Embarrassed by her sudden intensity, she released her hold. “I’m sure it was just the wind blowing a branch. I’m not used to being around so many trees.”
He tipped her a narrow-eyed gaze. “They do seem to come to life when the wind whips them around, that’s for sure.”
The little titter she let out sounded false and forced. “I’m certain that’s all it was.”
She had to get a grip. She was on a gated property, and the storm had her nerves on edge. All she had to do was stay the course and everything would settle into place. She trusted Chase. She did.
Josh twisted to fully face her. “You know, considering your injury and all, maybe you’d feel better if you stayed in the big house tonight.”
Warmth pulsed through her in sync with her throbbing knee. The idea of returning to the big house with Josh covered her like a blanket until she considered how it would appear to Chase in the morning. If she admitted to feeling fearful about staying in the guesthouse, he might start asking questions too. The last thing she wanted was to drive him away, either by revealing unsavory parts of her past or by causing him to suspect that she didn’t entirely trust him. She couldn’t lose him. He was her last hope.
“I’ll be fine.” Pulling herself to her feet, she remembered all the nights she’d spent in much worse conditions. Sleeping in doorways with one eye open. Locking herself in public restrooms. She was strong enough to handle a night alone in a secured house.
“Okay.” Josh stood. “Just be careful of that knee.”
“You bet.” She started for the door. “I don’t want to limp down the aisle.”
“Hold on. You mean…”
Feeling his gaze at her back, she turned to face him.
He pinned her with a glare. “…you’re still planning on going through with the wedding? After everything I told you—”
“Yes.” She tossed him the best confident look she could muster. “I’m getting married on Saturday.”
Placing his palms over his eyes, he let out a breath that was clearly meant to further support his stance on this. Lowering his hands, he raised his eyes to the beams of the ceiling, although she was pretty sure his focus traveled much higher.
After a pained moment, he met her eyes with his. “It’s your life, I guess.” His voice had softened in surrender. “And I changed my mind.” He started for the front door.
Moving to keep pace, she shook her head, her tired mind failing to track with his thoughts. “About what?”
He unlocked the door, then turned to make eye contact. “I think I’ll take that security job after all. Just in case.”
Tears filled her throat, but she choked them back, trying not to let her relief show on her face. “In case what?”
“In case Sasquatch comes back.” Opening the door, he smiled. “You don’t think I’m going to let you be the only one to see him, do you?”
Relief came out on a giddy chuckle. She tried to forget that what she feared was far worse than a close encounter with Bigfoot. “Thanks. That would be great.”
Braced between the door and the jamb, she watched him step into the wooded area between her and the main house, which seemed slightly less ominous with him in it. He turned, raised a brow, and mimed a twisting motion with his hand. Grateful for his concern, she shut and locked the door, then leaned against it.
So Josh was staying. A sense of security that she hadn’t felt in months filled her. She tipped her head back and closed her eyes, trying to shut away the image of his handsome face. He was a great guy, but he had made it clear that they shouldn’t be friends once she became a married woman, and he was probably right. She couldn’t deny that there was an attraction there, at least on her end, and it wouldn’t be fair to Chase for her to spend time with him. Still, she was grateful to have him around for now. She might go crazy otherwise.
Recalling their conversation, she pushed herself away from the door. Poor Emily. Her death was sad, but there was no reason to think it had been anything but an accident. Surely Kate would know if Chase was the kind of man who had it in him to be physically abusive. Hadn’t her years living under the same roof as her stepfather gifted her with that discernment?
So, she would proceed with her plans as if nothing had changed. And nothing really had changed. Everyone had a past, herself included. Chase must have assumed she knew about Emily, and if it wasn’t a big deal to him anymore, that was a good indication of his innocence.
Casting aside her worries, she focused her thoughts on the big comfy bed that awaited her. If nothing else, she could at least look forward to a good night’s sleep, knowing that she was safe. Things would no doubt look better to her in the morning.
She hobbled to the bedroom to get ready for bed. A few minutes later she emerged from the master bathroom, having decided her comfy sweats and sweatshirt were far more comforting than the flimsy silk nightgown she’d worn in San Francisco.
She crossed to the bed and reached to pull back the covers, but stopped cold. A slightly crumpled slip of paper sat atop one of her pillows. She frowned. That hadn’t been there earlier…had it? It looked dirty, like it had been dropped in the mud. Hand shaking, she reached out and turned it over. The blood drained from her face as she read the hand-scribbled words on the other side.
You’re Next.
Chapter 15
Josh sat at the window of his room with his computer in his lap and his Bible on the table next to him, staring out at the sunny, rain-washed morning. His concern for Kate had prevented peaceful slumber, so he’d taken advantage of the time to get on his laptop and do a little investigating.
His search for ‘Chase Cole’ had brought up article after article describing both Emily’s death and Trina’s disappearance. There was nothing new. Just a rehashing of everything Josh had previously read.
Running a hand through his hair, he allowed his gaze to drift out to the sparkling blue channel that cut between Shaw and Orcas. He couldn’t blame Kate for wanting to live in such a pristine place, but at what cost? Something strange was going on here.
