House For Sale Navy SEAL Included Page 3

  When her father returned, she’d thought maybe there was a way to erase the past. She’d hoped he’d paint something so brilliant that his new success would blot out his old crime, and everyone would forget about it.

  It hadn’t worked.

  Her father had barrelled on, heaping a new helping of shame on her family, and Amanda knew that even if Buck hadn’t come, she’d have run from Los Angeles anyway now she knew what her father had done. He wasn’t the kind of criminal strategist who could pull off a crime like this one. He would’ve been caught again sooner or later. And his shame would be hers to share. She wouldn’t have been able to stand going to work and facing her peers—Gwen—once they found out she was the daughter of a forger and thief.

  That didn’t matter, though.

  These past few days, she’d realized even if she could go back, she didn’t want to. Buck’s re-entry into her life had made her rethink everything.

  All of it.

  She was angry she’d wasted so many years twisting her life into knots because of what her father had done. Why should she feel shame for crimes she had no part in? Why was she punishing herself when she’d done nothing wrong?

  Her father hadn’t been in touch since the night she’d fled LA. Did he think warning her about Buck was the extent of his obligation to her as a father?

  Where was he now?

  She hadn’t contacted him, either. Didn’t want him in her life anymore, anyway.

  “Thank you for flying with us,” the flight attendant said.

  Amanda nodded, still hesitating at the top of the stairs. As soon as she made her way down them, she’d start a brand-new life. Her father obviously hadn’t spared a thought for her since he’d warned her to leave, so she’d put him out of her mind, too. She’d move forward to the future she deserved.

  She’d left nothing behind in Los Angeles she would miss. Just an average apartment. Possessions she could replace.

  A job she didn’t care about one way or another.

  A few acquaintances but no close friends.

  Gwen.

  She’d been sleepwalking through her days. Now she was awake. Should she thank her father?

  Should she thank Buck?

  “Ma’am, you’re holding up the other passengers,” the flight attendant said.

  Amanda nodded again. She would still have to be careful, so Buck couldn’t trace her here. She had to get rid of the masterpiece hidden in her bag. But once she was free of that cargo, she’d craft a brand-new existence. One that was vibrant, authentic. That included real friends—

  A man.

  Children.

  Purpose.

  “Ma’am?” the flight attendant prompted.

  Everything changes right now, she told herself. She lifted her chin and started down the stairs. When she was on solid ground, she strode across the tarmac, almost giddy with the possibilities. Maybe she was fooling herself.

  Maybe Buck would find her—again.

  But maybe, just maybe—

  A movement overhead caught her attention, and Amanda stopped.

  It was an eagle. The best of omens. An eagle meant strength.

  Freedom.

  She could do this.

  Feeling a triumphant smile tug at the corners of her mouth, she squared her shoulders and started for the terminal again. Somewhere in front of her was the life she’d always wanted.

  She’d be damned if she missed one more second of it out of shame or fear.

  She pushed open the door and stepped into the building, but the crowd in the waiting area brought her up short. There was a single baggage carousel on the far side of the room. In between her and it were enough people to fill several Greyhound buses. This had to be the smallest airport she’d ever seen.

  Find my suitcase. Rent a car.

  She didn’t let herself think about what she’d do after that. She needed to find accommodations, of course, but she didn’t want to stay in another motel, which would require showing her credit card again. Bad enough she’d have to use it to get the car. That couldn’t be helped, she supposed, but if it was at all possible, she wanted to find a private rental cabin she could pay for with cash.

  As she inched forward among the knots of passengers being greeted by their loved ones, she couldn’t help feeling like the odd person out. An extended family exuberantly greeted a grandmotherly woman who’d been seated several rows in front of her on the plane. A serious man with a military bearing who’d been a few rows behind her edged past and joined a group of other men. His brothers, maybe? There were five of them all told, of different heights, a couple of them wearing the cowboy hats that seemed so popular in these ranching states. They all had the same broad shoulders and upright bearing. Handsome and strong—and happy to see each other.

