by Amber Lynn
Willow bit her bottom lip hard as soon as the words left her lips. She should’ve said something more, well, anything other than what she just said. After stringing together minutes looking in his eyes, her gaze dropped.
“I was thinking you two could take over the master suite and the room next to it on the ground floor. Or if you prefer, there’s a sitting room in the master we can put a bed for the kid in.”
“Where do you sleep?”
She should’ve just said no, grabbed Connor and left. He was talking about money and security, though. That wasn’t something she could just walk away from without giving it consideration. As much as she didn’t want to rely on someone else, she needed work, and if he was serious, the money she could make in just a week would be enough to set her and Connor up somewhere new. She thought having a few hundred dollars for that would be nice, but over a thousand would make things less stressful.
“It’s nothing like that, Laura. By the way, my name’s Brayden. And, I have a master suite I call my own upstairs.”
“How often do you have people over?”
The one day dealing with the diner customers made her leery of too much time with others. She didn’t know who Brayden’s friends were, but he looked like someone in the movies she’d seen who has wild parties at his house. The words coming out of his mouth didn’t mesh with that. She could admit that, but she needed to know everything before making the decision.
“My family and maybe my friend Trev are the only ones who come out here. I’m not exactly a party guy, if that’s what you’re worrying about. Trev’s in the diner now, and I can introduce you. I think you may have already met Suzy. The only other people would be my mom and dad. They’re currently on a cruise I got them for their anniversary a few months ago, but they’ll be back in a couple weeks.”
The fact that they were still standing in the alley crossed Willow’s mind as she took in the list. One friend and his family. That wasn’t too bad, but she worried about the friend.
“When you’re on these trips, will your friend just drop by or anything?”
She wasn’t concerned about his sister and supposed his parents wouldn’t be an issue. A guy stopping by whenever he wanted made her queasy. What if he wasn’t as nice as Brayden seemed?
A scoff was her initial answer. She wondered if that would be the extent of it, but she looked up from the gravel at her feet to find one of his hands free and on his phone.
“I’m just letting him know I’ll be back to pick him up in a little bit. If that was you’re last hang-up, I’d like to put this guy down in the car. We’re broaching almost thirty minutes of me holding him, and as strong as I am, my arms are getting a little tired.”
Willow’s first instinct was to feel sorry for him, but she reminded herself she didn’t ask him to pick Connor up. Him being weakened wasn’t exactly a bad thing, because it’d be slightly easier to run if things went south. The chances of him dropping Connor went up the longer she stalled, though.
“So you’re saying I shouldn’t worry about your friend dropping by when you’re not around.”
She stepped forward as she spoke, holding her hand out to tell him to lead the way. When they got around the edge of the building, she realized she didn’t need him to lead. The black sedan with tinted windows among the older cars and pickup trucks stood out like a sore thumb. Willow didn’t even know much about cars, but she knew immediately which one was his.
“Trev travels with me, so no, he won’t be around when I’m not. He actually hates when I drag him out here.”
The lights flashing as they got closer only underscored her assumption about the car. She wondered about the money he claimed he could pay her, but the fancy car made it seem like a thousand dollars wasn’t much to him. Not that Willow knew a lot about cars, especially not current ones, but it seemed like something her parents would’ve had fifteen years ago.
He opened the back door and settled Connor on the seat. The boy was still fast asleep. It was a little strange, but not totally out of character. They were both exhausted, which was probably why she got in the front seat when he opened the door for her.
It wasn’t like they were officially moving in or anything. She still had clothes up in the apartment. She was just checking out how legitimate the offer was. Chances were that was a famous last thought, but the idea of moving somewhere new seemed easier if she had the extra money. And, she couldn’t deny the security features he mentioned were appealing.
Chapter 10
Brayden used to love road trips. Love was probably a little strong of a word, but the different atmospheres of cities and arenas fueled him. That had been when he was twenty-two and the experiences were all new to him.
At twenty-eight, the energy from the crowds still got to him. It was hard not to, because it was different each time he entered an arena. Different cheers and jeers came from different sections as the crowd changed. He never minded the boos, and when local fans came out wearing his team’s jersey in a sea of opposing jerseys, it made him feel unstoppable.
The planes, trains and buses he could live without. He spent travel time trying to relax as much as possible, but it seemed unwinding elusively stayed just outside his reach. Instead of allowing the time to be used clearing his head, he went through everything that could go wrong. From transportation, game, personal, even biological issues, he thought of them all. The biological was more about getting sick, and the many flus that never ceased to find their ways through the locker rooms.
This particular trip, the flu didn’t cross his mind. Almost a week had passed since he left Laura and Peter alone in his house, and he couldn’t stop thinking about them. He’d had to leave before Peter woke up, but Laura explained the boy didn’t speak. The information only added to the million questions he wanted to ask. Any and all of those questions were likely to send Laura running to whatever new city she’d picked out on a map, so he kept most of them to himself.
