She gripped the wheel after placing the car in park.
“Fudge!” she exclaimed and thought about what she should do. If she called Shelby, she would panic. Caroline came here, left her old life for a new one. Being strong again, accepting life’s challenges, was part of that. She needed to regroup and to reestablish who she was and what she wanted to be. A sniffling, weak damsel in distress she wasn’t going to be. She turned off the engine and hit the button for the trunk to open. As she got out of the car, she saw only a car here and there. She looked at the flat tire and kicked it. “You couldn’t hold out until I was in Chance, could you?”
When she came around the back, she realized that she would have to take out some of her things. She hadn’t taken many personal belongings, which disappointed her. There were antique pieces she loved, and other knickknacks and things, but making a fast exit in the middle of the night was key.
She started pulling out her suitcases and then her favorite comforter in baby blue and a few more things. As she lifted the carpet piece and saw the tire, she started to feel like she wouldn’t be able to do this. Her cast would be a hindrance that was for sure. She was determined to lift up the tire. As she pulled on it, she realized it was pretty damn heavy. Maybe she was just too weak? She had lost a lot of weight. She was thin and petite, so she had to hang over the back of the car and use her body to lift the thing. Then she heard a small whoop, whoop. She gasped and looked over her shoulder, noticing a state trooper pulling up. His lights were flashing and she wanted to run to her car and hide.
Her second thought was that Cameron sent him following her. That he somehow found out where she was and he wanted her back. It hadn’t been enough that she threatened to charge him with assault and rape, even though she would have to go to the state police to file that complaint because Cameron’s family owned the local police.
She was shaking and her eyes welled up with tears. She stared in shock as the trooper got out of the car. He was tall and big. Not just because she was only five foot three. He had to be six foot four.
His Stetson lay low over his eyes, adding to the intimidation factor. She couldn’t tell what color his eyes were but as he stepped closer she could tell he was in great physical condition and looked to have a military-style haircut. He looked her over, and she pulled her blouse closed, not realizing that the top few buttons came undone as she stretched into the trunk to try and get the tire out.
“Evening, Miss. Looks like you have some tire trouble?”
She nodded. He gave a small smile. More like a smirk than a grin as he stepped closer. She looked way up at him, never seeing such a big trooper like him before and she read his name tag. Mantel was in white bold letters on his black name tag.
“I can give you a hand.”
“That’s okay. I can do it,” she said, her voice shaking. He gave a smile.
“With that cast on your arm? I don’t think so. Plus, you’re a tiny little thing, couldn’t possibly even get that tire out of the trunk without help.”
She was a little offended but he was right. She couldn’t pull it up and out. Probably couldn’t do it even if she didn’t have the cast on her arm.
But she didn’t know who he was, whether Cameron sent him, and everything about him made her scared. Maybe because Cameron was a cop, a soldier, and he was very big, although not as big as this guy.
“I wouldn’t want to hold you up from something important,” she said to him as he reached into the trunk. She stepped aside and he looked at her.
“Miss, there’s nothing more important for me to do right now than to help a young woman stuck on the side of the road change a flat tire. You’re not from around here. Where ya headed?” he asked. That Southern accent of his made her belly quiver a little extra, and her head spun. How did he know she wasn’t from around here? Why did he want to know where she was headed? Sure it could be the luggage and the license plates on the car. Shit, the license plates weren’t real. They were expired. Her sister was going to get new plates and register the car under her name once she got to Chance.
“I’m from around here.”
He pulled the tire out no problem and then placed it on the ground and leaned it against the back.
“Really? Where from?” he pushed as he reached back into the trunk and searched for something. She felt sick. Was he going to plant something in there and arrest her? Maybe lock her up and call Cameron? She panicked.
“What are you looking for?” she snapped at him.
He stood back up, holding a tire jack and squinted at her. He looked her over as he stepped back.
She felt stupid and now she’d just made him suspicious of her if he wasn’t a friend of Cameron’s. Damn it.
“So where did you say you were headed?”
“I didn’t,” she replied as he squatted down next to the tire and placed the jack into position. He didn’t say a word. She just watched him work on changing her tire like a pro.
She stood back, could hear the sound of his radio going off as well as a few cars speed by them.
He stood up as he removed the tire. He did it with ease and as if the tire was as light as could be. Her teeth were chattering now she was so nervous.
He brushed by her as he reached for the spare tire. She smelled his cologne and felt this vibe of something at the small bit of contact. He held her gaze. “Are you visiting family?” he asked her as he rolled the tire to the side and then placed it into position.
“Yes,” she replied. He tightened the bolts and then started to let down the jack.
“You’ll want to get a new spare tire so you’ll be prepared if this ever happens again,” he said to her and then brought the items to the trunk, placing the bad tire in first.
“I will. I appreciate your help.”
He looked at his hands and she saw that they were all black.
“Oh, I think I have some wet wipes in there,” she said and reached in to look on the side. She bumped him and he didn’t move an inch. As she recovered the small pouch of wet wipes, she glanced up at him and he was holding her gaze. Her heart pounded and her breasts swelled. She was completely attracted to this guy and she shouldn’t be. He was just like Cameron. What the hell was she thinking?
