“Please tell me you didn’t hear that.” Jacob felt his cheeks redden and knew he was blushing. He couldn’t recall the last time his face had heated with embarrassment.
Connie smiled, and his heart sped up. She seemed more relaxed than he had ever seen her. It was about time. He walked over to her as she stood up, grinning. Now that they were talking, he didn’t want to stop, even for food and his growling stomach.
“Maybe,” she teased, shocking him yet again. When they had met a year ago, she had been quiet and withdrawn. It was almost as if he was staring and talking to a completely different person. He looked closer, gazing into her deep blue eyes. Nope, it was still there—the sadness that made him want to hug and kiss her, to tell her that everything was going to be all right.
The mountains seem to have that effect, he thought, his dark eyes scanning the color of life, the peach redness of her face that suited her.
He started to say something else, although he wasn’t sure what, but the call for breakfast coming from Emily interrupted him, probably saving him from embarrassing himself further, so he was grateful for that.
They didn’t say anything else as they headed into the dining room, and thankfully his stomach was silent.
For the moment.
As they entered the room, Jacob spied Stephen and Joan at the table, two of the rangers for the resort. Stephen had been there for years but Joan around almost two years if he remembered correctly. They stopped by for breakfast and to visit before they finished preparing to leave for their vacation the next morning. It was hard to schedule time away from the mountains, and with being down two rangers, Jacob figured he could always step in if needed.
Breakfast was a relaxing moment in time where everyone smiled and listened to Emily’s excited chatter, and Rob talked about the plans for the fall season and the incoming guests that were set to arrive later.
Jacob’s eyes were constantly drawn to Connie and her gentle smile that she often aimed at Emily. There was something about her, something he couldn’t quite understand, and he couldn’t take his eyes off her.
Suddenly, he flinched, feeling a foot connect with his shin, and he looked over at Nina, at the grin on her face. He started to roll his eyes and then happened to meet Rob’s narrowed stare as well. The two men locked gazes, their thoughts hidden from each other, and yet the silent communication was clear to them both. Jacob wanted to growl, but instead, he shoved a large piece of egg in his mouth.
Noises from the front room broke through the silent battle, and they looked toward where the sound was coming from.
Rob glanced down at his wristwatch, an ancient gold piece, and frowned as he stood up.
“They’re early,” he muttered.
Nina jumped up as well and followed him.
Jacob sighed, seeing his relaxing morning going up in smoke with the new additions. He looked over at Connie, but the stillness of her expression had him choking back the words of senseless conversation, and his eyes narrowed, not liking what he saw.
Something was wrong, seriously wrong by the look on her face, but—
His thoughts were interrupted as the curt words from the front room drifted toward them.
“Where’s Connie? I know she’s here! I saw her car out in the parking lot!”
Jacob didn’t miss the flinch and the near panic that flashed across her pale face as she slowly stood up. Within seconds, an angry flush put a little more color in her cheeks.
“What the hell are they doing here?” she muttered angrily. With an “Excuse me,” aimed his way, she stormed from the dining room to another call of her name.
With a frown, he rushed to follow her, stopping in the doorway between the living room and lounge of the check in area.
A man and woman stood in front of Nina and Rob, and the woman turned just as Connie entered the room, glaring at the two by the reception desk.
“There you are!” the woman exclaimed with an irritated sigh. “Do you know how dangerous the roads are to get up here? We almost hit the ditch twice!”
Connie didn’t respond to the scolding, and now everyone was quiet as the tension rose. Finally, she spoke in an anxious tone. “Then you shouldn’t have come. What are you doing here?”
Jacob noticed she didn’t even acknowledge the man beside the woman, but the eyes spoke another story, the eyes of both the man and Connie as he saw their gazes lock.
What the hell was going on? Was he a boyfriend? He refused to think of the other option. It was too depressing to think about, not with his earlier thoughts of what he would like to do with Connie.
“Coming to talk some sense into you. This has gone far enough, young lady. You need to come home!”
Jacob’s eyes narrowed. He didn’t like the looks of the woman or the silence of the man.
What the hell is going on? And why won’t Connie tell the bitch off?
Silence reigned for a few more seconds until Nina cleared her throat to break the tension that anyone could see and feel. Even chatterbox Emily was quiet, her wide eyes going between the group and Connie in confusion.
“Well, you have a reservation, so let’s get you checked in and show you to your rooms.” Nina’s words confirmed it, and Connie’s pale complexion further puzzled him.
Who are they? And why are they here?
The man finally spoke, his words soft and almost meek, but Jacob saw the demand and order reflected in his brown eyes. “May I speak to you privately, Connie?”
Connie met his eyes, and her next words froze the group yet again, bringing a shocked gasp to the woman’s fat lips.
“Go to hell.”
Jacob noticed the wedding ring on the man’s left hand. Well, fuck.
Connie turned and walked away, and they all watched her leave. Jacob had remained quiet until then, and he still did, but his eyes met the man’s, and Jacob knew what he would see—the threat of retribution if the bastard didn’t leave Connie alone. She had made her position clear. The fucker better take no for an answer.
