Lani's Makeshift Family Read online

  “Perhaps we could survey the situation in the morning, when there’s more light out.”

  “Survey all you want, Cabot. I know this land like the back of my hand. My grandfather built this cabin. Do you know how many summers I’ve spent here?” His arm swung in a wide arc. “How many times I’ve surveyed this land?”

  She huffed and wrapped the afghan tighter.

  He smiled until he caught himself. The smile faded.

  Lani looked at the raindrops at the foot of the porch pelting the earth, dancing like fairies, naughty fairies who insisted on keeping her and the twins marooned in Nick Hunter’s cabin. Despite the humid air, her mouth dried. “I’m freezing,” she said, angry that her teeth chattered.

  Nick aimed the flashlight at the door.

  With a lift of her chin, she turned and went inside. As she walked into the living room, the kitchen door slammed. “Please don’t wake the girls,” she said, turning.

  He looked at her as if she had two heads, but when he put the flashlight back, she noticed he laid it down gently.

  Wrapping the afghan around herself, she willed away the chill. For some reason, shivering in front of Nick Hunter was embarrassing. He had a knack for making her feel like a bug under a microscope with the looks that he gave her. Also, she was fighting the urge to stare back. He was too easy to look at. She straightened her shoulders and started to leave.

  “Only thing that’s gonna warm you deep enough is a stiff drink and…the fire.”

  She stopped in the doorway. Over her right shoulder, she could see him make his way to the shelf and pour two glassfuls of amber liquid. Not that she was opposed to an occasional drink, but normally she didn’t want to waste calories on liquor so she could have dessert instead. Truthfully, she had no burning desire to sit and share a drink or anything else with Nick Hunter, even if doing so would warm her. “I have to check on the girls—”

  “You just did before. Babies will let you know if they need something.”

  He was right, but she turned toward the hallway. “You don’t understand. Alexa is…never mind. I’ll be right back.”

  The girls were fine. She hesitated about returning to the living room, but the cold chilled to her bones. Leaving the door to the room open enough so she could hear them, yet careful to pull it enough that the hall light would not wake them, she went back to Nick.

  He motioned to a shot glass full of golden liquid on the coffee table.

  Her empty stomach gripped her insides, reminding her that she hadn’t eaten in hours and said she shouldn’t take a drink. With the trek through the woods after the accident, she had more important things on her mind besides food. She shivered and knew he was right.

  Lani lifted the glass and sipped at what she guessed was whisky. As it burned its way down her throat, she had nothing better to do, sitting on the couch, than watch Nick Hunter’s back. Thank goodness he’d put on a shirt. A red plaid shirt that fit snugly across wide shoulders. He’d rolled up the sleeves above his elbows, so each time he reached for another log, she could see the muscles of his arms clearly defined. There had to be a lot of strength in those arms.

  After another sip, the room grew a bit blurry. If she weren’t sitting, she would swear the walls had swayed. This was not good. She’d embarrass herself if she got up and couldn’t walk straight. The glass was nearly as full as Nick had poured so it wasn’t as if she’d drunk too much. Obviously, she was very sensitive to amber liquid.

  When he bent, a part of the shirt pulled loose from his worn jeans.

  Lani swallowed her gasp as she eyed Nick’s naked waist and held her glass in front of her eyes. Maybe seeing Nick through the amber would make him less appealing. Nope, she lowered the glass to her lap. She felt like laughing. Laughing for no reason—except maybe the fact that she’d just been staring at Nick through her drink. Luckily, he didn’t notice or she’d sink to the floor in embarrassment. Proof she shouldn’t have drunk any liquor on an empty stomach.

  Having no idea what time it was, and caring less, Lani took her last sip. It surprised her that it went down much smoother. Obviously, the powerful drink had burned the nerve endings of her throat and she’d never be able to feel again.

  The crackling of flames burning into the logs overpowered the stale smoky scent that had earlier lingered. The air smelled of Christmas at her grandmother’s in Plattsburgh. Christmas, a time of gathering with family and friends. How the years had changed the seating arrangements at Grandma’s long dining room table. First Grandpa had died, and then her own father when she was only nine. Being an only child, without any cousins, left a very small family to celebrate the holidays.

