The Christmas Cabin (Blushing Books 12 Days of Christmas 11) Read online

  The Christmas Cabin

  By

  Beth Bennett

  ©2015 by Blushing Books® and Beth Bennett

  All rights reserved.

  No part of the book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.

  Published by Blushing Books®,

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  is registered in the US Patent and Trademark Office.

  Bennett, Beth

  The Christmas Cabin

  eBook ISBN: 978-1-68259-221-2

  Cover Art by ABCD Graphics & Design

  This book is intended for adults only. Spanking and other sexual activities represented in this book are fantasies only, intended for adults. Nothing in this book should be interpreted as Blushing Books' or the author's advocating any non-consensual spanking activity or the spanking of minors.

  Table of Contents:

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

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  Chapter One

  It was going to be a Christmas to remember. Jenna was so excited. She needed a nice long holiday vacation and she was finally going to get it. Her flight left in the morning and she was already packed and ready to go. There was so much pressure at work. Blowing off a little steam in the winter wonderland of Fairplay, Colorado was going to be perfect. She turned on her computer and browsed once again through the photographs of the beautiful cabin she had rented. She was using a rental agency named "Second Home, Second Chance Rentals." She laughed out loud. It sounded silly but it was just what she needed, a second chance.

  She and Tommy had broken up six months ago and she still was not over the jerk. He said he needed space and wasn't ready to commit. Commit my behind, he was never going to commit to a relationship, at least not with me. They had been dating for five years. For heaven's sake, what else did he want? Jenna halfway wondered if Tommy only stayed with her as long as he had because her job was stable and his never had been. For once, she should have listened to her mother.

  "He'll never be the right kind of man for you, Jenna. He has never worked a steady job. I'm telling you, it's time to move on."

  "I know, Mom, I know. It's just that I've got so much time invested in this relationship. I hate to throw all that away. Besides, Tommy's had a steady job for the last six months. I think maybe he's finally found something he can stick to." Her mother just shook her head and walked away. Jenna was a dreamer, her mother a pragmatist.

  Jenna gave a deep sigh as she thought of the conversation. Well, it was over now for sure. She decided to spend Christmas alone, licking her wounds so to speak. Her mom and dad had planned to go on a cruise anyway. Her sister was staying home in South Carolina with her own family for the holidays. It would just be Jenna, the snow and the Rockies for company.

  The plane landed in Fairplay. She loved the name of the little town. Fair-play. It sounded like a sheriff from the old west must have named it. She giggled to herself. I gotta get me a big pink cowgirl hat before I leave. I might as well go all out. In researching the town, Jenna found out the Colorado Hat Company was there. They sold handmade cowboy and cowgirl hats using the same equipment that manufactured hats back in 1875. So what if they cost $600 a hat? She hadn't spent any money to speak of in years. Always saving up for what might happen. She decided to celebrate what was happening and splurge a little.

  She rented a nice black four wheel drive Jeep at the airport and took off to explore the town. It was simply beautiful. The town harkened back to its roots in the push of settlers going west. Jenna pulled into the parking lot of the Fair Play Museum. Full of interesting exhibits and facts, she read the blurb on the sign outside. "The discovery of gold in 1859 brought thousands of prospectors to South Park County. Unwelcome latecomers pushed west and established a new mining camp called, 'Fair Play.' After several prosperous years, Fairplay became the county seat in 1867." Hmmm, interesting.

  Jenna went inside and learned a few more facts about the gold rush and about those who had settled in such a wild place. She collected information about the rest of the area and decided to spend the remainder of the day browsing in shops and culling through the small art museums in town. It was a wonderful day. She nearly forgot all about Tommy, work and home.

  It was still relatively early but the sun was beginning to set. A nice spot in a cozy local restaurant beckoned to her. She sat in the deep orange colored club chair by the fire. An order of creamy hot chocolate ensued. A double shot of cream floated on the top. It was scrumptious, flavored with just a hint of mint. The dinner of grilled salmon and greens complete with baked potato hit the spot. Pulling out the information from the realty company, she looked at the address. It should be easy enough to find. There's plenty of time. I'll just sit by the fire and enjoy myself.

