Christmas Cowboy

by Claire Adams

  “Fine,” I said absently. “I’m fine.”

  “You don’t look fine,” he pointed out. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

  I looked up at Brian and threw my hands up in the air. “How do I even counter his inability to live in reality?” I asked helplessly.

  “Ava, we need to go to the police,” he said quietly.

  “No! I told you, we can’t do that!” I cried.

  “But I’m starting to wonder if he’s lost it,” Brian said. “And if he has, then I might not be able to protect you from his psychotic break. This is about your safety, Ava, not your father’s ego.”

  “Stop it! I know that!” I yelled. I was panicked because I knew that this note was not a good sign, but I also knew that notifying the police would set off a reaction from my father that might end with Brian being fired and me never seeing him again. I couldn’t stand the thought of not being with him or feeling him touch me ever again. I looked up into his eyes and willed him to understand what it was that I couldn’t say.

  “Ava, we have to do something,” he said as he reached out and cupped my face. “We can’t sit around and wait for him to make his move. It’s not safe.”

  I nodded as I folded the note and put it back in the envelope. I had no idea what to do next. How could we protect me from Dominic’s imagination? What would he do to me? What would he do to Brian? The thought of Dominic harming Brian made me ill, but I had no plan for how to protect him.

  “I don’t know what to do,” I admitted. “And I’m scared…”

  “I know,” Brian said as he wrapped his arms around me and rested his chin on my head. “We’ll figure something out. Together.”

  *****

  “Ava, we’re going to have to move out of here for a while,” Brian said. “You know that you’re not safe here, don’t you?”

  I nodded and fought back the rising panic that threatened to swallow me. The thoughts raced through my mind: Why do I have to move? Why can’t Dominic just leave me alone? Why is my life such a mess? Brian held me tight as I fought to get my bearings, and once I’d calmed down, he began making plans to try and shore up my security.

  I began packing a bag as he sat on the couch and tapped out text after text, arranging for us to move out of the dorm until Dominic could be located, questioned, and, hopefully, locked up. The sound of Brian’s phone ringing broke the silence and he stepped out into the hall to answer it.

  I continued sorting out my clothes and trying to decide what would be necessary and what would simply be an unnecessary burden to carry with me. Then I went into the bathroom and began gathering my things. I wanted to leave the room looking like I was still living here so that when the dorm housekeeper came in to collect trash and dust, she wouldn’t notify the RA who was supposed to be keeping watch over us all. The last thing I needed was to have the university involved in this mess since my father sat on the executive advisory board and would most likely turn the place upside down if he found out they’d been harboring a criminal who was after his daughter. I was tired of being the outsider everywhere I went; tired of being seen as either the poor little rich girl or the stuck-up snob. I was neither of those things, and I wanted a chance to solve this problem on my own.

  Besides, the problem with Dominic was entirely my fault. I knew that for certain, but I couldn’t tell anyone—not even Brian.

  “Alright, we’ve got a place to stay and we’ve got a team in place to help us move without being seen,” Brian announced as he reentered the room with a smile on his face.

  “Uh huh,” I nodded as I tossed a small cosmetics bag into my duffle bag that was already stuffed to the gills.

  “Ava, we’re just going across town, not to another country,” he joked.

  “I know, but I want stuff that’s familiar,” I said in a choked voice. I was trying so hard to keep it together that I feared one wrong word and I’d lose it.

  “I’m teasing you,” he said gently as he crossed he room and put a hand on my shoulder. “It’s all going to be okay, Ava. I promise. I’ve got friends who are going to help me flush out Dominic and get him to where the police can track him on their own.”

  “I just…just…just…” I stammered as I turned and looked up at him, my eyes brimming with tears that threatened to spill down my cheeks.

  “I know, and it’s okay,” he said softly. “It’s all going to be okay.”

  I nodded as I turned back to the bed and zipped my bag. I didn’t fully believe that everything was going to be okay, but I was choosing to believe Brian—for now.

