by Kaylea Cross
He nodded once. “No problem.”
She groped for something to say. Having a security system was great, but she felt a hell of a lot safer with him staying here. She knew exactly what kind of training and experience Jase had. He could protect her. “I bought some lemonade. You want some?”
“No, I’m good.” He wiped his jaw with his bare shoulder, the bronze stubble there catching in the sunlight. “I’ll be done and out of your hair in about twenty minutes.”
A pang of sadness hit her. She hated that she’d hurt him last night. Hated the awkwardness between them even more. “You’re not in my hair, Jase.” This was dumb. They’d been friends too long to let something like this come between them. She couldn’t lose him on top of everything else. Some days she felt like one more loss would crush her into dust.
Finally he shifted his gaze to hers, those gorgeous, clear eyes piercing her. “Okay. Good.”
The invisible ball of tension in her stomach eased and she gave him a little smile. Maybe they could get past this and go on as if what he’d said last night hadn’t happened. “Let me know if you change your mind about the lemonade.”
“Sure.” He reached for the mower handle, not exactly dismissing her, but it felt a lot like that. She stood there uncertainly on the patio while he yanked on the pull starter, all those incredibly sexy muscles bunching and shifting under her avid gaze.
The engine fired to life, breaking the spell, and when he walked away to cut another line in the grass she turned around and hurried up the steps. Inside as she put the groceries away, she couldn’t get that picture of him out of her mind.
How long had he been attracted to her? He’d hidden his interest in her until last night. She hadn’t known he’d had those kinds of feelings for her. And now…
And now she wasn’t sure what her feelings toward him were anymore.
She was still wrestling with that new level of confusion on her way home from a meeting with her financial advisor late that afternoon. Molly had texted Noah about it in case “John” might follow her again. He’d told her it was fine, as long as she was vigilant. Until the decision came back about the life insurance settlement, she should be okay.
On the drive home she was distracted, her mind skipping back to Jase. And the more she thought about him, the more the ache in the center of her chest increased.
To feel less alone, she called Sierra. “Hey, girlfriend. Guess what? I just saved a puppy’s life by removing a piece of Lego from its intestinal tract. That’s a first.”
“You’re my hero.”
Sierra laughed. “So, Beckett said Jase is moving into your rental suite.”
Molly nodded. “That’s the plan.”
“Was it your idea?”
“No, his. He’s doing it to help me out financially, and for security reasons.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Sierra asked.
Molly dodged the question. “I feel bad that he’s putting himself out for me, but I definitely feel a lot safer with him there.” Even with the added complication of him wanting her. And her wanting him right back.
Too bad it was wrong. So, so wrong, because this was Jase, and she was pregnant with his best friend’s baby. What the hell kind of person did that make her, wanting Jase now?
Yet even that didn’t stop her from wondering what it would be like. To be able to touch and kiss him, feel his strong arms around her, that hard body she’d seen this afternoon pinning her beneath him as he took her. The thought made her insides clench.
She hadn’t loved Carter at the end. But it still felt like she was dishonoring his memory by thinking these things. And the added worry about “John” didn’t help matters. Anxiety squirmed in her belly, so strong she had to consciously relax her tense muscles. Her rearview mirror was clear. No one was following her.
“What’s going on?” Sierra pressed. “You sound really down.”
Molly hesitated, then gave in. Sierra was her closest friend and she needed to get this off her chest. Molly told her about Carter’s secret debt and the man who had been following her.
“Jesus,” Sierra breathed. “And you didn’t think to tell me any of this why?”
“Because I didn’t want to worry you. Noah and Jase both know all about it, so I’m sure Beckett does too.”
“That man.” Sierra made a frustrated sound. “Sometimes I could strangle him, I swear. Is there anything I can do?”
“Just listening helps. I’ve hated keeping this from you and Poppy.”
“I sort of understand. But not really.”
“There’s something else.”
“Okaaay,” Sierra said slowly.
“Jase basically let me know he’s…interested in me. I don’t think he meant to, but it kind of came out last night.”
Silence answered her for a few beats. Then Sierra said, “I’m not all that surprised.”
“What? Because I sure as hell am.”
“Remember how he was the night he found you and brought you to our place? I’ve never seen him like that.”
Molly didn’t know what to say. How had Sierra seen it when she hadn’t? Yes, he’d been interested in her initially, on the night she’d met him at the bar off base, but once she’d made it clear that she wanted Carter, Jase had stepped back and never so much as hinted at feeling anything more than friendship for her. There was no way he’d been carrying a torch for her all along.
“What did you say?” Sierra asked after a long pause.
Molly glanced toward the sea. The sun was almost on the edge of the water now, a brilliant coral ball spreading color across the waves and glistening across the damp sand. It was beautiful, but she hated this stretch of road. “I was shocked. I told him it couldn’t happen.” Actually, she didn’t remember exactly what she’d said, because she’d been too blindsided and panicked.
“How’d he take it?” asked Sierra.
“He was embarrassed, I think. And hurt.” This was crazy. How was she supposed to fix this?
