Into the Storm (19 page)

Joshua

“
You’re really sexy, you know that?”

I looked up in surprise. Rabbit was sitting on the other end of the sofa, staring at me reflectively over her wine glass.

“
I like that sweater … it looks amazing on you.” Her head tilted and I watched fascinated as she drew the wine glass over her bottom lip again and again. I was suddenly envious of the glass.

“
Of course, it looked even better when it was lying beside me in the snow the other day,” she murmured.

I felt myself stir at the memory. “Rabbit, how much have you had to drink?”

“
A bit,” she giggled softly. “Actually, quite a bit,” she admitted. “But you’re still sexy.”

I grinned. “Good to know. Any reason you decided to share that?”

Her foot reached out and stroked my leg. “No particular reason.”

I arched an eyebrow at her and looked pointedly at her foot. She giggled again and withdrew it. Shaking my head, I looked back down at the pad of paper I was holding. I was sure I had everything listed I wanted to order, but I was checking it over again. Suddenly, a bundle of fabric landed on top of the paper and I stared at it fleetingly. Then I glanced up to make sure I was actually seeing what I thought I was seeing in front of me. Yep. Rabbit was sitting topless and the shirt she had been wearing was now on my lap.

“
I’m cold.”

I chuckled while I sat back and appreciated the view. “I think you’d find if you kept your clothes on you wouldn’t have that problem.”

“
I like yours better.”

“
Um, Rabbit this
is
mine,” I grinned, holding up the shirt she had discarded.

“
Your sweater looks warmer.”

I smirked. “Why don’t you come and get it then?”

I wasn’t entirely prepared for how quickly she pounced. One minute she was on the other end of the sofa, the next moment her entire body was delving under my sweater, her head popping through the loose neckline. She wrapped her arms around my waist with a sigh as she snuggled closer to me.

“
You smell so good,” she whispered.

Laughing, I wrapped my arms around her, loving the feeling of her skin against mine. “I thought you wanted to
wear
the sweater?”

“
I am … I’m sharing.”

“
Kind of you.”

“
I know.”

I nuzzled the top of her head and let her rest against me. She’d been so tense since the power was restored. I knew why and I felt it as well. If it comforted her to be close to me, I was good with that. It comforted me as well.

“
Joshua?”

“
Hmm?”

“
Why don’t you have a girlfriend?”

I was startled at the strange question. “Well, firstly, that would make this position rather
awkward
if I did. Secondly, yeah, I don’t get out much, Rabbit. And, thirdly, strangely enough, aside from you, not a lot of women just show up here,” I chuckled.

She raised her head. “No. I mean why didn’t you have a girlfriend when you came here?”

I looked at her and stroked her cheek. “I was seeing someone before I was attacked, but it ended fairly quickly.”

“
Why?”

“
I was a mess, Rabbit. We hadn’t been seeing each other for very long before it happened. She certainly wasn’t emotionally invested in us enough to want to stick around while I recovered.”

She regarded me for a minute then pulled herself up and kissed me sweetly. “I would have stayed. I would have supported you through that dreadful time. You are too remarkable to give up on, Joshua.”

Touched by her words, I smiled and kissed her again. “I know you would have. But you are special, Rabbit. There are very few women out there like you.”

She curled back onto my chest, her one hand now softly stroking my skin. “I think you are an amazing man, Joshua Bennett. I don’t think I have properly thanked you for taking care of me and being so wonderful. You are … so incredible.”

My throat clenched with sudden understanding.

“
Don’t, Rabbit. Don’t do this.”

Her voice was soft. “Do what?”

I pulled her face up to look at me. “Don’t start saying goodbye. Don’t tell me all the things you think you need to say. Just don’t.”

We stared intently at each other and I felt her slight nod of acknowledgment. I leaned down and captured her sweet mouth. Our lips moved together softly, languidly, never trying to deepen or push past the soft moment. Eventually, I pulled away and settled her back on my chest.

“
I love you, Joshua,” she whispered, her voice low.

“
I love you as well, Rabbit. So much.”

For a while there was nothing but the sound of her soft breathing and the hiss and pop of the logs in the fireplace.

“
I still think you’re sexy,” she said sleepily.

I tightened my arms around her and chuckled. “Good to know, Rabbit. Good to know.”

