Guardian of Bear Creek Read online

  The Guardian of Bear Creek

  A novella in the Guardians of Eternal Series

  The Guardian of Bear Creek

  By Evelyn Winters

  The Guardian of Bear Creek by Evelyn Winters.

  © 2019 Evelyn Winters

  All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced in any form without permission from the author, except as permitted by U.S. copyright law.

  Cover by Ammelor Rae.

  Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8: Epilogue

  Chapter 1

  Amelia grew up believing that marriage was supposed to be forever. That she would meet her prince charming and live a happily ever after like the grandmother that raised her. Real life was a hard pill to swallow. It had been almost a year now since she left. A year since she crawled out of bed one night while Jasper was at the bar, grabbed her license, the twenty dollars that he kept in the sock drawer, and slipped into the dark. She walked three miles to a gas station near the I-80, just outside Kearney, Nebraska, and slid into the passenger seat of the first car who was willing to take her. Funny, how she felt safer in a complete stranger’s car than in the home of her husband.

  She hitchhiked through the gorgeous landscape of Wyoming, saw the glittering Salt Lake in Utah, the golden hills of Idaho’s Treasure Valley, before she finally ended up trading the endless flat lands of Nebraska for the distant white peaks of the Wallowa Mountains. The anxiety was a constant force in the back of her mind in the early days. The fear of wondering if she had done the right thing, worrying about where her next meal was coming from, or whether she would be able to keep a roof over her head. It turned out that Wallowa County, despite its small size, had an extensive women’s shelter and outreach program.

  She had shown up in their office with nothing but a driver’s license and a long story. She even had to leave her iPhone because it was under Jasper’s name and she didn’t want him to be able to track her down. She left the office with a studio apartment above a bookshop, right across from the town’s beautiful stone courthouse and gardens, and the promise of a job placement. Despite the bleak start of her journey, Amelia thought she was adjusting to her new life well. It had been months since she stopped constantly looking over her shoulder and dragging her used loveseat in front of the door at night before bed.

  She did wonder, especially after seeing happy, healthy couples, if she would ever find someone else. But it was hard for her to imagine trusting another person so intimately again, though she ached when thinking about spending the rest of her life alone. Another dark thought crept to the surface: would any man even want her? As used up and scarred as she felt, it was hard to imagine any decent man not fleeing after she revealed her disturbing past. Maybe that was the one thing Jasper still controlled about her life.

  She inhaled, counting the familiar eight seconds before releasing her breath and choosing to focus on the task at hand instead of her poisonous thoughts. She grabbed the two steaming plates on the window ledge between the kitchen and the breakfast bar and smiled easily as she placed them in front of the polite elderly couple that ate at the diner every Tuesday. She normally didn’t cover the breakfast bar, preferring to take the section of booths in front of the big glass windows overlooking the mountain peaks, but another waitress, one that was also trying to dig herself out of a bad situation, had called in sick, leaving Amelia to fill in.

  At least she didn’t often have to worry about wandering hands in this diner as its patrons all tended to be on the older side, making a quieter atmosphere then some of the other diners in town that she knew could get quite rowdy. The bell above the door chimed and Amelia felt the atmosphere shift. She turned her head towards the door, a few other patrons mirroring her movement. The man that walked in didn’t look like their typical customers, that was certain, with his broad, muscled shoulders and easy, confident posture.

  He seemed to fill whatever space he was in with his muscular build and heavy, self-assured steps. Smudges of dirt and sawdust marred his flannel shirt, sleeves rolled up at the elbows, and blue jeans, while a heavy smattering of dark stubble covered his jaw and upper lip. The visible skin on his arms was tanned from the sun and shiny with a sheen of drying sweat. His brown hair was pulled back messily at the nape of his neck, strands escaping to frame his handsome, angular face. His boots made heavy thumps across the floor as he closed the distance between them and took an open seat at the breakfast bar. His smile was small but warm as his amber colored eyes met her own wide pools of sapphire.

