Slim To None (Cedar Tree #1) Read online

  SLIM TO NONE

  (Cedar Tree, Book One)

  Copyright © 2014 Margreet Asselbergs as Freya Barker

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or by other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the author or publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in used critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses as permitted by copyright law. For permission requests, write to the author, mentioning in the subject line:

  "Reproduction Request” at the address below:

  [email protected]

  This book is a work of fiction and any resemblance to any person or persons, living or dead, any event, occurrence, or incident is purely coincidental. The characters and story lines are created and thought up from the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.

  Cover Design:

  Rebel Edit & Design, http://www.rebeleditdesign.com

  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  Copyright Page

  Slim To None (Cedar Tree Series, #1)

  Acknowledgements

  Table Of Contents

  Prologue

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Epilogue

  THE END

  To Linda, my 'twin',

  who made me fall in love with Colorado,

  and reminds me to appreciate the 'smaller' things in life.

  Who cares for many,

  but allows only few to care for her.

  Who is the strictest of taskmasters

  but encourages everything I undertake.

  Who is one of the smartest women I know

  and still remains the salt of the earth.

  Who is my best friend.....

  Acknowledgements

  There are a great many people I owe thanks to. Many of whom I have met through the incredibly tight and welcoming world of Indie writers and bloggers.

  First and foremost I have to thank my family; my hubs and all our combined kids for putting up with my cranky self when I didn't want to be disturbed and was too preoccupied to move from behind my iPad to listen to your stories or cook a decent meal.

  To Gina Sorelle, who showed me that writing about 'less than perfect' people was not only possible, it could be beautiful and exquisite. Gina, you are a treasure and an example.

  To Debra Kayn, without whose encouragement I wouldn't have put the first word on paper. Debra, you are a consummate professional and a dear friend.

  To Brook Greene for the best line ever!! It fit Arlene perfectly! Muah!

  To an amazing group of authors who have encouraged, pushed, corrected and supported when I needed it. Elle Raven, Brook Greene, Jaci J. and Ava Manello. Ladies, having you at my back has been priceless. I would have truly been lost without you!!

  To my beta-readers Linda, Deb, Bonnie, Helen, Kim and especially Catherine; I asked you to give it to me straight, since I prefer it honest and without frills, and you did. I can't tell you how much I appreciate that! You are the best!!

  And last but most definitely not least, a very heartfelt and special thanks goes out to Dana Hook. She has become an amazing friend, a great colleague and a wonderful editor. She demands the best and delivers it!

  The loudest mouth - the biggest heart - the sweetest smile. I love you tons!

  Table Of Contents

  Prologue

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Epilogue

  Prologue

  "Hello?"

  "Hey, you ..." She heard a deep sleepy man's voice.

  "Uhm ...hi? Do I know you?" She asked.

  No clue who this person was, Emma's mind was frantically going through its databanks, trying to sort through files to find a matching sexy, dark sounding voice, but ...nothing. She had no clue as to who she was talking to, but he sure sounded good, even from those two raspy words.

  "Sure you know me, babe ..."

  "Erm, nooo... actually, I really don't. I think you may have a wrong number... Who are you trying to call?"

  "My friend Katie," he said, sounding a little more awake now, "but now I think I'd rather talk to you..."

  She couldn’t help the snort that escaped her. Seriously? Maybe fifteen years ago, but now? Being middle-aged, probably wearing the same damn thing she wore yesterday - she can't even remember. Barely able to get one foot in front of the other, having a body that long ago had given up on her; fighting an ongoing battle with gravity, and proudly hosts the battle scars of pregnancy, surgeries, illness...yeah right! It wasn't pretty, so she needed to set him straight.

  "You don't want to talk to me, trust me."

  "Oh, but I do. You sound so fucking sexy..."

  OMG. He is delusional! And he just growled that out... In her ear, over the phone. She didn't even know this guy, but he still he had her all flustered. Emma was starting to have a little freak out. Should she hang up? Play along? No, she should definitely hang up... shouldn't she? More than a small part of her was intrigued. Shit like this didn't happen to someone like her, to anyone, really; Ever.

  She tried, "Listen... what's your name?"

  "Why is that important right now? Don't you enjoy the mystery of this little chat?" He chuckled. A nice deep vibration rumbled over the line.

  "Okay, fine. Listen, you truly don't want to talk to me; believe me. If you knew who you were talking to, you'd be off the phone in a heartbeat. I'm forty-seven years old, have an adult daughter, and by the sounds of you, you –”

  "I'm what? I don't care how old you are, you have an amazing voice. Besides, you have no idea what I like or don't like. Your voice is sexy as hell, and you already have me hard has a rock here."

