Jeff cradled her face. “I don’t want you carrying a gun.”
“I’m not going to carry it. I’m just going to have it around in case I need it.”
“You can’t shoot kids for throwing rocks, Kara.”
“Did I say I would shoot a child?” she asked him. “Someone put those kids up to throwing rocks at my house. Weren’t you the one who said that their so-called prank could’ve turned deadly?” She watched Jeff’s chest rise and fall as if he’d run a grueling race. “You know and I know they’re going to come back. Whoever put those kids up to stoning my house will try again. And I doubt they’ll send a kid to do a man’s job the next time.”
“Baby, baby,” he crooned. “Leave the police work to me and my deputies.”
Rising on tiptoe, Kara’s lips brushed against his. “Think of me as police auxiliary.”
“No, Kara. I will not put you in the line of fire.”
“But I’m the target, not you.”
“They don’t want to hurt you,” he argued softly. “What they want is to frighten you enough so you’ll sell out and leave.”
“I’m not selling.”
“I don’t want you to sell.”
“And I’m not running,” she insisted.
He smiled. “I don’t want you to run, either.” He kissed her again. “Take care of Oliver while I clean up the glass and tape something over the windows. I’ll be up as soon as I’m finished.”
“You can stay. But just for tonight.”
Jeff gave her a withering stare that she was sure had intimidated men who’d dared to try him. “I’ll stay tonight, tomorrow night, and the next night until the property is secured.”
Kara couldn’t help but become excited at the thought of having Jeff close by.
Chapter Thirteen
Kara lay in bed, her face buried in a pillow. It wasn’t until she’d stood in the bathroom, staring into the mirror while removing her makeup, that the enormity of what could’ve been hit her. She hadn’t been able to stop the tears; however, by the time she’d finished with her shower, she was back in control.
Someone had gotten teenagers to throw rocks through her window to get her attention. Well, they had gotten it, and she heard their message loud and clear. Kara didn’t want to think of what would’ve happened if Jeff hadn’t come home with her. He said they were kids, but she’d known kids who’d killed their friends because they believed they’d disrespected them. Children so young they were tried as juveniles who’d turned on their parents, seriously injuring or killing them for an excuse as flimsy as not buying them a new pair of sneakers or a video game. And she didn’t want to think someone would want to do more than throw rocks to get her to leave Angels Landing.
She managed to drift off to sleep, but then something woke her. She lay there, listening to what sounded like moaning. Sitting up, she saw Jeff slumped in the armchair.
“Jeff?”
When he didn’t answer, she turned on the bedside lamp, slipped out of bed, and walking on bare feet, approached him. His eyes were closed, chest rising and falling heavily, his breathing raspy.
Kara shook him gently. “Jeff, wake up.”
“No, Briggs! Don’t stand up! Medic! I need a medic over here.”
A cold chill raced through Kara. She was witnessing PTSD firsthand. Jeff was having a flashback. Cradling his face, she held his head firmly. “Jeffrey. Baby, please wake up.” He moaned, trying to escape her hold. “It’s okay, baby. That’s it, wake up.”
His eyelids fluttered wildly until he managed to focus. “I’m sorry for waking you. Go back to bed, sweetheart,” he whispered.
She stroked his handsome face. “No.” Kara was afraid if she left him in the chair the nightmare would return. “Come to bed with me.”
“I can’t.”
“Yes, you can.” Reaching for his hands, she tried pulling him off the chair, but he weighed too much. “Work with me, Jeff. Stand up.” She watched his expression change, as if he was seeing her for the first time. It was then Kara realized he’d finally emerged from a place where he’d relived the horrors of war in his dreams.
Jeff stood up, towering over Kara in her bare feet. “I can’t sleep in the same bed with you.”
“Yes, you can.”
“Are you sure?”
She smiled. “Very sure. Come on. Take off your clothes and get into bed.”
