False Perceptions

by Michelle Heard

  “Can I get you a jacket?” I call from the kitchen, looking at her from over my shoulder.

  “No thanks,” she says, dropping her arms to her side. “Are you all so observant?”

  Assuming that she means the Navy and military personnel by ‘all,’ I answer, “No, just good manners to offer a woman something warm if it looks like she’s cold.”

  “Did you drive all the way here from LA on the bike?” she asks as I pick up the two mugs.

  I first hand her the coffee before I lean against the railing, answering, “Yeah.”

  “Where did you get the truck?”

  I take a sip of the warm liquid. “Gus from the hardware was selling it. He mentioned something about Horace being blind as a bat and a danger on the road.”

  “You’ve met them. Quite the pair.”

  I watch her drink some of the coffee, and I’m glad to see she looks relaxed.

  “They’re something else alright,” I whisper.

  She draws her bottom lip into her mouth which makes the male in me override the SEAL for a second. Is it weird that I find her nervous habits sexy?

  Her eyes still won’t meet mine, and I wonder if it’s because she’s shy or whether it’s something else.

  “I met a team of Navy SEALs,” she says, and I notice how her grip on the mug tightens.

  I keep quiet not wanting to offer any information unless she asks me directly. I don’t think I’ll be able to lie directly to her face. Being evasive is one thing. Blatantly lying goes against everything I am.

  “They are all named after birds of prey. Do you all have nicknames like that?”

  I take a deep breath, dreading what her next question will be.

  “Some of us do.” Needing to steer her in a different direction, I ask the one question which will make her back down. “Where did you meet them?”

  It’s a shitty thing to do, but I feel it’s too soon for her to find out who I am. I just need a couple of days more to set her at ease before dropping that bomb on her.

  She finishes her coffee, and with a nervous flick of her hand, she waves the question away.

  “I met them through my father. No big deal. Thanks for the coffee. I’ll see you later.”

  She places the mug on the railing and makes a run for the stairs.

  When she’s gone, I close my eyes and let out a deep breath.

  CHAPTER 33

  EMILIE

  I stare at the emails, most of them requests from authors to have their books edited. I wonder if I’ll ever resume editing books. I still feel bad for canceling with the last author on such short notice.

  With a sigh, I close the laptop and resting my head back against the couch, I close my eyes.

  I can’t stop thinking about the team who rescued me. I’m trying to recall their faces, but all I remember are their voices, and what Eagle felt like.

  I remember the strength I felt coming off of him.

  I wish I could remember his face. The best I get is a glimmer of fierce eyes, but I’m not so sure whether that’s just in my imagination.

  I’m starting to think that I’ve built them up in my mind.

  I wonder if I were to meet them, whether they would turn out to be just like all the other men out there.

  That would be so disappointing.

  I’d rather remember them as heroes, as men of honor.

  My thoughts find their way to this morning when I had coffee with Hayden. I was surprised to see him outside so early after I woke from another nightmare.

  My cell starts to ring, and I lean forward, glancing at the screen.

  Father.

  As always, I let it go to voicemail before picking up the phone so I can listen to it.

  “Emily, this is your father.” I take a deep breath as his harsh voice fills the room. “You need to do an interview and talk about the kidnapping. It will help me get some sympathy votes. It’s time you come home.”

  I close my eyes against his uncaring words.

  Does he love me at all?

  “Emilie.” Hayden’s voice makes me flinch, and I drop the phone to the floor. “I didn’t mean to startle you.”

  I tuck a few stray strands of hair behind my ear and picking up the phone, I toss it on the table.

  Hayden walks deeper into the living room, his eyes scanning over everything. It’s the first time he’s been in the house, besides the kitchen.

  “Do you need something?” I ask as I push to my feet.

  His eyes settle on my face, and I quickly glance in the direction of the kitchen.

  Underneath the pain, there’s a fierceness in his eyes which draws me in. I avoid eye contact with him because I’m scared.

  I avoid his eyes knowing I’ll be damned with just one look. I’ll be damned to care about him, and that would mean the end of me.

  I can never allow myself to care for a man. It always ends up with me losing myself and then I’m left to pick up the pieces when they grow bored of me and leave.

  So, I try to do my best to ignore Hayden as a man which isn’t easy seeing as he’s so damn hot.

  “Yeah, we’re out of paint. I’m going into town to get some. I wanted to know whether you wanted to come along?”

  I shake my head before the words even leave my mouth. “No, thanks. I’m going to take Jelly to the lake. All the standing around can’t be good for her.”

  He takes a few steps closer to me, which makes my pulse spike sharply.

  “When last did you leave the house?”

  The question is intrusive, but I can’t bring myself to be rude to this man. He’s been nothing but kind to me.

  “A couple of days ago.”

  It feels like he wants to say something else. I tense up until he finally walks away.

  I let out a breath and close my eyes.

  It’s only a matter of time before he’ll start asking questions. Not that it should make a difference because he’ll end up leaving anyway.

  With a smile on my face, I watch as Peanut chases Jelly. They’ve become good friends.

  A burst of laughter bubbles up my throat as Peanut runs into the lake to cool off, and Jelly follows him.

