Chapter 19

As her brain slowly registered consciousness Rayne wondered if she was getting better at this outdoors stuff or maybe just used to the air mattress. She didn’t recall it being this soft though...

Her eyes popped open and she looked up, not having the slightest idea of where she was. She ached, everywhere. Squeezing her eyes shut again, Rayne struggled through the fog for some answers and then it all came back to her, the lake, the canoe, the storm and—Devin. She jerked her body up onto her elbows and looked all around to see where she was.

It was a huge room that was not her tent or little cabin. A hospital was out of the question, unless she’d become royal. Turning her stiff neck, she was startled to see Devin slumped in a chair sleeping. She was in Devin’s house.

Just seeing him forced her mind to fill in all the blanks. He’d found her, just when she’d almost given up him even noticing she was missing. He’d brought her back in the very same canoe that had left her stranded and held onto her in the hot shower, clothes and all until her arms had feeling again and then he’d tended each of her scratches with some sort of silky ointment. Rayne looked down and noticed she was wrapped in a big fuzzy navy robe that she didn’t remember anything about.

She started to climb out of the warm blankets but the slightest movement of her foot made her drop back against the pillow and try not to moan out loud. She’d forgotten about her foot too. Lifting the cover, she grit her teeth and bent her leg up so she could see her foot. A white bandage was wrapped around it covering the bottom. Sitting up carefully, Rayne assessed the rest of her body for further injury and pain, there wasn’t anything more serious than a few muscle aches. She decided she was very lucky and continued to attempt getting out of bed.

The loud shrill of a phone startled Rayne and her foot hit the floor sending jarring pains all the way up her leg. Who in their right mind in this day of ringer choices would opt for that racket? Lifting the foot quickly she turned to see Devin had bolted from the chair and was reaching for the phone.

“Hello? Hang on.” He tilted his head and looked at her as he held the phone against his chest. “Don’t try to get up yet. I’ll be right back.”

He turned and strode from the room so quickly that she had to admire his coordination after a startling wake up. Rayne didn’t pause on that thought very long. Why shouldn’t she try to get up yet? Was there more wrong with her than she knew? Flipping the covers completely off, she pulled the robe up so to see her legs. Other than a few scratches and digs there didn’t seem to be anything wrong with them. She peeked into the top of the robe and wasn’t shocked by anything new there either. She flexed the foot that wasn’t wrapped up and other than it being a little tender, it seemed fine. Maybe he was just one of those paranoid people.

Swinging her legs off the bed again she slowly lowered them towards the floor. It wasn’t pleasant, and burned more than she wanted to admit, but still didn’t see why she shouldn’t be able to get up and move around. The alternative to getting up and moving was to stay in a strange man’s bed in a house she wasn’t welcome in, and that didn’t seem like something she wanted to do today. Rayne managed to get onto both feet and mostly upright when he came back into the room.

“No, just a little banged up, nothing serious.”

She stopped and held onto the table beside the bed and looked at him. She may not know the first thing about the man, but the look he was sending her was very displeased and she concluded it was because she was doing what he’d said not to.

Now, he stood in the door way with one hand on his hip, his eyes moving over her slowly. “I’ll call you later, thanks, Dad.” He lowered the phone. “Well, you didn’t land on your face as I suspected you might.” As he moved towards her he tossed the phone on the bed. “I couldn’t get you to eat or drink anything last night, so dehydration has been a concern...”

Rayne snorted. “I had more than my share of water, thank you.”

“I can relate.” He stopped in front of her and smirked. “The hot shower was for my benefit to return all the circulation to the right spots.”

She hadn’t thought of what he’d gone through to find her, he’d seemed so invincible. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to come across as snarky and unappreciative.”

Reaching, he held out his hand. “You weren’t. I’d be downright miserable if I went through what you did.” He flexed his hand. “Let me help and we’ll go hunt down some coffee.”

The magic words. Rayne reached a shaky hand out to his. “Coffee is just what the doctor ordered.” She didn’t realize it until she grasped his hand how weak she really was. The startling awakening had worn off and reality was setting in. She took a few limping steps towards him before he reached around her and hugged her waist.

“I can carry you.”

There was such concern in his voice Rayne had to stop and look up at him. He looked as tired as she was suddenly feeling. “I’d like to at least try to get there on my own feet.”

