Love is a Battlefield (Seven Brides for Seven Mothers Book 1) Read online

  “They certainly weren’t that.”

  Addison

  Coming to Brogan’s defense is not something I set out to do, but that woman Emma positively made my skin crawl.

  I’m a firm believer in always looking your best, but there was something about her that seemed over the top. I’m not sure if it was the fact that her hair didn’t move in the breeze or that her tan was so fake her skin looked like processed cheese, but something really set me off.

  As soon as I get back to my room, I flip open my laptop to start shopping for survival gear while I call Elle. She picks up after only half of a ring. “Addie! How’s Oregon?”

  “You would not believe the situation I’ve gotten myself into.” I spend the next ten minutes filling her in.

  “A month?” She rightly sounds appalled.

  “I don’t know what happened. One minute I was staying in the lap of luxury and the next I’m declaring that I can last a month in the woods. With no indoor toilet or shower.”

  “You could tell them you’re going into town one day and drive to the airport instead,” she suggests.

  “I can’t let Brogan Cavanaugh think he was right about me. I’d rather die first.”

  “You might,” she suggests none too reassuringly.

  “If he can do it, so can I.”

  “Addison, I’m the one you complained to every summer after coming back from vacationing with his family. I’m also the one who forged a note from your mother when our gym class was learning how to rock climb.”

  “I was afraid I’d get so scared up there I’d wee on the person under me,” I remind her.

  “The point is, the wilderness is not for you.”

  I hate that people know this about me. It makes me feel like such a wimp. “Maybe it’s time for a change,” I suggest.

  “If you say so. Just keep your cell phone handy so you can call for help.”

  “About that,” I say. “There’s no cell reception where I’ll be staying, so if you don’t hear from me, don’t worry.”

  “Oh, my god! What does your mom think of this?”

  “She thinks it’s as dumb as you do, but I’ve committed, so I’m going to see this through.”

  “You ought to be committed,” she says before asking, “Do you want to hear about Grand Cayman?”

  “Yes. No. Yes.” I do but I don’t want to know what I’m missing. I ultimately decided on, “Maybe.”

  “How married are you to the idea of you and Roediger Bainbridge becoming an item?” she asks.

  “I wasn’t looking at it in terms of marriage,” I tell her. “I mean, I’d never see him. We live too far apart.” Wait a sec, why is she asking me this? “Is there something you want to tell me?”

  “He asked me out to dinner, and I didn’t want to say yes until I checked with you.”

  My heart plummets to my ankles. I don’t sound any too enthused when I say, “You should definitely go.”

  “Are you sure?” she asks before excitedly adding, “Because, Addie, I’m starting to feel like Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman. You know, minus the part about being a hooker.”

  No, I’m not sure and as my lifelong friend she should know better than to ask, but she is asking, so she must have really clicked with him. Damn. “Of course, I’m sure,” I force myself to say. “Go, have fun. Don’t worry about me.” I’ll just be getting eaten by cougars and bears in the woods …

  “You’re the best!” she exclaims before adding, “Hang on, someone’s at the door.” I can hear her in the background. “For me? They’re lovely!” Then she giggles like a schoolgirl.

  When she comes back on the line, I hurry to say, “Have fun tonight. I’ve got to go.”

  “Call me when you’re in a place with cell service so I know you’re still alive.”

  “Will do.” I hang up before jealousy consumes me and I say something I’ll regret. Elle is starring in my movie. I should be Julia Roberts. Instead I’m Kathy Bates in Misery.

  I spend the rest of the afternoon buying an insane number of things I’ll need to survive in the wild. Then I take an hour-long bath using the jets in the tub to beat away the bands of tension that have been building.

  Everyone is already at dinner by the time I show up. I’m late because I packed and repacked my suitcase, double and triple checked all the lists of things I ordered, and possibly succumbed to the tiniest little crying jag.

  I half expect Brogan to reprimand me for being late. Instead, he stands to pull out my chair and offers, “You look very nice tonight.”

