The Mighty Quinns: Eli (6 page)

“Come on,” she said. “I'll walk you as far as the meadow.”

Eli grabbed his T-shirt and tugged it over his head, then moved toward the door. Riley trailed after him, hoping for another blueberry pancake. Lucy followed them both out. As he pulled his empty pack over his shoulder, she grabbed his gun and held it out to him.

“I want you to know that I admire you for what you're trying to do out here,” Eli said, as they headed for the meadow.

She glanced over at him, emotion swelling inside of her. She didn't want him to leave. It wasn't even noon yet. But Lucy had to keep telling herself that she was doing the right thing. “Thank you,” she said.

He slipped his arm around her shoulders and they walked on in silence. When they reached the edge of the meadow, he bent close and pressed a kiss to her cheek. “Good luck, Lucy. And stay safe.”

She felt tears gathering at the corners of her eyes, but Lucy refused to surrender. Instead, she pasted a bright smile on her face and watched as he trudged back through the meadow, leaving her for the second time. But this time was different. There was no anticipation of his return. Only a deep and painful loneliness that seem to settle around her heart. She bent down and gave Riley a pat on the head. “It's for the best,” she said to the dog.

He didn't look back when he got to the trailhead. There was no last wave or indication that he knew she was watching. And when he disappeared into the trees, Lucy let out a tightly held breath.

She'd plant her garden and build her cabin. She'd learn to pickle vegetables and forage for herbal remedies. And she'd do it all without thinking of Eli Montgomery. From now on, he was banished from her mind.

Lucy turned to walk back to the cabin, but then froze. A huge dark shadow moved along the length of the porch and she reached down to grab Riley's collar before he noticed the bear. Just as she was closing her fingers around the nylon of his collar, the dog bolted and took off toward the cabin at a full run.

“Riley, no!” she shouted. “Stop. Riley. Come here.”

Her heart slammed in her chest and she ran as fast as she could, but it was no use. The dog reached the cabin long before she did. Lucy stopped a distance away, watching in horror as Riley barked and growled at the intruder. At first, the bear seemed confused, but then it lumbered off the porch and started toward the dog.

Lucy put her arms up, screaming and shouting, hoping that between the two of them, they could frighten it off. When it started toward her, she frantically tried to remember the advice Eli had given her. This was a black bear, not a grizzly, so scaring him was the best option.

She pulled her shirttail up behind her, trying to make herself as big as she could, then drew a deep breath and roared in a low and menacing voice. Suddenly, to her relief, the bear turned and ran off, disappearing into the woods on the far side of the cabin.

Riley followed him for a distance, while Lucy raced to the cabin. She hurried inside and slammed the screen door, then called frantically for Riley. When he appeared on the porch, she pulled him inside and shoved the plank door closed.

Breathless and terrified, she stood in the middle of the cabin, her body trembling. She'd thought that Eli was the biggest danger she'd face out here. But there were plenty of other things that could take her out. She'd just met one of them.

Lucy plopped down on the floor and buried her face in her hands. She'd never felt more vulnerable in her life. And it had only taken ten measly minutes for her to regret sending Eli away.

 

3

July

“
W
HAT
DO
YOU
have growing here?”

Lucy pushed to her feet and walked over to where Eli stood. “Beans,” she said. “Something keeps eating them, though.”

“Probably rabbits,” he said. “My grandmother used to put up a wire fence to keep them out. I think the posts and wire are still stored underneath the cabin. I could set it up for you, if you'd like.”

“I'll put it up if you could get it for me,” Lucy suggested.

He nodded, then turned and headed toward the rear of the cabin. Lucy watched him, closing her eyes and drawing a deep breath. After what had happened in June, she'd assumed that he'd send Annalise this month. But he'd made excuses for her again and Lucy was left to wonder if he'd even asked her to take his place.

She should have sent him away, but she'd been hit with such a confusing combo of happiness and anger at his presence that she'd instead just showed him her vegetable garden.

Was he deliberately tempting her? She couldn't believe that he'd use his seductive powers for malicious purposes. She didn't know him well, but she was sure she could trust him to have her best interests at heart. After all, every visit included a lengthy safety lecture and demonstration.

The only other explanation was that he found her so overwhelmingly attractive he just couldn't help himself. And Lucy figured that was a long shot at best. Perhaps the only way to know for sure was to ask him.

When he reappeared from around the cabin, he carried a roll of wire and some short, metal fence stakes. He set them at the edge of her garden, then walked over to stand next to her. “If you need help with the fence, I can—”

“Why did you come, Eli? Did you even ask Annalise to make the trip? Tell me the truth.” She glanced over at him and bit back a groan. He'd tossed his T-shirt aside earlier and now a thin sheen of sweat covered his tan shoulders and torso. He was simply the most beautiful man she'd ever met, and that certainly didn't help matters.

“I told you, she was busy. I didn't want to come. I didn't want to make things more difficult for you.” He bent down and began to pull weeds from around her beets, the muscles rippling across his back as he moved.

