Protection at Nightfall

by E L Thorne

  He stopped pacing, sat on the corner of the sturdy coffee table, took my chin in his long fingers. “What are you so afraid of? Did you remember something? How did you end up in the middle of nowhere?”

  I shook my head. He pounded his fist into his palm. I jumped back, caught off-guard by the sound.

  “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you.”

  “I can’t be alone.”

  “I need to get you some help.”

  “Can we go in the morning? I promise I don’t think it’s that big a bump. I think the cold bothered me more than my head did.”

  “It is morning.”

  “But it’s dark outside.”

  “Yeah, for now.” He scratched his head. “I don’t know. I’m not sure this is a good idea.”

  “Please. A few hours until daylight is here won’t hurt.”

  “Maybe you’re right.” His tone was reluctant. He touched my cheek. “You’re flushed.”

  “It’s toasty in here.” I gave him a smile of appreciation. “Much better than it was out there.”

  He reached for my coat.

  Images of Jeff doing the same thing came to my mind. I flinched.

  “I won’t hurt you. Since when...?” He cocked his head, studying me. “You’ve never acted that way with me.”

  I shook my head. I knew I’d have to tell him about Jeff sometime. I shrugged out of my coat. He took it from me, folded it in half, and turned around to lay it on the other side of the coffee table.

  A clatter sounded, something hitting the wooden floor. He reached down then showed me what had made the noise.

  “My cell phone!” I’d forgotten I’d put it in my pocket when I left the shop. It was a burner phone, and I never used it, but one small payment a month guaranteed I’d have access to help if I needed it. Although, it didn’t do me any good tonight.

  Grant flipped it open, punched a couple of numbers in.

  I put my hand over the phone. “What are you doing?”

  He closed it but kept it palmed. “Calling my foreman. He’ll come get us and take us to my house. Then I’ll call the doctor over.”

  “No cops, Grant.”

  “No cops.” He shook his head in agreement. “But you have to tell me what the deal is with you and cops.”

  “One day.”

  Chapter Sixteen

  Grant

  I had to let it go with her one day statement. I had my own secrets. I couldn’t expect her to reveal hers if I wasn’t willing to do the same, and I couldn’t do that yet. Because when I made my move to make her mine, I had to be certain. The existence of my bear and how it could affect our relationship wasn’t to be taken lightly.

  I’d agreed not to leave her to go get help and not to take her to find help right away because my bear had told me she wasn’t too badly hurt. Too badly.

  I was certain my bear and I might disagree heartily on what each of us considered too badly. And though the bear in me had never led me wrong...

  I scratched my head, perplexed. This was worse than arguing with myself. I wasn’t going to take any chances. Not with a cell phone that would guarantee me a way to get her to safety.

  I tapped ten digits into the buttons. Moments later, Joe picked up the line.

  “I’m in the cabin in the farthest northwest corner. Get the four-wheeler and come out. I have an injured person with me.” I barked it out without niceties and formalities. Joe and I had worked together for a long time. He was capable and no-nonsense. A former manager at a rodeo, he got the job done.

  I turned to Chelsea. “He’ll be here shortly.” I took her hand in mine. “Trust me, okay?”

  She nodded.

  “One more call. No, two.” I ticked them off on my fingers. “First, I’m calling my doctor to meet me at my place. He’s trustworthy, believe me. Then I’m calling Mae because she’s worried. I wouldn’t have been out looking for you if she hadn’t called me to say you hadn’t come home yet.”

  “Mae called you?” Chelsea’s head tilted to the side.

  “Yeah. Why?”

  “No reason.” She shrugged.

  My instincts told me different, but I wasn’t going to press the issue. I rose, walked away from the couch, and made my calls, then turned back to Chelsea.

  “Doc Evans will meet us at the house. Mae said she’s coming, too.” I gazed at the stunning woman with the creamy complexion and tried not to think of ravaging her. How I wished we’d been trapped here under different circumstances.

