Raven Davis

Casey Jones

Jessica McCarty

Nathan

Colton

“Really? What are the fucking odds a nail in the middle of nowhere would flatten my tired,” Casey Jones growled out and kicked the deflated back tire of her green jeep wrangler. She ran a hand through her auburn curls and leaned up against the side of the cold car.

“It’s okay Case, could be a lot worse. You could have just driven us off the mountain,” a blonde woman joked, getting out from the passenger side and slamming the door close. With her own investigation she walked around the car, her light footsteps crunching in the snow and looked at the flat tire; somehow a pretty big hole had ripped through the black rubber. Casey glared over at the blonde.

“Shut it Jessi,” she said dismissively.

“Ladies! Calm down,” both women looked up the dark road and spotted their daring friend walking back towards them. “Well I jogged up the road a ways but found nothing. No houses, no gas stations. We might be in a pickle…”

“Just great!” Casey howled and stormed over to the driver’s door and got in. For a minute the other two women stood quiet and stared at their irritated friend. Being stuck on the side of the road in the snow at night wasn’t exactly how they planned to spend their last weeks of vacation.

“So now what Ray?” Jessica flipped her long hair out of the way and over her shoulder. She brought her up her arms and crossed them under her breasts waiting for an answer.

The darker woman, Raven Davis sighed heavily and rubbed the back of her neck thinking of a solution. There really wasn’t one though. The last time they saw a car was nearly two hours ago and the last town they passed was three hours. And being so deep in the woods meant no reception for their phones, so calling for help was out of the question.  Most likely they would have to wait till somebody came by.

“Come on,” Raven groaned in defeat and walked back to the jeep. They got back into the car and sat quietly.

“Well maybe we could walk,” Jessica brought up, taking a sip of her vitamin water.

“And die,” Casey finished rudely.

“Well at least I am trying to figure something out, instead of snapping at everyone,” Jessica sassed out in a heated huff and looked out her window.

“Okay no more fighting, it’s not helping,” Raven was getting tired of the bickering.

All three women were honestly best friends since high school. They did everything together from hiking unknown trails in the gorge to coast trips that usually ended up with drunken bonfires on the beach. Casey had established herself the leader of their little trio, being the most daring to do something crazy or spontaneous. She was a military brat but idolized her single mother Barbra Jones who was listed in the Navy. The Jones women were known for their bravery and hot tempers. Casey was tough, usually being the first to raise her fists instead of talking it out.

But Casey always could rely on Raven to back her up. Raven considered herself the trusty wingman. However as Casey usually did things on a whim, Raven would try and be the rational one so no one got hurt. Raven was the second and youngest child to Rocky and Kathy Davis two pastors from the south that had moved up to the Northwest to start their own church. Though Raven was a firm believer in the good Lord she didn’t follow her parents career choice for her; thus being deemed the black sheep of the family. She knew her parents still loved her nonetheless, but any ambitions she had besides serving God was unsupported.

And then there was Jessica. Jessica McCarty was a simple yet complicated woman. She loved one thing and one thing only. Men. While her two friends would look for the next outdoor activity to climb or swim through Jessica would be scooping for the local hotties. Didn’t matter where the three traveled to cause you could bet Jessica would flirt her way into various guys’ homes for a few “good” hours.

 “You are being stupid,” Raven reached up and tapped them both on the heads hard; they both cursed in unison. “We just need to be patient and someone will come by.”

And right on cue the headlights of a car flashed the car in the distance. They all squealed and rushed to get out of the car and stand on the side of the road. They shouted and waved their arms at the car getting closer to them and slowing down. Casey smiled excitedly at Raven before jogging up to the car.

Raven stood silent watching her friend walkover to the passenger side. The car was actually a black ford truck, occupied by what looked like two guys. She watched Casey lean forward and rest her jacket covered arms on the window and smile at them. The auburn haired girl quickly pointed to Raven and Jessica before continuing on the conversation.

“Think their cute,” Jessica asked, nudging Raven’s side playfully. Raven rolled her eyes and snorted.

“Really Jess?”

“What? Can’t I appreciate a good looking man?”

Raven laughed at her friends “innocent” question and shook her head, “I think you appreciate them a little too much.”

By then Casey was walking back towards them with a goofy grin on her face. She motioned for them to get close to her. When they gathered in a small circle Casey nearly moaned in delight.

“Oh my sweet Jesus they are so beautiful,” she swooned like a school girl. Jessica was the first to respond excitedly.

