The thing of it was that he cared for her, too. It had taken everything in him not to overreact to her statement about being left here by herself without armed backup within sight. He was also aware that she’d taken everyone’s concern the wrong way, ignoring what her heart knew to be the truth.
He began to count silently.
Three.
Two.
One…
“Everyone stop!”
Gwen had stood up from the mattress, bringing her to stand right next to her father’s side. Gus had given his opinion about Gwen remaining at his house, but he’d also been watching his daughter’s reaction to the chaos. He was currently chewing on that toothpick rather intently.
“Gwen, you’re being stubborn about this,” Jace countered with his usual overwhelming concern, ignoring Shae’s hand on his arm. It was easy to see she had on her professional hat of psychiatry, not that it would do any good in this situation. Most of the families in Blyth Lake were well beyond crazy, making them too far gone for even her services. “Your safety is more important than—”
“Let me ask you something.” Gwen held up her hand when everyone tried once again to talk over one another. “I’m being serious. Every single one of us has been touched by this investigation. Noah, you and Reese found Sophia’s body in one of the walls of your house. Lance, you found photographs of some of the past victims. Jace, Shae was taken by this psychopath and managed to escape by sheer determination…yet the feds don’t have a detail on her anymore, either.”
“Gwen is completely right,” Shae said softly, coming to Gwen’s defense before spinning it back to the point of this discussion. “With that said, I do take precautions. I’m sure we all do. I don’t go anywhere alone or unarmed. Jace has been driving me to and from the hospital. I check my weapon at the security checkpoint on the way in and recover it on my way out. I’ll call someone in the family or even have one of Mitch’s deputies follow me to and from any destination outside of work.”
“You also live with me,” Jace pointed out in frustration as Noah backed him up, even pointing out that Shae worked in a hospital with armed security whereas Gwen’s office space on Main Street was basically a high value target. “Gwen, what if you…”
Chad took another drink of his beer as the conversation ensued, nobody giving any indication that they were getting back to work anytime soon. Technically, there wasn’t much left to do other than shifting a few pieces of furniture here and there to Gwen’s specifications. The delivery truck had left around a half an hour ago after offloading the last of her garage items into the tool shed.
“You don’t have an opinion you want to share?” Lance asked quietly, having made his way over to join Chad against the far wall. “Being Gwen’s close friend and all?”
“Is there something you’re trying to say, Lance?” Chad couldn’t hold back his smirk, knowing exactly how the youngest of the Kendalls worked around a conversation until he got the answers he sought. It was usually done with humor, but there was nothing funny about the current situation they found themselves in. “It’s not like you to hold back questions.”
“I’ve always had respect for you, Schaeffer.” This was taking a turn Chad wasn’t so sure he wanted to take. He suddenly lost the taste for the beer in his hand. “Your brothers…well, not as much. I don’t know what’s going on between you and Gwen, but it’s obvious she values your opinion.”
“I’m not going to take advantage of our friendship to push your agenda, if that’s what you’re suggesting I do. If she wants my opinion, she’ll ask for it.”
“So, you think it’s fine that Gwen stays here all by herself?” Lance asked, not able to keep his tone as quiet as before. Brynn’s blonde ponytail swung their way. “Maybe you’re not the—”
“You really don’t want to go down that road, Lance,” Chad warned, wishing he’d been smart enough to leave the bedroom when Gwen had dropped the news about Thorne’s decision in the first place. “Gwen and I are friends. I’m not in the position to insist on anything when it comes to your sister. She’s a grown woman and more than capable of making decisions on her own. I trust that she knows what she’s doing and understands that I’m just a phone call away should she need my help burying the body.”
“Did I miss something?” Mitch asked, appearing in the doorway much like Lance had fifteen minutes ago. Which was fourteen minutes too long to still be having this conversation. Chad was beginning to understand why Gwen had stayed away from home for so long. “From the look on Gwen’s face, I’m guessing she told you about Agent Thorne’s decision to pull her agents?”
A round of questions were hurled in Mitch’s direction, giving Chad a breather from what could have been a very nasty confrontation with Lance. Had there been any room for Chad to make his way toward the exit, he would have done so already.
This was one of the exact reasons why he usually dated outside of Blyth Lake. Too many family connections made it hard to have a relationship without everyone having their own opinion on every damned detail. Everyone knew everyone else’s business, and everyone had deeply held views on how things should progress in a proper relationship. One was lucky if the parish priest didn’t weigh in on some issue or another.
Chad and Gwen had been able to keep from crossing that particular line, but it was apparent from Lance’s attitude that others around town thought differently.
Maybe it was time they pulled back a little. Hell, he hadn’t been to The Cavern in over a week. No wonder tongues were wagging.
“…and I don’t blame him.” Mitch was in the process of explaining the events that led to Thorne’s decision. “Resources are limited. Thorne had a call to make, and he made it. The perp we’re looking for is revealing more of himself with each letter he sends to Charlene Winston. He hasn’t mentioned neither Shae nor Gwen for over a week. As a matter of fact, he seems to be more focused on that runaway from Cleveland who’s made national news lately.”
