The Pursued Patriot: Georgia Patriots Romance

by Cami Checketts

  Chapter Eight

  Mike did not want to just up and leave his life, especially football. He chafed at the idea of missing more practice, and no way would he miss next Sunday’s game, but he trusted Gunner and Lily, and he definitely wanted Shar to stay safe. Coach Warren and Bucky, the team owner, had been informed about what was going on. They were two of the few people who knew about his stalker. Ally was currently the head of marketing for the Patriots, so she’d have to figure out how to spin his absence to the press if he actually had to miss next Sunday’s game. He tried to think positive. There wouldn’t be an absence. If Meredith was really his stalker, Sutton’s guys would find the proof they needed. If it was someone else, maybe the person who had delivered the note was caught on camera, or they could track the email address down.

  They drove through the quiet night to a remote airport, then boarded a small jet and flew to Colorado. He talked quietly with Shar, Gunner, and Lily, and tried to focus on the new Robin Hood movie someone put on for the plane ride, but his mind was stewing with his plan. He was fine with getting Shar settled here with Gunner and Lily, and making sure she was safe. Spending some time alone with her this next week wouldn’t be something he would complain about, but then he was going to fly back for practice on Friday and Saturday, and be at his game on Sunday. He couldn’t miss a game. It just wasn’t in his makeup. Colt would be there as well as the Patriots security. The stalker had never threatened him personally, except for the random email, but famous people got emails like that often. Though he trusted Gunner’s instincts, he wasn’t going to uproot his entire life for them.

  They were finally driving through the mountains toward the safe house. He glanced over at Shar, sitting in the bucket seat next to him in the Escalade that had been waiting for them at the private Colorado Springs airport. She’d been pretty quiet, and he wondered how she felt about her life being uprooted. She might be a huge fan of his, and they’d shared that one incredible kiss, but she probably resented having to leave her restaurant because of him.

  She glanced over at him and saw him watching her in the dark interior of the vehicle.

  “You okay?” he asked quietly.

  “Ready to do the horizontal coma on a comfy bed. You?”

  He smiled. “That does sound pretty great.” The flight had been comfortable, but he hadn’t been able to sleep, and it was almost three a.m. They were driving through thick woods, and it was dark enough that he couldn’t see much past the dirt road and the closest trees illuminated by the headlights.

  Finally, a clearing appeared, and the headlights lit up a two-story log cabin with a detached garage. Lily stayed with them in the car while Gunner did a sweep of the cabin. He came back and nodded shortly. “Clear.”

  They all unloaded and wearily made their way up the front porch while Gunner put the Escalade away in the garage. It was a classic cabin with a wrap-around porch. Inside, there was a large gathering area and a master suite on the main level, with a mudroom behind the open kitchen. Upstairs, there was a loft with a reading and tv nook and play area, and Mike could just see three doors at the back of the loft. Maybe bedrooms or a bathroom. There’d been a bag with clothes and toiletries for each of them in the Escalade in Colorado, except for Shar who’d been able to pack her own.

  Lily headed for the master bedroom with their bags. Gunner followed her but stopped and glanced at them. “We’re taking the master because it’s the security center. You two okay upstairs?”

  Shar nodded.

  “Sure,” Mike said.

  “Get some rest. We’re safe here.”

  “Thanks,” Mike said.

  He followed Shar up the stairs and to the three doors he’d seen. There were two bedrooms on either side of a bathroom. He’d felt pretty comfortable and awesome kissing her earlier, but she’d been so quiet throughout their travel, and he wasn’t sure if she was regretting the kiss or just upset about her life being uprooted. Probably the latter, but he wasn’t sure what to say.

  Holding on to his bag, he turned to her. “Take your pick.”

  She smiled. “I’ll take the one on the right.”

  “Any reason?” He wanted to extend their time alone together, maybe get a glimpse if she was feeling anything for him, or if his stardom status had worn off and now she wasn’t a crazy fangirl, not enamored by him any longer.

  “It’s closer. I’m so tired I’m staggering like a drunk.”

  He smiled. “Closer as in three steps?”

  “Yep.”

