One Black Rose Read online

  One Black Rose

  (One Black Rose, Book I)

  by

  Maddy Edwards

  Copyright ? 2011 by Maddy Edwards

  Cover art ? K. C. Designs

  This novel is a work of fiction in which names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to real persons, places, or events is completely coincidental.

  Thank you for downloading this ebook. This book remains the copyrighted property of

  the author, and may not be redistributed to others for commercial or non-commercial

  purposes. If you enjoyed this book, please encourage your friends to download their own

  copy from their favorite authorized retailer. Thank you for your support.

  My blog: https://maddyedwards.blogspot.com/

  My Goodreads page: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5288585.Maddy_Edwards

  My Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Maddy-Edwards/329001650447436

  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Books by Maddy Edwards

  Connect with Maddy

  Chapter One

  As soon as I was off the plane I called Carley. The phone rang and rang, but she didn't answer. It was typical of Carley not to answer her phone, especially when it was an emergency. I tried calling her two more times, but she still didn't answer. Finally I gave up.

  Frustrated, I hit the number on my cell to dial my mom.

  "Hi, honey," said my mom's light voice. She talked fast, as if she were always in a rush. "Did you get in alright?"

  "Three hours late," I told her as I walked through the airport. "I can't find Carley."

  At least I was dressed casually. Whoever had invented the phrase "Always look your best because you never know who you might run into" wasn't thinking of me when I traveled. I hate flying, and when I do fly I want to be comfortable. On this occasion I was wearing a hoodie and cotton comfy pants.

  "Did she leave?" my mom demanded indignantly.

  "I don't know," I said. I was making my way out of the airport because I thought Carley might be waiting for me outside. I could see out the window that the weather looked gorgeous. "She either left or she never showed up."

  "You're staying with her for the summer. It would be ridiculous if she never showed up," said my mom. Even over the phone I could tell she thought Carley was exasperating.

  I had a horrible thought that something might have happened to Carley. "Mom, what if she's not okay?" I asked.

  "She's fine," my mom scoffed. "And if she isn't, you'll just have to spend your summer here at home!"

  "Don't threaten me," I said. I loved my parents, but I was sixteen and I had been looking forward to spending the summer away from home for months. My life was boring. Most of my friends were traveling or at summer camps anyway, so I was glad to get away. Plus, my parents had a lot of stuff to figure out and it was probably better that I wasn't there while they did it.

  Outside now, I looked around for any sign of Carley, or a cab, but I didn't see either. I was alone with nothing but a salty breeze and an airport worker who was high up on some sort of electric platform trying to fix a light. I'd been left to starve by the girl who was supposed to be my best friend.

  "Is there a cab?" Mom asked. Static crackled over the line, making it hard to hear.

  "No, there's nothing," I said, looking around hopelessly.

  "Oh, well, Carley will come soon. Make sure you thank her mother again. Do you have the jam I gave you to give her?"

  "Yeah." I squinted into the sun. In the distance I thought I heard a car coming.

  "Is that all you have to say?"

  "Yeah," I said. My mother had a way of always making me think I forgot something. "I should probably call Carley again."

  "Alright, be safe. Take a cab if you have to."

  "I'm not sure there are lots of cabs in Maine, Mom. It's not New York," I said. I was so busy talking on the phone and keeping an eye out for Carley that I almost bumped into someone as I walked along in front of the terminal. I was too distracted to do anything but nod a vague apology and keep walking.

  After I hung up I called Carley twice more. She didn't pick up, and she wasn't answering my texts, either.

  I glared at my phone. Somehow, blaming an inanimate object because my friend had deserted me and blown me off made me feel better. I wondered what the hell would happen to me if Carley never called me back and cabs didn't exist in Maine. I had an image of hauling my suitcase through the Maine wilderness searching for water.

  Suddenly, I heard a screech of tires and a car shot into view. A blond-haired guy jumped out of a gorgeous BMW, and with a shock I realized that he was racing right at me. Just before he slammed into me, I felt time stop.

