The Curse Of Spring (Book Two of The Seasons Trilogy)

Chapter 4

Cole

I was a bit taken aback, not expecting an invitation to spend the night with the family I had literally just met. I took a deep breath and looked around me at the small yet cosy home. Spending the night alone in a cold, draughty tent didn't hold the same attractions as it once did.

"That would be really appreciated, thank you. It's been a while since I have slept indoors," I said with a chuckle. "I'm currently backpacking across the country and not many people are as hospitable as you are."

I was putting it mildly, people out there were downright assholes.

"Well go get your stuff and we'll set you up in the lounge," the man who had introduced himself as Jay said to me with an easy smile.

The sofa converted into a pull out bed and was strangely quite comfortable. I was out seconds after my head hit the pillow. I hadn't meant to fall asleep, I'd merely just wanted to close my eyes for a second, but clearly my exhausted mind had other ideas.

At some point in the night, someone covered me with a blanket and tugged off my boots which hung off the end of the sofa bed (I was a bit too tall for it), although I don't know who. I was completely dead to the world.

My eyes fluttered open as I felt a pressure on my chest and came face to face with a rather disgruntled looking cat, its green eyes staring at me as if I'd stolen its favourite sleeping spot.

"Good morning, did I keep you from your cosy spot?" I croaked at the cat only to have it swipe out with its paw against my face, nails withdrawn.

It was basically a bitchslap from a feline and I couldn't help chuckle at it, clearly I had underestimated its ability to understand spoken language.

"Shoo, Ginger!" Jay's daughter came through a door to the side of the house, waving her hand at the cat in an effort to chase it off of my chest.

The cat meowed once, stood up, flicked its tail a few times then jumped down and sauntered away as if we'd just insulted it.

"Excuse her. Jay got her to keep the workshop mouse free, but I think she actually thinks she owns this place and we're merely her human servants," the blonde girl said with a laugh, her deep blue eyes sparkling.

She headed toward the kitchen, stopping in the doorway as she turned to me. "I thought you might want a shower so I left you a towel in the bathroom. You might want to get in there before Jay does, he practically moves into the bathroom once he's in there."

With those parting words, she disappeared into the kitchen. She was right though, a shower was definitely going to be much appreciated. I'd last had a proper shower almost a week ago when I'd stopped at a motel for a few days to catch up on work. I did a bit of freelance photography, selling my work through a friend who had become my agent. I did pretty well but it did need me to constantly take photos and edit them.

I grabbed a change of clothes and toiletries before I headed to the bathroom, finding the towel folded neatly on the counter. The shower was heavenly and I scrubbed myself down thoroughly, washing away all trace of grime from the dusty roads I had been travelling. I washed my hair and trimmed my short beard leaving the rugged stubble I maintained. I dried off and threw on my clothes, brushing my wet hair back and leaving it to dry naturally.

"Thanks for the shower, didn't realize how badly I needed it," I chuckled as I entered the kitchen where Jay's daughter was making pancakes.

Clearly I had looked worse than I thought I had because Jay's daughter did a bit of a double take, her eyes widening for a fraction of a second.

"I'm making pancakes if you want," she said breezily after she had recovered, expertly flipping the pancake in the pan with a flick of a wrist.

"That would be great," I half drooled, the smell of the food making me realize I was famished. "I'm Cole, by the way. I don't think we introduced ourselves last night."

"Harley," she smiled, her eyes twinkling like stars. "As you can tell, my dad is kind of a big motorcycle fan."

I laughed in response and she resumed making her pile of pancakes, humming a familiar tune. She was actually drop dead gorgeous, her long blonde hair cascading down her back, her petite figure made me feel a bit like a hulking mass next to her.

"Good morning, how did you sleep?" Jay called from the doorway, wearing flannel pyjamas and a pair of tatty slippers which were clearly the most comfortable shoes in his closet.

He walked past the kettle and switched it on, giving Harley a kiss on the temple before he sat down beside me.

"Very well, thank you. I clearly upset your cat though," I replied with a laugh.

He muttered something about the feline which wasn't very complementary, earning a dark look from Harley.

Breakfast was delicious, probably the best I'd ever had. My eyes kept finding themselves searching for Harley though, wanting to see her reactions to the conversation between Jay and myself. For some strange reason I was drawn to her.

I shook off the feeling and offered to clean up, washing the dishes as Harley dried and put them away.

"So where did you go to school? I didn't see any when I was exploring the town," I asked her, hoping to get to know her a bit better.

"Oh, I did long distance. There's no high school close by and Jay didn't want me in a boarding school. Worked out for the best though and I don't feel like I missed out on much. Where did you grow up? Did you go to school close to your home?"

Darn, I should have predicted that the conversation would turn to my upbringing.

"I grew up in an orphanage," I took a shot at telling the truth - well as much of the truth as I dared. "We used to go to the local school, but when I left the orphanage when I was seventeen I dropped out of school."

Her eyes met mine and the vulnerability that I saw there was staggering. She reached out and clasped my hand, giving it a slight squeeze.

"You seem to be doing pretty well for yourself despite your upbringing," she said softly.

I wasn't ashamed of growing up in Saint Margaret's orphanage - that was probably the most sedate part of my history. The fact that I'd started life off being a test subject by my power hungry father in the effort to create super soldiers was just the tip of the iceberg.

"Yeah, I'm grateful for my upbringing and I'm still close to the woman who raised me - Emily."

Harley turned a shade of crimson as blushed prettily. "I thought Emily might be your girlfriend."

I couldn't contain my smile at that comment. The mere thought of the sweet older woman being my girlfriend was laughable.

"Em is in her late forties and is basically my mom."

Harley smiled and dropped my hand, clearly embarrassed by her assumption. She was saved by Jay who called for me to join him in the garage - as much as I enjoyed spending time with Harley, I had to remember my priorities. Fixing my bike so that I could go and find April had to stay at the top.