“Uh, no. I volunteer sometimes as a student aid. I have my masters in Geometry and a Geology minor so I often come and tutor or advise on courses for those seeking specific educations. I know. Math and Earth Science are on a completely different spectrum, but I always enjoyed both growing up so…” She shrugs as if that is enough explanation and I nod. Nina had always been a math whiz when we were growing up. I had enjoyed the math of Science whereas she had enjoyed all aspects of math.
“I’m glad you’ve done well for yourself, Nina.” I say, and I mean that with my whole heart. It takes a lot to overcome the things we have and there was a fire burning in her eyes that I have noticed in myself more and more since coming back here. I watched as Nina’s eyes looked passed me, almost as if she were looking for someone. I noticed it first in her eyes, joy. Pure joy. Whoever she saw made her undeniably happy. She flashed a bright smile at whoever was approaching us and I began to turn my head to look at who was coming.
I should say, second to Silas, the hottest man I have ever seen in my entire life comes sauntering towards us up the aisle and wow… I can see why Nina looked so smitten. Despite me standing here, his striking hunter forest green eyes were all for my old friend. So much love and adoration filled his eyes as he looked her up and down and if I didn’t have such iron clad control over my reactions, my jaw would have hit the floor.
Whoever this man is, he exudes raw sexuality and Nina was here for it. He appeared of Hispanic origins with swept back dark mocha locks that looked soft enough to run your fingers through. His jaw, dusted with dark hair of a similar shade on his head, was sharp and well defined and he had the beginnings of a short beard though it appeared barely there at the moment.
He was dressed in dark wash jeans with a simple light gray turtleneck sweater with the sleeves neatly rolled part way up his forearms and he had his hands stuffed in his pockets, the muscles of his forearms and biceps twisting and bulging as he moved with a slight swagger, known to only those that know they are gorgeous as they walk. An expensive Tag Heuer Carrera watch glints in the soft light that shines through the dome in the library, it’s steel and gold case as well as the black leather alligator strap looking well worn. The watch obviously had sentimental value, which told me the male was rich but he took care not to flaunt it. Any normal person looking at that watch would just think it was a normal watch, but I knew it was so much more than that.
This male was a Crimson Valley Elite.
He reached us then and Nina flung herself at him much like she had me earlier and he caught her easier than I had. He bundles her up in his strong arms and my heart melts in my chest at the raw display of affection in front of me. This guy adored her and I loved that. He buries his face in her soft dark curls and she laughs lightly when he tightens his grip on her. I stand there while they have their moment and, before long, Nina pulls back and turns to me, her smile so infectious on her beautiful face. This was the man that really pulled Nina Moore out of the darkness she had been living in here in Crimson Valley, I could tell.
“Honey, I want to introduce you to my fiancé Lucas Castillo. Luc, this is an old friend of mine, Honey Locke.” Nina gestures to me as she steps aside so Lucas can look over at me and I give a slight, awkward wave, still not over how beautiful the two of them are together. He steps up to me and holds out his hand with the watch on it and smiles a brilliant smile at me and I can tell it is genuine because it stretches up to his eyes, making two twin dimples appear out of thin air. I decided then that the dimples were definitely what drew Nina to this man. He was stunning.
Taking his hand and giving it a firm shake, I return the smile. “Pleasure to meet you, Mr. Castillo.” The pressing social expectations come flooding back to me and I find myself not able to use his first name. I felt like first names were for your head or close friends. I didn’t know Lucas Castillo so it didn’t feel appropriate for me to call him by his first name. He laughs at me; a lighthearted whimsical sound and it makes me smile and blush. Yeah, I could definitely see how Nina fell for this man.
“Please, call me Luc or Lucas. My father is Mr. Castillo and he wears the name proudly. The pleasure is mine, Miss Locke.” I blush even deeper as I drop my hand from his long fingers that any pianist would be envious of and I fold my own hands together in front of me. “Alright, Lucas, if I am to call you by your first name I insist you do the same. Call me Honey.” I say with a small smile and he winks at me. Freaking winks. No wonder Nina dove headfirst into this man. I shouldn’t be so fixated on his beauty. Silas had my heart no matter what, but I was just like any real red-blooded woman. I could appreciate a male without jumping his bones.
