The Keeping by Nicky Charles Page B

finally
arrived at the gate and he set her down. Reaching into his pocket,
he pulled out a set of keys and unlocked the gate, relocking it
after they’d passed through. He looked at her rental car and then
at her. His hand extended, implicitly asking for the keys. Mel
rolled her eyes, but dug them out and handed them over, quite sure
that he would have no compunction about taking her purse and
rifling through it, if she refused.
    Stalking over to
the car, she got into the passenger side, put on her seatbelt, and
folded her hands in her lap. The annoying man followed at a much
slower pace, climbing in, adjusting the seat and mirror, before
finally putting the key in the ignition.
    “Where are you
staying?”
    “At the Kennedys’.
I’ve rented a cabin from them. If you turn left—”
    “I know where they
live.” He answered shortly, his lips pressed together, forming a
tight line.
    After that, the
rest of the ride passed by in an uncomfortable silence. When they
finally arrived at her temporary home, Mel barely waited to get the
keys from him, before jumping out of the vehicle, eager to be away
from the exasperating man. She grabbed the bag of groceries from
the back seat of the car and hurried towards the cabin, but a
sudden thought had her stopping and reluctantly turning around. He
was leaning against the car watching her, an enigmatic expression
on his face.
    “Umm... How are
you getting home?”
    “Don’t worry about
it. I can get a ride if I need one.”
    “Oh...” As much as
it irked her to do it, her mother had raised her with manners.
“Thanks for driving me home.”
    “It was the
easiest way to get rid of you.”
    The smirk on his
face washed away all her good intentions and she snapped out an
angry retort. “You have to be the rudest man I have ever
encountered.”
    He grinned and
dipped his head in acknowledgement. “Thanks. I try my best.”
    “And you certainly
succeed! I’m eternally grateful that this is the last time I’ll
have to see you.”
    “Really? After
tearing down that sign, climbing the gate, walking almost half a
mile, and facing a pair of wolves, you’re giving up on me?”
    “What?” She had a
sinking feeling in her stomach.
    “I’m Ryne Taylor,
Melody Greene.”
    Mel felt her mouth
drop open then she snapped it shut and quickly turned away fighting
for composure. Why did these things always happen to her? Yes, the
man was being purposely aggravating but she still needed to work
with him. She slowly shook her head in despair, completely at a
loss as to how she’d repair the damage. Pasting a conciliatory look
on her face, she turned around and opened her mouth to begin to
say...something, though she didn’t know what....only to gasp. He
was gone!
    Looking up and
down the road, she couldn’t see a single trace of him. What the...?
Turning in a circle, she scanned the area. Nothing was in sight,
except what appeared to be a large black dog...or maybe another
wolf...running through the woods behind the cabin.
    All too wary of
canines due to her recent encounter, Mel wasted no time hurrying
into the cabin. As she slammed the door shut, she was thankful that
she’d changed her plans earlier on and bought groceries before
going to Taylor’s. There was no way she was going outside again.
She’d had enough encounters with animals for one day, thank you
very much. Taylor, wherever he was, was on his own!
    *****
    Ryne headed for
home, loping through the woods and enjoying the chance for a run.
The exercise was clearing the alcohol residue from his body and the
cobwebs from his brain, though there weren’t too many of those left
after his encounter with Ms. Melody Greene. She was an impudent
little thing; trespassing on his property and then insinuating that
he had vicious animals on his land, trying to twist events around
so it became his fault she ran into a tree. No doubt, she’d
probably try to threaten him with a law suit.
    He wondered why
she hadn’t asked him about her