Love on the Horizon (A Northern Woods Novel)

by Roberts, Charliann

  “What the… watch where you’re going young lady,” Art said.

  Nick opened the door and watched as she rushed out. When he was confident that she’d actually left the building, he helped Art into a chair.

  “I’ll be right back,” he said, and strode to the exit, to reassure them both that she actually returned to her car and drove away.

  He walked back into his office, sat down at his desk, and shook his head in disgust.

  “What the heck was that about?” Art asked, with a puzzled look.

  Nick explained all she’d done. “I don’t know what she was trying to pull here. I think we’d better hold off on telling Jake. Who knows if he’d be able to handle it? Let’s hope it was a lesson learned on her part. From what I’ve read about these women, some are very evil, but I didn’t expect something like this.”

  “She should have noticed how happily married you are when they came to visit last month,” Art said.

  “Marriage means nothing to this type of women, Art. They only want a man’s money, and with the clothes she was dressed in, it looked as though Jake furnished her with a credit card, so she’s well on her way.”

  “Why, what was she wearing?”

  “Not much of anything. She wore very expensive clothes, if that’s what you’d call them. She must have purchased them on the Internet. I don’t believe there’s a store around here that sells that type of clothing. Hell, Art. This is ranch land. I doubt there’s a cat house anywhere nearby, and that was exactly the way she looked.”

  “That bad, huh?”

  “You better believe it.”

  “This would crush Jake, ya know. I guess you’re right. We’ll keep quiet and see where it goes from here. Hopefully, you put her to shame.”

  “I’m not going to tell Mariah about this. I don’t want her to worry. She has more important issues on her mind right now."

  Art nodded his head and sat with his arms crossed, a frown on his face.

  “Jake should be back any minute. I sent him over to Huntington for supplies. We’re almost out of oats, and we need more bands for the horses’ manes. I want to have everything purchased for the horse show this summer. Mariah said she’d like Precious Angel shown this year.”

  “That palomino can carry a show of her own,” Art said.

  “For sure, and Mariah is so proud of her. Hopefully, she’ll feel up to riding by then; lucky for her that it won’t be until the end of July.”

  He stood up with a long exhausted sigh. “I’m going out to check on the men. Would you like me to make another pot of coffee for you?”

  “Nah, but I’ll stick around here in case any more excitement appears. I wouldn’t want to miss out next time,” he remarked with a grin.

  “There better not be a next time,” Nick said in disgust. He sighed again in frustration, and then he stepped out and closed the door behind him.

  * * *

  Mariah let Nicky take his own bath, which made him one happy little cowboy. Tired from his day at school, he fell asleep after she’d read the first paragraph of The Little Pony.

  She sat on the couch dressed in her soft fleece pajamas, her Christmas gift from her son. When Nick had taken him shopping, Nicky chose her favorite color of cherry rose. She smiled when she heard the door open and Nick walked in.

  “You’re early tonight, honey. I just put Nicky down. Come sit by me for a while.”

  He removed his parka and gloves, then his heavy boots. “Give me a few minutes, sweetheart. I need to warm up a bit.”

  He stood on the hearth, his back to Mariah, and held his hands toward the heat from the burning logs.

  “Anya stopped by today, Nick.”

  He lifted his head abruptly when that alone set the alarm bells ringing. “Really?”

  “I’d been sleeping, and by the time I got to the door she was driving away. I just missed her.”

  Nick sighed with relief. As casually as he could manage, he asked, “Didn’t she even bother to call before she stopped by?”

  “No, but she must have been in a hurry. I only heard the doorbell ring a couple of times, and Bess hadn’t returned from taking Nicky to preschool.”

  He turned around and sat on the couch. His hands were now warm from the fire, and he placed one of her feet into his palm and gave her a foot massage.

  “Ahh… that feels so good,” she sighed.

  He enjoyed being able to help her in any way that he could. He placed her foot down and moved on to the other. He noticed as she watched him intently.

  “Is something bothering you?” she asked.

