Fool for Love (35 page)

“I don’t care about the car, hon.” He knelt beside her, gently draped the slicker over her hunched shoulders. Then he smoothed her drenched hair from her face. He ached to kiss her but held back, putting his own needs aside. “Are you all right?”

Teeth chattering, she slowly nodded. “I’m stuck.”

He glanced down, noted she was wearing Gram’s bright pink rain boots and that the left one was half-hidden beneath a felled tree. “Does it hurt?”

“Only when I pull or twist too hard,” Chloe said while shoving her arms into the slicker.

Her movements were sluggish, her voice weak.
What the hell?
He pulled a compact, high-intensity flashlight from his pocket, shedding some light on the situation.

“Tried to dig under, but then I got light-headed. I think I passed out. Not sure how long.”

He glanced over his shoulder, shined light near her face. He saw it then, a goose egg on the left side of her forehead. “You
are
hurt.”

She gently fingered the bump. “Must’ve happened when my head smacked against the driver’s window. Or maybe when I fell up there. It’s just sore. I’m fine. Well, except for my foot.”

Anxious to free her, he squatted with the tree trunk at his back. “When I tell you, scoot back.” She nodded and he put his weight into it. Between his adrenaline and leverage, it didn’t take much. “Now.”

She shifted and as soon as he saw the flash of pink toe he let go. Next he pulled off that boot, her thick sock, and inspected her ankle, her foot. Gently probing, twisting. She swiped rain from her eyes. “I’m fine,” she called over a crack of thunder. “Just tingly. Foot fell asleep.”

There were scratches on her legs and a sizable bump on her forehead, but other than that and the fact that she was chilled and wet, outwardly she seemed in decent shape.

He stood and pulled her up, saying, “Just lean into me,” and half-carried her up the hill. When they reached flat ground, he lifted her into his arms and carried her to the Hummer, opened the door, and placed her in the passenger seat. Reaching over, he nabbed a thick blanket and wrapped it around her.

She burrowed into the dry warmth. “The Caddy…”

“I’ll send someone later.”

“Purse and c-c-camera,” she said, teeth chattering.

He shut the door, retrieved everything loose in the car—purse, camera case, cupcake carrier, pillow—then returned to the Hummer. Sliding into the driver’s seat, he shut out the storm and placed the goods in the backseat while keeping a close eye on Chloe. Conscious of her shivering, he started the four-wheel drive and cranked the heat. Idling on the side of the road, he used the weather app on his Android to check the latest forecast. Unfortunately, they looked to be in the thick of it for at least another hour. Which meant the roads would only get worse.

He dialed Daisy first. “Rest easy, Gram. I’ve got her.”

“Is she okay?”

“Shaken, but fine. Roads are bad. Don’t know when we’ll get to you.”

“Don’t worry about that. Just keep safe. And tell Chloe not to worry about the photo shoot. I don’t give two figs.”

He smiled at that. “I’ll let her know.” He signed off and repeated Daisy’s message, to which Chloe replied, “She’s lying. She c-c-cares.”

“Maybe so. But she knows you did your best. Far more than most would’ve done,” he added.

“But not good enough.” She palmed her forehead. “There was a moose.”

“You swerved to miss a moose?” In these parts it wasn’t unusual for a moose to meander across the road, and hell yeah, at upwards of two-thousand pounds it could do a lot of damage to an oncoming car.

“No. Squirrel. Or maybe it was a chipmunk. Darted out of nowhere.”

He wasn’t sure where the moose fit in. Then again, she didn’t seem to be thinking straight. He raked her matted hair from her face, sighed. “Honey, never risk your safety—”

“Can’t stomach hurting anything.”

“I get that, but…” He shook his head, dialed Rocky.

“Did you find her?”

“Yeah.”

“Is she okay?”

He glanced over. “Car slid off the road. Some bumps and bruises, but other than that, fine. Do me a favor. Let Monica and Leo know.”

“They’re right here. We gathered at the Shack. Sam, too. He came over after fixing the leak at J.T.’s. We’ve been waiting to hear from you or Chloe. Feels like that scene out of
A Perfect Storm.
You know? The one where the women gather in the local bar waiting for news about their fisherman husbands lost at sea?”

