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Chapter Eleven

HUDSON

B reaking glass. Crashing wood. I awaken with a jump. Chaos fills the cabin, the kind of clumsy chaos that only comes from one type of visitor.

“Motherfucker!” I scream, jumping to my feet, eyes narrowing. “Get out of here. Now!”

Hadleigh gasps, covering herself with one of the blankets, still reclining on the floor in front of the fireplace.

“Go!” I holler, sprinting for the lights. I flip the switch, and Hadleigh lets out a bloodcurdling scream.

A fat bear sticks halfway through the broken window, clumsily trying to break and enter and failing miserably. It would almost be cute if my bugout bag and handgun weren’t on the other side of the room. I yell again, but he doesn’t look remotely phased by the noise or the lights.

His eyes are on the leftover stew and brown bread still poised on the table. The midnight snack we devoured after hours spent consuming each other. I should’ve known better than to leave it out, especially with the broken window.

“What do we do?” Hadleigh asks, standing next to me.

“Get in the bedroom. Lock yourself in,” I order, weighing my odds of reaching my bugout bag before he gets me. If I can get off one shot, from the handgun stowed in my pack, it should be enough to deter the bastard.

“No, Hudson,” she says, shaking her head. “I’m not leaving you alone with him.”

“Woman—”

“Don’t you woman me. We face this together, like we did the river, the gorge, and the storm.”

Not ready to fight with her, I scream at the bear. “Get the fuck out of here!”

“Pots and pans?” Hadleigh asks, eyes darting towards the kitchen. It’s closer to the struggling bear than I want either of us to get. But the percussive sounds might work.

I lunge forward, grabbing a couple she set out earlier when rifling through the cabinets.

We beat and bang on them, hollering and raising a ruckus.

The combined metallic sounds finally get his attention.

The large ursine backs out of the opening, scraping down the side of the outer cabin wall with his long claws.

Hadleigh covers her mouth, shaking from head to toe. “Oh my God,” she whimpers, hugging herself.

“The smell of the food,” I explain. “I should’ve known better. We’re in the thick of bear country, both black and grizzly. They will always come looking for food up here.”

I wrap my arms around her, pulling her tightly against me.

She looks up at me, her body shaking. “Was that a black or a grizzly bear?”

I shake my head. “Hard to tell with only half his body through. Grizzlies tend to be bigger with a hump along their shoulder. They’re often a lighter color, though not always.

I didn’t see enough of that one to know for sure, but I’m guessing black bear as they’re less timid about getting into people’s shit. ”

“As fun as this wildlife adventure has been,” Hadleigh says, still trembling. “I’m ready for a nice, hefty dose of civilization. Please tell me you live in Alpha Ridge Creek.”

I open my mouth to answer, but she cuts me off.

“No, that’s right. You said you live in a cabin on fifty acres. God, Hudson, I don’t know if I want to live in a place that remote.”

“If it makes you feel any better, my cabin isn’t getting ransacked by bears at night. Do I need to be careful about trash and stuff like that? Yes, but you’d have to deal with the same shit in Pensacola, Florida, Lake Tahoe, Yosemite, countless places across the U.S.”

“Yeah,” she says, sighing slowly. She runs a hand over her face, still catching her breath. “That scared the shit out of me.”

“Me, too, Hot Stuff. Although I have to say it was sexy as fuck when you wouldn’t let me make my stand against the bear alone.”

“Hell, no,” she says, stroking my beard. “You’re mine now. That means I’m the only one who gets to eat you, and I won’t share.”

“Eat me,” I say flirtatiously. “I like the sound of that.”

Her cheeks warm as she licks her bottom lip.

“That said, I’m on guard for the rest of the night,” I say, pointing towards the broken window. “So, no distractions. We’ve really fucked up this cabin, haven’t we? I feel bad for whoever owns it.”

“Do you think someone owns it at all?” Hadleigh asks, eyeing it incredulously. “The cans alone indicate it’s been a while since anyone was up here.”

I shrug. “That’s what the sheriff’s department said. Guess we’ll see when the repair bills start showing up.”

“You want some hot cocoa?” Hadleigh asks, wrapping a blanket around her shoulders and heading for the pantry.

