Lani's Makeshift Family Read online

  “Please don’t make me feel any more horrible than I do. I didn’t plan to fall asleep…it just happened.”

  He heard her step closer but didn’t turn. He didn’t need to look at her and be reminded again of all that he’d lost. Her concern for her girls seemed genuine, but she needed to learn a lot about being a mother—but not from him. He couldn’t help. It hurt too much. He knew firsthand how no one is really prepared to take care of a baby. He sure had needed a lot of on-the-job training.

  “Nick, did you hear me?”

  “No.”

  “I asked if you knew what we are going to do about getting to my car so we can leave.”

  The rocker stopped. His feet slammed onto the floor. She had no idea how he wanted her and the twins to be gone, but their departure wasn’t going to be soon. “The river pools down toward the right. When it freezes enough, we can make it across and hike into town. Griffin isn’t too far from here.”

  “Oh, I see. So we need some cold weather for a few days.”

  “A few?”

  His sarcastic tone said it would take longer to freeze the water. Lani’s heart sank. Being stranded in Nick Hunter’s cabin was going to seem like forever. She’d only been here one night, and already felt as if she had been here for weeks. Time had a funny way of slowing when you lived through every single second, aware of your surroundings and predicament.

  “Will anyone be looking for you?” Nick asked.

  Lani sighed. “I was planning on surprising my mother for Christmas. So all my friends will think I’m there, and since Mother had no idea I was coming, she will probably think I’m too busy settling into my new house with the girls. I didn’t have a phone installed yet, so she couldn’t call, and I’m switching cell companies so I didn’t get my new one yet.”

  “No reception for miles anyway.”

  “Oh. My. Well, no one will be looking for me—at least, not for a while.”

  “Damn it.”

  “Maybe some of your family or friends who know you are here will try to get in touch… Oh, I forgot you don’t have a phone.”

  Or any family or friends, Nick thought. “When I come up here, no one…I don’t tell anyone.”

  “Hm. Well, surely someone from your job…your employer, will miss you in a few days.”

  “I live here most of the year,” he said gruffly. “Alone.” He turned to see her emerald eyes widen like huge gems. Fear crept into her face, taking her ever-present smile. Damn. As much as he hated this situation, he couldn’t stand to see her worried. “I’ve got the place stocked with supplies for months—”

  “Months?” she yelled.

  “Calm down, Cabot.” He touched her arm, surprising himself as much as startling her. A current raced between their touch, speeding faster than the swollen river below the hill. He should have pulled back, but he let his hand remain on her arm a few seconds. Beneath the material of her jacket, he knew her skin was soft. He cursed inwardly and pulled his thoughts away from Lani Cabot’s skin.

  And, the pain it stirred in his heart.

  “I didn’t mean we’d be here for months.”

  As if he’d just noticed his hand on hers, he pulled back. But he couldn’t take away the warmth she felt, even through her jacket. “Well, what about your boss? Won’t he miss you…where do you work, Nick?” In the time he hesitated, she tried to guess what kind of work someone like Nick Hunter would do.

  His hands were too clean for any type of manual labor, although he certainly had the strength. He didn’t look like the business type with his long hair. She’d been a CPA for seven years, and knew how clean-cut most businessmen were, except for a few rebels who owned their own companies. They were more along the line of Nick Hunter. A rebel—but against what, or whom?

  “Like I said, no one will miss me. I’m a pilot—”

  “A pilot? Oh my,” she murmured, then bit her tongue for verbalizing her thoughts.

  “Is that so surprising?”

  “No…but, it’s just that I thought the airlines had rules about, well, your hair is a bit long.” She was glad to see a smile on his face. Oh it was just a slight one, but it looked good on him. Gave a tiny sparkle to his eyes—something she hadn’t noticed since coming here.

  “I don’t fly for an airline anymore. I only take cargo flights, nighttime flying. Boxes don’t care how long your hair is.” The smile faded as he looked across the yard.

  “So where does that leave us?”

  “Here.” His shoulders squared. “Right here in this damned cabin.”

