OVER THE RIVER AND THOUGH THE WOODS

When a sensible, responsible young woman behaves so irrationally as to throw caution to the wind, and then contemplates defying her own father and disregarding her responsibilities, she questions her own character.

Even more disturbing, when this sweet, well-behaved daughter impulsively does things with a complete stranger that she has never even fantasized doing with any of her former lovers, she panics.

She doesn’t understand what could cause such an abrupt and dramatic change in herself.

But we do. It’s…the Right Man. 

Meredith Stanford Chilton gripped the steering wheel of her little Saab, swiping at tears that wouldn’t stop as she navigated the winding road to the small cottage nestled in the woods.

The summer rain poured so heavily her windshield wipers couldn’t keep up. No sane person would have been out on a night like this. As if to confirm her conviction, a pound of thunder rocked the sky and streaks of lightning flashed.

But she had to get to her grandmother’s house. Meredith knew that what her father had told her today just couldn’t be true. Her grandmother would never have allowed it.

Up ahead, a warm glow of light peeked through the trees. Although it was late, the small kitchen was lit in welcome. Knowing that her grandmother was still up, maybe having just finished working at her pottery wheel, gave Meredith comfort. Her best childhood memories were here with her Bohemian grandmother, away from the pressures of being the only child of a long line of blue bloods, the direct heir to the Chilton fortune. Even now, Meredith often escaped to her grandmother’s to write her children’s books.

Her front wheel caught in the mud. No matter. She donned her red-hooded slicker, leaving her keys in the ignition and her purse on the seat beside her, and made a dash for the porch, when she remembered the small basket of goodies she’d brought. It was the only stop she had made after the emergency board meeting this afternoon that her father had asked her to attend. Having never been involved in the family business, the request had seemed odd. Meredith hadn’t known how unusual until she arrived to discover she was the item on the agenda–the only item. Less than a half-hour later she had run out, leaving the entire board of directors, all her aunts and uncles, with their mouths agape.

She was sure they’d never seen her so...unladylike. Little, sweet, well-behaved Meredith had shaken with disbelief and then, when they wouldn’t see reason, burst into tears right before their eyes. The shock of it must have been great. What Meredith had wanted to do was reprimand them for their reprehensible behavior and insist that they select someone else for the dirty deed. As in one of her low-life slacker cousins or the youngest aunt who’d been living off the family spoils for decades without ever having contributed a thing. Meredith felt a bit uncomfortable with her uncharitable thoughts, but she was just so mad. She thought again. Then gave a self-depreciating laugh. Meredith mad? Never.

Fresh tears sprang to her eyes as she reached into her car to retrieve the small basket of treats. She pulled her hood back up over her head even though by now she was soaked to the bone. Her strawberry-blonde hair had kinked up into tight ringlets, making it so she resembled a leprechaun, and her cotton sundress was plastered to her nipples.

As soon as she reached the porch, she flung open the door. "Grandmother?" she called out, then stopped in her tracks by what she saw.

"Who are you?" she breathed, sure he was an aberration. She pushed off her hood, letting it fall to her shoulders, as she stared at the tall dark bare-chested man standing before her.

She should have been wary of finding a stranger in her grandmother’s house deep in the woods, but he was far too gorgeous for her to fully concentrate. Long glossy waves of hair fell in a wild tumble to his shoulders, and his muscled chest glistened with sweat. When he shifted his weight, his Levis slipped low on narrow hips. Her eyes drifted to the faded fabric that clung to hard muscled thighs. With great effort, she dragged her eyes away from the bulge so nicely displayed between them and then noticed the wrench he wielded in one hand. The sink doors stood ajar.

"You’re a repair man?

His eyes dropped down her dripping length as she puddled water onto the floor.

She shrugged out of her raincoat and draped it over a chair. She should have called before coming up here, but it was unusual for her grandmother to go anywhere, other than an occasional art festival. She gave him a questioning look.

He inhaled a slow breath, his eyes moving over her face. "I think I’m the Big Bad Wolf."

She gave a little start. "Where is my grandmother?" She frowned, following the path of his eyes. She flushed with embarrassment when she realized his gaze was fixed boldly on the wet front of her sundress. The thin fabric hugged her braless form. She quickly snatched the red-checkered napkin draping the basket and attempted to cover her D-cup breasts. From the look in his dark eyes, she was sure he had seen the outline of her nipples through the light-colored cotton. The alarm she should have experienced was superseded by a shocking rush of arousal. She swallowed a startled breath at the sweet throbbing that settled between her thighs and sent a shiver up her spine.

He moved closer, licking his lips as he did, until he towered above her, leaving barely a foot to separate them. He smelled of delicious, dark, musky male. His nostrils flared. "Oh, yeah," he said, his voice deep and low, his eyes heavy lidded. "I’m definitely the big bad wolf."