Vexed in Vermont (Yours Truly: The Lovelorn Book 12)

by Marie Higgins

  His chest shook in a silent laugh. “No, Lottie, you haven’t changed at all, because that’s exactly what you did when you were younger.”

  She shrugged. “Perhaps it’s hard to stop old habits, which will mean that you haven’t changed, either.”

  Nicolette stood and stomped toward the fire pit where she’d burn the soiled bandages, but doing so made her remember her sore ankle, and she grumbled under her breath. Just then, the neigh of a horse came from outside. Adrian’s horse was still in her hideout and hadn’t made a sound, which meant...

  She spun toward Adrian and motioned for him to be quiet. She wasn’t worried about the lantern light, only because the sun’s brightness was shining into her office through the foliage by now and it would make it harder to see the light from within the cave.

  “Get my revolver,” Adrian whispered, pointing to the weapon near his uniform jacket.

  She dumped the soiled bandages in the fire pit and rushed to his revolver, pulling it out of the holster. She turned toward the opening of the hideout and pointed the gun in that direction.

  Men’s voices were nearby, but not close enough to hear what they were saying. One thing she did know was that they weren’t on top of the hideout this time. She said a silent prayer that they wouldn’t become suspicious and look behind her wall of foliage that she’d built to hide her secret life.

  Suddenly, she saw one of the horses as it stopped near the opening. Her heartbeat hammered wildly.

  “Lottie,” Adrian whispered. “Do you have a carrot or apple to feed to my horse?”

  She swung her gaze to him and scowled. “What are you worried about your horse for?”

  He rolled his eyes. “Feed the horse to keep him quiet.”

  She hated to feel stupid, and right now she felt like the biggest dunce in the world. She nodded and hurried to the horse, picking up an apple on the way. As she fed the animal, she kept her gaze on the horse on the other side.

  She prayed these men didn’t see inside the cave. Although she wanted to be brave, she had never used a gun before, and she didn’t want to start now. Her purpose in life was not to hurt people – or animals – but to heal them.

  The man on the horse came closer, and she held her breath.

  FOUR

  Adrian narrowed his gaze, trying to see the man better, but when Lottie had constructed the covering for the hideout – made of leaves, branches, and bushes – she’d done a great job and it was hard to identify the man who was only a few feet from the cave. Adrian didn’t know who would be after him or why, but if he could see their faces, maybe he’d be able to remember something about them.

  He glanced at Nicolette who looked as panicked as he felt. He was relieved to see that she was at least trying to hold herself together. The little girl he knew would have been unmanageable by now. Perhaps she had changed a little. He should tell her, but now wasn’t the time.

  “Lloyd? Can you see anything?” A man’s voice came from farther away.

  “Nothing,” the man by the hideout answered. “It’s like he disappeared.”

  “Howell? How about you?” the first man asked.

  “I think I see some tracks over here by the stream.” The man’s voice was harder to hear.

  “Then let’s follow it,” the first man replied. “We need to find him. He’ll be worth a lot of money.”

  Confusion filled Adrian. He couldn’t place these men or their names, but he definitely didn’t understand why they’d think he was worth a lot of money. Being with the military for all those years didn’t make him rich, and now he was out of a job and looking for a new career. These men must have him confused with someone else. That was the only explanation.

  A gush of air ripped through the silence in the cave as Nicolette sighed heavily. She walked back toward Adrian, shaking her head. “Who are those men?”

  “I wish I knew.”

  She slid the revolver back into his holster before sitting on the ground beside the cot. “Adrian, we need to get out of here and back home, and yet, you’re not in any condition to travel.”

  “I agree.” He scratched his cheek. “If only I knew why they were after me.”

  She tilted her head, keeping her brown eyes on him. “Are you as rich as they think you are?”

  “Hardly. Unless they want to take away my medals and rank in the military and try to sell them.”

  “They’d be foolish to think they could do that.”

