Yuletide Protector, page 13
She remembered that too. It had been lots of fun. She and her friends from work had had a Fourth of July party, and the boys had been being boys, thinking they were all tough and strong, and she’d told them she could make it to the top of a tree before they could. Being the competitive bunch they were, they’d all agreed. “I won that race.”
“Yeah, but you fell out of the tree and broke your arm, gave yourself a concussion, and cracked two ribs,” Sawyer reminded her. “We spent the rest of the day in the ER.”
“But I won.”
“You did.” Sawyer laughed. “I'm going to cook dinner. Sure you don’t want to come in and help?”
“I think we’ve tempted fate enough today.”
“The gingerbread came out great, and admit it, you had fun.”
“Okay, okay,” she agreed. “I had fun baking the gingerbread Santas and Mrs. Clauses.” They’d made a dozen couples, and it had been fun decorating them, Sawyer had even shown her how to pipe the icing on then use a small knife to smooth it out so that they could add different colors to different parts of the cookies. “But I'm just enjoying the peace and quiet out here right now. I’ll come inside in a bit, okay?”
“All right. Call if you need anything, and be careful climbing back down with that bad ankle, you don’t want another fall after yesterday’s.”
“I’ll be careful,” she promised.
When Sawyer had gone back inside she leaned back against the tree trunk and looked up at the stars. She would love to visit somewhere in the middle of nowhere one day just so she could lie on the ground at night and look up at the black sky to see millions of twinkling diamonds looking down at her. Ashley bet it would be amazing, nothing like looking at the stars in the city when all the light from the houses, and shops, and streetlights made it so you didn't get the full effect.
As much fun as she and Sawyer had had baking the gingerbread and playing Go Fish—he beat her in every game they had played—she kept thinking about that night in September.
Try as she did to banish her thoughts it was getting harder and harder to do.
Sawyer was good at keeping her distracted but what was she going to do when after Christmas she spoke with Brady, Ryan, or Paige about moving out of Sawyer’s house and staying with a different bodyguard until this guy was caught?
Evander Hurley.
That was his name.
Jett and Morgan had stopped by after lunch to tell her they got a DNA match and to ask her to look at a picture and see if she could identify him as the man who had attacked her.
She hadn't wanted to.
That face already haunted her, and she didn't want to ever see it again.
But she made herself do it, and it was him.
Evander Hurley was the man who had raped and strangled her with a metal chain and then tracked her down in the hospital to try to finish her off.
According to Jett and Morgan, although they had his name they couldn’t find an address. The only one they had been able to find was an out of state one and it looked like he hadn't been there in months. Evander worked as a motivational speaker but had nothing booked for the coming weeks, and hadn't done any talks ever since the attack on her.
Because he had something other than work to occupy his time.
Her.
He wasn't working because he was no doubt trying to figure out if she was still alive and where she was hiding out.
This was almost worse than when they hadn't known who he was.
Ashley had thought that once they had a name it would be so easy. They would just go and arrest him, and she would move on with her life.
But that wasn't how it was playing out.
The FBI had his DNA and his name, they knew everything about him except the only thing that mattered.
Where he was.
For the first time she felt confused about the whole situation. She wanted Evander caught so she didn't have to live with the fear of him coming after her. And yet at the same time that meant that she would be leaving Sawyer’s house and she wouldn’t get to see him every day. And as the fear of Evander coming after her again started to fade—she knew that Jett and Morgan would find him—the fear of having to finally face what had happened to her and find a way to live with it was growing.
What a mess.
She was a mess.
Her life was a mess.
This whole thing was one big gigantic mess, and the one person who usually made her feel grounded when the world was tossing and twirling around her was now the one person she was afraid to get any closer to.
Sawyer was going to be so angry and hurt when he found out she was leaving. He would think it was because she didn't trust him to keep her safe, or because he had done something to upset her, and she couldn’t tell him it was because she was falling for him.
Something caught her gaze.
A blinking light?
No, it looked like light reflecting off something, like a piece of glass or metal, but it was up too high, and it was moving, she couldn’t figure out what it was.
Ashley wasn't sure what it was, but she had a bad feeling about it. Her instincts were saying something was wrong, and she wasn't going to argue with them.
As quickly as she could she started climbing down. She was only about ten feet up but between her ankle and her bruised and battered body it was taking longer than she liked.
Something went crash nearby like it had been knocked over.
A cat meowed loudly, and then a dog barked.
Was it just a clash between cat and dog or had something startled them both?
“Sawyer,” she yelled as loudly as she could. If someone was out there, then she wanted Sawyer here. Now.
In less than five seconds she heard the back door swing open and footsteps coming toward her. “Ash? You okay?”
“I heard something,” she told him when he reached her.
He reached up and wrapped his hands around her waist, lifting her the rest of the way down to the ground. “Heard what?”