She had to fix this. Because she couldn’t stand to be estranged from Jase. “But the thing is…” She inhaled deeply, dug down deep for the courage to expose her innermost feelings and thoughts. Vulnerability always made her uncomfortable, and that went tenfold since she’d gone through all this shit with Carter.
“What?” Sierra prompted gently.
“If I’m honest, I’m not sure it’s entirely one-sided,” she admitted, her voice barely carrying over the sound of the engine. “And I feel like hell about that.”
Sierra made a sympathetic sound. “Oh, Moll…”
“He was Carter’s best friend, and a good friend to me all these years. We just buried Carter.” She shook her head, angry and disgusted with herself. It was true that their marriage had been in name only for months, but still. “It’s too soon. Even if it wasn’t, it’s wrong.”
“Honey, I don’t know what to say.”
“You don’t have to say anything. It helps that you’re listening.” She put her free hand on her belly, thinking of the baby. “I was so lonely for most of that last year,” she finally admitted, an unexpected lump forming in her throat. So incredibly lonely.
“I know you were.”
I’m still lonely now.
At times she’d felt like she was dying inside from the lack of affection and intimacy. The cocktail of meds Carter was on had not only interfered with his ability to perform physically, but his mental state had deteriorated to the point that he had killed all the love she’d once had for him. For her, the divorce was merely a formality.
“What are you going to do?” Sierra asked.
“I don’t know.” Jase was a great guy. She didn’t want to hurt him, and was afraid that’s exactly what might happen if they crossed the line.
He’d done so much for her, finding and fixing up a place for her, putting his finances behind her to help give her a fresh start. She’d initially thought it was out of a sense of obligation, but now she saw it was more tha
n that. What should she do? She didn’t want to feel indebted to him, or feel pressured into anything she wasn’t ready for.
“Well, before you make up your mind, be sure you know what you’re doing,” Sierra said, mirroring her thoughts exactly. “If you want to be with him, make sure it’s for the right reasons.”
Meaning, not just because she was lonely and afraid to go through all this alone. “I know,” she answered, the sting of the gentle reprimand fading beneath the truth of Sierra’s words. It was good advice.
“I also think you feel guilty and you’re scared about getting hurt again. After everything you’ve gone through, that’s understandable. If Jase really loves you, he’ll be patient and give you more time to sort through everything.”
I hope so. “See, this is why I called you. You always know exactly what to say.”
“Hey, it’s all part of the bestie job description,” Sierra said, making Molly smile.
They ended the call a few miles away from Crimson Point, leaving Molly to think more about what Sierra had said. It was true. Molly had been hurt badly. She’d thought she’d found the love of her life with Carter. Sure, things hadn’t been perfect, but what marriage was? Then he’d been wounded and her life had come apart at the seams.
Her stomach tensed. Jase was a warrior just like Carter had been. He’d been through the same training and combat missions. He’d been riding a few vehicles behind Carter’s the day the convoy had been attacked. With that many years in Special Forces, he’d have suffered significant exposure to concussive forces as well.
What if his brain began to deteriorate from the cumulative effect of them one day? He could be at risk for developing CTE as well. He might have it right now, but in a latent form. If that was true it might not show up for years yet, and then…
That scared her almost as much as her changing feelings for him.
She surfaced from her thoughts when the notorious S-curve in the highway came into view ahead. Three hundred yards of curving asphalt high atop a cliff that plunged down into the sea, where the waves crashed against the jagged rocks below.
As if pulled by a magnet her gaze locked onto the newly installed section of guardrail when it came into view, and the faint skid marks still marking the road where Carter had plunged to his gruesome death.
She swallowed and tightened her grip on the wheel. It was almost like a sign, sitting there lit up in glaring neon.
If she were smart, she would never get involved with a military man ever again.
Chapter Twelve
Molly checked her phone one more time before entering the grocery store and found that Jase had finally responded to her dinner invite.
Thanks, but I’ve got too much to get done tonight.
Disappointment washed through her. He’d been working late every night since their awkward conversation four days ago, finishing up things in the downstairs suite, where he was now living full time—to help her with the rent and to keep her safe.
You can’t come upstairs for a dinner break? she was tempted to type back, then thought better of it. Clearly, he wanted to avoid her. It made her feel even shittier.
Deflated, she put her phone back in her purse and headed into the store. Guess she was only getting dinner ingredients for one, then.
She was in the middle of gathering ingredients for a chicken and pineapple stir-fry when she abruptly changed her mind. Jase planned to avoid her for lord knew how long?
To hell with that, she would make a big batch of dinner and take him some downstairs. He couldn’t stay away from her forever, they lived in the same freaking house now, and it was high time they moved past this hurdle. The distance between them hurt and she wanted to mend the rift before it became a canyon.
She turned her cart around to find a package of brown rice, and froze. “John” stood at the end of the aisle, dressed casually and wearing a ball cap as he perused the shelves, an empty basket in hand.
Her scalp prickled. Molly retreated a step, unsure if he’d noticed her. He didn’t look her way, but something about his stance told her he was all too aware of her presence. And him just showing up here randomly in the same section as her was way too much of a coincidence.