  Jelly lowers herself into the water, and Peanut quickly takes advantage of this by climbing onto her back and lying down.

  I wish I had a camera so I could take a photo of them.

  I hear the truck pull up and inhale a deep breath before I turn around to go help Hayden.

  “Did you get everything you need?” I ask as I stand on my toes to look in the back of the truck.

  “Yeah. Gus says hello,” Hayden replies as he starts to unload the gallons of paint. He also got some nails, a hammer, planks of wood, and wood stain.

  “What’s the wood for?” I ask as I help him carry everything into the barn.

  “It’s for the bench down by the lake.”

  I stop and look at him with wide eyes.

  “I saw the list on your fridge,” he explains quickly.

  “You’re going to make me a bench?” I ask, feeling a little emotional that he’s doing something for me I didn’t have to ask for.

  “Is it a problem?” he asks as he wipes his hands on the back of his cargo pants.

  “Not at all. I’m just surprised,” I explain as I place the nails and hammer on the floor. “It’s kind of you to make me a bench. Thank you.”

  When we’re done carrying everything into the barn, I go back to the house so I can fix Hayden something for lunch.

  It’s becoming a routine to make sure he eats. I’m not sure what he has up in the loft, but seeing as I’ll be making something for myself, I might as well make extra for him.

  CHAPTER 34

  HAYDEN

  I’m busy hammering a nail into the wood for the bench when Emilie sneaks into the barn. She stands and watches me work, and I let her think that I’m not aware that she’s there.

  I’ve noticed that she watches me a lot. I’m not sure why. Maybe she’s still trying to figure ou
t whether she can trust me.

  We haven’t had an actual conversation since the morning we had coffee. After I heard the message Senator Swanson left her, I’ve been unable to let it go.

  The way he spoke to her was anything but loving, and the fact that she doesn’t take his calls makes me wonder if the loving daughter and father is all an act.

  One thing I know for certain is that Emilie is alone in this world. No one checks on her, and she hasn’t reached out to anyone. It bothers me. Everyone should have someone.

  When I’m done putting the seat together, I glance in her direction.

  “You think it will hold?”

  She blinks a couple of times with surprise, then walks closer.

  “It looks sturdy.”

  She reaches out, but before she can touch it, I take hold of her hand to stop her.

  “Careful. I still have to sand it down. I don’t want you to get any splinters.”

  She doesn’t pull her hand free immediately, and her eyes jump to my face. For a moment I see something in her eyes that makes me worry whether she knows who I really am. I should tell her before it blows up in my face, but the moment is fleeting as she pulls her hand free from mine and turns to leave.

  I’ll tell her soon, just not now. I first need to figure out the best way to approach that sensitive subject.

  Not wanting her to go yet, I say quickly, “I overheard the voicemail.” She stops and turns back to face me. “Who was it from?”

  She pushes some hair behind her ear, and I wonder if it’s as soft as it looks. When we rescued her, she was a mess. She reeked from the days spent in captivity. I didn’t think of her as a woman at that moment, just as a victim who needed to be rescued.

  But now there’s no denying she’s all woman. Her nervous actions make her look timid, although I know she’s made of steel. She survived being kidnapped, and that alone showed me just how strong she is.

  The blonde hair and dark green eyes, along with her fair skin make her quite the beauty. She carries herself in a quiet manor, and I get the feeling that she uses it to slip under the radar. She doesn’t want to be noticed.

  For the first time, I wonder why her previous marriages didn’t work. So far, I haven’t seen anything wrong with her. She’s not bossy or high-maintenance. She always treats me with respect. Hell, she even makes sure I eat.

  “It was my father,” she answers my question, pulling me out of my thoughts.

  “You don’t get along?” I ask.

  “No, we’re not close.” It’s all she says before she turns to leave, and this time I let her.

  So, Senator Swanson and Emilie do put on a show in front of the cameras. That just gives me more to think about.

  The men who took her would’ve watched her for a while. Something like that doesn’t just happen randomly. If they wanted to force Senator Swanson to step out of the race for president why did they take her if they’re not close?

  I would rather have kidnapped the person he depends on most. But that’s just me. From how easy the op was it was clear the kidnappers weren’t too bright.

  “Are you ready for surgery?” I ask Max.

  “Yeah,” he grinds out. “Can’t eat pussy with half a tongue.”

  I let out a bark of laughter. Trust Max to be more worried about going down on a woman than being able to talk.

  “Is Gabs taking you?”

  “Yeah.” He’s silent for a moment then says, “She’s been good to me.”

  “That’s great to hear, bud. How are Gabs and Michael? You taking good care of them?”

  “Of course, asshole,” he growls.

  “Thanks for being there for them,” I say, thankful that Gabs has Max, especially after Michael was born. It can’t be easy raising a kid on your own. “Tell Gabs I say hi and give Michael a hug from me.”

  “Will do.”

  “We’ll text like teenagers from here on out. Let me know when you come out of surgery,” I say, knowing he won’t be able to talk for a while. Poor Gabs is going to be stuck with a growling Max for a while.

