Sam's Folly (Midnight Sons Book 1) Read online

Sam had headed southwest, farther than the cabin, past the area they’d hiked in from.

  “What is it, girl?” Nora swung around, scanning the cabin for a weapon. Sam had taken his rifle. She snatched up her camp ax and squeezed her other hand around the bear spray that now stayed in her zippered pocket. “You know, Arwen. I like you and all, but your constant snarling at the trees is starting to put me on edge.”

  Nora inched open the window and peered in the direction of Arwen’s stare. “Silly girl, it’s probably a squirrel doing last-minute preparations for the storm.” Although Nora tried to have confidence in her own words, a heavy pit settled in her stomach. Why was it that every time Sam took off, Arwen heard something?

  “Nora!” Sam’s one word — exclamation — sliced through Arwen’s growls.

  Relieved that Sam was nearby, Nora swung open the door, not thinking about what he might have seen.

  The moment she made eye contact, Sam stopped his sprint, then bent over, hands resting on his thighs. He waved his hand, then turned back, heading toward the woods again.

  “What happened?” she called after him … what little she could see of him. The snow was blowing sideways now, creating a whiteout.

  Arwen moved to Nora’s side, her gaze roving back and forth, from the eastern trees to where she now saw her master.

  Nora ruffled the fur between Arwen’s ears since she seemed to have calmed down. “Girl, you’re going to drive me crazy.”

  Arwen looked up as if she were waiting for a command — or an apology for doing her job.

  “You’re right,” Nora said. “You’re just watching out for me, huh?”

  Sam stepped into view again, hands full, so Nora leapt off the porch to help him. Already, the snow was several inches deep.

  “Here.” She held out her hands. “Give me some.”

  “I got it,” Sam barked. “Get back inside before your internal temperature drops. It’s going to be a cold night.”

  Nora rolled her eyes as he dropped the pile of wood on the porch. She hadn’t planned to tell him, but since he was being all grumpy and pushy … “You know … there’s a whole pile of chopped wood behind the cabin. Maybe you should have checked before running off.”

  Ignoring her, Sam snatched up two logs and stepped past her, into the cabin. “Did you check the flue before starting the fire?”

  Childish, she knew, but since his back was turned, she wagged her head and silently mimicked him, Did you check the flue? “Of course, I checked the flue. Do you think I’m an idiot? What happened in the woods? Someone steal your last happy pill?”

  Sam stoked the fire she’d abandoned when Arwen growled, adding the two logs he’d carried in. “I was just worried, Nora. Plenty of city folk come up here, thinking they know how to handle the wilderness …”

  Nora chuckled at his forced grouchy demeanor. It didn’t suit him. “You know, Sam, if it weren’t for all those city folk screwing up, you wouldn’t have a job.”

  Still in a squat, he turned and stared up at her. He opened his mouth to say something, but then his gaze roamed over the cabin. First the floor, then the bed. One eyebrow raised, he looked back at her. “I see you’ve made yourself at home.”

  Nora skirted his sleeping bag as she stepped in front of the fire. Crouching beside him, she held up her hands to the crackling fire. “You told me to get settled, so I did.”

  Sam wrapped his arms around her, lowering her to his sleeping bag. “Hmm … I might have to wrestle you for the bed.” His bad mood apparently forgotten, he held his body above her. “Besides … if we unzip our bags and layer them on top of each other, we’d both be more comfortable.”

  Nora smiled up at him. “True … but then how would we keep warm?”

  “Oh, I don’t think we’ll have a problem with that, honey.” He wiggled his eyebrows. “I’m already hot enough that I’d like to strip out of these layers.”

  Nora wiggled to the side, forcing Sam’s arm to move. Instead of getting up, though, he simply lowered himself to his side. He propped his head up with one hand while keeping his other arm around her. He pulled her tightly to his body, his lips brushing her forehead. “How is it you smell so good after a week in the woods?”

  Nora laughed, but cringed when she realized that doing so caused her breasts to rub against his chest. “I did listen in your class, Sam. Made notes of all the items you suggested.”

  “Hmmm … Except the part about not hiking alone.”

