Chapter 25

CHAPTER

TWENTY-FIVE

Colton arrived at the Linear Tactical property the next morning with gritty eyes. It had been a long night. He'd been in touch with both Callum and Lincoln multiple times as any sort of update came in.

Unfortunately, all the updates tended to lead nowhere when it came to the identification of the stalker.

Jeremy Ritter was pretty much a punk kid who didn't know his ass from his elbow. The thought of making a couple hundred dollars had been enough to not ask many questions.

Electronics hadn't helped either. As far as Lincoln could tell—and that was pretty damn extensively—the communication to Jeremy had come from a burner phone as well as a third-party app. That meant it could be pretty much anyone, anywhere.

Callum felt certain that the kid was telling the truth when he said he'd had no actual contact with the person who'd hired him. Both Lincoln and Callum were going to keep at it, but neither was very hopeful.

About an hour ago, Colton had finally called Tony and told him about last night's incident and the note found at Fancy Pants. He could tell his PR manager was not happy about being left out of the loop for so long, but Colton wasn't going to apologize for that .

Tony also wasn't happy that Colton didn't have any sort of long-term plans for stunts. But honestly, Colton couldn't even think about that until they had this stalker situation under control. He told Tony to put any and all resources they had toward figuring out who this stalker was. That had become Colton's number one priority.

Because he couldn't keep doing this to Ella. By the time he'd made it back to the Eagle's Nest the night before, Lilah had already taken Ella home. Colton went over there as soon as he could, hoping to find Ella already asleep. She'd been so tense with him out on the dance floor before he'd run out to chase Jeremy that he was crushed he couldn't tell her they had caught the stalker.

He'd hated seeing that pinched look on her pretty face.

But it had still been there when he'd gotten to her house, and she'd still been wide awake. He'd explained what happened and she seemed to take it in stride, but he could tell she was still upset. Or maybe upset wasn't the right word. She'd almost been…sad.

Not afraid, which he would've expected. Not angry, which would be slightly out of character for sweet Ella, but he could understand.

Sad . That, he didn't quite know how to wrap his head around. All he knew was that a stalker wasn't what she'd signed up for when she'd gotten involved with him.

He'd held her all night, but except for when she had finally fallen asleep, she'd been stiff in his arms—not pulling away, but like she couldn't quite decide if she fit there or not.

When she'd left early this morning to go to the bakery, the tension in her body had still been there. He'd wanted to go with her, but since they'd already arranged for Lilah to come keep an eye on things at Fancy Pants whenever Ella was there, he decided to just stick with that plan. But there was no way he was leaving Ella alone until the stalker was caught.

He was going to figure this out. But first, these kids. The next two days belonged to them. He'd seen their eyes light up when he'd arrived. Marshall had rushed over to say hello, shaking Colton's hand like the little adult he was.

Bear walked over. "Lincoln told me about last night. Sorry to hear it was a dead end also."

Colton slapped his friend on his back. "Thanks, but I'm not going to worry about it. Right now, I want to focus on the next two days and these campers."

Bear's face relaxed, and he broke into a grin. "That's exactly what I want to hear. I overheard the kids talking, wondering if you were going to be here. Your presence means a lot."

"A chance to hang out with them means a lot to me too."

"Plus, you don't have to worry about your stalker finding us out there. Nobody but our personal circle knows where we're going. And you know Dorian and Ray will handle anybody in the vicinity who doesn't belong there."

Dorian Lindstrom—whose code name had been Ghost when he'd served in Special Forces—and his wife Ray were Theo's parents. They had lived in the wilderness surrounding the Linear Tactical facility for most of Theo's life. A necessity, given that Ray Lindstrom was a listed enemy of the United States government and also officially dead.

"Hopefully Aunt Ray asks questions before shooting anybody with her crossbow." Although Colton wouldn't mind if Ray just took the stalker out.

Bear left to go see about some last-minute supply organization as Ella pulled up in her car. Lilah got out and walked toward Bear, but Ella walked toward Colton.

Her face was still pinched.

"Everything situated at the bakery?"

"Yes. I'm ready to brave the wilderness." She smiled, but it didn't reach her eyes. Colton couldn't stand this.

He trailed his fingers up her arms. "Butterscotch, you don't have to be scared, I promise."