  From that year on, she had promised herself that she’d fill the empty seats with children of her own—at least four. But after she married, the chances of even filling one seat became slim. When she had to face a hysterectomy, then a divorce, she knew no children would fill those seats until God blessed her with Alexa and Ana. She should check on the babies again despite what Nick had said, but her body relaxed into the couch.

  Her feet pushed against the floor but she knew she couldn’t stand. Her muscles, that she’d put through a rigorous routine today, had finally rebelled. At least the babies were quiet, and she needed to stop worrying about them. They’d let her know if they needed anything. Especially Alexa!

  Nick poked at the logs, rolling them amid the sparks, until the blaze lapping toward the chimney sent its heat to warm Lani, deep inside, just as Nick had said. He took great care with the fire, checking the screen several times before leaving the hearth.

  “Give me that glass before you drop it.” Nick took the glass that was half-falling into Lani’s lap.

  She pulled herself from her thoughts. “That drink did warm me. Thanks.”

  The only seat facing the fire was the couch. She really didn’t want him that near, but as if he read her mind, he deliberately seated himself next to her. She inched to the side, draping her arm over the plaid brown couch’s end so it wouldn’t seem too obvious why she moved.

  Nick remained near the other side. It wasn’t a long couch, but at least they could sit on it without having any contact. She certainly didn’t want to touch Nick Hunter’s broad shoulders, or the strong arms that made lifting a heavy log look as if he’d picked up a tinker toy. No, she didn’t want any connection with any part of his body, despite the tingling sensation that surged through her. The darn whisky was doing strange things.

  A yawn sneaked out and before she could cover her mouth a hiccup, like the powerful ones Alexa produced, followed. Lani tried to stand again. She needed to get out of here, so she could crawl under the bed and die. But her muscles betrayed her, she couldn’t budge. She shut her eyes and leaned back to think about how to get out of the same room as Nick Hunter.

  Nick swallowed back a curse and tried to ease his body to the right, thinking Lani fell asleep near him on purpose. She could have gone to bed, but she’d sacked out, trapping him, to annoy him. He shut his eyes. She must have been sent by fate. He tried to push her arm but the action was no use. Lani Cabot looked like a delicate, slender beauty, but when the lady conked out, her slim body trapped him on his own couch.

  He’d been forcing himself to study the fire, despite the feelings it invoked, and not think about the clean-scented woman inches away on the same seat. Well, he managed to ignore her long enough for her to fall asleep, and now he couldn’t move. Damn. His arm ached and prickled at the same time. The tips of his fingers had numbed. If he pushed against her, she’d probably topple onto the floor, so he snaked his arm between them and rested it on the back of the sofa.

  This day just got better and better, he thought, shaking his head in annoyance.

  Strands of spicy-scented hair tickled his cheek. She must have showered and used his shampoo. The scent should have smelled wrong on her, a man’s shampoo, out of place on a female head, but on her…it smelled nice. Oh hell. He forced his eyes to shut or else he’d flip Lani Cabot onto the
floor and stomp off to his room. Instead of counting sheep, he counted all the different curse words he knew. Words that shocked even him, but fit the situation appropriately.

  If he would have known this predicament waited, he’d have stayed in his sparse apartment in Albany. He knew he should have listened to the weather forecast and waited until the rain stopped, but nothing important kept him there. If he drove his Jeep off the mountainside, no one would miss him. The thought left an emptiness inside. As long as no other cars were involved, his absence wouldn’t make a damned bit of difference. So as soon as he flew his last cargo flight, he’d packed up his Jeep and headed for his cabin in Huntersburg, north of Lake George.

  What better place to seclude himself against society than the huge cabin his grandfather had built up there in the early 1900s. He fought the guilt that threatened to rise, knowing Grandpa would be disappointed in his behavior. He’d never been taught to run from a situation, but to face it outright. And he always had, until the last two years. How could anyone deal with the past he’d been dealt?