  He searched for a plausible explanation, and she burst out laughing.

  “Why are you so disturbed about my having a friendship with Anya? She won’t bite,” she said with a smile. Hastily, he looked away. He didn’t want her to know what Anya had done. It would only upset her, and she doesn’t need that.

  He gave her feet a pat and stood. “Is there anything you’d like me to help you with?”

  “No, I’m fine,” she answered, with a quizzical look on her face.

  “Well I’m going to head for the shower. It’s getting late. I’ll be in bed shortly.”

  When he entered the bedroom, Mariah was sleeping soundly. He climbed in beside her, careful not to wake her.

  He was uncomfortable with Mariah’s ability to figure him out. If Anya tries anything more, I’ll have to let Mariah know about it, even if it might upset her. He didn’t want her to assume something that wasn’t.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Mariah sat in front of the living room window and admired several deer as they stood near the edge of their property. All of a sudden, they raised their heads in alert, then turned and rapidly spread out across the land. What a beautiful day. It was the first week in February, and the sky was clear blue, not a cloud in sight. The sun shone brightly and the snow sparkled like diamonds. It would soon be time for the birth of the twins. Their due date was the eighth of April; however, Dr. Wisenberg informed her that they might arrive sooner. Mariah hoped so; she’d been feeling very uncomfortable for the past couple of weeks.

  Nick had to make a quick trip to the feed store, and he assured her he’d be back shortly. That had been two hours ago and Mariah had become quite concerned, until a few moments later, when he hurried through the door.

  “I’m sorry I took so long, Mariah. On the way home, a rear tire blew out on my truck. I tried to call, but the battery went dead on my cell phone. Thankfully, I had a spare, and here I am,” he said. He hung his jacket on the coat rack, smiled and placed a kiss on her cheek. “I was worried. I’m glad you’re okay.”

  “Oh don’t worry so much, Nick. If I needed anyone, there’s always Art, Lillie, or any of the ranch hands, for that matter. Other than having to haul this heavy load around with me everywhere I go, I’m fine.

  “Before I forget, Anya called me today. She asked if I’d like to have lunch with her tomorrow since Zak is attending classes now, and Nicky will be having an extra day at preschool for a birthday party.”

  “Oh Mariah, I wish you wouldn’t go with Anya. I have a very bad feeling about her.”

  “Now Nick, we’ll only be going over to the café on the county road. She’ll pick me up, and it’s a short ten-minute drive. You worry too much.”

  “Well according to Jake, she can’t drive worth a darn. Where she’s from, they don’t care about their vehicles. They act as though they’re driving bumper cars and leave the scene as if nothing happened. He said that was why he bought her a used car. He found a few dents in his truck that weren’t there before, and she only denied having an accident. She told him someone must have run into it while she was in the mall. Please don’t go, Mariah.”

  “Oh for heaven’s sake, we’ll only be driving on the dirt road from our house to the county road, and the café is on the east side. I’ll be fine, now stop worrying.”

  “Well, I have to head back out to the stable. Is there anything I can do for you before I go?�
�

  “No, Bess will be home with Nicky soon. I’m going to lie down for a short nap.”

  “Okay honey, but call me if you need anything.” He pulled up the hood of his jacket. “It sure is a beautiful day today, isn’t it? The air smells nice and fresh, even though it does thoroughly freeze your nostrils.”

  Mariah giggled, and he shut the door behind him.

  * * *

  Anya showed up at noon and helped Mariah out to her car. Once she was safely seated, she called Nick to let him know that Anya assisted her into her vehicle and they were about to leave.

  “Okay Mariah, but please don’t be gone long.”

  “We won’t. I need to get out of the house for a bit. We’ll be back before you know it.”

  Art looked at Nick when he closed his cell phone. “What’s up? You look worried. Is Mariah okay?” Nick stared off into space.

  “She just left with Anya.”

  “What? Are you serious?”

