“No.”His firm tone made her look up, his face level with hers as he kneeled on the floor next to her.“You don’t.This is just a precaution.”He sounded so sure that a surge of relief filled her.Belatedly, she wondered about his fingers and toes.
“What about you?How come you don’t have your feet in water too?”
“I grew up here, I’m used to these temperatures.”He stood, his scrutiny finally leaving her face.She had to extend her neck and tilt her head way back to look up at him.Gosh, he was tall.“And my police-issue gear is much superior to yours.”He seemed to hesitate for a second before he added, “I’m sorry I made you hike for so long without checking your equipment was up to the task.It was remiss of me.”His stilted apology caught her by surprise.Something like remorse flashed in his eyes.Did he think her nearly getting frostbite was his fault?Well, it wasn’t.He was merely doing his job.If her boots were below standard, it was her own fault; she hadn’t been prepared for the weather up here.
She shrugged, and said, “I guess we were in a hurry.”It was true.But she had thought—naively—her clothing would withstand the temperatures.It seemed the cold in Seattle was nothing like the cold in northern Sweden.
“Yes, we were,” he replied.Then, changing the subject, he said, “I’ll fix us something to eat.I have soup in the freezer that will warm you up.I just need to heat it.”
Nikki’s stomach rumbled at the mention of soup.She’d skipped lunch in favor of the sauna and had been planning an early dinner instead.With everything that’d happened over the past few hours, she was surprised she could even think about food.But now that the adrenaline had worn off, her body was telling her she needed to eat.
“That sounds great,” she replied, watching as he moved around the small hut in the capable manner she was quickly becoming accustomed to.There was an economy of movement where Jacob was concerned.Nothing seemed to fluster him, and he flowed from the freezer tucked into the corner, to the kitchen countertop and then to the microwave with a grace that surprised Nikki.Like a cat, fluid and neat, but also with an air of lethal danger about to be unleashed.She guessed that because he was a cop, a certain amount of his reserve came from his police training.But there was more than just military training at play here; there was also an air of self-confidence.A feeling that he knew who he was, and what he was capable of.He was happy in his own skin.His English was also excellent, she thought she detected a faint trace of an American twang, and she wondered briefly where he’d learned to speak it.
Her hands twinged sharply with pain, and she shuffled them around, trying to find a more comfortable position between her thighs.They were warming up now, and feeling was indeed returning to her fingers, but she almost wished for the sweet release of the numbness now that they throbbed continuously with an aching heat.
To distract herself from her hands, she asked the other question that’d been burning a hole in the fabric of her mind.“Aren’t you worried that whoever is after me will turn up here?”
He turned from his task of retrieving two bowls from an overhead cupboard and fixed her with his keen gaze.Almost as if he were studying her, trying to determine whether to tell her the truth, and wondering what her reaction might be if he did.Finally, he said, “Yes, I am.But I’ll know if anyone gets close to the hut.I have some…protocols in place that will sound a warning.”
“You mean you have the place booby-trapped?”She swiveled her head to stare out the window, but it was pitch black out there now, and all she could see was her own reflection in the glass.Her imagination took flight as she thought about trip wires that released a deadly dart when triggered, and snares with jagged teeth ready to catch the unwary.
He gave a sudden laugh.“You Americans, I always forget how direct you can be.It’s a series of laser beams and cameras, that’s all,” he added when he noticed the look on her face.“They’re not intended to kill anyone.”
“Oh, right.”Of course, what had she been thinking?Her face heated, and she spun her head around to hide her embarrassment, turning her focus on taking a better look at the rest of the cabin while Jacob got on with preparing the food.
She’d noted as they’d approached his hut earlier that, unlike her holiday cabin, which was red, this one was constructed of thick, natural logs on the outside, with a small porch protecting the main door as they entered.Inside, it was just one large, open-plan room, the walls finished in more natural pine planks that looked as if they might have been hand hewn.The furs on the floor were possibly reindeer hides, giving the place even more of a rustic vibe.The wood-burning stove took up a central position, with a comfy set of couches on the opposite end from where she sat at the table next to the kitchen.Homey and practical, it was clearly old, but well cared for.Jacob had mentioned this was his family’s land, and so his father had perhaps built this hut, or even his father’s father before that.Nikki had heard these traditional winter huts were incredibly hard to buy and rarely, if ever, came onto the market, as they were handed down from generation to generation within a family.But where did everyone sleep?Not on the couches or the floor, surely?Then her gaze landed on a set of steep steps nestled in one corner, and she understood the bedroom, or bedrooms, must be on a second floor upstairs.