There was really no reason for Chad to still be in the room and involved in this family discussion. Unfortunately, Mitch brought his name up anyway.
“Chad has been making rounds on the property every morning before he begins work on the house and once again before he leaves for the night. Not once in the last two weeks has he seen anything out of the ordinary.” Mitch was now leaning up against the doorframe with his arms crossed, seemingly comfortable with Gwen’s decision to move in today. “I’m not saying Gwen shouldn’t take precautions, but we all know that she’s a hell of a lot more cautious than the rest of us. She’s armed and knows how to use a weapon. She already has a state of the art security system for the house up and working. I was able to put a rush on her concealed carry permit. I’ll still have Deputy Byron make his evening tour through the area. We didn’t put our lives on hold for this scumbag. Neither should she. Gwen shouldn’t have to accommodate our uncertainties.”
The room fell quiet, telling Chad that Mitch’s opinion carried a lot more weight than most. That wasn’t surprising, considering he was the oldest and had taken the fundamental role as sheriff in the community.
“This is offensive,” Gwen said, crossing her arms and leveling her family with a lethal stare that would have shriveled most men’s balls. “Mitch speaks, so you all bow? You realize that I was going to move in here regardless of anything any of you said, right? It’s not up to any of you. It’s my decision.”
Mitch gave one of his rare smiles, pushing off the doorframe and walking downstairs as the rest of the group followed suit, giving him shit for not arriving earlier to help move the big-ticket items that weight in over a metric ton or so. Gwen had given Chad another list of things she’d like done to the house now that the arrangements had been decided, adding to the detailed bill he’d yet to write up, much to his father’s chagrin.
It wasn’t like she wouldn’t get the family discount already, especially considering Noah was now part of Schaeffer Contracting & Flooring.
“I didn’t mean to give you shit,�
� Lance said before Brynn grabbed his hand to join the others. “Seriously, please keep an eye out for any trouble while you’re here…day or night.”
Lance chuckled when Brynn gave him a little shove in response to his dig.
It wasn’t long until Chad was by himself, giving him a chance to finish his beer. It was warm and didn’t taste nearly as refreshing as when he’d first popped the can, but it was better than listening to her family fight.
“Hey, you.”
“Hey, back.” Chad was still leaning against the windowsill. He was surprised that Gwen had come back upstairs, almost wishing she’d stayed with her family below. He’d already made the decision to distance himself from her a bit more. Her seeking him out would only give Lance and the others the wrong idea about what kind of relationship they had, providing them with more fodder than they already had. “I’ll start on that list you gave me first thing Monday morning. Oh, that reminds me.”
Chad shifted so that he could reach in the front pocket of his jeans for his key ring. He set his empty beer can down beside him and tried to lift the metal lip in order to remove Gwen’s house key.
“You’ll be wanting this back now that you’ve moved in.” Chad didn’t have the nails needed to pry the ring apart, so he reached into his other pocket where he carried a small pocketknife. “I’ll make sure I’m here before you leave for work on Monday morning.”
Gwen slowly crossed the bedroom floor that had turned out better than he’d expected, not stopping until she was standing inches from him. Her blue eyes weren’t focused on the keyring, but rather on his lips.
Damn, if she didn’t just raise the temperature in this house by twenty damn degrees.
Her lashes slowly lifted until her gaze connected with his.
“I’m tired of knocking around about this, Chad,” Gwen murmured, reaching out and gently resting her hand on his. “Keep the key. You’re going to need it when you come by tonight.”
Chapter Fourteen
Gwen glanced at the blue LED clock on the old stove that was scheduled to be replaced sometime later this week. It was going on nineteen hundred hours, and there was still no sign of Chad. She debated giving the lasagna five more minutes to give the cheese on top a chance to crisp.
“What if he doesn’t show tonight?” Gwen asked herself, tossing the oven mitt on the counter. The first thing she’d done after all the furniture had been moved and arranged more times than her brothers would have liked was to unpack the kitchen boxes. A couple of loads of dishes in the dishwasher and the appliances stored away had the kitchen basically done. Apparently, for an evening alone. “You’ll be eating a lot of leftovers, girl.”
Gwen was never comfortable talking to herself, and she doubted that would ever change. Now that she was finally back home, maybe getting a puppy would be the way to go. After all, she was close enough to town that she could swing by home for lunch every day. And with Beth Ann being such a quick learner, Gwen might actually have an occasional day off sometime in the near future.
Another minute blinked by on the clock.
Had Chad really decided not to show? Was the pressure from her family fight earlier too much? Or was it her desire to have multiple lists and a dozen planners to show him the efficiency that could be had with the future projects she’d given Schaeffer’s Contracting & Flooring?
A few unpleasant memories from her last relationship surfaced. Rich had hated her need to plan everything down to the last detail. He’d said it ruined his need for spontaneity. It also hadn’t helped that she worked fourteen hour days, leaving little to no downtime for the expensive dinners he always seemed to want to attend at various friends’ flats.
City life was certainly different than country life, and she once again had to shove aside the guilt that reared its ugly head at the fact that she hadn’t listened to her mother’s advice about her family roots long ago.
