She grinned, her dimples showing. “I had to do it. I worked up an appetite in bed. That was hot, lover.”
She brushed her hand against his groin, and he groaned.
“We could always get in a quickie,” he said, clasping her wrist in his hand and pressing it into his stirring cock. “You know…to release any lingering tension.”
“What? Right here in the driveway?” Her violet eyes brightened.
He looked right and left at the houses sparsely lining the road. “No one’s out and about. It’s just you, me, and the sea across the street.” A wide smile spread across his face. “You could simply palm me through my shorts, and I’ll come in two seconds flat. No one will know.”
She darted her gaze around the neighborhood and then stuck her hand down his waistband. Her finger curled around his lengthening dick.
“Yep, you’re locked and loaded.” She removed her hand and reached up, wrapped her palm around his neck, and pulled him toward her lips. “I’m so happy to be getting away,” she murmured against his face before fitting her mouth to his.
Her unexpected sentiment served to seal his good mood. His mouth ground against hers, tasting her coffee-flavored breath and a hint of mint.
“Mmm,” he moaned, tightening his arms around her warm body. Easing away from her succulent lips, he said, “I’m glad, too. I’m looking forward to getting away with you and leaving an unmentionable cartel member behind.”
“About that,” she said, stroking his now-stiff erection through the fabric of his shorts. Her fingers danced along the length of him before pulling away. “What if he hunts us both down in the woods?” She shuddered. “It would be easy to off us with no witnesses.”
His good mood plummeted. “Nothing’s going to happen to us, baby.” He gripped her shoulders.
She gazed up at him with wide eyes. “You don’t know that. Just because he’s left me alone for a few days, doesn’t mean he’s lost the scent. I know what he’s like. He’s a predator. His moves are calculated. Us going away, thinking we’ll be safe might be perfect for him. He can stalk us in the forest and strike, and no one will be the wiser.”
“We’ll be cautious. Watchful. I promise, I won’t let anything happen to you,” he said, trying to convince himself of the sentiment. Her fears yanked on his insides. She’s right. Anything can happen on this trip. It might not be the getaway we’d hoped.
“Let’s just hop in the truck and hope for the best,” he said.
Once they were on the road, he caught her eying the world outside the truck, tension lines stretching the skin around her eyes.
“It’s going to be okay, baby,” he said, mustering as much encouragement as he could.
Her lips pressed tight. She stared at the street ahead.
“Honestly. I won’t let anything happen to you.” He reached for her hand.
“Uh-huh,” she said, then sighed. “So, I signed the girls up for agility courses. There’s a program out at the fairgrounds.”
“That’s great,” he said, turning to glance at her before fixing his attention on the road ahead.
The lines of stress around her eyes had softened.
Good, he thought. She’s relaxing into the journey.
“They’ll love it. It’ll give them something to do besides digging up your hard work in the yard.”
Blaire nodded. “I’ve been working on getting them to put all their doggie toys in the bin on the back deck.”
“I’ve noticed. When I come home from work, I don’t have to trip over Kong balls and leather chewies.”
She nodded again. “They’re funny. They fight over who gets to pick up the toys. I feel like such a mom when I say, ‘Okay, Maxine, you get this toy and Midget gets the plastic monkey.’ I swear they understand me.”
“I’m sure they do. Animals are smarter than we let on.”
“They sure are. I hope they’re still speaking to us when we get back.” Her lips pressed together.
“What? They love Leila when she dog sits. She’s young and fun. She’ll wear them out.”
“You’re right,” she said, smiling at him. “You brought the back-country permits, right?”
“Right here,” he said, patting his shirt pocket. “Man, I can’t wait to trek into the mountains and sleep beneath the stars next to Luna Lake.” He let out a deep breath. It almost seemed surreal to be taking time away and pretending the dangers in their lives didn’t exist.
“Me, too,” she said, nibbling on her lip.
“What’s the matter?” he said, glancing at her.
She gave a quick toss of her head.
“It’s nothing.” She wrinkled her nose. “I just hope your brother behaves. We don’t need more drama. We have enough already. Have you spoken to him lately?”