His eyes seemed to look at her lips and then her chest again.
She handed him the wipes. He pulled them out and started cleaning his hands. “Thank you, Miss,” he said to her again. She wanted to tell him her name and then thought better of it.
“So, you know where you’re headed? Don’t need directions, or an escort?” he asked and smiled then winked and her heart melted. He was gorgeous.
She shook her head and felt her cheeks warm.
“No, sir. I appreciate your help, though. You give state troopers in South Carolina a good rep,” she said, trying to break the awkwardness she felt blushing in front of the man. He was older than her, too. At least thirty, maybe.
“Well that’s good to hear, darling,” he said and gave her a wink. She got a little worried that he might ask for her number or something, and she started to repack the trunk. When she turned he was helping her.
“Oh please, you don’t need to do that. You’ve done so much already.”
“It’s my pleasure…”
He waited for her to give him her name.
“Natalie.”
“Natalie. Nice to meet you. Maybe we’ll meet again sometime.” Then his radio went off, and her panic button ignited. She stumbled for the right words as she closed the trunk and started heading toward her door.
He replied back into the radio on his shoulder.
“Be careful and have a safe trip,” he said to her and she opened her car door and watched him head to his patrol car. He looked at her license plate and she felt panicked that he was memorizing the numbers and would find out they were fake. Shit. He paused a moment to look at her. She did the same thing and looked at him. It was so odd, and something was exchanged between them and she couldn’t help but to s
mile when she got into her car. She watched him pull out first, his lights still going and the siren indicating he was going on a call.
She sat there a moment, remembering how she used to worry about Cameron, but also about how much his profession and the fact that he was a soldier had attracted her to him. Then she became sad again as she put the car in drive and carefully pulled back onto the highway. Cameron wasn’t the man, the soldier and officer she had hoped him to be. Maybe in her mind she tried to create the man she yearned for. Instead, he abused her and controlled her, and perhaps since she wasn’t good at reading people’s true character, she certainly shouldn’t be entertaining an attraction to another man. Especially not one in a uniform.
* * * *
Shelby Ann was working at her desk and kept glancing at her watch. It was getting dark out and her sister should have arrived thirty minutes ago. She had wanted to leave work early but then got caught finishing up an e-mail and typing a report onto the computer. At least she had the weekend to catch up with Caroline and help her settle in.
“Shelby Ann?” She heard her name and looked up to see her boss, Kenneth Pace, standing there. He was dressed in a designer pair of pants and a white dress shirt and red tie. He was extremely handsome to boot and when she looked at him she thought about what Marlena said to her today at lunch. Then her gut clenched and the fear hit her hard. She swallowed.
“Yes?”
He walked closer, squinted his eyes at her, and then licked his lower lip. “Are you feeling okay? You’ve been preoccupied all week and you keep looking at your watch.”
“Oh, I’m sorry. I was just finishing this up for you. If you don’t need anything else, I would like to head home.”
He stared at her, his dark brown eyes looked her over and she couldn’t help but feel an attraction to the man. She reminded herself that she was done with men for quite some time and that Caroline was her priority. Her sister would need her help and guidance in getting back on her feet again and coping with the memories of the abuse. She knew. Shelby still suffered from nightmares.
“You did a lot of extra work this week. How about we grab some dinner together?” he asked her and she stood up and started to put her things away. She panicked.
“I’m sorry. I have plans this evening, and company coming to the house.” She saw his eyes darken and a look of anger perhaps flash across them. It made her instincts kick in and her defense mechanisms rise. Men could not be trusted. They got jealous, they became possessive, and then they struck.
“I see. Anyone I know?” he asked, and she handed him a copy of the documents she finished. He took them from her.
“No. They’re from out of town.” She hated lying to him. She felt badly about it but it was easier this way. Caroline was her focus. That was all.
“Well I’d better get going. Have a good weekend,” she said to him as his cell phone rang.
“You, too,” he told her, appearing somber. She overheard his words as he walked away, answering his phone. “Felicia? Hi. Plans? No, I thought I did but sure, my brothers and I are free,” he said and she felt like crying. One thing she learned quickly around here was that men shared their women. Women were protected by men and watched over them, especially if they were single. It was one of the reasons why she liked the town and also felt that Caroline would be safest here. She still hadn’t spoken to Sheriff Gordon about her sister’s situation. Caroline wouldn’t be happy about the rules here. She hadn’t been happy about them either but once she learned that men didn’t just pick a woman to protect and then expect her to fall in bed with them, she was fine. There were plenty of single men and women around the town. She had to admit, watching her friends like Marlena look so happy and feel so protected, she couldn’t help but wonder if such a relationship would be the right fit for her.
She had been talking to her friends Eliza Grace and Missy Ann for a while about that, too, but they were just as busy and just as worried about committing to more than one man. She couldn’t wait for Caroline to meet Eliza and Missy. They were close to her age, too, and they were also trustworthy and sincere friends.
With thoughts of them, she headed out to her car to go home. That was when her cell phone rang.
