Chapter 8

Peach switched the clothes over to the dryer, trying not to study Haisley’s panties too closely. He didn’t want to think about how she would look in her pink lacy underwear and matching bra. Did she have a matching bra? A shiver snaked through him at the idea.

He blew out a breath and shook off the building lust. No question, Haisley was incredibly desirable, but she wasn’t for him. She was a guest in this house, and though his parents were gone, he wouldn’t treat her like she was there for him.

A hollow feeling opened in his chest. That had happened a few times lately, especially after a weekend spent with his buddies and their women. Being in a relationship wasn't for him. He didn't need someone special. Special was overrated. There couldn't be that much to being in a relationship. Sure, the guys all seemed happy, but how happy could they be?

After switching over the laundry, he put the ground beef in a bowl and started spicing it as he thought of how Wild’s life had changed. Before Ava and the girls, Wild had been a little wild. Now he was calmer, so much so that he got excited over stupid stuff.

Guilt twisted through Peach as he stared out the window at the backyard. It looked awful and maybe the stupid stuff Wild got excited over wasn’t really stupid.

If he wanted to grill outside, he needed to tackle the lawn. It was the last thing he wanted to do, and he hadn't thought out when to wash clothes, so he didn't have to use the washer multiple times on this trip. But the lawn needed to be mowed.

On the drive to the nearest gas station, his thoughts turned to Harry and Rory. They seemed really happy. Then there was Jax and Jessica. They were perfect for each other.

He'd made it back to the house, his thoughts turning to his parents and their relationship as he grabbed a pair of shorts and then pulled off his shirt so it didn't get dirty. It wasn't warm outside, but he'd only packed so much and didn't want this shirt to get filthy. He grabbed an old pair of his dad's socks and slipped on his dad's boots. They were a little small, but it wasn't too bad. He looked ridiculous in shorts and boots, but the last thing he needed was a snake bite.

The mower took a few pulls to start, but once going, it was solid. He started with the backyard, cutting down the tall weeds and grass, bagging it all because there was no way the mower could mulch this mess. Luckily, his dad had a few paper bags for yard waste, so he could at least dispose of the grass properly.

If Bear had been with him, he would have started mowing the second he arrived. Maybe not the second, but he would have jumped on it. Ingrid was perfect for Bear. They fit well. And Bear was a great father.

He didn’t know Mel as well as the other women, though she had let him feel the baby kick. That had changed him. He could see the wonder in Andy’s eyes. He honestly never thought Andy would get with another woman after what had happened to him. But then again, even he could see that Mel was special.

Mowing took a while, but he still had an hour to do the front yard. The loud rumble of the mower’s engine must have scared all the creepy crawlies away because he hadn't seen anything slithering around in the grass.

His mind wandered from past missions to his friends, and he was almost done with the front yard when a sheriff's truck stopped in the driveway. Peach respected law enforcement, but something about this guy made him wary.

Haisley intimated that she didn’t trust the sheriff. The tickle in the back of Peach’s mind told him not to trust this man.

Though he’d grown up here, he never looked back. There were two guys and one woman who had joined the Navy from his high school. Only the woman had stuck with it, and the people he’d stayed friends with from high school had all moved away, so his ties to this place were few and he didn’t know this guy at all. Maybe the dude had been around back when Peach had lived here, but he didn’t remember him.

Peach shut off the mower and wiped his hands on his shorts, seeing that they weren’t too dirty. “Can I help you?” Peach asked as the man stepped from his truck.

“Yeah, I’m Sheriff Eason. A neighbor called in. Was wondering why a stranger was mowing the lawn.”

“I’m not a stranger. I’m John and Ellen’s son.”

Eason’s eyebrows shot up as he gave Peach a once over. “Oh, I guess the neighbor thought they were gone.”

“They aren’t here.” Peach didn’t want to tell this guy they’d died. It wasn’t any of the man’s business. The authorities had notified him, and he would start closing accounts when he felt like it.

“You know, before your parents took off, they befriended a troubled young lady. She’s real trouble. I hope she’s not still around.”

“No trouble here, Sheriff Eason,” Peach said. It wasn’t a lie, not really. There wasn’t any trouble as far as he was concerned. He was perfectly fine with Haisley staying in the house as long as he was here. It was a total turnaround from how he'd felt the first time he'd seen her. Heck, he'd threatened to call the sheriff, but now, he just wanted Eason gone.

Peach had spent enough time in bad places to know what it felt like when bad people were around. He had a similar feeling now. There was something off about this town that seemed even more sinister than it had back when he’d been younger.

Haisley seemed solid. Or at least not out to get him. She was hiding something, but he could tell her intentions were on the more innocent side of things, whereas this man was lying to his face.

No question, Eason was up to no good. He reminded Peach of the people working both sides of the coin in war zones. As a SEAL, they had to be able to read the body language of their potential informants. People with terrible motives would come to them, saying they had something good on the enemy, but sometimes it was a trap. Knowing if the person had good motives kept people alive. And Peach would lay down good money that this man’s motives were some of the worst kinds.

Eason frowned and then spat on the ground. "She's a liar and a thief."

Peach wanted to tell the guy to fuck off. Instead, he put a concerned look on his face to fool the man. “Has she done something specific, you know, broken the law? I just want to protect my parents."