  My brown eyes were locked on his green ones, but he wasn't looking at me, he was looking over my head. Mouth gaping, I craned my neck upward. Falling toward me was the airport guy who had been fixing the light. Somehow he had fallen off the platform and was about to land right on my head. I started to scream.

  The next second, Blond-Hair was no longer in front of the guy and he was no longer falling on my head.

  Everything had happened in an instant. I stared around. The blond-haired guy was helping the airport worker to his feet.

  "Thanks, man," said the airport worker. "Don't know how I tripped."

  "No problem," said the blond-haired guy with a bemused look as the man wandered off as if nothing had happened.

  Then Blond-Hair looked at me, and I felt chills ripple up and down my arms.

  "Hi," he said, smiling.

  Dismay washed over me. Note to self, whoever said that you should always look your best because you never knew who you're going to run into might be right after all.

  I looked over my shoulder, checking to see who he was talking to. When I looked back he was grinning.

  "Yeah, I said that to you," he said, pointing at me.

  "Oh," I said awkwardly, feeling my face start to burn. "What just happened?"

  A frown crossed his face, his perfectly shaped eyebrows arching over his warm green eyes. "What are you talking about?"

  "You just raced up here in your car . . . and . . . and you caught him," or something. Now that I had actually said it I realized I sounded crazy, but I was sure that's what had happened.

  He tried to look casual, but underneath I could see that he was uncomfortable. "I'm not sure what you mean. Maybe you're mistaken."

  "It's been a long day," I admitted. I hated flying, and apparently my best friend didn't care if I lived or died. But although I was absolutely certain I was right, Blond-Hair didn't want to talk about it, and I was just too tired to insist.

  "I'm Holt," he said. I was surprised when he sat down on the bench next to me.

  "Autumn. Thanks for saving my life," I told him seriously. Somehow I knew that's what he'd just done. I expected him to offer to shake my hand, since his introduction had been oddly formal, but he made no move to touch me.

  Instead of replying he said, "So, what brings you to Maine?"

  I shrugged. "I heard its Vacationlan
d."

  He grinned again. It lit up his whole face. "It's even on the license plates!"

  I laughed. "So it must be true. I came to stay with my friend Carley for the summer."

  Holt made a show of looking around. "And where is your friend Carley?"

  I rolled my eyes. "I don't know. My plane was late and I'm worried she might have left or never showed up to begin with."

  "So, she's a very loyal and dedicated friend," he said drily.

  "Carley's Carley," I said, as if that explained everything. "She might have had to work or something."

  "Where does she work?"

  "At a caf? in Castleton called UP UP and Away." I wondered why he cared about where my friend worked.

  Holt gave a start. "Really? You're staying there for the summer? That's where I live."

  "In the caf??" I asked, confused.

  "Um, no, in Castleton," said Holt, laughing.

  "Oh, right," I said. "Maybe that guy actually did hit me in the head." I felt like I was losing brain cells by the minute. My mind was a steel sieve.

  I didn't know what to say next, so I just sat there and tried as hard as I could to stop doing anything awkward or embarrassing. I had a long and storied history of embarrassing myself in front of cute guys, and I was determined to turn it around this summer, even if Carley had started off by stranding me at the airport.

  Just then a group of girls came out of the airport and stood a few feet away from us, checking Holt out. Two of them were whispering to each other and giggling while they looked his way. Out of the corner of my eye I tried to see his reaction, but he gave no sign of noticing.

  "Do you want a ride?" he asked.

  "Huh?"

  "Your friend ditched you. Do you want a ride to Castleton? My car's right there," he said, pointing to the shiny silver BMW. I didn't know anything about cars. The only reason I knew it was a BMW was because there were the letters right on the front: B - M - W. If it had been a Ferrari or something I would have called it "that nice shiny car."

