It was a weird story but gave Connie hope that love existed and that maybe she wouldn’t have to be alone anymore. Her parents had died in a car accident when she was a little girl, not much older than Emily. To her knowledge, she didn’t have any other family. Both of her parents had been an only child, and her mother’s parents had also died and her father’s father, but she never knew what had happened to her grandmother. No one had mentioned her beyond a telling of a falling out between her father and her. So, she was alone, and if she let it, that knowledge would depress her beyond belief.
“Earth to Connie,” a deep voice said close to her ear, which jerked her back to the present and dragged her into the dark depths of Jacob’s gaze.
Lord, what this man is doing to me inside should be illegal.
“Are you okay?” he asked quietly, concerned.
She glanced around and found everyone staring at her, equal amounts of concern in their own eyes. She flushed a deep red, embarrassed to be caught daydreaming.
“Yes. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to ignore everyone.”
“Oh, honey, you’re fine. You just seemed so sad and looked like you were miles away,” Nina said, patting her hand from across the table. They were close in age, and yet Nina treated her like a daughter. It was no doubt the mother hen in her, so Connie couldn’t find it in herself to care beyond loving the other woman like a sister.
“I’m fine, really,” she insisted, embarrassed all over again. She and her stupid thoughts were going to get her in trouble one day.
Dinner over, the small group stood up as one, and Connie started to clean the table before Nina took the stack of plates out of her hands. Emily had disappeared again, but Nina didn’t look worried.
“Don’t even think about it. You’re a guest, Connie! Go have fun. Get some air. Relax. It won’t be dark for a few more hours.” She raised an eyebrow. “You do know how to relax, don’t you?”
“Of course I do!” Did she? She wasn’t used to not having anything to do. If she could remember, it was either work or dealing with the stress of her failed marriage.
She started to move away from the table, but Jacob’s dark gaze snagged her own, holding her in place from where he stood a few feet away.
“Walk with me?” he asked, his voice not giving any clue to what he was thinking.
Her heart pounding, she nodded, not sure if it was a good idea, but something was pulling her toward him, something she didn’t understand. She was still technically married, but that fact didn’t bother her. She had been divorced in her mind for over a year and unhappy for a lot longer than she cared to admit. That part of her past had no correlation to the present or future, and she refused to let it control her actions or decisions.
With a few hours of daylight left, Jacob was going to take advantage of the time alone with Connie and fell into step with her shorter pace as they left the building. The silence wasn’t a tense one, but it wasn’t exactly relaxing either. He was strung tightly, wondering what the hell he was doing or going to say. He knew she was nowhere near ready to start anything, and yet, for some reason, he was going to try.
His own life was up in the air with the new direction he was taking himself, so he could only imagine what was going through her mind. He was afraid to ask. He was staying and actively looking for his own place, but what about Connie? What did she want? Was this just a vacation for her and then returning to the city? He really didn’t have the right to ask. They barely knew each other, and yet…
He stopped suddenly, drawing Connie’s gaze up to his face as she stopped beside him. They were close to the edge of the trees, yards from the buildings and plenty of privacy, especially if she rejected him. His heart hit his stomach at that thought, but he couldn’t back down, not now.
“What’s wrong?” she asked softly.
Jacob had waited too long for Nina—which was a good thing because what he felt for Nina paled in comparison to what he was feeling for Connie. He wasn’t waiting again. He wouldn’t make that mistake twice.
He took a deep breath and shoved his hands into his jeans pockets. Women had always come easily to Jacob. Maybe this is payback for that, he thought, staring down into Connie’s puzzled expression. He found it hard to think around her, let alone string words together to form a complete thought.
“Will you have dinner with me tomorrow evening?” he blurted out, rocking back on his heels.
Seeing her eyes widen, he wanted to kick himself. Smooth, Tanner. Real fucking smooth.
He saw her open her mouth, the rejection in her beautiful eyes, and steeled himself against the disappointment. They stared at each other, and he saw her tongue dart out to lick her bottom lip as she stared up at him.
Mesmerized, he watched the small movement, and he didn’t know who moved first. He didn’t care. His mouth covered hers, and their tongues tangled in a move as old as time. He pulled her closer against his chest, tightening his arms around her slender frame as their breathing grew ragged and their tongues dueled and twisted around each other. He couldn’t get enough of her. The desire for her hit him hard, tightening his jeans and making it almost difficult to breathe. If he died from lack of oxygen, he would die a happy man.
Chapter 8
Connie couldn’t believe what was happening. She had never felt for someone the way she did for Jacob, not even for her ex; it terrified her.
Wrenching her mouth away from his, she backed up against a tree, her eyes wide. She touched her swollen lips with her hand, and the only sound was their ragged breathing that filled the silence as they stared at each other.
“Connie,” Jacob started, taking a step closer to her.
She raised her hand, and he jerked to a stop as his shoulders slumped.
