Fate and Destiny (22 page)

“
Here’s what’s going to
happen now. Doug and I are going to go into town and make a couple
of phone calls. You are going to go back up to the cabin with
Andrew and you are going to stay there this time. Otherwise, I will
lock you up in my jail and you will stay there until this is all
over with. And, while you are in the cabin with Andrew, ask him
what he thinks about all of this. You need to lay everything out on
the table and let him make his own decision. He’s a big boy. I
think he can handle deciding what he wants to do with his own life.
And maybe you should really listen to what he says before you
decide to run away again.”

Shocked, she could not look
away from Matt as she rose from the couch. He was right. She had
not realized it until he said it aloud. She had been running away.
Andrew scared her and she scared herself. The depression, sadness,
and anxiety were all created within her own mind as if she didn’t
deserve to have someone like Andrew care about her. Realities and
fantasies intertwined.

She stumbled after Matt as
he left the cabin. The cold shocked some sense into her. Breathing
deeply, clearing her mind, finally focusing on Andrew. He leaned
against the snowplow, arms crossed over his chest, stocking cap
pulled down to meet the top edge of the sunglasses that hid his
eyes. 

None of the rocks nearby
were large enough for her to hide under. As Matt passed the plow on
his way to the Bronco, he slapped Andrew on the back.

“
She’s all yours. I’ll
come back up when I know something.” Glancing back at Destiny, he
gave her a wink. “Unless you lose her again, then call
me.”

Andrew didn’t move or
respond to Matt, he simply stood at the plow truck, watching
Destiny. Saying nothing, Andrew finally left his post to get in the
cab of the truck. As the engine roared to life, Destiny remained at
the door of the borrowed cabin, unsure what to do. When the truck
didn’t immediately shift into drive and turn around in the yard,
she decided Andrew was not going to leave her there after
all.

Using her step slide method
of walking, she made her way to the passenger side, opened the
door, and climbed into the truck. The heater was on but nothing
could remove the coldness filling the space. Andrew maneuvered the
vehicle out of the yard, onto the road, and back up the mountain to
the familiar cabin. Destiny watched Andrew, however his eyes never
left the road. So many things she wanted to say, but she had no
idea how to start. The best she could come up with was to let him
be mad for the moment. When he got over it and calmed down, then
they could discuss what happened.

21.

Rounding the driveway,
Destiny’s breath caught in her throat. In the short time since she
left, she missed the cabin. Seeing it come into view made her feel
like she was coming home. Home. She spoke the word many times
regarding the house she lived in, no matter where she lived. House
and home were interchangeable, but she could not remember feeling
drawn to a place before. At least not since her only real home
burned down.

The bump on her head must
have knocked all of her senses loose. She could not possibly care
about a dumpy little log building in the middle of nowhere, just
like it was not possible to care about a man she didn’t even know
who had an entire life she didn’t belong in. The sudden lack of
movement jarred her back into the pseudo-reality.

Leaving the truck parked
carelessly in the clearing, Andrew was out of the vehicle and into
the cabin before Destiny could get her door open. When the latch
finally released its grip on the steel, the door flung open, and
Shadow leapt into the truck, knocking Destiny back onto the seat.
He slathered her with sloppy kisses, tail pumping furiously in his
delight at seeing her. Within seconds of the affectionate attack,
Destiny was laughing and scratching under both of the dog’s
ears.

Shadow retreated, jumping
down and waiting for her in the snow. As graceful as a toddler
letting go for the first time, she cautiously tested her footing on
the frozen ground buried under the snow. As soon as she could get
to a store, she planned to buy some real boots and throw the damn
tennis shoes away. Awkwardly slide walking to the cabin, Shadow
confidently walked a few feet ahead of her. When he noticed her
lagging, he would stand still and wait for her, his eyes patiently
watching her over the bandage on his shoulder. At least he was
putting weight on all four legs although he tended to use restraint
on the front paw.