  Lani’s warm body wriggled against Nick and an old wound—a wound that he’d never allowed to heal, tore open. It had been so long since he’d held a woman, the reminder made him remember. He remembered how he’d held Donna so many times… If he had to swim in the freezing river, he’d get Lani Cabot off Hunter property, soon.

  Chapter Three

  Lani thought her muscles were sore yesterday from her trudge in the woods, but when she tried to move and wake up, every cell of her body clenched in pain. She settled back for a few seconds, allowing her eyes to remain shut. Warm sunlight touched her face, but even that didn’t help relax those muscles. She sucked in a deep sigh, inhaling the sooty smell of cool embers that hung in the air. But nearby, another scent lingered. She couldn’t quite make out the spicy fragrance. Taking a deep breath, she concluded it was a cologne, a man’s cologne. Musk.

  With a sleepy stare, she turned to see Nick Hunter holding her on the couch. Oh no! She pulled free of his arm that had been wrapped around her shoulders. His fingertips brushed against her breast. Ignoring her body’s response, she stood as fast as she could manage.

  “Morning,” Nick mumbled.

  His voice came out groggy, and husky. Shoot, someone who looked like Nick Hunter shouldn’t be allowed to have a sensual tone to his voice along with those kinds of looks. She gave him a nod but stopped at the sudden throb. Gosh, how her head hurt. “I can’t believe the girls are still quiet. Usually they wake with the first light. Well, Ana anyway. No, I mean Alexa, the one with the curls—” She heard herself babbling, and groaned. Apparently falling asleep next to a handsome stranger set her nerves on edge.

  Her empty glass sat on the coffee table among the piles of magazines. Hopefully, the alcohol hadn’t knocked her out so deeply that she wouldn’t have heard one of the babies crying. “I don’t usually drink whisky—”

  “Scotch.”

  “Oh, whatever. Not that I drink much else.” She found herself headed toward explaining about the calories and dessert, but thankfully, she caught herself. “I’m sorry about falling asleep on you.” Her mouth dried. She pressed her lips tight. That sounded worse than the dessert explanation.

  Nick stared at her. He ran a hand through his hair, pulling it off the tips of his shoulder where it’d rested. She yanked her gaze from him and stood, looking down at her body. Her clothing seemed untouched. Oh geez, the alcohol had knocked her out enough to fall asleep next to a stranger. Thank God he seemed to be honorable—well, maybe that word didn’t quite fit. A description of Nick Hunter was hard after only meeting him last night, but she knew he’d not made any advances toward her. That, she would have remembered.

  Although, there was an air of mystery about him. Actually, he confused her, and she was usually a good judge of character. He seemed bristly on the outside, but the way he ran into the girls’ room when they heard the noise last night, and the way he had set down the flashlight on the shelf, lightly…hm.

  She headed toward the girl’s room, and wondered again if Nick was married. Not that the fact would have made any difference, but she wondered what kind of woman would put up with the ill-mannered owner of this cabin.

  “Good morning, sweetie.” Lani scooped up Ana. The baby had been lying in the drawer, playing with her toes, one sock clenched in her chubby fist. After spending ten days in Russia with them, she’d gotten to know Alexa as the more active of the twins and the one who slept soundly. Lani enjoyed a few minutes with Ana alone. Besides, she needed to work on bonding with this little one. Who would be more the challenge—the reserved Ana or Alexa the attention-getter?

  Dampness wet her arm. The baby’s diaper had to weigh several pounds. “Well, missy, we need to get you a dry diaper and change your pajamas.” Thank goodness, the diaper bag was waterproof or she had no idea what she’d do. She couldn’t stand the clutter on the bed and planned to make a neat pile as soon as she fed the girls. Fed them? A niggle of worry crossed her thoughts. What kind of food would someone like Nick Hunter have in his cabin? Probably raw meat from some creature he’d hunted himself.

  Moments later, Lani followed the scent of freshly brewed coffee into the kitchen. A still sleepy Ana nestled on her shoulder, tickling Lani’s cheek with her sweet breath. She stopped in the doorway. The wonderful coffee scent had masked the smell of burning tobacco.