“Strangely, no. He sent me a text this morning telling me he’ll meet us at about noon, but other than that, nothing.” Jackson’s brow creased. “I hope that’s a good sign.”
“So do I,” she said, but the downturn to her mouth let him know she might be hiding her emotions from him.
Whatever. We can deal with it.
Getting to the top of the sparsely populated, forest-lined Egg Ranch Road only took an hour. Along the way, they passed huge metal gates at fifty-yard intervals, leading to the same kind of mansion that burned down a month ago, taking the lives of the kids and pets. Past the mansions stood Rick’s, his insurance guy’s modest spread, surrounded by an open meadow. The trailhead was near his home and Rick had told him it was fine to park at his house and cut through his property to get to the start of the trail. But Jackson decided to forge ahead in his truck.
The one-lane dirt road to the trailhead proved to be a long, winding study in steering tactics, as Jackson tried to avoid the deepest pits and potholes. While he maneuvered his beast of a vehicle along the narrow road, Blaire marveled about the beauty of their surroundings.
“Oh, my goodness. Would you look at this splendor? I love where we live. People fly to our region to trek up into these mountains. For us, it’s just a simple drive.”
“I don’t know about simple,” he said, as the truck lurched and bounced. He reached for her hand, brought it to his lips, and kissed her knuckles. “But I get to enjoy it with you. That’s the best part.”
She smiled at him in a way that stirred his ever-ready arousal.
Then, she pushed the button to roll down the window. “Let’s let all this yummy fresh air fill our lungs.”
He fake coughed. “Oh. The fresh air. It’s so fresh when it’s mixed with road dust.”
“Idiot,” she said with a laugh, slapping his arm.
Jackson glanced at her, feeling far more appreciative of her beauty. “You know I really love you, right?”
A winsome expression crossed her face as she turned to look at him.
“I won’t let anything happen to you,” he assured her.
Her fingers began to worry her fingernails, and she cast a nervous gaze out the window.
“I mean it, Blaire. We’re going to get through this.”
“I hope you’re right,” she said. She turned her attention toward the forest once more only the tension lines had reappeared.
Shit. Way to go. I tried for reassurance and only reminded her of the danger that’s lurking in the wind. He promised himself to keep all reminders of Karlos and danger out of the conversation.
Thirty minutes later, they pulled up to the tree-lined parking area. A lone vehicle—a beat-up, green Toyota SUV was parked near the trailhead. Jackson set the parking brake and hopped out of the cab, hoping the vehicle belonged to Jake.
Blaire got out on the other side and started to pull their backpacks from the truck bed.
The passenger door of the Toyota opened, and Jake emerged.
A woman slid from the driver’s seat. She had a sturdy build and a hard-looking face, like life hadn’t done her any favors. Her short, vivid red hair gave way to dark roots. Tattoos lined her neck and arms.
“
Jake,” Jackson said, his forehead creasing briefly. “Did you catch a ride up here?” He studied his brother.
Jake nodded.
Dressed in clean jeans and a t-shirt without holes or tears, Jake looked clear-eyed and finally healthy. Yep, sobriety is doing him good.
Jake swallowed, barely meeting Jackson’s eyes. “This is Chase. Chase Williams.”
“A pleasure to meet you,” Chase said, offering her hand.
Jackson shook it. “A pleasure to meet you, as well. I’m his brother, Jackson.”
Blaire stepped toward him and stood by his side.
“And this is my girl, Blaire,” he said.
“A pleasure,” Blaire said, reaching to shake Chase’s hand. She turned toward Jake and nodded. “Good to see you, too.”
He lifted his chin toward her but made no other move to greet her.
“The pleasure’s all mine,” Chase said. Her attention swung toward Jake. “Jake, be polite. Mind your manners. It’s part of what we discussed, remember?”
Jake looked at her with the kind of loyal expression a rescue mutt might use to regard his owner.
“Sorry,” he mumbled and shuffled toward Jackson. He gave him a stiff, one-armed hug, and then turned to Blaire and kissed her on the cheek. His gaze slid back to Chase. “Sorry,” he said again.
