Home to You

Chapter 1

 

Once again, Annie Brooks was running from something. Sixteen years ago, she’d run from Ferry Falls and now here she was, running back.

Her son sat in the passenger seat, his broken arm wrapped in a sling, and his bruised face still showing the vestiges of the assault. Curled up against the door as he was, he looked younger than his fifteen years.

Zach raised his head and looked out the window. “Are we almost there?”

The 93-mile marker flashed by in the fading light, and she calculated the dwindling number of miles left before her overloaded Honda Civic nosed its way into Ferry Falls’ town limits. “Almost. It’s just a few more miles.”

“What’s it like?”

She shrugged. “It’s small. Quiet. Not what you’re used to.”

“How?”

She turned her attention back to the rural highway buffered by mature stands of red pine. “Small towns…everybody knows everybody else’s business. They know it before you know it. You go to the store and buy aspirin, and before you get home, there’s a message on your phone from someone asking if you’re okay.”

Zach snorted.

“I’m not kidding. It was different where we lived. People minded their own business.”

“That’s ‘cause knowing other people’s business could get you hurt.”

She eyed Zach’s sling. “True. But you can be hurt in other ways, too. People will know who I am, and they’ll figure out who you are, too. They’ll ask questions.”

“So? Let them ask.”

“They might ask questions about your father, Zach.”

“It’s none of their business.”

“No, it’s not,” she said softly. “But it doesn’t stop some people from making it their business.”

“Nothing can hurt us if we stick together. That’s what you always say, right?”

Heat, soft and soothing, bloomed in her chest, relaxing some of the tension that had taken residence there since they’d started the trek to northern Minnesota. “That’s right. You know I love you more than anything, don’t you?”

He smiled a little then. A half smile that hinted at the dimples he’d inherited from her. “Love you, too.”

And that was all that mattered, because Zach was right. They would get through this together.

She turned back to the roadway in time to catch a blur of movement from the left. Instinctively, she slammed on the brakes, throwing her right arm out to protect her son.

In slow motion, she saw the doe’s desperate, last-second leap. Saw the animal’s graceful arc in mid-flight and the white rimming its eye just before the nose of the Honda clipped it, sending the animal careening into the windshield with a dull thud.

The jolt of the impact folded her body around the locked seatbelt, and she cried out. The Honda’s anti-lock brakes gave up as the car squealed to a stop, straddling the shoulder and the road.

Adrenaline thrummed down her limbs, leaving them shaky as she pushed an unsteady hand through her hair and looked quickly at Zach. “You okay?”

“Yeah.” He let out a slow breath and winced.

“You sure you’re not hurt? Your ribs…” She checked her son for new injuries, gauging his level of pain. Tentatively, she touched his shoulder.

He unbuckled his seatbelt and shifted cautiously in his seat. “They hurt a little, but I’m okay. Are you hurt?”

She did a mental check. “No, I’m fine.” Stunned senses dulled her response as she took in the shattered windshield that had nearly folded down over the dash, the safety film holding the thousands of shards in place. She blew out a shaky breath. “I’m surprised the airbags didn’t blow.”

“They aren’t supposed to.”

“Huh?”

“The manufacturers dialed them back so they don’t blow when you hit something lighter, like a deer. They’re only supposed to go off when you hit something hard that stops you.”

“Oh. Shop class?”

He grinned. “Did ya think I wasn’t learning anything in school?”

Her brows rose as she considered that.

“Don’t say it,” he laughed softly and then groaned. “Don’t make me laugh.”

If Zach could laugh, he couldn’t be hurt that badly. She chewed the side of her lip. Maybe she should take him to a doctor, just to be sure.

The car shuddered as the engine coughed and sputtered under the hood. She guided the vehicle the rest of the way onto the shoulder before shutting it off.

“Hey, you’re bleeding.” Zach touched her right hand.

She stared in surprise at the knuckles scraped bare and split open. “I must have hit the dash.” Better her hand than her son.

He flashed her a guilty look.

“It’s nothing,” she said.

“It looks like it hurts.”

As if on command, nerves burst to life, and pain throbbed through the damaged appendage. Annie sucked in a breath and flexed against the hot sting strafing her knuckles.