  He sighed and then gave a resigned shrug. “I can’t tell her she’s not allowed to go, Art. She’s right. She does need to get out. She’s so tired of being unable to drive anywhere. They’re only going as far as the café at the Pinewood Hills Country Market. She convinced me she’d be okay, since they’ll be on the dirt road. What harm could that be? I guess the one place to worry about Anya’s driving would be when they have to cross to the other side of the county road. Anya hasn’t pulled any more of her tricks since the episode in the stable, so hopefully she learned her lesson." Nick rubbed the back of his neck and sighed heavily.

  * * *

  “Let’s sit over there.” Anya pointed to a vacant booth in the corner.

  “I think the table would be more comfortable for my heavy load. I’d be able to move my chair away from the table and have more room for this bundle,” she said, and placed her hands on her stomach.

  “Okay,” Anya smiled pleasantly.

  The waitress poured a cup of coffee for each of them. After she’d taken their order, Anya sat and stared at Mariah.

  “So,” Anya began, “how long have you and Nick been married?”

  “We’re going on six wonderful years,” she said with a smile. She stirred the cream in her coffee and placed her spoon on the saucer. “We’ve been very happy. We’re both so excited about the twins.”

  “I’m sure you are,” Anya said.

  Mariah noticed when Anya’s mouth twitched with amusement, then turned into a tense, but mysterious look. After a long pause she asked, “What? Why are you looking at me that way?”

  “Oh, I was thinking about your husband, that’s all. Nick is very flirtatious for someone who is happily married.”

  Mariah looked across the table in surprise. “What do you mean?”

  “Well, I probably shouldn’t say anything, the condition you’re in.”

  “You know, for someone who knew not one word of the English language when you arrived in the United States, you quickly learned to speak it,” Mariah pointed out. “Now what are you implying about my husband?”

  “Oh, it was nothing, really. I came looking for Jake a while back. I knocked on Nick’s office door, and he welcomed me in. He’s a very affectionate man.”

  She seemed to have a very pleased expression on her face, and Mariah’s mouth dropped open. She was too stunned to cry.

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about, Anya, but I think perhaps we should leave.”

  “Don’t you believe me? I only thought it would be best if you knew how your husband really is. I was also with him when he had the flat tire.”

  Mariah was speechless. She looked up, and as their eyes met, she felt a shock run through her. Was that why Nick had taken so long to return?

  “Please Anya; I’d like to go home.” She stood and fumbled with her coat. Anya tried to help her, but Mariah pulled away from her and walked toward the door. Anya placed a twenty-dollar bill on the table, and with a look of triumph, she followed her out.

  Anya helped Mariah into the passenger seat, then went around to the driver’s side and climbed in. She looked over at her.

  “I’m sorry, honey. I didn’t mean to cause any trouble.”

  “Please take me home. I’m not feeling well.”

  “Okay, I’ll have you there shortly, hold on,” she replied with a smile and stepped on the gas pedal a bit too hard. The car plunged forward, slid on the gravel, spun in a circle, and flew into the ditch on the opposite side of the county road.

  Mariah screamed in terror. Seven months pregnant with twins, she’d had to push the seat back to ride comfortably, and wasn’t able to use her seatbelt. She held her arms across her stomach to protect her babies. When the car dove into a small tree, her head hit the dashboard. She was unconscious when the impact threw her back into the seat, her face resting against the door.

  Anya leaned forward and whispered in her ear, “Don’t worry Mariah, I’ll take extra good care of Nick for you.”

  Chapter Fifteen

  A witness who’d been exiting the café, dialed nine-one-one. When the ambulance arrived, they placed Mariah on a gurney and rushed her to the emergency vehicle.

  The police had obtained all of the information they needed from Anya. They informed her that they understood the gravel was what caused her automobile to slide, but even though there was no other car involved, they’d have to wait and see if Mariah was okay. The officer told her they’d be in touch and then called for a tow truck. They pulled her vehicle from the ditch, and she was able to drive it home. The only damage was to the bumper.

  Nick was in his office when the phone rang.