  A puff of air left her mouth as it fell open and a hot flush reached up to her hairline. It was unbelievable that this guy was actually turning her on. Knowing that continuing a conversation like this with a total stranger, she was playing with fire. It had Emma's imagination going in all kinds of kinky directions, thanks to her well-hidden addiction to those delicious smut romance books.


  His deep voice cut in, "Let me tell you what I want to do to you. I want to slide my hand down your body, feel your soft skin, and dip my fingertips inside your panties... Are you wearing panties?"

  She swallowed, starting to breathe a little harder now. She couldn't help but clench her thighs; not quite sure whether it is was to stop the tingling or increase the friction.

  Finally, she answered him, "...um...yeah?"

  "Do you shave?"

  Fuck... seriously? Was she seriously going to do this? Talk dirty on the phone with... well, whoever the hell he was? She was wet already. Damn. However, it could be worth it, "...yes, bare."

  He groaned out, "Fuuuck, that's so sexy. I want to lick your bare pussy, trace your lips until I find your clit, and rub my face between your legs, then I’m going to sink my tongue deep inside you, to really taste you. Christ, I want to devour you; have your juices all over my face."

  His irregular breathing was obvious over the phone... Christ, was he...

  "Are you jacking off?" Leave it to her to state the obvious.

  "Sooo good, baby. I bet you taste so good. I'm sliding two fingers in your pussy, pumping you while my lips and tongue play with your clit. Jesus, you are so wet for me. I want you to touch yourself for me."

  Beet-red and panting, both mortified and hungry for release, Emma couldn't recall ever being this turned on. This man's dirty-talk was doing a number on her; had her primed and ready with just the sound of his voice... she had already been close to coming.

  With a quick peek around, just making sure that no one could see her, she let her free hand slide down between her slick labia, and then, just like that, with barely a need to touch herself, an embarrassing squeal escaped as Emma experienced the first real intense orgasm she'd had in decades.

  On the other side of the line, the voice could be heard groaning loudly... then nothing. Just two people breathing heavy over the phone.

  Suddenly, intensely mortified at the decidedly unconventional situation, and how she completely let herself go with a stranger, Emma quickly mumbled,

  "Sorry, I ...I've gotta go," and finally hung up the phone. Flushed, and more than a little shaky, she grabbed her cane to make her way to the kitchen. She desperately needed a cup of coffee for fortification, and some semblance of normalcy while trying to make sense of what the fuck just happened... Holy hell.

  *****

  Fuck me! Talk about intense. That had to be the strangest, and hottest telephone conversation he'd ever had. He sunk back on to the rickety motel bed where he was staying for the night. He needed to take five minutes to catch his breath after that surprising, mind-blowing orgasm. He had to be up and out soon to meet with Joe Morris, his contact at the Montezuma County Sheriff’s Department.

  What the hell number had he just called? It just dawned on him that he got the relief he was looking for, but it sure as hell hadn't been Katie on the other end. Katie was always convenient in a pinch, but neither of them had any expectations; never had, never would; just friends with benefits who would scratch each others itch every now and then. His work didn't really allow for anything more involved, and even if it did, Katie wouldn't really be in the running. She liked playing things loose, but she served his needs... for now.

  Just as he was about to roll out of bed and hop in the shower, the phone rang.

  "Flemming."

  "Hey Gus, it's Joe. Did you get any hits yet?"

  "Joe, I was just about to have a shower and then call you. Yes, one of my guys were able to pull an IP address off Corbin's server yesterday, and traced it to an account in Cedar Tree; Just got the number last night," and that’s when it hits him. The number he had accidentally dialed this morning... it was the number he wrote down last night, the one his computer guy, Neil, called in. Shit, that was not smart. Still groggy this morning, he must have dialed the last number he memorized by mistake − His lead. Damn, it was a woman, a sexy one at that, if her voice was anything to go by. He knew he’d better tread carefully, or he could blow this case.

  "Hey buddy, you still there?"

  "Shit, sorry Joe, yeah... just thinking over some details. I think I'm going to move very carefully with this lead. Corbin has kept a step ahead of us since skipping bail, and so he’s probably waiting for us to pick up on this lead. They're either working with him, or they could be in danger if he thinks we are close. Either way, we can't just barge in."

  "Which is your job, Gus. You know we don't have the manpower, the resources, or the patience to finesse a case like this, but we need our hands on Corbin before he ties up all his loose ends and disappears completely on us."

  Chapter 1

  "Em, you in here?" The door slammed open as Arlene made her usual noisy entrance.

