The Willows: Haven Read online

  “Well, you sure don’t seem to care for it, huh?” A glint of humor sparkled in his uniquely gray eyes as they raked over my silhouette. The way he spoke and looked at me felt like a lion stalking its prey. “No rain on our date then. I can keep you dry with no problems.”

  “I don’t think so,” I replied, growing uneasy with his seemingly serious banter.

  “So that’s it then? You’re just leaving?”

  “Yup, I have to get going. Things to do.” I snatched my bags, trying to make an exit.

  “Right. Well, in that case … I’ll see you around.” His voice carried a sudden lack of interest but there was an unsettling edge of expectancy in his tone.

  Doubtful, I thought and wheeled away.

  “Keep dry!” Oren’s voice echoed across the tile as I reached the front.

  I turned my face to find he’d vanished. Scanning the lobby, I shivered and hurried outside.

  A bellboy held the door open for me. I paused beneath the awning and pulled out a ten-dollar bill and my keys, hoping he’d get the message. His eyes moved from the money, to the rain, and back to the money before he nodded. I pointed out my car, and he hurried into the downpour. At least I wasn’t in over my head, yet.

  It’s not that I didn’t enjoy the rain or any water for that matter. In fact, I’d always found it refreshing and almost energizing. But spending the better part of the day in dripping clothes wasn’t exactly appealing.

  As I drove, thoughts of the past two days filtered through my mind. Things would never be the same for me again. True, Charlie and I had never been close — that distance had only grown over the past few years — but he had taken care of me, provided me with every imaginable luxury. We rarely spent time together, but I was used to that; it was something I had grown to accept as a fact of life. Even still, as far as I knew, my family line had ended. I was officially an orphan.

  Blood hammered through my veins as I attempted to fend off what I could only assume was the pressure from the surmounting stress. Come on, Ashton. This is no big thing. Get it together. My knuckles ached around the steering wheel. I sucked in a deep breath through my nose and blew the tension away.

  Blinding headlights raced up out of nowhere, reflecting off the glass of my rear-view mirror and into my eyes. I smacked the mirror away and slowed down, hoping the driver would pass. After several seconds, I peered behind me to see the silver SUV inches from my bumper.

  “Go around, jack-wagon!” I threw my hands up.

  As if he heard my rant, the car drifted into the opposite side of the two-lane and inched up beside me. I glared through my window, sending a silent message with the hope the driver could see. A figure shadowed by tinted glass moved behind the wheel. The vehicle lingered beside me as I looked back to the road and let off the gas even more.

  Oncoming headlights forced the driver of the SUV to hurry around me. A dark shape blurred past, going the opposite direction. I watched in wonder at whoever would drive at that speed — especially in the rain.

  As I looked ahead, bright red filled my vision. The SUV locked up and slid sideways, blocking both lanes. I stomped against the brake. My tires screamed as they bit into the wet pavement. The back-end of the BMW shuddered from one side of the lane to the other before coming back around.

  A wall of brown and green encircled the car. The scent of burnt rubber and smoke filled the air. My heart hammered in my ears as I battled momentum, trying desperately to end the spinning. What felt like minutes later, the wet squealing gave way to squishy crunching as my tires found the shoulder of the highway and settled into a ditch.

  I took a shaky breath and tried to still my hands shaking in place. Rain pounded against the muddied glass as I looked out my window. The driver of the silver SUV stood, his arm slung across the top of his open door as he stared my way. The distance and bucketing rainfall obscured his face, but his aggressive posture spoke volumes.

  I moved my foot from the brake to the gas. A wave of mud and gravel slammed into the belly of my car as the tires fought for purchase. Terror gripped my chest. The car wasn’t moving and the man was. My breaths came too fast as I reached behind my seat, searching for the cell phone I’d tossed back yesterday. Risking a glance, I frantically pawed around the tiny area but came up empty.

  In full panic mode, I looked ahead to see the brawny figure halfway to my car and moving with purpose. Just as I’d given up hope, he froze mid-stride, his hands balling into fists at his sides. My stress began to ease when he took a step back … and then another. With one final hesitation, he turned, climbed in his SUV, and screamed out of sight.