“Sure.” I run my hand through my hair, still trying to wrap my head around this insane day and night. “I’m going to put our clothes in the dryer.”

We spend the rest of the night keeping watch, sipping cocoa, and talking about every possible subject, from our favorite books and writers to our top ten cities, high school memories, beloved bands, and dreams for the future. The level of compatibility makes me want to pinch myself.

It’s fucking insane how right Hadleigh is for me, and I never would’ve met her if it wasn’t for her dumbass brother … though both of us could’ve done without the criminal friends who drove her off the cliff.

Hadleigh dozes, pressed against my chest. But I can’t sleep, even if I wanted to. The bear turned the switch, reverting me to my old service days and keeping watch.

As the first creeping light of dawn sweeps across the forest floor, my ears catch the distant howl of wolves, the sound deep and melodious. Hadleigh stirs in my arms, her fingertips playing with the hair on my chest.

“It’s a beautiful sound from here,” she observes. “Though I wouldn’t want to be out there with them.” Hadleigh shivers in my arms.

I thank our lucky stars for the advent of this cabin, though it’s far from bear-proof, because Hadleigh’s got a point. It would feel awfully eerie outside, beneath a veil of stars, listening to those lonely canine calls.

“We’ve talked about so much tonight, Hadleigh. But apart from bear visits, what are your thoughts on Northern Idaho? I wouldn’t be surprised if you never want to set foot in this state again after all you’ve been through.”

She snuggles closer, kissing my chest. “I could say the same about you, you know.”

“Yeah, but Idaho’s my home now. Despite everything.”

Her face looks conflicted for a moment, brows knitting in thought. But then her expression relaxes, and she smiles. It’s like the sun peeking out from behind dark storm clouds after the rain. “All I know is home no longer feels like a place to me, Hudson. It feels like you.”

I exhale the breath I’ve been holding, relaxing my shoulders. “Thank God, because I’m willing to negotiate locations with you. But I don’t want to do long distance. I crave you to the marrow of my bones. Being apart would feel excruciating.”

“Agreed. I don’t ever want to spend even one night away from you. Does that make me co-dependent or needy?”

He chuckles. “I want you to be needy as fuck when it comes to me. Like I said before, addicted to me.”

“Addicted to you?” she laughs.

“Don’t worry. A healthy addiction that comes with plenty of calories burned, endless pleasure, and a man who’ll do anything to make you scream his name and claw his back.”

She admits contentedly. “I have sore muscles in places I didn’t even know I had muscles, thanks to you.”

“You’re welcome, Hot Stuff,” I say, kissing her neck.

We watch the sunrise, its golden light shrouding the forest. Then, we take a hot, steaming shower together, sinking one last time into each other’s flesh before dressing.

The smell of freshly brewed coffee fills the cabin as we prepare for what I know is coming anytime now.

The distant buzz of an engine and the arrival of search and rescue.

“Just like clockwork,” I say, greeting a tired-looking volunteer wearing the telltale khaki pants and orange jacket with reflective stripes.

“I’m Roger.”

“Hudson, and this is my girl, Hadleigh.”

Roger nods. “Long night, man. How did you two do?” He gladly takes the cup of coffee I hand him.

“You wouldn’t believe it if I told you,” I say, shaking my head.

“Fortunately, you have a witness,” Hadleigh chuckles.

“And a partner in crime,” I add. “While we’re on that subject, the cabin’s a little trashed. Hadleigh and I have been tidying things up, washing blankets and cleaning. But a neighborhood bear decided to pay us a visit in the middle of the night.”

Roger eyes the window, his jaw dropping. “Whoa, did he break the window?”

“No,” Hadleigh pipes up. “That was me.”

I add, “Couldn’t find a key, and that weather last night was shitballs, as you know.

But, yeah, I’m going to owe the owner a new window, a new lock for his generator, and miscellaneous other things, including a bottle of Cab, a can of brown bread, a can of stew, some hot cocoa, and new siding panels. ”

Roger raises his eyebrows.

“The bear scraped the panels with his claws.”