  He’s right about that. I’m wearing a simple but elegant black dress. I’m much more dressed up than most of the other diners, but nice clothes make me feel powerful, and right now I need all the strength I can get.

  James picks up a bottle of cabernet and asks, “May I pour you a glass?”

  “Yes, please,” I tell him. I’d prefer my own bottle with a straw, but at this point I’ll take whatever I can get.

  “Are you all ready to go to the cabin tonight?” Aunt Ruby asks.

  “I am.” I look over at my mom and practically beg, “Why don’t you come out and stay with me? We’d have so much fun!”

  She nearly chokes on her wine. “That’s okay, honey. I’ve reached the stage in my life where I’ve come to rely on indoor plumbing.”

  I want to fight back and remind her the only reason I’m even in Oregon is because of her and the least she could do is suffer alongside me, but I don’t. Primarily because I don’t want to look bad in front of Aunt Ruby, but also because it’s my own fault I’m in the situation I’m in.

  “I was hoping you might come out and see my farm some time while you’re here,” James says before dangling the mother of all carrots. “I have a toilet.”

  “I’ll be there,” I tell him. I’m as excited about farming as I am about camping, but at least I appreciate the need for farmers. They keep the country fed. Camping just confounds me.

  Aunt Ruby announces, “You’re welcome to use my bathroom any time you want. In fact, why don’t you plan on showering there at the very least.”

  “I’m sure she will,” Brogan says under his breath.

  “Excuse me?” I demand. His tone is far too cocky for my taste.

  “Let’s be honest, Addie, I don’t think you’re going to make it a week in the woods, let alone a month and that was before you knew there wasn’t a bathroom in your cabin.”

  How dare he doubt me? My body fills with anger and my head becomes so hot, steam is surely going to start pouring out of my ears. I smile at Aunt Ruby and reply, “Thank you for your lovely offer, but I won’t be needing your shower. Apparently your son needs to be proven wrong yet again, and I happen to be in the mood to do that.”

  She smiles encouragingly. “My money is on you.” Then she turns to Brogan and announces, “Five thousand dollars that Addie makes it the whole month without using any hotel amenities.”

  Wait a second, I didn’t say anything about not using hotel amenities. I only declined the offer to use her bathroom. I was absolutely planning on using the shower in the workout facility and I was obviously going to eat the majority of my meals in the restaurant.

  I’m about to tell her that when Brogan matches her grin and says, “You’ve got a deal, but I don’t want your money. I want an acre of property overlooking Cheater’s Ridge so I can build a house there.”

  “Done,” she reaches over to shake his hand before I can set them straight.

  What just happened here? This stupid wager between Brogan and me has taken on a life of its own. That’s when James decides to enter the fray. “I’ve got five thousand on Addie, too.”

  “You don’t have five thousand dollars to spare,” Brogan tells him.

  “That’s true, but I sure could use your money.” He nudges me like I’m his partner in crime and not just his new gravy train. So much for my inclination to like him more than his brother.

  Dinner starts to feel like it’s taking place in the twiligh
t zone. I watch everyone enjoy their meal and animatedly carry on a conversation, but for the life of me I don’t know what they’re saying. The only sound I hear is the loud whooshing inside my head like rapidly rising flood waters. I click my heels under the table a la Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz hoping it will transport me back to my apartment in New York. It doesn’t.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  The Mothers

  Ruby stands up from the dinner table and announces, “Will you all excuse me for a moment? I want to have a word with the chef.” She hurries away from the table toward the kitchen where she pulls her phone out of her pocket and sends a text to Libby.

  Ruby: This is just getting better and better!

  Libby: Are you kidding? Addie in the middle of the woods with no way to get clean? That is not a recipe for romance.

  Ruby: There’s always the falls. It could be like that scene from Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman. Remember when she and Sully bathed in the falls together?

  Libby: I can’t say that I do and I’m a little nervous that Dr. Quinn has anything to do with your inspiration for our kids.

