Frigid Affair(24)

“I have reason to believe someone is headed to your house. Do you want me to call the police?”

“Handsome fellow, big muscles, killer smile?” She asked.

“What? You know him?”

“His name is Jensen Weatherly. He contacted us several years ago about renting the house for the winter. We didn’t want to do it at first, but Bob called him a few months back to see if he was still interested. We think it would be best if someone was staying there when we can’t. Did he introduce himself? We told him you were up there all alone with your son.”

“You what?” I was immediately beginning to have a panic attack. This couldn’t be happening to me. “I have to go, Eve. I just wanted to make sure he wasn’t robbing you.”

“Heavens no. We don’t have anything of value there anyway. We learned our lesson. He seems like a nice guy. He paid six months rent in advance. Maybe you two will have something in common.”

This was a freaking catastrophe. How in the world was I supposed to face him? He’d figure out Christopher was his. He probably already had.

I suppose I could have told her he was one of the men who broke into her house, but now I wasn’t so sure. It would have been an easy way to get rid of him, but something in my heart wouldn’t let me do it, not yet at least. As much as I hated the idea, I needed more answers, and it was going to require us to come face to face again.

“I’ll keep in touch, Eve. Christopher just woke up.”

I didn’t wait for her to respond. I closed out the call and turned my phone off again.

“This can’t be happening.” I said out loud.

Not only was this man staying close, but he also knew I had a child.

His child.

I sunk down to the floor and started bawling. I’d slept with the man who was married to the woman who caused my families’ deaths. It was convoluted, and unbelievable.

Why was it that the only man to come in contact with me was the last person I’d ever want to be involved with?

The more I thought about it, the harder it was to grasp. It was obvious Jensen had sought me out, and now more than ever I needed to know why. What did he have to gain?

Before I could fly out the door and yell his name down the mountain, I heard the sound of little feet running. Christopher was awake and he’d climbed from his lowered bed and come down the stairs. I’d taught him to do it on his butt, because I was petrified he’d fall down them and hurt himself. With Ava following behind, he rounded the corner and stopped when he spotted me. “Mama.”

I wiped my tears away. “Hey, buddy. I didn’t know you were awake.”

“Mama cry?” He noted.

“I’m okay. Are you thirsty? I’m sure you need a diaper change.”

“No!” He took off, trying to climb back up the stairs. If the child could live in a soiled diaper he would. It was disgusting. I found it hysterical when I knew he’d pooped and he would steady deny it, even after I removed it and showed it to him. I’d picked up a potty chair in hopes he’d learn, but all it did was collect dust. Sometimes my little smarty pants kid would pour juice in it and show me, like I’d think he used it. What kind of baby genius had I created?



“Come back here, you little turd,” I called as I ran after him.

Hiding behind the hamper is where I found him. It wasn’t difficult considering he was unable to gather what the word quiet meant. The moment I scooped him up into my arms I knew I had to handle Jensen. He wasn’t going to go away with a firm threat. Like it or not, he knew what I was hiding and it was only a matter of time before he returned.

I decided instead of dwelling on the things I couldn’t change, I’d focus on what I could control. There was a man down the hill that posed a threat to my future. If he was a criminal, and he wanted to, he could harm me and take my child away without anyone finding out until they were long gone. I couldn’t risk it. Even if my instincts were off base, I had to make sure it would never happen.

After getting my son changed and bundling him up, we headed outside to take a short ride down the mountain trail. I didn’t know what I would say when I saw him opening the door, but I needed answers. Sitting less than a quarter mile from me incognito seemed immature and a waste. If I wanted to put my mind at ease, I had to discover what else he was hiding, and the real reason why he’d returned.

Packing up a kid and taking him out into the frigid temperatures wasn’t exactly easy. He’d gotten too big to leave in the house while I fetched the snowmobile and let it warm up. With Ava attached to him like glue, we headed out into the cold. I ran as fast as I was able to in the few inches of snow on the ground, while he could only make it a few steps without struggling. Ava knew where I was headed and stayed with Christopher, thankfully.

I could see them as I hurried to turn the mobile on and drive it out of the covered shed. When Christopher saw me his face lit up, what little I could see of it. He loved taking rides, and since it was getting bitter cold outside, I hadn’t done it at all lately.

“Want to go for a ride, buddy?”

He held his arms up in the air. “Go. Ride.”

Behind him, Ava jumped and scurried with excitement. Apparently I wasn’t the only one with cabin fever.

After going back inside and gathering a few items I might need for the boy, plus my father’s only pistol just in case, I got us both situated, him sitting in front of me with a homemade strap keeping him secure. Before having him I would have hurried down the mountain as fast as the snow mobile would allow, but with him onboard I went as slow as possible, following the tracks Jensen had made earlier.