  "Um, sure, thanks. Let me just try calling her one more time." I knew it was silly, though. I'd already tried a million times and she didn't care. If she were going to answer her phone she would have called me back by now.

  Holt knew that I was just stalling, but he humored me by getting up and calling someone himself.

  After Carley didn't answer again I headed for his car. Before I'd even gotten there he had opened the door. I knew getting into a stranger's car would normally be crazy, but Holt had saved my life, so I figured he wasn't going to kill me now.

  "Thanks," I said, slipping into the front seat. While he walked around to the driver's side door I quickly scanned the car, but I didn't see knives or guns or anything that should tip me off to jump out and run away screaming.

  As Holt was starting the engine he said, "So, what brings you to Castleton this summer?"

  I got more comfortable in my seat and said, "I'm staying with Carley. We used to go to the same school before she moved away."

  Holt nodded. "It's a great place to be."

  "Do you live here year-round?" I asked, watching as trees flew past the windows.

  "Just in the summer," he said. There was something guarded about him, but I wasn't sure what it was since he was being so nice. He obviously wasn't going to volunteer anything. I'd just have to ask a lot of questions.

  "Do you know Carley?" I wanted to know.

  "Nope," said Holt. "I haven't actually met a lot of the people around Castleton."

  "Why not?" I asked. Since he had answered all of my other questions I expected him to answer this one as well, but he avoided it.

  "Do you see that building there?" He pointed to a red brick building on the passenger side of the car. "It's the best pizza place ever."

  "What's it like?" I asked, looking at the brick building until it was out of sight.

  "It's Italian," he said. "It's great." There was a pause. Then he said casually, "We should go sometime."

  I looked at him sharply, but his face was placid. I couldn't tell if he had just asked me out or not.

  Since I couldn't think of anything to talk about I said, "Did you notice those girls staring at you?"

  "What girls?" he asked. I wasn't sure if he said that to act like he hadn't seen them gaping at him or if he genuinely had no idea that a bunch of cute girls outside the airport had thought he was hot.

  "The ones who thought you were cute."

  "Oh, and who were mad at you for getting into the car with me?" he asked knowingly. "Yeah, I saw them."

  "So, they thought you were cute. Why didn't you offer to give one of them a ride home?" I persisted. I wasn't sure what was making me do this, but I was trying to understand why a perfect stranger had suddenly decided to help me out so much. "You've saved my life today and now you're driving me home. Why?"

  He gave me a big smile.

  "You like explanations?" he asked.

  "I just think it's weird," I said. Plus, he owed me some answers.

  "I liked that you were so relaxed about what happened earlier," he said finally, his eyes on the road.

  "What do you mean?" I asked. What I didn't want to tell him was that I wanted to know why he had bypassed a bunch of pretty-looking girls, all of whom had spent some time getting dressed that morning, for me, who looked like I had just rolled out of bed and left the house, because I had. The next time I fly I promise to put on a pair of jeans, I thought fiercely.

  "With the guy falling," he said. "You didn't make a big deal about it. Most girls would have been all over me thanking me, but you just sort of shrugged it off."

  So, Holt thought I had acted cool. There really is a first time for everything. But I wasn't the type of girl who would get all over a guy, particularly one I didn't know. In fact, I wasn't the type of girl who would get all over a guy I did know, as evidenced by the fact that I'd never had a serious boyfriend and didn't go to parties and hook up.

  "Does that make sense?" he asked finally, when I just sat in silence.

  "Yeah," I said. I could easily see how girls would fall for him. He was very attractive and even more so when he smiled, but it wasn't just that. There was something else about him. Those girls had walked outside and it was like they couldn't help but stare. "I guess."

  Before he could say anything else my phone rang. I checked the screen as Miss MIA herself Carley's name popped up.

  "Hey," I said, looking over at Holt as I answered. I tried to remind myself that she might not have been blowing me off. She might be lying injured in a hospital bed somewhere. I couldn't be mad yet.

  "SO sorry," she said. "I totally just fell asleep."