“Don’t apologize to me. I was only making a suggestion. We all need reminders now and then.” The lightning strike of a smile flashed upon her face before she turned back to Jackson. “Jake talks a lot about you. Says you fight fires.”
“I do,” Jackson said. “I’m a career firefighter down at Station 43 in Singer Springs, but I also fight wildland fires when the need arises.”
“And, boy, does the need arise lately,” Chase said. “I fought wildland fires when I was in prison down in California. I think the whole damn state is heading for incineration.”
“Prison, huh?” Jackson dug his fingernails into his palms, remembering Blaire’s fear of being murdered in the woods, wondering if they had unwittingly invited such a scenario. Don’t be stupid and judgy. You know nothing about Chase.
“Yep,” Chase said, stepping toward the rear of her SUV. She pressed her fingers into the latch. It clicked and sprang open. “Honey, help me get our gear out,” she said to Jake.
He scrambled over to assist her.
Chase continued. “I lived a hard life for a while. Made a lot of bad choices. I got popped several years back for robbery. Was in the pen for seven years. I learned how to give back and be part of a team by fighting wildfires. Changed my life. I’d love to pick it up again, but it’s harder to join when you’ve got a felony record on your shoulders.” She spoke in a no-nonsense way that didn’t seem to carry a shred of “feel sorry for me” energy. “I felt proud to put on my orange jumpsuit and head out into the field. I earned a dollar an hour, but I didn’t do it for the money…not that a dollar is enough to afford anything but a couple of cigarettes,” she said, snorting. “A sense of pride kept me going, even when I was too tired to even lift a pickax, let alone heft it and a bunch of other tools up the hill.”
“You got that right,” Jackson said, turning toward the bed of his truck. “Try hefting three-inch hose up a steep hill.”
Chase snorted again. “No, thank you. Wildland hoses are lightweight, but they get the job done. Besides, they’re heavy enough.”
Jackson found her no-bullshit attitude refreshing. And, by the looks of her chunky build, if Jake ever got out of line, she could easily tackle him to the ground.
He turned toward the truck and helped Blaire retrieve their gear. Then, he trekked toward a large, flat stone to don his hiking boots.
“We’ve got to head to the loo,” Chase said, pointing to a port-a-potty tucked in the woods. “Be right back,”
She took Jake’s hand.
“Copy that,” Jackson said, toeing his gray cross-trainers off his feet. He pulled on his worn leather hiking boot.
Blaire sat next to him and began removing her sneakers. She spoke to him in a low voice. “Well, this is an interesting twist, wouldn’t you agree?”
“I’ll say,” he said, tying his bootlace. “I’ll need to hear more from him, but this could be the break we’ve all been longing for. Maybe he’s got accountability on his side for once. A good woman can do that for you.”
He winked at her.
“As can a good man,” she said, smiling.
He reached for his other boot. “I think I’ll retain a measure of caution, though. I mean, prison?”
“Right? I think caution is a good plan,” she said, propping the heel of one boot on the rock. She leaned forward and tied the lace in a double knot. “I’m going to do the same. But I’ve never seen your brother look so…so…”
“Healthy?” he offered, tying the laces of his other boot. He stood, leaned over, and snagged both his and Blaire’s sneakers.
“Yes, that’s the word I was looking for. It’s not a word I would ever associate with Jake.” She finished tying her boots, too, and rose to her feet. “Here,” she said, extending her hand. “Give me the shoes. I’ll shove them in the top of our backpacks.”
Jackson did so and then looked over at Chase and Jake as they emerged from the woods.
They talked animatedly. Jake looked more relaxed than Jackson had ever seen him. They approached their vehicle and then donned their packs.
“Looking forward to this, bro,” Jake said to Jackson, smiling broadly. “I’m sorry I was such a shit about it…about everything. You’ll see. This is part of what I wanted to share with you. I’ve really turned a corner. Everything’s going to be all right, now.”
Jackson clapped him on the shoulder. “That’s great to hear, Jake. It’s good to see you so clear-headed. I’m happy for you.”