"I'm not scared."

Maybe she wasn't scared, but the look on her face made it obvious that she still wasn't okay. If he'd had any doubt about leading the stalker away from Oak Creek, that made up his mind for him.

"I'm going to leave town after we get back from the wilderness."

It wasn't what he wanted, but he was determined to get this stalker out of Ella's life and put a happy look back on her face.

"Oh."

"So you're not going to have to worry about the stalker anymore."

"I—" She looked down at the ground.

He cupped her cheeks in order to force her gaze back up to his. "I'm sorry all of this has happened. But for right now, let's just focus on the kids and this excursion. We are one hundred percent safe out here. Nobody here but our inner circle and these kids."

Her eyes brightened. "You're right. Nobody out here but us. That's good."

Seeing the stress slide away from her features just reaffirmed to Colton what he needed to do.

Get himself out of Oak Creek to make sure Ella was safe.

Compared to the people out here right now, Ella was never going to be a wilderness survival expert. Outdoor activities had never been her thing. She preferred cute dresses and desserts over dirt and campfires.

But she knew her presence here proved that anyone could do what the experts were teaching. Granted, Ella had been raised around Oak Creek, so she had been more exposed to outdoor stuff than a lot of people, even though it hadn't been her forte. So, she had her own hiking boots and backpack and knew enough basics that she could keep herself alive if it came down to it.

But she wouldn't like it. She preferred her comfy bed over a sleeping bag, and a three-course meal over food cooked on a campfire .

Regardless, she was glad she was here, even if it was only to see how much the kids were enjoying this. They were finally really loosening up. Her little buddy Ashley had stuck with her for most of the four-hour hike that had gotten them to the main campsite. Ella had enjoyed talking to the girl—had loved all her questions about recipes and flavor profiles. But Ella had also been glad when Marshall had come over to talk to Ashley. The two obviously had crushes on each other, and it was sweet to behold.

Bear and Lilah had used the hike as a teaching opportunity. They pointed out wildlife, poisonous plants, and different types of trees that would be good for fires and shelters. The kids not only were asking more questions now—not afraid to take up space that was rightfully theirs—they were cracking jokes and laughing. This was what Bear had envisioned for these kids, and she was so thankful he was getting to see it come to fruition.

And if she had to hide that she was a half breath from falling apart, so be it.

Colton was leaving. She'd known that was coming from the beginning so she shouldn't let it upset her, but somehow it did. His casual announcement that he'd be leaving town, combined with what she'd heard in the bathroom, had made it clear exactly where she stood.

She'd always known this was temporary. Colton had never made any sort of indication otherwise. Yes, they had good sex. Yes, they had fun together.

But he'd probably had that with a hundred different women. He didn't think of her in the same way as she thought of him. Never had. Never would.

But damn it, she was not going to fall apart here. This time was for the kids. There would be plenty of time to fall apart when she was back on her own.

Not to mention, if these were the last couple of days she had with him, she wanted to soak in this time. There was nobody around to judge like Crystal and Samantha in the bathroom. Nobody around to say he was slumming it by being with her .

"Are you okay, Miss Ella?" Ashley walked over with a hot dog that had been cooked on a stick. "I made this for you."

The kids had been absolutely thrilled to learn about making fires. They'd each been in charge of collecting their own tinder and kindling, and then they had been required to use flint and steel to get a flame started.

Ashley had been one of the last ones to get a fire going, but everyone had cheered her on and encouraged her until she did.

"Did you eat a hot dog?"

The girl nodded enthusiastically. "Yes. And I don't know what it is about Wyoming hot dogs, but that was the best thing I'd ever eaten."

Ella winked at her. "Either that, or it has to do with the fact that you cooked it over a fire that you made with your bare hands."

Ashley's grin got even bigger. "Yeah, maybe. It felt really good to do that. I've never been camping before in my life, because my sister…" She faded off, and her smile fell away.

"Because your sister can't, right?"

"Cancer has taken so much from her."

Ella grabbed the stick with the hot dog Ashley had brought for her. "Cancer has taken a lot from you too. It's okay to acknowledge that and be frustrated. It's okay to feel a little cheated."

"But I'm not the one who is sick." Ashley sat down next to her.