  One of them caught her looking. Amanda quickly turned away. The baggage carousel wasn’t running yet, but she wasn’t sure what to do with herself while she waited.

  She glanced at the five brothers again. They’d coalesced into a tight group, taking turns shaking the hand of the one who’d just arrived, all talking at once. There was some sort of argument going on between them, but the newcomer made a comment and all of them laughed.

  Amanda’s heart squeezed. She and her sister, Melissa, hadn’t laughed like that in years. They were never in the same place at the same time anymore, and when they talked on the phone, they often disagreed. The few times they’d met up since leaving home, Melissa had seemed like a stranger, someone she had to take care not to upset. She missed their younger years when they’d been inseparable.

  A sound chimed, and the carousel turned on. As the crowd surged toward it, the brothers moved, too, but not before the one who’d caught her gaze before turned to look her way again. He nodded at her, as if to encourage her to come fetch her luggage, too.

  Amanda was surprised and a bit unnerved by his sharp brown gaze. Men like him didn’t usually pay attention to women like her. Not that there was anything wrong with her, Amanda told herself. It was just there wasn’t anything extraordinarily right. She’d made sure of that, after all. She liked to blend in. Just pretty enough and no more.

  He was certainly extraordinary, though. The kind of man who would catch everyone’s attention no matter where he went. He had ash-brown hair, warm brown eyes and shoulders that strained the seams of his shirt. He wore no uniform, but she would bet her life he’d served in the military. One of her roommates in college had dated a man in the ROTC, and all his friends had a certain bearing. This man had it.

  His gaze held hers as if he was searching for answers and thought he could read them there. Maybe he could, Amanda thought. She wouldn’t put anything past a man like him. Then one of his brothers said something, and he turned away.

  The moment passed, leaving Amanda breathless—and slightly amused at herself.

  She was supposed to be looking for a place to live, not a man to dream about.

  Although she wouldn’t mind one of those, too.

  This stranger would do for her dreams, she decided as she drifted in the direction of the baggage carousel. He was the perfect fodder for nighttime fantasies, which was as close as she’d been to a man in quite some time.

  She couldn’t see the stranger anymore in the throng of passengers trying to find their luggage. Her suitcase wasn’t in sight, so she pulled out the pay-as-you-go phone she’d bought during her travels to replace the one she’d thrown out the night she’d left LA.

  Most of the local vacation rentals seemed affiliated with national companies and required a credit card to make a reservation. Amanda paged through them, her concern growing, and nearly dropped her phone when someone tapped her shoulder. The same man who’d nodded at her a few minutes before.

  “Waiting for your family?” His voice was deep and matter-of-fact, as if he had every right to inquire into her circumstances.

  “Uh… no.” Amanda was too shocked to lie. Strangers didn’t talk to you in Los Angeles, but this man was standing close to her, using his body to create a pocket in the crowd, a space for just the two of them.

  “Did you come to Chance Creek for vacation?”

  “I’m… planning to stay awhile, actually.” She was close to panic, but he seemed fully at ease. Amanda wondered what it felt like to be so comfortable in your body. To plant yourself with feet spread and know that the world would part around you instead of running you down.

  “You don’t have a reservation anywhere, do you?”

  How could he know that? Her surprise must have shown, because he lifted his hands in a placating gesture.

  “Easy guess,” he told her. “You look like I feel when I land in a town without a plan. I like things nailed down.”

  She could understand that, at least. “I do, too,” she confessed. Her whole life up to this time had been planned out and carefully constructed to keep her safe.

  Talking to this man felt anything but.

  He smiled, and Amanda’s heart stuttered to a stop before catching up double-time. It was a wonderful smile, the kind that warmed everyone in the vicinity.

  “There’s always the Evergreen Motel. It’s plain but comfortable enough. At least it was twelve years ago—I haven’t been there since I’ve been back.”

  A motel? That wasn’t going to work. “I… was looking for something more like a rental. Something long term. Out of town, preferably?”