“Honey Locke. I’ve heard a lot of great things about you and your family. We moved here to Crimson Valley over six years ago, but you weren’t in attendance at CVH.” His accent is slight but still noticeable with a Hispanic lilt to it. Nina beams up at him like he holds the moon and the stars every time he speaks and I adore that so much. Makes my heart hurt for my own broken relationship with the man I undoubtedly loved.
“Long unpleasant story. I went to school outside of Crimson Valley after I turned thirteen.” I answer vaguely and thankfully he just nods and smiles instead of pressing me on it. I was sure if Nina still talked about me that he already knew all there was about me and my family. I didn’t blame her if she did. You are supposed to share things with the people you loved. “I have to apologize. I used to know everyone in Crimson Valley, but if you arrived after I left, I wouldn’t know you. What do you do around here?”
“I am the Biology professor five doors down from you.” He grins broadly at me and my jaw damn near hits the floor. Uh, what? How have I not noticed this God of a man before? Do I just walk around with blinders on all day? Christ. I was thoroughly embarrassed. I think I am going to have the image of this man burned into my retinas for days after this and I can’t say I am going to complain. Silas would be so pissed. “No worries, Honey. I am only here a few days a week this semester as I didn’t have many students enroll in my course this time around so I spend little time here on campus.” As if he could read my embarrassing thoughts, he gives me another playful friendly wink and I damn near die. I needed to get out of here.
“Oh, well, that makes me feel slightly less embarrassed.” I chuckle lightly and Nina laughs along with me, having been quiet the entire time. “It was so nice to meet you. I have a workload of essays to get through tonight before the grading deadline tomorrow before fall break. Nina, perhaps we can meet up again soon. I can give you my number?” I say to Lucas before turning to my old friend. She beams brightly at me and nods frantically. Fishing my phone out of my coat pocket, I hand it over to her to put her number in. She takes it and slips her digits in before handing it back.
“It was so nice to see you again, Honey. We will seriously have to catch up soon, there is so much we need to talk about.” Surprising me, she swoops in for a hug again and I am so shocked by the suddenness of it that I almost don’t return the hug, like a lunatic. Wrapping my arms around her and giving a gentle squeeze, she eventually let’s go and I hold out my hand to Lucas again and he shakes it one more time with a flourishing smile. “Pleasure meeting you again, Honey. I’m sure we will see each other around campus again.” He assures me and I just nod and smile before I turn and slip away. I was ready to go home and slip these heels off to enjoy a nice glass of wine and a bath before I had to delve into these stacks of essays.
I was so ready for my trip to the Cabin this Sunday.
Saturday night, I decided to find Sam after dinner to discuss my plans to go to my parents’ cabin for the next few days. Padding through my too quiet house from my father’s office, I make my way down the hall and into the foyer. Sam is standing by the front door and he looks half asleep. Frowning, I go and stand in front of him, my hands planted on my hips.
“Sam.” He startles, eyes snapping open the rest of the way and then they widen when they land on me. “You know you don’t have to stand at t
he front door twenty-four seven right? You are allowed to do other things. I have multiple guards around my perimeter fence that would call up to the house before anyone even reached the front door.” I add and Sam looks at me apologetically.
“My apologies, Honey. I was about to retire for the night. Old habits.” He says sheepishly. “Do you need anything else from me before I return to my chambers?” He asks, straightening up more fully. Shaking my head, I sigh.
“I wanted to ask you about my parents’ cabin on Crimson Lake. I was wondering if you know if my parents had any staff on hire looking after it during the off seasons?” I say, taking note that Sam stiffens at my words, shifting on his feet and looking uncomfortable and shady. “Uh, no Miss Locke. We haven’t had any staff out there since your parents…” He trails off, looking like he would rather be anywhere but here.
Narrowing my eyes, I ask, “Why?”
