Forced to Hide, page 10
He averted his eyes from the place where her collarbone peaked out from beneath the sweater she wore and forced himself to focus on the task of cooking. It took a second for his mind to kick into gear.
“You can start toasting and buttering bread,” he said, his voice coming out huskier than he’d have liked. “I’ll make scrambled eggs with arugula, tomatoes and onion.”
“And he’s a gourmet chef, too,” she quipped as she headed to the loaf of bread sitting out on the counter.
“Toaster’s under the cabinet to your left.”
“Perfect.” They worked in silence as they prepared breakfast. When it was ready and the plates set on the dining table, Brian went to the screen door and gave a shout. “Breakfast.”
It didn’t take long for Conlan to join them. The three of them ate and their conversation was light, focused on mundane things like books, television shows and movies. He found it interesting that he and Adele shared many of the same tastes, both liking comedies and dramas that touched on serious issues while Conlan, being at least ten years younger, was more into sci-fi and horror.
After they ate and cleaned up their dishes, Adele asked, “Can we take a walk down to the lake?”
Brian looked at her slip-on black shoes. “Did you bring athletic shoes?”
“I did. I’ll go change.”
Brian watched her run up the stairs. He noticed the younger deputy watching, as well. Jealousy twisted through Brian’s gut, unexpected and unwanted. Still, he couldn’t keep the bite out of his tone. “Have you set up the alarm system?”
Conlan pivoted, his face flushing guiltily. “There’s a lot of access points from the lake. Or on foot, if someone were to park out of view and walk in.” His glance moved to Scout, who lay by the screen door, his head up and ears alert, no doubt hearing the squawks of the wrens who called the lake area home. “It was good thinking to bring a canine along.”
“He’s a good boy and will sound an alarm if anyone gets close to the house.”
“I marked spots for the motion detectors for the front porch and the back, but I need some tools. Also, I was thinking it might be good to do a wider perimeter. Any chance you have any empty soda cans we could string up between the trees?”
Brian nodded, liking the idea. “Old school. Good thinking. I’m sure there are some in the recycle bins in the garage, along with any tools you’ll require.”
Conlan looked pleased at Brian’s praise. “Shouldn’t take me too long to set it all up.”
“We’ll be down at the lake if you need us.”
Adele jogged down the staircase. Not only had she changed out of her dress shoes, but she had exchanged her black slacks and sweater for jeans and a zip-up hoodie in the purple and yellow colors of a popular Texas university.
With her auburn hair swept up into a high ponytail, the whole look made her appear years younger than the thirty-six years he knew her to be. Not trusting himself to comment for fear he’d make a fool of himself, he turned on his heel and headed to the slider. He opened the screen door, letting Scout bolt through before he stepped onto the cedar-plank deck.
He could feel Adele behind him even before she said, “Do you think I should put him on a leash?”
“He’ll come to a whistle. I don’t think he’ll wander far.”
Brian headed down the deck steps with Adele hot on his heels. They had to go single file along the trail leading through the tall-grassed berm that dropped down onto the sandy shoreline. Brian went first, hopping onto the sand and turning to reach out his hand. Adele grinned at him, took his hand and then jumped, landing on both feet and kicking up some sand. His heart contracted with affection, liking how being here had eased her tension. She appeared calmer and he was glad he’d brought her here.
She breathed in deep. “I already feel like a weight has been lifted.”
“Don’t get too comfortable,” he couldn’t refrain from warning, though he hated to dim her enjoyment. “When we drop our guard is when we are most vulnerable.”
She gave him a hooded glance that lingered and made him wonder what she was thinking. Was she finding it as hard to keep the attraction arcing between them in check as he was?
“Truth,” she replied.
He had his suspicion she wasn’t only referring to the danger but to something else. Something personal, which brought him back to their earlier conversation.
Unable to contain the need to know, he asked, “Are you going to tell me why you brushed me off two years ago?”
She walked away from him. “Maybe I didn’t believe a guy like you could really be interested in me.”
“Not buying the excuse,” he called after her.
The sun was now over the lake and more people were out enjoying the mild February weather. His gaze scanned each boat, noting the call numbers and filing them away. Nothing looked out of the ordinary. If somebody wasn’t threatening the judge’s life, this would be a glorious morning with a beautiful woman. A woman who was trying not to let on that she was attracted to him. His ego puffed up and he quickly put a pin in it. But his curiosity wasn’t as easily dissuaded. He caught up to Adele. “Why aren’t you married?”
Her steps faltered. “That’s a very impertinent question.”
He grinned. “I’m an impertinent guy.”
She slanted him a quick glance. “No, you’re not. You strike me as a very controlled person who very rarely acts impulsively.” She waved a delicate hand at him. “Despite how you try to come across.”
He barked out a laugh. “And how do I come across?”
“Laid-back surfer dude. A ladies’ man some of the time. And good ole cowboy the rest of the time. But in the last few days, I’ve seen a side of you I doubt you show often. You have hidden depths. You can be serious and very detail-oriented. You think through every move you make and plan for all contingencies.”