His expression went blank, but he nodded and stood there with his arm around her.

Rayne took a few more steps and bit her lip so she wouldn’t hiss out loud. He made a sound that almost sounded like a growl, but she continued to move because if she stopped there wouldn’t be starting again. The throbbing in her foot radiated up into her ankle and even though he was keeping most of her weight from hitting the floor it still brought tears to her eyes.

“Sorry,” he said abruptly and then she was swung up into his arms. He shrugged his head to one side and started walking. “I’m a wimp, I can’t deal with seeing anyone in pain.”

She clung to his neck, her head felt dizzy from the fast movement. Somehow, she doubted he was a wimp of any kind, but was silently grateful as the pain in her foot lessened. “How bad is my foot?” Rayne looked in the direction they were going and tried not to notice the musky smell of him.

He grunted a noncommittal sort of noise. “Not bad. It’s not deep, just inconveniently located. It should be fine in a few days.”

She didn’t know what to say. Was she supposed to stay here for a few days or could she manage back at her little cabin? She avoided having to answer for now, as he stepped into his kitchen and set her gently on a chair. He tenderly grasped the injured foot and pulled out another chair and rested it there.

“You should eat something too.”

Rayne rubbed a hand over her face and then looked back at him. “Coffee first and foremost, please.”

He gave her another one of those lopsided smirks causing her heart to slam against her ribs. “Strong and mean or diluted?”

She had no choice but to grin at that. “Strong and mean, please.”

Devin nodded and turned to the counter. She watched him as he moved around and started the coffee maker. His movements were fluid and that told her he had survived without being damaged like she was. “Devin, thank you, for coming to find me.”

Flicking the machine on, he turned and rested one hip against the counter. “No problem.” He seemed very nonchalant about it.

“Rescue a lot of damsels in distress?”

His eye brows shot up for a second and then he shook his head. “No. You would be the first and if I’m lucky, the last.” His grey eyes burned into hers for a moment with such emotion. “I didn’t think I was going to find you.” Pain moved through his eyes.

“Well you did and that’s all that matters to me.” She continued to look into his eyes and wasn’t sure if she was just tired and groggy or he was, but the way he was looking at her was like a caress. Rayne sighed quietly. I really need that coffee, and soon.

Jolting ramrod straight, he quickly turned to face the cupboards and opened one, taking two mugs out. “I’m sorry if I came across as a bit of a jerk when you first got here.”

She grinned at his back. “Don’t worry about that, I more or less invaded your space.” She glanced out the window. “Other than the horrible habit of it storming here, I don’t blame you for protecting your territory, it’s beautiful here.”

He kept his back to her and was silent for too long for her to feel comfortable. “I, uh, I’m a little too used to having my own space.”

“I came to find some space of my own.” Rayne watched him pour the amazing smelling coffee into the mugs. “I can go...”

“No. That’s not necessary.” He turned and set the mugs on the table before turning back to the counter. Opening another cupboard, he pulled out two bowls. “It’s a big space, I’ll share.”

Rayne didn’t know why, but it felt like she’d just been granted something that didn’t happen often. She suspected this man in front of her didn’t voluntarily share his space or time with many. “Thank you.”

Devin moved back over to the table with cereal and the bowls and set them down before turning towards the fridge. “On one condition.”

She paused in taking a sip.

“You stop thanking me and apologizing.”

She lowered the cup and watched him walk over with the milk. His eyes held amusement. “I can do that,” she said quietly before taking a sip of the coffee.

“Good.” He sat down and picked up his own mug. “Can I ask why you did come here?”

Rayne lowered the cup again and looked down into the steaming dark liquid. “To get away. To start over.” She couldn’t talk to this man, a stranger about why, she couldn’t even think about it completely just yet. She chanced a glance at him through her lowered eyelashes.

He sat there watching her. “Fair enough.” That was all he said and then lifted his own cup and took a drink.

Thank you was on the tip of her tongue, but she swallowed it down with another drink of the bold brew.

Several moments went by as they sat there silently just looking at each other and drinking. Rayne put my mug on the table and cupped it between my hands. “Was that your father that called? He knew?”

Devin nodded in thought for a second. “I called him before I went out to find you, just in case something happened.”

