by Lea Hart
Watching her walk away, he wondered what was really going on with her. She’d been acting differently toward him all week. Maybe she was finally accepting the fact that he was serious and opening her heart to the idea of them being together. At least, that’s what he hoped for because what happened between them when they were naked was crazy hot, but in his heart, he needed her to fall in love with him, too. At the age of thirty-five, he was turning into a romantic, and he didn’t much care. Pulling his own phone out, he called the service that he contracted with so they could come to fuel and park his plane. It seemed like he needed to find a permanent home for it down here. Doing his final check, he heard Ronnie on the phone and wondered who she was speaking with, because it didn’t sound like a pleasant conversation. He hoped like hell it had to do with the woman who’d been after her and not a client. Running through his checklist quickly, he wondered if he would have to intervene. He didn’t like the idea of someone making her upset. That was his job and no one else’s.
“What do you mean, ‘She got out on bail’?” Ronnie screeched into the phone. “Joel, how did she get out so quickly after pulling a knife on someone?” Wiping her forehead, she realized she was sweating, and it wasn’t the good kind of sweat, either. “All right, come by around five for dinner, and you can fill us in, and we can come up with a plan.” She ended the call and stared blankly at the airfield. How could one crazy nut case cause so many problems? She wanted to blame her client, but knew that wasn’t right. It wasn’t his fault for having bad taste in women…or was it?
Maybe she should go through her client list and see if there were any other red flags, because she did not care to deal with this in the future. Who knew that managing money could be life-threatening? Tapping her sandal, she tried to come up with a way to get her life back on track. She couldn’t have Amanda return until she could guarantee her safety. Maybe they could just work out of her house and have clients come there. Joel and Trevor had pretty much made the place a fortress, so it might be her best option for the immediate future. All she needed was a phone line and internet access, and she could work anywhere.
Hearing Chase come down the steps, she came out of her reverie. This was going to make him more nuts than he already was. The idea that the woman was out there and still a threat was going to send him into protective overdrive. At least he would have a house to go to when he got underfoot. “Have you heard about your offer on the house yet?”
Taking her hand, he looked down at her and wondered what had gotten into her. “I haven’t checked my phone yet, but I will. Let me make sure my plane is taken care of and then you can explain the phone call and what is going on. Do I need to feed you before we get home?”
Leaning her head against his chest, she let out a breath. For the first time in her adult life, she had someone to lean on who she wasn’t related to. Of course she had her friends, so maybe it wasn’t an accurate statement, but someone who she was romantically linked to. His big arm wrapped around her, and her heartbeat slowed down from the frantic staccato that had been thumping against her chest. Breathe in, breathe out. “I’ll explain everything when we get in the cab.”
********
Sitting in the deli near the grocery store, Ronnie stress-ate her way through a turkey pastrami sandwich. “I think I need some potato salad to go with this, because the fruit is not going to cut it.” Taking another big bite, she watched Chase signal to the waitress. Once the woman arrived at the table, she heard Chase order French fries and potato salad. He was a good man. “Thank you for taking care of me, because I’m in desperate need of some carb therapy.”
Eating his own giant sandwich, he nodded in her direction. They were going to have to deal with the threat that the woman posed, and his experience told him that Ronnie was not going to like it. She was as independent as they came, and having her movements dictated by security concerns was not going to be easy. It was a good thing that he had time off before he started his coaching job in the summer, because he was free and available to take care of her. Watching her devour the French fries that were just delivered made him wonder if she would share his feelings. “Are you worried that I’m going to crowd you in your ten room mini-mansion?”
Eyes flying up, she studied him as she finished her fry. “No. Yes…maybe. Chase, I had an office and a life up until a couple of weeks ago. Now I have a boyfriend, no office, and a crazy lady after me. It’s a lot to take in.”
“I’m your boyfriend?”
“Yes! You met my Nana Boo.”