  “I’m not alone —”

  His lips captured hers before she could finish. Lost in his kiss, she barely noticed when he scooped her up and rested her on his lap again. He broke free, breathless. “Sorry … It’s just … It’s been a long time, Nora, and you …” He sighed. “You really do stir something inside of me. Something I’ve tamped down for years. And I don’t just mean sexual.”

  Nora rested her head against his forehead. “I understand, Sam. I feel the same way.”

  He pulled back, his hand brushing her hair away from her face. “You do? Then why —” He shook his head. “Never mind. I promised I wouldn’t push you for anything, and I won’t.” He touched his lips against hers again, but only for a moment. “What’s for dinner?”

  Nora chuckled softly. “Soup.”

  He wagged his head. “How ’bout we join forces? We’ll have soup for an appetizer, make some of that rice you mentioned, and then split one of my beef stew packs. It’ll be a dinner fit for royalty.” She nodded and Sam stood up, cradling her in his arms. “And if my brother hid his stash well, we might even get an after-dinner cocktail.”

  Nora narrowed her eyes. “As in alcohol?”

  “Yep. Compliments of my brother Vince, the blond-headed beast at Grizzly’s. Every time we came out here, he’d always bring a new bottle of vodka. Whatever’s left over, he hides. It doesn’t freeze, so it’s perfect.”

  “Straight vodka? I don’t think so. Because of my training, I haven’t drunk alcohol in years. I’d be toast.”

  Sam lowered her feet to the floor but kept his arms around her. “Not straight, we’ll mix it with blue raspberry BCAAs. Yum!”

  “I don’t remember that recipe on the container.” Laughing, she edged out of his arms, heading for her mess kit. “I’ll make dinner, Sam. We’ll see about the vodka.” Secretly, she wouldn’t mind a few sips, enough to take off the edge would be nice. But she couldn’t let down her guard. Maybe she could get Sam drunk, though. If he passed out drunk, he wouldn’t hear her when she slipped away in the middle of the night — if she decided to leave. She wasn’t sure anymore if getting away from Sam was her best move.

  ~ Sam ~

  Sam smiled as she strolled toward her backpack. Yes, snowed in could be a good thing indeed.

  He sidled up next to her, digging into his own pack for his cleaning kit. “I’ll feed and water Arwen then wash up for dinner.”

  Nora peeked up at him through her long spirals, but didn’t ask what he knew she wanted to ask.

  She wanted to escape reality for a bit. He had seen her eyes brighten when he mentioned his brother’s stash. Like a minor wanting to sneak a drink before they’re twenty-one, Nora had obviously forbidden herself to drink. “It’s in the other cabin …”

  “Hm?” She feigned innocence. “What is?”

  “The vodka … umm … it’s in the outhouse. The wash area.”

  She bobbed her head. “Oh, yeah … you said that.”

  Sam licked his lips. “So I did. I’ll be right back.”

  Arwen jumped up as soon as he opened the door. He headed to her pack, pulling out her food and water bowls, along with her food bag and water bottle.

  As always, she tore into the food as fast as he poured it. “If you weren’t so big, I’d think you have worms. Slow down and smell the kibble, baby. Don’t just eat whatever you see. That’s how Strider got sick. Eating those damned rabbits.”

  Nora’s shadow appeared behind the fogged-up glass. Sam nodded then challenged the fast-falling snow. First st
ep off the porch landed him in nearly five inches of snow. If the snow kept falling at the rate it had been, they really might be stuck here for a week or more.

  The temperature had dropped as well, so each footstep scattered soft white powder, no crunch. He’d have to bring a bucket back with him. No way would they want to keep challenging the storm every time they had the call of nature.

  Sam wiggled the latch, loosening the hinge before the old wooden door would open. The sill scraped against the threshold, but other than the slight swelling of the door, the cabin was in decent condition.

  On one side of the cabin sat a stall with a makeshift showerhead. The pipe had an on/off knob connected to a bucket. Taking a hot shower was a lot of work, requiring heating water, and then using the water in limited portions. Still, after a few days in the wilderness, few things felt as good as a hot shower, even a drizzling one. Today he’d settle for washing up.

