“Why would you though?”
“He thinks I did it to get attention from you.”
Jax’s eyes narrowed. “But if Haylie hadn’t told me about it, I wouldn’t even know.”
Oh, the irony. “Yep.”
“Wait. So the cops aren’t trying to figure out who did it?”
Surprised at how calm she felt, Autumn said, “Nope.”
“That’s unacceptable.”
Lifting her shoulders in a shrug, Autumn frowned. “Nothing I can do about it.”
Jax sat on the couch, his jaw clenched. “Well, there’s something I can do about it.”
A thread of hope that this might get resolved slid through her. “What?”
He took his phone out and dialed a number. Then he spoke to the person on the other end, instructing them to tail Kelli.
Beyond thrilled that he believed her, that he agreed that it was Kelli, that he was doing something about it, Autumn had to restrain herself from flinging herself into his arms. Instead, she calmly walked over to the couch and sat beside him. A moment later he put his phone away.
Gratitude swelled within her. “Thank you, Jax.”
He smiled at her. “I should have done that yesterday. I’m sorry.”
Love for him blossomed inside her. Yes, she was falling in love with him. Though she still harbored a bit of hurt from their fight the day before, she was glad he’d come over. So glad. Laying her head on his shoulder, she closed her eyes in contentment. He tugged her into his arms, and for the first time that day, she felt at peace.
The timer went off in the kitchen.
She straightened and turned to him with a smile. “Are you hungry?”
He laughed. “I can always eat.”
“Good. Because I made a fabulous casserole.”
They stood, and when he took her hand in his, she leaned against his side. Pivoting to face her, he pulled her into his arms. Reveling in the strength of him, when he leaned down to kiss her, she eagerly kissed him back.
The timer continued to beep, and after a moment they walked hand in hand into the kitchen.
Angry with himself for doubting her the day before, Jax set the table while Autumn got dinner on the table. As they ate and talked, in the back of his mind he wondered what Rob, the man he’d told to watch Kelli, was discovering. Rob would report any movement to him, and Jax hoped they could put an end to these incidents.
Once dinner was over and they’d cleaned up, Autumn surprised him by asking if he wanted to see the message on the mirror.
“It’s still there?”
“I was about to clean it off when you got here.”
“Yeah. Okay.”
He followed her into her bathroom, and when he saw the writing scrawled across the glass in blood-red lipstick, a chill went through him. Seeing it in person felt different than seeing the picture Haylie had sent him.
The words were stark and awful.
You don’t deserve him.
Why would someone say that? Autumn was a treasure. If anything he didn’t deserve her.
Wrapping her in his arms, he knew if he had anything to do with it, no one would be allowed to say those things about her. To her.
Then a new thought jolted him. What if the person who’d written the message—presumably Kelli Judd—had plans to hurt Autumn?
The thought made him sick. On impulse, he placed his hands on her shoulders and locked his eyes with hers. “You and Sasha need to come with me to my place.”
“What?”
“You may not be safe here.” He had to protect her.
Autumn shook her head. “Your friend’s watching Kelli, so I’m sure I’ll be fine.”
What if Kelli wasn’t doing it herself? What if she’d gotten someone else to do the things she’d done? Then keeping an eye on Kelli would be pointless.
“Humor me,” he said. “Stay with me. Just for a few days. My house is secure.”
Was Jax really asking her to stay at his house? Things were moving too fast.
She threw her hands up. “Hold on. Why the sudden worry? Yesterday you nearly convinced me that all these things were unrelated and that there was a reasonable explanation. Now you want me to move into your house?”
Jax pointed to the mirror. “This is different. There’s no reasonable explanation here. This is someone threatening you.”
“Threatening me?” Yes, it had crossed her mind that she could be in danger, but deep down she thought it was Kelli just trying to scare her off.
“We don’t know what Kelli is capable of. I mean, she took the time to come in here and do this. What else is she willing to do?”
Fear tripped up her spine. “Jax, now you’re scaring me.”
He drew her into his arms and her fear receded.
“I’m not trying to scare you,” he murmured near her ear. “I’m trying to protect you.”
With him at her side, nothing could harm her. Which was why she needed to go with him. She saw that now.
“Okay,” she said a moment later.
He pulled back and looked at her. “Okay what?”
“Okay. I’ll go with you.”
His lips curved into a smile. “All right. Grab your things and we’ll head out.”
Chapter Thirty-One
Autumn followed Jax in her car. Sasha was in the backseat, along with her pet bed, food, and other supplies. She’d thrown together her own things, shoving them in a suitcase before loading it in her car.
Was this what her life had come to? The need to move into Jax’s house to keep herself safe? What was Kelli capable of? Would she really hurt her?
Autumn had no idea, but she wasn’t willing to take a chance on her or Sasha’s safety to find out.
When Jax pulled up to a gated entry, Autumn followed him. He punched in a code and a moment later the gate swung open and he drove through. As she tailed him, her gaze swept the area. The expansive front yard was beautiful—flowers and trees and a lush green lawn. The house wasn’t huge—much larger than hers, but not as big as she’d expected. What had she expected? She had no idea. The one-story modern house had clean lines—not the style she normally favored—but she liked it.