  So she was only tired. That made sense and didn’t make him quite as concerned. She wasn’t upset at him for pulling her from her life, or at least she wasn’t thinking the kiss was awful. She couldn’t, could she? That kiss had been unreal, and unless he was completely off, she’d been a more than willing participant.

  “Goodnight.”

  “Night.” She pushed open the door and disappeared.

  Mike stood, wishing she wasn’t so tired. He was tired, but he also felt frustrated, out of his element, and at the same time, so drawn to Shar. He wanted to stay up and talk with her, without Gunner and Lily right there listening in.

  He forced himself to walk into his bedroom, put his bag in the closet, slip out of his clothes, and pull the covers back on the king-sized bed. At least it was king-sized. He closed his eyes but struggled to drift off, staring at the dark ceiling for what felt like hours before his eyes finally got heavy, and he fell asleep.

  Sun was streaming through the large windows, and he heard a strange buzzing sound. Mike felt like he’d been clobbered over the head. He groaned and rolled onto his side, reaching into the pocket of his pants heaped on the floor for his cell phone. Pushing a button to stop the buzzing, he looked at the display with bleary eyes. Brett White. An old friend. They’d known each other for years, meeting at football camps in high school, playing against each other on opposing teams in college, then both being drafted by the Patriots. Brett hadn’t shone his rookie year and had been traded quickly to the Giants. He called every once in a while to chat, but Mike didn’t know he had this new number. When Gunner and Lily took Mike on as a client, they’d gotten rid of his regular phone and given him this one with “scrubbed” contacts.

  “’lo?” Mike grunted out.

  “Dude! How are ya?”

  “Tired.” Mike stood and stretched, looking out the windows at the view of trees, trees, and more trees. It was green and pretty, but a little claustrophobic.

  “They working you too hard?” Brett laughed. “Transfer over here, we’d love the superstar Mike Kohler on our roster.” There was a bite to his voice. Mike had been afraid Brett had blamed him for being pushed off the Patriots, and now Mike was hearing rumors that he wasn’t long for the Giants either, and it was doubtful if anyone else would pick him up.

  “Thanks, man. I’ll remember that.” He tried to be upbeat.

  “We’re playing you in a week. You want to get together when I fly in?”

  “Um …” Would he be playing next Sunday? Everything in him said yes, but he wasn’t sure what to say to Brett.

  “You too busy for an old friend?” Brett jabbed at him.

  “No, it’s just, I’m actually out of town, for some … family issues.” He hadn’t planned on having to explain, thinking how Ally would have to deal with the media, not him. He was fumbling.

  “Oh, sorry to hear that. Anything I can do?”

  “No, just be nice to my team next Sunday if I’m not there.” He had to be there.

  Brett laughed. “You can definitely not plan on that.”

  Mike laughed with him. “I’ll let you know if plans change.”

  “You do that. Take care, man.”

  “You too.” Mike slid the phone off and set it on the nightstand.

  There was a hard rap on his door then it pushed open. Gunner stood there. “Who were you talking to?”

  “Brett White.”

  Gunner’s brow furrowed. “I don’t remember him being in your list of ap
proved contacts.”

  “I wondered that too. Should I have asked how he got the number?”

  Gunner shrugged nonchalantly, but he didn’t appear too happy. “He knows a lot of your teammates from being on the Patriots three years ago. He could’ve gotten the number fairly easily. We haven’t gone to the extreme of broadcasting the news of your stalker to family, friends, or teammates, but maybe with the situation escalating as it has …” He put his hand out. “Let me go look at the phone. Sorry, but I might need to shut it down to make sure no one can track our location.”

  Mike palmed the phone, walked over, and handed it to Gunner. It was a chafing kind of feeling to be a successful, full-grown man and have to follow another strong-willed man’s instructions for safety. He didn’t like not having a phone. He didn’t think he was addicted to his phone, but he liked to read the news, his scriptures, and books on it, and he checked social media, the stock market, and the weather as much as the next person.