“We have always been given strict orders to stay away from that property… I have the cleaning staff scheduled out to the other properties you own but never that one. Your father never gave a reason why and we just obeyed.” He shrugged and I frowned. My suspicion only grew with that confession from Sam. There had to be a reason why the cabin I had spent many summers in growing up wasn’t listed in the official property roster the Order has put together on my family.
“Alright Sam. Thanks. Please, go get some rest. Tomorrow afternoon I will be leaving for a few days to spend a little alone time at the Cabin. No staff necessary.” I add when he goes to offer services. I was a rich white girl, but I could handle buying my own groceries and cooking my own food for a few days. I did it all on my own for years when I graduated high school in Tampa and then went to university. Patting the elderly man on the shoulder, I leave him to go into the kitchen for a glass of wine.
Hopefully, this trip would be more fruitful than the town hall mission.
The following early afternoon, I scribbled a quick note to Sam to warn him not to tell anyone where I was and that I would be home in a few days before I snatched up my Bugatti keys and made my way into town. Right next to the Crimson Grille is a small little grocery store that carries literally everything you could ever need, despite its tiny size.
I sweep up and down the aisles as I grab a cart full of things that would get me through the next few days at the cabin. I pay and a nice high schooler helps me load my stuff in the back of my Bugatti’s small trunk. Well, he mostly gapes at my car while I load my groceries and then when I wave and get in my car on the curb, I rev my engine a little and I could imagine he might have lost his jaw from gaping in awe, judging by his expression in my rearview mirror.
Gunning away from the curb, I begin weaving my way through Crimson Valley streets. People stop on the sidewalks and stare as I gun by and I feel a lightheartedness come over me as I think about the days to come. I was going to enjoy my time away, spending it in a place that was once so cherished and holds a million fond memories. It was the one place in Crimson Valley that wasn’t tainted by the Order in some kind of way.
Crossing over one of two bridges along the Crimson River, I quickly make my way to the Interstate that runs over part of Crimson Valley. From there, it’s another fifteen minutes until I reach the exit road that leads me down to Crimson Lake and Locke Cabin. Pulling up to the cabin is bittersweet. I haven’t been back here since the summer before I turned thirteen and it had been one of the best summers of my life. I had spent a majority of it alone or with my parents as they came and went. You wouldn’t think spending a summer alone as a preteen would have been fun, but it was.
Parking my Bugatti by a sugar maple that still has my tire swing hanging from its thick branches, I get out and look at the beautiful estate. Cabin had been a light word for it. It wasn’t as opulent and expansive as Locke Manor, but it was still impressive. Off to the side, underneath a dozen or so sugar maples, was a cute little gazebo of sorts made out of cedar wood with half cobble stone pillars on all four sides holding up the thick, thatched roof above it. In the warmer months, there are usually chairs and stools set up underneath it around the solid stone fireplace but they are all put away for now.
Glancing back towards the front of the cabin, a nostalgic smile plays at the corner of my lips. Ducking back inside my Bugatti, I grab my bags from the passenger seat and start for the massive staircase on the side of the lodge. I run my hand along the smooth wood of the hand railing and make my way up to the back entrance that leads into a small foyer. Pushing open the heavy door I step into the foyer. Built of solid oak, the walls of the foyer are a deep russet brown with little octagon shaped windows spaced all around.
Tossing my keys on the little iron table to the right of the door, I make my way into the large open plan den straight off the cover of the log cabin weekly. Real pine board flooring stretches out beneath my booted feet and in the center of the massive den are several sofas and armchairs surrounding a solid mahogany coffee table my dad had built with his own two hands for my mom for their wedding many years ago. Set off to the right is a grand cobble stone column where a cast iron fireplace is built into it atop a dais of stone. Above the mantle is the very same photo my dad had on his laptop of our last happy moment together ten years ago as a family. Instead of choking up at it like I had that first night back here, I smile at it. It would forever be a moment I cherished and the Order was never going to take that memory away from me, no matter how this ended.
Dotted all around the spacious den are windows as well as above and to the sides of the cobblestone column where the fireplace is built. Huge wooden beams spread out above and interconnect to form the Locke Family crest and from its center, an opulent wrought iron chandelier hangs with a burning amber dome at the tip. On the North wall, my father has a trophy case set up with every single award I have ever won inside, including the ones I had sent them when I was in Tampa and that really does make a few tears slip down my cheeks as I take it all in.
