Raising The Stakes (Heartwarming Romance) (11 page)

“This is heaven,” she sighed as he dropped his backpack to the ground and sat beside her. They glanced at each other sideways, eyes skidding away from meeting.

“Close enough.” He watched Button stick her face into the bushes, the grunts and sideways chomping making him smile. Although the fruit fell out of her angled mouth as much as it stayed inside, she gobbled plenty. “Hungry bear.”

Vivie opened her eyes and stared at him, her expression languid. “I’m glad we did this.”

He nodded and tossed back a few berries. Being with Vivie felt as peaceful as his solo campouts and hikes. Usually he wanted to get away from the world, from people. But not her...

“Why haven’t you hiked up here before? Tourists travel from around the world to access the kinds of trails you have in your backyard.”

Her open expression grew pinched. “Not really much of an outdoors person.”

He pondered her love of animals and wondered if that could be true. “You moved up from the city. Why’d you leave?”

She rolled onto her stomach and laid her cheek on her crossed arms. “I inherited the house from my aunt and wanted to get away. Something different.”

Her short answer sounded truthful, but he sensed she held back. What did she hide? A troubled relationship? Financial problems?

“The Adirondacks are a far cry from city life. Wild. Rugged.”

“Yeah. Remote, too. I like that.”

He strained to hear her muffled words.

“Makes sense since you isolate yourself, so much.”

She sat up, her nostrils flaring. “Excuse me?”

He shrugged and dropped some berries into his plastic bag. “You don’t get out much. Like you said...it’s either work or home. Even the festival was a diner-related thing.”

Her gaze dropped after a moment and she nodded. “True. I just like going to places I know.”

Her voice reminded him of a bruise, tender and wounded. It made him reach for her hand and turn it over in his palm. “Why is that?”

Her fingers grew cold. “Let’s drop it.”

But he couldn’t.

“If something’s bothering you, I’m a good listener.” Anything Vivie had to say, he was all ears. Especially if it was about this strange aversion to leaving her “safe” spots.

She lowered her head, hiding her expression. “I appreciate that, Liam.” She squeezed his hand, then let go. “But it’s in the past.”

“Is it?” He knew he shouldn’t persist, but Vivie’s thinking was distorted. Whatever she’d tried leaving in the Bronx had followed her, anyway. She needed to see that.

Vivie held her hair off her neck, fanning the air with the ends, her eyes fixed straight ahead. “Can we switch topics now?”

He heard the slight tremble in her voice. She’d been pushed far enough. Before he left, though, he hoped she’d open up. It wasn’t his business, but it felt that way. He wanted to help.

“How many berries do you think Button can eat?”

She turned to him with a small smile, sadness lurking in her eyes. “Who knows? She’s already gone through this whole section, but a lot of it’s on the ground.”

“No signs of slowing down, either.”

They both watched the greedy cub. Button kept one paw on Turtle, dragging her friend along as she trailed beside the bushes. Her rooting and chewing showed no signs of letting up, her determination to eat despite her stiff jaw impressing him.

“Can she get sick from too much fruit?” Vivie plucked wild daisies and buttercups along with pink-topped clover. She brought the fragrant bunch to her nose and tipped her chin to the sky.

His pulse picked up when she suddenly handed him the wildflower bouquet.

“She might get tired, but sick? No. And what are these for?” His voice sounded gruff.

“Just wanted to thank you for going along with this.” She poked his arm with another flower. “I hope I’m not putting your job in jeopardy.”

He shook his head, staring down at the flowers. When was the last time someone gave him a gift? His sister Mary Ann always sent a card on his birthday. Christmas? Only kids hung stockings. For some reason, this simple gesture touched him, as did her concern for his job. “I have permission, so all set.”

She blinked at him, clearly surprised. “They’re okay with you not following policy?”

“It’s more like they’re not okay with Dr. Vogel and his entourage descending on us. Plus, as long as I’m with you, my boss felt there’d be no harm.”