  “I know.” He shifted, trying to lift up, but she quickly pressed her hands on his chest, stopping him.

  “What are you doing? You cannot move yet.”

  “Lottie, we can’t stay here, either. They’ll be back. As long as they are headed the opposite direction, we need to try and get back to the house. I can’t protect myself like this, but with my father and brother, they can help.”

  “Then let me help you.”

  Why was she so persistent about helping him? Was it because she thought she was a doctor? Regardless, maybe he should accept her help. He still felt weak. “Fine.”

  She slid her arms around his waist and helped him sit up. Closing his eyes, he waited for the dizziness to pass as he took in deep breaths of air. When he felt ready, he opened his eyes and looked into her face. She was entirely too close for comfort. Yet, having her up against him like this wasn’t as awkward as he thought it should be. It was quite nice, in fact.

  “How is my bandage?” he asked softly.

  She glanced at it and nodded. “No blood yet.”

  “Can I put my shirt on?”

  She shook her head. “It’s sticky with blood. Perhaps just put your uniform jacket on.”

  “Fine.”

  She pulled away from him to retrieve the garment. The absence of her warmth was quite noticeable, as was her support. He swayed, but quickly righted himself. She brought back his uniform and carefully helped him push his injured arm into the sleeve. Gritting his teeth, he held back from groaning in pain.

  “I think,” she said, “that we need to contact the sheriff and let him know about those men.”

  “True. The more people looking for them, the better.”

  She stopped and stared at him with wide eyes, and her heart-shaped lips turned up into a smirk. “Did you just agree with me?”

  He grinned. “Don’t take it too personal. I’ll try not to let it happen again.”

  “Good, because for a moment there, I thought you had lost too much blood and it had affected your brain.”

  The lightness of her voice let him know she enjoyed their playful tease. That was certainly different from when they were younger.

  As he sat on the cot, he leaned back against the wall of the cave, trying to keep himself steady while she buttoned up his uniform. He couldn’t stop from gazing over her in leisure, this time. Nicolette’s hair was longer and had a slight wave on the ends. Mixed with the brown colors were highlights of blonde and auburn.

  Her face was thinner than he remembered, and her neck was delicately curved. Her skin looked soft, and he was glad he wasn’t tempted to caress it... Well, maybe the temptation was there, but he was strong and wouldn’t let it control him.

  She wore a pretty tan blouse with long sleeves, but it didn’t exactly match the men’s form-fitting trousers covering the lower half of her body. He knew she’d been taught to ride sidesaddle, so why hadn’t she worn a skirt while riding?

  “Lottie?”

  Her gaze jumped up and met his. “Yes?”

  “Why aren’t you wearing a dress?”

  Sighing, she sat back on her legs and her hands dropped to her lap. “Because it’s easier to ride a horse when wearing men’s trousers.”

  “Where were you going earlier when I found you?”

  “I had just returned from taking a letter to the Post Office, when—”

  “What?” His voice lifted. “You went into town wearing this? If Betty knew you looked like that, she’d—”

  “What Aunt Betty doesn’t know won�
�t hurt her.”

  “No, but it would humiliate her to know the girl she tried to raise isn’t the lady she wanted her to be.”

  Nicolette glared. “Stop trying to make me feel guilty for how I turned out. I am a lady... when I want to be. Besides, I’m sure there are things about you that might disappoint your father. After all, he didn’t want you to join the military, remember?”

  Adrian clenched his jaw. Why did she have to bring that up? “Fine, I won’t say anything to Betty.”

  Her expression relaxed. “Thank you.” She moved closer and slid her arms around his waist. “Are you feeling strong enough to walk?”

  “I’m going to force myself.”

  She stopped and frowned as she stared into his eyes. “Adrian, if you’re not strong enough to mount the horse, I don’t think we’ll be able to get you back home. I won’t be able to lift you up onto the saddle.”

  Silently, he groaned. She was right. Again. “Then what do you propose we do?”

