Hunted Love (A Dangerous Kind of Love Book 2) (26 page)

Sarah felt sick with dread. “We have to warn her.”

“I did. After the hearing, I told her all about Fletcher and to be careful.” He glanced at her as he passed by again. “Are you sure there’s not someone else you want to contact?”

She shrugged lightly. “It would be nice to talk to Madison. She and Ethan could help us.”

“Anyone else?” he asked before as he exited the shack carrying another blanket in his hands.

“No,” she said slowly, “I guess not.”

“Are you sure?” He dropped the blankets in the canoe.

She looked at him curiously. “Are you?”

“What about that rich boyfriend of yours.” He knelt on the pier next to the canoe and spread out the blankets. “He must be worried about you?”

“Rich boyfriend?” Sarah asked in surprise. “What rich boyfriend?”

“The doctor or lawyer you’re seeing.”

“I’m not seeing anyone.”

Still kneeling, he glanced back at her. “You don’t have to lie to me, Sarah. It’s all right. I’m not going anywhere. I told you I’d protect you and I will.”

Sarah crossed her arms. “Who told you I was dating someone?”

“Holly.”

“Jamie, I’m not seeing anyone but you. For goodness sake, the woman believed you murdered Robin. She was just trying to get under your skin.”

He cocked his head to the side as he looked at her. “So, you’re not seeing anyone?”

Sarah felt tears sting the back of her eyelids. “Do you think so little of me? Do you really think I’d cheat on someone with you and that I’d lie to you about it? What? So, you’d protect me? Is that what you really think of me?”

“No, I was just—” He threw up his hands. “I guess I wasn’t thinking.”

“No, I guess you weren’t.” Hurt, she turned her back to him and stared at the river as more thunder rumbled above.

“Sarah.”

Blinking back tears, she glanced back at him.

He held out his hand to her. “Time to go.”

She glanced back at the sky before reluctantly climbing into the canoe. She started to reach for a paddle, but he shook his head. “I can help,” she protested as he motioned for her to sit at the bow of the canoe.

“We’ll take turns,” he said climbing in after her.

She pursed her lips together as she sat down on the cushions, knowing he had no intention of taking turns. He’d do it all on his own, just like always, refusing to let her help him.

When she was finally settled, he took the other blanket and wrapped it around her legs. She laid her hands on top of his arms.

He stilled for a moment before bringing his gaze up to meet hers.

“You know,” she said her voice rough with emotion, “it’s not always good to be so alone.”

His eyes drifted closed as he rested his forehead against hers. “I’m not alone. You’re here.”

She reached out to touch his face, but let her hand drop when he leaned away from her.

Stifling a sigh, she laid back against the cushions and looked up at the sky, watching as the clouds moved overhead blocking out the moon and the trees on top of the cliffs swaying in the wind. Eventually, she turned her gaze to Jamie as he paddled the canoe forward.

A part of her felt like laughing at the ridiculousness of it all. Under different circumstances, a midnight canoe ride with her lover would be wonderfully romantic.

However, it wasn’t romantic.

It was frightening.

A hunter was trying to kill them and Jamie unfortunately wasn’t her lover.

It was a cruel imitation of her fantasies. Those ridiculous girlish fantasies she had entertained all summer and fall of her and Jamie in scenes just like this one.

She had been so happy when he had appeared in her hospital room the day before, promising to stay by her side and begin a relationship with her. For a moment, it appeared that they were well on their way but Holly’s lies had quickly put a stop to whatever momentum that had been building and now Sarah didn’t know when or if Jamie would be willing to try again. Despite the kiss in the stables, she still felt as if he was pulling away from her and it scared her. She couldn’t lose him again, not when they had been so close.

She just couldn’t.

She winced as she brought her knee up, trying to find a comfortable position for her leg in the cramped confines of the canoe. If it had been warmer, she would have just let it dangle over the side but she could feel the cold underneath her back despite the cushions and decided against it.

Her eyes drifted shut as the gentle rocking of the canoe lulled her to sleep. Moments later, Jamie gently grasping her ankle and laying it on the seat next to him, awakened her. “Better?”

She smiled sadly at him, nodding, as her thoughts automatically drifted to a warm summer day when she first met Jamie.

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

Sarah sleepily opened her eyes as a single raindrop landed on her face. She blinked and stared up at the treetops above her and the dark night sky.

Another raindrop hit her forehead and she wiped her hand over her face. “Are we almost there?”

When that failed to bring a response, she looked over towards the other end of the canoe.

She bolted up in a panic and looked around.

She was alone, floating on the edge of a bank surrounded by woods. “Jamie?”

When he didn’t answer, she scrambled out of the canoe and onto land, looking this way and that. She hissed as she took a step and a sharp pain shot up her leg. She had overused her leg and now was paying for it.
Couldn’t be helped
, she thought looking around. Pushing the pain aside, she took a few steps.