  Lani couldn’t hold back her gasp. Since her divorce, she’d been in charge of her simple life. Go to work, keep her house clean, and spend time with her mother and friends. The idea of being locked away in the mountains with a stranger hit her like the gust of wind scratching naked branches against the cabin walls. They couldn’t leave if they wanted to. She hated this loss of control.

  “Look, the damn weather’s bound to turn colder soon. We’ve had a hell of a lot of rain lately—”

  “Must you swear so much?”

  A furrow crossed Nick’s forehead. One side of his lip curled. Lani could see she annoyed him with her question, but she didn’t want the girls’ first words to be a curse.

  He sucked a deep drag of his cigarette and stared.

  “Nick?” How annoying for him not to reply. “What is it?” She tapped a finger on the edge of her rocker. Obviously he was not answering on purpose.

  After another drag, a cloud of smoke encircled him, and leaning, his glare pierced through her as he said, “I told you last night, Cabot, this is my place. We’re stuck here for who the hell knows how long, but if you keep to yourself—” he stood and walked down the steps “—we just might make it.”

  “But…” She watched Nick’s back as he stomped across the dirt path headed toward the rear of the cabin. Lani stood and went to the door. Keeping to herself sounded like a wonderful idea. Who needed the company of such an ill-mannered person? She could certainly keep herself busy with the girls and learning to take care of them without his interference. When she reached for the door handle, the muscles of her shoulder ached. She’d only been sitting for a few minutes, but that must have been what caused the discomfort, she thought, as she went in.

  The girls were playing in the playpen with the few plastic blocks she had brought with her. Ana looked tired, but Alexa banged two blocks together as if she had enough energy for the two of them. They’d missed their morning naps since Lani had fallen asleep, but she’d have to feed them before putting them down for an afternoon rest. She was still getting used to days revolving around feeding, changing, and holding them. She went into the kitchen.

  The refrigerator looked as if it had been restocked. Another carton of milk had appeared since breakfast. Lani lifted it and realized it was frozen. Nick must have a freezer in the cabin, and he was defrosting more. Would there be enough milk for the girls? According to her book, they needed a pint a day.

  After fixing their lunch, Lani sat at the table, forcing down a ham sandwich. Her eyelids kept closing, and she had no appetite. The reality and stress of the situation must have taken her energy. Ana nibbled on the bite-size slices of ham, and Alexa was nearly finished.

  She intended to pay Nick for all the food they’d use while here. A cold chill ran along her spine when she thought of what could have happened in the woods after the accident. How fortunate that she came across Nick’s place during the storm—or maybe not. If she had turned in another direction, she might have been rescued and would be at her mother’s now—and would never have met the enigmatic Nick Hunter.

  ****

  Lani tucked the afghan around Ana. The girls seemed to have adjusted to their substitute cribs without any problems. Her heart ached to think how their young lives had been so disrupted lately. Although she knew she could give them a better home than the orphanage they’d come from, she wished she could be settling them into the new three-bedroom house she had bought a few
weeks ago. Two years before she’d nearly given up the dream of ever being a mother, and now she needed three bedrooms!

  After a kiss to both girls’ foreheads, Lani stepped out of the room. The ache she’d felt in her shoulders had worked its way down her back. She must have strained some muscles carrying everything through the woods yesterday. Taking a nap sounded tempting, but after falling asleep this morning she shouldn’t be tired. Naps were such a waste of time, ignoring her lack of energy. She needed to finish straightening out the room, but she didn’t want to wake the girls so she went to clean up the kitchen.

  Nick sat at the kitchen table reading a book while he ate his lunch.

  She hesitated in the hallway, debating whether to wait until he left. She certainly didn’t want to get in his way.

  “I’m not going to bite you, Cabot,” Nick said, without looking up from his reading.

  “How did you know I was—”

  He hesitated, waved his hand in the air but still not turning. “You use too much cologne.”

  Choosing to ignore that remark, and knowing she did not use too much, she sucked in a breath and stepped forward. “I was just planning out my afternoon.”

  He raised his glance from the book and looked over his shoulder. “I’m fresh out of social calendars.”

