This Winter Night

“How’d you know I wanted to phone my mother?”

“Your father just passed away and you’re missing, whom else would you want to phone? You’re not married, are you?”

“No, I’ve never been that lucky,” he said, marveling at how easy it was to talk to her.

She smiled sweetly as she handed him the phone and said, “Tell her my thoughts and prayers are with her.”

* * *

Lauren had been right, the phone was a cinch to use. He got his mother on the first try. She was sick with worry. “Colton, oh, my God, where are you?”

“I’m in Bryson City, Mom, at the cabin, or rather I’m at your neighbor’s cabin. Our cabin didn’t have power, so Lauren offered me her guest room.”

“That’s hours from here,” Veronica Riley cried. “And I heard there was a snowstorm expected in that area tonight.”

“Blizzard is more like it,” Colton said. He looked up at the sky. Stars were starting to peek through the cloud cover. “But things are clearing up. With luck, I’ll be home tomorrow.”

“Lauren is a sweetheart,” Veronica said. “Have you told her about your father?”

“Yes, and she cried,” he said, his throat getting full again. “She says her thoughts and prayers are with you.”

“Of course they are,” said Veronica fondly. “It’s not that I’m not glad she was there when you needed her, but why in the world is she up there alone in that godforsaken weather?”

“She told me she wanted to get away from well-meaning people sympathizing with her over her divorce.”

“She’s divorced?” Veronica sounded startled. “I didn’t hear anything about it.”

Colton didn’t want to go into the nondisclosure clause that Lauren had earlier told him about over the phone. “It was kept quiet,” was all he said. A moment of silence passed. “Mom, I’m using a satellite phone under the stars. I’d better go. I’ll call you again tomorrow.”

“Okay, baby, I’m glad you were able to let us know where you are and that you are safe. You’re in good hands,” Veronica said confidently.

“Good night, Mom,” said Colton with warmth.

“Good night,” said Veronica softly.

He’d gone a few yards from the cabin to make his call and now he turned and carefully walked back. The snow came halfway up his legs with each step. He took it slowly, not wanting to fall down in the powder. He’d had enough of the cold for one night.

He guessed Lauren had been watching him from a window because as soon as he reached the cabin, she was there in the doorway, wearing a hooded jacket as if she was ready to come to his rescue should he need her. “Hey, did everything go okay?”

“Yeah, no problem,” he assured her.

“Good,” said Lauren, “Then get in here. It’s freezing!”

Colton was more than glad to oblige. Feeling sure of his footing, he jauntily put one foot on the bottom step, slipped, lost his balance, and went flailing backward, arms windmilling in an attempt to regain his equilibrium. He wound up on his back in the snow. He was thankful the snow was all he’d landed on.

He found the whole situation ridiculous and started laughing uproariously.

Lauren, in her rubber-soled boots, was off the porch and by his side in a matter of seconds. Laughing, she helped him to his feet and brushed snow off his coat. “Are you all right?”

As they held each other upright, Colton peered into her beautiful face. “No, I haven’t been all right all day. My father’s gone and I seem to have lost my senses. I drove up here on a whim and ended up unknowingly intruding on your solitude. But now that I’ve met you and put a personality to the image of you I’ve seen over the years, I find that I’m strongly attracted to you. I’m definitely not all right.”

Lauren’s heartbeat accelerated at his admission. “Well, that’s normal,” she said, her voice warm and gentle. “We’re both hurting, needing comfort. And we’re here alone. The situation is rife with potential for sexual attraction. I’ve been checking you out, too.”

They took the steps together and made it to the door without another mishap. Inside, Lauren shut the door and they quickly removed their jackets. She then busied herself hanging the damp jackets on the coat tree, appearing to Colton that she wanted to drop the subject.

But he wasn’t ready to do that just yet. “And what do you think?”

She looked up at him with big brown eyes and said as innocently as she could muster, “About what?”

Colton smiled. “You know what.”

She turned away and began walking toward the back of the cabin. “I think you know you’re hot, Colton Riley. How could anyone not? You look in a mirror every day.”

“Are you saying I’m conceited?”

“No, I’m saying I’m hot, you’re hot, but we should just leave it at that. Any further discussion could lead nowhere good.”

“Oh, I think it might lead to somewhere good and something memorable,” he contradicted her. “And you think you’re hot, too?”

This made her turn to stare at him. “Are you saying I’m not?”

“Hell, no. I think you’re smokin’ hot. I like the fact that you don’t deny it and try, like a lot of women I’ve met, to fish for compliments. You’re confident in your sexuality. I like that.”

“Honey, there is nothing wrong with my sexuality. Just because my ex was a cheating bastard doesn’t mean I wasn’t holding up my end!”

“Touchy subject, huh?” asked Colton. “You don’t have to convince me that your ex is a bastard. I don’t like him, never have.”

“He doesn’t like you, either.”

There was a calculating light in her eyes that made him wonder something. “Did he tell you how he cheated me out of several contracts?”

She harrumphed. “I didn’t know and didn’t want to know anything about his business dealings. And if you think you can get back at him for some dirty deal by sleeping with me, think again. He doesn’t care about me. I’m a starter wife, his first wife, but apparently not his last. He’s already engaged to number two.”

“I don’t even think like that,” Colton vehemently denied. “My wanting to sleep with you has nothing to do with Adam Eckhart. Does your wanting to sleep with me have anything to do with the fact that he hates me and if it got back to him it might piss him off?”

“No!” Lauren cried.

“Then you do want to sleep with me?”

“Yes, but...”

He moved in. Lauren looked him in the eyes. Her stare was penetrating, as though she could see right through him. He found her scrutiny thrilling and invited it. He had nothing to hide. He wanted her to plumb deep and discover that for herself. He didn’t wonder why he was unafraid of being so vulnerable. He just knew she made him grateful to be alive at this moment.

At last, she spoke. “There have to be some ground rules. You don’t have a girlfriend, do you?”

“There is no one special in my life,” he assured her.

She was looking at him suspiciously. “I won’t have a part in another woman getting hurt over infidelity.”