She was asleep. I smiled as I looked down at her. It had been a tough day for her and she had drunk more than I had ever seen her consume before. Maybe it would help her sleep through the night. After some careful maneuvering, I managed to lift her up and carry her to bed. I did have to leave her in my sweater, ducking out of it awkwardly so I didn’t disturb her. She looked so endearingly sweet in the bulky knitted material, now hanging loosely on her, the arms empty. I looked down sadly on her sleeping form, seeing that even in sleep, her face was still tense. But I was feeling the same way she was. We were both frightened of what we would find when we searched for her on the computer. The looming possibilities were terrifying and our emotions had been all over the place for most of the day. Sighing, I tucked the blankets around her and patted Bear’s head, as he was already stretched out across her feet.

I went and got my lists and sat in front of the computer. I emailed Cecilia with the items I needed her to get, and then did the same with the local merchants I used. I was grateful for Cecilia. The nearby town was small and although I could get the basics, some of the things I liked had to be brought in from further away. If Cecilia couldn’t locate the items, one of us ordered them online and they came via shipping company. But I had missed her regular calls and was looking forward to seeing her again, although I hoped her presence wouldn’t frighten Rabbit too much. There were times she was a force unto herself. She had been my assistant and friend for so long; I couldn’t even imagine my life without her. Once I was done, I sat and stared at the screen, struggling. Part of me wanted to turn it off and go downstairs and just curl up with Rabbit against me and sleep. The other part of me knew I should be actively looking for answers. That it would be easier if I did this alone, and then shared what I found with Rabbit.

I sighed. I knew what part was the right decision. My hands shaking with nerves, I opened a new search engine and began an investigation my heart didn’t want my head to work on.

After about an hour I sat back with a sigh that held both relief and sadness. Each new inquiry I started, my heart would clench and my hands felt like they were weighed down with sand as I typed in new parameters and looked for information. Every time I hit enter my eyes would shut, afraid of the data that was going to appear in front of me. Each time I failed to find something, I would release a deep breath I didn’t even realize I was holding, and yet, there seemed to be nothing to find. I could find nothing about a recently missing woman in this area. No reports about a missing Escort that matched the description of the damaged car in the barn. Logistically, I had assumed she had to have come from nowhere further away than about two hours given the severity of the storm she’d been driving in. Coming up with nothing, I expanded the search to larger cities, even as far away as London and Toronto. But still nothing came up.

I even changed the dates, going back further. Maybe she had been missing longer. I searched newspapers and headlines, local newscasts, everything I could think of. An article came up about a kidnapped wife of a wealthy businessman but it occurred
after
Rabbit had shown up, and although the photo was rather blurry, the couple was older looking. I didn’t bother looking at the video clip, since she was already here when the kidnapping had taken place according to the date on the article. I checked various sites and headlines but came up with nothing. I even did a cross-country search and went through many articles on missing people. But none of them were Rabbit.

I sat back, perplexed. Nothing?

There wasn’t a person looking for Rabbit? Not a single article or newspaper story that remotely matched. Not one person was missing this incredible little woman? I found that hard to believe. Not a spouse or boyfriend. No family member. Not even a friend? Was she that alone in this world?

My heart ached at the thought of her being so alone. It was so wrong. She was so special; loving and giving in ways that constantly astounded me.

Another part of me was relieved. No one was looking for her. She was still mine. She would stay with me.

Neither of us would be alone again.

I leaned forward, my head falling into my hands in exhaustion as I felt a huge weight being lifted from me. I wasn’t stupid enough to think it was done, that no one would ever be looking for her or that she wouldn’t remember who she was one day. I needed to do some more searching.

But it wasn’t today. Today she was still safe here. With me.

A noise made me look up. Rabbit was standing at the top of the stairs, frozen. She still had on my ivory-coloured cable knit sweater, and it hung down past her thighs and the arms were miles too long on her, her hands barely visible through the layers of knitted material. Rumpled from sleep, she looked adorable. Except I didn’t like the way her eyes were darting between the computer screen and my face.

“
Joshua?” The one word spoke volumes. Fear and anxiety were prevalent in her tone.

I opened my arms. “Come here, Rabbit,” I said quietly. I watched her hesitate then make her way over. I pulled her down onto my lap and wrapped my arms around her. She was shaking so badly I became concerned. I pulled her even tighter and felt her head burrow into my chest. “It’s okay, Rabbit. I’ve got you.”