After various failed dates over the years, Carlise’s one remaining issue was loneliness . . . a longing for someone to love, who loved her back. And she’d thought Tommy was that man. Instead, he’d become the biggest mistake of her life.
After the restraining order, when the “anonymous” texts and emails got more vicious, she’d confronted him just once. Tommy claimed he didn’t know what she was talking about. Denied any contact beyond those first few weeks after the breakup.
Yet, the harassment continued. In her mind, there was literally no one else it could be. Then the more tangible violence, culminating in her slashed tires . . . So she’d run. It was cowardly, but Carlise didn’t want to see what he’d do next.
Now . . . she was kind of like Baxter. Looking for her place in the world. A place where she could be safe.
And she’d found Riggs.
Movement to her right caught her attention, and Carlise turned to see Riggs standing quietly a few feet away, staring at her.
She blinked. “Sorry, I didn’t hear you.”
“I didn’t say anything. And I didn’t want to touch you when you were lost in thought, potentially scaring you . . . so I was just waiting. It’s not exactly a hardship to stand here looking at you,” he said with a small shrug.
Another brick in the wall around her heart fell away with his words. “Is my surprise ready?” she asked.
He looked sheepish. “Yeah, but now I’m thinking it’s kind of stupid. It’s not terribly exciting, and I probably got your hopes up too high.”
Carlise thought it was cute he was so worried. “Riggs, you could lead me here and tell me you wanted to show me your favorite tree in the entire forest, and I’d be thrilled. Anything you want to share with me, I want to see.”
For a moment, a look so intense crossed his face, Carlise was startled, but then his expression cleared, and he grinned at her. She wasn’t sure what it was about her words that had affected him so much.
He held out a hand. “Come ’ere, honey.”
She hadn’t missed the terms of endearment he’d been letting slip. Warmth spread through her with each one. Surely he didn’t mean anything by them, so she couldn’t get her hopes up. He’d probably run screaming if he knew how much those simple pet names meant to her. She needed to tread carefully. Keep her feelings to herself.
She closed the distance between them and put her gloved hand in his. He squeezed her fingers before turning and walking toward a copse of trees.
“This place is easy to find because of this particular bunch of pine trees. They’re the only ones around as far as you can see,” he said as they walked toward where the snow had been disturbed in front of the trees he’d pointed out.
Carlise realized he was right. She hadn’t even noticed the pines were somewhat out of place in the middle of all the spruce and maple around them.
“I’m guessing someone planted them as a kind of marker,” Riggs went on. “We’re about a mile from my cabin, and at one point, there used to be another cabin out here, not too far from where we’re standing.”
“What happened to it?” Carlise asked, looking around and seeing no sign of any kind of structure.
“Avalanche.”
She stopped and stared at him in disbelief. “Seriously?”
“Yes. Most people don’t think of Maine as avalanche central, but see that mountain?” Riggs asked, pointing behind the pine trees.
Carlise saw the huge mountain looming. A shiver went down her spine.
“We’re safe,” Riggs soothed as if he could read her mind. “It’s still cold enough that the snow on the slopes is stable. As the weather warms, and the snow shifts up there, it’ll be a different story.”
“Is your cabin in danger of being buried?” Carlise asked.
“No. I made sure to build it out of the slide zone. But I’m thinking whoever was here before me didn’t. I haven’t looked into the archives of the area, but after seeing for myself what I’m about to show you, I looked around a bit and discovered what was left of a foundation nearby. An avalanche took out the cabin, and whoever was here decided to move elsewhere afterward. If they’d only built their cabin a mile or so to the west, where I am now, they would’ve been safe.”
Carlise shivered again.
“We’re good,” Riggs said. “I wouldn’t have brought you out here if I thought differently. But I’ve made you nervous, and that wasn’t my intention. So I’ll show you what I brought you out here to see, then we’ll go back to the cabin. Okay?”