  I exhaled in a shaky breath and dropped my head against my hands. A sharp pain shot through the skin above my eye. Fixing the rear-view mirror, I wiped at the bloodied gash over my left brow.

  A rapid knock against the window caused me to jump, ratcheting up my adrenaline once more. An unfamiliar figure stood outside my door, trying to peer through the slightly bloodied glass.

  A guy wearing a black skullcap motorcycle helmet gestured for me to lower the window. Sensing he probably wasn’t part of the insane posse who ran me off the road, I rolled it down.

  “Do you need some help?” the stranger asked, shielding his face against the rain. His focused locked on the cut above my brow.

  I peered up and gasped. His eyes were the most distinctive color, like the Caribbean ocean — a faint orange circled his pupil, turning the palest shade of blue in the center, before fading into a deeper blue-green toward the outer ring. They were framed with a fringe of long dark lashes that had to be the envy of every woman. His blue irises created a striking contrast with his sun-kissed skin, kicking my heart rate up.

  “Miss?” His voice brought me back to my senses.

  “Hmm? Oh, yeah, please,” I mumbled, trying to concentrate. “I’m pretty stuck though. I don’t see anything short of a tow truck getting me out of here.”

  If only I could find my phone.

  “I’ll give it a shot.” He stared at my predicament with a little smile. “Just try not to run over me.”

  I gave him a disbelieving head shake and put the car in drive, watching for his signal from my mirror.

  “All right,” he yelled, “get ready to—”

  And I floored it.

  “Stop! Stop!” he sputtered, spitting and gagging as he waved his arms.

  I grimaced as he brushed senselessly at a thick layer of sludgy road grime and sand down his front.

  “Sorry!” I called back, my face growing warm. He waved me off and repositioned himself behind my bumper.

  “Okay, ease forward a bit now,” he directed.

  I very carefully applied a little pressure to the gas pedal. To my surprise, the car lurched forward without effort. The grating sound of metal on metal screeched through the air at the same time something jarred beneath me. I threw the BMW into park and jumped out.

  My shoulders slumped as I peered at the twisted metal lodged beneath my bumper. A crumpled motorcycle fender and black handlebars peeked out. I dropped my head into my hands and moaned. What else could possibly happen today?

  “Is that my bike?” the stranger asked from behind me. I startled and slipped in the mud, going down to one knee.

  “Easy there, Grace.” He laughed and pulled me to my feet.

  “That was an accident,” I groaned. Heat scorched to my hairline. “I was watching you and not looking ahead. I can’t even begin to tell you how sorry I am.”

  “It’s fine. At least I wasn’t on it, right?” He winked and wrenched a large bag off the back of the seat.

  “But I killed your bike. I’m happy to pay for it or whatever you need…” My voice trailed away as I considered giving him a lift.

  You should probably return the favor, I thought. Yeah, but what if he’s crazy? What if I end up dead in this ditch, waiting to be covered by the evening news so someone can identify my body? The other part of my brain argued. If he’d wanted you dead, you’d be dead. He didn’t
have to help you, remember? It’s not like you can leave him stranded in the rain just waiting to be mugged. What if the crazies who ran you off the road came back?

  Obligation beat sensibility.

  “Can I give you a ride somewhere? My cell is MIA, or I’d call the police right now,” I said.

  He hesitated, his eyes scanning the emptiness. “Yes, thank you.”

  “Oh, please. It’s the very least I can do.” I climbed in the car and grabbed a crumpled quilt from the floor, spreading it across his seat.

  Mr. Biker tugged the drab green pack through and shoved it at his feet. He closed the door, and the air stirred with a woodsy aroma. The delicious scent of cedar heated by the sun lingered with the fresh rain. A strange warmth settled in my chest.

  I ignored the sensation, as well as the scraping sound of metal, as I backed up and pulled onto the highway again. My new traveling partner never looked back as we drove away.

  Water dripped from the brim of Mr. Biker’s helmet as he unfastened it and sat it on his knee. He appeared to be around my age — maybe a few years older. He tucked a mop of longish auburn hair beneath a Gatsby style hat. A gray thermal clung to his chest, the washed out fabric settling nicely into the contours of well-defined muscle. A sense of familiarity wrapped around me.