  *****

  Once I’d packed up, Brian told me to wait in the room while he carried my bag down to the SUV and checked to make sure the path downstairs was safe. When he returned, he told me to do one more check to make sure I had everything I needed before we headed out. I surveyed the room and felt a little sad to be deserting it, and a little nostalgic since Brian and I had had our hottest sex in there.

  The little bubble of laughter that escaped from my lips as I thought about this made Brian tip his head and look at me like a confused puppy. That made me laugh harder, and soon he joined me, and the dark mood that had clouded the day began to lift.

  “C’mon, let’s get out of here,” Brian said as he motioned for me to follow him down to the vehicle.

  As we drove away from the dorm, Brian turned on the radio, and as the sound filled my ears, I started to relax. The past week had been the single most stressful time in my life aside from the week I actually decided to leave Dominic. I thought about that week and shuddered as I remembered how frightened I’d been and how unsure I was of what I was going to do next.

  “Are you okay?” Brian asked as he turned down the volume.

  “Yeah, just thinking,” I replied as I watched the scenery flashing past.

  “What are you thinking about?” he probed.

  “Just thinking about all that’s happened,” I said. “How messed up it all is.”

  “It’s going to get better, Ava,” he reassured me. “We’re going to get Dominic out of the picture and then you can have your life back, and I won’t have to follow you everywhere.”

  “Yeah, right,” I turned toward him, smiled weakly, and then looked back out the window.

  “Has he always threatened you this way?” Brian asked.

  “Pretty much,” I said quietly. “Well, not in the beginning, of course. In the beginning he was all sweetness and light. I fell so hard for that act.”

  “He’s pretty manipulative,” Brian echoed.

  “He’s…so seductive,” I whispered. “He sucked me in before I knew what had happened and because I’d never known what it was like to have someone focus on me and me alone, I thought what he was doing was what love should be like. I had no idea.”

  Brian remained silent as I tried to gather my thoughts and organize them in a way that I could use to make him understand how dangerous Dominic could be. I was more worried about what would happen to Brian than I was about what would happen to me. Dominic had already beaten me within an inch of my life and proven that he had no desire to actually kill me, but Brian…when it came to Brian, I knew what Dominic was capable of because I’d seen it before.

  “I’m just worried about you,” I said once I’d regained some clarity.

  “Don’t worry about me, it’s you that we need to focus on,” he said. “You didn’t answer my question, though. Has he always threatened you like this?”

  “Yes,” I answered simply. “He always threatened me, but he never followed through on his threats. He might have beaten me to teach me a lesson, but he never came anywhere near killing me.”

  “Something has changed,” Brian mused.

  “It’s you,” I replied. “He’s never had anyone who challenged him for my affection the way you do.”

  “Do I?” he asked as he looked at the road ahead.

  “Do you what?”

  “Do I challenge him for your affection?” Brian asked.

  “We
ll, you know what I mean!” I protested. I wasn’t ready to get caught up in a romance with my bodyguard, no matter how much I liked him and how good I felt when I was with him. “I just mean, in his head he sees you as the competition. He’s delusional!”

  Brian’s mouth formed a thin line as he nodded and made a left turn into the hotel parking lot. He’d driven us a good distance away from the campus in an attempt to move me out of range. Maybe if Dominic couldn’t detect me anywhere on campus, he’d stop this pursuit and I’d be safe.

  As we pulled up to the front door, I looked at Brian and said, “I’m not kidding, I’m worried about you.”

  Brian reached out and cupped my cheek in a gesture that was becoming achingly familiar and comforting, and said, “And I’m worried about you, and only you.”

  The blood rushed to my cheeks as the hotel bellhop opened my door and cheerfully chirped, “Welcome to the Midway, folks! Can I get your bags?”

  *****

  We checked in without incident and the nice bellhop carried our bags to up to the large suite we’d be occupying for an indefinite period of time. Brian remarked that neither of us had eaten anything all day, so we called down to room service and ordered enough food to feed the Navy, and laughed that we’d be eating leftovers for days.