  Amelia felt like she should be afraid of this man, so young and strong, after surrounding herself for so long with the regular elderly patrons of this diner. In truth, there is a little fear, clutching its icy fingers around her heart, but stronger than the fear is the desire to move closer. She inhaled sharply, her lungs burning with the need for breath, and found herself surrounded by his scent. Warm, rich notes of fir and juniper berries from his cologne and underneath, the barely there hint of something musky and primal. She mentally shook herself when she realized that she was staring and offered up a friendly smile of her own, reaching underneath the counter to slide him a menu.

  “Do you already know what you want to drink?” She asked.

  His amber eyes flicked down to the menu for a moment before returning to her face. “A sweet tea and a glass of ice water, please. And if I could get a wet rag from the kitchen, that’d be great.” He said, holding up his hands coated in smudges of dirt and a fine layer of sawdust.

  She nodded quickly, distracted by the low, rough timber of his voice. She was unable to pull her gaze away from his long, calloused fingers and the little scars that littered his palms and the back of his hands. “No problem. I’ll be right back with that for you.” She finally said and walked back into the kitchen in a daze.

  “Are you okay with serving that big fella?” Earl, the owner and cook of the diner, asked.

  “Sorry?”

  “Eli’s a bit of an odd ball. He doesn’t usually come into town, just stays holed up on that mountain. I could get Suzy to take his order if you want.” He muttered; his face still turned downward towards the grill. Earl and a few of the other waitresses knew a little about her past, enough to know she was uncomfortable around big men anyway.

  Amelia shook her head. “No, it’s all right Earl. I’ve got it.” She said, although, she was grateful that there was someone willing to step in if she needed it.

  “You sure? You came skittering into the kitchen like a scared little bunny rabbit.” He said, finally turning towards her as he wiped his hands on his stained apron.

  “I’m okay, really.” She assured him. “It was just a little unexpected. He’s not exactly our usual clientele.”

  He peered at her from squinted eyes, taking the rag from his pocket to dab at his white, receding hairline. “If you’re sure. You just come back here if you need and I’ll get one of the other girls to do it.”

  She squeezed his arm. “Thank you, Earl, but I’ll be just fine.” She said and filled Eli a glass of ice water and another of sweet tea, stopping by the sink to grab a clean rag and wet it down. She shoved a lemon wedge on the end of each cup before carrying them back out to the breakfast bar.

  “Here you are.” She said, setting his drinks down before handing him the rag. She watched as he methodically cleaned his hands, finger by finger before dragging the towel across the sheen of drying sweat on his forehead.

  “Thank you. I should’ve gone home to clean up first,” he said, lifting one shoulder in a half shrug as he smi
rked up at her. “But I was starving.”

  “It’s…It’s fine. We’ve got lots of rags.” She cleared her throat, catching herself staring while she watched his throat work as he took deep pulls of water from the glass. The elderly couple a few seats down from Eli were having a fit coughing and clearing their throats until they finally caught her attention.

  “I’m so sorry about that, is there a problem?” She asked, feeling the burn of a blush across her cheeks.

  “No, no, no.” The woman muttered, already rising from her stool. Her husband steadied her as she wobbled on her feet. “No, we just really have to get going.” She rummaged through the garish, oversized green bag on her hip until she pulled out two twenties, handing them directly to Amelia. “You just keep the change, dearie.”

  “Oh, thank you.” Amelia said, her eyes flicking towards their untouched plates of food. “Do you want me to wrap that up, so you can take it with you?” She asked but the couple didn’t acknowledge her, too busy stealing glances at Eli as they shuffled out the door.

  “You’re still serving breakfast, right?” Eli asked her, drawing her attention back towards him and the rough timber of his voice.

  “Yeah, all day.” She said and felt a hot flash of embarrassment creeping up her neck as her voice sounded breathless even to her own ears. She slipped her hand into the deep pocket of her apron, her fingers curling around the pad and pen. She catches his eyes as they flick from the menu and travel down her body before he catches himself and quickly averts his gaze back to the laminated menu in front of him.