  “Have we met?” My head fell to the side as I studied his face.

  He laughed. “I think I would remember meeting you.”

  His musky scent worked its way into my head as I considered the truth behind his statement. It’d be impossible to forget eyes like that.

  “There’s a truck stop just ahead. I’m sure they have a phone we can use.” I said, struggling to think over the fragrance flooding the tight space. “We can also grab a bite to eat, if you’d like. My treat of course.”

  “That’s very kind, thank you.”

  “I maimed your motorcycle. Lunch doesn’t even scratch the surface.” I shook my head. He grinned, and I lost myself in his dimples.

  “I’m Ashton, by the way,” I spoke after a moment.

  “Nice to meet you. I’m Gabe.” His hand lifted as if to shake mine, but he pulled it back and wiped it against his leg. “What are you doing out in this nasty weather?”

  “I’m headed back east.”

  “Yeah? Me too. Aren’t you a bit young to be traveling cross-country alone?” he asked.

  My eyebrows fell. I hated that everyone made that assumption. “No younger than you.” I scoffed, and Gabe bit back a smile. “I’m actually eighteen…” I stopped short of announcing today was my birthday. This wasn’t turning out to be a birthday I wanted to remember.

  “What happened to your forehead?” He pointed to the caked blood there.

  “I … I hydroplaned and slid into the ditch,” I fudged. “I must’ve hit then.”

  “It seems to have stopped bleeding at least. That’s a good sign.” He smiled, but it felt off.

  I felt Gabe watching me as we pulled into the truck stop, like if he concentrated hard enough, all of my secrets would be revealed. I tried to ignore it and grabbed the door handle.

  Gabe reached for an umbrella on the floor and hurried around to open my door. He ducked down to measure closer to my height, his hand resting lightly just above my jeans. The heat from his palm blazed against my damp shirt, sending an electric charge through the small of my back. Gabe’s warm breath tickled against my bare shoulder, and I shivered.

  “Hopefully it won’t be too cool in here,” he said, opening the door.

  I shrugged my shoulders and looked down so he wouldn’t see the rush of color flooding my cheeks. I wasn’t about to tell him that my reaction had nothing to do with my own temperature.

  Gabe followed me to a small booth in the back of the dining area. An empty spot in the corner held an overflowing vase of orchids. Gabe took a seat, but I excused myself and hurried to the restroom, my eyes floating by the time I reached it … in just enough time to stand in line. I considered charging the men’s room, but decided against going the route of having myself dismissed from the establishment.

  Gabe’s voice caught my attention as I walked back to our table. He gestured discreetly as he spoke with a waitress. From his expression, they seemed to be discussing more than the menu. I paused in the archway, straining to read their lips.

  “Excuse me,” a gravelly voice spoke at my back. I turned to see a burly man in a plaid shirt trying to get around.

  “Pardon me.” I moved to let him pass.

  When I looked back, the waitress had vanished. Gabe stood and smiled as I approached. The vase of flowers now sat two tables away. A waitress in a pale-blue and white uniform came around the corner. The same woman he’d spoken with moments ago. She appeared to be a couple of years older than me with a shining smile and fair strawberry-blonde hair that hung like satin below her shoulders. An unexpected pang of jealousy swept over me. My hand slipped into my pocket, and I discreetly swiped a layer of gloss across my lips.

  “Hi, welcome to the Truck Haven diner. I’m Lily,” she drawled with an unexpected southern accent. Her lavender eyes lit the room with warmth. “What can I get you two to drink?” She pulled a pen from behind her ear and replaced it with her hair.

  “Ashton?” Gabe offered, keeping his eyes away from the pretty girl.

  My heart leapt a little hearing my name from his lips. I sighed and cleared my throat. “Do you have sweet tea?”

  “Certainly.” She nodded.

  “Lily, I’d like the same.” Gabe winked at me from across the table.

