Mina's Heart (19 page)

Chapter Seven

Three months ago

Mina’s snug little car hugged the mountain curve tightly. The early-morning light filtered through the trees to glare briefly on her windshield. It reflected from the surface of the early snowfall, intensifying the brightness. She winced and felt in her purse, searching for her sunglasses. It was second nature to wear them at home in the California sun. Late November in Vermont didn’t seem so bright by comparison, yet she felt the need to protect her eyes.

For the second time in six years, she’d come back to the little town where she’d grown up, this time to celebrate Thanksgiving with her mother. Because the warm weather in winter was such a novelty to her mother, Mina usually flew Jin Ae to Santa Monica for the holidays. She’d long ago given up trying to convince her mother to abandon Vermont. After floundering for a few years, her mother had finally integrated into the little town where she lived, and now she operated a popular breakfast café.

The café was closed this morning. Her mother had thought to get an early start on the main course this year. She’d begun cooking last night. Twenty minutes ago, she’d burst into Mina’s room, hysterical because the turkey was burned and they were out of milk. To calm her, Mina had agreed to go buy another one. Only nothing was open in small-town Vermont. It wasn’t like California with its abundance of stores that stayed open on all holidays.

The last time she’d visited home, which had been a little over a month ago, she’d brought her boyfriend, John. It was the first time she’d brought him with her to Vermont. He was a decent guy, and she wanted her mother’s opinion before she consented to taking things to the next level. They’d dated for three years, and she’d moved in with him eighteen months ago.

Jin Ae hadn’t been impressed, but she hadn’t disliked him either. She’d merely shrugged. “You know I’m not the best judge of character were men are concerned.”

And so she’d flown home with John and spent the intervening time rethinking the relationship. If she pretended that her mother’s less-than-enthusiastic reception had played a part in her decision, she would be lying. The fault lay squarely at the feet of one Everett Burke, grade-A jerk.

As camouflage for his deviant personality, he was exceptionally handsome. Tall, about six feet, which meant he towered over her five-foot frame. Broad shoulders. Athletic. His defined muscles hadn’t diminished now that he was turning thirty-one. When he had barreled into John on the dance floor, she’d known instantly that he was just as strong as he’d been when they’d dated, and every bit as ruthless as those photos and “toys” had indicated.

He’d met her gaze for one brief moment, an icy chill to those warm green depths, and then he’d glowered at John. Mina hadn’t been terrified because they were in public and Ever’s friends had been nearby. The last time Everett had been pissed off by her choice of companions, Wilder had dragged Everett away before Ever could break something on her companion’s face. The poor man had only asked her to dance. Wanting to think about anything but Everett, she’d thrown herself into the arms of another man.

This latest incident had passed without anything further happening, mostly because she’d pulled John closer and made him leave.

John hadn’t protested. He never went against anything she told him to do. Sometimes it was tiring to have to instruct him all the time.
Take out the trash. Stop rubbing my clit in that one spot; it’s not a magic button. Call the satellite company because we’re not getting a signal.

Seeing Everett had made her reflect, with more than a little touch of bitterness, that she’d never had to tell him what to do. He’d unerringly found her erogenous zones because he’d taken the time to actually look for them. He’d watched her reactions to make sure she was enjoying his attention the way he wanted her to. In other areas, he wasn’t the kind of man who took orders. He gave them. She could ask for things, sure. When she did, he tried everything in his power to make it happen. It might not always be in the manner she anticipated, but it was always wonderful.

Seeing Ever always made her long for a lover who could make her feel the incredible things he’d made her feel. He’d set the bar high well before the night he’d taken her virginity, before she knew what kind of man he was, and she had yet to find another man who could show her those heights again. Not even her vibrator, which was more competent than John, could mimic Ever’s skill.

With a small twinge of guilt, Mina thought about all the times she’d closed her eyes and pretended that John was Ever. Since seeing him last month, even that had ceased to work. It only highlighted all the ways in which Ever had made her happy that never occurred to John to try. Sex wasn’t the only area where John—all the men she’d dated, really—fell short. Ever was kind and thoughtful and intelligent. He had a wicked charm and a great sense of humor. He found her stubborn side amusing instead of exasperating.