He hadn’t seen the movie but understood the sentiment. It also occurred to him that he wasn’t the only one who thought of Chloe as family. That she’d warmed her way into their lives in such a short time said a lot about her character. To think, after hearing Jayce’s report, he’d instantly assumed the worst. What did that say about
him
?

“Tell her not to worry about the photo shoot,” Rocky said. “I contacted everyone in the club. We’re pretty sure Tasha sent her on that mission knowing she’d be delayed by the weather. Sam put it simply: She’s threatened by Chloe and didn’t want her offering her professional advice at the session.”

“Makes sense.” Thinking Tasha had merely wanted Chloe out of the way was more palatable than assuming she’d intended physical harm. Then again, she’d fooled him before.

“Let Chloe know we’re boycotting the shoot. That should make her feel better.”

“Will do. Is Luke handy?”

“Hold on.”

“I knew she was all right,” Devlin’s younger brother said into the phone. “Chloe may be a sweet city girl by circumstance, but she’s a tough country girl at heart. What’s up?”

“Roads are bad and I need to get Chloe warm and dry. What’s the latest news on conditions? Should I return to Sugar Creek or push on?”

“Where are you exactly?”

He relayed their location.

“Road’s closed ahead of you, Dev, and you’d be crazy to utilize one of the logging routes. I’d say turn back, but there were reports a few minutes ago about Sugar Creek swelling and overflowing. By the time you get that far, roads might be impassible. Best advice: Hunker down for the night.”

He racked his mind for the nearest resorts or vacation homes. “Suggestions?”

“Closest, safest bet? Backtrack half a mile, make a right at the sign marked
Private,
and muscle the Hummer up the gravel drive. You’ll come to a cabin owned by the Brody brothers. Mostly they use it during the winter, snow excursions. Although I think Kane said he was up there just last week.”

“Electricity? Hot water?”

“You won’t be roughing it. I’ve been there a couple of times. Small, but comfortable. They keep a key under the mat. I’ll let them know you’re crashing for the night. As long as this storm passes, the roads should be clear by tomorrow.”

Devlin glanced at Chloe, who looked like she was nodding off. “Sounds like a plan, Luke. Thanks.” He pocketed his phone, then smoothed his fingers over her chilled, muddy cheek. “How’s a hot bath sound?”

She quirked a shaky smile. “Like heaven.”

THIRTY-THREE

It only took a few minutes to reach the cabin Devlin had told her about. By that time, Chloe was thinking straighter, but her muscles ached and she couldn’t seem to shake the chill that had seeped beneath her skin. She was still unclear how long she’d lain in the mud and rain before regaining consciousness. And she had no idea what had happened to that moose. Although she supposed it was possible Bullwinkle had been a hallucination. The shock of the wreck, the bumps to her noggin. Not to mention the bone-jarring fall and slide down the hill. She’d only roused a few minutes before Devlin’s arrival. Seeing him standing there, like some superhero savior, had been one of the happiest moments of her life. But in the next second she’d felt like an idiot and maybe even a little resentful.

“What made you come after me?” she asked when he cut the engine.

“Concerned calls from Rocky, Monica, and Gram, along with my own gut feeling that something was wrong.”

“That’s the second time you’ve rescued me from a dicey encounter. First the river. Now this.”

He met her gaze. “I kind of like being your hero.”

“I don’t.” She furrowed her brow. “I mean, I’m grateful. Of course. I just don’t want you to think I’m helpless. I would’ve eventually dug myself out. I would’ve survived just fine even if I’d been alone all night.”

“I believe you.”

“Do you?” She licked dry lips, searching for the right words, and instead blurted her mind. “I need you to know that I can take care of myself. That I don’t need you emotionally or financially.” Putting herself in that position again would be disastrous and, with someone as competent and controlling as Devlin Monroe, all too easy to do.

He angled his head and studied her hard. “I have every confidence in your abilities, Chloe. Spinning out, falling down that mud-slick hill, could’ve happened to anyone in this weather.”

“I don’t just mean—”

“I know. I get it. I get you.”

Her heart thudded against her aching chest. She quirked a small smile. “There you go again with the romantic talk.”

He smiled and tugged at her blanket. “Pull that jacket hood over your head. We’re bravin’ the storm.” With that he slid outside and rounded the hood of the Hummer.

By the time he opened her door, she’d organized her thoughts. “I just realized something. You’re going to miss your employee meeting.”

“I had Chris reschedule it.”

“But it was important.”

“So are you.”