He’d followed her here.
Her pulse quickened as she turned the corner with her cart and walked two aisles over. There were so many people around she was pretty sure he wouldn’t confront her here. When she left, however, it could be a different story.
She pulled out her phone to call Jase, but when she looked back, “John” had vanished.
Not being able to see him was twice as unsettling. Keeping her phone in hand just in case, she checked around her and walked to the next aisle. He was nowhere to be seen.
Still creeped out, she grabbed the rice and hurried to the checkout, forgoing the rest of her shopping and subtly glanced around. No sign of him. But there was no way his being here at the same time as her was in any way random. Had he followed her from her house? She hadn’t noticed anyone tailing her, and she’d made a point of being on the lookout.
“Do you need any help out today?” the woman at the checkout asked her, handing over the receipt.
“Yes, thank you.” She could easily carry both bags of groceries in one hand but she wanted someone with her when she went to her car.
Glancing up, she barely stifled a gasp when she spotted “John” two checkouts over. He was in profile to her, wearing sunglasses, but she could feel him watching her. For a second she thought about trying to get a picture of him on her phone, then thought better of it. He’d see her, and it might escalate things.
“Just a moment.” The woman called someone for assistance. A minute later a young man showed up and gave Molly a friendly smile. “John” was already exiting the store at a casual pace, a grocery bag in hand.
It threw her for a second, then she shook herself. You’re not crazy or paranoid. He followed you here.
What did he hope to gain from trying to intimidate her in public? She didn’t have the freaking money.
“Where are you parked?” the male employee asked as he picked up her bags for her.
“Out to the left,” she said still on the lookout for “John”, waiting a few more moments before heading for the automatic doors. On high alert, she scanned the lot as they walked. “John” was halfway up the sidewalk now, walking in the opposite direction as her. Did he intend to follow her now, hoping to catch her alone?
Not happening. She wouldn’t leave here until she had someone else with or following her.
She used her keyfob to remotely unlock the doors and lift the rear hatch. The employee loaded her groceries for her and started to close the hatch, then stopped. “Uh oh…”
Molly had been so busy keeping an eye on “John”, she hadn’t been paying attention to anything else. When she followed the employee’s gaze, the blood drained from her face.
All four of her tires were flat, the rims resting on the pavement.
“Whoa,” the guy said, kneeling down by the left rear tire, then looked up at her with a worried expression. “Looks like someone slashed them.”
Crap. The slash was about five inches long and went straight through the sidewall in a clean cut. Whatever knife had been used, it was lethally sharp. A warning? Or a threat?
Looking at it, Molly felt sick. “Yeah. Looks that way.”
“I’ll call the police.” He got to his feet.
“No, I’ll do it. But if you could…just wait here with me.” She hated this. Hated this sick stalking game.
“Of course.”
He stayed next to her while she called Noah, who promised to be right over. She called Jase next, but he didn’t pick up so she left a message. He might be hurt or even angry with her, but he wouldn’t turn his back on her after something like this.
Noah arrived, took in the situation and listened to her account of what had happened. “He was in the store the entire time you were, and you saw him walking away when you came out?”
he asked.
“Yes, that direction.” She pointed. “I didn’t see where he went, or if he got into a vehicle. This had to have been him.”
“Yeah, or someone working with him. It’s not a coincidence.”
A knot of dread formed in her stomach. The sense of violation added to her growing anger. “I don’t suppose there are security cameras out here in the lot that might have captured it?”
“There are some. I’ll check everything out. Have you called your insurance company?”
“Not yet.” Exactly what she’d wanted to do this afternoon—deal with this shit and another scare. “I’ll be honest, I’ll feel a lot better if you can get good footage and ID this guy.”
“You and me both. I’ve got a tow truck on the way. Have you got a ride home?”
“No, but I can—” She broke off when she spotted Jase’s truck coming toward them, a bittersweet sting lancing her chest. He’d rather avoid her at the moment, but still showed up when she needed him. The rush of relief made her throat tighten.
Jase parked near them, got out and took in the scene with a single sweeping glance before focusing on her. “What the hell?”
“Just my luck, huh?” she said with a pained smile.
“I’m going in to check with the store’s security,” Noah said to him. “Can you give her a lift home? Tow truck’s on its way.”
“Yeah, sure.” Jase circled her car, his frown deepening when he saw the slashes on all four tires. Then he stopped and faced her, his aqua eyes assessing. “You okay?”
Rattled but trying not to be, and she was sorely tempted to crawl into his arms right now. “Just pissed off.” She opened the hatch and reached in but Jase gently pushed her aside and grabbed the groceries for her.
“Come on,” he said as he pulled the bags out. “I’ll take you home.”
“Thanks,” she murmured, following him to his truck. He opened her door, set the bags at her feet and shut it behind her. “Sorry to interrupt your work day,” she said when he got in his seat.
He shot her a hard look. “Don’t ever say that. Or think it. Not when it comes to your safety.” He was quiet as he steered out of the lot, his jaw tense. “I don’t like this. I don’t like it at all.”
