“Come on. Let’s get you finished dressing,” I said to Cally. We raced up the stairs and since I was tickling her, she acted as if this was the little adventure I’d promised her. I shoved another sweater over her top, grabbing her jacket and putting it on before we went downstairs.

  “I want to stay.”

  Now she was going to whine.

  “This was just a little stopping point along the way, baby girl. We’ll find the best place in the world. I promise.”

  “Daddy there?”

  Daddy. I’d promised Joel I’d wait until she was eighteen to tell her she’d been adopted. I’d hoped she wouldn’t feel any differently, refusing to look up her deadbeat biological father. Now it just didn’t matter. I was a single parent and I needed to get used to it. “Mommy and Daddy are…” How was I supposed to help an almost four-year-old turning into an adult understand her daddy didn’t really care about her any longer?

  Maybe he never had.

  “We’ll see, baby girl. Now, come on. Let’s roll.”

  “Yay!”

  Thankfully, she responded to the phrase I’d used since she was a baby. She tumbled down the stairs as I carried the bags. And wouldn’t you know it, she flew into Jagger’s arms, giggling as a typical happy child would do.

  He was as shocked as I was, the hunk of a man tensing since he had no clue how to react. I stopped right on the bottom of the stairs when he crouched down to her level, tugging on the collar of her jacket and whispering something to her I couldn’t hear. From what I could see, she nodded a couple of times as if agreeing with him.

  Another flash of anger rose up like a dragon ready to breathe fire. At least this time my common sense took over and I shoved her back into her lair. He didn’t deserve my full wrath. He wasn’t that bad of a guy, just insufferable.

  And tempting.

  A lump had formed in my throat and I had difficulty swallowing. When I finally did, I tried very hard not to look at him as I grabbed my keys and purse. “Come on, baby girl. Time to go. Tell the nice man thank you. What do I owe you?”

  It was said tongue in cheek and he snorted enough for me to notice. “On the house, sweetheart. Damsels in distress are my thing.”

  If he wanted to annoy me, he was doing a damn good job.

  “Well, thank you. You’ve done your good deed for the year. Maybe Santa won’t bring you coal in your stocking.”

  Ouch.

  I was on a roll and I hated myself for it.

  We headed outside and as soon as I planted a foot onto the first stair tread, I realized just how slippery everything could be. With tiny pellets of ice and snow hitting my face, I remained determined to find a way to leave. Or maybe happen upon a cheaper hotel to stay for a couple of days.

  My nerves were frayed, but turning back wasn’t an option. This wasn’t the first time I’d felt all alone and destitute, but it hurt the worst. I’d failed myself and my little girl.

  I got her buckled up in the backseat, tossing our bags into the back and slip-sliding my way to the driver’s side.

  “You shouldn’t leave, Bella. You’re going to get stuck,” Jagger said, his deep and very husky voice sending a series of dark jolts of current down to my toes.

  “I can’t stay here, Jagger. No, you can’t understand.”

  “Nah, lady. You’re right. I can’t.” He was leaning against the railing of the porch, his legs crossed at his ankles. With his parka open and his burgundy corduroy shirt unbuttoned, I honestly thought he was the sexiest man alive.

  But it couldn’t and wouldn’t matter.

  My goal was set, my mind finally shifting from one big foggy haze to reality. I would do this methodically, the new life something I could be proud of.

  Eventually.

  I refused to allow Joel to take away all I’d worked for.

  Bastard.

  All men were bastards.

  That was the thought as I put the gear into reverse, attempting yet another getaway. It was funny that I’d held it together when I’d driven out of Baltimore.

  This time two tiny tears slipped past my lashes.

  CHAPTER 8

  Jagger

  Women.

  What was that thing I heard countless times? You can’t live with them and… you can’t live with them. As soon as Bella rolled down the driveway, I let out a deep breath. My teeth hurt from gritting them the entire time she’d confronted me.