He called her every night to check in, mainly just to verify she hadn’t run. Brayden wasn’t worried about them there in the house. Most people, including his best friend, would think that made him an idiot.
Trev had used the word repeatedly in every conversation they’d had. Brayden spent every second he wasn’t required to be with the team in his hotel rooms just to not see the look in his friend’s eyes. Sadly, at that moment, Trev was standing at his hotel room door. The look of pure exasperation mixed with an inkling of worry appeared to be frozen on his face.
“You’re seriously not coming out with us. I know you’ve turned into an old man, but you scored two goals tonight and the guys want to buy you a couple of rounds.”
Another thing Brayden was getting tired of, heading out to the bar after games. Over his six years going pro, he went out plenty with the guys. And each time, he bought one beer and managed to make it seem like he kept pace with everyone else.
His friend knew exactly how much he liked going out with the guys, whether he scored during a game or not. Trev stopped even asking most nights, but this particular trip had him trying to drag Brayden out against his will. They both knew why Trevor wanted him to leave the room. While Trev was all about Brayden getting laid, he didn’t understand moving a woman and her son into his place.
For some reason, he couldn’t tell that Brayden lied out of his teeth when he said there was absolutely no sexual interest on his side of things. Brayden wished he could convince himself the same thing. It didn’t help that his dreams were filled of amethyst eyes staring up at him from his bed and black hair fanned out on his pillows.
“I need to call Laura and let her know I’m grabbing an early flight.”
Trev’s hand lifted and smacked his forehead before Brayden got to the and. The excuse rated among Brayden’s best, because it was true, but it was clear Trev didn’t appreciate it.
“That’s not something you need to waste time talking to her about. Just text her and get dressed.”
Brayden scoffed. I
f Trevor thought he was changing from the flannel pants he had on to anything else, he might as well keep hitting his head. Because it wasn’t happening.
“I already told you that she doesn’t have a phone. I call the house to make sure everything’s going okay.”
Scowling, Trevor shook his head. “All you have to do is look at your phone to know everything’s okay. You’ve got your house wired with cameras everywhere.”
True, very true. And it was taking all of his willpower not to tune in and check on her.
“How about you let me take care of my business.”
Brayden’s hackles were up. The conversation kept repeating itself, and he couldn’t take it anymore. That reason alone would’ve propelled him to take an early flight home. Even if Trev wasn’t driving him up the wall, he’d still be catching the flight at four in the morning.
The phone calls every night appeased him, but he still worried about the frail woman taking up residency in his home. He needed to talk to her more, make sure she wasn’t going to take off after he got home. She refused to reveal anything about herself, evading even the simplest questions, like where she’s from or where she’s going.
He could understand the need for privacy. She currently called his fortress of a house he had built to maintain his own privacy home. He just wanted to find something she found him trustworthy enough to open up about.
So far, all he felt he got from her was her name, while he practically told her his life story. Okay, so not once did he mention he was a professional hockey player who made millions of dollars a year. As outgoing as he seemed, letting her stay at his place and all, he really did want his privacy. Not that she couldn’t figure out what he did by looking around his house a little.
He wanted her to stay because she felt safe with him. Not because he had millions of dollars and could pay to set her up with a castle and a moat full of crocodiles to eat anyone looking for her.
“You told me you aren’t interested in this chick, so how am I getting into your business? I’m just pointing out the fact that you’ve lost your mind.”
The exasperated look on Trev’s face as he ran his fingers through his shaggy hair and shook his head punctuated his words. Brayden knew his friend didn’t understand the protective need driving him. He’d told him the bare minimum of what had happened with Suzy. He figured it was her story to tell if she ever wanted to, but Trev knew she’d been hurt, both emotionally and physically.
Knowing everything probably wouldn’t change Trevor’s thoughts on the matter. He’d still think Brayden had lost his mind, and he could live with that.
“Just go out and have fun with the guys. Since I’ve got to be out of here in a few hours, I’m going to try to get some sleep.”
Brayden moved to shut the door in his friend’s face, but Trev stuck out his arm to keep it open. He just stared at him for a full minute before he shook his head.
“I know things went shitty with Megan, but you can’t play house with some woman and kid and think you’re going to replace what you had.”
Before he’d opened his door, Brayden had actually been in a good mood. He’d had a great game, as the aforementioned two goals illustrated, and he was heading home to hopefully make some headway with the Laura situation. A situation he was sure he’d find a suitable outcome for all involved.
Then Trevor just had to say something as stupid as the shit pouring out of his mouth. It took everything Brayden had not to punch him. Rather than say anything to jeopardize his friendship, he ignored the push from Trev’s arm on the door and slammed it shut. Brayden was too exhausted to try to explain himself, and Trev made it clear he’d probably already had a few drinks before meeting up with the guys.
His mouth didn’t usually get the better of him, unless alcohol was involved. Yet another reason why Brayden didn’t want to hit the town with the guys. He was afraid with a little liquid courage, he may actually admit he had no idea what his feelings were for his house sitter. And God help him if he started sharing his dreams. He’d never hear the end of it.