  “Nick, I’m very worried about Mariah,” Bess said.

  “You mean she hasn’t returned yet? She should have been home over an hour ago. I’ll be right there.”

  When he stepped out of the stable and dropped the latch on the door, he looked up and saw a police car entering the long drive. It was Officer Burt Bedford from the Pinewood Hills Police Department. Nick and Burt were on the high school football team together. He pulled into the lot and got out of his car. Nick walked over to meet him.

  “Hi Burt, what brings you here?” he asked, his mind a mixture of hope and fear.

  “It’s Mariah. There’s been an accident. You need to get over to the hospital right away. I’ll drive you, buddy.”

  He rushed into the house, explained the situation to Bess, and asked her to stay with Nicky. “I don’t know how long I’ll be.”

  “Don’t worry. I’ll stay as long as you need me. I brought clothes over last week, to be prepared. Nicky and I will be fine. Call me as soon as you have some news. I’ll be very worried.”

  “Thanks, Bess. Please be extra careful when you leave to pick him up from preschool. Also, don’t tell him anything; just say we went out for dinner.”

  Nick grabbed the thermos Bess filled with coffee and hurried out the door. Burt was waiting in the car.

  * * *

  Jake left work early and had been watching for Anya. He had no idea what may have happened to her. He was about to pace with worry, when she finally pulled into the driveway. He saw the front end of her car, grabbed his jacket and ran out to meet her.

  “What happened, honey, are you okay? Did you call the police for help?”

  “No, no policeman. I’m fine. Some person must have run into my car again, while I was shopping,” she replied, a deep scowl on her face.

  “Well, I’m not about to call the insurance company. I only have you covered for liability anyway,” Jake said. He shook his head in disgust. She keeps having accidents and doesn’t tell him.

  “What does that mean?” Anya asked, with a worried look.

  “It means they’d only pay for the other person’s car, but not your own.”

  “Oh,” Anya said softly. “You want dinner now?”

  “I’ve already eaten some of the leftover stew. I was beginning to get worried about you, Anya. Why are you home so late?”

  “Just walk around stores
,” she told him.

  “Would you like me to heat some stew for you?” Jake asked.

  “No, I’m not hungry, just tired. I get ready for bed now.”

  “Okay, honey. I’ll put the car in the garage, and then I’ll be in. Zak is sound asleep in his room.”

  Jake knew she was pretending to doze off. He watched while she tried to relax and breathe slowly. It made him very angry that she refused to speak with him. She finally dozed off and he went to the family room and tried to sleep on the couch, but couldn’t stop thinking about how Anya did nothing but roam around the malls and spend money. When she was home, she spent most of her time on the computer and seldom bothered to clean the house. Dirty dishes were always stacked in the sink, and she never bothered to vacuum the floors. She hadn’t even attempted to scrub the bathrooms since she and Zak arrived.

  He’d finally dozed off when he awakened to a loud knock at the door, followed by the sound of the doorbell. He looked at the clock while he leapt from the sofa, pulled on his jeans, and rushed down the hall. It was ten p.m. A police officer stood waiting on the porch.

  “May I help you?” Jake asked when he opened the door.

  “I’m Officer Bedford from the Pinewood Hills Police Department,” he said, and showed him his badge.

  “Please come in,” Jake replied. He moved to the side of the entryway and opened the door wide.

  The officer informed Jake of the accident and gave him the few details he had of the injured passenger.

  “There was a passenger?”

  “Yes, a female. A pregnant woman was rushed to the emergency room at the hospital here in Huntington.”

  “Is she going to be okay?”

  “We have no information at this time. I wanted to make sure your wife arrived home safely.”

  “Yes, she arrived an hour ago. She was very upset. She’s sleeping now. Do you need to speak with her?”

  “No, we’ll be in touch. Have a nice evening.”

  “Thank you, Officer.”

  Anya kept still and waited quietly. Jake stood next to the bed and gently shook her shoulder. She turned over and looked into his eyes.