  Gunner nodded his thanks and headed back down the stairs. Mike walked to the bathroom door. It was locked, so he leaned against the wall to wait. Shar was probably in there. He was anxious to see her this morning. Hopefully, now that she wasn’t tired, she’d share her funny personality and smiles with him again. Maybe being cooped up in this forest retreat wouldn’t be too bad. He and Shar could go on runs through the forest, work out together to keep him ready for the game, snuggle up on the couch, and she could read, whatever she enjoyed reading, while he studied plays. She claimed to be a huge football fan. Maybe she’d be up to watching game tapes of the Giants’ defense. He was definitely going to beg her to cook some amazing delicacies for him.

  The door opened, and a little steam eased out, haloing the beautiful woman in the doorframe. She had a towel wrapped around her torso that showed off her toned shoulders and shapely legs. Shar’s dark hair was wet and trailing down her back. Her smooth skin was washed clean, and her dark eyes looked so big and beguiling. He took an unconscious step toward her.

  She focused in on him, and her eyes swept down then up his body. She gave a little gasp and shut the door again.

  Mike stood there, staring at the door. Maybe the snuggling on the couch wasn’t happening. He looked down at himself. He was only wearing boxers. Shoot. Had that made her uncomfortable? As an athlete, he was pretty used to working out or walking around the locker room in minimal clothing. He hadn’t thought much of walking around in boxer shorts.

  Should he go slip his clothes back on so he didn’t embarrass her? He stood outside the bathroom door debating what to do and hoping she’d just open it again.

  Shar clung to the bathroom doorknob, panting for air. She’d been bleary and out of it this morning, so she’d wandered into the bathroom and showered, not thinking to grab clean clothes. When she’d opened the door and seen Mike in nothing but boxers, and realized she was in nothing but a towel, she’d slammed the door shut again. Now she had no clue what to do, and she felt stupid and immature. Mike had all manner of gorgeous women throwing themselves at him at all times. What would he think of someone like her who could barely look at his glorious chest without having heart palpitations? It wasn’t that she hadn’t seen a man without a shirt on before. It was that Mike was just too perfect and appealing to her.

  She waited a few seconds, then squared her shoulders. She could open the door, and if he was still standing there, she’d just say good morning and slip into her bedroom. No big deal.

  Easing the door open, she peeked out and about passed out. He was still standing there, in nothing but boxer shorts. Shar’s eyes feasted on his muscular torso, chest, and arms covered with deep brown skin. He was so fascinating that it took a few seconds before her eyes made their way to his face. He was smirking at her.

  “Morning, Shar,” he murmured in his deep husky voice.

  Shar almost slammed the door again. Instead, she clutched the towel to her to make sure it didn’t slip off and tilted her chin imperiously. “Good morning,” she managed to get out of her suddenly dry throat in a semi-confident tone.

  He stepped closer, filling up the doorway and making her wonder how she was going to slip past, or if she even wanted to. What she really wanted to do was touch those lovely-looking muscles on his chest and see what they felt like.

  “Any plans today?” he asked.

  Shar smiled. “Nope, the schedule has been cleared.” It was an odd feeling: sort of liberating but also kind of scary to have no work and no plans. She worried about her restaurant but was grateful it was off-season, knowing her staff could handle it.

  “If we can talk our Nazi bodyguards into it, do you want to go on a hike through the forest?”

  Her eyes flickered down to his chest again. “Maybe we should put some clothes on first.”

  Mike chuckled. “I can see the wisdom in that.”

  “Don’t want poison ivy on my bare …” She stopped herself.

  Mike’s eyebrows lifted, and his voice became even huskier than usual. “No, we wouldn’t want that.”

  She started forward, but he didn’t give her much space. Brushing her arm against his bare chest, she heard him pull in a quick breath. Heat flushed through her, and she hurried into her bedroom and shut the door. Hopefully, the stalker got caught soon because she had no clue how she was going to survive in such close proximity to that perfect man. Her hero-worship from college on up was being taken to new levels as she got to know him better. A hike in the woods sounded great, but kissing the day away sounded even better.

  Chapter Nine

  Shar decided to custom-make omelets with Lily and Mike chopping the veggies for her and cutting up some fruit to go with the omelets. Gunner had been checking things outside, but now he was on the phone with Sutton. Shar was anxious to hear any news. Maybe they’d get lucky and that Meredith girl’s face had been picked up by the hotel’s security cameras as she dropped off the note, or they could trace the email straight back to her.