  The woman was bat shit crazy to think she could make it down the mountain in this weather. There was no doubt my ass would need to save her.

  I closed the still open door to the cabin, not bothering putting a single grocery away. Both she and the little tyke would be back here in less than an hour. I predicted it and checked my watch.

  Unless she drove off the side of a mountain.

  As I tromped down the stairs, my chest tightened. Nope. I wasn’t having a heart attack, but the feeling was just as constricting. Why the hell did I give a shit about Bella’s wellbeing in the first place? It was beating the shit out of me. She was opinionated, mouthy, the kind of gal who would kick a man in his balls, and I had a feeling she had a damn good right hook.

  I jumped into my vehicle, half laughing from the vision of what I should do to her given her wild and disruptive behavior. Turn her over my knee and give her the spanking of a lifetime. Maybe if she couldn’t sit for a few days, she’d finally realize she was acting like a child. Why? She was obviously highly intelligent; it was clear as much as her beauty. So why risk her life and that of her child to run away?

  Was I that terrifying?

  I rubbed my shaggy beard as I pulled down the driveway. Yeah, maybe I was. In the months I’d been here, I’d let myself go. No haircut. My face hadn’t seen a razor since I left Maine after our father’s call. Being a hermit meant you didn’t have to conform to what the public wanted.

  In other words, I didn’t need to please people. Hunter had told me that several times.

  Bella was easy to trail, but I kept my distance. The last thing I wanted to do was to scare her so she’d drive irrationally. The roads were pretty damn bad and I was thankful to see at least she was driving with caution. But with every passing second, the snow was falling even heavier than before.

  A sign caught my attention and I gripped the steering wheel with white-knuckle force. The curvy pass coming up in a half a mile took out some of the most experienced drivers in the rain. I should never have let it go this far. If I’d been a decent guy, I would have locked her inside one of the bedrooms somehow, even if it had meant barricading the door.

  Yeah, the Neanderthal moniker stuck. At least it was better than the one I’d gotten doing service for my country.

  I adjusted the rearview mirror, taking a quick look to ensure no one was on my tail. Fortunately, it seemed even the tourists had taken heed to the warnings, stay off the goddamn roads.

  Not the feisty woman with hair the color of spun gold. Damn her. I couldn’t speed up for fear I’d roll down the side of the mountain. I just had to take it slow and easy.

  Not my style.

  When she drove around the corner, I held my breath and opened my window, straining to hear any sound.

  I didn’t like what I was hearing, the noise enough to let me know her tires were starting to skid. Ah, fuck me. I would never forgive myself if anything happened to her. Sucking in my breath, I kept my eyes on the road, laying off the brakes as well.

  I heard a squeal and a solid thud.

  Then nothing.

  Shit. Shit. Fuck. Hell and damn.

  I rounded the same corner, willing the goddamn wipers to go faster. Even I could barely see a freaking thing. The second corner I rounded allowed me to breathe a slight sigh of relief. She’d almost driven off the edge. Honestly, I hoped she had no idea just how close she was. The slight thud had been a slow roll of her bumper against a tree.

  That purposeful maneuver or act of karma had saved both their lives.

  It was treacherous enough that it took me a few seconds to be able to pull over. With every move I made cautious, I stepped out, watching the road before crossing. Bella was fighting to get out and little Cally was screaming and crying from the back.

  I moved within view of Bella, lightly knocking on the window. If the little vixen thought she was going to continue playing this game with me, she was dead wrong. This time, I would lock her in the room and wait downstairs to ensure she didn’t leave.

  Not that her prized Mercedes was going anywhere anytime soon. It would take me a couple of days to get a tow truck out here.

  Or at least I could tell her that, convincing my buddy at the tow shop to put her last on the list. I was also grateful her SUV wasn’t in the direct path of a car. Not that it didn’t mean some asshole would run into it. I would need to report the incident. She had no idea what kind of trouble she’d caused me.