  “I’ll take two stacks of buttermilk pancakes, side of bacon, side of hash browns.” He said, his warm, amber colored eyes meeting hers as he handed back the menu.

  Amelia smiled to herself as she scribbled his order on her notepad, she had thought he might order enough food for a small family. “And more water.” He said, sloshing the half-empty cup. “And a cup of coffee, please.” He interjected.

  “Sure, I’ll get that going for you.” She said with a quick smile, taking the glass with her as she spun around back towards the little kitchen window. She tore off the page, pinning it on the order wheel, spinning it towards the cooks. “I need two stacks, side of bacon, side of hash!” She called out to the kitchen, re-filling his water and grabbing a clean mug to fill with steaming coffee.

  Eli is watching her with that small, pleasant smile still firmly planted on his lips as she sets both cups in front of him on the counter. “Thanks.” He says as he ripped open a few sugar packets, dumping them into his mug.

  “It’s fine, I mean, I’m happy to do it, I mean, it’s my job so-“ She was saved from her nervous rambling as Earl rung the bell, calling out a different order. “I have to take that.” She mumbled and grabbed the order, walking quickly to deliver it to the couple in the booth at the back. She felt his eyes follow her all the way across the room. She stalled as long as she could, chatting small talk until another table of diners left, forcing her to go collect their empty plates. She was unable to contain her little, pleased smile or the fluttering deep in her belly as she soaked up his appreciation.

  She took the plates into the kitchen, finally leaving his line of sight. She couldn’t believe what the attention was doing to her. She was getting as giddy as a schoolgirl getting eyed up by her first crush. Men usually made her nervous after Jasper, who taught her how quickly nice words and kind smiles could turn into violence. But here she was, practically flirting with the stranger that just walked in.

  “Order up!” Earl called out, setting Eli’s plates up in the window. She scooped them up, setting them in front of the muscled man perched on one of their little breakfast bar stools.

  “Here you go, two stacks of buttermilk pancakes, a side of bacon, and a side of hash.” She said, turning to retreat to safety of the kitchen.

  “What’s your name?” He asked, catching her before she could duck back through the door.

  “Amelia.” She said after a breath of hesitation.

  “My name is Elijah, but you can call me Eli.” He said, and his voice was so rich and thick, his smile so easy and warm that she couldn’t help but move a little closer. Eli offered one big, calloused hand in response, prompting her to take his hand. His palm was warm and rough from work, it enveloped her smaller one completely. His thumb rubbed unexpectedly over the inside of her wrist before his grip on her changed and he was gently tugging her wrist over the counter, leaning forward until the tip of his nose brushed against the sensitive skin. His nostrils flared as he scented her, taking big lungful’s of air. Her eyes were locked, hypnotized in his warm, amber gaze as he leaned lower, the slightest brush of his chapped lips on her wrist yanking her out of the lull she had fallen into.

  Oh God, what was she doing? What was he doing?

  She yanked her hand back over the counter, taking a quick step back. “I’ll-I’ll be back.” She stuttered out, shuffling rapidly backwards until her back hit the kitchen door. She slipped inside, taking relief in the familiar smell of stale grease and the pop and sizzle of the grill. She took a few deep pulls of air as she tried to calm her mind and the hummingbird beats of her heart in her chest.

  “You all right, Mia?” Earl asked, scooping an egg off the griddle.

  “Yeah, yeah, why wouldn’t I be?” She asked, almost a little hysterical. She took a few more calming breaths before pushing through the door again, determined to ignore Eli until he needed something from her. Except, she already caught his gaze as he peered at her over the rim of his steaming mug of coffee. Her heart thumped heavy in her chest as she turned away to tend to her other customers, aware of his eyes on her as she moved from table to table. She had to slip past him to take more dishes to the kitchen when he cleared his throat, catching her attention.