Walking back to the bed, she got in and turned her back to give him a modicum of privacy. The sounds of Jeff undressing were magnified in the quiet room. She and Jeff having sex wasn’t a concern to her. His flashback was.
During family therapy, Kara had led groups where either the mother or father had served in Iraq or Afghanistan. Most of them had returned with a myriad of emotional problems ranging from insomnia, depression, and paranoia to having flashbacks. Their transition back into civilian life was slow and painful for the soldiers and for their families.
She felt the mattress dip, then the warmth from Jeff’s body as he lay beside her.
Jeff couldn’t believe Kara had asked him to sleep in her bed. When he’d entered the bedroom after the ordeal, Kara was sleeping soundly. When he’d told her that he wasn’t going to let her out of his sight, he was true to his word. The armchair in her sitting area had become his bed, he stepping into the role of her bodyguard. But as he slept the disturbing images that always plagued his mind resurfaced. This time they weren’t as vivid as the others, and when Kara woke him, he wasn’t in combat mode, ready to go after anything that moved. He was getting better and for that he was thankful.
“Do they come often?”
Jeff knew she was talking about his nightmares. “Not as often as they used to. There was a time when I had them every night, sometimes two or three a night.” He froze when she pressed her breasts to his back. She might as well have been wearing nothing because the fabric of her nightgown was not much of a barrier between her and his boxers and T-shirt.
“Have you talked to anyone about them?”
He nodded and then realized she couldn’t see him in the darkened room. Shifting, he turned to face Kara. “Yes. I was seeing someone at the VA hospital. The psychiatrist wanted to put me on antianxiety medication, but I don’t want to take anything.”
“Do you feel anxious?” Kara asked.
“No. I don’t think it has anything to do with anxiety. It’s more like accepting that war is a game of odds and chances. When it’s your time to die, nothing or no one can change that. But when it isn’t, then you’re coming home whole or maimed. I managed to come home whole, while others weren’t so fortunate.” He paused for a moment. “I’d lost count of the number of men who returned without arms, legs, or horribly scarred from IEDs.”
“You can’t feel guilty that you came home unscathed, Jeff. Have you thought that maybe you weren’t injured because you had to take care of your grandmother and not the other way around?”
He smiled. “No. Thanks for reminding me.”
“How often do you get to see your buddies?”
Jeff stared at Kara. “Are you going to bill me for this session?”
Kara looped her leg over Jeff’s. “I didn’t know you were a comedian.”
He went completely still when her smooth leg touched his. He didn’t want to believe she could be so trusting. They were in bed together, and only a cotton nightgown and his underwear kept them from being completely naked. And Kara was now well aware of how easily he’d become aroused whenever they were together.
“Well, you do ask a lot of questions.”
“It comes with the profession. Speaking of professions. I repeat, how often do you see your buddies from the corps?”
Jeff rose on an elbow and rested his cheek on his fist. “Not as often as I would like to.”
“My daddy has what he calls boys’ week when he goes camping, fishing, or hunting with his friends from the corps. He had mild PTSD when he returned from the Gulf War, and adjusting to civilian life wasn’t easy for him, so reconnecting with h
is buddies four or five times a year keeps him sane. Why don’t you do something similar?”
“We usually meet in Charleston.”
“And do what? Go to a bar and reminisce over drinks?”
“What’s wrong with that?”
“Jeffrey, you can do that at the Happy Hour. What about inviting them to come here for a couple of days? Then hire a pleasure boat and go fishing. Sail down to Hilton Head or Savannah and spend some time soaking up the atmosphere before coming back.”
“It sounds like a wonderful plan, but I wouldn’t feel comfortable leaving my grandmother alone for that length of time. A night or two is okay but not a week.”
“She doesn’t have to be alone, Jeff. You could hire a certified home health aide to stay with her.”
“Grams would never allow a stranger to stay in her home.”
“Would she allow me to stay with her?”