  “Grant?” Her eyes looked sleepy.

  “Yeah?” I stoked the fireplace. I’d send Joe back to put out the fire later. Right now, that was nowhere near as important as Chelsea.

  “Tell me about the bear.”

  My head snapped in her direction. Did she know? How could she? “What do you mean?”

  “The bear that was carrying me. I know that wasn’t a hallucination. And then...” She rubbed her eyes. “I sound crazy, don’t I?”

  “Nah, you don’t. You sound like someone who hit her head.” And had been drugged. Probably by that asshole Jeff. As soon as Chelsea was better, I’d settle that score.

  Then I could tell her. I needed to tell her the truth, about me, about my feelings for her, about what being with me meant.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chelsea

  I snuggled against Grant in the four-wheeler while Joe, a Stetson-and-boot-wearing cowboy, was up front driving. When we pulled into an asphalt-covered driveway that seemed at least a mile long, I began to wonder about Grant Waters.

  When the four-wheeler pulled alongside a house that, on size alone, could have been called a mansion, my suspicions were confirmed. Grant was not a poor man, not by a long shot. I gave him a sideways glance. What was he doing asking out a vagabond, wandering, nomadic girl like me?

  The oversized house had been built of stone, like a fortress, impenetrable. It reminded me of the pictures I’d seen of the fortresses and castles in Europe.

  “This place is huge. It’s so...”

  “It’s my grandfather’s. It was. He built it in a time when there were threats. Not that there aren’t any now...”

  “I can’t imagine the heating bill.” I laughed. The amount Grant spent heating this place would sustain me for a year, I’d wager.

  Joe parked. I stood to get out, only to find myself swept into Grant’s arms. “You think this is necessary?”

  “Humor me. I’ll feel better knowing you don’t have a concussion.”

  He took the steps two at a time, without jostling me. Joe beat them to the door and opened it, and a warmth embraced me as Grant stepped into a grand hallway. A sweeping staircase was in front of us. To the left and the right there were sets of double doors.

  As rustic and hardy as the outside may have seemed, the inside was geared toward comfort and attractiveness. Definitely had a woman’s touch. I bit back a taste of jealousy as I imagined that someone had decorated it for him.

  Grant opened one of the double doors to the right, then turned to Joe. “I can take it from here. Doc Evans will be over in a few. Thanks, Joe. You’re a lifesaver.” His voice was somber.

  The double doors opened onto a library with a roaring fireplace that took up almost half a wall.

  Ceiling-to-floor shelving housed books that looked old. Across from the massive fireplace, a dark wood desk dominated the room. Two dark leather sofas flanked the huge desk. Grant set me on one of the sofas and reached for a plaid blanket. The softness caressed my cheek as he tucked it around me.

  “This is definitely a man’s room, isn’t it?” There was so much I wanted to know about him. I hoped he’d take the question as an invitation to tell me about himself.

  “It was my grandfather’s room. My grandmother decorated almost every other room, but this was his domain. She wasn’t allowed here. Not to decorate, anyway.” Grant’s eyes twinkled at the memory of his grandparents.

  Something worried me, stuck in the back of my mind. “What makes you so s
ure your doctor won’t feel the need to report my injuries?”

  “For starters, he knows my secrets, my deepest, darkest, most damning ones—”

  I wished I knew his secrets. Wished I knew more about him.

  “He’s never betrayed me. He knew my grandfather.” He dissected me with a piercing gaze. “Want to tell me what you’re hiding? Or maybe... whom you’re hiding from?”

  Chapter Eighteen

  Grant

  I watched Chelsea bite her lip, worrying it with perfect white teeth, giving me visions of her nipping me, those teeth scraping along the flesh of my chest while she lowered her head.

  Damn. Damn. Damn.

  I needed to derail that lust train right now.

  “How about we both share?” she offered.

  I fought back the smile that threatened to erupt at her bargaining methods. Didn’t she know I was the last one who would ever hurt her with knowledge? “Leverage? Is that what you’re looking for?”