  She’d barely spoken a word to anyone in the past two weeks, and now she felt out of practice. She pressed her lips together to stop herself from revealing any more than she already had.

  The man straightened. Stuck his hand out and waited for her to take it. When she did, his fingers closed around hers, and Amanda’s breath caught all over again. It was as if the floor had dropped out beneath her feet. Like a tide had taken her and was dragging her out to sea.

  “My name’s Carter Elliott,” the man told her. His grip was strong and sure, a lifeline to cling to. “I’ve got the perfect place for you to stay.”

  “You do?” Hope surged within her, followed by a swoop of fear. Amanda refused to give into it. Nothing about Carter Elliott suggested he was anything like Buck. Besides, he had a rental. She wondered what kind.

  “I do.” He tilted his head, studying her for another moment. “The house is a little rough. I’ve just started renovating it, but if you don’t mind a little dust while I finish the work, I can give you a good discount.”

  “How much of a discount?” She was worried about money. She’d withdrawn a stack of cash at one of her layovers, and it was burning a hole in the purse she wore strapped across her body. It represented a large portion of her life savings, which she was spending far too quickly these days. She wasn’t going to have a paycheck anytime soon. She’d emailed her boss and told her a family emergency had taken her out of town and that she wouldn’t be back.

  Carter sent a glance toward his brothers, who were still waiting by the baggage carousel.

  “When you say long term, how long term are you talking about?” he asked in a lower tone, leaning closer.

  “Maybe forever.” The words popped out of her mouth before she could consider them. She hadn’t meant them to sound flirtatious, but somehow they did. It was true, though. She couldn’t go back to LA. Buck’s prior crimes included theft, battery, arson and murder. Who knew what he’d do to her if he ever caught up with her again? She suppressed a shiver.

  Carter’s brows raised. “Forever?”

  “Maybe.” It felt reckless to say it but exciting, too.

  Carter smiled again, a slow grin that sent a thrill through her body straight down to her toes. “That’s perfect.”

  “It is?” She felt breathless. Something had propelled her to Chance Creek. Was she supposed to be here?

  Supposed to meet this man?

  “Here’s the thing,” he said. “My brothers and I just took charge of a town. It’s a really small town, but we’ve got over a hundred houses to fill. We need people.”

  Amanda wasn’t sure what to make of that. Her confusion must have showed, because Carter added, “It’s a great place to live. Inexpensive, too.”

  “How inexpensive?”

  His gaze sharpened. “How inexpensive do you need it to be?”

  Amanda pulled back. What kind of game was he playing? Did he have a place for rent or not? She’d hoped rural Montana would be a lot cheaper than Los Angeles, but maybe she’d been naive. “Pretty inexpensive,” she said dryly. Her pocketbook wouldn’t stand for anything else.

  He hesitated. Looked toward his brothers again. When he turned back, there was a glint in his eye she couldn’t decipher. “Have you heard of those towns in Italy—the ones offering houses for a dollar to people who pledge to fix them up and live there?”

  “The towns that are dying out?” She’d read an article about them a few years ago.

  “We’re doing something similar at Elliott Ridge. Giving away a house for a dollar to one lucky person. You pay a buck, sign a contract, and it’s yours.”

  “For how long?” Amanda was intrigued. A house for a dollar? In an abandoned town?

  That was a hell of a lot more interesting than her apartment in LA.

  “Forever. You need to help me fix it up, of course, but we can arrange that so it won’t get in the way of your work. What is your work?”

  A personal question she didn’t really want to answer. She liked Carter—so far. That didn’t mean she trusted him all the way yet.

  “Just how rough is this house?” she asked, buying time.

  “It’s got four walls and a roof. Two stories. Three bedrooms, two baths, a kitchen that was last redone in the ’80s.” He made a face. “We’ll fix that, though. It will be thoroughly modern by the time we’re done.”

  There was something endearing about a man who wanted to renovate a house with you, Amanda thought.