  “I’m going to take a shower before the food gets here,” Brian called as he entered the bathroom and turned on the water.

  “Want some company?” I teased.

  “Nope, this is strictly business, and I’d appreciate you keeping it that way,” he deadpanned with a towel wrapped around his waist. I gave him an appreciative once-over and grinned as he said, “And I’d appreciate you keeping your unsavory thoughts to yourself, young lady. This is neither the time nor the place for such lascivious displays of unladylike behavior.”

  I burst into a fit of giggles as he grinned and ducked into the bathroom. I liked his easy sense of humor and his way of disarming me when I felt panicked or overwhelmed, and his hot body was an unexpected, but welcome, bonus. In no time, Brian emerged from the steamy room shirtless in a pair of tight-fitting jeans as he towel-dried his hair. I feigned swooning and he chuckled and rolled his eyes.

  “Your turn!” he said as he pointed the way to the bathroom. “I cleaned it up so you wouldn’t be subjected to my dude mess.”

  “Your dude mess?” I questioned.

  “Yeah, the wet towels on the floor, water on the sink and other signs that a dude had occupied the facilities,” he laughed. “I know how you ladies prefer a sparkling clean environment in which to get ready.”

  “Oh my gosh, you’re crazy!” I laughed.

  “Yes. Yes I am,” he smiled. “I mean it’s not like you women don’t make a mess of the place in the process of making yourselves pretty.”

  “What the heck are you taking about?” I demanded with a laugh.

  “I don’t know, I’ve always wondered if the beauty of a woman is in direct proportion to the amount of mess she leaves in the room where she makes the pretty happen,” he mused. “What do you think?”

  “I think you’re nuts!” I laughed harder as I dug through my bag and located the items I’d need, then headed into the bathroom and shut the door. The hot water felt heavenly as I shampooed my hair and shaved my legs, and for the first time in a week, I actually felt safe. I relaxed a little as I dried off and then pulled on my clothes. “Is the food here yet?” I called through the closed door.

  “Not yet! But they called and said they’d be up within 10 minutes,” Brian yelled back.

  Knowing that I had a bit of time, I dabbed on a little foundation and stroked a couple of layers of mascara on my lashes before dabbing my lips with a bit of pink lip gloss. I stepped back from the mirror as I ran a comb through my hair and appraised myself. Considering that I hadn’t slept much and that I was a bundle of nerves, I didn’t look half bad. I looked at my reflection and said, “You’re going to be okay, Ava.” I wasn’t sure if I believe it, but it felt good to reassure myself. I hung up my towel, wiped down the sink, and then exited the bathroom just as the room server knocked on the door.

  Instinctively, I headed for the door, but Brian bounded ahead of me and pushed me out of the way. He motioned toward the chair in the corner and indicated that I should go sit down. I shrugged and went over and sat down.

  “Who is it?” Brian called through the door.

  “Room service, sir,” came the reply.

  Brian cracked the door and took a good look at the delivery person before he opened the door and stepped out. Before he invited him in, Brian checked each of the plates by lifting the cover and sniffing the food. I smiled as I realized what he was doing and wondered what the delivery guy was thinking, but if the guy thought it was weird, he gave no indication, and simply nodded as Brian invited him in. He rolled the cart over near the couch and handed the bill to Brian, who signed it and thanked him.

  Moments later, we were digging into the feast as if we’d never eaten before.

  We ate in silence, and I knew we were thinking about the same things. How to keep each other safe from Dominic being the primary issue. I watched Brian digging into his burger and wondered what he would look like sitting at my family’s table during the holidays. Then, realizing how ridiculous that sounded, I shook my head and returned to eating my own food.

  “What?” Brian asked.

  “Nothing,” I replied as I took a huge bite of my sandwich so that I would have an excuse not to talk.

  “Okay, just checking,” he shrugged and popped a fry in his mouth, then took a big gulp of the soda in front of him. “This food isn’t half bad, is it?”