She gave him a reassuring smile. “It’s just skinned up. I’ll be all right.”

He frowned, but she opened her door before he could argue. Pushing upright, she steadied herself, the adrenaline letdown making her limbs liquid.

From this vantage point, the rest of her car had fared no better than the shattered windshield. Closing her door, she walked on shaky legs and met Zach at the front of the car. Surveying the damage, she promptly forgot about the pain in her hand. “Oh, my God.”

The hiss of air sounded from under the hood and steam escaped from the crushed edges. Green liquid puddled under the car, and her heart sank as she calculated the cost of repairs.

“Radiator,” he mumbled.

“That’s bad?”

“You got that AAA yet?”

Okay, that was bad.

“Who knew a deer could do that much damage?” he said, sounding impressed.

“I wish it hadn’t.” Retrieving her purse, she fished out the insurance card and her cell phone, flipping it open.

Two bars of service.

It had never occurred to her she may not have service this far north. Dialing the number on the card, she breathed a sigh of relief as an operator answered and took her information before putting her on hold.

“You need a smart phone. They have apps for that, you know.”

“This one was cheap.”

Zach shook his head and leaned over to inspect the hood of their car again, where it had been smashed back into the shattered windshield.

Absurdly cheerful hold music played in her ear while she mentally calculated the money she’d saved in the pillowcase. She had no idea how much money was included in the inheritance she’d traveled so far to claim, but she doubted her emergency fund would stretch much beyond the cost of repairs.

“Think it’s dead?”

She followed her son’s gaze to where the dark shape of the doe lay on the shoulder of the road behind her car. “I think so. I don’t want to check, to make sure though.”

“I’ll check.”

The operator came on the line, interrupting her attempt to stop him. By the time she hung up, he was gingerly nudging the deer with one shoe. He squatted and laid a hand on the animal’s side.

“Is it breathing?”

Zach shook his head. “No, it’s dead.”

She closed her eyes as guilt swept over her.

Maybe she’d made a mistake in coming home after all.

 

Chapter 2

 

Nate Lucas whistled under his breath as he rounded the rear corner of the flatbed. The deer had done a number on the car.

Deer hits had factored prominently in the shop’s profits this spring, and he wasn’t complaining from a business perspective, but this was going to be an expensive repair. Considering the age of the vehicle, he’d be surprised if it was even insured.

His gaze slid over the crushed windshield, the crumpled hood, and then to the volume of radiator fluid on the ground.

There was no way he wasn’t getting wet.

Dammit.

Shielding his eyes against the rig’s floodlights, he glanced at the couple standing on the shoulder next to the car. The woman was petite, draped in an over-sized coat and jeans. One hand shaded her eyes, obscuring her face. Another person hovered behind her in the shadows.

“You folks all right?” He stepped towards them and into the direct light of the floods.

The woman inhaled sharply, and the hand shadowing her eyes dropped away, leaving her features visible.

He frowned and took a closer look. Blonde hair cropped close about her face highlighted her petite features and made her blue eyes appear huge.

Familiar blue eyes.

Shock snapped his spine rigid. His lungs froze for a moment, and he sucked hard but couldn’t draw more than a shallow breath. “Annie?”

She swallowed audibly, strain turning her face white in the harsh light.

“Nate,” she whispered.

His scalp tightened and hair raised on the back of his neck as an icy chill washed through him. She looked the same. Tiny and petite and still so damned beautiful it made his heart stutter. “You cut your hair.”

She blinked, and he could’ve kicked himself for voicing the errant thought.

She palmed a hand over her short locks, her eyes skating away from him as her arms folded tightly across her chest.

“What are you doing here?”

Her baby blues held a faint challenge as they connected with his. “My mom died.”

“She’s been dead a year. How come you didn’t come home before now?”

“I just found out.”

“What? Where the hell have you been?”

Movement in the shadows behind her caused him to blink. He’d forgotten there was someone else with her.

Annie’s gaze dropped briefly to where the other person gripped her sleeve before she straightened and shifted to the left, blocking his view.

A faint tingle teased the back of his neck as he peered over her shoulder.

A kid. A teenage boy. Just old enough to be the one she was carrying when she told him she was pregnant. Right before she left town without a word and left him holding the bag for her disappearance.