  Her door was only slightly stuck and with a few hard pulls, I managed to open it, immediately sticking my head inside. “Are you finished with playing games?”

  Maybe I was a little harsh, but her holier than thou attitude had grated on my nerves.

  “I’m not playing a game. This is my life.”

  “You’re right. It could have cost you your life. You’re coming with me.”

  Thank freaking God she didn’t argue, allowing me to help her from her beloved SUV. Once she was standing, I headed to the other side, unfastening and gathering Cally into my arms.

  “It’s okay, honey,” I whispered, trying my best to calm her down. She was clinging to me, her little nails digging into the back of my neck.

  “Do you always play the hero?” Bella asked as she slipped trying to get to the back of her vehicle.

  “I’m no hero, city girl. I’m just not interested in dealing with the paperwork if you’d driven off the side of a cliff.”

  Cally was calmer than before, still sniffling but at least no longer hysterical.

  I’ll be damned if Bella wasn’t struggling to get the car seat out.

  “We don’t have time. The roads are becoming impassible. Grab your bags. We need to get the hell out of here.”

  “You don’t understand.”

  “No, you don’t understand. I risked my life to save yours.” I turned toward her, giving her an even harder look than before.

  She stiffened, but finally nodded.

  “Be careful,” I told her, easing the little girl into my backseat. “Stay put, honey. Mommy will be right here.”

  “My bear!”

  “I’ll get your bear.” This was such a pain in the ass, but I felt compelled to save both of them. Even in boots meant for snow, I found myself sliding given the slope of the road. I managed to grab the toy and most of the luggage, grousing the entire time back to my Range Rover. After tossing the items inside, handing off the koala to Cally, I had to fight all the nasty, chastising words I wanted to say to Bella. I reminded myself the woman was going through something she had no idea how to handle.

  I asked myself for the fifth time this morning why it mattered.

  But it did.

  With my passengers safe inside, I said a silent prayer I could turn around and get us back safely. It was a crap shoot at this point.

  Bella insisted on riding in the back, not only comforting her daughter but doing everything she could to protect her child. The pained look on her face was just another reminder that she’d been through hell and back. I should know what that looked like by simply glancing into the mirror.

  There was no hiding the effects of horrific events no matter how many smiles someone might be able to plaster on their face.

  I managed to get successfully turned around, but even the tires I’d had installed after moving here were having a tough time making it back up the slope. Every time we slid even a few inches, Bella moaned.

  Maybe the tough time I was having making it back would be a decent reminder weather had a mind of its own and couldn’t care less about anyone’s issues.

  I remained tense as fuck and by the time I made it back to the cabin, my leg was aching like a son of a bitch. I had no pain pills, no way of soothing the ache that was always with me. From what I knew about the roads, attempting to make it to my cabin wasn’t a good idea. If even possible.

  It took almost an hour to get back. When I pulled up, I felt another strong need to berate Bella, but not in front of the little girl.

  I cut the engine and neither one of us said a damn thing.

  “Let’s get you inside,” I muttered and opened the door. She gathered Cally while I grabbed the bags for the second time. I watched as she settled Cally in front of the television, removing the little girl’s coat and staring down at her with a forlorn look in her eyes. Since we had satellite service, the kid was able to watch something, at least keeping her occupied for now. While I wasn’t much of a talker, I needed to have a chat with her mother.

  It took a minute before Bella slipped out of her jacket, shivering although the fire was still going. She finally looked at me for the first time since she’d stormed out. “Thank you.”

  The two words were clipped and she immediately went into the kitchen. I debated keeping my jacket on, but opted against it. The thought of spending the day and possibly the night here wasn’t on my bucket list, but I wasn’t a fool either.

  She was either refusing to pay any attention to the fact I’d walked into the room or didn’t realize I was standing in the doorway. I watched her as she unloaded groceries, both admiring her diligence in her actions as well as mentally challenging her. What would force someone to leave all they knew, including friends and family?