Finally making it to the
door, Destiny held it open for the dog, but Shadow had other ideas.
He sat on the snow, watching her, head cocked to the side, ear
flopping slightly. Wanting to coax him inside, Destiny entered
first. As soon as she was completely inside the door, Shadow
dropped his stubborn pose to bound inside after her, satisfied she
would not shut him inside while she ran away.

Pulling the door closed
behind them, she glanced up to see Andrew lying on the bed. His
coat hung on the hook at the door, and his boots on the floor just
to the side of the coat, safely out of the line of any melting
drops. His hands rested on the pillow, palms up, supporting his
head. He lay in a relaxed manner, his feet crossed at the ankles,
and his eyes closed. So that was the game he wanted to play? Well
she could play too.

“
Are you going to
sleep?”

Silence met her question
long enough she didn’t think he would answer at all. She wondered
if he was counting to ten to control his anger.

“
Yes. I am going to sleep.
I didn’t sleep at all last night and it’s already been a long day.
I left the keys in the truck in case you felt the need to take
another tour of the mountain.”

Trying to let the harsh,
clipped words slide, Destiny went to the kitchen to scrounge up
something to eat. Pasting a smile on her face, forcing the air in
her lungs to ease in and out lightly, she created a cheery façade
as she inspected the contents of the refrigerator.

“
Yum, bagels and cream
cheese. That sounds good. You want one?”

Glancing over her shoulder,
Andrew didn’t move or reply. The only proof he was not sleeping was
the irritated twitching of his foot. Pulling a bagel from the bag,
she stuck her head in the fridge to hide her smile from his view.
She would get to him or drive him crazy trying.

“
Good. More for me. Too
bad you don’t have a toaster. I love toasted onion
bagels.”

A furtive glance to the
bed. No reply or change of position, but the foot twitched
rapidly.

“
I’ll just have to
improvise.”

Placing the bagel and cream
cheese on the counter along with a plate, she dug through the scant
drawers with enthusiasm although she spotted what she needed the
second she pulled the drawer open. The noise of scrambling the
utensils, spare batteries, and miscellaneous items in her search
was very satisfying. Smiling, keeping up her cheery persona, she
gave a sound of triumph as she extracted a pair of tongs from the
other items.

Scooping up her meal from
the counter, tongs in hand, she strode across the room, fully aware
of Andrew’s curiosity about her activities. Stubbornly, he refused
to open his eyes to see what she was doing. Grasping the bagel with
the tongs, she held the dense bread treat over the flames, toasting
the open edge and filling the cabin with the warm scent of roasting
onion. When both halves were crunchy on the outside and chewy in
the middle, she sat in the chair across from Andrew. Spreading
mounds of cream cheese over them, she noisily smacked her lips and
sunk her teeth in one. She sounded like a glutton as she thoroughly
enjoyed each bite. Ignoring the man, she concentrated on eating.
From the corner of her eye, the sudden lack of movement from
Andrew's foot caused her to forget to ignore him. Looking up, she
nearly choked on the mouthful of onion and bread.

Andrew stared at her
openly, hands still behind his head, but the rest of him unchanged.
His liquid gold eyes were wide open, his jaw slack, eyebrows raised
in shock at the sight of her eating manners. Remembering the game,
she quickly regained her composure. Using the back of her hand, she
wiped a pile of cream cheese from her cheek.

“
What?”

 
Around the mouthful of bagel, it came out sounding more
like
 
wud
. Nearly laughing at the
absurdity, but afraid she really would choke, she contained her
glee at breaking through his tough exterior. Still playing the
game, Andrew set his face back into the scowl.

“
Even the dead couldn’t
get any rest with all of that smacking and ooing and ahhing you are
doing.”

He sat up, swinging his
legs over the edge of the bed, then wincing as the motion pulled at
the tender skin and muscle. Guilt rolled over her. Swallowing so
she could speak clearly, her gaze locked onto his.

“
I’m sorry. Not just for
the smacking and oohing and ahhing, but for everything. I’m sorry I
ended up on your mountain. I’m sorry I invaded your life. I’m sorry
I brought you so much trouble. I’m sorry I shot you and stole your
truck. You don’t have to keep the charade going for me. I know this
isn’t going to last forever. I promise to stay out of your way
until this is over with. I told Matt I would stay, but if we can’t
be pleasant to each other, then I will go and you will be rid of
me.”