  So cozy, her eyes grew heavy. The low drone of the clientele in the restaurant lulled her to sleep. A sharp clink and then a hastily cleared throat startled her out of a deep slumber. "Excuse me, Miss. It's closing time."

  Jenna sat up. She felt ridiculous. She had never fallen asleep in a restaurant before. It took her a few minutes to get her bearings. She rubbed her forehead and opened her eyes wide. "Oh, gosh, I'm so sorry. The fire was so warm and I've traveled so far. I'm sorry."

  The waiter gave her an empathetic look. "Oh, that's all right. Colorado has a way of getting you to relax doesn't it?" Jenna nodded and smiled back.

  "What time is it anyway?"

  The waiter looked at his watch. "It's 10 PM. I can tell you're a visitor around here. Town's not very big, you know. Do you have a place to stay?"

  Jenna dug her rental address out of her purse. "Oh yes, I rented a cabin nearby, just outside of town. Here's the address. Do you know where it is?"

  The waiter studied the photo and map. "Oh yeah, that's not very far, but you might want to stay in town tonight. It's late. The forecast is calling for snow. You have to go up in elevation to get to these cabins. There's already a lot of snow on the ground. If you don't know where you're going it's easy to slide right off the road."

  She felt disappointed. "I didn't come this far just to stay in town tonight. Besides, I've already paid for the week. I'll be fine."

  The waiter tsked his tongue. "I'm telling ya, tourists can really get in trouble out here."

  "Don't worry, I've driven in snow before."

  "Suit yourself." The waiter took her credit card along with the check and quickly returned them. Jenna was the only person left in the restaurant. She walked out the door and hopped into her Jeep. Gee, it was dark. The trampled snow crunched under her feet. She told herself she would be fine. The waiter gave her some general directions before she left. He also said it should only take about twenty minutes, but she would need to go slow and be careful.

  Reaching over, Jenna punched the address into the Jeep's GPS system. The GPS booted up. It confirmed the twenty-minute drive time. Pulling out into the dark night, the tires chomped over the snow mixed with gravel. Jenna had to put her wipers on. It was beginning to snow. Small, light flakes fell slowly. She had never seen anything so beautiful. She followed the map on the GPS and drove out of town. Twenty minutes later she was no closer t
o finding her cabin than when she’d left town. Somehow she had taken wrong turn after wrong turn. The GPS was slow to respond and by the time she realized it meant for her to take a road she had already passed it.

  In frustration, she hit the dashboard. "I don't think you know where you're going." The GPS did not respond to her accusation. The increase of falling snow was gaining ground on her. It wasn't as beautiful as she thought, now that it had become an obstacle. The windshield kept fogging up. Taking the sleeve of her coat, she wiped it off and tried to see. All that met her view was a thick shaker of falling snow. She could barely even make out the road anymore. The ominous screech as a tree branch ran across the Jeep warning her that she was veering off the road.

  "Crap!" Jenna jerked the steering wheel in an attempt to correct. The Jeep swerved in the opposite direction. Every lesson she'd ever heard about how to drive in snow went right out of her head. Instead of pumping the brake, she did exactly what you're not supposed to do. She slammed on the brakes in an attempt to avoid a tree that was fast approaching. Instead of stopping her momentum, it increased it. Jenna had taken her seat belt off so she could lean forward and try to see the road. A scream erupted from her throat as her head hit the windshield. She was thrown sideways as the Jeep did a hard skid into the tree. The back end landed down an embankment and the front tires spun in the air. The engine continued to run, but instead of illuminating the road, the lights were pointed into the endless night.