“I thought I was, but it’s good to hear it from your mouth. I know what you told Scott about only searching for a baby daddy, so I need to make sure that we’re on the same page.”
“Scott is a big-fat gossip, and I’m never going to take him on as a client.” She moved the plate of French fries closer and started eating again. “He’s a spoiled boy-man who’s being paid way too much money for throwing a ball.” Giving him what she felt was a perfect stink eye, she grabbed another fry. “Maybe I will ask you to be my baby daddy, but it’s hard to tell at this point.”
“You can ask me whatever you want, but I’m never going to be your baby daddy. I’ll be your husband, the love of your life, and maybe your reason for living, but I will never be your baby daddy.” Pulling the French fries in his direction, he gave her the same smile he used when trying to sell toothpaste. Looking at her, he realized it wasn’t working.
“Whatever.”
“So you’re more interested in fussing at me about something you don’t really care about instead of dealing with your real fear of having a crazy woman after you?”
“Yes, is that a problem?”
“No. I was just checking.” Signaling to the waitress again, he grabbed the bowl of potato salad. He decided it was in his best interest to leave her to it. The woman came up and gave them a perfunctory smile. “My girlfriend needs some chocolate. What do you have for dessert?”
“Don’t worry. I’ll take care of it.” Patting Ronnie’s hand, she glanced over at Chase with a withering glare.
“She thinks that I’m the reason you need chocolate. That’s just wrong.”
“Oh stop, it doesn’t matter.”
Pulling her hand across the table, he held it tightly. “We are going to figure this thing out and both come out in one piece. I promise that I will do my best not to make you crazy, and living next door to one another is going to prove to be one of my better ideas.”
“Oh, poo. There is no way that we are going to be sleeping separately, so let’s don’t pretend.”
“That’s true, but at least I’ll have a place to go during the day so I won’t be in your hair. I have a couple of endorsements to take care of in the next couple of months. Also, I have my foundation and the many appearances that it requires, and I have to get up to speed on my new team. I have a lot to do, so you have nothing to worry about.”
“You’re right. I don’t know why I’m panicking. It’s all going to be just fine.” Giving him a deb smile, she looked over his shoulder and hoped that her chocolate dessert was coming soon. Because, clearly, she was going to need it.
********
Sitting with Joel in her office, she wondered if he was over-reacting to the threats the woman had made against her. Dismissing the thought, she knew that SEALs were known for their tendency to underplay threats. They simply handled them like one would handle, say, a minor inconvenience. “How should I proceed?” she asked.
“Trevor did some recon on her apartment and discovered that she had quite a few photographs of you and copies of some articles that have been published over the last year. You are definitely her target, and she has a history of mental instability. The boyfriend’s refusal to buy her a car is just the tipping point she needed to blame you for all of her troubles.”
Sitting back in her chair, she curled her legs underneath her and tapped her pen. “I still can’t figure out why Andre dated someone like that. He’s a nice guy and has a ton of options.�
�
“The woman is beautiful. Crazy as shit, but beautiful. It’s not always a man’s first concern to see if the woman who is offering herself up is mentally stable. If it were, there would be a lot of detectives on the MPD with free time. And vice-versa, this thing goes both ways. The point is that you’ve been put in the eye of the storm, and we need to figure out how to keep you safe until the woman goes to trial or does something that gets her put in jail with the key thrown out.”
The office door opened, and Chase walked in with two beers and a glass of wine. After handing the glass to Ronnie, he sat next to Joel in the chairs that faced her desk. For as brave as she was, she sure seemed scared sitting in her big office chair. She was dressed in shorts and a T-shirt from college with her hair piled on top of her head. “How are you doing, honey?”
“Not great. It seems like the crazy lady is gunning for me, and she has no reason to stop until she’s successful. I’m stuck here until she does something that puts her in jail. My other choice is to have security with me when I leave the house.” Taking a healthy sip of her wine, she laid her head back against her chair. “There goes all my free will and independence.”