"But you still got dumped with a set of circumstances you didn't choose. Just because you don't complain about it doesn't mean it doesn't suck. It's okay to be angry about that sometimes."

Ashley shrugged one small shoulder. "Sometimes I am angry. But mostly, I try to stay focused on the positive."

Ella wrapped her arm around the girl. "Then you're more mature than most adults, so congratulations."

She took a bite of the hot dog. "That's one of the best I've ever had. And I don't think it has anything to do with this meat being from Wyoming."

She expected the girl to get up and head back over to the other kids, but she stayed there on the log. Ella caught her glancing at Marshall once again. "Are you going to try to keep in touch with Marshall after the camp?"

A blush crept up over her face. "Yes. Do you think that's okay?"

"Of course! Marshall is a great guy. Even just keeping him as a friend would be completely appropriate."

She let out a small sigh. "We live pretty far from each other, but we could text and talk on the phone. I like that he's just… mine . Do you know what I mean?"

Yes, Ella knew exactly what the girl meant. But it was probably better to get her to explain it so she was sure about it herself. "Tell me more."

Ashley rubbed a pattern in the dirt with her foot. "That he doesn't know my sister or my family. That he doesn't look at me like the kid who can't do a lot of stuff because her parents are always gone for medical purposes. He doesn't feel sorry for me."

"And even better, he totally understands your situation. And probably feels the same that maybe you can just be… his ."

A soft smile broke out on Ashley's face. "Yeah, I like that."

Ashley was thirteen and Marshall was fourteen. They both had very complex lives and lived in separate states. The chances of them "making it" as a couple were slim to none.

But Ella still hoped they did.

"I tell you what—you go over and talk to Marshall. Spend as much time together as you can in the days you have left with him. You won't regret that. And, at the very least, even if it doesn't work out, you'll still have some very precious memories that you can keep forever."

Yeah, she was definitely talking to herself just as much as she was talking to the girl.

"Do you think Marshall will mind?"

Ella had to laugh out loud at that. "He's looked over at you half a dozen times in the ten minutes you've been sitting here. So no, I don't think he will mind one little bit."

"What about you and Mr. Colton? Is he your boyfriend?"

"I'd like to think so. "

Ella stiffened at the sound of Colton's voice behind them. Ashley spun around to grin up at him. "Good. You guys are cute."

With that, she ran off, straight toward Marshall.

Colton sat down next to Ella. "You didn't have to say that."

He narrowed his eyes at her. "Maybe I wanted to say that."

She wasn't sure how to respond. Just a few hours ago, he'd told her he was leaving, and now he was talking about boyfriend-girlfriend stuff. She had no idea what to think.

"What's really going on, Butterscotch? Are you still this concerned about the stalker? I promise you, we're going to get that handled."

She wasn't worried about the stalker, although she wanted that bitch gone so that Colton didn't have to worry about any of it any longer. But right now, she was providing a nice scapegoat for Ella not having to tell Colton what was really wrong.

"I know you will. I don't doubt that for a second."

"Are you sure? Last night and this morning, you seemed so upset."

He was looking at her so earnestly, she almost told him the truth about the bathroom. But what would that do? Maybe if they were going to start an actual relationship—be the boyfriend he was pretending to be in front of Ashley—she would try to talk it out. But without that, explaining the details of what she'd heard in that bathroom would just add to the patheticity.

She was saved from having to answer by Bear announcing that everyone needed to come over so he could demonstrate how to build shelters.

She stood up. "Let's just focus on these kids and helping them have fun. If they liked making fire, I have no doubt they're going to love making their own shelters."

He wrapped an arm around her waist and yanked her up against him, studying her intently. "I know you're avoiding something, but I'll let it go for now."

"I just want to enjoy the moment."

"Then let's go build shelters. But you plan on sleeping under mine with me. We won't do anything inappropriate, but I want you next to me, Butterscotch."

What was she supposed to say to that? "Okay."

He winked at her, and everything inside her body went soft and gooey. Good thing there were a bunch of kids around.

He let her go, and they turned and walked toward the group together. A number of the kids had noticed the moment between them, as well as Lilah, who was waggling her eyebrows. Ella just ignored them.

They could think what they wanted, but Ella needed to keep focused on the truth: what she had with Colton was temporary, and soon, he'd be gone.