Chapter 1
I rolled my eyes as Ellen stuck her face into the baby blue bundle for what felt like the hundredth time this hour. She whispered and cooed at the thing with a sickly-sweet voice. Though I didn’t want her to speak to me that way, I was bored and could use an adult companion to break the silence every once in a while.
Instead, I stared out the windshield and watched as the green leaves danced in the breeze above the car as we cruised up the quiet stretch of road. Shadows flickered across the road as the warm sun was partially occluded by the canopy.
After a while, I felt myself zoning out as the tunnel of trees pulled me through to the other side. It wasn’t until I heard the soft cry of the baby that I remembered I was driving.
“Oh, it’s okay,” Ellen sang in a high-pitched voice. “We’re going to be so happy up here. The fresh air and change of scene will be so good for us.”
She continued to babble in a language that only her baby seemed to understand. The thing made little squeaky noises, which satisfied Ellen.
Apparently, I didn’t have a paternal bone in my body. I saw the way Ellen interacted with the bunch of blankets. I didn’t have any interest in even looking at the child she kept so tightly wrapped. Its shrill cries set me on edge and its laughs did nothing for me. I even found myself hoping that she wouldn’t make me help her with the child. I wasn’t a monster and I wanted to be there for them, but at the same time, I wasn’t interested in anything remotely related to fatherhood.
“Daniel, do you know how much longer it’s going to be?” she asked, concern in her eyes. “I think the baby is having a hard time settling down because of the car.”
I gave her a side-eyed glance. “I thought babies liked car rides. We’re nearly there. Do I need to stop?”
She quickly shook her head. “No, I just want to get to where we’re going.”
I nodded. I also wanted to get to the bed and breakfast. The photos of Land’s Edge didn’t do the place justice.
Ellen twirled her thin band around her finger until the skin turned red. I didn’t want her to be frazzled the entire time we were together. That would not make for an enjoyable excursion for anyone.
“What’s up?” I asked, trying to inject some concern into my voice.
She sighed and looked out the window. “Nothing.”
I pushed my glasses back up my nose. “It doesn’t seem like nothing. Do you want to talk about it before we get to the hotel? I don’t want you to be down the entire weekend.”
She looked at me, her big, grey eyes blinking rapidly. “I guess I’m just a little nervous about it all.”
“You don’t have to be,” I said reassuringly. “You two are safe with me. Is there anything I can do to make you feel more at ease?”
She smiled slightly and shook her head. Ellen was absolutely gorgeous, and I felt fortunate that she wanted to be with me. I smoothed my hand over her sleek chestnut hair before returning my hand to the steering wheel.
“It’s beautiful out here, isn’t it?” she thought aloud.
“It sure is,” I said softly. “You’re going to love this place. There are quiet trails where we can go for long walks through the forest. I know it’s kind of warm now, but it feels so cool in the shade.”
“I don’t know,” she replied. “I might just want to stay in with Baby and relax. I’m so tired.”
I pursed my lips, already feeling a little impatient. I hoped she wasn’t planning on devoting all of her time to the kid. Otherwise, I’m not sure I would have brought her here.
“You’ll have your time to rest,” I said. “There are relaxing things to do here that don’t require you to shut yourself in your room with the baby. I’m sure there are babysitting services somewhere that will give you the chance to relax on your own . . . or with me.”
“No,” she said abruptly. “We’ve been through a lot, and I’m not about to put my child in the hands of a stranger. I appreciate your concern for me, but my job as a mother never allows for time off.”
I shoved my glasses up the bridge of my nose again. I was starting to wonder whether this had been a good idea. I thought a trip out of town would be good for Ellen, but there was nothing I could do to get her to chill out for a little bit. I knew she had her reasons for being so uptight, but I desperately wanted to enjoy her company, too.
“Are you sure you have to work?” she asked, her voice a little calmer now.
“It won’t take long,” I said reassuringly. “I just wanted to check in with a former client while we’re up here. I think I can sell him a policy.”
“What does he do?” she asked.
“He owns part of the ski resort. I used to insure one of his other businesses, but he closed the business. We had a good connection, so I figured I’d pay him a quick visit and see if they’re happy with their coverage on the resort. There’s a lot of money there.”
She raised her eyebrows. “I can’t even imagine. Do you think you’ll get the client?”
I shrugged. “It’s worth a shot. Regardless, I’m not too worried about it. I wouldn’t mind the extra padding in my wallet, but I’ll get by without it.”
She smiled. “I can’t get used to the way you talk about money. I grew up without much.”
“I know,” I replied. “You don’t have to worry now. I’ll take care of you.”
She blushed. I felt my stomach do a flip. There was something about this girl that made me want to give her whatever she wanted. Luckily, she wanted so little. She was thrilled just to spend a little time in a bed and breakfast. Now, if only I could get her alone for a little while. I made a note to myself to convince her to hire a babysitter for the duration of a nice dinner and a few hours after. I’d even buy a second room for the sitter. I’d do whatever it took to get some alone time with Ellen.
She looked over her shoulder three times within the next ten minutes. “I think someone is following us,” she said, her voice low.
I frowned and looked in my rearview mirror. I saw a silver sedan a few yards back. It had to have been the most generic car in the world. We were likely surrounded by silver sedans.
“I don’t think so,” I said dismissively. “I’ve seen a few different cars behind us. Why don’t you just close your eyes for a moment? We’ll be there soon.”
She nodded and leaned back in her seat, clutching the bundle of blankets to her chest. However, it wasn’t long before she peeked one eye open, focusing it toward the rearview window.
I looked back again. There wasn’t a car in my field of vision. I had terrible eyesight, and even I knew there was no one following us. These were the things I would have to put up with if I wanted to be with Ellen. I’d just have to accept the little bits of crazy. I just hoped that it would all be worth it in the long run.
“I understand that you’re worried after everything that’s happened to you in your life,” I said, breaking the silence. I looked back at the mirror and ran a hand through my blond hair, forgetting that I meant to look for the silver car Ellen feared.
“You think it’s all in my head, don’t you?” she asked fearfully.
I bit my tongue. To a certain degree, I did think she was making a big deal out of nothing. I understood that she had some emotional baggage to deal with, but we were past that.
“I just know that you don’t have to worry about anything now,” I said, placing a hand on her knee. I was encouraged by the fact that she didn’t flinch or shy away from me. Perhaps she was finally starting to loosen up.
The baby let out a little squeak, and she buried her face in the small opening of the blankets.
“It’s okay,” she cooed. “Daniel says we’re going to be okay.”
Satisfied, I relaxed a little in my seat in the rented car. Perhaps coming to Land’s Edge wasn’t a mistake, after all.
“How much farther?” she asked.
I checked the car’s GPS mounted on the mirror. Squinting, I made out the small numbers in the corner.
“Ten minutes,” I said, ready to get out of the car and stretch my legs.
“Good,” Ellen replied.
“You ready to enjoy the mountain?” I asked.
She closed her eyes and nodded. I smiled. Maybe we were finally getting somewhere.
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