“I don’t know. I saw something reflecting light, and I started climbing down, then I heard a crash. What if he’s out there?” They knew who Evander was, and they knew he was resourceful, he’d tracked her down at the hospital after all, so it as plausible he had learned Sawyer’s identity and tracked her down here.
Sawyer muttered a curse under his breath. “I left my gun inside, I thought you just got stuck in the tree. Get inside, lock the doors, get my gun, and hide,” he rattled off orders.
“No.” She shook her head firmly, she wasn't going anywhere on her own. “I’m safer with you.”
He looked like he was going to argue but instead shoved her behind him. “We’ll check the yard then call the cops, have them come and check things out properly. I'm not taking any chances, not after we know someone was at the park yesterday when you fell.”
Sticking close to Sawyer, she followed him as he cautiously made his way around the small fenced in yard. They were just moving to check behind the shed when she saw something round appearing over the top of it.
“Sawyer, look,” she squawked in a panicked whisper.
He took one look then threw them both around the other side of the shed, shoving her up against the fence and covering her body with his own. “Don’t move,” he whispered in her ear.”
Her fingers curled into his sweater and held on tight as he carefully moved his head to look around the shed while making sure his body still covered hers.
Then he laughed.
“What is it?” she asked, confused.
“Come see.” He gently uncurled her fingers and took her hand, pulling her out into the open and pointing at something floating up toward the sky.
A balloon.
With a small plastic box tied to its string.
In the box was a family of dolls.
“Is that what you saw?” Sawyer asked.
“Probably,” she said, allowing a small smile to help calm her racing heart.
“It probably belongs to the Wilkins kids from behind us,” Sawyer said, releasing her hand to climb up onto the shed roof so he could grab hold of the string. “We’ll take it back to them in the morning.”
If she hadn't panicked and had just taken a moment to look properly at what had caught her attention, she would have seen that it was just an innocent balloon. The sight of it had probably startled the cat and dog, and one of them had knocked something over.
“Don’t worry, Ash.” Sawyer jumped down beside her and took her hand again. “We’re both on edge right now, it’s perfectly normal. It was just a balloon, no one is out here.”
“You’re right,” she agreed, squeezing his hand, it was going to be hard to say goodbye to him, she had to make the most of the next couple of days because once she moved out things would never be the same between them again.
* * * * *
7:04 P.M.
Sawyer was glad that Jett and Morgan were making progress in finding the killer because the stress was really starting to get to both him and Ashley.
When he’d seen that balloon rising over the shed for one horrifying second he’d thought it was Evander Hurley. He’d thrown himself and Ashley out of the way, using his body as a shield to protect her, and cursed his stupidity for coming outside unarmed. When Ashley had screamed his name he’d thought at best she was just stuck in the tree unable to climb down with her bad ankle, or at worst she’d fallen out of the tree and injured herself. If he had known that she’d screamed for help, he would have grabbed his gun before heading into the yard.
Seeing that balloon was such a relief.
Now that it was over and he knew Ashley was safe it was kind of funny.
He could tell she was still tense. Luckily he had the perfect way for her to relax.
“I have a surprise for you inside,” he told Ashley. She’d been so jittery lately that he wanted to do something special to try to take her mind off everything that had been going on.
“You spoil me.” Ashley squeezed his hand. “You don’t have to do nice things for me, I’ll be okay.”
“Course you will. No one’s tougher than you. I wanted to do this for you, if I could I would have taken you out but since I can't…” he opened the back door, and Ashley gasped when she saw what was inside.
“Oh, Sawyer,” she gushed, letting go of his hand, she rushed over to the table. “Candles, and the good china, it’s like we’re at a fancy restaurant only better because you did this especially for me.”
“Only the best for my girl. Dinner’s almost ready, why don’t you go upstairs get all dressed up and I’m going to go put on my best suit. We’re having a night out, only we’re having it in.”
“You’re the best.” Ashley beamed, all traces of anxiety gone from her face, now her eyes were sparkling with excitement, and her cheeks were tinted with pink. “I’ll be right back.”
While Ashley hurried up the stairs as quickly as she could with her ankle, Sawyer checked on the dinner, Ashley’s favorites, and then also headed upstairs to change. He put on his best suit, a pale blue shirt, and a brighter blue tie that he knew matched his eyes. He ran a brush through his hair and then stopped and looked at himself in the mirror.
He looked nervous.
Since his last attempt to tell Ashley how he felt about her had failed he would try again tonight. He had the special candlelight dinner, and he had a little gift for her.
Sawyer pulled the small jewelry box out of the top dresser draw. He stared at it for a moment then opened it up, inside nestled a set of pearl earrings and a matching pearl necklace. They used to belong to his mother, but after she passed away, he and Savannah had divided up the jewelry so they each had some to remember their mother by.
While this wasn't an engagement ring it certainly said how serious he was about Ashley. Since their father had died when he and Savannah were still young they had basically been raised by their mother, and both of them had been close with her right up until her death a couple of years ago. There was only one person he would give this to, and she was currently changing in the room across the hall.