  Ruby: I know what I’m doing, Libs. Just hang with me, it’s about to get exciting!

  Brogan

  It’s not like I set out to bait Addison, but let’s face it, it’s darn easy to get her goat. I pretty much figured she’d find a way to spend her entire day at the lodge and only sleep in the cabin. And even then, I didn’t think she’d make it a full week. But now that she’s promised to not to hide out at the lodge all day? I’m going to need to find an architect to start drawing up plans for my new place.

  Before dessert is served, James announces, “I get up at four thirty during the summer months, so it’s already past my bedtime.” He stands up and makes his way around the table to say goodnight to the ladies. Then he winks at me. “Thanks for the down payment on my new hay baler.”

  “She hasn’t won yet,” I remind him.

  “She’s not a scared little girl anymore,” my brother informs me. That knockout of a dress Addie’s wearing makes it perfectly clear she’s a full-fledged woman, but that doesn’t mean she isn’t scared. I know for a fact she’s petrified.

  My mom’s been shooting me smug looks all night and she still doesn’t appear to be that happy that I’m here. So once James leaves, I hoover down my blackberry cobbler and announce, “I think I’ll say goodnight, too.”

  “What about me?” Addie wants to know.

  “What about you?”

  “Aren’t you going to drive me to my cabin?”

  “I wasn’t planning on driving. I like walking through the woods at night.” It makes me feel like I’m in the pages of a fairy tale from childhood.

  “Brogan …” my mom says in the same tone she used when she’d catch me storing frogs in the bathtub.

  “You can walk with me,” I tell Addison graciously.

  “I can’t carry my suitcase two miles into the woods wearing high heels.”

  “I thought it had wheels,” I tease her.

  “My son will be happy to drive you up to your cabin, Addison,” my mom informs her.

  “Thank you, Aunt Ruby.” Addie looks pleadingly at her mom. “Are you sure you don’t want to spend the first night with me?”

  “Honey, there’s only one twin bed up there,” my mom tells her. “Let’s chat in a day or two and you can tell me what you think you’ll need for the full glamping experience. We’ll start moving stuff up after that.”

  Addie’s acting like she’s about to walk off a cliff into a pool of boiling hot lava. In my opinion, staying in a cabin in the woods is one of the most enjoyable parts of life. It’s a gift most people never get to enjoy.

  “I’ll pull the golf cart up front and meet you there in a couple of minutes,” I tell her.

  As I walk away, I hear her tell my mom, “I ordered some things through the mail that should start arriving soon. Would you mind letting me know when they get here?”

  “Don’t worry, dear. I’ll send them straight up.”

  I can only imagine what Addison Cooper feels she needs to spend a month in the woods. UPS is going to need a semi-truck to get everything here. She’ll have to have an addition built onto her cabin.

  Walking through the restaurant, my eyes scan the faces of the other diners. It’s full of happy families fulfilled and exhausted by the day’s activities. As I near the hostess stand, I spot a lone person sitting by the window. I stop dead in my tracks. What is she still doing here?

  Emma raises a glass of champagne like she’s toasting me. I walk away without acknowledging her in any way. That woman has some nerve showing up here. I don’t think for one minute it’s pure coincidence that we’ve run into each other either. She’s up to something.

  I wait a solid thirty minutes before Addie finally shows up. “What took you so long?” I wonder.

  “I was changing,” she says. Her hair looks slightly damp as though she decided to take another shower. Addie is lucky she wasn’t born a hundred years ago. She’d be the worst pioneer in the history of pioneers.

  As we near the woods, the night sounds start to pick up. Hooting owls and wind rustling in the treetops, as well as some undefined crunching sounds at ground level. It could be anything from a raccoon to something much bigger. Addie jumps in her seat every time she hears it.

  When I pull off the path by my cabin, she asks, “Why don’t you leave a light on so it’s easier to find at night?”