  Nick sat at the dining table with his back toward her, a thread of smoke billowing above his head. His hair looked longer from the back, golden brown strands covering the nape of his neck. By no means was it a styled haircut. Although the length was much too long for her taste, it fit the rugged appearance of a man who might live in a log house.

  “Good morning, Nick.”

  He shrugged and glanced over his shoulder.

  She could see he read a book, and by the small amount of coffee left in the glass pot and the half-empty milk pitcher, she guessed that’s what his daily breakfast consisted of. Coffee and a cigarette—which he put out when he looked at Ana. Then Lani noticed the window had been opened a crack.

  Lani surveyed the rest of the kitchen. Where could she safely set Ana? Last night the babies were so tired, she’d set them on a blanket on the floor so she could watch them and feed them the rest of the snacks she’d brought. Surely Ana would start to roam if let loose today.

  “Nick, I need to fix Ana some breakfast. Could you hold her?” No response. Maybe he had a hearing problem. This wasn’t the first time he hadn’t answered. “Nick, I asked—”

  Without any offer to hold Ana, Nick mumbled, “There’s an old highchair in the shed, it’s wooden, but it’ll keep her in.” He shoved back his seat and walked toward the door but not before removing the filled ashtray from the table.

  Lani guessed he’d empty it out there. She watched him leave and thought he obviously didn’t want to hold Ana. As Lani sat near the table with the baby on her lap, Alexa gave out a cry. Now what? She hadn’t fed Ana yet and Alexa needed tending to.

  The baby on her lap wiggled as if she wanted to see her sister. There went their own form of communication between them. Lani grabbed Ana tightly. Her heart fluttered when she realized the baby could have squirmed off her lap. Mothering was much tougher than the books indicated. And mothering twins was a definite challenge, especially alone.

  “Give me a second here, kid.” She held the baby against her chest and shut her eyes. “Things are not going as Mommy had planned.” The baby gurgled. Lani’s heart leapt at the wonderful sound. Hearing any noise from Ana was a pleasure. With a tight squeeze, Lani leaned forward and kissed the baby’s soft cheek. “No, things are not going well at all. I love you both, though.”

  She needed strength to take care of the babies and get through being here. Luckily, she had finally passed out last night after the drink. Yet, she still felt exhausted. “Let’s go get your sister.” Lani took Ana and walked down the hall toward the other baby. She knew she’d be a few minutes changing another diaper.
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  ****

  Nick cursed as his hand shook when he shoved an inch of dust off the old highchair. His mother had used it for all four of her children and when he and Donna came to the cabin, for his son and daughter. He hadn’t seen it in a few years. Emma had used it last. At six months, her petite little body could barely sit without sliding out. Nick Jr. had to give up the seat of honor at an early age, but the wandering two-year-old hadn’t seemed to mind.

  He ran his finger across the wood and sucked in a breath. The air in the shed smothered him. Or maybe, the cause was really the memories. With a yank, he pulled the highchair loose from between the stacks of stored furniture. A wooden playpen lay hidden by an old rocker. He grabbed that, too, and carried both inside the front door, leaving the playpen in the living room.

  The kitchen was empty so he set down the chair near the table. He started to leave and pulled a dishtowel off the rack, swiping it across the wooden tray top on his way out of the door. Painful memories threatened to engulf him and escape became a priority.

  Happy baby sounds filtered through the closed back door onto the porch as Nick dropped into a rocker. Trying to drown out the sound with the creak of the old chair, Nick sped the pace of his rocking.

  The rain had stopped some time during the night, leaving the grounds around the cabin muddy. Cool air blowing through the dense pines was enough to warrant a jacket, but not enough to freeze the water—his only hope. He could never make it across the swollen river to go for help, but if the area to the west, where the water slowed and pooled, froze, he could get across it and hike into town.

  “Oh dear, no, sweetie, don’t do that. Alexa, please. Whoops!” Lani’s voice sneaked through the log walls.

  Nick rocked faster.

  “Oh! Help!”

  He bolted out of his seat. The door banged against the wall, toppling over a chair. “What the hell are you doing?”

  Lani bent over with one twin dangling from beneath her arm, while the other squirmed between her knees and chest, a poor excuse for a lap.