Chess blinked rapidly, trying like hell to banish the tears from her eyes, but it was no use. They fell unchecked, their sting hot on her face. She had no idea what she was going to do, but stayin
g here, doing what he wanted her to do, wasn’t an option. She whirled around and pushed at the door, nearly falling on her butt because of the ice, but a strong arm grabbed at her and helped her up.
Tall. Broad shoulders. Leather jacket.
“You okay, lady?”
His voice startled her. It was deep and warm. Slowly, Chess looked up into eyes so dark, they appeared black. Eyes that slowly lowered and took in every inch of her. Ashamed and with fingers that shook, she grabbed for the edge of her coat and ran past him, not stopping until she reached her door yet again. This time, she slammed her fist against it. Over and over, yelling at the top of her lungs for her mother to open up.
But there was no answer, and when she finally stopped, her fist was bloody, her voice long gone, and she wanted nothing more than to find a dark place, curl up, and fall asleep. Chess rested her forehead against the door. The wind howled in her ears, the snow and ice slammed into her body, but she didn’t seem to feel it anymore. Somewhere, she heard another Christmas song, one she knew, but the words were at the edge of her mind, close but not close enough. It made her think about years gone by. Christmas in the country with her grandparents. Christmas before her father left. Christmas from another lifetime.
“You need help?”
The voice came at her from the dark, and she blinked, turning her head to the right. A man stood there, keys jangling from his fingers.
Her throat was tight, her chest on fire, and she tried to speak. “No one here,” she croaked, her voice cut short by a sob. The world started to spin, the snow a brilliant white against all that darkness. Maybe if she just closed her eyes, she’d wake up in the morning and find the entire night was nothing more than a bad dream.
That sounded good, didn’t it?
Chess decided that was exactly what she’d do. She closed her eyes and let the spinning wash over her. The world tilted to the left, and she let it. If not for the strong arms that grabbed her, she would have fallen. They scooped her up and held her tight. A voice wrapped itself around her like a warm blanket, and she snuggled inside, grateful to finally give in and disappear from a world that had turned on her.
“It’s okay. I’ve got you.”
“Are you an angel?” she murmured, eyes fluttering open. She couldn’t see a face because everything was in shadow. But his voice was clear and strong, and it was the last thing she heard before everything faded away.
“No. Not even close.”
But that was all right. Chess didn’t believe in angels anymore.
Chapter Two
Cash Bodine relaxed in the rickety chair that was tucked into the corner beside the only other piece of furniture in the room besides the bed: one of the saddest excuses for a dresser he’d ever seen. And that was saying something considering he’d stayed in more than his fair share of dives over the last few years. He leaned back, long legs out in front of him and crossed at the ankle, eating a candy bar and nursing a can of beer from the six-pack on the floor. Outside, the wind roared, picking up speed and strength in what was now being hailed as the biggest storm to hit these parts in nearly twenty years.
He shook his head. Just his luck to roll into town in the middle of it.
His plan had been to chill at a hotel tonight before surprising his sister, Blue, in the morning. But the snow and ice had made the roads nearly impassable and the driving too dangerous. The fancy hotel at the golf course where he’d made a reservation was out of reach, and he’d been forced off the highway at the first exit. He’d taken a room at this run-down motel and was stuck here for the time being.
And now he had a woman asleep on his bed. A woman who looked as if her night had taken a far worse turn than his. She moaned softly and turned over, her face barely visible in the dim light, beneath all the hair that tumbled down around her. She’d been restless since he’d laid her down, and Cash thought that maybe she had demons, that they’d followed her into her dreams.
He tossed the candy wrapper into the garbage and sat back with a frown. That was something he was all too familiar with.
Another wave of snow and ice slammed into the window, the noise as loud as the rumbles from his stomach. He hadn’t eaten since he’d stopped at a roadhouse in Ohio on his way up from Kentucky, and that had been hours ago. He peered out the window but couldn’t see shit, then pulled his hoodie over his head, slipped his leather jacket on, and headed out into the elements. A diner was attached to the motel, and he was hoping they were still serving up food.
The lights were still on in the Crystal Lake Diner, though the glass was fogged up pretty good. Cash couldn’t see anyone, and with a biting cold wind at his back, he trudged inside and stamped his feet to clear his boots of snow. When he glanced up, he caught sight of a tall, lanky man who looked to be in his mid-to-late fifties, standing behind the counter nursing a coffee. A hairnet was pulled tight over his graying head, indicating he was the cook, though the cigarette dangling from his mouth was a little dubious. Sitting across from him was a woman with faded red hair pulled back into a frizzy ponytail with one-inch gray roots and warm brown eyes. She had a kind face, albeit one that life had settled into, and she turned around with a smile.
“Good Lord, didn’t think we’d see anyone out in this weather.”
Cash walked over to them. “The storm forced me off the highway, so looks like I’m stuck here for the next little while.” He looked at the cook. “You still working the fryers and grill?”
The man nodded. He took one last long drag from his cigarette and then crushed it in a tin can before looking at the woman.
“I told you to turn the damn sign over and lock the door.” He gave one last, unimpressed glance toward Cash and headed back to the kitchen.
“Don’t mind him,” the woman said, slipping from the stool. “He’s been grumpy since 1989.”
“That’s a long time.”
“Right?” She shook her head with a laugh. “I tell him all the time. I say, Steve, if you don’t turn that frown upside down, it’s going to take damn near ten years off your life.” She smiled. “Now, what can I get for you?”