Pushing into a sitting position, Jeff supported his back against the headboard, then turned on the lamp. Kara also sat up, and a shaft of golden light illuminated her face. Resting his hand on her cheek, he kissed her forehead. The warmth and sweet smell that he associated with Kara seeped into him. Never had he wanted to make love to a woman so badly. And he meant making love, not having sex. Sex was something he could have with any woman.
“I think she would love to have you stay with her.”
Reaching for the sheet, Kara pulled it up to her chin. “How do you feel about it?” she asked him. “Are you comfortable with me staying in your home while you’re not there?”
“Of course. Why wouldn’t I be?”
“You’re very protective of your grandmother.”
He glanced away. “I have to be. She’s all I have, and I’m all she has.” Jeff’s gaze shifted back to the woman whose very presence made him feel things he hadn’t felt in a while. It wasn’t her natural beauty or intelligence that drew him to her, but her empathy and compassion. “I never could’ve imagined sharing a bed with you for the first time without making love to you. I wanted it to be different.”
Kara smiled up at him. “You wanted to date me first.”
“How did you know?”
“You’ve been talking about taking me out ever since we met. But sometimes life works backward. I read a story in a magazine where this couple met, slept together on their first date, and then decided to get married because of their strict religious upbringing. They weren’t in love when they married but learned to love each other.”
Jeff covered her hand with his. “Are they still married?”
“They were celebrating their fortieth anniversary with their four children and twelve grandchildren when the article was written.”
“Is that how you see us, Kara? Making love, getting married, and settling down with children and then grandchildren?” She tried pulling her hand away, but Jeff tightened his hold on her slender fingers.
“No, Jeff. That’s not how I see it at all. I’m not looking for a husband or children—at least not at this time in my life.”
“What are you looking for?”
“If you would’ve asked me that question three weeks ago, I would’ve told you that I wanted my roommate to stop turning our apartment into a halfway house for the indigent. And instead of spending three weeks’ vacation in Little Rock, I would’ve preferred spending at least two of those weeks in Paris. Everyone says springtime in Paris is magical.”
“What’s wrong with springtime on Cavanaugh Island?”
Kara rested her head on his shoulder. “There’s nothing wrong with it. In fact, it’s beautiful here. If it weren’t for electricity and indoor plumbing, I would’ve thought that I’d stepped back in time. The swamps and marshes are primordial, the island’s lifestyle is laid-back, and most people I’ve met are warm and friendly, but…”
“But what?” he asked when her words trailed off.
“I can’t make plans for my future when I only plan to stay five years.”
“If that’s the case, then why stay at all?”
“Because of Taylor’s will.”
“Are you staying to spite your relatives?”
“No! The Pattons have nothing to do with my decision.”
“You stay five years and go where, Kara? Are you going back to New York and pick up where you left off? Or is there a man in New York who promised to wait for you?”
She shook her head. “There’s no man. And there hasn’t been one in two years.”
“You’re kidding, aren’t you?”
“No, I’m not.”
He stared at the woman who’d tugged at his heart within minutes of meeting her. Kara coming to Angels Landing had changed him. It was the first time, other than working the 8:00 p.m. to 8:00 a.m. shift that he hadn’t slept in his own bed. When he’d called his grandmother to let her know he was spending the night with Kara, her response had been, “It’s about time.” He knew Corrine liked Kara because she was always asking about her.
Jeff let go of Kara’s hand and smoothed her mussed hair. “You’re a young, beautiful, intelligent, educated woman. Why wouldn’t men be knocking down your door to take you out?”
A wry smile parted Kara’s lips as she stared at him. “It’s not that I couldn’t get a date.”
“Then what was it?”
“My job had taken over my life.”
Jeff wanted to tell Kara it had been the same with him. For twenty years his life centered around serving his country. He’d known men who had addictions: drugs, alcohol, gambling, and women. For him it had been the military. And he knew if his grandmother hadn’t had a heart attack, he still would be on active duty.