The kid was taller than Annie by a full head. He was all lean build, long arms and legs. Skinny. Dark hair. Nate couldn’t make out his features, not with the boy still in shadow and his head tipped down, but it didn’t stop him from trying to figure out who the kid resembled.

Because it sure as hell wasn’t him.

They had been childhood friends and high-school sweethearts. They’d planned to attend college together, get married, and have kids. They’d even named them.

But they’d never been lovers.

Even after all these years, he still couldn’t believe her betrayal. How blind he’d been. He clenched his fists against the hot sensation burning through his fingers. He had been planning their future while she cheated on him with someone else. Someone who had fathered the kid standing next to her.

Putting some distance between them, he turned away and focused on the damaged car. “How long are you here for?” His voice rasped over the words, and he cleared his throat.

“I don’t know.”

Her quiet tone made him look up. The kid was still gripping her sleeve. The kid that should’ve been his.

Lights crested the hill behind them, and the oncoming vehicle slowed as it approached. A Benson County Sheriff’s car pulled up next to him and stopped.

TJ Maddox stuck his head out the open window. “Hey Nate, everything okay here?”

He nodded sharply. “Just loading up.”

“Deer hit?”

“Yeah.”

“Is it dead?”

“I dunno. I didn’t ask,” he snapped.

TJ’s head jerked back, and he gave Nate an eyeful. “What’s up?”

Nate just shook his head. “The driver and passenger are going to need a ride.” He wasn’t spending any more time with Annie and her son than he had to.

TJ cocked a brow at him, waiting for more info, but he waved him off. His best friend would figure it out soon enough.

“Stay clear,” Nate ordered Annie and her son, hitting the controls that tilted and lowered the flatbed deck to the ground. He dropped the winch as TJ walked up behind him.

“Got trouble, Nate?” TJ’s voice was low, draped in concern, and he hated it.

“No, just keep them out of my way.”

TJ’s stare bored into the side of his head, and it made him twitchy. He jerked open the cab of the truck and pulled a foam mat from behind the seat. He wasn’t going swimming in antifreeze if he could help it. Ignoring his friend, he snagged the winch hook, settled the mat over the antifreeze puddle and dropped out of sight beneath the disabled car.

“Any injuries?” TJ asked.

“No, we’re fine.” Annie’s soft voice nearly ripped a hole in Nate’s gut. His hand shook as he felt along the car’s frame, looking for a tow point.

“Well, I’ll be damned,” TJ drawled. “Hello there, Annalise Carlisle.”

“It’s Brooks.”

“Huh?”

“My last name is Brooks.”

“You’re married?”

Nate froze in spite of himself, breath suspended while he waited for her answer. He shifted his head in her direction, but couldn’t see anything from this angle.

“No, no marriage for me.”

The words were so quiet, he almost didn’t catch them.

“I see. And who is this?”

“My son, Zach.”

Hot pain hit him in the chest with the weight of a sledgehammer. Zach? She’d named him Zach? Finding a hole in the car’s frame, he jammed the hook into the opening and kicked out from under the car. In his haste, he slid off the mat, and his ass landed in the puddle of antifreeze.

Son of a bitch.

Heaving himself off the ground, he swiped at the soaked fabric on his backside. He looked up, and sure as shit, three pairs of eyes stared at him.

“Need a hand?” TJ asked.

“I’m good.” The sooner he got the car loaded and out of here, the better he’d be.

“Whoa. What happened to you?”

The seriousness in TJ’s tone caught his attention. TJ’s flashlight shone over the boy. Zach. The kid ducked, but not before he noticed the angry bruising that covered a good portion of the teenager’s face. A sling and cast encased the boy’s left arm, and his other arm was drawn up, like he was protecting his right side. How had he missed that?

“It was an accident,” Annie said.

Accident his ass. Someone had kicked the living shit out of that kid.

“Really.” TJ’s tone was dry. “Must’ve been a hell of an accident.”

The kid looked away, and Annie bit her lip like she did anytime she thought she was in trouble for something.

“Are you in some kind of danger?”

“No.”

“Is someone after you?”