  She withdrew, but left her hands on his waist. This position was almost indecent as she knelt on the ground in front of him. A lock of hair had fallen over her forehead and she tried to blow it away, but it didn’t work.

  “I don’t know yet, Adrian. But I won’t let you overexert yourself. A weak man on a speeding horse is only asking for an early death.”

  Her words softened his heart. She must care about him or else she wouldn’t have said that. Without thinking first, he reached over and brushed the lock of hair away from her face, letting his fingers trail down her cheek and neck. When he realized his mistake, his breath froze. Unfortunately, his fingers didn’t as they continued to caress her soft neck.

  Startled, her eyes widened, and her body stiffened. Inwardly, he scolded himself. Now he had to quickly fix this.

  “Ah, you do care about me,” he said, adding sarcasm to his tone.

  Her laugh sounded forced as she pulled away from him. “I care about my patient. Just because that is you doesn’t make a difference.”

  “Your patient?” He shook his head. “Lottie, I told you, I’m not an animal.”

  She gave him a snarky grin as she slowly stood. “And I told you, that we’d talk about that matter at a later date.”

  She limped back to the cave’s opening as she pushed her fingers through her long, unbound hair. The length reached the middle of her back, but it was her backside that held his interest. Perhaps he shouldn’t get after her too much for wearing men’s trousers. She looked quite good in them.

  “How is your ankle?” he asked.

  She peeked at him from over her shoulder. “It doesn’t hurt as bad as it did when I first fell off the horse.”

  “I’m glad.”

  She moved her gaze back to the foliage blocking the cave. “I think I know how to get us out of this predicament.” She turned toward him. “I’ll ride to the lumber store and fetch your pa and brother. They could get you and take you back to the house.”

  Slowly, Adrian nodded. “Yes, that would work, but... they’d see your hideout. Are you ready to let everyone know why you’re still an unmarried lady?”

  Her expression tightened and she folded her arms across her bosom. “No, I’m not ready.”

  He shrugged. “However, I do like the idea of you going back to the house.”

  “You do?”

  “Yes... for supplies. If I’m to stay here until I gain my strength, I’m going to need more food than the apple or carrot that you feed your animal patients, and I’m going to need some clothes.”

  “I could do that.”

  “And, I’m going to need you to bring me one of my father’s rifles and ammunition. If those men come back, I’ll need to protect myself better.”

  “I can do that, too.” She moved to the horse and stopped. “But I’ll have to be sneaky. I don’t want Uncle Teddy to get suspicious.”

  “Father should still be at the lumber store. It’s your aunt you’ll need to worry about.”

  Nicolette shook her head. “She doesn’t come out of her bedroom until almost noon.”

  Adrian breathed a little easier. “Then go and don’t take long. I’m hungry.”

  She picked up some carrots and an apple and brought it back to him. “Munch on these while I’m gone. I’m sure my animal patients won’t mind sharing.” She gave him a wink before moving back to the horse.

  He chuckled. She was definitely acting differently now than when she was younger, however, she still had her temper. Then again, she was probably only reacting to his not-so-nice comments.

  She led the horse to the opening. She cautiously moved the foliage to the side and grasped the horse’s reins. Taking careful steps, she moved out of the cave.

  “Lottie?”

  She turned back to him with questioning eyes.

  “Please, be careful.”

  A soft smile bracketed her face. “Ah, you do care about me.”

  He laughed as she replaced the foliage to hide the cave. Funny that she would repeat the same words he’d said to her. Maybe, just maybe, their relationship this time around wouldn’t be all hatred and throwing accusations at each other. He hoped they would eventually be able to carry on a decent adult conversation.

  FIVE

  Nicolette came back to the hideout about three hours later. Her trip home had been successful, as was collecting everything Adrian needed, but when she tried to head back to the area, she saw three men atop their horses near the road that she’d take to enter the forest. She wasn’t certain if these were the same men, but one man’s coat was the tattered rusted color that had been outside the hideout. Thinking he might recognize her, she hurried back home.