  He motioned to his stacks of pancakes. “Could I get syrup?”

  She felt her cheeks flood with warmth as she realized that she had forgotten to even bring him syrup. “Oh, sorry. I’ll be right back with that.” Well, there went her tip. She dumped the plates in the sink for the dishwasher, grabbing a little pot of maple syrup for Eli.

  “I’m sorry.” He said quickly once she set the syrup in front of him. “I understand that my behavior may have seemed strange. It has been a…long day and I was drawn to you. You’re perfume that is!” He interjected quickly. “I should not have grabbed you and for that I apologize.

  Amelia was already shaking her head. “No, no, it’s…er, it was just-I” She struggled to explain. “Just don’t worry about it. My problem, not yours. You didn’t…grope me or anything.”

  Eli sat a little straighter, posturing as his eyes darkened with anger, searching the other diner patrons. “Does that happen often to you?”

  “What? No!” She waved her hands out in front of her. “No, no, no! Everyone’s great. It was just an example or something.” She finished lamely. Eli was already turning back to face her and she decided she couldn’t handle the earnest intensity in his eyes, so, she did the one that she’s good at and she ran, disappeared back into the kitchen without another word. Earl met her at the sink as she tried to make herself of use and urge her shaking hands to do some of the dishes.

  “I know that look. You ain’t all right. Was it that big fella? Did he say something to you?” He asked, beady eyes narrowed towards the kitchen door.

  “No, Earl.” She sighed as a plate slipped from her hands, clattering back into the sink. “He’s been nothing but polite. He’s just…” She trailed off, unsure how to finish.

  “Hm,” he hummed. “If you’re sure…I’d need a couple of the other fellas, but I could kick him out if you wanted him gone.”

  A bubble of laughter escaped her lips as she imagined old, ornery Earl trying to wrestle Eli out the door. “No, I’m fine. I have to get through this. I can’t break down every time a guy under the age of seventy speaks to me.” She told him, grateful for the strong squeeze he gave her shoulders.

  “Just holler if you change your mind.” He sai
d, shuffling back towards the grill.

  Eli looked up from the middle of shoveling massive bites of pancakes into his mouth as she walked back into the dining room. She walked up the breakfast bar, watching his throat bob as he tried to swallow down his last bite. “I’m sorry.” She said. “For being…weird. It’s not you, I promise.” She walked away before she could hear his reply, determined to act normal for the rest of her shift. She could occasionally feel his eyes on her but didn’t give into the temptation to look. When he was finished with his meal he paid up at the register with Suzy and she watched as he walked outside, getting into a dinged pick-up truck and driving towards the direction of the grocery store. When she collected his plates to bring to the kitchen, she wasn’t even surprised by the crisp twenty he had left underneath the syrup pot.

  Chapter 2

  A wet mouth was against her inner wrist pressing snuffling kisses to her skin as the sharp point of a nose jabbed the crest of her palm. Damp skin caught on dry lips as that mouth moved towards her pulse point, leaving a rapidly cooling trail of saliva in its wake. A tongue slipped between parted lips, lapping across the inside of her arm before tracing the scrawling trail of blue veins back up to the base of her hand. Calloused fingertips scraped against the soft, smooth skin on the back of her hand, uncurling her fingers where they were fisted in her palm. The same rough fingers drew worshipping swirls into her skin, tracing the lines in her palm as tingles burst from her fingertips down her spine.

  Her eyelids felt like they were encased in lead as she tried to open them, mind still fuzzy with sleep. Eyes warm like liquid gold were staring at her from the chair perched beside her bedside. It was Eli. Her heart fluttered in her chest, stirring to life like a hummingbird beating in her ribcage, any remaining grogginess swept away by the icy tendrils of fear currently fisting her stomach in a vice. How did he get into my apartment? She thought, blinking the last of the sleep from her eyes, but when her vision focused, the chair was empty.