  She went into labor a week after I left. Part of me regrets not being there for the birth of Mike’s son.

  “Will do,” he says again.

  “Good luck, Brother.”

  I’ve just ended the call when Emilie comes into the barn with lunch. I shove the phone in my back pocket and smile as I take the plate from her.

  “Sorry, it’s ham and cheese again. I need to go into town for some groceries.”

  “You want some company?” I ask, not wanting her to go in alone.

  She nods and gives me half a smile. “If you don’t mind.” She looks down at the bench that I just gave a coating of wood stain. “It looks really good.”

  “Thanks.” After I’ve finished half the sandwich, I ask, “When do you want to head into town?”

  “I’m just going to double check the list I made. Do you mind if we go when you’re done eating?”

  “Don’t mind at all,” I say.

  When she turns to walk back to the house, she stops and lets out a chuckle.

  “I almost forgot to give you your iced tea.”

  I take the glass from her as a smile stretches over my face. Not that she sees it, because she’s already high-tailing it out of the barn.

  When I’m done eating, I check my Sig. Even though I don’t think there’s any real threat to her safety, I’m not taking any chances with Emilie going into town.

  CHAPTER 35

  EMILIE

  After I’ve locked the door, I walk to where Hayden is waiting by his truck.

  My stomach is a fluttery mess knowing that I’m about to get into a vehicle with him. It’s not that I think he’ll hurt me, well not physically. It’s because I’m attracted to him, and I can’t switch off the damn unwanted feelings.

  I keep telling myself looking won’t hurt, but yeah, that’s a lie. Looking leads to wanting to touch and I can’t have any of that happening.

  When Hayden opens the passenger door, I’m pleasantly surprised that there’s still a man on this planet with manners.

  “Thanks,” I whisper as I climb into the truck.

  My eyes follow him as he walks around the front. Damn, the man sure looks sexy in a pair of jeans. Especially from behind.

  Even though we’re in the middle of summer, Hayden only wears long sleeve shirts. I wonder why? I’d love to see what he looks like in a t-shirt, stretched all tight over his muscled chest.

  Damn, get your mind out of the gutter, woman!

  As he gets in, I keep myself busy with putting on the seat belt. Hayden starts the car and places his hand behind my head as he looks over his shoulder to reverse.

  Holy hotness, is there anything he doesn’t do right?

  He switches on the radio which is set to a classic rock station. A song comes on that sounds vaguely familiar. I try to relax as the music fills the truck.

  When I recognize the song, I have to bite my bottom lip, so I don’t start to laugh. Just my damn luck that Peter Cetera’s Glory of love is playing.

  I turn my face toward the window when I can’t keep from smiling. It’s as if the whole damn universe is working against me. Not only am I developing an unwanted crush on Hayden but the song would be perfect if dreams actually came true and love really existed.

  The smile fades from my face as the words ‘I’m the man who will fight for your honor’ makes me think of Eagle and his team. My men. The only men who have ever fought for me. The only five people on this planet who I trust.

  When Hayden parks the car, I notice Horace and Gus sitting outside the hardware store.

  Getting out of the truck, I hear Horace say, “You cheated. You moved your bishop and then a pawn. That’s two moves.”

  “Your Alzheimer's is getting’ worse,” Gus grumbles. “I moved the bishop, then you moved your rook, which I took with my pawn.”

  “Are you callin’ me insane? Give me back my rook!”

  “Just callin’ �
�em as I see ‘em,” Gus mutters.

  I try to sneak past the front of the truck, not wanting to interrupt their game, when Gus looks up.

  “Hey there, Missy. We haven’t seen you in a while. What brings you to town?”

  “Just stocking up on some things,” I say, as I keep walking. “Enjoy the game.”

  Hayden goes to greet the men, which gives me time to slip into the store. I grab a cart and start down the first aisle. This time I make sure I get enough Twizzlers for Jelly and me. That horse has a serious candy addiction.

  As I glance over the list, I realize I forgot to get some sodas for Hayden which is in the previous aisle. I turn around and slam right into a wall of muscle.

  Glancing up, my cheeks flame up when I see that it’s Hayden. He takes hold of my arms, and before I can stop myself, my eyes find his.

  He has such vivid eyes, they lure you in with one look.

  Feeling awkward that I’m standing in his arms, I take a step back.

  Clearing my throat, I whisper, “Forgot to get soda.”

  I dart around him and head to the previous aisle. I grab an armful of soda, hoping it’s what he likes to drink. When I turn around Hayden is right behind me again.

  “Do you even drink soda?” I ask.

  “I actually prefer water,” he says, smirking.

  The man is actually smirking at me right now. Why do I find that so damn hot?

  I shove the sodas back onto the shelf and grab a pack of water instead. The next thing I know, Hayden takes it from me and carries it back to the cart.

  He’s freaking everywhere. Since that damn song came on the radio, it’s gone and made everything worse.

  CHAPTER 36

  HAYDEN

  She’s so damn cute when she’s flustered.

  And she smells good. I don’t know which perfume she uses, but it reminds me of spring.

  After she bumped into me, and I felt her soft skin as I held her arms, I’ve been stealing glances at her.