  Chapter Two

  Beau Donavan responded to his radio call. He patrolled this end of the county and served as both park ranger and sheriff for South Park County. Word had reached him that a woman was missing. It seemed a concerned waiter at a restaurant in town had tried to follow up on one of the visiting patrons that passed by that evening. The woman wasn't answering her phone. When the waiter contacted the realty group the woman was supposed to be renting from they had not heard from her either.

  It was a terrible night. Freezing cold and getting colder. The snow was expected to continue for the next few days. For the life of him, Beau couldn't understand why tourists didn't take a little more precautions. Most likely the lady had stopped to stay somewhere in town, turned her phone off and gone to sleep. But just in case, her rental cabin was close to his place. He'd been called to take a look around. Beau hung up the radio and went to saddle up Blaze. His horse was far more reliable in a storm like this than his truck. This way, at least he could take a gander around and make sure the missing woman wasn't stranded anywhere in the vicinity. He glanced at the clock. Midnight, letting out a low whistle he dressed for a blizzard and double timed it to the barn. One thing was for sure, time was running out if this lady was indeed caught out in this storm.

  Blaze stomped in his stall and let out a low whinny. "It's okay, boy. I know you don't want to leave your nice warm stall, but duty calls." Beau saddled him up and quickly mounted. They wouldn't be gone long. Just enough time to give the all clear.

  Blaze trotted below the ridge in front of the house. Beau looked across the valley below. The road looked completely clear. Even though it was dark, if there was anything stirring he would be able to see it. Especially car lights. Trekking back through the other side, Beau still didn't notice anything. The woods were quiet and deep. The snow added another layer of silence to the already pristine wood. Using his binoculars, Beau scanned the area. He stopped when he thought he saw a flash in the distance, but it was hard to tell. The binoculars focused in on the flash. Yep, car lights all right, but something was terribly wrong. The lights were slanted at an odd angle. Beau focused in some more, it did indeed look like an accident. "Oh no! Damn! Come on, Blaze, looks like we've found our motorist."

  Beau had already packed an emergency kit complete with a warming blanket. It would take at least a half hour to reach the spot where he'd seen the lights. He couldn't be sure who or what it was but more than likely it was the missing motorist. He gave Blaze a light kick and the horse took off through the deep snow. For the most part they used the road, but when they could, Beau cut across trying to shorten the distance.

  It was a car all right. A Jeep. The motor continued to run, but it sounded like it was running low on gas. The headlights were still on but beginning to dim. No one stirred. Beau wondered what the condition of the driver was. He pulled up on Blaze and jumped down. "Hey, hey, is anybody inside? Is everything okay?"

  Beau's calls were met with silence. He pounded on the side of the vehicle but got no response. Finally, in desperation, he climbed up on the side of the Jeep. Peering down into the front seat he felt a chill go down his spine. A young woman lay against the broken glass of the driver's side door. A crack in the windshield indicated she was thrown forward. Her head was covered in blood. Dried blood had already matted to her hair. She was dressed warmly and since the motor was still running, the temperature in the cab remained safe, but that wouldn't last for long.

  He gingerly lowered himself into the Jeep and placed his feet on either side of the unconscious woman. Gently, he felt for a pulse. It was steady and strong. She made no sound or movement. Her purse lay beside her and Beau grabbed for the wallet. The name on the South Carolina driver's license said Jenna O'Rourke. Beau shook her shoulder. "Jenna, Jenna, wake up. You've been in an accident."

  The lady's head moved slowly from side to side. She placed her hand in front of her eyes to shield them from his flashlight.

  "Sorry." Beau turned the light off and hung it on his belt. "Jenna, Miss O'Rourke, can you hear me? I'm Sheriff Donovan. I'm here to help you. Do you know where you are?"

  "What?" Jenna's voice cracked as she tried to answer. She started to move and the glass made a tinkling sound as it fell off her.

  "Don't move, honey. I'm Sheriff Donovan, in South Park County, Colorado. You were supposed to be going to a rental tonight. You didn't make it. Your car is in the ditch and you've been injured. Do you understand what I'm saying?"