Chapter 11
Bzz. Bzzzz. Bzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.
Willow groaned as she rolled over in bed and wished she had something to drown out the unrelenting buzzing. She hadn’t gotten to sleep until at least two that morning. That was the last time she remembered looking at the clock next to the bed anyway.
After talking with Brayden on the phone for an hour, she couldn’t settle. She hadn’t expected the nightly calls while he was off on his business trip. It only took a couple of them to know she’d have trouble sleeping if he didn’t keep the calls up, but she wasn’t about to tell him that.
He’d claimed he just wanted to check-in, make sure she felt safe and there were no issues. There was no way for him to know that the calls alone were helping her feel safe. As if the giant mansion he called a house didn’t already do that. Something in his voice kept ensuring her that she made the right choice. She had no idea why the glimpses of his life story made her feel better, but they did.
The buzzer went off again, and Willow decided she didn’t want to just drown it out. She wanted to throw something out the window and hit the person trying to get in the gate. Willow’s exploration of the house had been restricted to the open living areas on the first floor and her room, so there weren’t a lot of options. But she was fairly certain she could lift the huge bowl on a table in the foyer that she saw no purpose for. It seemed heavy enough to do some damage, and that was all that mattered.
On the list of intended purposes for it, she was sure battering someone in the head wasn’t among the possibilities. It should be, and maybe if it worked how she planned, she’d have to send a note to whoever made it, suggesting they advertise it as a personal defense device.
Opening her eyes as another buzz rang through the house, she saw Connor standing next to the edge of the bed. While the gate buzzer simply annoyed the hell out of her, his face had worried creases etched all over it.
She closed her eyes and swore. It had only been a few days, and she’d already let her guard down. They were on the run, and someone standing outside at, she looked at the clock and groaned, six o’clock in the morning, should have terrified her. She knew it wasn’t him.
The man who’d turned her world upside down wouldn’t stand outside obsessively hitting the button. Connor was too young to understand that and probably thought their running was up. Moving into the big house had only confused the kid more. She explained the situation and got nothing more than a blank stare back from him.
The lack of communication wore on her sometimes and more often than not, she wished he’d say anything to let her know what was going on in that head of his. Shushing him, she sat up and pulled him into her arms. He wasn’t crying, but her soothing words usually chased the worry away.
“It’s not him, Connor. It’s probably just another delivery.”
She didn’t believe that for a second. The two deliveries that had come were much later in the day and didn’t involve someone jamming their finger into the buzzer a million times. Along with hitting the person with the bowl, Willow decided their fingers also needed to be removed. Well, at least the one that was driving her crazy.
“Let me go deal with it. You stay here in bed and think about what you want me to make you for breakfast.”
Giving him a quick kiss on the head, she moved to get out from under him and put him in the center of the bed. The poor kid would have creases permanently etched in his face, if the continued frown was any indication. She had to think of something to let him feel safe.
So far on their mad escape, she’d failed miserably on that goal. She’d hoped having the big house around them would ease some of the fear, like it had for her. Between the camera room where they could see every inch of the property and the gate keeping people out, he hadn’t bought the security features. While he sat unimpressed looking at the monitors, she’d marveled at them.
Bzzzzzzzzzzz.
Why couldn’t
the person have waited until Brayden got home? He was supposed to arrive anytime, if the flight information he’d given her around midnight continued to be right. Whoever desperately needed to see him, should’ve had the same information.
Stumbling out of bed, she made it to the wall where there was a button to hit to talk to the gate. Every room in the house had one, which came in handy, because she didn’t feel like walking back to the den with the monitors to see the insane person.
“Hello?”
Unlike with Connor, she let the sleep sound in her voice and maybe just a hint of her frustration. She’d given up the dream of throwing something out the window to hit them. Mainly because being on the bottom floor meant she couldn’t get a nice arch out of the throw.
“Who the fuck are you?” a woman’s voice screeched.
Cursing aside, Willow would’ve hated the woman just for her shrill voice. God, she sounded as bad as the incessive buzzing, just on a higher frequency.
“If you have questions, call Brayden. He’s supposed to be home later today.”
She had no idea who the woman was, only that she wasn’t getting past the gate. Willow looked over to Connor with a smile, hoping to see his worry lines gone. They were, but she didn’t know if the curiosity of his wide eyes was any better.
“You know what? I don’t care who you are. Just let me in. My code isn’t working for some reason, but I need to grab some files I left here.”
Willow figured if the woman had a code and it didn’t work, there was a reason for it. Not that any of her words mattered. She wasn’t getting in.
As the woman seemed patient enough to wait for a reply without hitting the buzzer, Willow decided she’d use the phone herself to see if Brayden could handle the situation remotely somehow. Her gut told her the woman wasn’t going to leave on her own. Since she’d picked up the phone she’d left on the bed the night before just in case, making the call was easy.