Jacob glanced around his new office, large windows offering a view of the quaint town, the mountains as a backdrop. He had already met the small force of men under his command, only about eight men. Considering the small town had barely two thousand residents, including the two counties of the mountain, and the low crime rate, he wasn’t surprised or complaining. So far, he loved the town and the mountain. It was a far cry from the city, and for the first time in years, it didn’t feel as though he had a tight band on his heart, something heavy lying on his chest, suffocating him.
He stared out the window behind his desk, gazing at the mountains behind the town. It was so scenic, so breathtaking his chest hurt, and that just made him feel nutty and corny. He didn’t know how he felt staying, but he had always listened to his gut, his heart, and it was telling him to stay, to see where this direction of his life took him.
The building was quiet, a few phone rings here and there and a few hushed voices but nothing like it was in the city. He ran his hand through his disheveled hair, probably looking like hell on his first official day as sheriff, but for the past few days, he had been running down leads and trying to find out who had shot at Connie next to the trees. Since it had been on the mountain and the only witnesses had been in the resort, he was up shit creek without a fucking paddle, and he hated the feeling of helplessness that consumed him.
He would have thought it had been a stray hunter shooting where he wasn’t supposed to; that was better than the alternative. But he still didn’t have jack shit to go off of. The tracks had led nowhere, and there wasn’t any evidence at the scene or stake out. For all intents and purposes, her ex and his mother had left town. Witnesses had seen them filling up at the gas station on the outskirts of town, but beyond that, the trail ended.
What the fuck was going on? Why would anyone shoot Connie? Had the bullets been meant for her? To kill or scare her?
Or had they been intended for him? Or had they indeed been stray bullets from a hunter?
Considering the heavy investigation he had been involved in, it wasn’t completely farfetched to believe that someone had followed him. They had been investigating a drug ring for a few years and were close to the head, the one at the top, but he found it hard to believe that train of thought. He had left, resigned, his part and job done. Anyone would be a fool to follow him, so he was ruling that possibility out. It just didn’t make sense, and Jacob was all about making sense.
At least most of the time.
If it hadn’t been a hunter—and he wasn’t ruling that out completely—he was back to the mystery of who could be after Connie, and why kill her? What could be gained by her death? Why wouldn’t her asshole ex give her the divorce? There was something there, something he was missing.
Frowning, he sighed and raked his long fingers through his mussed hair again. Whatever it was, he wasn’t going to think of it tonight. It was getting late, going on eight in the evening, and time to head back. If there was one thing he had learned since returning to the mountains, the drive back to the resort was treacherous at times and worse at night. The long winding roads were hazardous at the best of times, but during the night, it was a flat-out bitch.
An hour later, he braked in front of the resort, lights shining from the lower level, illuminating the yard. It was now full dark, and sure enough, the drive back had been slow. He had to be insane to make this decision, this path in his life, but for some reason, he was drawn to this area, this town, this mountain. He couldn’t explain and didn’t even bother to analyze it. It was pointless to wonder about something he didn’t even understand himself.
He walked in, his steps silent on the hardwood floor that gleamed from a recent cleaning. Everything was polished and shining with the absence of dust or dirt, and he knew Connie had been cleaning and organizing right along with Nina. He had heard them arguing a few days ago, about Nina refusing to take Connie’s money and then Connie telling her that she would help clean and cook. The battle between the two women had been intense but just left Jacob smiling, especially considering that Connie had won in the end. She tried to hide what she was feeling and, for the most part, succeeded, but he was learning more about Connie the longer he got to know her.
They hadn’t talked about his asking her out again, but he hadn’t given up, nor would he. Work and settling into his role as sheriff had consumed him, along with trying to find who had shot that bullet into the tree beside her head. Even now, it was hard to control the rage, the fear he had felt and still felt when he thought about how close she had come. He inhaled, working on breathing deeply, knowing that she was okay, that she was safe.
Now that he was mostly finished with the meetings, he had a little more time to focus on her, and focus on her, he would. There was something about her, something that made him almost dizzy, and it went beyond lust, beyond anything he had ever felt, even for Nina. He wasn’t going to give up before they had a chance to explore whatever this was between them. Even though he now knew he hadn’t loved Nina, he had sat back and waited on her to make the first move, which she obviously didn’t, and he was now grateful to her for recognizing what he hadn’t.
However, the waiting part had been his mistake even if he hadn’t loved her. If he would have loved her, he would have lost his chance forever because of his hesitation, and someone else had flown in and swept her off her feet. He wasn’t going to make that same mistake with Connie. He wasn’t going to sit back and wait, not this time. This was too important. She was too important.
He took one step into the living room, and the roaring fire lit the area with light and flickering shadows. The object of his thoughts sat on the sofa in the middle, her strawberry blond head bent as she read on a black device, an e-reader, Kindle looking thing.
He stood there looking at her, watching how the light from the fire sliced through her hair, turning the gold strands different shades. She was curled into the corner, her slender legs drawn up and tucked beneath her, a plush pillow behind her back.