Jacob interrupted her musings when he appeared at her elbow, and said, “The food is ready.Let me help you get comfortable.”He bent down and took her feet out of the bowl, wrapping them quickly in a soft, dry towel.She nearly flinched away from him, unused to having someone—especially a stranger—handle her feet.But he was gentle and professional, and she decided she quite liked his touch.And was also enjoying the view of his broad shoulders and strong neck bent below her as he tended her feet.“How are they?”he asked without looking up.
“The feeling is coming back.They’re a little sore,” she admitted, already knowing that was a good thing without him having to tell her.“I’m not sure I could walk too far on them right now, but I think they’ll be better by tomorrow.”
“Hmm.”Nikki didn’t like his noncommittal grunt, but before she could make further comments, he placed a bowl of steaming soup on the table next to her, and the smell made Nikki’s mouth water like crazy.She swiveled in her seat so she was facing the food, careful to keep her feet bundled up in the towel.
“Oh, wow.”She wafted her nose down over the bowl.“What is it?Beef and vegetable?”
“Close.It’s moose and vegetable,” he corrected.
She’d never tasted moose before.But then her stomach rumbled, and she decided she was game for just about anything right now.“Did you make this?”she asked, leaning over to take another sniff.It smelled delicious, so she picked up her spoon.But her fingers were painful and slightly swollen, and she found she couldn’t hold the utensil properly.
“Are you okay?I can help if you like?”He leaned toward her, as if ready to grab her spoon, concern etched on his face.
“No, no, I can do it,” she assured him.She might look awkward, holding the spoon in her fist rather than between her fingers, but it was infinitely less awkward than having him spoon-feed her like a baby.
He sat down and picked up his own spoon.“Yes, I made this,” he confirmed.“I haven’t hunted recently, so this has been in the freezer since late summer, but it should still be good.”
Nikki’s spoon stalled halfway to her mouth.“You mean you killed the moose?”She was eating an animal that Jacob had shot?Why did the idea shock her?Hunting was a big sport in America; her cousins, who lived in Montana, were avid huntsmen, even though she’d politely refused to take part whenever they invited her on one of her rare visits.And part of her knew that hunting was a big part of the Swedish culture as well.But still… It changed her concept of Jacob ever so slightly.Not necessarily for the worse, but more that it cemented in her head he could be a dangerous man if the need arose.
“Of course,” he replied matter-of-factly.“The moose was on my land—my family’s land—and we never take too many, just what we need.”
“Yes, yes,” she nodded her head in agreement, putting the stalled spoon to her lips.“Oh, this is freaking delicious.”It was good, hot and with a satisfying dash of spicy pepper.“I’ve never tasted moose before, but I think I’m a convert,” she said through another mouthful of food.The heat of the soup warmed her from the inside, and she finally began to feel almost normal again.
He gave a shy smile at her compliment, the dimple reappearing, and against her better judgement, she decided she was beginning to like Jacob.Not only was he strong, with a tough exterior, but it seemed he had a softer side; a man who could cook this well was a rare find indeed.
They ate in silence for a few moments, Nikki savoring the gamey taste of the meat, mixed with carrots and celery and what might be barley.It was a good, hearty soup, exactly what she needed.It didn’t escape her how unreal this whole scenario was.Eating soup with a police officer who’d just rescued her from a deadly threat, and they were now holed up in his isolated winter hut in the middle of a Swedish forest.Never in her wildest dreams could she have conjured up this scenario.If only Tammy could’ve known when she suggested this holiday, she might’ve…
Nikki stopped eating, remembering that her colleague was dead.It seemed unbelievable.Beautiful, bubbly Tammy.A US Fulbright Fellow, a staunch advocate for the preservation of the Nordic fjord ecosystems, passionate about her job at the institute, a brilliant teacher and a loyal friend.Tammy was twenty years older than Nikki but had taken her under her wing when she first joined the institute seven years ago, and they’d formed a strong bond ever since.
And Antoine, earnest and accomplished, but also with that very French dry sense of humor when the mood took him.He was one of the young interns who joined the institute every year to bring their energy and knowledge for their chosen environmental causes to the forefront.She wasn’t as familiar with Antoine, having only met him a few weeks before this planned trip to Norway, but she liked and respected him.Why would anyone want her friends dead?They’d done nothing to harm anyone, had no enemies that Nikki could fathom.