Had she been studying him? He wasn’t sure how he felt about her assessment. Especially since it rang true. He did like to present the world with one of his two personas; it kept people, mostly the bad guys, guessing. “Being a bit of a chameleon helps me do my job. Let’s people underestimate me.”
“Good information to know. I won’t underestimate you.” She looked down the beach, shielding her eyes from the sun. “Race you to that piece of driftwood.”
He scoffed silently. She was really good at deflecting. He let her. “You’re on.”
“Go!” She took off, her feet kicking up sand behind her. Scout bound up to her, jumping with excitement to see his mistress running.
Brian laughed and ran after her. “Not fair.”
* * *
After spending most of the morning on the lakeshore, taking turns with Brian throwing pieces of driftwood into the water for Scout to retrieve, Adele couldn’t believe how much she was coming to care for the handsome marshal. He was so patient with Scout’s constant attention and with her own reticence to talk. He seemed to understand her need to back away from the painful personal conversations that dredged up the longing to tell him about her past.
“Let’s head back,” Brian said. “I could use some water and I’m sure this one could, too.” He knelt to scrub Scout behind the ears.
Tender affection filled Adele. The man was so thoughtful and considerate. She doubted those traits were inherent with the job, as was his courage and dedication.
They walked back toward the house. When they reached the edge of the berm, Brian scrambled up first. Standing on the edge of the berm, he held out his hands to her. She could’ve easily followed in his footsteps, climbing up as he had, but she took the opportunity to place both her hands in his, the rough texture of his palms scraping across her own with heated friction.
Stifling the flaring attraction, she let him pull her up the berm to stand on the edge with him, her feet planted between his larger ones.
For a heartbeat, they stood there frozen in place, his hands keeping her anchored to him. She met his beautiful eyes. His hooded gaze dropped to her lips and she wondered, Would he kiss her?
Did she want him to?
Her heart rate doubled, and she swayed toward him as the answer to the question burned bright in her mind. Yes. Please.
His lips parted on a silent exhale and he stepped back, dispelling the moment. Disappointment rippled through her like water down a drain spout. What was wrong with her? She knew better than to let down her guard and give in to feelings of affection and attraction.
This man was here only because he’d been assigned to protect her, not because he wanted to be with her. But the knowledge did nothing to alleviate the yearnings taking root inside her heart. Was she fabricating feelings because she felt safe?
He tugged her forward, away from the edge, both physically and metaphorically. She almost laughed.
Tightening his hold of her hand when she tried to let him go, they made their way through the tall grass. Deciding not to make an issue of the contact, she kept pace while Scout ran and jumped through the grass, appearing and disappearing until he made it to the pristine lawn of the backyard where he waited for them. There was no denying the smile on Scout’s black-and-white face. The dog was happy. Adele was happy, too. She only wished this feeling was for real and sustainable. But it wasn’t, couldn’t be, and he deserved to know why.
Brian halted abruptly. She bumped into him, feeling the rigid tension in his body. A jolt of panic sent her heart thumping against her ribs. She clutched his arm. He crouched down and she followed suit. Were they ducking out of sight of a sniper’s rifle scope?
She kept her head low. But then she noticed Brian reaching forward along the edge of the path and touching a nearly invisible line of fishing wire. He gave it a little tug. The sound of clanging cans assaulted their ears.
Brian grinned at her. “A makeshift alarm. Scout was smart enough to jump over it. Hopefully, anyone trying to sneak up to the house wouldn’t be as intelligent as your dog.”
She barked out a relieved laugh. “Joe Conlan, I take it.”
Brian tugged her to her feet and, retaining her hand, gingerly stepped over the wire. She followed suit.
“Can we walk around to the front porch?” she asked, not yet ready to go inside.
Surprise flared in Brian’s eyes, but he nodded. When they reached the front of the house, she stopped, squeezing his hand. The need to confide in him had her heart thumping and her pulse skittering, but the anxiety she normally battled didn’t rise. The urge to talk was profoundly different. Rather than fight it, she asked, “Can we take a seat?”
Gesturing for her to take the nearest rocking chair, he stepped past her and sat in the other one. With the toe of her foot, she sent the chair rocking. It was so peaceful here and she hated to bring up something unpleasant. But he needed to know. “You asked me earlier why I’ve never married.”
Brian stared at her intently. “I did. And you deflected.”
She shrugged. “A defense mechanism.”
“I get it. I do the same.”
His admission warmed her. They were alike in many ways. “Why aren’t you married?”
One side of his mouth lifted. “I thought this discussion was going to be about you?”
She laughed, liking him. “Nice deflection.”
He grinned.
Her heart tumbled.
He reached for her hand again, closing his fingers around hers. She didn’t feel in the least bit anxious or the need to jerk away from his touch. Strange. Yet, she couldn’t say his touch was unwanted. It was nice to have an anchor. Especially for what she needed to tell him.
Where to begin? With her foolish notions of romance when she was teen? Or the easiness to be fooled by a handsome face and nice manners? She decided to just jump in. “You know about the assault from college.”