  Before leaving the house again, she’d changed clothes. Mainly because Aunt Betty was awake and would certainly say something about Nicolette’s trousers. Not only that, but she had Adrian’s blood on her blouse, so she needed to put on fresh clothes.

  She really hoped Adrian didn’t think she had freshened up for him. That would be ridiculous. Never would she have those kinds of feelings for him. Even though... when he had brushed the lock of hair off her forehead and his fingers trailed down her face to her neck, she’d experienced sensations jumping inside her body that she’d never had happen before. Men had caressed her cheek before, and a few had even kissed her, but they hadn’t stimulated any kind of reaction from her body.

  However, that didn’t mean anything. She shook her head as she moved the foliage aside. She had felt those warm tremors building inside of her only because his heated touch was startling to her system. That was all.

  She led the horse inside and glanced at the cot. Adrian was asleep. It would be best not to wake him yet, so she quietly blocked the entrance with the foliage. She led the horse to the wall where she’d spread out some hay for her horse when she came to the office.

  Thankfully, her horse had already arrived back at the house after bucking her off this morning, and nobody had wondered what happened to her. Uncle Teddy had a few servants, but they were mainly there to help Aunt Betty. Nicolette didn’t want to think too much about the fact that she wouldn’t be missed if she disappeared for a few days. Then again, she was of age and should have been married by now.

  Adrian’s words had stung when he pointed out why she hadn’t been married yet. Although she had dreams of finding a wonderful and loving man who wouldn’t mind her career choice, she hadn’t sulked when her beaus gave up on her, either. She just didn’t feel quite ready for marriage yet.

  Once Adrian’s horse was settled, she unloaded the bags that held the supplies. At home, she had to sneak into Adrian’s room and look through his trunks. They had arrived yesterday, so thankfully, he would at least have extra clothes to wear. And taking food from the kitchen was easy, since she’d been doing that for several years now. However, it was more difficult to sneak into Uncle Teddy’s study to take a rifle and some ammunition only because she wasn’t used to getting into his things.

  After she had everything put away, she
built a small fire and placed the coffee pot on the hot coals. She also hung a pan over the fire to warm up some beans. Periodically, she peeked over her shoulder at Adrian who still slept peacefully.

  It still irritated her that he was back in her life. He hadn’t changed that much, even though he proclaimed to be a different man. She may be able to forgive him for most of the things he did to her as a child, but forgetting would be difficult.

  After she had moved in with her aunt and she realized that Adrian resented her presence, it hurt her more than she was prepared for. After all, she hadn’t had any siblings to talk with, and Adrian was the closest thing she had to one. Of course, she couldn’t think of him as a brother, and he had constantly reminded her that they were not related.

  Her mind returned to something he had said earlier today when she was trying to convince him to trust her. He’d said – Given the situation of our childhood, do you think that will ever happen?

  She frowned. The way he’d said it made her think that this was all her fault. What had she ever done to break his trust? She, on the other hand, had several reasons not to trust – or even like – him.

  “You’re back.”

  His soft voice brought her out of her thoughts, and she quickly stood and looked his way. He was sitting up in his cot, leaning back against the wall. His gaze moved over her slowly, from the top of her head, down her long hair, and over her clothes. She didn’t know why her heart quickened and her palms moistened.

  When he looked into her eyes again, he smiled. “You’re wearing a dress.”

  “Yes, well...” Clearing her suddenly dry throat, she stepped closer to him. “I couldn’t have everyone asking why I had blood on me. Besides that, my aunt was awake before I could leave, and as I pointed out earlier, I didn’t want her to see me wearing trousers.”

  “You look nice... like a lady.”

  She hitched a breath. Something must be wrong with him. Had he somehow got infection and he was feverish? That could be the only reason he’d give her a compliment.