“No, it’s nothing like that.” She sounded flustered, her gaze snagging on Nate’s before skittering away again.

TJ looked between Annie and her son, but neither said another word. Hooking his hands on his utility belt, he sighed. “I don’t suppose you’ve got your license and insurance handy?”

She fumbled through her purse for a moment before handing TJ the cards.

“So Annie Brooks, Chicago, huh?”

“Uh, yeah.” She was still working that bottom lip, her gaze fixed on the driver’s license TJ held in his hands.

Chicago? That’s where she’d been hiding all these years? She had obviously lied about the kid being in an accident. Who was she protecting? The kid’s father? Had she left him for some douchebag who would beat on his kid?

The thought pissed him off.

Bending his head, Nate leaned into her car and caught a whiff of something sweet and feminine that twisted his gut. He looked for keys, but the ignition was empty. The backseat wasn’t, though. It was packed top to bottom with boxes and duffel bags. Foreboding swept through him as he backed out.

“Long way from home,” he heard TJ say.

Annie nodded, taking the driver’s license from him and tucking it into her purse.

“You’re a cop.” A note of disbelief accompanied her comment, but TJ laughed.

“Yeah, I get that from anyone who has left town. Nate says if the county ever found out how much crap I got away with as a kid, they’d never let me stay on.”

Her mouth curved slightly. “How’s your mom?”

“She’s doing as good as can be expected.”

“Is she still working?”

“No, she hasn’t been able to work for a few years.”

“I’m sorry.”

TJ shrugged. “It is what it is. Rheumatoid arthritis is progressive, but she’s still able to live on her own. We try to preserve her independence as much as we can. We check on her every day and Bria does therapeutic massage that helps her a little.”

“Your sister does massage therapy?”

“When she’s not working for the resort or bartending at the Bear Trap.”

“That place is still open?” she asked.

“Busiest place in town most nights.”

“It used to be the only place in town at night.”

TJ snorted. “Still is. Where are you planning to stay? The white house?”

“No, the motel.”

“The motel is a dump.”

She shrugged. “It’s just for the night.”

“I’m not kidding. The place hasn’t been updated in forty years. Marty mostly rents it out to hunters and fishermen and doesn’t see the point of bringing it into the twenty-first century.”

“It’s where we’re headed. It’ll be fine.”

TJ looked like he wanted to argue. “I’ll give you a ride if that’s where you want to go. Once Nate’s finished hooking things up here, I’ll take you into town.”

“Thanks, I appreciate that.”

TJ’s friendliness was starting to wear on his nerves. “I hate to break up the welcome party, but I need the keys to the car.”

Annie jerked and looked a little like he’d slapped her. A kernel of shame pinched his gut, but he ignored it. Sixteen years ago, she’d screwed him in every way but the best one, and he’d be damned if he’d make her feel better about it.

TJ took the keys from Annie’s hand and tossed them to him. He caught them and entered the sweet-smelling car again, fitting the key into the ignition and switching it forward so the steering wheel moved freely.

“You need some stuff for tonight?” he asked as he shut the car door.

She frowned.

“Before the car gets loaded on the flatbed, anything you need out of it?” He waited while she pulled out a cooler and a couple of duffel bags, stacking them on the dirt shoulder. Once she was done, he winched the vehicle onto the flatbed and got busy securing it. The sooner he finished, the sooner he could get out of here.

“You planning to stay long?” TJ asked.

“Not long.”

Thank God. He quickly strapped the wheels down to the deck, double-checked the winch, and hopped down just as TJ’s radio crackled to life.

TJ answered the call and Nate headed for the cab, getting a bad feeling that things were about to go south. He pulled open the driver’s door and reached for the grab handle.

“Hold up, Nate,” TJ called out.

Fuck.

He stopped short and eyed the seat. How many laws would he break if he just hopped in and drove away?

TJ finished his call and walked over to Annie. “I’m really sorry. You’re going to have to catch a ride with Nate. I have another call.”

“What?” she asked.

Hell no. “That’s not funny, TJ.”

“Sorry man, I’ve got an emergency. I gotta go.”

Nate rubbed at the tension in the back of his neck.

“Hey Nate?” TJ’s tone was serious, and he stepped closer.