“I don’t think something as simple as a crazy woman is going to take that away from you.” Chase laughed. “Honey, I’m here, and we will figure this thing out. If I have to go out of town, then you can have Trevor or one of the other guys come and make sure you’re safe.”
Joel spoke up. “Ronnie, this is something that we can easily manage. Work out of your house for a while until we get this woman arrested. Just think of the time you’ll save since you don’t have to commute. Hell, you can work in your pajamas all day.”
“I like getting dressed up and going to my beautiful new office and working. I want my clients to have confidence, and making them come to my house is not going to do that.”
“You’ve made your clients rich and have their futures carefully planned out. You could have one of them show up right now, and they wouldn’t feel differently about you,” Chase responded.
“Well, I guess we’re going to find out,” Ronnie said. Scowling, she glanced over the room and made a decision. “I need to redecorate this room if I’m going to be spending time in here.” Sliding her feet out, she powered up her computer and waited. “Give me thirty minutes, and I will get dinner started. I just need to order a few things for the room first.”
Standing, Chase walked around the desk and lifted her chin. Staring into her troubled eyes, he spoke. “I got you, and we’re going to make this work.” Leaning down, he pressed his mouth against hers. Feeling her respond, he felt better. “Joel, let’s give her time for some decorating therapy. Come on out, and we’ll get the bar-b-que started.”
“Sounds good, man.” Lifting himself out of the chair, he grinned at Ronnie. “Don’t worry. This isn’t going to be as painful as you think.”
Looking up, she winked. “Thanks, Joel. I appreciate everything you’ve done.”
Tapping the desk with his knuckles, he started to move toward the door. “I wonder how well the Super Bowl MVP can handle the grill?”
“Probably the same way he handles throwing a ball. Get ready for some delicious steaks.” Hearing his laughter, she returned her attention to one of her favorite decorating sites and her many choices for rugs.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
Monday
One Week Later
Ana, Ella, and Ronnie stood in the kitchen and drank margaritas and ate chips and guacamole as they looked out the big window into the backyard.
“So he moved in? It’s official?” Ana asked, as she shoved a chip in her mouth.
Refilling her glass, Ronnie sighed. “Yes, he has. His escrow closes at the end of the month, and he takes possession the first week in April. We’re flying up next week to Jacksonville, so that we can decide what to bring down from his house.” Taking a healthy sip, she stared at her friends. “He’s hog-tied me to him, and I’m not sure when exactly it happened.”
“It happened on Valentine’s day when you had your way with him,” Ella responded.
Shaking her head before sitting down, Ronnie studied her nails. “It happened when he came to the horse farm and spent a week with me. He got me good.”
“You might as well enjoy it, because being tied up is the new thing among young couples. I just read an article on Buzz Feed, and it says that it’s gone mainstream. It’s not something that I’m real interested in, but those Velcro handcuffs might be worth trying.” Ana walked over and grabbed the chip bag to refill the bowl on the table. “What…why are you both staring at me?”
Loud laughter erupted from both of the women as they considered the one who was the most conservative out of their group.
“I don’t think it’s funny. I’m engaged to a man who is an underwear model; I have to do research to make sure that I am up on the latest trends. I didn’t come to this relationship with a lot of experience, so I don’t want to miss out on anything.”
“Your fiancée is not an underwear model. He is a football player who happens to have done one underwear campaign,” Ella said.
“Tomato…tomatoe. I like to call him an underwear model.” Wiping her hands, she grinned at her friends. “I know that I’m a boring scientist, but I feel less boring when I remember who loves me. Some days, I look at him and wonder when he’s going to figure that out.”
“He fell for you the day he met you, and that is never going to change,” Ronnie stated. “It seems that you two are perfectly suited, because you can be boring together. You both like to work hard, eat, watch movies, and apparently act like a couple of sex crazed monkeys. It seems like a match made in heaven.” The front door slammed, and Ronnie walked over to the door to see who had shown up. Security was tight, so it could only be a couple of people. “Hi, sweetie.”