Jax pulled around to a four-car garage. One of the doors slid open and he drove inside, parking his Lamborghini. Autumn parked in front of one of the closed doors and got out.
“Nice place,” she said. Then she looked at Sasha in the backseat. Sasha was a good dog, but she was still a dog. Was there a place for her to run and play? A place to do her business? Worried that Sasha might ruin Jax’s gorgeous yard, Autumn bit her lip.
“Glad you like it,” Jax said as he walked toward her. He opened the rear door to release Sasha from her confinement.
Sasha bounded out and immediately began sniffing the ground.
“What about your yard?” Autumn asked.
Jax cocked his head. “What about it?”
Looking at Sasha before turning to Jax, Autumn said, “I don’t want her to cause any damage.”
He shrugged. “I’m sure she’ll be fine.”
She would take Sasha to work. That would minimize the amount of time she would be in the yard. And Jax didn’t seem worried. “Okay.”
“Let’s get you settled,” he said as he went to her trunk and took out her suitcase.
When he came back around her car, Autumn stepped in front of him and placed a hand on his chest. “Wait, Jax.”
“What’s wrong?”
“I just…I want to make sure you know this is temporary.”
He gazed at her, his blue eyes unwavering. “I know.”
Was she relieved that he was so sure this was temporary? Or disappointed?
He took her hand in his, then led her to the front door. Sasha joined them. Stepping into the entry, Autumn saw high ceilings and wood floors and she could see straight through to the backyard.
“The family room’s straight ahead,” Jax said, leading her into a spacious yet comfortable room. The kitchen was
adjacent. It was her dream kitchen.
Excitement at the opportunity to use such a beautiful kitchen swept over her. “You won’t mind if I make a muffin or two while I’m here, would you?”
He chuckled. “No, Angel Muffin. I won’t mind at all.”
Gently squeezing his hand, Autumn grinned. “Good.”
They passed massive floor to ceiling doors that led to a huge backyard patio. The doors looked like the kind that would slide out of sight.
“The bedroom you’ll be staying in is down here,” Jax said.
A moment later they stepped into an oversized room painted a soft teal. Sliding glass doors led to the backyard, and a comfortable looking bed was against one wall.
Jax set the suitcase on the bed, then gestured to the sliding glass doors. “Easy access to let Sasha out.”
Overwhelmed with gratitude at his generosity, she turned to him and threw her arms around him. “You’re so good to me, Jax. Thank you.”
Inviting her to stay at his house was not something he’d ever done for a woman before, but it seemed like the least he could do. If it weren’t for him, none of these things would have happened to her. He was the one who’d dated Kelli. Still, he was touched by Autumn’s gratitude. And knowing she would be safe in his home brought a sense of relief.
Holding her against him, he inhaled the floral scent of her hair. “You’re welcome.”
Sasha brushed up against him, reminding him that he needed to make sure her needs were met too.
He took a small step away from Autumn. “I’ll grab Sasha’s things out of your car while you get settled.”
She smiled up at him. “Okay.”
The sparkle was back in her eyes, and at the happy expression on her face, Jax felt deep satisfaction.
Autumn watched Jax leave the room, Sasha on his heels. Smiling at the way her dog had fallen in love with him—a feeling she understood completely—she set her suitcase on the bed and unzipped it, then began moving her things into the dresser and closet.
“Where do you want Sasha’s bed?” Jax asked a few minutes later.
Autumn pointed to a spot near the sliding glass door. “Over there should work.”
He set the bed on the floor, then turned to her. “I put her food and water bowls in the kitchen. Is that okay?”
He was making such an effort to make her feel at home. “That will be perfect.”
He sat on a chair tucked in the corner of the room. “Do you have everything you need?”
Autumn set down the blouse she’d been about to place on a hanger and walked over to him, kneeling beside the chair. She lay her arms on the armrest and smiled up at him. “Honestly, as long as I have Sasha, I’m good.”
He grinned. “I hope you like having me around too.”
She did. So much. But did she want to admit that? Just the night before she’d thought things were coming to an end with him and her heart had begun to break. But now? The future looked bright.
“Yes,” she finally said. “I definitely like having you around.”
One side of his mouth tugged up. “Good. For a minute there I wasn’t sure.”
Smiling, she placed her hand on his arm. “It’s strange to think that a week ago I’d barely met you. And now?”
His eyebrows rose. “Yes? And now?”
And now she was falling for him. Hard. “And now…” She looked around the room before meeting his gaze. “I’m going to be sleeping in your house.”
He laughed. “Yeah, that is pretty crazy.”
Not wanting him to think that she expected anything more from him, she was quick to add, “But it’s only temporary. Once we get this stuff resolved, I’ll go home.”
His smile dimmed. “Right.”
Why did she have to keep reminding him of that? She’d been there less than an hour and already she was planning her escape.
With a small shake of his head, he remembered that her independence and lack of being star-struck was part of her appeal.
“What can I do to help you?” she asked. “Shall I make a batch of muffins? Then you can have them ready for breakfast. What time do you leave, by the way?”