“But—”

“I’m exactly where I want to be, Chloe.” He put his arm around her waist and together they sloshed through the mud and downpour, finding shelter beneath the roof of the cabin’s porch. “I can hear your wheels turning. Stop worrying about it. Everything’s under control.”

But of course it was. Devlin was one of those people proficient at juggling a lot of balls. She had to admire that, and she wasn’t too proud to acknowledge that she was glad he was here. Yes, she could have survived the night alone, but this was so much better.

He reached under a mat, produced a key.

Chloe scoffed at the obvious hiding place. “They may as well have left the door unlocked.”

“Welcome to Vermont.” He ushered her inside and, though it wasn’t overly warm, it was dry.

“Are you sure they won’t mind us staying here?”

“The Brodys are good guys,” he said, feeling along the wall for a light switch. “Especially Adam. Just ask Rocky.”

“She told you about the two of them?” Chloe blurted.

He switched on a table lamp and caught her gaze. “You knew?”

“Only recently. She was troubled about…” Did he know about Jayce, too? Then Chloe remembered how adamant Rocky had been about keeping that secret.
Oh yes, that damned
secret.

“About?”

“About blurring the lines of their relationship. He offered to invest in the inn.”

“She decided not to go that route. In fact, she broke off with him altogether.”

“That I didn’t know.” But it didn’t come as a surprise. No matter what Rocky said, Chloe believed she was still in love with Jayce.

Devlin looked around, frowned. “Do you think Adam ever brought her up here?”

She smiled a little at his big-brother tone. “Rocky’s a grown woman.”

“Right.” He blew out a breath, then focused back on Chloe, angled his head.

“What?”

“How do you feel?”

She clutched at the blanket still wrapped around her shoulders and counted her blessings. Daisy had sustained far worse injuries in her bicycle accident. “Achy. Cold. But considering, okay.”

“Good.” He moved in, trapping her between his hunky, soaked body and the pine-knotted door. “There’s something I’ve been wanting to do ever since I found you in the woods.”

She felt his sizzling kiss to her toes, even before his mouth touched hers. Those expressive blue eyes telegraphed his desire. His tender touch, as he cradled her face, initiated a fire in her belly. When he brushed his lips across hers, sane thoughts turned to ash.

Chloe loosened her hold on the blanket, allowing it to fall away as she wrapped her arms around Devlin and leaned into an openmouthed kiss. Hot yet tender. Possessive.
Sexy.
Delicious sensations stole throughout her body, causing her to shiver with delight.

He eased back and regarded her with a concerned expression. “We’ve got to warm you up.”

She caressed the side of his gorgeous face, traced her thumb across his sexy lower lip. “I was getting there.”

He arched a playful brow. “I’m ahead of you,” he said, and pressed his lower half against her.

Feeling bold, she palmed his arousal, scraped her thumbnail over his zipper. “There are perks to being stranded in the middle of nowhere with you.”

“Lots of perks,” he said, sliding off her rain slicker. “But first, a hot bath.”

Noting the mud on her clothes and legs and the ache in her muscles, she didn’t argue.

He took her hand as they explored the cabin together. Small, rustic, but clean and comfortable. The highlight of the living room—an oversized couch and a wood-burning stove. She eyed a steel basket full of logs.
Thank God.
A compact kitchen and two bedrooms—one with a queen-sized bed, the other with two twins—and finally the bathroom.

Devlin flicked on a dim wall sconce, then stepped away from her to turn on the faucets of the claw-footed tub. “Might take a couple of minutes to heat up.”

She hugged herself, missing the warmth of his body. “My purse. I have a travel kit. Toothpaste and deodorant.”

“I’ll get it. As soon as that water’s warm, slide in.” He glanced over his shoulder, before leaving. “You okay?”

She resisted the urge to palm her aching head. The bump had started to throb. “Fine.”

He didn’t look like he believed her, but he left anyway.

Suddenly weary, she pulled off her muddy boots and socks and inspected her filthy, already-soaked clothes. Shut off the tub faucet and instead moved to the corner shower stall and turned on the water full blast. As soon as she saw wisps of steam, she stepped in and under the showerhead. Bracing her hands on the tiled wall, she bent her head and allowed the pulsing water to pound her body, clothes and all. She watched, half-exhausted, half-mesmerized, as dirt washed to the tiles and swirled down the drain.