  Her expression broadcast the internal battle she was struggling with. She was clearly torn between telling me and not telling me.

  “I’m staying away from an ex-boyfriend.”

  I nodded. “You’re going to extremes to do it.”

  She shrugged. “He’s not a nice guy.” A shudder ran through her body. She pulled her legs up, tucking her knees under her chin to keep from showing her fear.

  “There’s more,” I said. “Isn’t there?”

  She sighed. Tears glittered in her eyes, catching and reflecting the fire’s flames. “He used to hit me.”

  I closed my eyes to mask the anger that was forming deep within. I had no sympathy for men who hurt women.

  “So you ran away?” Surely, the law could have helped her?

  “Yes, but... it was…” The words came slowly. She closed her eyes, as if reliving it. She was quiet for so long I wondered if she’d fallen asleep or lost consciousness.

  I reached for her. When my fingers touched her cheek, she flinched.

  “Sorry. I wasn’t sure if you were okay. You’re fine, sweetheart. You’re fine.” I wrapped an arm around her. She nuzzled her head into my neck. Tiny sounds of comfort that only my bear could have heard came from her.

  “I stabbed him.” A sob ripped from her throat. “I wouldn’t—I’m not—I don’t do that kind of thing.” Another sob.

  I tightened my hold on her, made low, soothing, humming sounds and murmured words of comfort.

  “He was going to kill me. So I picked up a knife. And held it out. And it—I-I stabbed him.”

  “He died?” I tipped her head back to study her pain-filled dark eyes.

  “No.”

  Surely, she realized that was self-defense. “You should have called the cops. Immediately.”

  “He is a cop. In a small town.”

  Dread smashed into anger deep within me. I knew how small-town law enforcement could be. I knew all about ranks closing. “So now you’re living under the radar. Because of him.”

  “I know he’ll kill me if he finds me. He’s got a scar on his cheek from that night. The knife slipped.”

  Her choice of words rang out like a gong. Was it my bear with his sharp instincts? Either way, one of us noticed what she’d said.

  He’s got a scar.

  Not he must have a scar.

  “How do you know he’s got a scar? Have you seen him since then?”

  She flinched. “This wasn’t my first stop. Bear Canyon Valley, I mean. I was in Houston, before that, Albuquerque. Before that it was Wichita. And Oklahoma City before then.”

  “He’s been following you around?”

  “I wasn’t going to stay here. I hadn’t planned on it. This was only supposed to be a stop-off. I’ve managed to outrun him up until now.”

  It was worse than I could’ve imagined.

  She’d been running for so long.

  Never able to feel at ease. It was a wonder she functioned normally with so much hanging over her head.

  Her next sigh was more like a ragged breath struggling and rattling within her body. I felt that struggle as she lay against my chest. She raised her head, her eyes on mine, then her gaze traveled lower, to my lips, my chin, back to my lips.

  “If you keep that up, you’re going to get yourself kissed,” I whispered.

  When her eyes registered lust rather than shock, when she leaned in rather than pulling away, I had my answer. The only answer I or my bear wanted.

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chelsea

  I held my breath as Grant lowered his head. I closed my eyes so I could savor the sensation I knew was coming. His lips touched mine softly, pressing their fullness into my own full lips. A soft moan, unexpected, started in my chest, surrendering into his mouth.

  Being kissed by him was a like a spiritual experience I wouldn’t be able to put words to if I were asked. His tongue parted my lips, demanding entrance, taking no prisoners, save one—my heart.

  Yielding to the commands his mouth made on mine, my hands rose, fingers digging into his hair, pulling him closer, punishing my lips with his. I was his prey, his salvation, retribution, and redemption.

  He froze.

  “What’s wrong?” I whispered. “Is it me? You don’t—”

  “You? The only thing you are is perfection. But someone’s approaching.”

  “How do you know? I didn’t hear anything.” I studied him.

  “Good hearing.”

  “You still owe me,” I said. “A secret.”