“Hope he’s right,” she muttered, her chin lowering again.

He lifted it with a gentle finger and gazed down at her. “You’re always safe with me.”

For some odd reason, her eyes welled and a tear clung to her lashes.

He brushed the wetness away with his thumb, his hands lingering and cupping her face.

“I’m never safe,” she whispered, her voice so low he had to bend closer to hear.

“I’ll protect you,” he found himself saying, a gallant and reckless offer considering his planned move. Still, a fierce urge to reassure her filled him. A need to kiss her full lips followed.

He captured them with his own, tasting berries, and something sweeter still. He buried his hands in her silky hair and brought her close, an insatiable hunger taking hold. The wildflower smell of her enveloped him and her mouth tantalized his. He nibbled on her lower lip, loving her soft exclamation of pleasure. Or was it surprise? She was early-spring sunshine, a spring-fed pond, a mountain peak and everything that’d ever made him glad to be alive.

Without warning, she jerked away and sprang to her feet, backing away until her legs brushed the bushes.

“What’s wrong?”

Her face had lost all color and she looked as if she might faint. She shook her head, her hand rising to cover her mouth.

Regret snuffed out his elation. He shouldn’t have moved so fast. Or at all, darn it. “Did I offend you? I’m sorry. Blame it on a beautiful day. A lonely bachelor. A stupid one.”

Button appeared at Vivie’s feet. She stretched up on her hind legs, put her paws on Vivie’s sides and pressed her face against her caregiver’s stomach. If Button wasn’t a wild animal, he’d think the young bear sensed Vivie’s mood. Was trying to console her. He’d comfort Vivie, too, if she didn’t seem ready to bolt.

“I’m an idiot, Vivie.” He got to his feet, feeling like a consummate jerk for kissing her without any signs she’d welcome it. But for a moment, when she’d kissed him back, it’d seemed as though...

He shook his head. Women had the final say when it came to what they wanted. He should have been more sensitive. Not given in to impulses. “Please. It won’t happen again.” And he meant it. She was upset. Had a right to be. If he had any sense, he’d know kissing her was wrong for him, as well. Soon he’d be across the country. His attraction to Vivie was irrational.

“Vivie, talk to me.”

She stumbled away, Button sticking by her side, the cub’s turtle dangling from her mouth.

He ducked in front of her, unwilling to let the moment end badly. “What can I do?”

She wiped her nose and met his gaze. “Just stay away.” Without another word, she returned to the trail.

It took all of his willpower not to chase after her. He’d follow at a distance instead, staying far enough behind to ensure she got home safely. But it wasn’t enough. He wanted things back to normal again. If that was possible.

Strange that she’d said the same words he repeated to himself whenever Vivie came to mind—
stay away
.

Yet the more time he spent with her, the harder that became. His emotions for this complicated woman deepened every day. He could deny it all he wanted, but he cared about her.

The job in Yellowstone came to mind. He wouldn’t put off his decision any longer. As soon as he got home, he’d let them know. Escape before his feelings lashed him down forever.

Vivie was right.

Except for when it came to Button, he’d stay away.

CHAPTER TEN

V
IVIE
MOVED
THROUGH
The Homestead on autopilot, replacing ketchup bottles, refilling napkin holders and sliding their daily specials sheet inside menus. Her body moved, but her mind remained locked in place, replaying her humiliating reaction to Liam’s kiss.

He must think her crazy...or crazier, since she hadn’t given a great impression from the start. After yesterday, though, she wondered. Since he’d kissed her, he must like her. Did she dare admit that she felt the same way?

She pictured the amused and exasperated way he looked at her, how he challenged and called her out, and his thoughtfulness at the most unexpected times. Something about him drew her. Made her want to be near. Still. They would never be on the same page about Button. Worse, her reaction to his kiss proved she wasn’t ready to be that close to a man. Even Liam.