Slipping the box into his pocket, he headed back to the kitchen to check on dinner. Everything was cooking nicely, although he would have preferred Ashley hadn't been sitting outside alone in the backyard in the dark, it had given him time to cook dinner without her hovering. Since she wasn't a very good cook, today’s gingerbread aside, she usually sat in the kitchen and chatted with him while he was preparing meals.
“H-hmm.”
He turned around and his jaw literally dropped.
Ashley was standing at the bottom of the stairs dressed in a slinky black dress with a plunging neckline very nearly revealing her firm, round breasts, and clung to her slender frame. The black of the dress complimented her pale skin and dark hair, making her look like a sexy Snow White. She’d curled her long hair so it hung in soft waves around her shoulders, and she’d added just the right amount of makeup, her lips the sexiest shade of red.
She looked like a goddess.
“Speechless, huh? Should I take that as a compliment?” Ashley grinned at him.
“Oh, yeah.” He drew in a shaky breath. This was supposed to be about cheering Ashley up not him lusting over her. Rousing himself out of this lust-filled haze, he walked over and took her elbow. “I’ll show you to your seat.” She walked a little awkwardly, and he glanced down to see she was wearing heels. “Ash, you have a bad ankle, you should have gone with flats.”
“They don’t go with this outfit,” she replied. He couldn’t argue with that, he loved her in heels.
After he pushed in her chair, he went to get the first course. “Appetizers,” he said, setting her plate down in front of her.
“Stuffed mushrooms,” she squealed. “Your stuffed mushrooms are my favorite.”
“I know.” He smiled, pleased she was so happy. He loved seeing her like this, all relaxed and carefree.
“I can't believe you did all of this while I was sitting outside, you are amazing. I don’t say that often enough.”
Subconsciously his free hand touched the box in his pocket. If he was going to give it to her and tell her that he liked her, he should do it now and not ruin the whole meal by being too nervous to enjoy it.
“I mean it, Sawyer,” Ashley continued, “I can't imagine not having you in my life. The only reason I've made it through these last few months is because of you. You’ve given me everything I needed. I love you so much, you're the best friend I could have ever had, and I hope that we’re going to be friends for the rest of our lives, I don’t want anything to ever come between us.”
His eyebrows scrunched together. “What would come between us?” Did she know that he liked her? Was this her way of letting him down gently?
“I don’t know, I just worry about losing you. You’re the closest thing I have to family, and I love you so much.”
Just not in the same way he loved her.
Did he need to be hit over the head with it?
She didn't love him.
All she felt for him was friendship.
And she didn't want him to do anything to ruin that.
If that wasn't a clear enough answer then he didn't know what would be.
It was time to let go of any notion that he and Ashley could one day be more than friends.
Time to really let it go.
Time to be content with what he had without seeking more.
Removing any disappointment and heartbreak from his face and voice, he smiled at her. “I love you too, Ash, and nothing is ever going to change that. You and I will still be causing havoc together when we’re in a nursing home.”
She giggled and relaxed. “What’s for main course?”
“Guess,” he said, relaxing himself. Ashley as a friend was still a pretty amazing thing to have, he was a lucky guy just to have her in his life.
“Fettuccine Alfredo?”
“Bingo.”
“And dessert?”
“You tell me?”
“Chocolate mousse?”
“You got it.”
“These stuffed mushrooms are to die for. If you ever get tired of being a bodyguard I think you can make a career as a chef.”
“My dad was a chef before Savannah and I were born,” he told Ashley.
“I didn't know that. Is that why you love to cook and Savannah loves to bake?”
“Probably. He changed jobs once he had us so he could make more money and be home with us in the evenings, but he always loved to cook. Those are some of my happiest memories of my childhood, in the kitchen, all of us together, cooking a special meal.” He smiled at the memories.
“It’s nice you have those memories of him. It’s hard not having your parents around anymore. When you're a kid you think they're going to live forever,” Ashley said wistfully.
Not wanting to give her time to dwell on sad things and let her mood slip, he asked, “You ready for the fettuccine?”
“Let’s dance,” Ashley announced.
“Dance?”
“Let’s put on Christmas carols and just dance.”
“On your ankle?” he asked, the prospect of holding Ashley up close against his body, wearing that dress, was not going to help his keep thing platonic vow.
“Please.” She gave him that puppy dog look he could never say no to.
“Okay,” he relented, switching on the hi-fi.
As Christmas music filled the house, Ashley stood and took his hand and wrapped her other arm around his waist, settling herself against his chest and resting her head on his shoulder. She felt so good in his arms. All warm and soft and feminine. She had no idea how crazy she drove him.
They slow danced to Bing Crosby’s White Christmas and it took every ounce of his self-restraint not to throw her down on the floor and make love to her in front of the Christmas tree.
“This is nice,” she murmured.
He couldn’t deny that.
