8. My Soldier

CHAPTER 8

My Soldier

TORI

N ate’s cedar scent and manly musk enveloped me, embracing me, tempting me to take things further than I should. “Stop.” I pushed away and wiped my tears. “We can’t…”

“It was just a hug.” He shrugged it off as no big deal. And maybe it wasn’t to him. To me, I could easily fall into the trap of mistaking his duty, his kindness as something more than it should be. I built my wall higher and sucked in a breath.

“I know. But-but we should have boundaries, don’t you think? I mean, holding hands or a kiss on the cheek in public as a fake wedded couple is one thing. In private—we need to keep things professional. Got it, soldier?”

“You’re right.” He shoved his hands into his pockets, then followed me down the hall. “I came up here to tell you that Kipp said his cousin’s ranch has an empty cabin we can stay in. It’s secluded and Love Ranch is huge. I feel sure we’d be safe there for now. Plus, it’s a few miles out of town, away from my family. I’ll seek out Robbie tomorrow at the police station.”

“Okay. If you think it’ll work.”

“Well, it’s either that or we stay here at the house with my parents. My mom offered us a room.”

“Oh. Right.” I didn’t think his family seemed all that bad so far, but practicality demanded that the more time we spent with them, the more opportunities we could trip ourselves up in lies about our relationship.

Speaking of, his mother suddenly appeared at the foot of the stairs as we descended. Her hands folded on her ample chest with a sweet smile to boot. “There you two lovebirds are. Now, hear me out. I have a big idea. Before you leave this week, I’m going to throw you two a party.”

“Oh, no. We couldn’t possibly let you go to all that trouble for us.” I was the first to speak up, with Nate nodding as if in agreement as we strolled back outside with her.

“It’s no trouble at all. I love throwing parties. Besides, you only get married once.” Mrs. Harland might be upset if she knew that this would actually be my second marriage, albeit fake. The idea of disappointing this sweet woman hit a nerve. “We had a family celebration when both of our daughters got married. Now it’s Nate’s turn. Honestly, I never thought I’d see this day, given how he’s said all along he’d never marry.”

She laughed, but clearly Nate didn’t see the humor. He objected, “Really, Mom, I don’t know how long we’re gonna be here, and?—”

Guitar music and a voice I recognized took my attention away from them. There on the patio was my daughter singing like an angel, standing next to a young man with a guitar, and the celebrity, Prima, looking on with satisfaction.

Porsche had never performed like this, and well, she seemed to be a natural. As if out from under Bottesta’s chokehold, she’d blossomed right in front of me.

“Wow. Did you know she could sing like that?” Nate whispered, leaving his mother and reaching my side.

I stared, mesmerized, trying not to cry yet again about how my baby was growing up. When they’d finished, everyone clapped. Nate put his fingers in his mouth and whistled. I always found it sexy when a man did that.

“That’s our girl,” he shouted, beaming with pride, and making a great impression, almost having me believe our little family was real.

Prima appeared floored. “Great job on guitar, Connor. And honey, I don’t know where you came from, but that voice of yours belongs on the radio.”

“That’s Andrew’s brother. He’s probably in college by now.” Nate informed me.

I didn’t care who he was. The young man took Porsche’s hand and kissed the back of it. I couldn’t hear what was said between them, but I knew that look of infatuation growing on her face, and a look of lust on his. I rushed to her side, putting my arm around her shoulders and warning Connor away with a glare.

“That was lovely, but it’s been a long day of travel. I think it’s time we go, Porsche.”

“Porsche…” Connor whispered, staring at her like it was love at first sight, and ignoring my motherly signal to back off. I rolled my eyes and steered her away.

After a round of hugs from Mrs. Harland, and a promise that she could throw some type of small party for us in a few days, we managed to leave. We were back in the old truck, which I had hated at first, but now become a haven protecting us and whisking us away.

As far as rustic went, the one-room cabin could have been worse. When Nate turned into the Love Ranch driveway, I had no idea what to expect, picturing dilapidated, weathered cabins with an outhouse and an old pot-bellied stove to heat at night. Thankfully, I wrongly imagined the worst.

New hewn honey-colored logs formed the exterior, complete with a covered front porch. Porsche made a beeline for the hanging swing built for two filled with pillows and tried it out.

“Love this,” she exclaimed, using her foot to glide the swing forward and back.

