SHIVER (5 page)

“Like I’d cozy up to you.”

“Fine. Be uncomfortable if it makes you feel superior.”

She swore and stood, trailing the afghan behind her. Looked as though Raven still fell for the idiot ploy. She dropped to the bed, obviously not caring if she jostled him, but being extremely careful not to touch him.

A brick wall might as well have been between them as they lay next to each other. Aidan was in no condition physically or emotionally to try scaling it. But he also couldn’t sleep. And he could smell her. Definitely needed a distraction.

“How did Lynx and Eva meet?”

She turned her head on the pillow and looked at him. “We aren’t going to share, are we?”

“Listen, I can’t sleep. I was curious.”

“Fine.” She sighed and turned back to facing the ceiling. “You know how Lynx has always rescued animals.” She didn’t wait for Aidan to nod. “Well, a moose he befriended took a liking to Eva right after she arrived, and chased her into the woods and up a tree. To make a long story short, Lynx was hooked.”

“What does she do?”

“She runs the medical clinic in town.”

“The town’s really grown.”

“Yeah.” She snorted. “We even have a volunteer fire station.”

“What about a school?”

“A group of us got together and converted old Wilkerson’s place when he died. We take turns with lessons for the handful of kids around. It’s a step-up from homeschooling. We got the borough to agree to send a bus halfway up the Steese to pick up the few high schoolers.” She yawned. “Every year, it seems, we become more civilized. Still no Starbucks though.” He heard the frown in her voice.

“What have you been up to?” he couldn’t help asking.

She didn’t move, but he felt her stiffen. “Same old stuff.”

He laughed. “Right. Still planning on playing guitar for Bon Jovi? Wait a minute, you had a full scholarship to Berkeley to become an architect. What became of that?”

“None of your business,” she snapped. “Now go to sleep.”

He’d obviously touched a nerve, pushed far enough. Silence settled over the room. Unfortunately Aidan wasn’t tired, and without conversation he started to feel the throbbing in his leg, the aching in his head, and the hunger in his stomach. He hadn’t eaten since he’d picked up the rental car and stopped at the Food Factory in Fairbanks for a steak sandwich before heading to Chatanika. Man, that sandwich had been good. One thing Seattle didn’t have was the Food Factory. Guess there were some things he’d actually missed about living here.

His stomach growled.

“Can’t you be quiet over there and just go to sleep?” Raven asked, her voice muffled as she’d turned her face into the pillow.

“I’m hungry.”

She raised her head and looked at him. “You’ve
got
to be kidding.”

“I haven’t eaten since lunch. And that was around one. What time is it now?”

“Time to sleep.” She tossed the pillow over her head. “Ignore it. It’ll go away.”

His stomach growled again.

“Oh, for heaven’s sake.” Raven slapped the pillow aside and got out of bed. She stomped to the door. “You were supposed to stay in a drunken stupor.” With that she left the room.

He hoped she was coming back. But he assumed the worst. After all the worst was what he usually got.

“I can’t believe I’m getting food for that man,” Raven muttered under her breath, her head inside the refrigerator looking for leftovers. No way in hell was she cooking for him.

“To the right on the third shelf there’s some roast left over from dinner,” Fiona said.

Raven lifted her head over the door of the refrigerator to find her mother leaning against the counter, her arms folded across her chest. “Why aren’t you sleeping?” Somebody should be getting some shuteye. Raven pulled out the container her mother had indicated and closed the door to the refrigerator.

“I heard someone roaming around in my kitchen.” Fiona raised a brow. “You really ought to work on your muttering. Never know when someone might hear something you don’t want them to.”

“Why? You hear something tonight?”

“Aidan isn’t the bad man you think he is.”

“I don’t want to get into it, Mom.” Raven grabbed a plate and filled it with roast and potatoes that were also in the container.

“Both you and Lynx have blamed him for far too much over the years.”

“Yeah, and you haven’t blamed him enough.” She didn’t want to hash over this. Not again.

“You need to keep an open mind, my daughter. You’re too young to be this cynical. People make mistakes. It’s what makes them human.”

“So, I’m what? Supposed to forgive him of murder?”

“He didn’t murder your father.”

“He might as well have.” She returned the container and slammed the door to the fridge. “I gotta go.
Mr. Harte
is hungry.”

“Raven, I didn’t raise you to hate like this.” Fiona pursed her lips and then hit Raven with words that had the power to twist guilt like a screw in her gut. “I’m disappointed.”

There was nothing worse than having Fiona Maiski disappointed in you. She loved everyone, thought the best of everyone. Case in point, Aidan Harte resting comfortably in her place about to eat her home-cooked food.

“I’m not willing to forget, and I won’t forgive. I can’t.”

“If you don’t soften your heart, I fear for your happiness, daughter.” Another final look and Fiona turned and left the kitchen.

Hell. Aidan was back and she was fighting with her mother. The one person who truly had her back. Those qualities she’d listed earlier were the qualities that Raven counted on herself. She needed her mother to love her unconditionally, to be proud of her. Because she was a bitch to love. She knew it, and so did everyone else. And she had no intention of changing. Especially for a man. She lived perfectly fine without one. Had all these years. The only man she needed in her life was her son. And she was raising him to be a fine man, one who could handle a woman like her. Not that she wanted Fox saddled with someone like her. But if he fell in love with one, he’d know what he was in for and be able to handle it.