During off-season training the team served breakfast and lunch, but he wouldn’t turn down her muffins.
“I leave about seven, but yeah, I’d love a muffin or two before I go.”
She jumped to her feet. “Okay then. Let’s see if you have the ingredients I need.”
Standing, he said, “I have to warn you. I don’t do much cooking, so my ingredients may be lacking.”
“Only one way to find out.” She tossed him a wink before turning and walking toward the kitchen.
Jax followed her, appreciating the way her jeans hugged her curves, and when she entered the kitchen and began opening cupboards like she belonged there, he found himself smiling. He liked the way it looked to have her feel so at home in his house.
She stopped and faced him. “Where do you keep your flour and sugar?”
He walked over to what looked like a floor to ceiling cabinet and pushed. It swung inward, revealing a huge walk-in pantry.
“Oh my goodness,” Autumn said as she walked inside. “Look at all this space.” Laughing, she spun on her heel and faced him. “I think my entire kitchen would fit in your pantry.”
“Yeah, it’s kind of big for one person, but what can I say? It came with the house.”
An amused smile curved her mouth. “I think I need to poke around my kitchen. Maybe there’s a hidden door that I haven’t noticed.”
He laughed. “Maybe.”
She turned back around and began gathering supplies, handing him containers of flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. “Put those on the counter, please.”
“Sure thing.” He did as she asked. “Hey, don’t you need a recipe or something?”
She stepped out of the pantry and moved to the fridge. “Nope.” She tapped her forehead. “It’s all up here.”
“Nice.”
She took out eggs, milk, and butter and set them on the counter. “You don’t have any blueberries or pecans, do you?”
He shrugged. “Doubt it.”
“What about bananas?”
He nodded. “I do have those.”
“Great. I’ll make banana muffins, but tomorrow I’ll stop by the store on the way here and pick up some fun ingredients.”
This was all so domestic. So not what Jax was used to. He liked it.
He went to a drawer and dug around until he found what he was looking for, then he held out a key to the house. “You’ll need this.” She stared at it like she didn’t know what to do with it before finally taking it. “What’s wrong?”
She shook her head. “I guess I got so caught up in playing in your kitchen that I forgot the reason I was here in the first place.”
Yeah. He kind of had too. A moment later he was inches away from her, his gaze steady on hers as he lifted her chin with a finger. “Everything will be okay, Angel Muffin. No one can get to you here. Okay?”
A small smile pulled up the corners of her lips, then she nodded. “Okay.”
She looked so sweet and vulnerable. What if something did happen to her? The thought sent dread shooting through him, and without a second thought, he wrapped her in a tight embrace, ready to do whatever he could to protect her.
When it was time to say good-night, Autumn loved it when Jax walked her to her bedroom.
“My room’s at the other end of the hall,” he said. “But you’ll be safe here.”
“I know.” She looked at Sasha, who had already curled up on her pet bed. “Plus I have Sasha to keep watch.”
Jax looked at Sasha, then smiled at Autumn. “There are towels in your bathroom, but is there anything else you need?”
She shook her head. She couldn’t have felt more cared for. “No. I think I’m good.”
“I’ll probably see you before I leave in the morning.”
Autumn nodded. She would make sure she was up in time to send h
im off. “I’ll be up.”
His smile grew. “Good.” Then he lowered his lips to hers as he slid one arm around her waist and curled his other hand around the back of her neck.
Autumn melted against him as she wound her arms around him. This was heaven, and as she remembered the way she’d cried herself to sleep the night before, she appreciated this moment all the more.
Chapter Thirty-Two
The next morning Autumn woke bright and early. After getting ready for the day, she and Sasha went into the kitchen to find Jax heating up a few muffins that she’d made the night before.
“You beat me to it,” she said with a smile.
He grinned as he turned the microwave on. “How’d you sleep?”
“Soundly.” She scooped dog food into Sasha’s bowl and Sasha dove right in.
“Glad to hear it.”
The bed had been cozy and perfect, and she’d fallen to sleep the moment her head had touched the pillow.
“Fix whatever you’d like for breakfast,” Jax said. “Like I said, they give us breakfast before workouts so I’m just gonna have a little muffin snack before I head in.”
Thrilled that he loved her baking, Autumn smiled, then went to the fridge and pulled out two eggs. “I like a little protein with my muffins.”
He set the plate with the warmed muffins on the counter. “Smart.”
After she’d scrambled her eggs, they sat on barstools at the high counter.
“What time do you think you’ll be home?” he asked before taking an enormous bite of his first muffin.
“Around six.”
“Perfect. I should be home before you.”
Glancing at him sideways, she asked, “Why is that perfect?” When he didn’t answer, Autumn turned her head to look at him full-on. Expecting him to be smiling with some surprise in mind, when he looked serious instead, she frowned. “What’s wrong?”
“I, uh…” He picked at a muffin on his plate, then he faced her with a half-frown. “I just want to be here when you get home. To, you know, make sure you’re okay.”
“Oh.” She’d almost forgotten the weirdness that had brought her to his house. “Right.”
Pass Interference (Fair Catch Series, Book Four) Page 16