“Really! What do the look like?”

“Beautiful,” Casey started but couldn’t find the perfect words to finish.  “Just damn ass beautiful!”

Raven rolled her eyes at her friend’s lack of speech and laughed, “Well there you go. They are beautiful.”

“I want to see,” Jessica playfully whined and started walking over to the now parked truck behind their jeep. Raven watched the blonde sway her hips and power cat-walk over to them; typical Jessica.

“So what did they say,” the brown woman inquired turning her attention back to Casey. Casey opened the driver’s door and reached for her pink checkered duffle bag and handed it to Raven.

“They said the nearest gas station is back in the town we passed through. But I guess there is a snow storm coming over the mountain and the roads won’t be safe. So they offered for us to stay with them,” Casey reached back into the backseat again and grabbed the other two bags belonging to Jessica and Raven. “They say they got a shop at their place so they can fix the tire when the storm dies down.”

“So…we’re going with them?”

“Yep,” Casey grinned, switching Raven bags. It seemed she was just as excited as Jessica.

“Right now?”

“Right now.”

Approaching the car slowly Raven felt her heart beat start to quicken. The strangers had gotten out of the car to talk with Jessica. The blonde had set herself against the truck and was currently batting her thick lashes at them which they seemed to like. Only Jessica would be so forward. But Raven paid no attention to her flirtatious friend; her hazel eyes were glued on the newcomers. Even with it being dark she could see them as clear as day. Casey had been right…they were beautiful. Well handsome, like two models out of some contour lumberjack magazine. When she and Casey got close enough to them the two men stopped their conversation and looked directly at her.

Damn…Raven went stiff, somehow forgetting how to walk. A gorgeous pair of sea green eyes focused on her face. His dark brown hair was shaggy but not long enough to tie back. A strong, tight-trim bearded jaw line framed his face. High cheekbones, long straight nose; the man was way too handsome for his own good. A smile spread across his full lips, giving a quick flash of his white smile. He stepped forward and extended his large hand to Raven.

“The name’s Nathan.”

She knew his hand was there and she knew he was introducing himself but she couldn’t stop looking at him, or rather looking up at him. When the Adonis had stepped forward Raven got his full height. He was well over 6’4 making him almost a giant to her 5’6 petite frame.

Oh god…her mind wasn’t functioning with her body anymore; she couldn’t raise her arm or speak. His presence was overwhelming and arousing. The other man noticed Raven’s lack of response and stepped forward as well, bending over to grab her hand. Feeling her hand being lifted Raven looked at the short haired blonde, a grin on his handsome face. He seemed pleased by how she was reacting.

“I’m Colton,” his soft lips touched her knuckles. Feeling his lips on her skin sent a jolt to her already aching bud. She couldn’t believe she had grown wet from just their stares; she didn’t want to move her legs in fear he would smell her want. Embarrassed by her reaction to him, Raven pulled her hand out of his hold and back down to her side. She looked up at him noticing he was just as tall has the other. He stood confident, expanding his massive chest as he straightened his back.

He is dangerous…

“A little jumpy,” he joked and looked back at Nathan who only grinned. He whistled out a puff of air and headed back to the truck. “Come on ladies, storm ain’t gonna wait for us.”

Raven watched Casey and Jessica climb into the back of the truck and sighed. Something didn’t feel right about this situation, but seeing as they were their only option she buried her doubt and got in the truck.

The ride only took about twenty minutes. The truck had been steered down a gravel road further up the mountain and deeper into the woods. Nearly seven minutes of tires bumping over holes and gravel a large house came into view; it glowed in the night with all its windows. Pulling up to the side of the house the engine was cut and the two men got out.

“Bet you’re freezing,” Nathan’s voice husked behind Raven. She jumped slightly and whipped around to look him square in the eye. Big mistake. The man’s once beautiful green eyes were a dark jade, shadowed with hunger. Raven broke eye contact with him and cleared her throat.

“Yeah well snow isn’t really a trip to the beach.”

Nathan paused for a moment, she could tell he was thinking about what she had just said then burst into laughter. It was actually a lovely sound that sent butterflies into her stomach. When he calmed down from his laughing fit he reached over, brushing her side and grab her bag.

“You guys got here at the perfect time,” he walked up the few wooden steps and reached for the side porch’s door.

“Why,” Raven asked jumping down from the truck and followed behind him. Just then Colton breezed past her and walked up the steps. He stood next to Nathan and looked down at her grinning.

“Dinner time.”