Moving to the left and out of the den leads me to the open plan kitchen, custom built by my momma. With light copper brown cabinets that start from the west side of the wall at the base and wrap all the way around to the east side, topped with white and gold flaked marble countertops. An island dominates most of the floor before me as I walk in and it is topped with the same marble top as the counters around the kitchen with six little cowhide bar stools underneath that momma had dad build for her. The floor beneath my feet is a mixed Aran Stone Anti-slip and heated Porcelain tile with browns, white and greys splashed all throughout it.
On the north wall, set between two narrow windows, is an oven vent connected to solid white brick above a copper hued gas stove that matches the rest of the copper appliances all throughout the space.. The walls are painted an off creamy white to add to the rustic feel of the whole kitchen. It was my momma’s pride and joy, aside from me. I make a mental note to go out and bring in my groceries soon before I head to the right.
A corridor leads off to three different bedrooms but I only bother to go into mine, leaving the other two rooms shut as I pass. Stepping into my old childhood room here was like stepping into a distant memory. My boots immediately sink into a plush white and brown cream rug that expands almost the entire space of the pine wood board floors of my old bedroom. Ruling most of the space is a solid oak four poster bed that was stripped bare. In the corner where my old childhood toys used to sit is a simple dark stone fireplace on an angle, and to the right is a huge bay window with two armchairs in front of it that looks out in the expanse of the Blood Woods around the cabin. I stare outside for a long moment, old memories of this place coming back to me in full force and a few more tears slip down my cheeks unbidden.
Wiping them away after a few minutes, I turn and head into the ensuite bathroom to the right of the open bedroom door. It was one of my favorite parts of the house. The bathroom had a very rustic feel to it. My boots hit the same stone tile momma has in her kitchen, heated of course, and I flick on the lights. Nestled in a little nook of so
lid brick and stone is a massive copper toned basin with a porcelain interior set below two huge windows. Tiny shelves were built into the brick walls to hold bathing products and towels. Attached to the basin is a solid gold vintage faucet. To the left on the other side of the nook where the basin is, is a huge walk-in shower with the same tile under my feet blocked in by double glass doors with solid gold trim work and handles. A bench is built on the inside of the shower which, let me tell you, makes it much easier to sit and shave your legs in. To the right, taking up the rest of the wall is a half walk in closet and a single sink vanity with a porcelain countertop flecked with gold that has a copper sink set above it with matching copper faucet and knobs.
Blowing out a breath, I drop my bags on the floor of the bedroom and head back out to get my groceries out of the car before anything spoils. I was looking forward to exploring more over the next few days.
After grabbing my groceries from the trunk and putting everything away, I grab a glass of wine and head back into my bedroom where I had left my bags. Spending a nice relaxing evening unpacking before making dinner sounded nice for my first day in the cabin. Coming into the bedroom, I take a sip of my wine and set the glass on the oak end table beside the bed and head over to where I left my bags on the floor.
Picking them up, I take them and set both on the bed. Unzipping my first suitcase, I take out the two piles of clothes and head into the bathroom to put them in the closet. I hang up my shirts and place my leggings, because who needs jeans on vacation, on the racks beneath my shirts and then I place my undergarments in the handcrafted dresser that takes up most of the left side of the wall. I grab a stack of sheets and blankets from the bottom drawer of the dresser and decide to take them down the hall to the small laundry room off to the left side of the kitchen.
Entering the laundry nook, I glance around at the small space. Dominating the wall in front as I walk in is a huge stainless steel and copper accented washer and dryer with a folding counter set off to the right. Placing the bedding into the washer, I pop a couple pods in with some softener and then start it. Heading back into the kitchen, I decided to wipe up the counters a little to get rid of some of the dust that has settled. I wasn’t sure why my momma and papa decided to have the staff stay away from the cabin, but it made it so I had to clean up a little before I could explore anymore. It was just in my OCD nature.
Whiskey & Honey: Crimes of Crimson Valley: Book One Page 16