It’d taken years to see herself as a survivor. To make peace with what had happened. But Liam made her restless, dissatisfied with the careful way she picked through life. How much farther from her comfort zone did she dare venture? Button and Liam had shaken the world she’d constructed, and she chafed at its parameters now.

A large man in a plaid shirt waved her down, breaking her from her thoughts.

She wove through the tables to a booth by the window. Sunlight streamed through the half-open blinds, glinting off the gold specks in the Formica top. “Hi, Pete. How was the vow renewal? Did you fit into your suit?”

The logger snorted. “My eldest boy did. Got mine tailor-made in Malone.” His blue eyes sparkled. “Gray pinstripes.”

She nodded, impressed. “Bet you looked handsome in it.” She reached for her pad and flipped it open. “Ready to order?”

Pete pointed a thick finger at the menu. “Still wondering about this apple-fritter French toast.”

She patted his shoulder. “You don’t like fruit or anything French... Are you a hundred percent sure this time? Okay without hash browns? Eggs?”

“But the whipped cream...”

“How about I bring you a side of it with your lumberjack breakfast?”

He sighed, closed his menu and handed it to her. “Sounds good. And I’ll have orange juice this time. No, cranberry. Wait. Make that apple.”

Vivie’s pencil point broke on her last scribble and she peered at him. “How about coffee?”

Pete smiled, his missing left canine giving him a devilish look. “Exactly what I wanted. You always know.”

She tightened her slipping apron and turned. “Yes, I do,” she called over her shoulder.

At the kitchen window, she flagged down Rowdy.

“Got some hash browns ready to come out,” he growled from the deep fryer.

“Take your time,” she soothed. No sense making her short-order cook any more short-tempered.

“Don’t mind him,” put in Brett. The kitchen door swung behind him as he carried in a dish bin. “He and his old lady are fighting over the cat again.”

“Darn woman wants Buttercup declawed,” Rowdy muttered, pulling the basket of dripping golden squares out of the oil and dumping them into the warming tray.

“It’s pretty common,” Maggie interjected, sidling up beside Vivie. She stuck a slip on their swiveling order holder and spun it to face the kitchen. “Got Freddy Mercury’s nails removed last winter.”

“Is he an outdoor cat?” Rowdy brushed past Brett and yanked off Maggie’s order slip.

Maggie pursed her lips, their dark red shade harkening back to a 1940s movie star, her yellow polka-dot head scarf adding to the effect. “Nope. I let him out once and he scratched to come inside five minutes later. Spent the rest of the day licking his fur clean. He’d rather bully my dogs inside than catch birds.”

“Without claws, Buttercup will be terrorized out there.”

Brett spoke over a high-powered water stream aimed at the dishes. “When it’s your time, it’s your time.”

Rowdy swatted the air. “Knock off that karma crap.”

“Have you tried aromatherapy? It’s relaxing and maybe you’ll stop smelling like motor oil and goat cheese.” Brett didn’t even try to hide his grin.

Maggie giggled. “Better get back to my station.” She hurried off when some kids began a syrup-flinging war.

“Got a special order, Vivie?” Rowdy studied her over Maggie’s slip. His face was creased and weatherworn, the miles his Harley traveled reflected there.

Vivie handed him Pete’s order. “Lumberjack, eggs over hard. Oh. And a side of whipped cream.”

Rowdy’s droopy lids rose. “A side of what?”

“Cream. A big swirling heap of it. Maybe sprinkles on top. The rainbow kind.”

Rowdy turned, muttering. “I’ll see what I can do.”

Vivie glanced out the window and spotted a familiar black SUV pulling in to the parking lot. Her stomach clenched. Liam? It’d been a few days since their kiss, but she still didn’t feel ready to see him. At least, not in front of others.

The bell chimed as she shoved open the front door, the late-June air heating her face. Above her, a large ash tree shook leaves that whispered in a mild breeze. The soothing sound didn’t lull her jangling nerves, though. If anything, her pulse accelerated as she reached Liam’s vehicle.