“Well, that didn’t go over well,” the woman muttered.
“Mom, let’s just get to our rooms, and we’ll speak to Connie later,” he said, his eyes still locked with Jacob’s.
Jacob watched the two strangers head up the stairs, following Nina, and he turned toward Rob.
“Who are they?” he asked, still thinking of Connie’s reaction to their presence. He had a feeling the man was her husband, and that fact didn’t sit well with him at all. The only consolation was her response. If looks could kill, the man and woman both would be dead, and that soothed him…a little.
Rob frowned and stared after the two.
“Karen and Adam Sanders, mother and son. They called yesterday and booked the week at the resort, paid in full. But I promise this; if they give Connie shit, they are gone, money refunded,” he growled, and Jacob was glad to hear it. He had a feeling they were going to cause nothing but fucking problems.
Knowing there was nothing he could do for Connie or what he didn’t understand was going on, Jacob decided to do what he had been considering when he had made the spontaneous decision in his apartment. He went to his room for his keys and wallet, meeting Nina on the way back.
“Where are you off to?” she asked.
“Town.”
One word but her stare widened, and she grinned, her eyes sparkling.
“You going to talk to the sheriff?”
His lips thinned. The last time he was here, he and the sheriff hadn’t seen eye to eye, so he wasn’t exactly looking forward to the coming conversation, but the urge to try puzzled him. He wasn’t a country man. He had lived in the city his whole life, and yet for some reason, he really wanted a change, something different, and he had a feeling that this was where he was supposed to be.
“Yeah, I figure why not,” he responded, not wanting to get her hopes up. It really wasn’t up to the sheriff, thank God, but the city council. He had called the mayor the day before on his way to the resort, and
the man had seemed eager to talk to him, but once he committed to the offer he had a feeling was coming, there would be no going back. Was he ready for that kind of change? The answer was there, but at the moment, he refused to admit it. He wanted his options open, but Jacob figured talking couldn’t hurt.
He nodded to Rob and Stephen on his way out the door and headed toward town and the direction his life was suddenly taking.
Chapter 4
Thursday: 4:32 p.m.
That evening, Connie was hiding in her room and had been most of the beautiful day. She was ashamed to admit it, but there it was.
She was hiding.
She had come to the mountains to get away from the shit that had followed her, and she was beyond pissed. Her ex wouldn’t give her a divorce, and his mother seconded that, often injecting herself into their marriage and separation. Neither of them was taking no for an answer, and to say she was frustrated was putting it mildly. All she wanted to do was move on, and they refused to let her. She was at a standstill, and she hated it.
What the fuck is their problem?
At her thought and curse word, she could almost hear her father’s voice in her head.
“Now, Connie, just because they are assholes doesn’t mean you have to cuss. Watch your language, and be the strong girl I raised. Get rid of the asshole and be happy, baby girl.”
At the words, she felt her eyes burn and let out a watery laugh as she stared out the window.
I’m trying, Daddy. I’m trying.
She saw the snow-covered mountains in the distance, and even though it was early fall, there was still snow at the tips, and it glistened in the sunlight shining through the trees and stealing her breath at the beauty she couldn’t quite take in.
Connie knew she would have to face them eventually and either tell them off or cave in her desire for a new start. She was so tired of fighting—fighting them and reality. It was all she was ever doing—fighting for what she wanted in life, and right then, she wanted to be left alone to live her life peacefully, without the drama that followed the two.
A thought flashed across her mind, and she quickly grabbed her jacket from where she had thrown it on the bed the night before. Glancing both ways in the hallway, she flinched at the squeak of the door and stilled, straining to hear any sounds or movement coming from the other rooms. It was quiet, and she headed down the stairs. She kept her eyes peeled, not wanting to run into her ex or his mother. She held her breath until she reached the kitchen and back door without running into anyone. She didn’t want to explain where she was going or why. She was strung tightly and just wanted to get lost in the mountains.
The cool mountain air lifted her strawberry blond hair, and she quickly put on her jacket as she walked toward the woods across the yard. The farther she walked from the main building and her past, the easier she breathed, and her shoulders relaxed.
She stopped looking back and just breathed in the nature of the mountains. It was quiet and slightly chilly, but she loved it. She could easily picture herself living on the mountain, away from the stress of the city and what she had left behind. Craving that fresh start was all she had been able to think of for months, even the past year.
Connie lost track of time as she wandered through the woods, feeling relaxed for the first time in ages, and when she looked up, it was almost dark. Her eyes widened, and she peered behind her.
Oh, God. Where am I?
She couldn’t see any lights from the resort building, and she looked around, tasting the acid flavor of fear that coated her throat. She didn’t know which direction to go and, like an idiot, had forgotten her cell in her room.
Shivering in the sudden cold of darkness, she headed to where she thought the resort was but had a feeling she may be totally fucked.
Jacob made it back to the resort and sighed as he cut the engine. He still couldn’t believe how the meeting had transpired—or the fact that the job of sheriff was now his. He had arrived at the station with an hour to spare and had expected to wait, but the Mayor had seen him immediately. After reading his resume and making a few calls, the other man had offered him the job.
