Page 26 of Rescuing Erin

* * *

Colin pulled into a long dirt driveway, and I was in awe of my surroundings. It was beautiful, with tall evergreens lining both sides.

“Wow. This is really pretty.”

“Wait until you see the cabin. Abe and his wife, Alabama, have done a great job fixing it up.”

I didn’t have to wait long; a gorgeous log cabin came into view, and, once again, I was awe-struck.

“I could live out here for the rest of my life and be happy.”

“Really?”

“God, yes. After the last seven years, I’d be happy to live in peace and quiet. I’ve had enough people busy-bodying in my life. After my dad leaves office, I just want to fall back into obscurity and pray everyone forgets my name.”

“Doubt that’s gonna happen, sunshine.”

Colin parked in front of the house, told me to wait, then came to my door. This time, as he scoped out our surroundings, I was grateful. He’d been hyper-vigilant the entire drive and just because we were in damn near seclusion, that hadn’t changed. Once out of the car he quickly ushered me in, giving me no time to appreciate the huge, wrap-around porch we’d used to enter the cabin. I wondered if I’d be allowed to sit out there in the morning with a cup of coffee while enjoying the calmness the wooded area provided.

“What about our stuff?”

“I’ll get it in a minute. Let me show you around.”

He guided me through the open living area, a comfy looking couch sat in front of a fireplace, and I wondered if it was too warm for a fire. I could picture us cuddling on the couch watching the flames dance.

He led me into a surprisingly well-appointed kitchen. “Abe and his wife must come here often. There’s fresh fruit on the counter.”

“He knew we were coming and stocked the house with the essentials,” Colin explained.

“That was nice of him.”

“Abe’s a nice guy. So are the rest of his team. But I doubt the guys did it. My guess is Alabama, Caroline, and the rest of the women heard we were coming and rallied together to make sure your stay was as comfortable as it can be.”

“Me? Why do you think that?”

“Because if it were just me, Abe would’ve dropped off a case of MREs, a few bottles of water, and a brick of ammo. They’re great guys but not so great they’d want me to have fresh fruit and . . .” Colin opened the refrigerator. “All this shit.”

“All this shit” was milk, a bottle of wine, lunch meats, cheeses, blocks of butcher paper neatly stacked, an assortment of condiments, and other miscellaneous items. Whoever took the time to shop for us had gone all out.

“And I’m sure the shower is packed full of girly shit,” he added.

I was in desperate need of a shower and was eager to find out what “girly shit” they’d left. All of the stuff I’d brought with me was back in Killeen. Colin’s idea of a go-bag and mine were two different things. I had a change of clothes, my passport, and my purse. He had guns, extra bullets, extra passports and identification for both of us in different names, and cash. Lots of cash, actually.

Without warning, Colin stepped in front of me and pulled his gun from his holster. I was getting ready to ask him what was happening when the front door opened.

“Yo!” a male voice bellowed.

“You almost got yourself shot,” Colin said and lowered his weapon.

“You must be losing your touch. I wasn’t exactly quiet when I got out of my car.”

“Erin, this is Abe.” Colin ignored the man’s jab. “Abe, this is the First Daughter—”

“Just Erin. Please.” I stopped Colin from making the formal introduction. “It’s nice to meet you, Abe. Thank you for letting us use your cabin. It’s beautiful.”

It took all my energy not to shrink under Abe’s scrutiny. He didn’t hide the fact he was giving me a thorough inspection. But not in a creepy or lewd way. It was almost as if he could read my innermost thoughts and was analyzing them. When he relaxed a fraction, so did I.

“No problem. Glad you two made it. My wife and her friends stocked everything up for you, but I’m supposed to ask if there was anything else you need. Something about shampoo and shit.”