“Hello?” she answered as she got behind the wheel of the car and started the engine.
“It’s me. I’m five minutes away.”
“Oh thank God. I’ll meet you at the house. You have the directions?”
“Yup. All is good.”
She disconnected the call and sighed.
“Thank you, God. Now help us out some more and keep my sister safe. Please don’t let Cameron find her. Please.”
Chapter 1
Cameron Elliott slammed the beer bottle against the concrete wall. His friend Curtis grabbed onto his shoulders and pulled him back. Curtis needed to calm him down. Caroline disappeared three weeks ago, and no one knew a thing. Cameron was hot tempered. He loved Caroline but he was abusive to her and they all knew it and did nothing about it.
“Calm down, man. They’re going to call the police and have you arrested. Then what? Your old man will be fucking pissed at you. He’ll fucking lose it.”
“Fuck, I can’t take this. I can’t live without her.”
He pulled away and Curtis placed his one hand onto his jeans pocket. They were outside of the bar on the side deck but they’d drawn attention to themselves because of Cameron’s antics. Their other friends were pulling attention away from Cameron and him. That was what they did, covered one another’s asses to keep the others out of trouble. How far would they go?
“You don’t understand. I need to find her. I fucked up.”
“Yeah, you did fuck up,” Curtis told him, and as he thought about poor Caroline, the petite, sweet knockout of a girlfriend his friend had and how Cameron broke her arm, he got angry all over again.
Curtis grabbed his buddy, Cameron, and pressed him against the wall.
Cameron was drunk, really drunk, and even came to work today buzzed. As a cop he could get fired and put in jail.
“I know I did. I know.”
“No. I don’t think you do, Cameron. You’ve been nothing but abusive to her and she was the best fucking thing that ever happened to you. You broke her fucking arm. You forced yourself on her and she had to threaten pressing charges against you.”
“If I had the chance to talk to her. If she would just listen to me and hear me out, I know I can make it up to her and change.”
Curtis shook his head as he stepped back.
“You need to cool it, bro. You need to give her space and get your shit together. Come on, man. You’re a cop, a soldier. You need to do the right thing here.”
Cameron looked up at him with bloodshot eyes. He knew that expression. When Cameron had it, anyone in his path was done for.
“You’re supposed to be my friend, my brother, and now even you’re turning on me?”
Curtis ran his fingers through his hair.
“Come on, man. I’m your friend and I’m telling you that this isn’t right. You’re going about this all wrong and you’re going to lose your job and wind up in jail. Just take some time and give her some space. Then try to work things out.”
Cameron was breathing heavy and looking so far gone and angry that even Curtis wondered just what his friend was capable of. He’d never seen him this obsessed before. It made Curtis wonder why Cameron hurt Caroline and how he was even capable when she was so beautiful and sweet. Any of the guys would have loved to have her as their woman, hell, their wife even. She was that perfect and kind.
“I need to find her. If I know where she is and that she’s safe then I can get my shit together and give her some space then ask for her forgiveness.” He reached out his hand and covered Curtis’s shoulder as he stood in front of him. Cameron was a big guy—six foot three, dark blond hair, big muscles, and a badass through and through. “Help me find her, Curtis. Help me to make things right.”
Curtis took a deep breath
and looked away a moment. Cameron squeezed his shoulder.
“Come on, man. I’ve been there for you. I need the favor now. Please,” he begged and Curtis nodded his head. Cameron had been there for him when he fucked up one night and took some pills. He woke up in bed with some woman he met and her boyfriend showed up ready to fight him and things got out of hand. Curtis beat the guy so badly but somehow Cameron got him not to press charges and to forget it ever happened. Curtis didn’t know how he did it, but he saved his ass.
“After this, I don’t owe you anything else. It’s behind us and we’re friends who have one another’s backs.”
Cameron nodded his head.
“Always, brother. Always.” He drew him in for a hug and a back slap then pulled back.
“Let me get you home. You can’t be stumbling into roll call intoxicated,” Curtis told him and then started walking.
“One more beer, brother, to seal the deal,” he said and smiled.
“One more beer,” one of their friends yelled out and everyone started roaring. Curtis couldn’t help but to smirk and shake his head as beers were immediately handed to him and Cameron. It was going to be a long fucking night. He should be happy because these were good friends and good times. Curtis wasn’t. He felt guilty and he just didn’t feel right about finding Caroline, but Cameron was his friend and he owed him. He just hoped when he found Caroline and told Cameron that his buddy didn’t immediately go after her. Hopefully she was smart enough to take precautions and disappear to a place where no one would ever find her again.
* * * *
“Why didn’t you tell me about the arm?” Shelby asked Caroline as she started making breakfast. She couldn’t stop thinking about it last night. As soon as she saw her sister and that black cast, she wanted answers, but Caroline just seemed to need her hugs and her confirmation that Chance was a safe haven for her.
“I didn’t want you to worry more and then to drive or fly up north to meet me.”
“Why not?” Shelby asked as she took the last piece of bacon out of the frying pan and placed it onto a plate.
Town of Chance: Sweet Caroline [The Dare Series 5] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) Page 2