Raven grabbed a fork, stabbed it into the roast, and picked up the plate of food she’d gathered for Aidan and headed out of the room, snagging the plate of brownies her mother had set on the counter as she left. She didn’t need the sweets, but she was up late and having to deal with the one person she’d hoped never to see again. A few brownies didn’t even come close to making this night bearable.

Raven entered the bedroom and handed Aidan the food, keeping the plate of brownies for herself. “Here. Don’t choke on it.” Then she turned and walked around to her side of the bed and climbed in.

“I didn’t think you were coming back.”

“Scared of Eva, remember? Now eat, and shut up.” She bit into a brownie. Oh, man, her mother sure could cook. Raven felt bad for the way she’d talked to her. She’d have to apologize tomorrow. Another thing to throw at Aidan’s feet.

“Oh, wow, this is great.” Aidan chewed and swallowed. “Moose?”

“Hmm,” she agreed around the brownie in her mouth.

“I haven’t had this in years. Even cold, it’s great.”

What? He expected her to warm it up for him? He was lucky she actually fed him anything.

“Thanks, Raven. I appreciate it.”

Hell
. “You’re welcome.” Now she was feeling guilty for the way she’d treated him? What was up with her? Her time of the month? No, at least she didn’t think so. She’d never been that great about keeping track. Look at Fox. That should have taught her, but then Fox was the greatest blessing she had in her life. He was the reason she got up in the morning. “Here.” She held out the plate of brownies. “Want one?”

“Yeah, thanks.” Aidan took one off the plate and bit into it, making an appreciative noise. She remembered that sound. Just like that she was eighteen again and Aidan had his hands on her.

He had magical hands. Knew right where to touch. How hard, how soft. When to push, and when to let her fly. She hadn’t been with a man since who could make her respond the way he had.

She was older. Surely, sex with him now would pale in comparison. Teenage love was always built up to be more than it was. That had to be it. Nostalgic times when life had been easy, simple, happy.

When her father had still been alive.

She set the plate of brownies on the nightstand, no longer hungry. She scooted down on the bed and pulled the covers up over her head and tried with everything in her to put Aidan Harte out of her mind.

She did a fair job of it until she fell asleep. Then her subconscious took over, the part of her who liked to dream of Aidan. It had been dreaming of him for the last twelve years and was damn good at it.

C
HAPTER
T
HREE

Aidan woke to find a pair of brown eyes regarding him from an inquisitive face.

Fox.

“Hey,” Aidan greeted, glancing to the other side of the bed. A lump was curled under the covers. In fact, the lump had stolen
all
the covers. Aidan cleared his throat and looked at Fox again.

“Feeling better?” Fox studied him as though he were dissecting an insect not previously found. “You look bad.”

“Okay.” Aidan rubbed his raspy jaw. A shower would do him good. A cold shower. Maybe Raven hadn’t stolen the covers. He probably kicked them off. It was hot in here. “Could you open a window?”

“It’s like ten below outside.” Fox gave him a look, questioning his intelligence.

“Sounds perfect,” he muttered. His head hurt and he needed water and the bathroom again. He sat up and the room spun before it settled back into place. He felt funky.

“You look really bad,” Fox repeated. But Aidan didn’t hold it against him as the kid handed him a glass of water.

“Thanks.” He drank the whole thing down and wished he had more. His mouth and throat felt like he’d swallowed a beach full of sand.

“So, why does everybody hate you?” Fox sat on the edge of the bed, hiking one knee up.

“You’ll have to ask them.” Aidan closed his eyes for a minute, hoping that would help his head. It didn’t. The door was open to the hallway so between the light out there and the one still on in the bathroom, there was enough to illuminate but not enough to hurt. He knew it was morning even though it was still dark outside. The sun didn’t rise this time of year until around nine-thirty or ten. And the darkness increased every day until the shortest day of the year. The winter solstice.

“You don’t know why they hate you?” Fox lifted a brow. “I might be a kid, but I’m not stupid.”

“I don’t think you’re stupid. Far from it. In fact, if it wasn’t for you, I’d be dead right now.” He didn’t know if he should thank Fox for that or not.

“You know in some cultures, when you save a life, that life belongs to you.”

“Son, you seriously don’t want to own my life.” He sure as hell had never wanted it.

Fox seemed to pale.

“But I do owe you,” Aidan continued. Dying from exposure, while snared in a trap, or being ripped apart by wild animals would have been a horrible way to die. There were many others much more pleasant. “Thank you, Fox.”

“You’re welcome.” Fox looked away, his gaze resting on the lump that had started to stir on the other side of the bed.

Raven tossed back the blankets and poked her head out. She yawned and looked around, her eyes widening when she saw Fox.

“Fox.” She scrambled out of the bed, tugging her shirt down over her pants. “What are you doing in here?”

She actually blushed, like she’d been caught doing something she shouldn’t have been. Sleeping with him, for instance. Aidan smiled. She looked adorable, outraged, and embarrassed, her hair mussed up and trailing down her backside in a ruffled black curtain. He’d never forget how soft and long her hair was. He was really glad she hadn’t cut it. The length became her. Gave her that wild, sexy look he’d loved.

“Mom? Did you…
sleep
…with Mr. Harte?”

“
Mom
?” Aidan asked. Fox was
her
son? “I thought Fox was Lynx’s son.”