by Sharon Dunn
“How are we going to manage that?” Her voice trembled from the pain. “Doctors don’t make house calls anymore.”
They were both thinking the same thing. She’d have to go out in public again. That meant risking cult members coming out of the woodwork. Realistically, they couldn’t be everywhere. But it wasn’t just Elijah’s followers he was worried about. Julia’s face had been plastered across newspapers after her escape. If she was recognized, people would start talking and word would get back to the followers, or worse, some local Clark Kent would decide doing a story on her was his big break.
“It takes about twenty-four hours for infection to set in. Elizabeth might have something to help manage the pain, and I bet she knows of a doctor that would be low risk in terms of lots of people seeing you.”
“I could dye my hair sunset red, if that would help. You said my blond hair is too easy to see at a distance.”
“Do you feel strong enough to stand over a sink?”
“Elizabeth can help me.” Her lower lip quivered, and her fingers dug into the arms of the chair.
“I’ll find out if she knows of a doctor who won’t be a liability.” Gavin’s heart lurched. He could see that she was hurting, and he longed to be able to just wipe it away. “Sit tight.” He ran down the stairs. The banging of pots and pans came from the kitchen as the heady scent of bacon cooking greeted him.
He pushed through the doors past the dining room, into the kitchen. Elizabeth, dressed in a flowery apron, divided scrambled eggs on to three plates. “Oh, good, is Julia up?”
“She cut her leg yesterday. It’s bleeding again.” It wasn’t necessary to explain how she had gotten the injury.
Elizabeth set the spatula on the counter. “I noticed her jeans were torn last night. What can I do to help?”
“We need to have a doctor look at it. Do you know a doctor who’s not going to make treating Julia part of his dinner conversation and who won’t ask a lot of questions?”
“I know just the man.” Elizabeth stepped away from the counter and placed her hands on her hips. “It’s a bit of a drive to get to him, about fifty miles.”
“Actually, it would be best if he was far away instead of in Silver Cliff. If Julia is spotted, I want it to be hard to link her back to this place. If you give me the number, I’ll make the call.”
“All these precautions.” Elizabeth’s hands dropped to her side, and she drew her lips into a tight line. “This is very serious, isn’t it? I read the stories in the newspapers.” She shook her head. “But I had no idea what Julia was dealing with on a day-to-day basis.”
“I assumed Julia’s father explained exactly what was involved.” Gavin stamped down his irritation. If he hadn’t been brought in so late in the process, Elizabeth would’ve been fully briefed on the need for tight security.
“All he said was that he didn’t feel like she was safe at his home.” She wiped her hands on her apron and turned to face him. “Don’t get me wrong, I’m glad I’m here to help out.”
“Do you have any first-aid supplies? Her cut probably needs to be dressed again. And if you have anything to help manage the pain, that would be great.”
“No problem. I have all those things around for guests.” Elizabeth opened a drawer and pulled out a piece of paper and a pen. “Let me write down Doctor Severson’s number and directions to his place.” Her pen whirled across the paper and then she handed it to him.
“Thanks.” He stared at the number. “I’m going to make up a cover, just to be safe.”
“I’m sure he can be trusted, but it’s a good idea to be extra cautious,” Elizabeth said. “And mentioning my name should be enough to not make him ask any questions.” The seriousness of the threat against Julia seemed to be sinking in for Elizabeth.
“Also, we are going to dye her hair before we leave. Can you give her a hand with that?”
“Yes, I can do that.” She wiped her hands on the apron and shook her head. “That poor girl.” She retrieved a first-aid kit out of the drawer and left the kitchen.
Maybe now that Elizabeth understood the need to be overly careful, she wouldn’t be so gung-ho about her handyman coming around. Gavin wandered into the lobby to make the call. Upstairs, he could hear the two women laughing and water running.