  “I was thinking more along the lines of cleaning up.”

  “Suit yourself, Cabot.”

  Lani held her comment. There was no sense in angering Nick Hunter. They were forced into this situation and she certainly didn’t want to be walking on eggshells every moment in fear of him exploding. She knew too well what living with someone and bickering constantly was like.

  But was Nick Hunter a hothead? He certainly was rude and cursed like a sailor, but for some reason, she didn’t get the sense that he was explosive. If he was, they’d probably have heard him miles away in Lake George when he learned he was stuck here with her and the twins.

  “So I have your permission to clean up the cabin?”

  Nick gave a deep chuckle. His book dropped onto the table, and he took a swig of coffee. When he set down his mug, Lani noticed the coffee was black. This morning she could have sworn he added milk to it.

  “Yes, Cabot, you have my permission to do what you damn well please around here.” He looked toward her and his forehead wrinkled. “Just stay out of my way.”

  She prepared herself for some snide comment as she pulled the chair out to sit opposite him. When she sat, every muscle groaned.

  “You look a little peaked,” he said.

  With a wince, she straightened her shoulders. “Makeup was not on my list of survival items when I left my car—”

  “You don’t need to primp and fluff anyway.”

  Primp and fluff? She guessed he meant she didn’t need makeup. Nick Hunter had a roundabout way of complimenting a woman, or was it a compliment? She shuddered to think of how long she’d be spending with this man, but she knew no matter how much time they were together, she wouldn’t figure him out. One minute he’s mocking her about a social calendar and now he might be complimenting her. “So what does primp and fluff have to do with anything?”

  “I meant you don’t need makeup…hell, you look pale. You feeling all right?”

  Her stomach did a flip when the pungent scent of coffee wafted to her. “I’m fine,” she lied. She only drank tea, but the aroma of coffee usually smelled good.

  He looked at her as if he didn’t believe a word she had said by the wrinkle in his forehead. Well, she had better things to do than sit and be ogled by Nick Hunter. As she rose to wash the dishes in the sink, a wave of dizziness sent the room into a spin. She grabbed the back of the chair and steadied herself.

  Nick jumped up. “You all right—”

  “I’m fine.” She pushed past him and went to the sink. After a few deep breaths, she felt better. Nick hovered behind her, but she forced her thoughts to the dishes and scrubbed with extra force. When she turned to see if any other dishes were on the table, Nick had gone. His coffee cup and dish remained on the table. She couldn’t imagine what this place would look like if she’d stumbled upon it after Nick Hunter had been there for a while.

  ****

  Nick kicked a pebble into the swollen river. The water had crept up to the base of the hill during the storm and had not receded yet. Across the other side, a snowshoe hare skittered through the brush as if teasing him. If he only had his rifle.

  He took out a cigarette and lit it. The first scent of a lit cigarette was the only part he enjoyed. Smoke rose from the end, masking the crystal clean mountain air. The hare sneaked from one bush to another. Nick growled at the small creature who insisted on taunting him.

  The freezer in the shed was stocked full, but he hadn’t planned on three extra mouths to feed. He’d have to start hunting and make sure to ration out the meat, not just the milk. The babies needed calcium and protein. He could make do, and Lani didn’t look like a big eater. He took a drag and leaned against a tree.

  He shut his eyes. Unfortunately a picture of Lani appeared. Both of his hands could fit around her waist, and they’d touch. He’d already guessed she exercised by the looks of her slender legs. He ran his tongue across his lips. Geez, his damned jeans were getting tight. Like a horny teenager he was fantasizing about a woman. Not just any woman, Lani Cabot. Oh hell! His eyelids flew open to see the hare dart through the woods. “Damn it!”

  “Now you’re cursing at an innocent rabbit?” Lani’s question startled him.

  He swung around to see her standing behind him a few feet away. She’d taken the liberty of wearing his black parka, giving her the image of a snow bunny—females who swarm around ski resorts, without the slightest idea of how to ski. The jacket was miles too big, but her body still looked slim in the bulky goose down. She wore some kind of pants that clung to her legs like navy skin, hugging firm muscles. The wind snatched strands of hair from her blue ribbon. He grinned, thinking Lani Cabot fought a losing battle. If her kids didn’t mess her hairdo, the wind did.