“My hours were eight to four, but most times I didn’t leave the office until six, sometimes seven,” Kara continued after a pregnant pause. “Updating case records had become an uphill battle I had no chance of ever winning. Whenever a social worker retired they were never replaced, so when the supervisors divided up their caseloads that meant a few more cases that I had to deal with.”
“How many cases were you required to carry?”
“The ideal ratio is thirty to one, but there were times when I carried as many as fifty.”
“It’s a wonder you didn’t burn out.”
“Now, when I look back, I realize I was close to it.” Kara smothered a yawn with her free hand.
He smiled. “Let’s go to sleep, sleepyhead.”
Kara yawned again. “I’m scheduled to meet with an engineer and a historic preservation specialist tomorrow.”
He extinguished the light and eased Kara down beside him, pulling her close until her hips were pressed against his groin. “Good night, baby.”
“How’s Oliver?” Kara whispered.
He didn’t want to believe she was worried about her dog when it should’ve been her own safety. “He’s sleeping. Your baby’s going to be a good watchdog because he reacts to every sound.”
“I know,” she said softly. “He’s like an early warning system letting me know whenever Mrs. Todd comes and goes. I think she’s a little put off with him being underfoot.”
“Your baby is spoiled.”
Kara laughed. “That’s because he’s so adorable.”
“So is his mama. Go to sleep, Kara.”
“Yes, Daddy.”
Jeff left at dawn, warning Kara to keep the doors locked. He told her he would contact the security company the Cove used when they installed the cameras in the downtown business district.
Kara had taken care of Oliver’s needs and then called a Haven Creek glazier, leaving a voice mail that she needed to replace broken windows at Angels Landing. The man had called her back an hour later, promising he would be there before noon.
She told Mrs. Todd about what had happened but not the rocks’ message. “All of the doors to the house must remain locked at all times,” she told the housekeeper.
“Miss Teddy and Mr. Taylor never locked the house until it was time to go to bed.”
Kara gave the older woman
a warm smile. “There will be a lot of workmen coming and going for months. Even though everything in the house is insured, I still need to take measures just in case something is stolen. I want to try and avoid having to have to deal with the insurance company.”
Mrs. Todd sucked her teeth. “Ain’t no one stealing from here.”
She decided to take another route. “When was the last time you had someone working in the house?”
“I don’t rememba.”
“And because you don’t remember that means it’s been a long time. It’s not going to be one or two people, Mrs. Todd, but a lot of people coming and going.”
“What you havin’ done?”
Resting her hands on the housekeeper’s shoulders, Kara steered her over to the table in the corner of the kitchen. “Sit down, I’ll bring you your coffee while we talk.”
“No!”
“Please, Mrs. Todd, allow me.”
Mrs. Todd narrowed her eyes behind her glasses. “Okay. If you say so.”
“I say so. Every morning you get up to make breakfast for me. Today’s my turn.”
“You can cook?”
“Why does everyone believe I can’t cook?”
“Who said you cain’t?”
“Jeffrey Hamilton.”
Mrs. Todd angled her head. “Corrine raised a fine young man. The gals all over the island were after him at one time. That ended when he went into the service. He came back in his uniform looking all handsome, and it started up again. But he paid them no mind.”
Kara didn’t want to talk about Jeff, not when she woke to find his erection pulsing against her hips. His soft snores and the gentle rise and fall of his chest verified he was asleep when another part of his body wasn’t. She was still in bed when he got up, dressed, and leaned over to tell her to get up and lock the door behind him.
“I’m going to have people come in and strip all of the walls,” she said, deftly switching the topic from Jeff to restoring the house.
“Are you going to put up more paper?”
Kara nodded. “Yes.” She filled a cup with coffee, then added a generous splash of evaporated milk, handing the cup and saucer to the housekeeper. Mrs. Todd had admitted she’d grown up using canned rather than cows’ milk because she was lactose intolerant.
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