  "You fell asleep?" I asked, trying to keep the incredulity out of my voice.

  "I had a really long day yesterday," Carley said defensively. "Where are you?"

  "I'm in a car on the way to your place," I told her, looking away from Holt because he had started to laugh and I didn't want to start as well. I sucked at confrontation and I knew I wasn't going to tell Carley off for leaving me at the airport.

  "I'm SO glad you got a cab," she said with relief. "I would have felt awful if you were just waiting there for me."

  I should have corrected her about the cab, but I didn't. I wasn't sure how to explain Holt anyway.

  "I can't wait to see you!" she said excitedly. I knew by the quick way she said it that she wanted to get off the phone. Carley was bored easily. Once she had heard that I was alright, and more importantly that she wouldn't have to do anything, but could just lie on the couch and I would materialize, she was done with the conversation.

  "See you soon," I said.

  "Bye!"

  I hung up and rolled my eyes.

  "So, that was Carley?" said Holt drily.

  "She can't wait to see me," I informed him.

  Holt laughed, relaxing back into his seat and holding the steering wheel with one hand. "I'm sure she can't."

  I felt awkward and didn't know what
to say next. Whenever I feel like that I shift the conversation to the other person. "So, back to why you offered to give me a ride," I said, still feeling like he hadn't answered my question.

  "Because you were relaxed," he insisted. "You didn't make a big fuss. You didn't stare."

  I realized with a start that he was used to girls staring, so the fact that I hadn't had surprised him.

  "I didn't know ignoring guys actually got them more interested," I muttered.

  "What did you say?" he asked.

  "Nothing," I said quickly.

  He shook his head at me, and that was the end of that topic.

  It was about half an hour's drive to Carley's and we talked the whole time, mostly about summer and food, two of my favorite things. We both loved food and agreed that we would try anything once. We talked about food we liked and restaurants we loved. I quickly realized that he knew a lot more and had been to a lot more places to eat. He talked knowledgeably about wines and different types of cheeses. I LOVE cheese, but I have only a bit of basic knowledge: cheddar is yummy and Swiss is addicting. Whereas Holt went into great detail about cheeses I had never heard of - like brie de Melun, Beaufort, and Abondance - telling me about their origins and how they were made. I realized that it would be a lot of fun to eat a meal with him.

  He asked a lot of questions about me and steered clear of questions about himself. At first I liked that he took such an interest in me and my life instead of boasting about all the cool things he did, but eventually I wanted to hear something about him.

  "So, you don't think saving my life the way you did and then giving me a ride is at all odd?" I asked.

  Holt glanced over at me. "Listen, Autumn, I didn't save your life. I don't know what you think you saw, but the guy tripped and I caught him. That's all. He was never going to hit you."

  I stared at him. That wasn't what had happened at all. One second the guy had been falling toward me and the next second he hadn't, and it was thanks to Holt. I knew that in my bones. Holt just wouldn't admit it, and I wanted to know why.

  "Are you serious?" I asked, crossing my arms over my chest.

  I saw frustration and exasperation in his gaze, but also a little bit of pleading.

  "Alright," I said. "I don't know why you won't just tell me, but I'll forget about it." For now.

  There was something very odd about Holt. Maybe Carley knew something about him; I'd ask her once I finally saw her. Castleton was a small town; she had to at least know someone who knew him.

  When we got to Carley's house Holt got out of the car and started to help me with my luggage. "Thanks again," I said, taking my suitcase from him.

  "No problem," he said.

  "So, am I going to see you around town?" I asked. He hadn't said anything else about getting pizza, but I knew I wanted to see him again.

  "Definitely," he said, smiling.

  The front door of Carley's house banged open and my errant friend came bounding down the steps. She had long blond hair and plump cheeks, which turned a bright red when she smiled.

  As soon as she saw Holt she skidded to a stop.

  To my complete astonishment she screamed, "OH NO, not you!"