” Lena laughed. “It’s amazing what a good old-fashioned heart attack can do for your career these days.”

  “It sure lit a fire in his belly,” Pam said. “He’s all over Annie Janson’s disappearance.”

  “Finally,” Lena said. “Have they got any suspects yet?”

  “In terms of foul play?” Jake asked.

  Lena nodded.

  “Me,” he said.

  “What?” Lena turned toward him, eyebrows raised. “You’re kidding, aren’t you?”

  He shook his head.

  “Stan and I’ve been friends for as long as you two,” Pam said. “He called to warn me about Jake two nights ago.”

  Lena laughed and rolled her eyes. “That’s the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard. Stinky knows it too! He’s just saying it because he wants you to dump him.”

  “What?” Pam said. “Talk about ridiculous!”

  “He’s got a crush on you,” Lena said. “He told me so. Anyway, the whole idea of Jake being behind Annie’s disappearance is crazy.”

  Jake nodded. “You’re right, but the way Stinky sees it, I’m the one who has motive. After all, she dumped me last December.” He sighed and put his arm around Pam’s shoulders. “For the fourth time in ten years.”

  “What about the other guy? The guy she told me she was seeing?”

  Jake shrugged. “What guy? Other than you, no one knows anything about him. No one saw Annie with him or talked to her about him. No one knows who he is or where he is. The dude’s a phantom.”

  “Didn’t Stan check out the realtors and the Wild Heights people?”

  “No one hired a botanist and no one rented him a house. No one’s seen a stranger around town other than the run-of-the-mill tourist. Like I said, Lena, the guy’s a spook. You’re the only one who seems to know anything about him.”

  “And I don’t know much.”

  “I’m sure she’ll turn up,” Pam said, downing her beer. “Stan said she’s done this before…run off, I mean. He doesn’t really think Jake hurt her. He just needs someone to point a finger at until she comes home.”

  “He had that same theory weeks ago,” Lena said. “If Annie is in some kind of trouble, he’s wasted three weeks that could have been spent looking for her. I mean, Jesus, Jake, he barely even questioned me about our last conversation!”

  “Speaking of which, he told me he’d be up to talk to you again one of these days,” Jake said. “He tried to call you to set up an appointment, but since there’s no reception up here and you never check your voice mail, he couldn’t get through. I told him I’d relay the message.”

  “You’re a regular courier, aren’t you? Between Alex and Stinky, I’m costing you a lot of gas. When did he say he was coming?”

  “Tomorrow or the next day…you might want to keep your sundress handy when you’re posing for Michelangelo.”

  “Thanks for the warning,” Lena said. “I’ll try to keep my legs together until he’s gone.”

  Jake sighed. “I’m sorry, Lene, it’s just a shock to me, that’s all. I’ve always wanted what’s best for you and I thought it was Alex. I’ve gotten used to the idea of you two being together. Now, you’re both seeing other people and it happened so fast.” He shook his head. His shaggy blond hair danced around his shoulders. “In love one day and out of love the next. It’s a foreign concept to me.”

  Lena put a hand on his shoulder. “I’m sorry, too, Jake. I shouldn’t have expected otherwise. I guess I should probably get used to that reaction, huh?”

  “Greenville’s a small town and you know how that goes,” Pam said. “Divorce is an unpleasant reality of life, but adultery’s still a four-letter word.”

  Lena didn’t laugh. “Should I go ahead and brand myself with a scarlet letter?”

  “Of course not. Just be prepared for some unflattering talk.”

  “The failure of my marriage to Alex lies on both of our heads, Pam. He was screwing around… doesn’t that give me some justification?”

  Pam shook her head. “Once Alex hit the bestseller list, the two of you became the closest thing to a celebrity couple Greenville’s got. He managed to charm a lot of folks on your visits home, particularly last year when he did that book-signing thing for charity at the hospital. Even my mother told me what a great guy he is and how lucky you were to snag him.” She took her shoes off and dragged her toes through the water. “All the fifty-something Seasons fans will have to blame someone for your break-up and once they catch sight of you with Mr.
Handsome, you know what they’ll say.”

  Lena tossed her head. “So let them. I don’t care. I won’t give up Odin just because a bunch of middle-aged spinsters love Alex’s books. The whole thing’s ridiculous! It’s none of anyone’s business anyway. “

  “Christ Jesus,” Jake said. “You’re starting to sound just like Annie.”

  “Good. It’s about time I grew a spine.” Lena stood and extended her hand to Pam. “Come on, let’s grab another beer and go for a swim. Since Jake dragged you all the way up here to snoop on me and criticize my love life, the least we can do is relax and have a little fun for the rest of the afternoon!”

  ***

  From his seat at the window, The God watched Lena and her friends drink beer and swim. Frowning, he replaced his binoculars and turned up the music. While Cio-Cio San sang her sorrows, he reached for the keys to the bunkhouse. His afternoon of painting would not be revisited until dinnertime; her friends had settled in for the long haul.

  Branches snapped beneath his feet as he approached the small outbuilding where he kept the girl. He put an ear to the door, listening. Inside, he could hear her frantic attempts to hide. She’d turned feral over the weeks and months of her captivity, reverting to her animal instincts in spite of the futility of her actions. He allowed her panic to build for a minute longer before he turned the key and entered the cool darkness within.

  Weak sunlight slanted across the floor from the skylight in the roof. The only window in the tiny room, it allowed enough daylight in to reveal its contents: a chair, a dresser, and two single beds, one of them covered with a dirty gray sleeping bag. In the corner was a composting toilet, identical to the one he’d helped Lena pick up from the plumbing supply store. His eyes traveled over the sparse furnishings, seeking the room’s lone occupant. There was no place to hide. He clicked on his flashlight to illuminate the area.

  She was huddled in the corner, her head on her knees, arms wrapped tightly around her legs. When the light flashed across her, she looked up, wide-eyed. With three strides, he stood before her. Squatting, he tugged the chains that ringed her ankles and held her captive. She whimpered softly and knelt before him, forehead pressed to the floor in submission, while he unlocked the irons, releasing her.