As he dialed the doctor’s number, he stared through the large glass doors past the outdoor pool. There was a light dusting of snow on the ground, and just beyond Elizabeth’s little cabin was a barn and a corral. Two horses trotted around their winter pasture. The barn was fairly large. More horses were probably inside. Elizabeth must provide them for guests.
Gavin tensed as the phone rang for the fifth time. What option did they have if this guy wasn’t around?
“Hello, Doctor Severson’s office.” The voice on the other end of the line sounded like that of an older man.
“Dr. Severson?” He hadn’t expected the doctor to answer the phone.
“Yes, that’s me.”
“You don’t have a receptionist?”
“Nah, she’s out of commission for a month or so. She just had a baby. Seven pounds, eight ounces, beautiful baby boy. Don’t want to hire a temp. So I got to hold down the fort myself.”
The doctor had a folksy way of talking. No receptionist was a good thing, it meant one less person to recognize Julia. Gavin cleared his throat. He needed a cover that sounded believable. “My wife and I are staying at Elizabeth Johnson’s place.”
“Oh, really? I thought she closed up for the winter to get some repairs done.” The comment sounded more chatty than suspicious.
Gavin scrambled for an explanation that made sense. “She made an exception for us. We’re on our honeymoon.”
“Oh, I see. Any friend of Elizabeth’s is a friend of mine. What can I help you with?”
Though mentioning they were staying at the hot springs could be viewed as a breach in security, Elizabeth had been right about her name sweeping away any suspicion. The doctor probably wouldn’t ask any more questions. “My wife has cut herself on a piece of metal. I’m concerned about infection.”
“Metal? Did you happen to notice if it was rusty? She might need a tetanus shot.”
Gavin shifted his weight. “Can I bring her in?”
“Sure, I’m keeping a light patient load until Lindsey gets back, but if you’re staying with Elizabeth, I sure don’t mind helping her out. Let me check the schedule.” There was a pause on the line. Gavin detected shuffling of papers and the sound of a computer being turned on. “How about three o’clock this afternoon?”
“I’ll get her there.” Gavin hung up the phone and paced. He stared out the window at the long strip of flat land. Unless someone snuck up through the trees, he would at least see them coming from a long ways away. The brick wall that was almost complete around the outdoor pool provided cover, making it safe for Julia to soak.
Upstairs he heard water running. Elizabeth appeared at the top of the stairs. “Julia’s almost done.” She came down. “Those eggs are probably cold by now, but it’s food. I can warm them in the microwave. Let me get them for you.”
Elizabeth left the lobby and returned a few minutes later. After handing Gavin his plate and setting Julia’s on the check-in counter, she grabbed her own plate and stood close to Gavin.
“You’ve had a look around.” She took a bite of eggs. “Does this place meet your needs?”
“In some ways, yes. There is no alarm system. Julia and I will need keys to the doors, and we need to make sure they’re locked at all times.”
Elizabeth nodded. “I can do that.”
Gavin pointed through the sliding glass doors. “What’s on the back end of your property?”
“I have a huge buffer of acreage around me. People have to ask permission to come on the land.”
Gavin doubted the followers would ask permission for anything if they located this place. It was reassuring, though, to know Elizabeth didn’t have any close neighbors.
“T
here might be a little town way on the other side of my land. I assure you, Mr. Shane, this place is remote.” Elizabeth finished her breakfast and excused herself, saying she had to get some things done.
Gavin had nearly finished his eggs when Julia came to the top of the stairs.
She turned her head side to side. “What do you think of me as a redhead?”
She was stunning no matter what color her hair was. He walked to the bottom of the stairs. “It’ll work.”
She came down and stood close to him. “So you like it.” The difference in hair color made her eyes seem even bluer. Nothing would change her angelic features. She might still be recognized close up, but at least she wouldn’t be spotted at a distance.
“You look good as a redhead.” He reached up and touched the soft ends of it. “How would you feel about braiding it or putting it up in some way?” All the newspaper photos had been of her with long, free-flowing hair.