  “Mmmmph, rths not,” I mumbled through the food.

  “Personally I prefer foie gras with a good pinot,” he said casually. “Well, when I could still drink pinot and not black out.”

  “You what?” I said almost choking on the fry I’d just bitten into.

  “What? You thought I was just a dumb musclehead?” he asked with a smile. “That I guzzled cheap beer and didn’t know the difference between pinot and cabernet?”

  “No, I just…”

  “You just thought I didn’t know about the finer things, did you?” he was serious now.

  “I guess, if I’m honest, I didn’t think you did,” I admitted. “I’m sorry.”

  “It’s okay,” he said. “It’s a common mistake. No hard feelings.”

  “I’m sorry, Brian,” I said more quietly, setting my sandwich down and leaning back on the couch. Between the worrying and the teasing, I’d lost my appetite.

  “Ava, don’t get mad,” he said. “I’m sorry I baited you into that. It’s just that that letter really got to me. I’m not stupid.”

  “No one said you were,” I replied.

  “I know, but having a rich educated guy say that I’m not smart enough to be with someone like you, well…” he trailed off.

  “I get it,” I said.

  “Do you?”

  “I mean, I don’t get it get it, but I understand why it might be something that would dig at you,” I replied.

  Brian nodded as he finished off his burger, and then stared at my plate.

  “Oh my God,” I laughed. “Go ahead, finish mine. I’m done.”

  “You sure?” he asked.

  “Yes, I’m positive. Eat it!” I laughed harder when I saw the forlorn look on his face. “You are so pathetic.”

  Brian happily polished off the rest of my sandwich and all of the fries that had grown cold on my plate, then he searched the cart and found dessert hiding on the shelf under the main serving area.

  “Ooooh, look at this! Chocolate cake and cheesecake!” he announced as he pulled he plates out and set them in front of me.

  “None for me, I’m stuffed,” I said as I held a hand up.

  “Fine, then all the more for me!” he cried as he dug in to the chocolate cake.

  I watched him devour the sweets and marveled at his appetite and his ability to find the good in even the most
stressful situation. He smiled as he polished off the cake and then moved on to the cheesecake.

  “How can you eat all of that and not get sick?” I asked.

  “Training, it’s all about the training,” he said as he tucked another forkful in his mouth.

  I shook my head and laughed, but when I looked back over, Brian had frozen with the fork halfway to his mouth. He was listening intently to some sound that only he could hear, and all amusement had disappeared from his face. There was something happening, and I was attuned enough to his way of monitoring things that I didn’t even ask. I just waited for him to give me a signal.

  Silently, he set the fork on the table before he got up and moved toward the door. He put his ear to the door and listened as he held up a hand indicating that I should be silent, too. I nodded and held my breath, and after what felt like forever, Brian dropped his hand and came back to the table where he picked up his fork and finished off the last bite of cheesecake.

  “What was that?” I asked, stunned that he could just flip the switch and go back to what he was doing while I was still shaking.

  “Nothing, I guess,” he said. “I thought I heard something outside the door.”

  “Thanks, Captain Obvious,” I said with a wry grin.

  “That’s Admiral Obvious to you, missy,” he grinned.

  I groaned and fell back on the couch. I wasn’t sure if he’d actually heard something or not, but I trusted his instincts and wasn’t going to question them, even if he did tell really bad jokes.

  *****

  Brian sat down on the couch, grabbed the remote, and looked for the local newscast. We watched in silence for a bit, but it had been a draining day, and it wasn’t long before I felt myself nodding off. I pushed myself up off the couch and went to brush my teeth before turning in for the night. Brian was glued to his phone as he frantically texted someone and didn’t notice me leave the room.

  “Ava!” he shouted just as I had put my toothbrush in my mouth.

  “Whgut?” I said through a mouth of toothpaste.

  “Ava!” his voice was frantic and I could hear him rushing around the room. I stepped toward the doorway just as he yanked back the door, slamming it into the wall, shouting, “Where have you been?”