  “I don’t want to risk a fire while I’m gone,” I answer simply.

  “I don’t think lights are a big fire hazard.” Even though I can’t see her face in the dark I’m one hundred percent sure she’s rolling her eyes at me again.

  “They are if they’re made of fire,” I tell her.

  Five. Four. Three. Two. “Made of fire?” Her confusion is clear.

  “Addison, there’s no electricity in the cabins.”

  Silence.

  “Addie?”

  Nothing.

  “You didn’t think there was electricity, did you?”

  “Of course, I did!” she finally yells. “I mean, you have a refrigerator. How does that run if not on electricity?”

  “Propane.” How did she think there was electricity up here when there’s not even indoor plumbing?

  “Just like the Amish,” she mumbles under her breath dejectedly.

  “I don’t know much about the Amish, but if you say so.”

  “I watched a show on Netflix,” she says almost conversationally.

  When I pull up to her cabin, I take pity on her and ask, “Do you want me to go in with you?”

  She doesn’t even stop to consider her options. “Yes, please.” She sounds sincere, and clearly scared to death because she used her manners without being reminded.

  I pick up her suitcase out of the back. “Follow me.” I forget to remind her about the step up onto the porch and she trips over it and falls into my back.

  I wait until she’s steady on her feet before opening the door. I don’t know where housekeeping put the lanterns, so I turn on the flashlight app on my phone. I spot several kerosene lamps and methodically start lighting them. The main room takes on a romantic glow that I’m sure even Addie can’t help but appreciate.

  I turn to her and her eyes are so big they look like they’re about to pop out of her head. “This place cleaned up pretty well, huh?”

  She nods her head almost imperceptibly. “Do you want me to stay the night?” I ask knowing full well that’s the only thing I can say that will force her to get her courage up.

  “Don’t be ridiculous,” she replies without much heat.

  “Okay, then, I’m off.”

  “Wait!” she grabs my arm before I’m out of reach.

  I turn so she’s nearly in my embrace. “Yes …”

  “Nothing. I just … I mean … I … how do I turn the lights off?”

  “There’s a dial on them so you can either dim them or turn them off entirely. I’d leave
at least one of them going though. You know in case you have to use the outhouse.”

  She groans pitiably before I wish her a nice evening and walk out the front door.

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  The Mothers

  “I hope Addie’s okay. She looked positively green when she left for the cabin,” Libby says nervously while kicking off her shoes and getting comfortable on Ruby’s sofa.

  “Brogan may have bet against her, but I promise you he won’t leave her up there if she’s too afraid.”

  Libby scrunches up her face with uncertainty. “That daughter of mine is proving her common sense doesn’t work in the presence of your son.”

  “More confirmation that they’re perfect for each other,” Ruby decides.

  “I wish I shared your confidence. Brogan has been nothing but gentlemanly as far as I’ve seen, but he sure seems to enjoy baiting Addie.”

  “That’s the best part! A couple who fights together gets the fun of making up.”

  “If they don’t kill each other first …”

  Addison

  Holy mother of god. I don’t know what to do first. I’d normally lock the door, but as there’s no lock, I resort to pushing my suitcase in front of it. It won’t be enough to keep anyone out, but it will give me notice in case someone tries to break in. Every B horror flick I saw as a kid rushes through my brain.

  If this were such a movie, I’d be sitting on my couch screaming, “What kind of bubble brain are you? Don’t go in there!” Yet here I am, letting myself be led to the slaughter.

  I pick up a lantern and start to investigate my new lodgings. The cleaning crew really did do a great job. I don’t see any cobwebs, so I conclude that means there are no spiders. What I don’t know can’t hurt me, right?

  I spot a refrigerator in the kitchen area and open the door to find it thoughtfully stocked with everything I’ll need for basic meal prep for several days. There’s a bowl of fruit on the counter along with a bottle of wine that’s thoughtfully been opened. Nice touch, although I would have preferred a bottle of sleeping pills. I mentally add that to my list.