Shocked, Jacob had asked for a little time to think about it and had left, still unsure what he wanted in life or if this was it. He knew he was tired of the city, and yet this change was as far left as he could imagine.
Torn, his thoughts racing, he opened his truck door and stepped out just as Nina flew through the door, the panic on her face freezing him in his spot with the truck door still open.
“What is it?” he demanded. He immediately thought of Emily, but before he could voice his first thoughts of the little girl, she shook her head.
“Have you heard from Connie?” she asked, her voice trembling.
He stilled. “Connie? She was here when I left this morning.”
“She’s not here! I’ve looked everywhere. Rob went to search for her. It’s dark and cold, and I’m really worried.”
That makes two of us.
He didn’t answer her but grabbed his thick jacket from the backseat and slammed the door shut. Before turning, he saw Emily and Joan on the front porch, their own eyes worried.
“I’ll be back. Stay here,” he ordered.
Without waiting for an answer, he ran toward the woods, his flashlight cutting through the dark as he left the worried group behind him. It was easy to get lost on the mountains. He remembered the fear the last time he had gotten lost the previous year, searching for Nina. It hadn’t been a pleasant experience.
I wish I had my fucking gun with me, he thought, eyeing the shadows of the forest and the beady eyes of the nightlife as he invaded their home.
He started to call out but stopped, not wanting to startle anything he would have to fight.
He heard crashing up ahead through the trees and froze, swirling to shine the light toward the sounds. His eyes narrowed, straining to see through the darkness.
Suddenly, he saw her and went limp with relief when he spotted Rob and Stephen beside her.
She caught sight of Jacob, and her eyes widened.
“Jacob! What are you doing out here?” she asked, coming up closer to him.
He couldn’t speak for a moment, too filled with relief at the sight of her. He didn’t know if he wanted to yell at her or kiss the shit out of her. He was leaning toward the latter, and that thought froze him further.
Rob took pity on him and cut in from behind Connie, a beam of light coming from the powerful flashlight in his gloved hand. “Probably heard you were out here and was just as worried as we were.”
Jacob saw her flush in the dim light. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to get lost or walk so far away.”
“It’s okay. Let’s just get you back to the resort and warmth, hon,” Rob responded.
The three of them headed back, and within minutes, the lights of the building came into view, along with the shadows of the group on the porch.
He felt more than saw Connie’s flinch beside him.
“I didn’t mean to worry everyone,” she exclaimed softly, her eyes on the people on the porch as well.
“It’s okay, Connie. Everyone was just worried about you.”
They made their way inside, the women fussing over Connie as they disappeared up the stairs. Thankfully, the small group missed the woman and man who had come in from the kitchen.
“Is Connie back? That’s just like her to disappear and make everyone else worry! She just likes the attention,” the woman, Karen, said, sighing irritatingly, shaking her graying head. “There’s something not right with that girl! I mean seriously. Who wanders off on a mountain and gets lost?”
Anger coursed through Jacob at her words, and his lips thinned. He badly wanted to tell the bitch and the idiot beside her to leave, and from the looks of Nina and Rob, they felt the same way. Jacob still didn’t know what the relationship was between the two and Connie, and now he wanted to know if nothing else to see if he would be stepping out of bounds by kicking
the assholes out. But again, it wasn’t his place, at least not yet.
It was getting late, and instead of putting his foot in his mouth, he just growled and glared at them before turning away and heading toward the stairs and the quiet of his room, the peace he was suddenly craving. He wanted to check in with Connie, to make sure she was okay but didn’t feel like he had that right either. It was six sides of a dozen either way he looked at it.
And it was something he suddenly wanted to change.
Chapter 5
Friday: 7:02 a.m.
The next morning, Connie knew her time had run out with dealing with the past, especially when her ex, Adam, cornered her in the upstairs hallway, his brown eyes determined.
“I want to talk to you, Connie, please,” he added, acting as if the word was a bad taste in his mouth, and to him, it was. Her ex never asked for anything. He just took it.
Connie felt her tension return, but if she ever wanted them to leave, she knew she would have to face him. Nodding, she led the way back to her room and closed the door behind them.
“What do you want, Adam?” she asked quietly, standing in the middle of the room, as far away as possible.
His eyes on her, he started to step toward her, but she took a step back, raising her hand in the motion of STOP.
“Don’t come near me. Don’t touch me. We are over. Why can’t you understand and accept that?” she demanded. She felt the anger build, the frustration of the past year threatened to explode. She wanted to scream but choked it down as she waited for his excuses.
“I want us to get back together. I miss you. I’m sorry for whatever you think I did—”
“Whatever I think you did?” Connie cut in, astonished at his choice of words, at the lack of repentance and acknowledgement of his many affairs that he refused to lay claim to. “Are you serious, Adam? You expect me to believe that the affairs are all in my head? That I don’t know where you went every night before crawling back into my bed? Do you really think I’m that stupid?”
Drawn to Vail Mountain (Vail Mountain Trilogy Book 3) Page 3