  Jenna blinked up at him. She slowly licked her lips. "I understand. I-I don't remember what happened. I was trying to make it in tonight."

  "Yes. We are near my cabin. It's just up the mountain. You lie still for a minute and let me see if you've broken anything. I'm going to take you to my place tonight and fix you up, okay?"

  Jenna nodded.

  Beau asked her to move her arms and legs. She was able to, but winced with the effort. She was pretty banged up. Mostly bruised, however. He didn't think anything was broken. He took the blood pressure cuff out of his emergency kit. Her pressure was normal. She was still acting disoriented. Beau brushed all the shattered glass he could off of her. Her hands and face had small cuts all over them. "Okay, honey. I want you to sit up now, real slow."

  Jenna tried to comply. Beau reached down and hooked his arm under hers. He lifted her up and over his head and out the Jeep door. "You sit right there until I get out." Using his arms, he lifted himself up and out of the damaged car while Jenna waited patiently. Jumping down, he reached up. "All right, your turn. Let me help you down."

  Jenna leaned over and Beau reached up and plucked her off the car. He carried her over to Blaze. "I rode my horse down the mountain. Didn't think the pick-up would make it. Ever ride a horse before?" The little lady shook her head. She was hardly bigger than a kid. Blaze could easily carry them both back to the cabin. Beau took out the emergency wrap and put it around Jenna. He hoisted her up on Blaze and jumped up behind. He gave a click of his tongue, and the horse began the steep climb home. The Jeep gave a last gasp and the headlights went out. Clicking on a light mounted on his sheriff's hat, Beau led the way back to warmth and light and life.

  With Jenna in his arms, he took the cabin steps two at a time. He'd never been so anxious to arrive home. He set her on the leather sofa making sure her breathing was okay and she was fully awake. "I'll be right back." He quickly had Blaze safely ensconced in his stall. Now it was time to check on the little lady. "Let's get you all checked out."

  Jenna rested as Beau made a call on the ra
dio. "I've got her. She'd banged up, gonna check her out now. Yeah. All right. Will be in touch. Over and out." He crossed to stand in front of the couch where she was curled up. "No, no, no. No sleeping, at least not tonight. Your head is a mess. Let me get that cleaned up." Taking a soft warm washcloth, he cleaned her face as best he could. A large purple bump was rising on her forehead. The cut that accompanied it wasn't very deep. Whew, head wounds sure could bleed a lot. "How are you feeling?"

  She tried to pull away. "I am so tired. Please, I appreciate your concern. Just let me rest a while and I'll be fine."

  "Honey, you've hit your head pretty bad. If you have a concussion—which I'm pretty sure you do—sleep is the last thing you should be doing. You might not ever wake up. You'll have to stay awake through the night. I'll call the clinic in town in the morning and see if you can sleep tomorrow." He got her face cleaned off. Despite the cuts and bruises she was a very beautiful young woman. "What were you doing renting a cabin all by your lonesome at Christmas time? Doesn't seem very fun to me."

  She looked crossly at him. "None of your business, that's what." Taking in a deep breath, she continued, "I'm sorry. I don't mean to take my frustration out on you. I was looking forward to some nice quiet time alone. Here I've gone and messed everything up. I've ruined my whole holiday and to top it off I have a splitting headache."

  "I just bet you do." He grabbed the Tylenol. "Here, take two of these." Beau filled a glass with some ice water and put the tea kettle on to boil. "You're lucky you don't belong to me. I'd wear your behind out for taking such a chance and driving in weather like this so late at night. You don't even know the terrain around here. What in the world were you thinking?"

  She slowly got up from the couch and went to stand in front of the fire. Leaning on the heavy wood mantel piece she gazed into the glowing coals. "I'm a grown woman and I can do as I please. Will you quit reprimanding me? You're a sheriff and used to bossing people around. I've heard enough. Lay off."