  "Kitchen." she hollered back, neither one of them skimping on their volume. No need, since Emma lived a little off the beaten path, just outside Cedar Tree, Colorado. A mere blip on the map as it was, and she still found a dead end dirt road to live on. She liked her privacy, that was to say, as long as there were pretty views to look at, and boy, they didn't come much prettier than the ones here. The back of the house - cottage probably being more appropriate since it was definitely a one-person deal - looked in the direction of Mesa Verde. There were mountains in the distance all the way around. Fragrant sage brush and yucca dotted the front of the house with a wrap around porch to enjoy it all from. Everything was on one level, with a hallway from the front, all the way to the kitchen in the back. Down the middle were the bedroom, a tiny storage closet, and bathroom on the right. To the left of the hallway was the living space. It included a sitting room, a workspace, and a dining area opening up to the kitchen with a counter and stools; all was easily accessible.

  Two months ago, Emma moved to Cedar Tree to finally get away from the big city, where the speed of life had finally gotten to her, along with the stench, bricks, and steel that were everywhere you looked. With her daughter, Kara, grown up and settled, there really wasn't much holding her back. It had been a long time since she had made a choice based on what it was she wanted after a lifetime of putting other people's needs first. What Emma wanted was to move closer to her best friend in the whole world, Arlene Bowers.

  Arlene owned and ran the diner in Cedar Tree. They met in an online support group a few years back, and they just clicked. When Emma received a settlement a few years ago, she managed to visit Arlene, and got her first taste of the Four Corners area of Colorado... She was sold. She absolutely loved the area and Arlene instantly, and vowed that if ever given the chance, she'd pack up and move there.

  So here there she was, a trailer load and a week's worth of driving. After about two months of settling in, she had her bestie hollering down the hallway.

  "Em, I picked up your mail for you since I was in town."

  "Thanks, hon. Put it down on the counter, I'll get to it in a bit. You want some coffee? Just made it fresh."

  "Yeah, I have time for a cup, but remind me to haul the groceries in that I have in the back of the truck for you. Went into Cortez for supplies and picked up some good deals; I thought you could use a few things."

  "Wish you would have told me, Arlene, I would have come with you. I wanted to head in to send a package through FedEx to Kara so it would get there in time for her birthday."

  "Why don't you let me bring it into the post office here?" Arlene asked.

  Emma snorted, "Seriously? You do remember how long it took for your packages to get to me whenever you sent something, right? Wasn't it you who told me your post office was like the Bermuda Triangle? Some things were never seen again? No thanks, I'll play it safe."

  Arlene shrugged. "Fine, I'll be going again in a few days so I'll give you a heads up. You don't want to go in by yourself?"

  Emma hesitated, not sure if she should tell her or not.

  "Well, it's just... the last few weeks, the few times I've gone into Cortez for my appointments, I got this uncomfortable feeling."

  Arlene's eyebrows shot up.
"What do you mean, uncomfortable? You don't feel safe driving anymore? Do you need to see a neurologist again?"

  "God, no, nothing like that woman. What I mean is that I keep seeing the same truck every time I pull out onto the 160, into Cortez. At least, I think I do. It just seems to be sitting in that emergency stop area, just at the junction where County Road G hits the highway, and I always see it again when I get into Cortez."

  "Are you serious?" Arlene looked over, slightly concerned. "That's just creepy. How are you so sure it's the same truck? Never mind, that's a stupid question; forgot for a minute I'm asking Miss Hawkeye here, the only person I know who can spot wildlife three miles away with the naked eye."

  "Oh, haha, very funny Arlene. Just because you're blind as a bat and can't spot a bear unless you trip over it...” She took a moment to recall its description. “It's a pretty new and expensive looking truck, nothing like the kind of rust buckets you usually see on the road here, and eh...." she shrugged her shoulders, not really wanting to go into the bizarre phone conversation she had a few weeks ago.

  "Spill," Arlene barked out. "I can tell you're sitting on something; you're squirming in your seat, so just spit it the hell out - you know you can tell me anything. For shit's sake, you know more about me than is healthy."

  Emma couldn't help but burst out laughing. Arlene could be funny when she tried to be firm; one of the reasons they got along so well. She tried to be all badass, and Emma seemed to be the only one who laughed instead of cowered. Arlene pretended to be pissed off when Emma was not impressed, but secretly, she probably loved that Emma wouldn't intimidate so easily.

  "Fine, I'll tell you.... Geeze woman, chill." Emma took a deep breath.

  "About two weeks ago I answered the phone to, what I know now was, a wrong number dialed, except the guy on the line didn't hang up."

  "What do you mean, he didn't hang up?" Arlene piped up.

  "Well, we kind of started talking and ended up... well he started.... I mean... Okay. The deal is, I had phone sex with a complete stranger." She blurted out. With eyes shut tight, Emma couldn't look at Arlene. She was fully expecting a good scolding, but she was met with silence.