There had been other men in her life, but they'd been very simple and short affairs. And though she'd always felt an initial physical attraction, it was never long before the heat faded and the fire died out.

Lucy had to wonder if that might happen with Eli. Though they'd made a few tentative steps toward seduction, they'd both had the sense to stop before they went too far. But Lucy couldn't get past the feeling that he wanted more—even if she didn't.

“Can you just leave the weeds,” she said. “I'll get to them later.”

He shook his head as he chuckled. “Come on, Lucy. I can pull a few weeds in your garden, can't I? I understand you're supposed to do everything on your own, but now you're getting a bit obsessive, don't you think?”

She'd been holding her temper since he'd arrived and now he was handing her an argument on a silver platter. Lucy clenched her jaw and fought the urge to snap at him. Maybe that's what it would take for him to understand how confused she felt.

“It looks like rain,” she said, pointing to some dark clouds on the western horizon. “You might want to get going.”

Eli slowly straightened, tossing a handful of weeds out into the meadow. “Are you all right? You seem a bit tense.”

“No, I'm fine.” Lucy sucked in a sharp breath. “No, that's not true. I'm not fine at all. I'm—I'm—”

“Angry?”

“Yes!”

“Frustrated?”

“Yes!”

He carefully crossed the rows of vegetables to stand in front of her. “Would you like to explain what's wrong?”

Lucy gathered her resolve. Though it went against every self-preserving instinct she had, she knew her decision was for the best. “I don't think you even asked Annalise to come this month. I was quite clear that I didn't want you to come and yet you ignored my wishes. Everything is so complicated when you're here.”

Eli glanced around. “This is complicated? We're pulling a few weeds in your garden.”

“I know. But tell me your mind's not on something else. Tell me you don't want to kiss me. Right here, right now.”

“And what if I did? I've kissed you before and you haven't objected. You even seemed to enjoy it.”

She watched as his gaze lazily skimmed over her features. But when he reached out and made as if to slip his hand around her waist, Lucy avoided his touch. “If we can't keep this on a strictly professional level, then it's best if someone else does these monthly check-ins. If your mother can't come, then I'll ask the producers to find someone else.”

“Fine,” Eli said. “That's a good idea.”

“Great.” Lucy took a deep breath and nodded. Now that she'd cleared up that one important matter, she expected to feel a bit of relief. But instead, a deep sense of loneliness set in. Without his visits to look forward to, the rest of her time on the mountain seemed to stretch out in front of her like a long, gray road.

“Now will you explain what this is really about,” Eli said. “And if you bring up those damn guidelines, I swear, I will tear that cabin apart until I find those rules and set them on fire.”

She turned away from him and walked to the other side of the garden. “When you're not here, I think about you.”

“I think about you, too. What's wrong with that?”

“I think about you
a lot
. And not just about what we do. I imagine what we could be doing. In bed. On the couch. On the floor by the fire. In the meadow. It's become a distraction.”

Eli slowly stepped closer. “We're attracted to each other. It's not like we're the first two people on the planet who've experienced sexual attraction.” He reached out and grabbed her hand and gently turned her to face him. “It's all pretty simple, really.”

Lucy bent down to pick up an old ceramic bowl, then walked over to the row of lettuce that she'd planted. Squatting down, she began to tear leaves from the plants and drop them into the bowl. “I've always been quite happy on my own. I like being in charge of my life. And I've never, ever felt lonely.” She glanced over her shoulder at him. “Until now.”

“Well, of course you do. You're stuck out here all by yourself. They don't let you use a phone or your computer and I'm the only person—”

“No, you don't understand. I never get lonely. Ever. And—and I don't like how it makes me feel.”

“How?”

“Weak. Silly. Angry. I need to be able to do this by myself, without any help. Without any distractions.”

He held his hand out and pulled her up, his fingers splaying around her waist.

“So, that's what you think I am?”

She looked up at him and nodded. “A big distraction.”

Eli bent forward and brushed a kiss across her mouth. Lucy bit back a moan and tried to keep her knees from buckling beneath her.

If she had to say goodbye to him today, she wanted one last memory. Just one kiss, that's all she'd allow.

“Stop,” she said.

He bent closer, but this time, the kiss lasted a bit longer, his tongue teasing at the crease in her mouth. He slid his palms beneath the hem of her shirt and when he reached her waist, he splayed his fingers on her skin. The contact sent a shiver of anticipation up her spine.

Lucy couldn't help herself. She wanted more and she didn't want him to stop at all. Her palms slid across his chest, tracing a path over the smooth flesh and hard muscle. He really was perfect, flawless, the kind of man that no woman could resist.

Why did she think she was special? She had the same desires as any other woman, the same hormones racing through her body. The same need to experience pleasure. She moaned softly as his hand drifted along her ribs before cupping her naked breast beneath the soft fabric of her T-shirt.