“Oh.” She was surprised, but not. Of course, he knew more about things like that and would think to call someone beforehand. She had no one to call, Rayne remembered. She flicked her eyes down to look at the floor, so he wouldn’t be able to see what she was feeling. Lost and alone, it was as if it was sinking in just now. I have no one anymore. Rayne cleared her throat and pushed the cup further onto the table. She turned in the chair and was pulling her sore foot off the other when she heard him shove his back from the table. “Which way is the bathroom?” She couldn’t sit here in front of this man and fall apart.

“I can take you.” He was on his feet in front of her before she could object.

“I’d like to try on my own.” She shifted and braced a hand on the table and pushed herself to her feet. Rayne couldn’t help the sharp intake of breath when she put her weight onto her throbbing foot.

Grabbing her other hand, he gently squeezed it. “Just—wait, I’ll be right back.”

Rayne watched him dart out of the room, not sure what to do. She didn’t have a choice but to wait, she had no idea where the bathroom was. He was back before she figured out what to do with a wooden cane in his hand.

“I carved it a few years ago, seemed like something new to do.”

She sent him a puzzled look, but accepted it. “It’s lovely.” And it was. It was smooth across the handle with chips carved out of it in an organized pattern down the length of it. Rayne lowered it to the floor and moved to take another step. The cane was a bit tall, but then again, she was a bit short. After another step, she figured it out. Her foot still objected, but it was slightly more bearable now. “Thank you, it’s much better.”

He sent her an annoyed look, probably because she’d thanked him, again. “The bathroom is the second door on the left.” He pointed.

Nodding to him so she wouldn’t say thank you aloud, she slowly moved toward the door, not stopping even to look around. She just wanted to get there without wobbling awkwardly as she tried to focus on using the cane. It took synchronization to use one, and with the way she was feeling, a lot of concentration.

When she reached the bathroom, Rayne quickly went in and closed the door. Resting her head against it she shut her eyes and let out a sigh of relief. She knew she couldn’t hide in here forever, she would have to go back out there, she just needed a few minutes alone to shake the pitiful-me feeling before she faced him again.

She slid down to the floor right where she’d been leaning. Rayne didn’t need any soul searching or to take stock of her life. She knew her situation, what she didn’t know was why it was bothering her more now than it had yesterday. She shook her head and looked down at her foot, blaming it on being tired and sore wasn’t good enough for her. She picked at the robe that covered her legs thinking that she should ask for some clothes. Not that it wasn’t a nice robe, she just wasn’t sure she should be wearing a stranger’s clothes. Lifting the collar Rayne buried her nose in it and inhaled. It smelled of Devin’s deep musky scent, which made sense as it was his. Straightening up she frowned at the wall, what possessed her to sniff his clothes she couldn’t know.

The peculiar idea of telling Devin everything popped into her head. How would I even begin? Where would I begin? Tell him about my parents dying and how the head of some sort of criminal ring took me in, only I didn’t know? Explain to him how I took money and my ex’s car and drove as far as I could to get away from him and now I was hiding? She let out a wistful breath, he’d probably tell her to leave then. Rayne glanced back down at her foot, not that she could drive until this was healed.

“Rayne? Are you all right?”

She slid away from the door. “Yes. Be out in a minute.” She listened to make sure he moved away from the door. Hearing a few movements, but couldn’t be sure, he moved very quietly for a man, she waited a little longer. Aiden wasn’t as tall as Devin, but you could hear him coming from three rooms away. Rayne squeezed my eyes closed. She was not going to compare them. There was nothing to compare, nothing similar other than they both were male. She attempted to convince herself, but knew she was only fooling herself.

She stood up slowly, trying to stretch her sore muscles without putting too much weight on her foot. When she turned and looked in the mirror she almost shrieked. Her hair was all over the place, sticking out and clumped together. Well, what did you expect when you hang out in a storm? She shuffled over to the mirror and leaned in to take a closer look. Around her eyes the skin was shadowed, a long scratch covered one cheek. No wonder the man didn’t want her to move, she looked like she was a zombie from some d-list movie.

Turning away from the mirror, she stared at the tub, a bath would feel wonderful, but the idea of having one while he stood outside the door felt all wrong. Sighing loudly, she decided to go back out.