A huge gust of wind blew through almost knocking her over and she pressed her hand to a tree and shouted his name again as fear took over. What if Fletcher had followed them? What if he attacked Jamie while she was asleep? As the what if’s kept coming, she screamed his name, desperation and fear coloring her voice.

“I’m right here,” he said, through the darkness.

“Where?”

Suddenly, he appeared on a ridge slightly above her. He jumped down and pulled her into a hug. “What’s wrong?”

She clutched him tightly. “I woke up and you weren’t there. I thought something had happened to you.”

“It’s all right.” He pushed her hair back. “I told you I wasn’t going anywhere. I was just making sure we were in the right place. It’s been a while since I came here by water. Come on,” he said taking her hand, “it’s this way.”

He boosted her up the ridge. She knelt there looking around as he climbed up after her. “Where are we?” she asked nervously looking around. As far as she could see, there was nothing but trees around her.

He helped her up and pointed. “My house is just over that hill.”

“Your house? I didn’t know you had a house.” She peered into the dark woods surrounding them. “How can you tell?”

“I grew up here. I could walk these woods blindfolded if I had to.” He took her hand, leading through the forest and then to an old pathway now overgrown with vegetation.

The wind howled as it blew through the trees and she moved closer to him.

“Don’t be scared.”

“I’m not,” she said automatically.

He glanced down at their joined hands.

“Well, maybe just a little,” she said before loosening the death grip she had on his hand, “but in my defense, it has been a rather unusual day.”

Pressing a kiss to her temple, he wrapped his arm around her. “It’ll be over with soon.”

“Promise?”

“Promise.”

They walked for a while until they came to a weather worn fence that appeared to have once been white at some point. Beyond the fence was a clearing filled with weeds and tall grass. A large desolate and lonely looking three story Georgian brick house with giant white columns covered by vines stood in the center of the clearing.

It was difficult to see in the dark, but years of neglect had obviously taken its toll on the once stately home. Vines covered one side of the white brick house obscuring most of the boarded up windows and on the other side a giant tree lay uprooted against the house, its branches pushing through a sunroom on the side of the house and part of the second story.

“Is this…” she said gesturing to the house, “where you grew up?”

“It didn’t look like this back then,” he said a bit defensively. “I’ve been away. Houses like this take a lot of work.” He blew out his breath as thunder rumbled directly overhead and rain began to drop from the sky. “Come on. Let’s get inside before it starts storming.”

She started toward the front door, but to her surprise, he led her around the house to the back where three large white stables with red-trim cupolas stood forming a semi-circle around a statue of a horse. The base of the statue proclaimed the area as the
One-Eyed Royals Horse Farm
.

She stumbled, her knee almost giving out. Jamie reached out and caught her. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah, I just turned my ankle on a rock,” she lied. She could tell he was exhausted and didn’t want him to worry about her any more than he already did.

“Are you sure? I could carry you—”

“No, that’s not necessary. I can walk.” She took a few steps forward and slowly turned around. “See? I’m fine.”

He looked at her doubtfully but didn’t argue with her.

They passed through a gate and into the largest stable where rows of stalls lay empty their black iron and wooden doors hanging open.

Jamie walked down the length of the building until he came to the last horse stall. He reached up and brought down a wooden block in the shape of a clover.

“Jack has one of these boxes on his stalls,” Sarah remarked watching as he flipped the wooden block in his hand.

He pressed his thumb against the side of the block and the back popped open. “I know. I carved them myself,” he said, drawing out a key.

“Nice hiding place.” She followed him back outside, her gaze drifting to the statue as Jamie walked up to the backdoor of the house.

She slowed her steps.

A long ago memory of playing near the statue while her sister took lessons resurfaced and she paused.

Ignoring the throbbing in her leg and the thunder and lightning overhead threatening a downpour at any moment, she turned around and walked back to the stables trying to remember. Before she knew it, she had passed the stables and was standing in a small family graveyard. She looked over the names for a moment before turning to the right.

The stream should be close to here
, she thought as she made her way toward a little gully behind the stables.

A twig snapped behind her. She glanced over her shoulder as Jamie appeared.

“What are you doing?”

“Just exploring.”

“Now?” He looked at her as though she were crazy. “It’s going to start storming at any moment.”

She glanced over at the stream. “Did you like growing up around here?”

“Yeah, of course. There was always something to do.”

“Did you have someone to play with?” she asked curiously.

He looked at her in concern for a moment before answering. “I was an only child and we didn’t have neighbors.”

“Didn’t kids come by when your mom was giving out horse riding lessons?”

“Sure, in the summer, occasionally.” He held out his hand. “Ready to go?”

She smiled. “I bet all the little girls liked you.”

He dropped his hand. “I was too ornery.”

“No, you weren’t.”

He looked at her curiously.

“I bet you were sweet,” she said.

He shook his head. “That doesn’t sound like me at all.” He glanced up as another bolt of lightning lit up the sky. “Come on, Sarah, let’s get back to the house before we get drenched.” When she made no move to follow him, he stuck his hands in the pockets of his jeans, clearly resigning himself to staying outdoors for a little while longer.