  “Will I need to buy the building supplies and appliances and all that?” Would she have any savings left if she did?

  He shook his head. “I’ve already ordered them. You’ll want to furnish it when we’re through, but it comes with a bed and a few other things.”

  “What’s the catch?” This was all far too good to be true. She tried to look like the kind of woman who couldn’t be fooled, but the truth was it sounded perfect. She wasn’t afraid to get her hands dirty and wouldn’t mind getting to know Carter better. Besides, she needed somewhere to go.

  “The catch is that right now Elliott Ridge really is a ghost town. We’re starting from scratch except for the buildings and the mill. It would be great if you were willing to pitch in and help us get the place up and running, but it’s not necessary.” He paused, and his smile turned sheepish. “Look, I know this is sketchy as hell, approaching you in an airport when you don’t know me. It’s a long story, but the upshot is I thought our town was done for, and now I’ve got the chance to resurrect it. It’s not going to be easy, but I’ve got to try. I need a few hundred people to agree to settle there, and I’ve got only a year to make it happen, so I’m kind of desperate.” He lowered his voice again, speaking confidentially. “So far all I’ve got are men.”

  “No women?” Amanda stepped back. That didn’t sound safe at all.

  “It’s just me, my four brothers, a caretaker and twenty temporary mill workers who don’t really count. They’re quartered in the old bunkhouses and won’t be around long term. That’s why I need someone like you to buy my house.”

  His smile tugged at something deep within her. She tried to sneak a glance at his hand without being too obvious. No ring.

  He could still be spoken for, she cautioned herself, but she didn’t think so. If Carter was in a relationship, there’d be at least one woman living at Elliott Ridge.

  “Your house?” she repeated.

  “The house I’m currently renovating,” he amended. “I need a woman to move to the Ridge as a proof of concept—to show that women are actually willing to live there.”

  “Why wouldn’t they be?”

  Carter sighed. “Because it’s been abandoned for a number of years. It’s forty-five minutes out of town, and there aren’t any amenities out there—yet.”

  “You’re right; that does sound sketchy.” As Carter’s face fell, Amanda rushed to soften her words. “But it also sounds like exactly what I’m looking for.”

  “Really?”

  “Maybe,” she hedged. “I’ll have to see it before I know for sure.”

  “You’ll love it,” he assured her. “It was great to grow up there, and I know it can be like that again.”

  Amanda read sincerity in his words. He spoke of the Ridge in a proprietary way she hadn’t felt about anywhere since she was living at home—before her father took up a life of crime. Renting an apartment always felt so tenuous. She’d been craving stability for years but had never got any closer to securing it.

  “Maybe you’d prefer to be right in the thick of things in Chance Creek, though,” Carter added, misinterpreting her silence.

  “No.” Amanda caught herself. “I mean, I’d like to live in the country.” Somewhere Buck would never think to look.

  “You ought to check out Elliott Ridge, then. After all, you can’t beat a house for a dollar.” This time when he met her gaze, she felt like they were co-conspirators, and another thrill coursed through her. Maybe resurrecting a ghost town was exactly what she should do next. “I don’t suppose you’ve ever worked at a lumber mill?” Carter added.

  Amanda laughed at the absurdity of the question. “No.” She hadn’t done that. “I work at a corporate office for a grocery conglomerate. I’m in purchasing.”

  Carter blinked. “Can you do that remotely?”

  “No,” she said. “I mean, maybe I could, but that’s not why I’m here. I quit.” Carter’s brows rose, and she struggled to make sense. “I needed a change.”

  He waited, as if suspecting there was more. That was all she could tell him, though.

  “I’m sure you’ll be able to find work around here,” he said when she didn’t go on. But he didn’t sound confident.

  Disappointment spiked through her. She needed to find a job sooner or later. “Are you sure you still want me?” she asked. “Sounds like you were looking for people with practical skills.” She held her breath, worried he might change his mind. Should she have lied about her credentials? Amanda decided against it. You couldn’t fake experience working with heavy machinery.