He must have made a sound because she squeaked, and her head shot up. Her wide eyes looked frantically around the room before connecting with his, and she relaxed, blowing out a breath of relief.
“You startled me!” she accused, setting the Kindle down on her lap, frowning over at him.
“Sorry,” he said sheepishly, coming closer to the couch and where she sat in front of the fire.
“Did you just get in?” she asked, glancing over at the clock above the mantle.
He knew what time it was—not as late as he was used to. Hopefully that part of his life was over for good.
He nodded as he took a seat beside her. Not too close. He didn’t want to scare her or make her uncomfortable. She already seemed jumpy enough and had rejected his invitation to dinner. That still stung, but he couldn’t say he blamed her, not with the asshole, or assholes, she was used to and had in fact married. It would make his job harder to prove that he wasn’t like other men, but he had a feeling she would be worth it.
“Yeah. I had meetings all day, meetings with the officers and city council members. What about you?” he asked, anything to keep her talking now that she was relaxed, to get her comfortable around him. It was always like pulling teeth to get her to open up.
She shrugged and turned to stare at the fire, the Kindle forgotten on her lap for the moment.
His eyes scanned her profile, her pale cheek marred only by a red mark where the bark from the tree had cut her, the bullets barely missing her. He took a deep breath, again, before he burst with rage and the helpless feeling that if she hadn’t moved at that exact moment, or if the bastard had had a better aim, Connie would be dead.
He blocked that thought from his mind, refusing to think like that. Connie was fine, safe, and it was a mantra that he kept repeating in his mind before he lost it completely.
“Same stuff, different day. I helped Nina around the resort since she won’t charge me for staying here.”
It was said in an exas
perated way that made Jacob chuckle, and yet he waited for more, but she wasn’t forthcoming. She just stared at the fire while flickering shadows danced along her beautiful profile, making it hard to concentrate when all he could think about was getting her naked. At that thought, he hardened, and he shifted, not wanting her to know what she did to him, at least not yet. He didn’t want to scare her off.
“Why did you come back?” she asked suddenly, breaking the silence between them.
Jacob shot her a quick look, but again, she stared at that damn fire and didn’t look his way. Having never really had a hard time reading people, she wasn’t like anyone he had ever met. He knew he was attractive and never wanted for women, and yet he couldn’t read her no matter how hard he tried. Used to women falling at his feet or having them chase him, this was a new experience, but he was glad she wasn’t like that.
He thought about her question and decided to be honest. Well, he was always honest, but he was going to give her more than the question warranted, at least in his book.
“You knew I was a detective with the New York department, right?”
She nodded and finally turned toward him, meeting his dark gaze. Now that their eyes locked, he didn’t release her from the intensity of his stare. A pink flush stole across her cheeks, making her even more beautiful to him.
What would she look like naked coming for him?
Just the thought sent heat and fire through his blood, making him almost dizzy. He tried to curb his thoughts, to answer her question, but it was hard.
“Well, I was involved in a drug investigation, mob connections. A bust went down, and I was shot.”
Her eyes widened, quickly scanning his lean body as if to look for blood or wounds.
He chuckled, motioning toward his left arm. “I was shot in the shoulder, but I’ve been shot before. That wasn’t really part of my decision. I was just tired of not being able to get anywhere with the crimes. When one asshole was taken off the streets and locked up, it seemed like five more took his place.”
She nodded, compassion in her beautiful eyes. “That’s understandable. I’m glad you’re okay,” she said quietly.
Their gazes locked, and any thoughts he had of finishing his line of thinking, his response to her question, flew out the window.
Jacob saw her eyes lower to his mouth, and desire hummed through him.
“Connie,” he whispered.
They were close, their shoulders almost touching, and the heat from her body fired his own blood.
He lowered his head and then hesitated, giving her a chance to pull back, to tell him no, but she didn’t say anything, just watched him, silent, waiting, and he closed the distance between them, taking her mouth gently with his own.
She gasped, and he took his chance, sweeping his tongue inside to mingle and dance with her own. He pulled her closer against him, holding her to his chest, and her trembling hands fluttered up to his shoulders.
He angled his head to the side and groaned as he pulled her tighter. She opened her mouth more, and he heard the small moan coming from her throat.
Hard, aching, and wanting nothing more than to strip her and take her right there on the couch, he slowed his assault. He didn’t want to overwhelm her or scare her away.
He pulled back and saw her red lips, swollen from his kiss, slightly parted as her eyes flickered open to stare up at him, her gaze dazed. Their positions had slightly altered, and she was now leaning against his chest, and his large hands spanned across her back, stroking the cotton of her sweatshirt that hid her from the red passion he was feeling.
“Should I apologize?” he whispered softly.
Slowly, she shook her head, pulling back slightly but not leaving his arms completely, which he was thankful for. He would give anything to feel her soft flesh beneath his fingers, to taste her everywhere.
“Are you sorry?” she whispered back.
He shook his head, not about to lie to her.
“Then don’t apologize.”
With that, she did leave his arms, and he missed the warmth of her slender body against his, missed her taste.