“I bet you used to rescue them when they’d get lost playing around here.”

“No,” he said shaking his head. “My parents didn’t allow people to wander around back here.”

“Why?”

“Liability issues, I guess.”

“Snakes?”

“Yeah, I guess so.” He held out his hand again. “I’ll take you on a tour in the morning if you want.”

He didn’t remember.
Why would he?
She thought. It wasn’t his life that had been in danger. She closed her eyes remembering standing in this same spot screaming, paralyzed with fear as the snake coiled up to strike. She didn’t remember much more. Only that horrible feeling when she saw the snake and then the owner’s kid saving her. For him it was nothing, lasted no more than a second, but she remembered.

Jamie took her hand and pulled. She let him lead her back to the house, while occasionally stealing glances at him, wondering if some part of her subconscious recognized him those many months ago when he first walked into the pub. It was the only explanation. She had never felt afraid of him like Emily had. She trusted him implicitly, believing without question that he would save her and protect her. At the time, she chalked it up to gut instinct that had proven correct on New Year’s Eve but perhaps it was more than that. Too bad, he wasn’t feeling it on his end.

They broke out in a run as it began to rain in earnest. By time they reached the back door to the house, they were soaked to the bone.

Under the safety off the portico, she wrung out her ponytail while he opened the screen door and then the back door. Sarah grimaced, shifting her weight to one leg.

Jamie glanced at her leg, but he didn’t say anything as he ushered her inside a small mudroom before leading her through the kitchen and then towards the front of the house.

She stopped at the bottom of the staircase and glanced up towards the giant boarded up window on the landing. Lightning crisscrossed just outside, briefly lighting up the large ornate staircase directly in front of her and the giant crystal chandelier above her.

The chandelier blazed to life a few seconds later. “Oh, you have electricity.”

Jamie chuckled in amusement as he pulled off his boots and set them in the corner of the foyer. “Ever since the thirties or maybe the forties. We even have plumbing.”

“The place looks abandoned,” she said reaching down to take her own boots off. “I just thought the electricity would be turned off.”

The lights flickered.

“Don’t get used to it,” he said taking her boots and setting them down next to his. “Storms tend to knock the power out.”

She walked around the large foyer with its white and black tiled floor, crème colored walls and a magnificent sweeping staircase. She tilted her head back to stare up at the beautiful crystal chandelier, and nearly bumping over a round sheet covered table underneath it.

“You lived well,” she said peering into one of the two large rooms on opposite sides of the staircase. White sheets covered every piece of furniture except for a chair and couch near the fireplace.

“Once upon a time,” he said following her as she looked around. When she moved from the study to the library on the other side of the room, he asked, “So, what do you think?”

“It’s beautiful.”

“It needs some work. The paint is chipping and most of the furniture—at least the expensive pieces—are stored away in the attic. When everything dies down, I’m going to fix it up. Make it look like it did before my folks died. I have the money. I just haven’t found the time or inclination, but, some day.”

“I think it’s absolutely beautiful, Jamie,” she said turning around to gape at the coffered ceiling.

He smiled, clearly pleased. “Come on,” he said taking her hand and leading her to the curved staircase. “I’ll show you the upstairs.”

She paused at the staircase, dreading walking up the stairs on her bad knee. She started to take a step up when Jamie wrapped his hand around her bicep.

She looked back at him curiously.

Before she had a chance to protest, he swept her up into his arms.

She gasped, instinctively curling one arm around his neck. “You don’t have to,” she said laying her palm against his shoulder. “My leg doesn’t hurt that much.”

“I know,” he said softly, “but I want to.”

Sarah hugged him close, hiding a smile against his shoulder as he carried her up the stairs. Maybe things weren’t so hopeless between them as she thought. Despite what Holly had said to him, he was still here with her. He still cared enough to stay by her. To protect her. To bring her into his home. She remembered him watching her intently as she looked around the house, clearly anxious to learn her opinion. He wanted her to be impressed. He wanted her to like his home and in some ways that told her all she needed to know about his feelings for her. He may not say it, but he clearly cared for her and of that much she was certain.

Glancing over his shoulder, she looked around the home, peering into every open door they passed. From what she could tell, most of the bedrooms were devoid of furniture and if there was a bed, the mattress was missing.

She was contemplating a night on the dusty wood floor when he carried her into what she assumed was the master bedroom with thankfully a king sized bed.

Jamie started to lay her on the bed but she held on tightly to his neck. One look from the clean white sheets to her wet and dirty clothes had her pointing to the master bathroom.

Once in the bathroom, he deposited her on the edge of the tub before leaving her to get cleaned up.

Sarah quickly undressed, showered, and dried her hair in what was for her record time and stepped into the empty bedroom. While she had showered, the fireplace had been lit and a clean tee shirt and pajama bottoms had been placed at the foot of the bed.