“Thank you. You’ll see,” Jake repeated. He glanced at Chase. Something odd flashed in his eyes as he looked at her.
The look stirred unease in Jackson’s belly. Stop being paranoid. He looks great. Nothing’s going to go wrong on this trip.
He bit the inside of his lip, and then blurted, “So, you’re not going to pull some stunt on me this year like you usually do on the Fourth of July, are you?”
“Who, me?” Jake said, all innocent-like. A secretive smile crossed his face but quickly disappeared.
“No, Jake, I mean it.” Jackson’s lips pressed flat.
“I’m kidding, I’m kidding,” Jake said. “Jeez. You changed the dates to this weekend instead of the Fourth. You’re safe.”
A nagging thought seeped through Jackson’s brain, telling him to hold his caution tight. While he hoped his brother had changed for good, one could never be certain when it came to addicts—especially not an addict he was close to, sharing his flesh and blood.
Chapter 27
At day’s end, after their four-hour hike up the mountain, Luna Lake sparkled with deep blues and greens, hugged by lush forests. The sun had dipped behind the mountains, drawing shadows across the campsite. Streaks of watery color spread across the horizon as if they had been dabbed there by a giant paintbrush.
Jackson had taken the lead by setting up the tents by the lake, underneath a grove of trees. When the tents had been in place, he had spent the latter part of the afternoon sitting around chatting with Blaire and Chase.
His brother had been strangely quiet.
When dinner time rolled around, Chase cooked homemade lentil stew with dried onions and sun-dried tomatoes over an open campfire. She had proven to be an incredible chef, despite the limited ingredients.
“So, uh…” Jake said, rising to his feet from his perch on a rock. “Chase and I are going to go get some, uh…we’re going for a walk or something. Can we have a chat later?”
Jackson’s stomach seized. The big talk. “Sure. Whenever you’re ready.” Since you’ve barely uttered a word to me today that would be great.
As Chase and Jake wandered away toward their tent, which stood about thirty yards away, Jackson helped Blaire cl
ean up the dinner dishes. A feeling of annoyance darted around his mind like a gnat. Jake has barely said a word to me today, and he’s acting all twitchy and weird. Is he using again? Why the distancing?
He pointed at the leftovers. “What should we do with this? Save some for them?”
Blaire shrugged. “Why? Do you want it?”
“I wouldn’t complain,” Jackson said, shoving his annoyance aside and offering her an easy smile.
“Knock yourself out,” she said, “but save room for brownies for dessert.”
“Brownies? You made brownies?” he said, scooping the last of the stew into his mouth. “This trip just keeps getting better and better.”
She smiled, wickedly at him. “Just you wait for the real dessert I have in mind when we’re tucked in our tent.”
He chuckled. “What do you have in mind?”
“Oh, something big and hard and fun,” she said, eyes twinkling. “I might want it in my mouth, I might want it in my pussy. I haven’t decided yet.”
He groaned and threw back his head. “Best. Trip. Ever.”
He gathered the plates, and then strode toward the lake, crouched, and dipped the metal dishes in the cool water.
Several beers and sodas lay immersed near his feet in a rock enclosed pool. Placed there earlier by Blaire, they were getting chilled as only a mountain lake could do.
“You want another beer?” he said.
“No, I’m good,” she said, stepping next to him with the empty pan. As she rinsed her pan, she said, “Your brother’s been awfully quiet since we arrived and made camp. I barely heard him say two words.”
“I know. Too quiet.” Jackson shook the water off the plates. “The last couple of times I saw him he was more communicative. He seems to have spiraled back into familiar territory. I hope he’s not using again.”
“Yeah, especially now that he’s got the new girlfriend. And he hasn’t said jack to me, despite Chase’s encouragement. He’s at least spilled a few sentences in your direction.” A pointed look of disappointment fell over Blaire’s face.
“Yeah,” Jackson said. “I still don’t know what’s going on with him or anything about the changes he’s made. I haven’t seen him sober for years, though, so maybe he doesn’t know what to say or how to say it.” He shrugged, but an uneasy feeling pinched at his insides.
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