He ran his thumb along hers. “Just what you have told me.”
She turned to look at him, surprised. “I would’ve thought you read up on me, especially after I’d mentioned it before.”
“Normally, I would have. But everything happened so quickly in the beginning. Being assigned to your protection detail, getting you to your house from the hospital, then from the house to here, hasn’t left a lot of time for me to do any sort of background work.”
She couldn’t keep the astonishment from her tone. “Not even two years ago?”
“I didn’t realize you were the judge being honored at the gala until you walked out on stage to give your speech.” His look was soft, alluring. She could feel herself leaning toward him. “Then it made total sense why you would turn down my invitation to dinner. You were—are—completely out of my league.”
She frowned at that assessment. “Don’t sell yourself short. It’s unbecoming.”
He arched an eyebrow. “Duly noted.”
Her conscience poked at her. She had to be honest with him, explain her past so that he could understand. “My being a judge had nothing to do with why I turned you down.”
Silence ensued between them, though it wasn’t necessarily awkward or tense. Companionable was the word that came to mind. He was giving her time, which only made him more endearing.
Overhead, a bird screeched as it flew across the sky, a dark shape against the blue, then it made a sharp descent to the lake, grabbing up some unsuspecting fish before ascending into the sky and flying away. How many times had she wished she could just fly away and never have to face reality?
Too often. But she realized she didn’t want to right now. Not with Brian here at her side. For some reason, he gave her strength and determination she’d never expected.
“The assault happened my freshman year,” she said, her voice hushed as if somehow speaking softly wouldn’t disturb the past. “My first semester and my first time away from home. The first time I’d had male attention that my parents hadn’t vetted. His name was Richard Overstreet. He was flattering, charming even. I’d never had anyone be so...” She couldn’t find the word for such focused attention. “Now I understand Richard’s obsessive nature, but back then, I didn’t.”
A visible shudder wracked over Brian. “He was stalking you?”
“I don’t know that you can classify his actions as ‘stalking’ when I welcomed the attention.” Shame flooded her. She’d been so naïve. So eager to be wanted, she hadn’t seen the warning signs at first. “You see, I grew up with all the same kids from elementary school to high school. The guys were more like brothers. So Richard’s devotion was new and exciting. But his obsession with me became too much. Scary. I broke it off with him. He didn’t take it well.”
Brian squeezed her hand but didn’t say anything. She was grateful that he was letting her tell the story her way, without interruption.
“A week after we broke up, I was coming out of the library. I always took the back door because it was closest to my dorm. He was waiting for me.” She could still see him standing there in the shadows, his shoulders hunched, his hands jammed into his pockets. So misleading. “He appeared heartbroken at first, saying he wanted me back.” She took a shuddering breath. “I said no. He became agitated, saying cruel things, and then he grabbed me, moving so fast I didn’t have time to react. He dragged me into the bushes. I screamed and fought.” The memory was a horrible nightmare. “A campus security guard heard me and came running. A small blessing.”
She tightened her hold on Brian’s hand and forced the words out. “The security guard and Richard fought. The guard tried to subdue him, but Richard was much stronger than people gave him credit for. He was slender, but he worked out regularly. Richard pushed the guard down then jumped on him, slamming his head into the concrete walkway. He died.”
She remembered the blood and the fear. The rage.
“But Richard didn’t get away?”
Brian’s softly asked question drew her eyes to his. “No, he didn’t. Other people heard my screams and heard Richard and the guard fighting. Two of the campus football team members grabbed Richard and held him until the police came. Richard was arrested, tried and convicted of murder.”
“I’m sorry that happened to you. I’m sorry the security guard died. It shouldn’t have happened.” Brian tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear, his touch soft and lingering. “Is Richard the reason you’ve never married?”
She sighed, desperately trying to tamp down the white-hot anxiety rearing its ugly head. She wanted to lean into his touch, to have him hold her and tell her everything would be all right. But would doing so help alleviate her worries? Or only create new ones? As safe as she felt with Brian, she had to guard her heart. She sat straighter and said for both of their benefit, “Obviously my judgment where men are concerned is not good.”
Though for some reason she had a hard time believing Brian was anything other than how he appeared to her. Steadfast, honorable and caring. Unfortunately, she knew firsthand the deception a handsome face and good manners could hide.
“The reason I’m telling you this is that Richard’s parole hearing is in four days. I need to appear, and make sure he doesn’t get out.”
For a beat, Brian’s handsome face held a stunned expression then his eyebrows lowered. “This changes things.”
Her breathing stilled. “How so?”
“I’m not sure, yet. But it might be motive for somebody wanting you dead. Someone doesn’t want you to go to that hearing.”
Her stomach knotted. She hadn’t made the possible connection. Could it be true? Was someone trying to stop her from testifying? But who?
* * *
The next day, Brian paced the living room waiting for Adele to come down. He’d heard her in the kitchen while he’d been on the phone with Sera and Jace, tracking down information on Richard Overstreet, the man who had assaulted Adele when she was in college.