He blew out a long breath. Kate was afraid of something, but it wasn’t Mr. Cole. On the contrary, she wanted Mr. Cole to protect her. So what exactly was she looking to him to protect her from?
Sure, the paparazzi were out to get her, but why did she find having her face appear in the paper so terrifying? What exactly was she hiding from—or more to the point, who?
He looked back down at the computer screen. If he wanted to convince Kate to change her mind, he needed answers beyond what even the internet could provide. He had to have some inside information.
Contemplating, he picked up his phone and checked the time. Just past seven thirty. Early, but if Eli had worked his regular weekend schedule, he’d be getting home just about now, making oatmeal and winding down after his graveyard shift.
Josh clicked on his best buddy’s cell number, praying he’d be able to help him find what he needed.
Eli picked up after a couple of rings. “Hey, Josh. How are things in Camelot?”
“A far cry from happily ever after.” He smiled at the ease he felt talking to his friend. “I need your help.”
The clanking of a spoon against a saucepan confirmed Josh’s familiarity with Eli’s morning routine. Eli yawned. “What kind of help?”
Giving him a quick rundown of the situation, Josh did his best not to make his interest in Kate seem too personal.
“So,” Eli swallowed a mouthful of oatmeal. “It sounds like you might have more to gain here than just an interesting summer job.”
Josh sighed. Leave it to Eli to read between the lines, even over the phone. “What are you getting at?”
“I mean ‘security man’ isn’t really your style. That was always my gig.”
“Okay, so maybe I do feel a personal obligation to this woman. She doesn’t have anyone in her life to help her figure this thing out.”
“Of course she does.” Eli’s smile came through in his voice. “
She has you.”
“Yeah.” Coming from the guy who knew him better than anyone, those simple words confirmed Josh’s suspicion that he wasn’t entirely crazy in accepting this job. He was on a mission here. “So, do you think you can help me?”
“What exactly do you need me to do?”
“A couple of things. Is there any way you can run a background check on Kate?”
“I can’t really do an official check, but I can put her name into the computer and see what comes up. Can you get me her social?”
Josh pinched the bridge of his nose. How was he going to manage that? “I can try.”
“That would help. What else?”
“Well,” he paused, carefully considering his words. “I’ve heard that Chase Cole might pay people off to make things go his way in his business.”
“Yeah, I’ve heard that too. Nothing substantiated beyond the usual rumors about people who make a lot of money in things like pharmaceuticals.”
“Right. But it got me thinking about the way the police have treated him.” Josh paused, knowing he was treading on Eli’s home turf. “Can you see what you can find out about the guys who investigated either of Mr. Cole’s cases?”
“You mean like, find out if any of them were on the take?”
“I hate to even suggest it, but apparently the guy gets away with a lot.”
Eli expelled a slow breath. “I can’t promise anything, but I’ll see what I can do.”
“I owe you one.”
Eli chuckled. “You owe me several.”
As Josh clicked off the call, a movement outside snagged his attention. Kate walked tentatively up the trail from the guesthouse, looking over her shoulder as if she thought she was being followed. Strange. And why was she up so early? She must have had a hard time sleeping too.
Josh lingered at the window, watching her golden hair glistening in the morning sun. What wouldn’t he give if they could just forget about all this nonsense with the Cole family and continue to get to know each other. He suddenly yearned to go vintage shopping, eat burgers and watch a marathon of old sci-fi movies with her.
Shaking off the thought, he covered his uncombed hair with his Mariners cap and headed out to greet his new boss.
By the time he got downstairs, she’d only made it as far as the porch steps. She looked up with wide eyes and gave him a pretty, if faltering, smile.
She looked beautiful in casual slacks and a short sleeve sweater, although the shadows under her eyes betrayed her lack of rest. He ached to see her getting comfortable in her own skin instead of putting on this act that didn’t suit her at all, and clearly wasn’t good for her health.
“Oh…good morning…” Her voice sounded clipped and out of breath. “I thought I should say goodbye to Chase before he leaves for Vegas.”
“I think you’re a little late.” He shut the door and hurried to give her a hand up the steps. “I saw him leaving just before seven.”
“Before seven?” The news seemed to confuse her. “I guess he wanted to catch the early ferry.”
Without telling her? Josh frowned. Something just wasn’t right here.
As she moved up the stairs, he noticed her face contort every time she put weight on her right leg.
“How’s your knee?”
“Fine.” Her shaky voice failed to support the affirmative answer.
He tipped her a disbelieving look.
Her shoulders drooped. “Okay, not so fine. I was really hoping it would feel better today, but I guess I twisted it worse than I thought.”
“I think you should have it looked at before it gets serious.” He led her to one of the cheerful white Adirondack chairs that adorned the porch.
“I don’t want to make a big deal out of this, and you shouldn’t either.” She lowered herself into the chair. “Let’s wait and see how I’m feeling later on, okay?”
“You’re the boss.” He shook his head at her stubbornness. “But at least let me get you some breakfast.”
Holding up a hand, she rested her head against the chair back. “I still don’t feel up to facing Jessica’s crew.”