She walked over to the fridge, grateful that Reese had offered to run to the grocery store today to buy the essentials. The woman had done that and more. Gwen wouldn’t need to go shopping for another couple of weeks, with the exception of the normal staples like milk and bread.
The slight dent in the old refrigerator door drew Gwen’s gaze, but it was the faint spots on the wall that the painters had missed that caught her attention the most. They couldn’t be seen unless the reflection of the light hit them just so. The brightness seemed to be absorbed by the old enamel. The slap and dash job told her that Pamela Graber’s parents hadn’t been the ones to wield the paintbrushes. This was most likely done by the last tenants.
It wasn’t that much of a concern, considering that Gwen had yet to pick her color scheme for the kitchen. Any chance of her missing a spot on the wall was highly unlikely. Her approach would provide full coverage of at least two coats’ worth.
She gently ran her thumb over the faded spot.
There was another line above it, but that’s when whoever was painting thickened out their strokes. It dawned on Gwen that this was where Pamela’s parents had measured her growing up. The Kendalls had done the same, though each of them had chosen their own closet to keep track of their height. The wooden frame in her room back at her dad’s place still had her measurements.
It must have been painful for them to leave these memories.
“Did you actually cook for me, city girl?”
Gwen would have probably screamed like a little girl at the sight of a spider bouncing on its web had she not first heard the faint sound of her cell phone chiming as the proximity alarm announced Chad’s presence. The security firm who’d set up her system had the surrounding area of the house monitored for any movement. It came in handy for times like this, but for some reason, blood rushed to her cheeks and her heartbeat accelerated as if she’d just run a mile or two.
When was the last time a man affected her in such a manner?
Too long to count, which was the sole reason she’d refused to take back her key earlier this afternoon. It wasn’t like they were making a serious commitment to one another, and he would ultimately need to be able to come and go while working on her house.
“City girl?” Gwen opened the fridge and pulled out two bottles of beer to give time for the flush of color to leave her face. “Since when do you consider me a city girl?”
“Well, let’s see.” The intoxicating scent of Chad’s cologne told her that he’d moved into the kitchen and was now in close proximity. “You put in excessively long hours at your new firm, you complained that there wasn’t one of those fancy coffee places in town open twenty-four hours for your convenience, and today was the first time I’ve seen you in a pair of jeans since last weekend. I’d say that qualifies you as more city than country.”
Gwen silently handed over his beer, giving herself time to study him before responding to such a ludicrous claim. Well, it did have some merit, but she’d address that at the appropriate time.
It was obvious he’d showered recently. The ends of his hair that curled slightly were still damp, and her fingers itched to brush them away from his face. He was freshly shaven with a slight sheen where he’d put on his aftershave. She fought the urge to rest her hand against his cheek. She still wasn’t sure he was here for reasons other than he didn’t want to stand her up on her invitation.
“I wasn’t completely sure you were going to show up here tonight,” Gwen finally said rather quietly.
She was unusually tentative to start this conversation considering all of this had been her idea to start with. She also wasn’t usually so cautious with what she wanted.
If she wanted something, she bought it.
If she craved something, she ate it…within her own limitations.
She was a natural born go-getter, but that wasn’t unusual given that she was raised with four brothers. This thing with Chad? She wasn’t quite sure what tactic to take for fear that he’d want nothing to do with her or her offer for more.
“I wasn’t sure, either,” Chad responded ho
nestly, the cap on his beer still secured to the opening. “I’m pretty certain Tobias was about to come out of his house to check on me when I stood by the driver’s side door of my truck for ten minutes debating the idea.”
Many times over the course of the past two weeks they’d had random debates over the silliest of things. She enjoyed a spirited conversation of opposing ideas and listening to his opinions, which were not much different than her own. Well, other than his preference of Dodge over Ford…which was totally insane.
“What eventually changed your mind and had you deciding to hop in that thing you call a truck and drive over here?”
“This.”
Gwen wasn’t expecting Chad to move in for the kill quite so quickly, but he did so with grace and lethal intent. She was a goner the moment his lips brushed over hers. The result was a foregone conclusion before she could take another breath.
Chad must have set his bottle of beer on the counter, because both of his hands were cradling her face. There was no hesitation. There was no uncertainty that he spoke of earlier, and she decided she’d have to take stock in whatever brand of aftershave he used before coming over tonight.
She was now addicted.
How could Chad Schaeffer—the skinny boy she remembered having freckles—turn into a man who could buckle her knees with a single kiss?
“Are you sure about this?” Chad asked, his tone a little breathless. At least he was able to talk. Her lips were still tingling, and she wasn’t nearly done savoring his taste of mint mouthwash. “There’s still time to—”
“This is exactly what I’ve been dying to do since I pulled up to the house and saw you standing on my porch,” Gwen managed to say, setting her beer down next to his. “The only thing missing was a big red bow.”
Chad lifted her underneath the arms, causing her to lose her breath at his obvious intention. She wrapped her legs around his waist and her arms around his neck, not wanting to waste any more time than they already had.
Unlocking Shadows (Keys to Love, Book Four) Page 12