His smile always made her heart beat faster, and she loved the way his lips frequently turned up in a half smile that always looked a bit mischievous.

The son of a bitch had been perfect in every way but one. She’d be damned if she’d settle for the kind of life her mother had.

Another flash of light through the evergreen forest had her digging deeper in her purse for those sunglasses. Her sense of touch turned up nothing. Glancing over, she saw where she’d gone wrong. She readjusted her aim and put her eyes back on the road. Only, the road wasn’t where she’d left it. Her car skidded sideways. She steered into the skid, but it was too late. Something hit her passenger side door. She felt weightless for a moment, and then the world went black.

* * * *

Everett slowed significantly to take the next curve. His common sense told him that he probably didn’t need to be that careful, but he couldn’t help it. Nearly a year ago, his father had hit a patch of ice and lost control on this very stretch of highway. The road wasn’t as slippery today as it had been when his father had last driven. Though they’d had some snowfall, the past few days had been sunny enough to keep the asphalt mostly dry. He kept a watchful eye for those occasional patches of black ice.

In the passenger seat next to him, Lydia glanced over, concern etched in her dark eyes, but she didn’t say anything. His sister-in-law-to-be was a beautiful woman. She was short, and she had a curvy build that his brother positively loved. Kindness always sparkled from her eyes, and that just made her even prettier.

“You drive like an old man.” Trust Wilder to make the insensitive remark.

“This is where Dad went off the road, asshole.”

Lydia turned to peer into the backseat, likely giving Wilder a warning look. “It’s all right. We have plenty of time before we have to be at your mother’s house.”

“The food’s going to get cold.”

Everett caught the teasing in his brother’s tone, but Lydia didn’t. Wilder was trying to take his mind off the tragedy that had claimed the man both of them did their best to emulate. They’d both worshipped and loved their father, and both of them led their lives guided by the principles he’d modeled.

She frowned, the motion pulling all her features down. “It’ll be fine. I packed the dishes in those insulated food carriers you got for me.”

Normally, Everett would say something to fan the flames, because Wilder and Lydia were a lot of fun, but a flash on the side of the road caught his attention. It was near the same spot where his father’s car had spun out, so he slowed even more and pulled over.

Lydia was indulgent on most days, but her sharp frown indicated she was nearing the end of her patience. “What’s wrong?”

The low bank of snow on the shoulder was melting. Water ran over the road, though it had iced over in a few shady places. The sun glinted from the nearest bank, penetrating through his sunglasses. He shook his head. “I’m not sure.”

Wilder leaned forward and put a hand on Everett’s shoulder. “Ever, today is not the day to lose it. Marielle and Danica flew home for this. Mom needs us. This is her first Thanksgiving without Dad.”

It was the first Thanksgiving without Dad for all of them. They’d all taken his sudden death very hard, but none of them had been as affected as their mother. She’d lost her husband, her best friend, and her master.

Everett pushed the release for his seat belt. “Just give me a minute to check it out.” He opened the door and leaped from his Jeep before either of them could say anything more.

Dirt and rocks marred a section of the clean snow on the shoulder. They’d put up a guardrail since last winter, but it only covered the curve in the road. The tracks, fresh from the looks of them, began after the railing ended. He followed them to the edge and peered over the side. It was a short drop, only a few feet, but a car had gone off the road and hit a tree on the passenger side.

Ever jumped down, not caring about his dress shoes or pants, and hurried to the vehicle. The land sloped down after the drop, a gradual decline that nonetheless made the car impossible to see from the road. As he got closer, he noted the rental plates and stickers on the bumper. A form was bent over the steering wheel. Someone from out of town was in there.

“Wild! Someone’s down here! Call for help!”

The driver’s door had come open in the crash. He looked inside, ready to use his rudimentary medical skills. Slumped behind the wheel was the woman with whom he’d once thought he’d spend the rest of his life. Blood ran down her face, and her skin was far too pale. Her eyes were closed, and she wasn’t moving or making a sound.