Her heart slammed against the inside of her chest and she felt light-headed and completely out of control. Her ability to resist him was nonexistent and Lucy wondered if she'd only imagined it was there in the first place. Was this it? Was surrender her only option?

“Stop,” she murmured again.

He slowly drew back then met her gaze. Lucy gasped for breath, trying to clear her head and form a rational thought. “You have to go. Now. Right away.”

“Lucy, this is crazy. Do you really think that if you—”

She pressed her fingertips to his lips. “I said you need to leave. Please don't argue with me.”

With that, she spun around and ran to the cabin, slipping inside and slamming the thick plank door behind her.

A soft knock sounded at the door. “Lucy?”

“Go away,” she shouted.

“Just promise me something.”

“What?”

“Promise me that you'll watch out for yourself. That you'll be safe. And that if you need help, you'll call me.”

She took a ragged breath, leaning forward to press her forehead against the door. “I will. I promise.” Lucy listened to his footsteps on the porch, heard him pick up his pack and slip it over his shoulders. A few minutes later, there was no sound and she opened the door a crack and looked out.

He was already halfway across the meadow, his stride long and relaxed. Eli didn't glance over his shoulder this time. When he got to the tree line, he just disappeared. Forever.

Lucy drew a deep breath and let it out slowly, waiting for the flood of relief to come over her. But after a second breath, the only thing she felt was a deep and empty loneliness. This time, he wouldn't be back.

* * *

“W
HAT
ARE
YOU
doing here? Was I expecting you?”

Eli looked up from his empty glass of whiskey to see his mother standing in her kitchen doorway. She was wearing a sparkly dress that was a bit too short for his tastes. “I hiked up to the cabin today,” he murmured. “I thought I'd stop by for a chat.”

Annalise wandered over to the cupboard and grabbed a tumbler, then filled it with ice from the freezer. After pouring herself a whiskey, she sat down across from Eli. “I don't know why I bother with men,” she said. “They're more trouble than they're worth.”

“You and Mr. Wonderful having problems?” Eli asked.

“He can be such an ass. I can't believe I was actually considering marrying him.”

Eli reached for the whiskey and poured a bit into his empty glass. “Are you happy, Mom? You always seem as if you're searching for something more. Do you think you'll ever find it?”

“I don't know. I guess I have...what do they call it...that problem where I can't focus on one thing for a long time?”

“Attention deficit disorder?”

“Hmm. Yeah.” She took a sip of the whiskey. “What about you?”

“I'm not sure. Things might be changing. I'm thinking about making some plans for myself.”

Annalise stared at him for a long moment. “What? Have you been seeing someone?”

“Yeah. Kind of. It's still early, but she's...she's different. I like her. More than anyone else I've ever met. We just get along. And she understands me.”

“That's important,” Annalise said. “I don't think anyone has ever really gotten me. Except, maybe—”

“Who?”

“Your father,” she said. “He seemed to know exactly who I was.”

“You never talk about him.”

Annalise shook her head. “You told me you didn't want to hear it.”

“When did I say that?”

She considered the question for a long moment. “I think you were sixteen and we were arguing about your plans for college and I brought him up and you—”

“I assumed you didn't want to talk about him,” Eli said.

“I thought you hated him,” Annalise said.

“I never met him. How could I hate him?”

She drew a deep breath and then let it out slowly. “I had a visitor while you were gone this winter.” Pushing to her feet, she crossed to the kitchen and pulled a large envelope from the mess on her desk. Silently, she set it in front of him.

“What is this?” he asked, examining the envelope.

“It's... It's from your father's family. His oldest son, Malcolm Quinn. A few months ago, they had an expedition to Everest and they found your father's body. He had a journal and he wrote in it right before he died. He mentioned you.”

“They know about me?”

Annalise nodded. “Yes. And they'd like to meet you sometime.”

Eli sat back in his chair and raked his hands through his hair, at a complete loss for words. There had been moments in his life when he'd wondered about his father, wondered what kind of man he was. All Annalise had told him was that Max Quinn had died on Everest and had been married with a family, and Eli hadn't wanted to learn anything more. The less he knew, the easier it was to forget about Max Quinn.

But now, there was contact, a brother, people who had lived with the man and known him well. Was he really ready to open that door? “Malcolm?”

“Yes. He's the oldest. Then there are twins, they're a year older than you are. Ryan and Rogan. And the youngest is a girl. Dana.”

“I have four siblings,” he said.

“Half siblings,” she said. Annalise cleared her throat. “There's something else, as well.” She reached for the envelope and pulled out a sheaf of papers. “Since you're the son of Max Quinn, then you're also in line for an inheritance from Max's great-aunt, Aileen Quinn.”

Eli chuckled softly. “Siblings and an inheritance. All in one night. I'm a lucky guy.”

“You are. The inheritance is almost a million dollars.”

Eli stared at his mother, certain that he'd imagined the words she'd just said. “Very funny. What am I really getting? Some silver teapot? Salt and pepper shakers?”