“I don’t know if I can do this,” she whispered, dropping her hand back to her side as her heartbeat started to slow to a normal rhythm. “I’m not ready. I’m still technically married, and before—”
She ducked suddenly at what sounded like shots, and before she knew it, Jacob had tackled her to the ground, lying on top of her. His heavy weight wasn’t the only thing that made it hard to breathe, but the impact of the hard ground was something she didn’t want to replay. Trying to catch her breath, she stared up at the cloudless sky, dazed.
The echo trailed off, and seconds passed before they heard yelling coming from the main building of the resort. The two stayed on the ground until Rob ran over to them, a shot gun in his hands.
“Are you guys okay?” he demanded, his eyes scanning the dense forest. “We heard the shots and then saw you two on the ground. Nina is calling the sheriff now. Let’s get you both inside.”
With that, Jacob jerked Connie up on her feet without a word, swept her into his arms, and jogged to the resort.
“I can walk!” she protested, her words jumbled with the movement of his steps. She still didn’t understand what had happened. Why would someone be shooting around the resort? Hunting season had just started, but it still didn’t make any sense. Was it really gunshots she had heard?
He didn’t answer her, and Nina opened the door as they hit the porch. As one, they all ran inside, and Nina slammed the door closed behind them. For a second, Jacob didn’t put her down but held her tightly, and she realized he was shaking, his muscles quivering against her body. He still hadn’t said a word, and she looked up at him until he lowered his head and met her eyes. The fear in the dark depths froze her, and the voices around them faded.
It’s not fear for him, she realized, her heart in her throat. He was scared for her. Her heart cracked a little under that kind of pressure, and her gaze softened with a small smile.
“I’m okay,” she said softly.
He slowly released his hold, her body sliding down the length of his until her feet were firmly on the ground, standing almost flush against him. She watched as he raised a shaking hand, and she saw his fingers come away with blood.
Her eyes widened, and she touched the side of her face, her che
ek, bringing her own fingers away bloody.
“The bullets hit the tree you were leaning against,” he said quietly. “They were meant for you, sweetheart.”
Shocked, she could only stare at him, wondering if the world around her had gone completely insane.
“Me?” she squeaked. “Why me? Why would someone want to kill me?”
“I don’t know, but I’m going to find out,” he vowed.
Connie heard the conviction and anger laced in his voice and shivered. Between his kiss and then the bullets, she didn’t know what she felt. She was more than a little confused by everything and just wanted her life back, a normal balance that she hadn’t been able to achieve since before her marriage.
She sighed and took a few steps back, Jacob’s arms dropping with nothing between them. Everyone had been silent up until now, but they all heard doors slamming outside, and Jacob, Connie, and Nina moved back away from the door as Rob opened it to let in the sheriff and three deputies.
“Sorry it took so long. I won’t miss the damn roads when I retire,” the old man grumbled. The faded blue eyes took in the small group and narrowed on Connie and the obvious cuts on her face.
Rob’s concerned gaze found his wife. “Is Emily sleeping?”
Nina shook her head. “No, but she’s fine. She’s in her room at the moment getting ready for bed. She’s okay.”
With that, she looked around the small group. “Why don’t I make some coffee for everyone?” Nina offered before disappearing toward the kitchen.
“Coffee sounds good,” the sheriff said. His eyes lit on Jacob. “We looked around before coming inside and didn’t see anything right off. On top of that, it’s starting to get dark. I have a few men looking around from where the bullets appeared to have come from but so far, nothing. I’ll be honest, boy. I’m retiring in a week, and you’re taking over the job, so you might as well get your feet wet now. It’s your investigation.”
Jacob nodded, and he didn’t look surprised at the news and suggestion of taking over.
If I decide to stay, Jacob will be sheriff. The realization brought a new level of fear: falling for him and then losing him. She had already been hurt. She didn’t want to go through that pain again, not if she could help it.
After Nina passed around coffee and Connie went to her room to change out of her wet clothes from landing on the ground, Jacob walked outside with the sheriff and Rob.
Together, they looked around and headed farther into the woods. It was dark compared to the open spaces, the tree cover thick in the impending night, but for a few minutes, it was still possible to see the saturated ground softened by the recent rain.
Lost in thought, Jacob almost missed it, and he jerked to a stop, his eyes narrowing. The other men had split up, covering more ground than if they had stayed together.
He bent down to look closer. Large boot tracks, around a size ten. He glanced up, and a massive rock, bigger than two six-foot men standing on each other, stood to his right, the perfect place to be.
In fact…
Jacob straightened and climbed onto the rock. Standing up, he braced his legs and looked out. Sure enough, he could see the exact spot where Connie had stood leaning against the tree, a perfect target for the fucker.
Jumping down, Jacob struggled to control his rage as he thought of what could have happened, what almost happened.
He heard footsteps close by and watched as Rob and the old man came in through the trees from opposite sides.
“I found tracks, but they stopped at the creek about a mile back,” Rob said grimly.
Jacob motioned behind him at the rock, and he didn’t have to say more. The implication was clear.
Rob cursed. “Fuck me.”