  First things first, though. He lifted the bench seat built in to the opposite wall. He removed the few tools stored inside, feeling for the loose board. Careful not to lodge a rusty nail into his thumb, he pried up the slat and was rewarded with his brother’s reserve.

  The last trip Vince made must have been a quick one because the fifth was nearly full. Sam stared at the clear liquid and smiled. “Truth serum.”

  He checked that the woodchips bin was full, then quickly undressed and washed up. He inspected himself in the mirror, shaking his head. “You can’t tell her the truth, you know that, right?” As much as he wanted to tell Nora why he’d tracked her down, he couldn’t. If she really was running from Sergio, she’d never believe that he wouldn’t hand her over to him. And if she wasn’t running from him, but just wanted to sow her wild oats, then …

  Well, he didn’t know what then. The thought of never seeing Nora again hurt more than it should. He knew what he’d meant when he said, You really do stir something inside of me. But what had she meant when she said she felt the same way? He’d told her it wasn’t all sexual, but she probably didn’t believe him. After all, men probably threw themselves at her.

  Once again, he felt like the pauper who’d unknowingly fallen for the princess. At least he could honestly say he hadn’t known who she was when it’d happened. But now that it had, what could he do about it?

  His libido hadn’t been the part of him concerned that she might have died from carbon monoxide poisoning. That had been his heart. A heart that hadn’t longed for a woman in twenty-one years.

  How would he ever explain that he had accepted a hundred-thousand-dollar reward to bring her home to another man?

  Chapter 13

  ~ Sam ~

  Arwen’s tail whacked the wood slats as Sam sprinted from the wash cabin to the main cabin. He shook off his boots and opened the door. “Wanna come inside, girl?”

  As usual, she just lifted an eyebrow. She didn’t like to be inside, so he was certain she’d learned that English word.

  “Suit yourself.” He pulled the door closed behind him and inhaled the warm fragrance that greeted him. “Honey, I’m home!”

  Nora stared over her tablet. “Funny. No way to surprise your partner when you’re house doesn’t have interior walls and is less than three hundred square feet. I’ve stayed in Motel 6 rooms larger than this.”

  “But did they have this view?”

  “You got me there.” Her gaze drifted to the bottle he held. “I see you found your stash.”

  “Vince’s stash. But he won’t mind. As long as I tell him I took it, that is. He only carries in a small plastic pint and adds it to the glass bottle. If I want to tick him off, I’ll forget to mention it, which means he’d have to greatly shorten his trip. That man can put down some vodka.”

  Nora tilted her head. “Why would you want to tick off your brother?”

  Sam gave Nora a hands-up shrug. “It’s just what brothers do. I don’t really want to upset Vince, though; he’s been through too much lately. Alex, on the other hand …”

  “Which one is Alex?”

  Sam pulled out a chair and sat across from her. “Alex was at Grizzly’s. He’s the one who looks like me, only he’s taller, better looking. Straighter hair. Whiter teeth. You know, the all-American pilot look.”

  Nora scoffed. “I don’t remember seeing him, so he must not have made an impression on me.”

  Doubting her words, Sam lifted an eyebrow. “Most women make a beeline for my brother. I think it’s his walk — rather, his swagger. He puts out a confident vibe that attracts the opposite sex.”

  “That explains it then.” Nora set down her reading device and gave him her total attention. “I tend to recoil from men like that.”

  Sergio’s image flashed in Sam’s head. Nora was engaged to Mr. Hollywood himself, and yet she wanted him to believe she recoiled from men like him? “Hmm … I never would have imagined.” Pausing, thinking only of the truth, not what he’d perceived as truth, he offered, “You seem so confident. From the first time I met you.”

  She dropped her head. “I’m not. Especially when it comes to men. I put on a good show … the nature of having to perform in front of hundreds of thousands of fans.”

  Sam shook his head. “I still don’t get that … Maybe because other than wrestling with my brothers, I’ve never been in a fight.”

  Nora laughed. “Never? How’s that possible? I swear there was a fight daily in my neighborhood. Mostly hotheaded boys. But even the girls were known to get into fights … usually about boys.”

  He shrugged, thinking over her question. “Small town? Everyone knows everyone? Not sure. I’ve broken up plenty of fights, but I’ve never had to throw a punch. And never with my brothers. We’ve wrestled … even shoved, but we’ve never slugged one another. Our father never would have stood for it.”