A wailing guitar riff ended when Liam shut off his CD player and turned to the door. His expression flickered when he glimpsed her: surprise, pleasure, wariness. No regret, however. It seemed as if kissing a woman in the woods was something he took in stride.

His window lowered and he peered at her. “You haven’t returned my calls.”

“I asked you to stay away.”

His eyes didn’t waver and finally, she dropped her gaze. “I’ve kept my distance, but tomorrow’s my day off and I need to schedule a visit. Do you want to take Button out?”

She caught a lock of hair and wrapped it around her finger. What did she want? If she were honest, she’d missed seeing Liam these past few days. Spending time together would be nice. On the other hand, the thought of being alone with him in the woods terrified her. What if he tried to kiss her?

As if reading her mind, he said, “I won’t kiss you, if that’s what you’re worried about.”

She opened her mouth to deny it but couldn’t.

At last he nodded, solemn. “If I could take it back, I would, Vivie. But I promise I won’t do it again. Okay?”

She needed to hear this, so why did she feel let down?

“You still seem unsure,” he persisted. “I could duct tape my mouth. Maybe stuff a sock in it. Any preferences?”

She laughed and instantly the tense mood broke, leaving things feeling normal again.

“I was thinking of one of Scooter’s tennis balls, but the sock would do.”

Liam chuckled. “Deal. How about we hike farther up Poke-O-Moonshine, find more logs for Button and get her some insect protein?”

Vivie nodded, her breathing coming easier. “Sounds appetizing, though I’ll pack a separate lunch for us.”

The SUV’s engine started. Liam leaned an elbow out the window. “Raisin pie?”

“Two pieces.”

“Four.”

“Deal.”

They grinned at each other for a moment and then, with a wave, Liam backed out and drove back onto the road.

Vivie watched the vehicle until it disappeared. What was it about Liam that made her trust more than she ever thought she could?

* * *

“T
HERE
’
S
A
GOOD
PILE
!”
The next day, Liam pointed at some rotting wood alongside the trail and waited for Vivie and Button to catch up. He straightened his slouch, not wanting to look tired. He’d spent a restless night wishing away the hours until morning. But now that it was here, he felt more unsettled than ever.

Kissing Vivie had been dead wrong. Yet she’d felt right in his arms. Perfect. The lingering sensation of her burned in his memory. It made him want more.

“Come on, Button,” Vivie called and he turned in time to see her slip on a mossy rock. He steadied Vivie then released her, alarmed at her petrified expression. Why did his touch frighten her so much?

“Thanks,” she mumbled, pushing her hair behind her ears. For all her rugged gear, she appeared more feminine than ever. And delicate. He’d take care not to scare her. Wouldn’t let any harm come to her. Despite her strength and fierce personality, she brought out a protective streak he hadn’t felt since Kunar.

He squatted by the logs, the forest’s gloom a cool blanket around him. “Check this out, Button.” The bear, now the size of a chow chow, loped closer and buried her nose in the pile. Liam turned one over for the cub’s inspection. When it revealed a smorgasbord of wriggling insects, Button pounced with an eager snort. She snatched the log and rolled on her back, bringing it to her mouth like a Popsicle. Her tongue darted and her jaw moved in that side-angle way of hers as she tucked in to her bug buffet.

Vivie pressed a hand to her stomach. “Glad someone gets to eat. How long have we been hiking?”

He checked his watch. “Two hours. Let’s sit.”

She settled on a large rock the winter had heaved high out of the ground. Although there was plenty of room beside her, he picked a smaller rock and pulled out a bag of trail mix.

“Want some gorp?”

She nodded, her light brown eyes brightening. “Any chance there’s chocolate chips in it?”

“Is that a rhetorical question?”

Her laugh warmed him, as it always did, and he passed over the bag. After scooping out a handful, she gave the bag back. Her head tipped skyward as she chewed and he couldn’t tear his eyes away. She matched the natural beauty of their surroundings. Eclipsed it.

“I’m glad we did this,” she said with her eyes closed.