The men headed back toward the resort, each lost in their own thoughts. When they reached the yard, the sun was behind the trees, complete darkness fast approaching. There was nothing that could be done now, and that fact just pissed Jacob off more. The sheriff stopped next to his vehicle and looked over at Jacob. “I’ll let the council know I’m taking the last week for vacation. You’re running this show, Tanner. Good luck.”
With that, the old man jumped in his Jeep and took off down the mountain as Rob chuckled next to him. “The ass didn’t waste any time, did he?”
Jacob sighed and shoved his hands into the pockets of his jeans, shaking his head. “It makes sense though. He’s retiring in a week. I might as well step in and find out who has it out for Connie.”
“Any ideas?”
Jacob raised an eyebrow, wondering why Rob even had to question that part beyond the obvious. “A few, like where the fuck her ex is and if he left town.”
Rob nodded, his lips thinning as he caught the connection. “That would be an excellent place to start.”
The fucker better had left town or Jacob just may shove the rifle up the fucker’s ass.
Chapter 9
Connie couldn’t believe that it had come down to this, someone shooting at her. When Jacob had come back in from the woods, he had asked her if she thought her ex could have done it, and at first, she was dead set against the idea. Did Adam really have that much hate for her to wish her harm? Or worse, death? All she wanted was a divorce. She didn’t have anything he would want. She had even told him he could keep everything—the house, cars, and stocks. All she wanted was her freedom. It couldn’t be Adam. He didn’t have the motivation, and she didn’t even think he had it in him to shoot her. Did he?
Doubts circled her thoughts as she paced her bedroom later that night, her body stiff and sore from the tension. She couldn’t sleep, and her cheek ached from where the bark had cut into her flesh. She was going to have a major bruise in the morning, but she couldn’t find it in herself to care.
Is the world going completely insane, or is it me?
Sighing, she flopped back on the bed and stared up at the ceiling, a heavy frown pulling at her brows. She had come to the mountain to get away from the craziness of life, and it had seemed to follow her instead.
Lying there on the bed, her thoughts swirled and weaved into the wave of emotion she had fought for the past year. It hit her full force, and this time, she couldn’t stop the wave of sadness, the flood of anger that sliced through her at all she had lost.
She had met Adam her junior year of college and had fallen instantly in love. Within six months, they had married. The first year had been beautiful, sweet, loving, and everything she had dreamed of. The sex, if not fantastic, was satisfying, and she was happy.
Within five years of trying to conceive, the strain of their marriage showed, and Adam started to become controlling and basically an asshole. He criticized everything about her, and she was ashamed that she started to believe it. She had withdrawn from life until all she did was work, rejecting any offers of friendship.
When she got off, she returned home, and it got to the point that she cried herself to sleep night after night, broken by the constant belittling. Then a few months later, it happened. She got pregnant and firmly believed that their troubles were over, that her marriage could be saved.
What a naive fool I had been, Connie thought as a tear slid down the side of her face.
She rolled over until she faced the wall and hugged her knees to her chest. Exhaustion pulled at her. Her own thoughts made that exhaustion stronger until finally her eyes slid shut and darkness closed in.
“Do you think this is a good idea?” Adam muttered, looking around at the rowdy bar. They stood out like a sore thumb, and he was getting more than nervous with the curious looks being thrown their way. Sweat gathered at the base of his neck, bringing the heat with it.
The bar, located an hour away from the mountain and had taken them most of the day to get to, was stuffy, smoke-filled, and crowded, not a place they were used to, even coming from the city. He looked around in disgust and didn’t even try to hide the disdain he felt.
Even his damn table felt sticky and wobbled on four legs as if the damn thing was go
ing to topple over with the weight of a beer, if he had been so inclined that was, which he wasn’t. He hated the taste. He was more into fancy imported whiskey and didn’t think they carried his brand in the fucking place.
“We’re meeting someone, so just sit there and shut up,” his mother snapped. His eyes flashed with temper, but he restrained himself from hitting the old bitch. She was still useful to him now but soon…
He scanned the crowded bar, and his lips again twisted in disgust. He had a beer in front of him for appearance’s sake, but he loathed the taste of the bitter liquid. He didn’t know how anyone could drink it but, fuck, more power to them. His mother had a water with lemon stuck to the rim of what looked like a shot glass.
Hell, why hadn’t he thought of that?
A man entered the dingy, smoke-filled bar, and the man’s eyes froze Adam in his spot, the bottle of beer halfway to his mouth. He didn’t like the looks of the newcomer, and a shiver of fear slid down his spin.
A glitter of evil, of something Adam didn’t want to think too much of or about, shone in the man’s eyes, and he almost, almost, felt sorry for his wife but not enough to call off the chain of events that he and his mother were setting into motion. It was too late to go back, too late for regrets or remorse.
His mother was still beside him, her eyes on the man by the door as well. Pale, shaking, they waited. The man looked around until his dark gaze lit on them in the corner.
It was too late.
Chapter 10
Tuesday: 8:16 p.m.
Drawn to Vail Mountain (Vail Mountain Trilogy Book 3) Page 5