“I don’t blame you, but you’re in luck. They partied till the wee hours last night, so I don’t think we’ll be seeing them for quite some time.”
“Thank goodness.” Though her words conveyed relief, a worried look clouded her features. “I don’t have much appetite yet, though.”
Her distracted gaze wandered around the yard and the woodsy area beyond. Could she really be that paranoid about paparazzi, or was something else bothering her?
He cast his gaze upward. Six days, Lord. Six days to convince her not to go through with the wedding. Show me how to win her confidence.
“Look, Kate.” He waited till he caught her eye. “If I’m going to be your security guard, we have to trust each other.”
“Okay….” She cast him a wary glance, clearly unsure where he was going with this.
He calculated his words, not exactly sure himself. “I can tell something’s bothering you. Something major that you’re not telling me.”
“No.” Her mouth moved into the shape of a smile, but her eyes remained flat. “Just my knee.” Her focus shifted again to the trees at the edge of the yard as the curve of her mouth drooped. “And the people out there who won’t leave us alone.”
“What people?” He noticed how tightly her hands clasped the arms of her chair.
“You know.” Her glance darted away, as if she feared looking him in the eye. “The public.”
Right. He nodded. “That’s all?”
Smiling slightly, she couldn’t manage to hold his gaze. “Uh huh.”
He studied her for a moment. He liked the way her eyes caught the morning light and turned the soft color of bluebells as they scanned the yard. What was it going to take to earn her trust? “I want to keep you safe, but I can only do that if I know everything I’m up against.”
Dropping the counterfeit smile, she looked at him, clearly considering his words. “Okay.” She let out a resigned breath, then took something out of her front pocket. She paused for a moment before handing it to him.
He studied the loosely folded piece of paper that looked like she’d fished it out of a mud puddle. “What’s this?”
“Read it.”
He unfolded it and read. “‘You’re next’.” He looked at her. “Where did you get this?”
“I found it on my bed.”
“On your bed?” Alarm shot through him. “When?”
“Last night.” She rubbed her upper arms. “I had left the front door unlocked, remember? I think someone got in while I was over here at the house.”
A visible shudder ran down her body. Something was really frightening this girl.
“And you’d heard someone outside earlier.” He studied the ominous scrawl. “You think someone wanted to post this outside the guesthouse, but went inside when they saw you leave?”
She nodded. “Maybe they tried to put it someplace near the door where they thought I’d see it, but the wind blew it down. That would explain why it’s so dirty. Then they heard me leave and seized the opportunity.”
“Wait a minute.” He tried to gauge the seriousness of the situation. “You mean you knew someone had been in your house, but you spent the night there all alone? Why didn’t you call me?”
“Because I don’t have your number.”
“Well, that’s got to change. Did you call Mr. Cole?”
She lifted a shoulder. “I couldn’t let him know about…” Clamping down on her thought, she looked away.
“About what?”
“You know.” She took the paper from him and waved it for emphasis. “About this.”
He shifted his chair so that their knees practically touched. “No, you were about to say something else. You couldn’t let Mr. Cole know about what?”
Tears welling in her eyes, she seemed to run through and discard a number of possible answers.
“Please Kate.
” He placed a hand on the arm of her chair. “Just tell me the truth. What are you so afraid of?”
She drew in a slow, jittery breath. “Okay.” She glanced at him. “I’ll level with you.”
He shifted in his seat, waiting for her to continue.
“You said that Emily had accused Chase of domestic abuse. I went through that with my stepfather, and I just can’t do it again.”
“Your stepfather?” Josh’s throat tightened. “You mean, he hit you?”
She looked down, but she couldn’t hide the tears that formed in her quickly reddening eyes. She nodded meekly. “He was an angry drunk. Yelling and hitting were the order of the day in our house.”
“I’m so sorry, Kate.” The urge to give her a consoling embrace tugged at him, but he settled for rubbing her arm. “What about your mom? Couldn’t she help you?”
“My mom is a pretty classic example of an abused wife. He raged at her too, but she was afraid to leave. I think she was scared of being broke, or of what he’d do if she left. So she went into denial and tried to make me believe things weren’t as bad as I knew they were. It was crazy making.”
“Oh, Kate.” Some of the pieces fell into place. Of course she was drawn to a man who appeared to be the father she’d needed, but was in truth just a variation of the one she’d had. It was basic Psyche 101. He rubbed her arm again. “So, what did you do?”
She swiped at her eyes. “I got out. That’s all that matters.”
“And now you’re worried that Mr. Cole might be the same as your stepdad. I get it.”
“I don’t know.” She shook her head. “I just haven’t seen it in Chase. He’s always so sweet and gentle.”
No surprise. Those guys were great at playing the part until they had some poor woman ensnared. Josh tried not to let his suspicions show. “You mean, in the weeks you’ve known him, you’ve never seen him get angry?”
“Never.” She paused. “Well, there was this one time. We were in San Francisco and he took me out to a really nice restaurant. Everything was fine, and then the server brushed against Chase’s arm and got Bordelaise sauce on the sleeve of his jacket.”
Tide Will Tell (Islands of Intrigue: San Juans) Page 11