She pulled back, eyes turning to stone. “No.”
He’d struck a nerve. “I’m sorry. If you want your hair long…”
“It’s not that.” She turned her head away and gripped the banister. “It’s just that Elijah required all the women to have their hair up in tight braids.” She turned to face him, blue eyes filled with emotion. “I won’t ever do that again. I know it’s dumb, but it’s too much of a reminder.”
“It’s not dumb, Julia.” He hadn’t heard fear in her voice, but resolve, as though she had put her foot down against the past controlling her. “You have a very distinctive face. The less we can make you look like you, the better. Would you be okay with cutting it?”
She combed through the hair and drew a coppery strand of it in front of her eyes. “I guess I would be okay with that. If that’s what we have to do.”
“We can grab one of those stools over there. Elizabeth probably has scissors somewhere.” He searched the drawers of the check-in desk. When he looked up, Julia was limping across the floor. “You just sit down and relax. I’ll get the chair.”
“I can handle it.” She picked up the stool and, with her free hand, pushed on the sliding glass door. The determination he heard in her tone told him that she didn’t like being pitied. “Outside would be best, huh? It’s a pretty warm day and clean up will probably be easier.”
His head jerked up, and he cast a furtive glance to the wide expanse of land behind the pool. Outside would also be riskier. “Yeah, sure.” He couldn’t keep her inside all the time. Loss of freedom made her wither emotionally. He had to find the balance between protecting her physically and making sure she didn’t shut down because of the confinement. “Position the stool so it’s hidden behind the brick wall.”
Julia offered him a smile. “There you go again, doing your job.”
“Was I that obvious?” He found two pairs of scissors in an upper drawer.
“Get rid of that worried look. I need to feel the sun on my face. I know I’ll be safe if you’re out here with me.”
She sure had a lot confidence in his abilities. He picked up the scissors that looked sharper and walked toward the open door.
Julia settled on the stool. “Besides, they don’t know I’m here, right?”
On instinct, Gavin scanned the perimeter around him, taking a mental photograph of each point his gaze landed on. It was his job to assume that they were always vulnerable. A single moment of dropping his guard could spell disaster. He cringed. Or one bad decision could lead to Julia’s death.
And that would be something he’d never recover from.
Julia stared at him. Just the hint of fear clouded the composure he had seen in her expression a moment before. “They don’t know where I am, right?” she repeated.
He had to be careful not to frighten her. She had had enough of that to last a lifetime. “You don’t need to worry about that, Julia. That’s my job.” He rested his hands on her shoulders. “We were extremely careful about shaking them yesterday.”
The stiffness in her posture disappeared. “That’s good to hear.” She pointed to the scissors. “Have you done this before?”
“Yes.”
“From hair stylist to bodyguard, quite the transition.”
He liked her quick wit. “Actually, the hair cutting occurred as part of my work. Think about it—when you describe someone, isn’t hair one of the first things you talk about.”
“It does become part of your identity, doesn’t it?” She grabbed her long hair twisted it and flipped it over her shoulder. “I guess it has to go. Maybe it will help give me a new identity.”
“Tilt your head back and close your eyes.” His fingers grazed her temple as he pulled the hair away from her head. Her hair was soft to the touch. He circled around her, cutting quickly. Sunlight played across her face. He studied the angle of her cheekbones and the narrowness of her nose.
She must have felt him staring because she opened her eyes. “Does it look okay?”
He stepped back to escape the magnetic allure of her eyes. He found himself craving being physically close to her. “It looks all right.” His gaze dropped to her lips. He dismissed the fleeting thought of kissing her and cleared his throat. Where had that come from?
It was just because she was beautiful. Then again, he had guarded beautiful women before and never had to battle these feelings. There was something different about Julia.
She tilted her head and looked up at him. “I guess I’ll have to wait until I can look in the mirror.”