A shaft of sunlight pierced the green canopy and fell across her chin and neck. With a jolt, he noticed a faint white scar encircling her throat. A mark like that looked deliberate. A battle wound. What had she survived—barely?

He held his curiosity in check. There’d be a better time to ask. “I’m glad, too. So is Button.”

They watched the cub snatch up another log and lick its length. Breathy grunts escaped her as she gobbled up everything that moved.

“Dr. Vogel’s right. This is good for her.”

“She’ll be prepared for her release this fall.” He held out the snack, but Vivie ignored it, her expression stricken.

“Button won’t be ready. Her jaw—”

“She’ll know how to handle herself and she’s finding her own way to eat,” Liam assured Vivie, wishing these outings would change her mind. After another few weeks, he hoped she’d see things differently. Would agree that Button belonged here. Not in a cage, watching life instead of living it.

“You won’t take her without my permission.” Vivie’s gaze swerved to meet his.

“Button belongs to New York State. The DEC makes that call.” He scraped some brown lichen from the rock with the back of his boot. Too bad he couldn’t eliminate this festering issue between them as easily.

“That’s not how I see it,” she snapped.

“Your feelings don’t matter in this case.” He popped the top off his water bottle and drank. There was no way to sugarcoat this harsh truth.

She shot to her feet, startling him and Button. “They never do.” Leaping from the rock, she stomped up the trail, rounding a corner so that he could just make out the bright red of her backpack.

Button dropped her log and raced after Vivie, her paws throwing up dirt clouds behind her. When Liam joined them, Vivie’s arms circled the cub, her face buried in the bear’s side. “Not going to let you go, sweetie,” he heard her murmur. “Your home’s with me.”

He opened his mouth to object, then closed it. No point in debating an issue with only one possible outcome. Even Dr. Vogel wouldn’t launch a demonstration to prevent a bear’s return to the wild. Even one with a malformed jaw, as long as the animal could care for itself. In fact, the expert would advise Vivie against stopping nature from taking back one of its own.

At least Liam would still be around for the release. He’d spoken with Yellowstone a couple of days ago, accepted the position and received his official start date for the fall. The woman leaving the job would be delivering her child at the end of September and planned on joining her husband in Alaska. He’d been relieved to hear he’d have this extra time with Vivie and Button, to help with the rehabilitation and to ease the bear’s transition into the wild.

Yet deep down, he knew other reasons motivated him. Plain and simple, he liked being around Vivie. Wanted to spend more time with her. He avoided lingering too long anywhere or with anyone. Somehow, however, this impulsive, determined, caring woman made him want to have her and his freedom.

He cleared his throat and Vivie peeked up, her cheeks damp. “Ready to go?”

“Yeah. How much longer?”

“Another thirty to forty-five minutes to the summit. Can you make it?”

Her jaw set. “I’ve come this far.”

“Yes.” His eyes searched hers. When he thought of the narrow range she roamed—home and diner—it impressed him how far she’d traveled for Button’s sake. “You have.”

After gesturing for her to take the lead, he followed, keeping his pace moderate. He wouldn’t lose sight of her. Not until their time together ran out...and, even then, he doubted she’d ever completely disappear from his thoughts.

* * *

A
N
HOUR
LATER
, Vivie stood on the flat stone shelf at the top of Poke-O-Moonshine. Wind gusts brushed back her hair and billowed her shirt but she barely noticed. Instead, her hungry eyes drank in the wild beauty around her. Over two thousand feet below, a lake curved and light sparkled on a navy surface that contrasted with the deep green forest surrounding it. In every direction majestic peaks rose, some with trees springing from their sides, others with sheer rocky cliffs. It stole her breath.

The air was pure and exhilarating. When she inhaled, it was as if her lungs couldn’t expand far enough. Wind blew the white clouds dotting the bright blue sky, casting shadows on the mountain sides.

“Clear view today,” Liam spoke beside her.

Button nudged her leg and she reached down to stroke the bear.