Lacey’s breath hitched. She stared at his profile, unable to rid her mind of the images his words evoked. Images of her hands stroking over the taut hardness of his stomach, and lower.
She cleared her throat. “Do you happen to know the team?”
“Yeah. But forget about getting an introduction.” His mouth tilted in a small smile. “They’d eat you alive.”
Lacey laughed softly. They could try.
“So,” Cole said, changing the subject, “where are you from and what brings you to Black Stone Gap?”
Lacey couldn’t keep the amusement out of her voice. She was born in West Virginia, less than three hundred miles from Black Stone Gap, but she and her mother had moved to New England after her father’s death.
“I’m from New Hampshire,” she answered, “and part of the reason I’m here is to work with the Black Mountain Search and Rescue Team.”
There was a momentary stunned silence, and then Cole laughed ruefully. “You’re kidding, right?”
“Nope.”
“Don’t tell me—you’re here to demonstrate the GPS units.”
“Right. But how did you know that?”
Cole looked at her. “Sully mentioned something about it earlier tonight. Bringing the rescue team into the twenty-first century is big news around here. Their equipment is all but obsolete, and I understand they’re pretty excited about the new devices. But I thought the company was sending a man.” His gaze skimmed briefly over her, missing nothing. “And, sweetheart, you’re a far cry from that.”
Lacey felt herself go warm beneath his regard. “There was initially some talk about sending one of our sales reps out to demonstrate the GPS units, but I volunteered.” She sensed his curiosity. “I’m here on other business, in addition to showing the rescue team the benefits of the handheld units.”
“I see.” There was a pause. “Does Cyrus know about this?”
“Who?”
“Forget it. If he did, he’d never have allowed you to stay at the Blackwater Inn. He’d have insisted on putting you up at his place.”
“Oh, you mean Sheriff Hathaway. I was planning to talk with him in the morning and see if he could recommend somewhere else to stay.”
Cole gave a short laugh and his voice was like rough sandpaper. “There is no other place to stay, unless you don’t mind driving an hour or so each way. Even Cyrus lives a good ten miles outside of Black Stone Gap.”
Lacey digested this in silence. She didn’t want to stay an hour away, didn’t want to traverse the winding mountain roads each day. She’d stay with Cole tonight, but even if they ended up in bed together, she couldn’t assume that he’d want her living with him for the entire time she was in Black Stone Gap. That would just be awkward.
Cole swung off the main route, and they made their way up a steeply winding road, pressed close on both sides by dark forest. Twice, the headlights of the truck reflected the glowing eyes of some woodland creature before it darted into the dense underbrush.
Suddenly, they emerged into a clearing and Cole drew the pickup truck alongside a large log cabin. Lacey had envisioned him in a mountain cabin with fur-strewn floors, but even her imagination couldn’t have created this charming structure, perched on the mountain crest and bathed in moonlight.
She peered through the windshield, taking in the sweeping porch that surrounded the house, the soaring stone chimney and dramatic windows. It may have been constructed of logs, but the architecture was pure elegance.
“This is your home?” Lacey couldn’t keep the surprise out of her voice.
“Well, it’s more like the family retreat. I share ownership with my siblings.” He opened his door and looked over at her. “Don’t worry—they’re not here now. We sort of take turns coming out here. C’mon in and make yourself comfortable.”
Before she could respond, Lacey’s cell phone rang. By the time she fished it out of her bag, the ringing had stopped. “Wow,” she commented, reading the signal bar, “you get really good reception up here.”
“One of the many benefits to living on top of a mountain.” He smiled. “I’ll wait outside for you.”
Lacey scrolled through her missed calls and saw that her mother had tried calling her eleven times. She sighed. The last thing she wanted to do was to talk to her right now, but she knew her mother would fret until she called. She answered on the first ring.
“Lacey? Is everything okay?”
“Everything is great, Mom. Really.”
“I’ve been trying to call you for hours. Why haven’t you answered?” Her mother’s tone was reproachful.
“The cell phone reception is terrible, Mom. But I made it here safely and I’ll be meeting with Sheriff Hathaway in the morning. Please don’t worry about me. I’m fine.”
“Give me the name of your hotel so I can reach you on their phone.”
Lacey hesitated. There was no way she could tell her mother the truth about where she was staying. “It’s called the Blackwater Inn, in Black Stone Gap. But I’ll hardly be there, Mom. Why don’t we just agree that I’ll call you each evening?”
“But what if I need to reach you? I need to be able to reach you, Lacey.”
She suppressed a frustrated sigh. “Then by all means try my cell phone, but I can’t guarantee that you’ll always be able to get through, or that I’ll answer.” She glanced out the window to where Cole sat on the bottom step of his porch, scratching Copper behind his ears. “Look, I have to go. I’ll call you tomorrow, okay? Good night, I love you!”
She closed the phone, pushing down the guilt she invariably felt after talking with her mother. Then, just in case her mom decided they hadn’t finished their conversation, she turned the cell phone off. Sliding out of the truck, she walked toward Cole, watching as he stood and gathered up her cases. Copper stretched lazily before plodding his way up the steps to the porch.
“Did you grow up here?” Lacey asked. “I mean, in this house?”
Cole snorted. “Not likely. My folks had a ramshackle house at the bottom of the hill, on the main road. My younger brother owns a timber-frame company. After Dad retired, we pitched in and had this place built for him and my mom.”
“Are your parents …?”
“Passed away, yeah. They had a few good years here, though.”
He spoke matter-of-factly, but Lacey thought she detected a note of regret in his voice. “You said you don’t live here year-round.” She turned to stare at him in bemusement. “Why not?”
Cole gave a shrug as he preceded her up the steps. “I couldn’t wait to get out of Black Stone Gap. I found work in Virginia, and I didn’t look back.”
Lacey followed him onto the wide porch, waiting while he opened the door. “So what brings you back now? Are you on vacation?”
“Actually, I came back because I got laid off from my job over in Norfolk, but was fortunate enough to find work here in the Gap.”
Something in his voice caused Lacey to glance sharply at him, but his expression was carefully blank. She didn’t know Cole at all, but she guessed it must be difficult for him to admit that he had been laid off.
“What kind of work?” she asked, but she suspected that she already knew.
“I got a job at the Black River coal mine.”
Lacey shouldn’t have been surprised,