North to Nowhere

Karbon stepped from her Uber with her jacket over her arm, her hair in a high ponytail, and wearing a long light grey sweater dress. She wore a massive smile before belting out the Sounds of Music theme song to match the cold air, mountain scenery, and pine trees. Penelope rushed out of the log cabin and dramatically walked across the deck, joining her friend in song. Janice and Stephan stood in the doorway, drinking coffee and rolling their eyes. The two women screamed in joy and hugged each other as they jumped around in a circle. The wind scattered their blonde and dark brown hair with highlights around their bodies.

Stephan chuckled. "Oh my God,"

Janice shook her head. Karbon Aarons was her daughter in her heart. She met the little chocolate drop on the first day of kindergarten. Her mother, Debra, had forgotten to pick her up. Janice and Pen waited an hour and a half for Debra to show up. And when she did, she gave no reason for her lateness. After the second time this happened, Janice suggested to Debra that Karbon go home with her and she would bring the child home when Debra called. Soon, Karbon was spending the night and many weeks at the Minzo house. Janice became Karbon's emergency contact. The school wanted to report Debra, but Janice said no, she would look after the child because that was what a mother did. And she did not wish Debra and Eli to take Karbon away from her family. Stephan taught Karbon and Pen how to drive, and Karbon thanked and praised them in her speech as Valedictorian. She did not mention her parents, although they showed up to bask in their daughter's accomplishments. The school knew who had raised and cared for the child. Now that Karbon was older, things were perfect. "Pen, your grandmother is still on the phone."

The two screaming women regained their composure. The Uber driver chuckled as he got Karbon's luggage.

"Ma, grandma talks so much. I need to show Karbon around this massive house."

Janice sipped her coffee and stared at her daughter. Pen groaned in anger. Karbon laughed. "I will wait for you." The two women walked up the steps and into the home. Stephan took Karbon's luggage and brought it inside. Pen sighed. "I will return in an hour,"

Karbon laughed again. Once their daughter disappeared around the corner. Janice and Stephan began hugging Karbon, and the three held each other as they jumped around in a circle.

Janice and Karbon giggled about all the trouble they would get into as they followed Stephan to Karbon's room. There were only two rooms on this side of the house.

Karbon raised an eyebrow. "Pen and I have this half of the home."

Janice smiled, holding a secret. "Uh huh,"

"Yes, " Karbon said, entering her beautiful, roomy bedroom. Stephen chuckled as his second daughter ran around the place like a three-year-old. She returned to them about a minute later with a cheesy smile on her supermodel's face. She should be in a magazine, but then she would deprive the students at college while seeking her master's in environmental engineering.

"We will let you settle, and Pen will return to bring you down for lunch."

"Okay," Karbon grabbed her luggage and ran into her bedroom, hearing Pen's parents chuckling.

Nico waited until his parents walked downstairs before leaving his bedroom next door. The cottage and the surrounding land were his, and he had invited his family here for vacation. Karbon's presence was an integral part of their desires after his parents talked about what kind of woman they wanted for a daughter-in-law and what type of woman Nico wanted for a wife. He was not creepy about his desires and never walked in on her when she was naked or snuck up on her. Nico came at Karbon straight on. She knew when he was there. Nico left no doubt. He also had his parents, sister, and grandma aiding him in his endeavor; although he did not need their help, he let them.

Nico watched her from the doorway as she lay her clothing on her king-sized bed. She was singing again. He loved the sound of her voice. Nico's eyes moved down her body, searching for a slit in her dress but not finding any. He knocked on the door frame.

Karbon smiled and turned. Nico stood there with wet, slicked-back, dirty blonde hair, wearing a tank top and biker shorts. He had finished his morning workout, and the sweat on his tall, muscular body confirmed it. His blue eyes captured her browns, refusing to let them turn away. He saw her breast heaving and her body trembling.

"Can I come in?" Nico's smooth voice wrapped around her body. Karbon heard a yes escape her lips. He slowly walked toward her. "I expected you later. I would have showered and dressed by then."

She stared into his blue eyes as he stood before her. Her belly tumbled with excitement and heat. She felt lightheaded and happy. Karbon closed her eyes to escape him, unable to move away. She felt him move closer. His body's heat and musky scent was like an aphrodisiac to her. His lips touched her ear. "Why are you, you here?"

Her cheek touched his, and a whimper escaped her. "My work ended early," he whispered.

"Oh,"

Nico breathed in her scent and closed his eyes. He was excited she was there. He planned to woo her with every part of his heart, mind, and body. "I just want to say it's nice to have you here."

