Free December Frost (A Southern Romance Monthly) by CJ Hockenberry Page A

much closer this time. Was the driver turning them off and on? And why would they do that in a snow storm? "Well…yeah. But why would the Phantom come and steal it again?"
    Thomas shook his head. "I haven't puzzled that much out yet. I'm still trying to figure out how the Phantom knows so much about me to the point of setting me up in the High. And why?"
    "And you called the Professor?"
    "Yeah. He never called me back. I need to call my friend at the FBI as well. His name's Frank Clark."  
    She laughed. "Frank Clark? What kind of name is that?"
    "Yeah I thought that was funny. But he's been a good friend and he's always been able to help me before."  
    The lights behind them were closer.  
    "Why do you keep looking in the mirror?"
    "Because there's a car behind us that's come out of nowhere and the lights keep disappearing and reappearing."  
    Thomas looked out the back window which was inches from his face. "I see it. You think they're following us?"  
    "I dunno. The exit's three up. I'm going to take the next exit instead and then see if they exit too."  
    "And if they don't, and they are following us, then they'll see you come back on the ramp."  
    "No…I know the back way to the cabin. It's not actually in Red Top. That's a state park. It's a mile outside and I can get there." She didn't signal for the exit nor did she speed. Cecelia eased the truck to the right and took the ramp up to the stop light, which to her delight, was still working.  
    Thomas kept an eye on the lights. "They kept going."  
    "Might be nothing. Might just be me being paranoid."  
    "It's not being paranoid if someone's really after you." Thomas turned back around and made a hissing sound.  
    "You okay?"
    "Yeah…I'm going to need to take one of that little guy's pills soon."  
    "Not till after dinner. There's a jacuzzi on the back deck and I grabbed a bottle of wine out of Lex's fridge."  
    Thomas arched a brow at her. "You going to join me in the jacuzzi?"  
    Cecelia didn't answer as she turned right down the lone road toward the cabin.  
    She was still trying to make up her mind.  

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

    The cabin was a bit more than Thomas would have called a cabin. For one thing, when they drove up, he thought for a second he was delirious and had just jumped into a post card. The thing was huge with a wrap-around porch, lattice work base, and a screened in porch in the back. Not only was it complete with a stone chimney on the right side, a separate two car garage sat a few yards away.  
    "You're not like…rich or something, are you?" He leaned into the windshield to look at the cabin through the falling snow.  
    "Not rich." Cecelia reached under her seat and grabbed her gun. "Stay here."  
    "You don't—"  
    She put her finger on his lips. Thomas felt the touch in all the right places at just the wrong time. He also had to fight his urge to take that finger into his mouth, as well as pull her to him. Their current situation hadn't escaped him. He was about to spend the night, if not more pending the weather, in a cabin in the woods, with the most beautiful and intelligent woman he'd ever met.  
    Cecelia removed her finger, got out of the truck and carefully ascended the five steps to the porch. Thomas watched as she pressed a panel to the right of the door, put a key in the knob, then went inside. The only sound was his breathing. Snow was silent—that's what made it so scary sometimes.  
    Lights came on from the inside, then the porch light, then floodlights.  
    Thomas released a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding and opened the passenger door as Cecelia bounded out of the house and came around to help him out. "I'm not hurt that bad."  
    "You haven't see you in the mirror, Mr. Carr." She once again pushed her shoulder under his un-injured shoulder and helped him to the door. He had no idea why he was so shaky or weak feeling. The idea of soaking in a hot jacuzzi was a great idea—but was he going to be able