  “What’s so funny?”

  Nick’s thoughts snapped back. “Nothing, and that wasn’t an adorable rabbit like Thumper.”

  “I may be a city girl, but I know what a bunny looks like.”

  Nick let out a howl despite Lani squinting fury at him. She looked adorable with a slight pout to her coral lips. She really didn’t need makeup. Damn it. He had to get his mind off her, or who the hell knew what would happen? As he tried to look away, she ran her tongue, moist and wet, across her lips as if she were thirsty. Oh hell. Her cheeks glowed a cherry red. If she did wear makeup, he’d think she’d been a little heavy handed. The cool air must have given her the healthy color.

  “Nick Hunter, stop staring! I do too know what a bunny looks like.”

  He gave himself a shake and focused on her eyes—a stupid mistake. Despite the spark of fire burning in the emerald gems, the look enhanced her beauty. Feisty Lani wore anger well.

  “A bunny, Cabot? That was a hare, with long ears, long hind legs, and an adorable fluffy tail—an edible hare.” He couldn’t help but laugh at the way her mouth scrunched up.

  “Edible? I’d never eat a little bunny—”

  Nick leaned forward. Lani’s sweet clean scent nearly knocked the words from his mouth. “You may be forced to,” he whispered.

  She pushed at his chest. Even through the leather of his jacket he could feel her. Feel her hands…soft female hands pressing heat into him. He reminded himself to back away. The game was over. He’d had his little fun of teasing Lani about the hare, but now, her nearness was doing things to him—damned things that he’d long forgotten or buried so deep he thought he’d never feel again. But each time she blinked her dark lashes, like wispy feathers, his heart pounded the walls of his chest faster than the damned hare had hopped away, and his pulse raced erratically though his veins when she licked her lips, again.

  And, he remembered.

  God, how he wanted to forget.


  He reached to take her hand from his chest, but when he touched her, he stopped. The warm softness of her skin, a softness he hadn’t felt in over two years, paralyzed him. She didn’t pull back, but looked questionably into his eyes. A cold breeze blew between the trees, but Lani’s nearness caused heat to surge through Nick. He wanted to turn, to run, but damn it all, he leaned forward.

  Lani knew she should pull her hand free, but she didn’t. Nick’s hold wasn’t tight, but if she tried to remove her hand, he might tighten his grasp. She hesitated, the immediate warmth didn’t feel unpleasant. Before she could decide how to free herself, he leaned so close she noticed flecks of gray in his sideburns. A smug look crossed his face, but she could have been reading him wrong. Maybe she was guessing that was the way he felt to ignore the fact that his expression exuded sensuality.

  Dizziness filled her, yet, the feeling wasn’t the same that earlier had the room spinning. This feeling brought a heat inside her as if the fire Nick had taken such great care to tend, burned into her body. She should be pulling away and running back to the cabin, but interest in Nick Hunter piqued and clouded her logic all at the same time. His warm breath tickled her cheek, confusing her more. She wondered about the man who would suddenly drink his coffee black and not smoke around her babies.

  He stood nearly a foot taller than her five-foot-three, towering his strength above her like the trees of the forest protected them from the gusting winds. Behind him, the swollen river cascaded across rocks, splashing and gurgling in the afternoon air. A gentle wind snatched strands of hair from her neatly tied ribbon and mixed the tanned leathery scent of the aviator jacket Nick always seemed to wear with his cologne. Her legs had felt weak and wobbly after the car accident, but standing so close to him right now took all her strength. If he let her go, she’d collapse like a fallen leaf.

  “I’m going to kiss you, Cabot. Now’s the time to run.”

  She heard his gruff voice and before she could summon a reply, decipher his words, he leaned inches from her face. Then, he kissed her. His lips were warm and soft as she had guessed, and hoped. Gently, he pulled her closer, her hand still captive in his grasp.