highly doubt because they’ve been gone for hours, they wouldn’t have run.” She shook softly; the idea of someone watching them in such an intimate moment creeped her out. “Come on,” he said tenderly, his arm sliding around her. “Let’s go inside.”
They were almost through the door when something behind them exploded. Turning to protect her, he saw that a small section of trees was on fire. “Damn it! Call the police,” he called to her as he ran toward the inferno. He needed to put out the fire before it spread.
Not wasting another second, she dialed 911. By the time she was finished and running to help Grant, the fire was out.
His breath heaving, he wiped sweat off of his brow as he leaned against a shed. He was lucky that the structure hadn’t caught on fire.
“What happened?”
“Someone used an accelerant to light up the trees.”
“Someone… the person who watched us?”
He nodded grimly. “Most likely. Did you call the police?”
“Yeah. They should be here any minute.” Natalie tried to sound calm, but her stomach trembled with fear.
She lived downtown. Murder, robberies, and assaults happened on a daily basis. But none of that bothered her nearly as much as this. Living there, she had to constantly be on her guard. She always assumed that something bad was going to happen, so she was never surprised when it did.
Seeing this type of destruction at a place that appeared to be so far from the harsher things of the world, was like jumping into an ice cold pool expecting the hot temperatures of a jacuzzi.
Connecting eyes with Grant, he must have sensed her unease. Holding out his hand to her, he pushed away from the shed. “Come here.”
They hadn’t known each other long, but feeling the slide of his arms around her, bringing her into the haven of his body, made her feel as if nothing could touch them.
Her head leaning on his shoulder, she opened her eyes, her hazy vision slowly f ocusing on the barn. “Grant…”
She didn’t have to finish. They both stared at the clear, chilling words scrawled in paint on the side of the barn.
You and that slut better watch your backs .
His jaw clench against her forehead as his grip cinched tighter around her waist. “Let’s wait inside.”
She couldn’t speak, just nodded in agreement.
Settling her on the couch, he wrapped her tight in a blanket before sitting next to her, pulling her body against his. “I’m sorry. I never guessed that you would get caught up in this.”
“What’s going on? Why would someone write that?”
“Someone has been killing off trees on the fringe of the orchard. It’s happened over a period of time and no one has been injured. We’ve been trying to figure out who’s been doing it, but nothing like this has happened.” He gave her a little squeeze. “Had I known that you would be dragged into this, I would have never gotten involved with you. I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be. You couldn’t know what was going to happen. You couldn’t have predicted this.”
“You were threatened.”
“So were you.”
“I know it scared you.”
She nodded slowly. “Of course. But I’m not going to let it frighten me away. I’m a big girl. I can handle myself.”
Her speech drew a soft laugh from him. “I’ve no doubt that you can take care of yourself. But I still don’t like that I got you into this.”
Reaching out to his jaw, she put pressure on it until he turned toward her. “I got myself into this. I distinctly remember barging into your life, hiring a private investigator, and threatening you until you let me in.” She smiled when he laugh. “I’m not saying that I’m happy that I was threatened, but I don’t regret getting involved with you.”
Grant took Natalie’s hands in his, helping her up when sirens sounded off in the distance. “This wasn’t how I wanted tonight to end.”
The suggestion in his voice was barely there, but it was enough to have her insides go on slow burn.
They were almost through the door when something behind them exploded. Turning to protect her, he saw that a small section of trees was on fire. “Damn it! Call the police,” he called to her as he ran toward the inferno. He needed to put out the fire before it spread.
Not wasting another second, she dialed 911. By the time she was finished and running to help Grant, the fire was out.
His breath heaving, he wiped sweat off of his brow as he leaned against a shed. He was lucky that the structure hadn’t caught on fire.
“What happened?”
“Someone used an accelerant to light up the trees.”
“Someone… the person who watched us?”
He nodded grimly. “Most likely. Did you call the police?”
“Yeah. They should be here any minute.” Natalie tried to sound calm, but her stomach trembled with fear.
She lived downtown. Murder, robberies, and assaults happened on a daily basis. But none of that bothered her nearly as much as this. Living there, she had to constantly be on her guard. She always assumed that something bad was going to happen, so she was never surprised when it did.
Seeing this type of destruction at a place that appeared to be so far from the harsher things of the world, was like jumping into an ice cold pool expecting the hot temperatures of a jacuzzi.
Connecting eyes with Grant, he must have sensed her unease. Holding out his hand to her, he pushed away from the shed. “Come here.”
They hadn’t known each other long, but feeling the slide of his arms around her, bringing her into the haven of his body, made her feel as if nothing could touch them.
Her head leaning on his shoulder, she opened her eyes, her hazy vision slowly f ocusing on the barn. “Grant…”
She didn’t have to finish. They both stared at the clear, chilling words scrawled in paint on the side of the barn.
You and that slut better watch your backs .
His jaw clench against her forehead as his grip cinched tighter around her waist. “Let’s wait inside.”
She couldn’t speak, just nodded in agreement.
Settling her on the couch, he wrapped her tight in a blanket before sitting next to her, pulling her body against his. “I’m sorry. I never guessed that you would get caught up in this.”
“What’s going on? Why would someone write that?”
“Someone has been killing off trees on the fringe of the orchard. It’s happened over a period of time and no one has been injured. We’ve been trying to figure out who’s been doing it, but nothing like this has happened.” He gave her a little squeeze. “Had I known that you would be dragged into this, I would have never gotten involved with you. I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be. You couldn’t know what was going to happen. You couldn’t have predicted this.”
“You were threatened.”
“So were you.”
“I know it scared you.”
She nodded slowly. “Of course. But I’m not going to let it frighten me away. I’m a big girl. I can handle myself.”
Her speech drew a soft laugh from him. “I’ve no doubt that you can take care of yourself. But I still don’t like that I got you into this.”
Reaching out to his jaw, she put pressure on it until he turned toward her. “I got myself into this. I distinctly remember barging into your life, hiring a private investigator, and threatening you until you let me in.” She smiled when he laugh. “I’m not saying that I’m happy that I was threatened, but I don’t regret getting involved with you.”
Grant took Natalie’s hands in his, helping her up when sirens sounded off in the distance. “This wasn’t how I wanted tonight to end.”
The suggestion in his voice was barely there, but it was enough to have her insides go on slow burn.
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