She had only intended on
apologizing for making him pull the gash on his leg, but the rest
of the words spilled from her lips before she realized what she was
saying. Hand on his leg, half standing, Andrew froze at the flurry
of words that flowed from Destiny. He sat back on the bed before he
fell over.

“
You think I don’t want
you here? What charade? It doesn’t get any more real than this.
You, me, here.” He stumbled over the words, unable to clearly
define his thoughts. Taking a deep breath, he tried
again.

“
You left because you
thought everything between us was temporary? You did invade my
life, and I’m glad you did. When I found you, I thought you were
dead, and my first thought was what a tragic waste of a beautiful
woman. Then, after you got better, talked to me and laughed with
me, I could only imagine you being everywhere I was. I tried to
imagine who I talked to before you, and I couldn’t think of
anyone.”

Disbelieving, shaking her
head, she dismissed the words she wanted to hear.

“
When this is all over
with and either I’m in prison or Charles is, you will go on with
your life. Your family will go on. Everything for you will be
exactly the same as it was before I landed in the middle of your
sanctuary. That is, everything will be the same unless you get
killed for being in the middle of my problems! You have so much to
live for!”

She wasn’t sure where it
was coming from, but her anger grew by the second as she continued
speaking, the words coming faster and deeper.

“
No one will even notice
if I die up here on this mountain! If you hadn’t found me, and I
did die up here, the only people who would have even missed me
would have been glad I was gone because then there wouldn’t be
anyone standing in Charles’ way. You should have left me there! We
would all be better off!”

She screamed at him. Along
the way, she lost total control of her own emotions and thoughts.
Everything she held so firmly in check exploded around her. Her
body shook as if she stepped on a live wire. He just had to
understand. He was at risk having her around. Fear raged through
her. Not fear for herself, but fear for Andrew. Blinded by her fury
and dread, she melted into Andrew when he wrapped his solid
strength around her. Weak, boneless, she remained upright not so
much by the arms that firmly yet comfortingly held her, but by the
inner confidence and strength that radiated from within Andrew like
a magnet holding her in place.

Defenses shattered around
her. Even if this was a fantasy, only for this moment in time, she
would take it. She would hold onto him and live in the dream. Then
let go when the time came. Afraid of what she would see, she lifted
her eyes to his. The gold shimmered with emotions she could not
identify. Twin glimmers of light and hope, leading down the twisty
path to his bottomless soul. Fleeting thoughts of growing old with
him and still being astounded by him fluttered through her.
Mentally slapping herself, she forced down any notions of life
tomorrow or the day after. Only here and now.

He took her to the bed with
him, gently and lovingly using his caresses and kisses to remove
the mental chains she used to bind her mind and heart, making love
to her until they were both exhausted.

One way or another, he
would prove to her that life contained so many possibilities. Hopes
and dreams. Everything she had given up on and closed out of her
life. They could all be hers again if she would allow him in and
let him stay there.

On the verge of sleep, his
body pleading for rest after the sleepless night and long day,
Andrew still didn’t release her.

“
Happy Valentine’s Day,
Destiny.” He whispered as he drifted off.

22.

He was going to jail. They
were going to lock him up with Lenny. Doug was sure of it. His
heart raced like a wild stallion all the way into town. He couldn’t
escape now. He was riding in the sheriff’s truck and his plow was
back on the mountain. He should have known when he woke up and saw
all three of them in the cabin they were tricking him. At first, he
wanted to run from the cabin, jump in his truck and get out of
there, but they surrounded him. Destiny on the couch, Andrew in the
chair, and the cop standing over him. No cop could ever let him go
after knowing he was involved in a kidnapping and attempted murder.
Besides, most law officers seemed to want to find a reason to
arrest him just because he scared them. And this cop was even
worse. He was related to the man who found Destiny.