"Thank you," She said, wanting him to touch her, but he would not. Nico slowly pulled away from her. Karbon opened her eyes when she felt his cheek leave hers. He stared down at her. "I'll be civil to you right now because I am dirty. But after the shower and a change of clothes,"

Karbon saw the serious look on his face as he looked her over. "I will be relentless in making you want me."

The doorbell rang. Stephan frowned as he walked toward it. He looked through the window. "What the fuck?" He opened the door and saw The Aarons and another family on his deck. He knew these people as the enemy of Karbon. They only came into her life when they could get something from her. "Can I help you?"

Debra glared at the dark-haired white man. "Where is Karbon?"

Stephan folded his arms across his chest. "You do know this is private property, right?"

Eli snickered. "I know she is here because you brainwashed her into thinking you took care of her and not her parents."

"I did care for her like my own from kindergarten until now. Can you leave my property? I can file an injunction. I am a lawyer."

Zachary Heni, a promising doctor, frowned. He was the only one in his family to enter the medical field. His father was the first black CEO of a major bank, and Eli Aarons was one of the company's area managers, and the two became friends. Talks about merging their families created the thought of Karbon marrying the handsome honey-colored Zachary. The wealth and excellent genes between the two families were the only things considered when the fathers decided the match. "We mean no harm. I want to meet my future wife."

Stephan's confused face made the Heni parents smile. "Can we come inside and talk about this," Lois asked.

Stephan regained his composure. "No, get off my property and don't return. I will call you when I discuss this with Karbon."

Debra frowned. "You will not take my daughter from me."

"You abandoned her. And when she became popular and sought after, you tried to force yourself back into her life, but she shut that door at 18 and never looked back." Stephan barked in Debra's face.

Lois Heni's face showed concern. She had heard something different from Debra about Karbon's absence from their home. She knew the woman was independent now, but Debra said she was a busy housewife when Karbon was little and that her daughter was her life.

Eli made a move toward Stephan, but Richard intervened. "We will wait for your call. I will give you my number, Mr. Minzo. Is that okay?"

Janice walked from the back study toward the south living room. She heard the front door close.

"We had a visitor." her smile was full of happiness.

Stephan frowned. "More like five devils,"

Janice became concerned. "What,"

"Debra and her gang somehow found out where Karbon was and came here to demand we give her to them like she was property. I don't know if they broke into her apartment or threatened someone, but the young man with them said Karbon was to be his wife."

"Bullshit!" Pen shouted.

Stephan and Janice were shocked to hear their daughter use that language in front of them. "Pen," Janice said, frowning.

"You know Karbon would never marry anyone that knew her parents. She has not talked with them or met them since she was 18. She has been with us, and she belongs in our family. They are liars and cheats and will do anything to steal Karbon's happiness."

Stephan hugged his daughter. "Don't worry. We won't let anything happen to her."

"Happen to who?" Karbon asked, watching the scene before her.

Karbon paced as Stephan told her what the interlopers at his door wanted.

"I swear they had to break into my apartment. I have not talked to them for four years!"

Pen paced opposite of Karbon. "They can't come here."

"But they will be in town and seek you out, Karbon, " Janice said.

Karbon threw her head back and groaned. "I haven't meant anything to Eli and Debra for 22 years."

Nico walked into the study and saw Karbon pacing. "Nico!" Pen walked over to her brother. "Derba is trying to make Karbon marry some man she never met."

The frown on his face made Karbon feel hot as he looked at her momentarily and then turned his gaze to his father. "Do you know his name?"

"No, but I have his father's number," Stephan said. Nico nodded. "We should set up a meeting sometime in the coming days."

Karbon approached Nico. "I want to go and look my mother in the eyes and tell her to go fuc,"

"Karbon!" Janice frowned. Pen smiled until her mother looked at her.

Karbon walked up the stairs toward her bedroom to rest and think about her parent's real motive for wanting her back. Karbon reached the top of the stairs as Nico walked toward her. He stood in her path wearing a fitted black T-shirt and jeans. He backed and let her walk by him and down the hallway as he followed her. Karbon closed her eyes as his hands held her hips and pulled her back to his body. His lips hovered over the skin on her neck. "I wish this dress had a slit. I want to touch you. You would let me, wouldn't you?'

Karbon grabbed onto his wrists to keep her balance. Her head swirled with the thought of him touching her skin.

Nico smiled when she whimpered. "You want me to touch you."

"Oh," Karbon moved his hands from her hips.

He let her go. She faced him, breathing heavily. "Did you plan to have the room next to mine?"

Nico approached her and pressed his body into hers. "Maybe," his deep voice bounced off the walls in the hallway.

Her entire body felt electrified by his muscled body and his answer. "Nico,"

He held the sides of her face and lowered his lips to hers. "Welcome home," he said before kissing her.