  She had a hard time peeling her eyes off of Mike. He’d showered quick and dressed in a white t-shirt and some black joggers. He looked so good, and he kept giving her warm glances every time their eyes met. At least they were past him suspecting her of being his stalker. She craved a lot more time alone, to get to know each other and hopefully share a few more of those delectable kisses from last night.

  Gunner exited the master suite with his phone in hand. “It smells good.”

  “Thanks. What do you want in your omelet?” Shar asked Gunner.

  “Everything.”

  “Exactly what everybody said. Good thing nobody’s picky.” Lily’s omelet was already on a plate, but she was stirring up some juice and hadn’t started eating yet. Shar slid Mike’s omelet onto a plate and said, “Order up for Mike Kohler.”

  Everybody laughed.

  “Thank you,” Mike said, taking the plate and adding some fruit to it. He sat at the bar across from her.

  Shar poured the egg mixture in then started adding all the veggies, bacon, ham, and sausage. The pantry, fridge, and freezer were all well-stocked, and that made her happy. At least she could still cook, even if she had nothing else to do but ogle Mike.

  Mike sat there, watching her, not picking up his fork to eat.

  “Eat while it’s hot,” Shar encouraged. “Lily, you should sit down and eat also.”

  Gunner took the orange juice from Lily and walked it over to the table. “Yes, you should eat.”

  “Okay,” Lily said.

  Mike still didn’t pick up his fork.

  “Mike, eat.”

  “No. I want to wait until yours is ready.”

  “Then yours will be cold. That’s stupid.”

  Mike smiled and shrugged. “I like watching you cook, and I don’t care if it’s cold.”

  Shar rolled her eyes but thought it was very thoughtful of him. She’d cooked for a lot of people, quite often for men she dated more than a few times, and every time she told them to eat, they would listen. Mike seemed to love her food
, but he was too much of a gentleman to eat without her.

  Shar flipped Gunner’s omelet and sprinkled cheese on it. Then, there was nothing to do but wait for it to finish cooking.

  “What did Sutton say?” she asked.

  Gunner folded his arms across his chest. “Quite a lot. First of all, they got ahold of your chefs and told them you’d won a getaway from the Patriots’ football team and wouldn’t be back for a few weeks. They were happy you were getting a vacation and promised they’d keep the restaurant going.”

  “Thanks.” Her assistant chefs were good guys, and luckily, it was the end of September so the restaurant was not as busy as it would be in the summer months. It was still tough for her to be away from her restaurant, but her people were well-trained, and she had to keep reminding herself it wasn’t going to fall to the ground without her.

  She slid Gunner’s omelet off and started adding egg mixture and all the meats and veggies to the pan for hers.

  “Why don’t we all sit down for the rest?” Gunner requested.

  That didn’t sound good.

  Lily and Mike carried the fruit platter and their plates over to the larger dining room table. Gunner took milk, juice, cups, and silverware over, then came back for his omelet. By the time they had it all set up, Shar’s omelet was flipped and covered with cheese. The silence was a little unnerving as they waited for her omelet to finish cooking. She glanced at Mike, and he pumped his eyebrows at her and gave her a smile. It seemed being away from the stalker was making him more relaxed and happy. Shar wondered what would happen when the boredom of being stuck in this cabin sunk in along with the panic of her not being at her restaurant and Mike not playing this Sunday. Yet, maybe if they could kiss the time away, they wouldn’t experience any boredom or worries.

  Finally, her omelet was done. She slid it onto a plate, turned the stovetop off, and followed everyone to the table. She was nervous about whatever Gunner had to tell them. It was so crazy that she hadn’t even gone on a date with Mike, yet she was caught up in this mess of his stalker coming after him. Bad timing on her part? But as she sat next to Mike, and he gave her an irresistible smile, she didn’t know if it was bad timing. She wanted to be close to him, and this was the perfect opportunity. As long as the stalker was caught soon and didn’t harm her restaurant.