Reaching out, he touched her back. She made a quiet whimpering sound, the sweetest noise he’d ever heard. “Mina, honey, wake up. Can you talk to me?”

Her eyes fluttered open. She stared at him blankly, her pupils large and unfocused.

He pushed her hair away from her face to find the origin of the blood. “Tell me where you’re hurt.”

She tried to sit up. She made it a few inches before she tilted toward him. He reached out, steadying her without pulling her from the car. At least she was alone. He wasn’t sure he’d try to help whatever son of a bitch she was seeing now.

“Don’t move. Wild’s calling for an ambulance.”

“My head.” She lifted a hand to the other side. It came away bloody.

“Let me see.”

She turned her head, and he saw the gash on her forehead. “I feel like I’m going to throw up. I need to get up.”

The pigheaded woman lurched from the car, stumbling and tripping into him. Mina generally did what she aimed to do. He caught her before she went too far, mostly by virtue of being in her way. She bent over and lost her breakfast on his shoes. Pivoting to stand behind her, he banded his arm around her chest, just under her shoulders, to hold her weight because he knew her legs weren’t working properly.

She was in shock, and she probably had a concussion. As he held her, he was relieved to find no further damage. However, when she finished vomiting, she cried out.

“Mina?”

“I think I broke my arm.”

“Which one?”

“Right one. I was reaching for my sunglasses, and the road moved.”

That she could identify her right arm and that she remembered what happened prior to the accident were good signs. Still, he wasn’t going to wait for an ambulance. It could take forty minutes to get here. By that time he could have her to Burlington General.

He took off his jacket and fashioned a sling for her arm, tying the sleeves around her neck to hold it in place.

Wilder called down from the road. “Ever! I have the police on the phone. How many people are down there?”

“One. Tell them we’ll take her to the hospital.”

Mina stared at him as if she’d never seen him before. Mindful of her hurt arm, he scooped her up and began navigating the incline.

“I can wait for the ambulance.”

Anything to avoid being with him. Ever felt his temper flaring. Six years later, it shouldn’t matter anymore. She’d abandoned him, relocating to the other side of the country to get away. She’d moved on with her life. He needed to do the same.

Just thinking about it made his blood pressure rise. He channeled that energy into climbing the steep part of the drop with her in his arms.

“Ever, put me down. I can walk.”

“Are you insane?” He’d made it to the road.

Wilder regarded them with a stoic mask, though Everett knew his brother was both wary and concerned.

Everett looked down at Mina, assessing her injuries once again. “Stupid question. Why would you do anything that makes sense? You’re in shock, so I’m going to disregard anything crazy you say.”

Wilder gestured over his shoulder this thumb. “You sit in the back. I’ll drive. We’ll make it before she bleeds out.”

He ignored Wild’s dig and headed to his Jeep. Sliding into the backseat, he was careful not to jostle her too much.

“Do you need me back there?” Lydia stared with wide eyes at the cut on Mina’s head. “Is there a first-aid kit in the back?”

Everett shook his head and put that on his shopping list. He’d get one for everybody. Perhaps Oasis should purchase them for all employees. His mother would support that expenditure. “We’ll be okay. I promise not to throw her out the window. There are some napkins in the glove compartment.”

Lydia handed those to him. Keeping Mina on his lap, he dabbed at the blood on her face and neck. Wilder turned the car around and headed for the freeway.

Mina sputtered, most likely objecting to the way he dismissed her concerns. She’d always walked the line with tolerating his high-handedness. “This is kidnapping.”

She was trying his patience. He exhaled a long stream of air and struggled to remember that she was hurt. “Yes. Picking up somebody who’s just been in a car accident and taking her to the hospital definitely falls under that heading.”

“Sometimes you’re funny, but this isn’t one of those times.” She squirmed in his arms, fighting his hold.

He wasn’t doing more than supporting her shoulders and providing a place for her to lean against as she sat on his lap. She pushed at him with her hurt arm. Blood drained from her already pale face, and she squeezed her almond-shaped eyes shut.