Page 24 of Cole

She should kick him out. Right now. March him straight to the door and tell him to get the hell off her property. He'd broken into her cabin. Picked the lock and walked right in like he had every right to be there.

But his words echoed in her mind. I have information about Northern Summit Resources, and I think you might be in danger.

If he were here to help, then she'd be stupid to kick him out. If he knew anything about the mining company or the threats she might be facing, she needed to hear it. Even if every instinct screamed at her to be cautious around a man who could break into her isolated cabin with such casual ease.

Janice set his ID back on the table and took a steadying breath. "Okay. You can stay. For now."

"Thank you." He moved toward the door. "Let me bring in those supplies."

She watched him disappear outside, then quickly grabbed her phone and snapped a photo of his ID. Her fingers flew across the screen, typing a message to Marcus. Man showed up at cabin claiming to be from Lighthouse Security Investigations Montana. Cole Iverson. Says he has info on Northern Summit. Check him out? Let me know if he's legit.

The reply was almost instantaneous. On it. Stay safe!

She pocketed her phone just as Cole returned, snow blowing in with him. Pouring coffee into a mug, she set it on the table for him. His arms were loaded with grocery bags. He stood still, waiting for her to speak. She backed toward the bathroom door and nodded toward the kitchen. “There. Just set them there and then step away. Don’t pull anything out.”

He placed the bags on the counter exactly as she indicated, then moved to the front door again.

She kept her eyes on him as she reached into the bags, pulling out dried pasta, a jar of pasta sauce, a loaf of bread, deli meat, cans of soup, eggs, a package of bacon, a bag of chips, coffee, batteries, and other sundry items. She then spied what was in the bottom of another bag. A chocolate fudge pie from the Bear Paw Tavern.

Her mouth watered at the sight of it. “Oh… damn.”

Cole caught her looking and lifted one eyebrow, a hint of a smile playing at his lips. "Figured you might appreciate something sweet."

"I..." She felt her cheeks flush. "Um… okay."

He shrugged, looking almost embarrassed. "We all need a little dessert now and then."

Despite the shock, the fear, the absolute insanity of this situation, Janice felt the corner of her mouth twitch upward. This massive, intimidating man who'd broken into her cabin had brought her chocolate fudge pie.

"I'll sit over here," he said, moving to her small sofa. His large frame made the furniture look toy-sized. "You can put the groceries away where you want them and keep an eye on me."

She understood what he meant. Keep the bear spray accessible. Maintain distance. Stay in control of the situation. Smart. And weirdly considerate for someone who'd just committed breaking and entering.

Janice blew out a long breath and then put away the supplies, hyperaware of his presence on the sofa. He was a big guy. Easily six-two or six-three, with the kind of build that spoke of serious time in the gym. Broad shoulders, muscular arms, the solid presence of someone who could handle themselves in a fight.

Until she knew more about him, she wanted at least a chance to hit him with the spray if necessary. The rational part of her brain said he'd had plenty of opportunities to hurt her and hadn't. The survival part said, Don't be an idiot… keep my guard up.

She finished with the groceries and carried a steaming mug to him before backing away again.

“Thank you,” he said, moving slowly until his large hand wrapped around the mug before he returned to the sofa. She carried her mug to the table, sitting down so she could face him while maintaining the distance of the room between them. "So… you’re here because you heard what might be a threat against someone who’s moose-watching?”

He nodded slowly, keeping his hands planted on his knees, clearly visible. “Yes.”

“Okay.” Her mind blanked as she tried to figure out how to proceed. “Um… and it has something to do with a man you met. Charles… something?”

“Charles Penson.”

“I’m not familiar with that name.”

“He’s the owner of Northern Summit Resources. They are a mining company.”

Now it was her turn to nod slowly. “I’ve heard of them. What do you know about them?”

"Not much, honestly." Cole leaned forward, elbows now on his knees with his hands clasped. "I was hired to do a security assessment on Charles Penson's new house. Design a high-end system for his property. That's one of the things Lighthouse Security Investigations does."

"You install security systems for houses?"

"No. Our expertise is in the design phase. For exclusive clientele."