  “It’s no secret that I want you.”

  Chapter Twenty

  Grant

  I waited patiently while Doc closed his bag. I knew from experience that Doc wasn’t going to say anything until he was good and ready, but my patience was running thin.

  “Well?” I tried to keep the annoyance from my voice. Really, I did. “How is she?”

  “Just a bump. No concussion. Needs a little rest. That’s all.”

  I breathed a sigh of relief. Now if only I could figure out what was wrong with Chelsea. She’d changed in the last half hour. Suddenly, she wouldn’t establish eye contact with me. Her answers were short, and when I sat next to her, she moved away.

  Mae gave me a look that said, What’s up?

  I shrugged. This was not the same Chelsea I’d been with earlier. As soon as I could get the others out of here, we’d have a talk. I’d tell her about the shifting, the lifestyle, and I’d ask her to be mine.

  I found myself tapping my fingers on my thighs, wishing everyone would hit the road. Instead, Doc Evans and Mae were talking about the weather, and Doc’s daughter Astra was asking Chelsea for hair advice. I found myself spending more time trying to control my bear’s frustration, and less time concentrating on my own.

  Finally, Doc Evans took a step toward the door, glancing at Astra. “Ready? Or do you have more hair stuff to talk about?”

  “I’ll be in to see you soon,” Astra said to Chelsea.

  “I’m looking forward to it.” Chelsea smiled at her. Then she caught me staring at her. The smile vanished, and she cast her glance away.

  “Thanks, Grant.” Mae gave me a hug and made for the door.

  Chelsea rose to her feet. “Mae, can I get a ride with you?”

  “Ride?” Mae glanced at me.

  I looked at Chelsea, then back at Mae. Why the hell was Chelsea leaving? I paused, unsure what to say. “Shouldn’t you stay and rest?” That was the best I could come up with.

  Chelsea dropped her gaze. Wringing her hands, she continued, “I think I can rest at home. I’ve been such a bother already.”

  “I think you need to file a report,” Astra said.

  Chelsea gasped. Her head rose, her expression alarmed.

  “No. I made a promise.” I stepped closer to Chelsea. “I promised her that I’d bring Doc Evans here because she doesn’t want the attention the authorities would give her.”

  “Please.” Chelsea’s voice was small. “I’d like to go home.”

>   Where was the woman I’d fallen in love with? The spirited, sassy, sexy woman? Now she was defeated. Like she’d given up.

  Given up on what? On me? That she could keep her ex from finding her?

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chelsea

  I leaned back in Mae’s car. Outside, a blanket of whiteness covered the trees and roadside. I felt numb, didn’t know what to say. I’d brought this on myself. I’d created a hassle with Jeff, one of Mae’s customers. I’d infringed on her relationship with Grant. Saying I was sorry seemed so lame now. The best thing I could do was pack my car and leave the valley first thing in the morning.

  My heart tightened at the very thought.

  Leaving Grant.

  Why did I ever meet him and fall for him if this was the way it was going to turn out? Didn’t I deserve a little happiness? Hadn’t I been through enough?

  Grant wasn’t who I thought he was if he was willing to mess around with me and my heart while being in a relationship with Mae. It was clear from their closeness back at his house, from the way she looked at him, the intimacy in their voices. They way she’d hugged him.

  How could he do that to such a nice person?

  How could I have when she’d been so kind to me?

  Mae took the curves and turns slowly, maintaining a speed that was safe, never taking her eyes off the asphalt. As soon as we’d started on a straight stretch of the road, Mae glanced at me. “Was it Jeff?”

  I didn’t want to lie. But I also didn’t want to start problems for her.

  “I’m not sure. One minute I was locking the store up, the next minute I was lying in a ditch. All I remember is that Grant found me and...” I stopped. The whole bear thing was silly.

  “And what?”

  “It’s silly. I think I was hallucinating. That a bear was there, carrying me.” I laughed, which sounded hollow to my ears. “Silly, like I said.”