Chase walked through the front hall with Scott in tow. The two had become inseparable in the last week, because Chase had taken an interest in the kid’s career and was coaching him in the afternoons.
Sweeping Ronnie up in his arms, he laid a big noisy kiss on her mouth. “Hi, honey.”
“Hi, yourself.” Feeling heat roll down her spine, she gave him a squeeze before sliding down his body. Yep, he was feeling some heat, too.
Leaning over, he whispered in her ear, “Behave, woman. We have company, so don’t try and get me into trouble.”
“All right, I’ll save it for later.” Turning in his arms, she faced Scott. “So are you staying for supper?”
“I’d love to stay. Thanks, Ronnie.”
“You get to eat with the defensive line tonight, because Jack and Clark are on their way over,” she responded. “Follow me, and I’ll get you something to drink and some snacks. We’re not eating for another hour.”
“We’ll take them outside, honey. I want to show Scott the great fence project.” Walking into the kitchen, he greeted Ana and Ella. “Have you ladies seen what we’re doing in the backyard?”
“No,” Ella responded.
“I came up with a great idea, and the men just started on it yesterday. Since there’s so much foliage between the houses, we’ve decided to make arches so the properties are connected, but still separate. I think the kids are going to love it when they get bigger. When I’m done with this, it’s going to be like the secret garden. Ronnie loves the woods around the horse farm, so that’s where I got the idea. A magical place in the middle of Coco Plum neighborhood.”
“He’s even going to build a tree house with different levels.” Ronnie laughed. She thought of the time they spent in the tree house out at the farm and knew they were going to get some good use out of it long before any children arrived. Glancing over, she winked at Chase and enjoyed the heated look he was giving her. It seemed that he remembered it as well. Handing them both beers, she shooed them out of the back door. “We have girl things to discuss, so we’ll be out in a little bit.”
Sitting down, Ronnie stared out the window and admired Chase’s retreatin
g figure. He wore his usual uniform of athletic shorts and T-shirt, and they did a nice job of showing off his body. “He touches me whenever he’s near in the sweetest ways, and I’ve found that I enjoy it. In fact, I’m starting to rely on him being near, and I don’t know whether to fall completely into his arms or run screaming. So far, the falling seems like a much better idea.”
“I recommend the falling.” Ana sighed.
“Running just makes you tired,” Ella added. “And sweaty…who wants to get sweaty?”
The front door opened, and the women heard loud voices. Clark and Jack were arguing over something as they walked into the kitchen.
“What is the debate on today?” Ana asked.
Walking over, Jack leaned over and kissed her before replying. “Which Star Wars movie is the best one? I believe it was the original one, and Clark thinks it was the last one. We’ve decided to watch them all again and then decide.”
Ella moved her mass of curls off her shoulder and stood up. “Everyone knows the first one was the best.”
“I’m going to pretend like you didn’t just say that, babe.” Moving next to Ella, Clark stood over her and grinned. “The last one was because of the special effects.” Feeling her hand on his face as she pulled him closer, he felt a win was imminent. “Say you agree with me.”
“First one,” she whispered. Then gave him a kiss that shut him up and didn’t allow him to argue further.
Once she released him, he held her close. “If you keep kissing me like that, then we’re going to have to leave and miss supper.” Running his hand up her back, he hoped she’d had a big lunch. “How hungry are you?”
“Hungry enough to stop kissing you.”
“That’s what I was afraid of.” Feeling her small elbow in his side, he laughed. “I don’t know how I ended up with a woman who likes food more than me.”
“I’m sure I can find you someone who doesn’t, if you so desire.” Ella replied. “Would you like me to go now?” Placing her hands on her hips, she gave him a glare that told him exactly what his best answer was.