Nate opened the door, and I peered cautiously in. Whoever decorated the interior cabin made a feeble attempt at farmhouse chic. I should know; I went to design school for some time when Porsche was younger, although I dropped out before graduating after Ricardo pressured me to quit. He never liked me doing anything outside of the home, so I devoured glossy home decorating magazines instead.

“Cabin sweet cabin, for now. I’ll go get your bags.” Nate ran back out to the truck and I finally stepped inside with Porsche to give it a once over.

“It’s like a tiny home. So cute. ” She said that word again. I’d have to have a talk with her about keeping her emotions in check about our little “adventure,” and especially about guys and men.

The cabin was more like a large studio apartment. It surprised me to find it had air conditioning and heat. A small but fully equipped kitchen and an eat-in dining table were on one side, with a gray couch splitting the entire room in the middle. A sign on the coffee table said the couch made into a bed, although opposite the kitchen on the other wall behind a screen was a queen-size bed. At least it had fluffy pillows with colorful handmade quilts layered on top that people in Vegas would have paid an arm for, plus there was an en suite.

All things considered, it was kind of homey. Nothing like the luxurious hotels and the Bottesta mansion we’d been spoiled with. It would have to do.

“I’m mildly impressed,” I mused, as Nate reappeared.

“Glad it meets with your approval, lady.” He winked at me with a smoldering smile. Damn. Was that a professional wink or something with more meaning behind it? Glancing around the one-room place, there was little room for lingering questions between us.

He locked the door behind him, then placed our bags on the couch. I eyed him as he toured the cabin, ensuring each window was locked. With a roll of my shoulders, my fingers kneaded some knots, trying to release tension that had been there for the past day.

“Now, listen, let’s put our guns, um… Here. For safekeeping, but easy access.” He pulled the drawer from the side table next to the couch. From somewhere behind him, he produced a gun, like he’d been wearing it in the back of his waistband the entire time. Knowing it now, I recognized Nate as the protector, our guard, doing what he could for us. I breathed a little easier, sad now that maybe I’d been a little too hard on him at first.

He warned, “Porsche, unless you know how to use these things, don’t touch.”

“Don’t worry. I hate guns.”

“Good girl. Although, if you want a quick primer on using one, just in case, you never know—I could show you tomorrow. They probably have a place here on the ranch where we could shoot.”

She shook her head vehemently. I opened my bag and produced my gun, making sure the safety was on. Not that it mattered. It didn’t have any bullets. In my haste, leaving my purse behind when Cap and I were ambushed, the bullets were in it. I added it to the drawer and closed it, happy to be unburdened with it. Besides, I only shot the thing one time at the range where I bought it at Cap’s urging; I could use lessons from Nate myself.

“Now what?” I asked, rubbing my eyes, going on over a day without sleep. The adrenaline of everything finally left my body and exhaustion crept in.

“Sleep. You two take the bed. I’ll take the couch.”

“But you’re married. Shouldn’t you two sleep in the bed and I’ll take the couch?” Porsche blinked so innocently, it was laughable.

“Um. We’re not married for real, honey,” I explained the obvious.

“What if someone peeks through the curtains? We need to keep up appearances, don’t we?”

I knew exactly what she was doing. Based on the conversation I overheard her having with Opal, clearly she was trying to force Nate and me together. I wouldn’t hear of it.

“Out there, sure. In here, we need to be professional. Okay? Now, come on. I’ll draw you a bath. A nice soak will be good for you to wind down and get to sleep faster.” I retrieved our bags and took her by the hand, leading her to the bathroom.

An hour later, Porsche was out, her little snores as she slept in the bed so— cute. I brushed the hair back from her face and kissed her cheek. Nate was still awake, sitting upright on the couch, watching TV, when I went to the kitchen for a sip of water. I sunk into the other end across from him and yawned.

“You should be in bed, too,” he whispered.

“I know. I’m tired, but wired, worried the second I close my eyes something bad will happen.”

“Don’t be. I’m here. I need you to believe that I’ll do everything in my power to protect you two. So go on, close your eyes. You need your rest.”

“What about you? You do as well.”

“I’ll be fine. Thriving on danger is what I do best.” His jaw tense, determined, he sounded very much like a soldier—the hard charging man who would protect us, like Cap promised.

“Hm. But doesn’t that get old after a…” I yawned again. “A while? All that danger? Don’t you ever just want to be free of it all and…” I closed my eyes and drifted off, without a clue what he said next. Then I felt myself lifted into the air by a pair of muscular arms, coherent enough to realize he’d carried me to the bed. He covered my daughter and me with a quilt, and I fell into a deep slumber.