  “That’s so funny. Different worlds, I guess. I’ve been in more fights than I can count, and you’ve never landed a punch.” She slid back her chair and moved to the hotplate.

  “Oh, I’ve landed plenty of punches,” Sam said. “On a punching bag. Boxing is a great workout. But … how do you take it? A punch, I mean?”

  Nora turned back and stared at him. She leaned back against the counter, arms crossed. “Do you really want to hear this? Most men think that fighting — even professional fighting — is un-lady-like.”

  He smiled. “You definitely don’t look un-lady-like, even though I have to admit, you don’t look anything like you did in the ring. If Vince hadn’t told me you were a fighter, I never would have guessed. But yes, I’m curious.”

  Her lips quirked up, then fell. “Well, to tell you the truth. I try not to receive a punch. I have a long reach, so that helps, but really, the majority of my power is in my legs.”

  He couldn’t help smiling, which interrupted her story. “Sorry … Go ahead. I just remember that reach … your leg reach, that is. Can’t say that any of my brothers have ever been able to whip their legs over my head and get me in a scissor hold. That was impressive.”

  Nora bit down on her lip. “Yeah … Well, when I’m in the ring, I come out fighting. I don’t wait. Most of my fights have been less than a minute. And we can all stand anything for a minute, can’t we?”

  Still in disbelief, he shrugged again. “Guess so. How long do you intend to keep fighting?”

  Instead of answering, Nora turned to the pots on the counter. She poured hot water into two waiting bowls and then ladled out rice and stew onto two plates. No, he couldn’t imagine Nora fighting. Trail guide, on the other hand, he could see. His mind latched on to the adventures they could share. Maybe he could even step down as head of the SAR team, and he and Nora could lead hikes. They’d probably get more sign-ups as a husband-wife hiking team.

  A flash of heat burned his chest. Had he really just thought that? Husband and wife? He closed his eyes, working to calm down his inner alarm as he waited for her to sit.

  Nora handed him a bowl and plate, and then reached back for hers. “Does it matter?”

&n
bsp; Confused, he looked up from his meal. “Does what matter?” She’d made it clear that she wasn’t staying in Alaska, so why would her continuing to fight matter? Or … was she hinting that she would stay?

  “Does it bother you that I fight for a living?”

  “I can’t honestly say that it would thrill me to watch you head into a ring, but I risk my life every day for a living. What’s the difference?”

  She nodded and lowered her head. Her lips moved, but she didn’t speak audibly.

  He stared until he realized what she was doing. Sam covered her hand with his. “Dear Lord, thank you for this shelter and food, and bless the hands that prepared it. In Jesus’s name, amen.”

  He opened his eyes to see Nora’s brilliant green eyes staring at him. “Thank you, cariño.”

  Sam picked up his spoon, but before taking a bite, he decided to ask the question he’d wanted to ask from their first night together. “I get the gist, but what exactly does cariño mean?”

  Nora peered up from her plate, her eyes widening for no reason that he could understand. “Does my speaking in Spanish bother you?”

  Sam laughed. “Not at all. I wish you spoke in Spanish more often actually. I’d like to learn. Two years in high school, and all I can really spit out are numbers.”

  She released a breath and took a bite. When she looked back up, her eyes appeared glassy, as though the soup was spicy. “Cariño is similar to how you call me honey. As a friend, it means sweetie or sweetheart. Although, I hadn’t thought about it, but my mother used to call my father cariño. I guess it just pops out.”

  “I like it.” Sam sipped his soup, preparing himself for a spicy concoction, but the broth was actually bland. So what had made Nora’s eyes water up? Thinking of her father? “Can I ask you a another question?”

  She shrugged. “I guess so. As long as you promise not to get mad if I don’t feel comfortable answering.”

  “I rarely get mad, Nora.” He exhaled, thought about his question, but decided that if he didn’t try to get to know Nora now, he might not get a second chance once the storm cleared. He’d seen the wild look in her eyes more than once. Like a rabbit, she seemed always ready to sprint. “Your father … Every time you mention him, you seem uncomfortable. Is he gone?”