“It’s not as good as a professional job, but it will do.” He reminded himself of the promise he had made to Julia’s father. It’d been an easy promise to make before he had met Julia. He hadn’t counted on the way she made him feel all turned around inside, just by being in the same room with her.
In his profession, women, especially women he guarded, tended to throw themselves at him, a quality that repelled him. Julia’s reserved behavior was refreshing. There was much to like about her.
She pulled the shorter strand of hair out over her forehead. “Do you like it?”
Again he was struck by the contradiction in Julia’s life. There was something almost naive in the way she talked to him, and yet he saw a maturity and an understanding that had grown from having faced so much trauma. “I think it looks just fine.” He leaned back toward her. “I’ve got a little more left to cut in the front, if you’ll close your eyes for me.”
He didn’t know quite how to navigate through that contradiction in Julia’s personality. Her innocence made him feel a need to protect her that went beyond his job description. He hadn’t seen any of the fragility Julia’s father had alluded to. What he saw was determination. But if her father said Julia was fragile, then Julia was fragile. A promise was a promise.
Julia closed her eyes. Gavin’s fingertips warmed her skin as they brushed over her temple, and he pulled a strand of hair up and away from her head. His feet padded lightly on the concrete of the patio, moving around her and then cutting the strand close to her face. He stood close enough for her to feel the softness of his breath on her cheek.
The lightheadedness she had felt yesterday returned. The counselor had explained to her that in many ways she was still thirteen. The captivity had halted the natural maturing that was supposed to happen during those years. She had been playing catch up ever since. She told herself she was ready to face anything, but sometimes she wasn’t so sure.
Dating hadn’t even been on the radar. She’d been focused on college and just having a circle of friends. Gavin was an attractive man, but she could sense him becoming guarded. He had probably dated lots of women. What could he possibly see in her, she had so much to learn, to experience. She really had to let go of these blossoming feelings.
He moved around to the back of the stool, drawing out a strand by her neck and snipping. “I’ll just take a couple inches off back here.”
“You can cut off more if you want. I’m warming to the idea of short hair.” Something about letting go of the long bl
ond hair that had made Elijah see her as angelic appealed to her. It was one more way she could make a break with the terror she had lived under for so many years.
“I heard you and Elizabeth laughing earlier when she was helping you with your hair. She seems like a good person.” He cut some more strands and then moved around to the other side.
“She’s okay.” As kind as Elizabeth was, Julia had felt herself pulling away when she was around the older woman. No need to form attachments. This arrangement was temporary. Elizabeth would exit her life, too.
“Hey, what’s that about?” Gavin’s voice, flushed with compassion, pulled her from her thoughts. His thumb wiped away the single tear that had formed and trailed down her cheek. His face was close to hers when she opened her eyes.
She leaned back. She’d been so deep in thought, the tear had come spontaneously. She hadn’t had time to register how thinking about the past made her sad. “Can we talk about something else?” The emotion was so raw. She had to fight the desire to run to her room and bury her face in a pillow.
Gavin smiled. “Sure, what do you want to talk about?”
The sound of approaching footsteps caused both of them to turn toward the trees. A man appeared from behind the half-built wall, holding something in his hand.
Julia had no time to register fear before Gavin had gathered her in his arms and pulled her toward the open door.
SEVEN
“Get down, away from the window.” Gavin let go of Julia and drew his pistol out of the side holster, seeking cover out of view of the window.
Julia scrambled to a corner of the lobby and sank to the floor. Gavin rolled along the wall and peeked out the sliding glass doors to get a read on where the man was. He scanned right to left. The man was gone.
Gavin latched the sliding glass door. Julia was still huddled in a corner. “Stay low. Get to a room where you can lock the door and stay there until you hear my voice.”
Julia was obviously stunned, but she nodded and, crouching, headed toward a first-floor room. With his gun still drawn, Gavin moved lightly and quickly to the front door.