“Yeah?” he sighed, suddenly tired.

“Call me when you’re done. It’s the North End Resort.”

“What is it?”

“It’s a fire call. The main building is on fire.”

“What?” A cold wave of shock flowed down his back. “How bad?”

“It’s bad. They called in Barrett and Gardner to help.”

His heart sank. “Anyone hurt?”

“Not that I’ve heard. You’re remodeling that wing, right?”

“Yeah. Should be empty, so that’s a plus.” Empty, except for all the tools and materials he had on site. Insurance was going to be a nightmare. He sighed. “Go, I’ll be there as soon as I can.”

“I’ll catch up with you later.” TJ nodded at him, got in his squad car, and left with all due haste.

He stared until the last flash of the cherries disappeared over the hill. What a night. He climbed up onto the flatbed. “Hand up the bags and I’ll pack them back in the car.”

He directed Annie and her son to get into the truck while he stowed her belongings. Then he made one last cursory check of the straps on the wheels and the winch. Satisfied the car was secure, he looked up, expecting to see two heads through the back glass of the cab. Instead, the space was empty and the passenger door gaped open.

Frowning, he hopped down and walked around the rig. “Problem?”

Annie looked over her shoulder, where she was struggling to lift Zach into the cab of the truck. “No, I’ve got it.”

He almost snorted. It was clear she didn’t. He’d be tempted to let her continue to prove her point, if not for the grimace of pain that tightened the kid’s face. Whatever injuries were visible on the surface, he had no doubt there were a whole lot more hidden under the kid’s clothing. “Let me help him.”

“I’ve got it.”

“Really?”

She glared over her shoulder at him and at that moment the teen bobbled, still perched on the running board, groaning as he sagged backwards.

Nate jumped forward, wrapped his arms around the boy, and leaned the kid back against his chest for support as the teenager stumbled to the ground.

“I had it under control.”

Making sure the boy was steady, he faced her. “No insult intended, but it didn’t look like it from where I was standing. Like it or not, I’m a lot taller than you are. I can get him in the cab with a lot less effort on my part and a whole lot less pain on his. Your choice.”

Her fists clenched and a wash of color spread across her face as she opened her mouth and then clamped it tight.

If not for the diesel engine rumbling next to them, he swore he would’ve heard her teeth grinding together. Fascinating.

“Just please be careful.”

“I will,” he promised.

The kid eyed him with trepidation, but there was also a weariness there, just under the bruising.

“What else hurts besides your arm?”

The kid grimaced. “Ribs.”

“Here, on the right side?”

Zach nodded.

“Yeah, bet that hurt like hell trying to pull yourself up into the cab. Any injuries anywhere else?”

“No.”

He doubted that, but he’d take the teen at his word. “Alright. I’m going to give you a lift. Reach up and grab that handle to steady yourself, but let me do the work, okay?”

The teen sucked in a fortifying breath. “Okay.”

Squatting down, he wrapped an arm securely around the boy’s legs and slowly lifted the teenager up to the level of the seat. Zach grabbed the handle as Nate slid him sideways onto the seat and carefully tucked the boy’s legs into the cab. “You okay?”

Baby-blue eyes, the same color as Annie’s locked with his, and his heart twisted in response.

“Yeah, thanks.”

“Good.” He gently closed the passenger door and ushered Annie around to the driver’s side.

She climbed up and slid over to the middle. He reached for the grab handle to follow her and hesitated when he saw her sitting there. The cab was a good size, but with three adults, it got a little snug. Like it or not, he was in for a tight ride.

He pulled himself up into the cab and shut the door. The motion pressed him up against her from knee to shoulder. That sweet feminine scent surrounded him again, and he closed his eyes. Annie smelled sweet. Not her car. He wanted to bury his nose in her neck and just breathe her in.

He swore softly and curled his hands tightly around the steering wheel. The last thing he needed was to revisit an attraction to this woman. At one time, he’d thought he’d known everything about her. He’d thought she was as in love with him as he’d been with her.

He’d been wrong.

“Seatbelts,” he said.

