Page 2 of Protective Assignment
River.Interesting name.
“Where you from, River?”he asked, trying to keep the conversation going.
“Florida.”
“You’re a long way from home,” he remarked.“What brings you north?”
“Just needed a change,” she replied, looking down to the bag on her lap again.He frowned.Was it him or was she seriously wary of making small talk?Almost like she was afraid she’d let something slip if she had a conversation with him.
Cade couldn’t stop his mind from running through possible scenarios.What was she doing in the woods by herself?Was she getting out of a bad situation?On the run from someone?Judging by her simple, understated look—longer hair, her plain homemade dress, no makeup, no piercings or jewelry—maybe she had been in some kind of cult.
Or maybe he had been watching too much TV these last several months.He hadn’t had a whole lot else to do since his discharge from the military aside from concentrating on his therapy.He kept his eyes on the road, and figured he should let her catch her breath before he started interrogating her.It really wasn’t his business, but he couldn’t help being curious.It wasn’t far to the lodge, and maybe he could get a little more out of her then.If she was willing to share.
Finally, the road led them past the Warrior Peak Sanctuary sign to a big, sprawling complex that hung on to the top of the mountain for dear life, surrounded by trees and with a view down over the forest below.Cade climbed out of the truck, grabbed an umbrella from under the seat and went around to open her door.But before he could, it swung open and nearly hit him in the face as she hurried to get out.He shot out his hand to grab it before it could make contact.
“You should go inside and warm up,” he suggested as she hooked the backpack over her shoulders again and tried to contain a shiver.He opened up the umbrella and held it out to her.
She hesitantly reached out to take it from him and eyed him skeptically, as if trying to decide if she should trust him.
“There’ll be plenty of people in the lodge who’ll be heading north soon enough that you could ask for a ride.You can’t stand out here in this rain—you’ll get soaked tothe bone, probably end up sick too,” he pointed out as he stepped around her to get his bag out of the back.
He hadn’t packed a whole lot, just a large duffel and his backpack; his brother had told him he wouldn’t need it.Anything he was missing he could get there at the lodge or he could make a run into the small town below.
He held up his old military backpack and grinned at her.“Look, we match.”
For the first time since he’d laid eyes on her, a smile spread over her face.Cade was momentarily stunned.
With a smile on her face, she looked like a whole different person.Those huge blue eyes lit up, and dimples appeared on her cheeks; even though she looked as though she had been living in the woods for the past few years, she was seriously beautiful.
Cade stared at her for a long moment before he pulled himself together again.He was curious to find out more about her, and he hoped he could convince her to stick around for at least a night before she took off to wherever she was headed.Shaking his head to clear it, he reached for the umbrella and held it over the two of them as they walked toward the entrance.
She hung back behind him as he made his way to the huge wooden doors of the lodge, and he chanced a glance over his shoulder at her.There was a flash of fear in her eyes, and his heart twisted seeing her like that.He might not have known what she was running from, but at least he could try to get her to stay the night out of the weather where she could rest and take some time to settle down, right?
“Come on in,” he told her.“There’s a cafeteria in there,and there’s probably a spare room you can use to sleep for the night.”
She frowned.She still didn’t look convinced, but out here, in the middle of nowhere, what choice did she have?
“It’s freezing out here,” he reminded her.“And you saw those roads—nobody else is going to be coming up here tonight.You should get some food in you and rest, okay?”
He could practically see her mind racing as she tried to figure out what the best course of action was.But when she looked up to the sky, it seemed to settle her decision.The rain was set to continue for the rest of the night, judging by the thick gray clouds drifting off into the horizon, and it was starting to get dark.She could stand out on the side of the road for the rest of the night in the hopes some passerby would take her another few miles toward her destination.
Or, she could follow him inside the lodge for a warm meal and a warm bed.
Her shoulders slumped as she let out a resigned sigh and followed him into the welcoming warmth of the lodge.
Chapter Two
River Robertson felt herself shrinking as she stepped through the large doors of the lodge, glancing around and taking in her surroundings.This place was nice—really nice.Way nicer than anything she was used to, and she was sure she stuck out like a sore thumb.She looked like a drowned rat that had been running wild in the woods for a while.She didn’t belong here.
She hung back next to the door, still clutching her backpack to her like a protective shield, as a pretty woman behind the front desk rushed out to greet Cade.Her heels tapped on the polished wooden floor, echoing around the open space.The whole place looked like it was made of the same material, practically glistening in the dim golden light from the fixtures around the walls.It looked warm and welcoming.
“Cade, there you are!”the woman exclaimed.She pulled him into a hug and then called over her shoulder.“Carter, Cade’s here!”
A few moments later, another man stepped out from a room behind the front desk, and paused for a moment as he looked Cade up and down.He was similar in build and looks, so…brothers, maybe.
“Where have you been, man?”he demanded.“You’re late.”
“I know, I know,” Cade replied, waving a hand.
