But if the quirky, lost little out-of-stater who’d overpacked could survive on the mountain for what must have been weeks, then Malika, who had nothing to carry, could manage a downhill trek on a trail for no more than a day.
She had nothing to carry.
Another reason to be enraged with Adeel.Her meagre belongings, already pared down to absolute essentials, had been left behind.There had better be shops in Burning Scrub where she could purchase necessities to tide her over until she made her escape, or she’d add this further outrage to the long list of things he was going to live to regret.
She could no longer bear the sight of her brother.She turned to her other travel companion, who remained an enigma, and amused herself by trying to figure him out.
The handsome cowboy who didn’t know how to flirt was nothing at all like his sweet mother, except in appearance.Vanessa was gracious and charming, whereas a thundercloud hung over her son’s morose head.What did he have to be so gloomy about?His family owned land.He hadn’t been kidnapped.He wasn’t about to be forced into an unwanted marriage.Or was he?
Perhaps that was it.Was he the great-granddaughter’s groom?If so, why was the marriage undesirable to him?Was the bride poor?Worse, was she ugly?Malika couldn’t imagine this beautiful man married to someone less attractive than he was.What a shame for their children.
At least the upcoming wedding wasn’t hers.
Except now, she had no idea as to why Adeel would insist on her being here.He could have left her in Butte under the care of his bodyguards.While he might not approve of the way she and Jamal flirted, ultimately, he knew it was harmless.He also knew that if he’d instructed his bodyguards to make sure she stayed in the hotel until his return, then she could not have escaped them.He’d hired them because they were the best.
Burning Scrub was her last hope.
*
Two hours later,with the afternoon almost done and the waning sun peeking in and out of the trees, her hope and her spirits began to flag once again.
The trail widened, once more becoming a road.It fed into what must be the main street, identifiable mostly because a sign dangling from a weathered and gray wooden post proclaimed it as such.A second sign welcomed visitors to the town of Burning Scrub, population 36, a number Malika believed to be overstated.The ghost town that morning had shown more signs of life.
Stark gray mountain peaks and speckles of forest formed a lovely backdrop for the quaint valley setting.Pink, purple, and blue lupines abounded, splashes of color interspersed with the green and the gray.
Why put a theme park where no one could find it?
“Let’s get you settled in at the guest lodge,” Jayce said.
Rather than enter the main thoroughfare, he chose a narrow street to the right namedJenkinsthat led through a sturdy copse of hemlock and pine.The street ended at an enormous log cabin.Malika dismounted, her screaming thighs and aching buttocks greatly relieved.
She handed her reins to the cowboy.
“Why don’t I take care of the horses,” he said.
She paid no attention to his sarcasm.She knew how to take care of a horse.But after two cups of tea and a few hours in a saddle she had more immediate concerns.She headed straight for the door of the lodge, which fortunately, was unlocked.
The guest lodge, at least, came as a pleasant surprise.Inside, in a large foyer, a switch on the wall—wonder of wonders!—activated lights that illuminated a majestic set of stairs.A door to one side of the foyer opened into the room she desired.
When she emerged, Adeel was waiting for her, alone.A tall window next to the main entry showed that the cowboy and horses were gone.
“We’ll have our evening meal here,” Adeel said.“Tomorrow morning, the town’s seamstress will fit you for dresses to wear for your stay.”
Malika perked up.Bespoke clothing in this out-of-the-way mountaintop village?She would never have guessed.To not have to wear the same clothes while she was here came as more welcome news.Which reminded her…
She jabbed a finger into his chest.“Youkidnappedme!”
Adeel was unmoved.“I did no such thing.The theme park relies on secrecy, and you were drawing attention to us.I merely hurried matters along.”
His imperiousness made him impossible to deal with.She might as well explore the lodge.
The foyer opened into a large living room with floor-to-ceiling glass walls that looked out at the mountains.The heavy wood and leather furniture was equally large.A bearskin rug butted against the hearth of a stone fireplace.More fur rugs—indeterminate of origin—scattered the stone floor.A short, arch-ceilinged hall led to a dining room with furniture sturdy enough to withstand an Armageddon, and beyond it, a kitchen.Everything in the kitchen was shiny.Further exploration uncovered a sunroom, a library, and a laundry.
She retraced her steps to the front room.Aside from the rugs, which she disapproved of, the lodge was quite cozy.
Adeel had entrenched himself in a deep leather chair that offered the best view of the mountains.The sun, a great orange ball, had slipped below the tree line.Fingers of fire stroked the stark stone of the cliffs.
“The bedrooms are upstairs,” he said, as if she were simple.Since they weren’t on the first level, where else would they be?“Choose whichever you like.”