  “What did you say to Cally before we left?” she asked in such a quiet voice I was surprised at the difference.

  “I asked her to be good for her mommy because her mommy loved her.” You would have thought I’d offered a few million dollars to Bella by the way she looked at me.

  The hit or miss of awkward tension drove me nuts.

  “Are you going to help or just stand there like a damn statue?” she barked a few seconds later.

  “There’s the city girl I know and love.”

  She wrinkled her nose. “Just get busy before we lose some of the food. And I’m no city girl. Trust me.”

  “I didn’t think you wanted me around.”

  “I don’t, but it appears I have no choice. Right?”

  Answering her was tougher than it should have been.

  She lifted her head, her nose wrinkling again as she looked at my second choice of cereal I’d purchased before shifting her attention directly on me. “Well? You’re stuck here. Aren’t you?”

  I walked closer as I shook my head, not in answer to her question, but because the thought of disciplining her still remained on my mind. I couldn’t say I knew anything about Bella, but I gathered if I tried anything so forward she’d stick a knife in my back or worse.

  “Yeah, it looks that way. Don’t worry. I won’t bother you.”

  She shoved the cereal and two other boxes of food into my arms. “I’m not worried. Just stay out of my way and I’ll stay out of yours.”

  “I’m curious. Why do you hate me so much?”

  “Hate you? I don’t know you,” she retorted. “I just… I can’t handle dealing with anything else in my life at this point, Jagger.”

  “Look, lady. I could tell you were in need. Sorry I bothered.”

  “I don’t need anything hot and heavy in my life.” She shoved up the sleeves of her sweater as she pulled a carton of milk from one of the bags. “It’s not you.”

  Then what the fuck was it?

  It was the first time either arm was fully exposed. The number of dark and yellow bruises struck me hard, the wind knocked out of me. Or maybe it was the hellfire in her vibrant violet eyes that knocked the oxygen out of me. As soon as she realized what I was staring at, she turned around.

  The marks were clearly from a man’s handprint.

  “What the fuck happened to you?” I demanded.

  “Don’t curse around my daughter.”

  “I’m gonna curse all I damn well want. Who did that to you?”

  “What the hell are you talking about?”

  I wasn’t in the mood to fight with her or have her lying to me either. I moved past the island, wrapping my hand around her wrist and tugging on her arm.

  “You’re hurting me.” There was instant fear in her eyes, her mind slamming into a real belief I was planning on hurting her.

  Of all the horrible things I’d done in my life, my soul likely ineligible to reach heaven no matter how many good deeds I performed, I’d never hurt a woman.

  While I softened my grip, I refused to let her go.

  She shoved her other hand against my chest. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?”

  “Trying to protect your ass from doing something stupid. Shoot me because I give a damn if someone hurt you.” I took another look before dropping her arm, walking away with the same attitude as she’d just given me. The bruises were deep and the way she’d winced indicated whoever had grabbed her had attempted to break her wrist. My gaze flew back to her face just for an instant. But it was enough to take in her beauty in an entirely different way.

  Her hair was unruly and wet from the snow, her mascara smudged from a rough night. She was still in the same clothes as when I’d met her in the hotel, yet to me, she had a warm glow about her. She was a stunning beauty who didn’t deserve whatever hand had been dealt to her.

  “I don’t need protecting!”

  We were at an impasse again. Maybe we always would be.

  “What you did was reckless and stupid.”

  She huffed. “You’re calling me stupid now? You’re batting a thousand, buster.”

  Yeah, I was. I closed my eyes, doing what I could to slide into another personality. “Who hurt you?”

  “Nobody.”

  “Don’t give me shit about some fall or ridiculous accident. I wasn’t born yesterday. Some asshole tried to break your wrist and if he’s someone from the resort, I will break his neck.”

  For only the second time her features softened. “You’d really do that?”

  “Yeah, I would.” I meant it too.

 

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