  “Sure, I’ll be right back with those if you want to take a moment to think about what you want.” Lily lifted an eyebrow at me. She turned and walked back the way she came.

  “Would you excuse me, Gracie? I’m going to clean up a bit,” Gabe said, smiling when I narrowed my eyes at his nickname.

  He stood and shouldered his bag. The strap tugged at his shirt, exposing a hint of skin at his hip. “Would you mind ordering something for me?”

  “Umm … sure, yeah,” I answered and pulled my eyes upward. “What do you want?”

  Gabe laughed softly. “I’ll leave that up to you.”

  My thoughts assumed a wistful tone as I admired him walk away. He carried the air of someone who had lived life — both the good and the bad — but came away the better for it. And Gabe liked sweet tea. Kevin only ever drank some strange herbal tea that he’d never share and always hid.

  “Here we are, sweetie.” Lily stopped at the table. I turned to see her setting our glasses down as she glanced around the diner. “Now where did your friend disappear to? Did you need more time?”

  “Hmm? No, thank you.” I fumbled with the menu trying to regain my focus. I paused, catching that it was upside down, and warmth stole to my cheeks.

  “So, what can I get you two?” she asked, her pencil tapping against her notebook.

  My teeth locked around my bottom lip as I looked over my choices. I hadn’t thought to ask Gabe if there was anything he didn’t like.

  “May I make a suggestion?” Lily offered as the time drew on.

  “That’s probably a good idea,” I said. “Thanks.”

  “Well, we’re known around here for our mushroom burgers,” she stated.

  “Ehh,” I wavered. That didn’t seem like a win-win option. Not everyone liked mushrooms. I loved them, but I also liked to eat my fries with mayonnaise and mix peanut butter and syrup together for dessert. I’d always been a little quirky when it came to food.

  “I guarantee you’ll both be glad you ordered it.” Lily pointed at me with her pencil.

  “All right Lily, you convinced me. But if he doesn’t like it, I’m blaming you,” I half teased.

  “Well, when he falls in love, you won’t have anything to worry about.” She laughed as she walked back to the kitchen.

  CHAPTER THREE

  The Beginning

  I fidgeted with the sugar cubes as I waited. My gaze fell on the vase of flowers, and Kevin flitted back into my m
ind. Orchids surrounded his villa. They weren’t the bright, cheerful color most people chose, but a dark-plum, almost black, giving his place a slightly dangerous feel — kind of like Kevin. I rubbed the imprint of his hand on my forearm then tucked the bruise beneath the table.

  I sighed and looked up to see Gabe sauntering around the corner. The ragged cap was gone, and his dark hair waved down the back of his neck. He wore it loosely pushed away from his forehead with just the hint of rebellious curl. A pale-blue button up replaced the frayed thermal, the sleeves rolled to his elbows. A sense that I knew him from somewhere hit me again, nagging at me like a fly buzzing around my ear. Feeling lightheaded, I realized I’d stopped breathing and sucked in a lungful of oxygen.

  “Sorry to have kept you waiting.” Gabe slid into his seat.

  “No worries. I’ve just been…” My sentence trailed away. I didn’t really want to bring up my hot-tempered boyfriend with the guy I was strangely attracted to.

  “You’ve been what, building an empire?” he asked and pointed to my condiment formation. “You have a nice little town going there.”

  An embarrassed chuckle slipped out as I shoveled the cubes back into the dish, careful to keep my bruised arm hidden on my lap.

  Lily reappeared and sat her tray down to divvy out the food.

  Gabe moaned from across the table and sniffed at his burger. “I love mushrooms.”

  I slid a sideways glance at Lily.

  “Enjoy your meal.” She winked.

  “Did you get in touch with someone about your bike?” I took a gulp of tea.

  Gabe nodded. “I spoke with the police. They’re sending someone to clean up the mess, and said they’d get back with me. My cell was crushed, so I told them I’d check back in a couple of days.”

  Add new phone to your list of costs, I thought.

  “What will you do until then?” I frowned. “Can you get home or wherever it is you’re headed?”

  “Not exactly,” he wavered. “I’ll likely wait here. There are bunk houses in the back there. I can rent one for a day or two.”