He heard the snick of the seatbelt as Annie helped Zach lock his belt in place and then felt her fumbling alongside him, her fingers inadvertently groping along his thigh and backside as she dug for the center lap belt. A wave of unwelcome heat washed through him as he remembered the last time she had been pressed this close, in the back seat of his ‘67 Mustang.

“Jesus,” he growled.

“Sorry.”

He shifted sideways and dug between the cushions for the seatbelt. He found it and pulled it out, looking at her as he did. For a moment they breathed the same air, eyes locked and faces inches apart. A sharp ache wound through him, and he wished for a half-second that he could erase the past. Then he remembered the price he and his family had paid for her dishonesty, and he handed her the seatbelt.

Putting the truck in gear, he steered towards Ferry Falls. The sooner he got her out of his truck and out of his life, the better.

The truck’s stiff suspension served to pitch her up against him with each bump in the road, and he gritted his teeth. Seven miles. He just had to get through seven measly miles of frost-heaved roads and he could put this part of the evening’s nightmare behind him.

The truck hit a particularly rough patch and from the passenger side of the cab, he heard a soft groan. Zach’s face was drawn into a grimace. There wasn’t much he could do about the stiff suspension or the condition of the roads, but the kid had obviously suffered enough pain, and he didn’t need to add to it. He eased off the gas pedal.

Annie sighed. “How are your parents?”

Not going there. “They’re fine.”

“Are they still working the garage?”

“No, they’re retired.”

“Oh. Do you work the garage then?”

“Nope.”

“And yet, here you are, driving the tow truck for the shop.”

Her sarcasm set his teeth on edge. “I’m helping out.”

“What do you do when you’re not helping out?”

He took his eyes off the road a moment to look at her. “I’m a contractor. I own a construction company. Are we done playing twenty questions now?”

He turned back to the road, and the side of his head tingled. He had no doubt she was glaring at him. He was being an ass, but he didn’t want to have this conversation with her. Or any conversation, for that matter. After a long silence, she sat back, and he breathed in relief.

They passed the green road sign that marked the Ferry Falls town limits.

Finally.

He slowed as they approached the motel parking lot and eased his rig to a stop in front of the office. The concrete-block single-story motel was row-house style, with the office on one end and a single line of five rooms with front doors facing the dirt parking lot. Even in the dark, the building showed its age. The white paint was chipped and peeling, and only the right half of the faded sign was lit, the letters TEL glowing dirty yellow in the darkness.

“You need help getting out?” he asked Zach.

“I can handle it,” Annie said quickly.

He left them to it as he pulled the bags and cooler from her car.

Annie helped Zach from the truck and reached for the bags.

“Need anything else?”

She shook her head. “I don’t think so.”

Jumping down from the rig, he handed her a business card for the shop. “Call the number tomorrow morning after nine for a status on your car. Should have an estimate on it by then.”

“Thanks,” she said, taking the card.

The top of her head barely came up to his chin. He’d grown some since they last saw each other, and it hit him then, how young they’d been when they’d last seen each other. Only a couple years older than her boy.

The parking lot lights illuminated the dark bruises on the kid’s face. Who had hurt him so badly? The question nearly slipped past his lips, and he clenched his teeth. Annie and her kid were none of his business. He needed to remember that.

Exhaustion seeped into his limbs and his muscles ached with tension. Tired or not, he still had to drop the car off at the shop and settle his visiting niece and nephew with pizza and a movie before he headed out to the resort.

“Night,” he said, heading back to the truck.

Rubbing the tension in the back of his neck, he put the truck in gear. As he stopped to check traffic before pulling out onto Main Street, he took one last look in his rear-view mirror. The pair of them were still there, bedraggled and beat up. Annie shouldered the bags, looking as though she carried the weight of the world in them. Temptation teased the edge of his consciousness, a subtle longing to reverse the truck, carry her bags into the motel, and assure her that everything would be alright.

Giving his head a quick shake to clear it, he stepped hard on the gas and heard the rear tires spin against the gravel as the rig pulled onto Main Street. He kept his attention firmly on the road as the two figures in the motel parking lot disappeared into the darkness behind him.

However long Annie Carlisle—now Brooks—stayed in town, he’d do best to keep his distance. She’d nearly cost him everything he loved most in the world once before.

He wouldn’t give her that chance again.