The search and rescue officer shakes his head, resting his hands on his hips. “We’ll get it sorted. Owner’s a local. Old timer who doesn’t use the place much anymore. So, I doubt it’ll be a problem.”

“I would like to thank him and make things right. After all, I can’t begin to tell you how much this cabin meant to Hadleigh and me.”

“That’s right,” she says, smiling and snuggling against me as I wrap my arm around her.

“So, I’m taking you back to the Sheriff’s Department to fill out reports?” Roger asks.

“We need to stop by the hospital first,” I say, nodding at Hadleigh. “This one could use stitches and a round of antibiotics.”

“Sure thing,” the drowsy search and rescue officer says as we head outside, locking up the cabin the best we can. “I’ll stop back by later and board up the window, make sure there’s nothing too tempting for a return visit from Smoky.”

“I can lend a hand if you need it,” I offer.

Roger shakes his head. “Sounds like you’ve got a girl to keep company at the ER, and then I’d imagine you both could use a little R&R. I know I could.”

On the way back, Roger fills us in on the crazy flash flooding that ripped down the gorge and all the people who had to be rescued in and around Alpha Ridge Creek. Even the ice rink flooded, which is unheard of around here.

“Do you think the flooding could’ve affected your cabin?” Hadleigh asks, holding my hand in the backseat of Roger’s four-seater Polaris.

“No, my cabin’s a couple thousand feet above this location. But the tattoo shop is probably a mess.”

“Tattoo shop. My car’s still there, and I still have to talk to Andy. God!” Hadleigh says, her voice quivering. “You know as much as the bear scared me, I’d almost take that over having to deal with my brother.”

“Knowing him, Hadleigh, he’s already skipped town.”

“You’re probably right.” She frowns.

“The first sign of cops and questioning? Yeah, I’d bet money he’s long gone.”

“What do I tell Mom?” she asks.

“The truth.”

“I know, but?—”

“There are no buts for him, and he’s out of chances.

If I see him again, I’m turning him in to the sheriff’s department.

Those associates of his abducted and nearly killed you, Hadleigh.

Family or not, I won’t let him or anyone else near you who could hurt you.

You’re my everything, and nothing’s going to change that. ”

“I guess I should start looking for a job up here,” Hadleigh smiles. “Though I won’t be set on your cabin until I see it in person and get a feel for how wild it really is.”

“Whatever you need to feel comfortable with me. Oh, and I know of a tattoo parlor that could use a manager who actually knows what the fuck she’s doing,” I add.

She smiles.

“As for my cabin and community? I think you’ll love it,” I say, bringing her hand to my mouth and kissing her fingertips one by one.

Already falling back under the hypnotic need for my blonde beauty.

“Roscoe’s married to a girl about your age, Ginger.

She’s an elementary school teacher, and Bodie and Fawn recently joined our community from a couple of mountains over.

Fawn’s about your age, too. She’s pretty shy, but once she gets to know you, she warms up. ”

Hadleigh watches me kiss her fingers, a naughty look filling her eyes. Leaning in, she whispers in my ear, “Do I really have to go to the hospital? I’m not sure I can wait that long for … you know .”

I growl deep in my chest, running my fingers into her silky, long, golden locks. “The longer you wait, the longer I’m going to spend on teasing and pleasing you. I promise.”

“I’m holding you to that.” She palms my cheeks, staring into my eyes. “It may not have been love at first sight for me, but it was pretty damn close.”

“You can say that all you want, Hot Stuff,” I tease. “But it took some pretty impressive maneuvers on my part to keep you entertained on our first date.”

“You have a point.”

I wrap my arm around her, pulling her tightly against me. “You think you can be happy so far from SoCal and surfing?”

She nods. “I probably go surfing twice a year. You know, because ‘life,’ and I’ve always had trouble finding the right surfing partner?—”

“Until now.”

She beams at me.

I add, “I can hang ten with the best of them. But nothing too big or scary. You’re more important to me than the adrenaline from any wave.” Her eyes warm, and her face relaxes. After everything she’s been through, she needs to hear this.

Hadleigh snickers, arching an eyebrow. “Hang ten? I’ll have to see that to believe it.”

“Is that a challenge, Hot Stuff?”

“You bet your ass it is, hortboarder.”