Connie grabbed the small case that had been on the floor at her feet, and he noticed her fingers trembling as she put her Kindle in the black bag.
“I shouldn’t want you,” she whispered so softly that if he hadn’t been so in tuned to her, if the silence hadn’t been so thick and mellow, he would have missed her words.
“Why?” he whispered just as softly.
She turned to look at him and opened her mouth, her lips still swollen from his kiss, as if to say something but then stopped, just staring at him, her blue eyes dark and filled with a pain that tore through him more than anything ever had, more than even the bullet.
“Do you ever want children?” she asked suddenly, throwing him with the quick subject change.
He thought about his answer, wondering why she was asking. “I’ve never really thought about it, but maybe…someday.”
His answer brought such a sadness to her eyes that his breath caught. He started to ask the why of her question, but her next words froze him.
“The chances of me having a child are pretty slim,” she said softly, sadly. She turned to stare back at the fireplace, the side of her face dancing with the shadows of the fire.
Before he could say anything to that, she continued, and he had to lean closer in order to hear her.
“I had a miscarriage two years ago. It was a tubal pregnancy. They had to remove one tube, and the other one has a lot of scar tissue from the surgery.” She shrugged and then glanced over at him. Whatever she saw in his eyes had her stiffening.
He knew Connie would have made a great mother, and it was something she obviously desired very much. Jacob hurt for her, but she must have taken that emotion for what it was not.
Pity.
“It’s late,” she said suddenly. She stood up, the blaze of the fire in front of them highlighting the red streaks in her blond hair. “I have to be up early to help Nina in the morning. I’ll see you later, Jacob.”
With that, she took off, and he sat there watching the gentle sway of her hips as she escaped up the stairs, disappearing from his view. He thought of everything she had told him and analyzed his own feelings regarding children. Could he go without having a child?
The answer was immediate.
Yes. If he had Connie.
Jacob relaxed then, content for the first time in years. He could still taste her, and he wasn’t going to give up. Nothing worth having was ever easy, and he had a feeling she would fight him there, but all he had to do was convince her what they could be together. If he wasn’t in love with her then, he was damn close. They hadn’t spent enough time together, but that was about to change.
Chapter 11
Thursday: 6:10 a.m.
It had been a few days since her ex and his mother had left, a few days to relax and to establish a routine, and a few days since someone had shot so close to her. Connie just figured it was a hunter, so she put the close call from her mind. She knew she had to think about returning to her old life and her job. She only had a few more days left, but just the thought of returning, of carrying on in the city, left a bitter taste in her mouth and a heaviness to her emotions that she didn’t want to analyze too closely. It was bad enough that she felt so at home on the mountain, at the resort. She even loved the small town and everyone she had met.
And then there was Jacob. She hadn’t seen much of him since the night he had come back late, since the kiss in front of the fire and revealing her agony. She didn’t know if he knew what that meant, but she could never take a relationship lightly, not with the inability to have children hanging over her head. She didn’t want him, or any man, to come to hate her. Most people wanted children. He was no different.
With his new job, he always got in late, but she was never downstairs in front of the fire. She didn’t want to start anything she couldn’t finish, not with her life in turmoil, and her t
aste in men had never been good to begin with. What if she was wrong again? Nina seemed to think Jacob really liked her, and yet there was that nagging doubt that said he was too good to be true. What did she have to offer anyone besides the broken shell of a woman she felt she was?
But his kiss… Oh, Lord. Even now, thinking about it days later brought such an unfamiliar surge of desire skating down her spine that she shivered, and goosebumps rose on her bare arms. She had never felt anything like it even with her husband. Sex with him had always been a chore, something that was lacking in the passion aspect for her.
Oh, not in the beginning.
In the beginning, Adam had been attentive, often bringing her to a sweet orgasm, but for the past few years, he hadn’t seemed to care about her needs or her wants. He hadn’t cared about satisfying anything. As long as he was gratified, that was all that mattered.
And then there was the belittling, the sarcastic comments, the unrealistic demands, and then when she had lost the baby, the blame…
It wasn’t worth it. She would rather be by herself than go through that again. She didn’t think Jacob was like that or would ever be like that, not after his kiss and the tenderness she could see in his dark eyes. But, hell, what did she know? She had thought Adam was different too, and look how that had turned out.
Shaking the dark and confusing thoughts from her mind, she finished dressing and then quickly made her bed.
It was only six in the morning, but she had always been an early bird, often rising before the sun. Now being in the mountains, she never wanted to miss the picturesque sunrise. The different colors of pink, blue, and gold that lit the skies always calmed her and gave her the peace she craved. There was still a chill in the air even in the early fall, but that was the mountains for you.
Almost too eager for something so simple, she quickly walked down the stairs and into the kitchen for her first cup of coffee. The cook she had met when she had arrived stood at the stove, her wide hips swinging with the mellow music that drifted from the speakers on the shelf above her.
Drawn to Vail Mountain (Vail Mountain Trilogy Book 3) Page 6