Eason’s stance shifted, and his eye contact grew almost uncomfortable. The man reached up and covered his mouth for a second right as he gave a slight shake of his head. If the body language wasn’t enough to convince Peach the man was a liar, the words were.

“Well, she’s not wanted by our department. But if you find her, you need to call me. She’s done some terrible things around here. She’s upset people. You know, people with delicate constitutions. She needs help. Should probably be locked up in an institution. Going around lying, saying things. It’s a sad state.”

As Eason spoke, ice slid down Peach’s spine, making all his nerves tingle. Haisley wasn’t dangerous, but this man was. No question, Eason wasn’t on the up and up. Peach feared what would happen if this man got hold of Haisley.

A weird thought slid through him. Haisley hadn’t told him what happened, but when he pushed, he could see the incredible stress on her face and in the way her shoulders curled in. The way that woman had acted at the store, along with everything else, painted a picture that wasn't good at all.

“Thank you for stopping by, Sheriff Eason,” Peach said. “I need to get this finished before the sun goes down.”

“All right.” Eason nodded in a way that made him think it was a threat and not a friendly gesture. “If you see her again, give me a call. I’ll leave my card in the mailbox.”

“Will do.” Peach had no intention of calling this man ever, but he waved like he wasn’t onto the guy and went back to mowing. He hoped Haisley didn’t mind staying inside until he could get the place cleaned out.

There were things his parents cared about, but they meant little to nothing to him. The only thing he really even thought about keeping were the dishes his grandmother had passed down to his mother. For some reason, he thought they'd been passed down from her mother, too. So they were older, something that had been in the family for decades. They weren't really that important, at least not as important as Haisley.

After he finished with the mower, he cleaned it off and stored it, thinking that it would never get used again, at least not by him. He emptied the rest of the gas from the can into the rental car and headed inside. Haisley glanced up, fear evident in her eyes as he came in.

He moved to grab a glass for water when he noticed she had a duffel bag at her feet. She didn’t notice him pausing at the sight of the packed bag. At least he didn't think she had.

“What did that asshole want?”

Haisley’s words were tinged with acid and spat out so harshly he nearly flinched. For a moment, he thought of playing it cool, but there was nothing chill about Haisley. Maybe with a threat hanging over her head, she would answer him truthfully.

He turned to face her and met her gaze, holding it to make sure she knew he wanted answers. Interrogations were part of being a SEAL. This wasn’t one where he could use intimidation. Haisley would respond better to offers of help and not threats of punishment.

“I don’t know what happened, but I don’t trust that man. I can’t get you the help you need if you aren’t honest with me. Based on what has happened so far today, I’m seeing a picture that isn’t pretty.”

Haisley’s lips thinned. “I don’t know what you mean.”

“I’m sure you do. I’m not that guy, and I’m not anyone else you know around here. I left because there were things about this area I didn’t like. You don’t know me, but in my job, I rescue people from bad situations.” He left out the part that he also ended people who did wrong. She didn’t need to know about that part.

Her eyelids narrowed just a little, and she sat forward about an inch. "What do you mean?"

“Do you know what I do for a job?”

She shook her head. “Ellen said she couldn’t tell me.”

“I’m a Navy SEAL.”

Haisley sucked in a quick breath. “Don’t you all kill people?”

“Only the worst of the worst.”

“That man, the sheriff, thinks I’m one of the worst.”

“Why?”

She closed her eyes, and he saw a tear leak down her cheek. He moved to her and sat, pulling her down to the chair next to him. Then he turned both of their chairs so they were facing each other. He needed to connect with her, and he'd found that getting close helped.

"Listen," Peach said, making sure his voice was low and soft. "I'm here to help. My mom saw something in you that she wanted to help. She left her church that she'd been going to for decades for you. There's something that happened, and I think it involves you being pregnant. That makes me think that those men did something terrible and don't want to take responsibility for their actions."

Haisley burst into tears. It wasn’t a delicate, pretty cry that could have been faked. This was messy, and he reached over, grabbing the towel off the counter so she could blow her nose and wipe her face.

“It’s a towel,” she choked out.

“We can wash it.”

Haisley wiped her tears and then blew her nose. She was still crying, but it wasn't the body-racking sobs. Her breath still hitched, and the pained expression on her face told him part of the story. He just needed her to fill in the details.

“Trust me. Tell me what happened with those men.”

Haisley shook her head and hiccuped in a sob. “I’m so embarrassed.”

“Don’t be.”

After another jagged breath, Haisley closed her eyes. He didn’t think she was going to talk, but after blowing out a breath, she started speaking. “I never should have trusted him.”

Peach didn’t ask who, though he really wanted to know. Haisley needed time to talk, to spill her secrets and let him in on what was so bad.

They sat there for a long moment, him pushing away the desire to get the information from her fast. His shower could wait, and so could food. Right now, his sole focus was on Haisley.

“I thought he was going to take responsibility for the car.” Haisley went quiet again for a moment. “Then it all went wrong.”

More tears came, and Peach squeezed her hand. Her head whipped up, and their gazes met. He wanted her to trust him, but trust took time.

“Tell me so I can help you.”

The pain in Haisley’s eyes made him so sad. She’d been through something traumatic, and it was obvious she didn’t want to tell him, but she needed help.

“My mom was helping you for a reason. Tell me that reason.”

After another ragged breath and more crying, she spoke again. "My ex, Will, did some awful stuff. One thing I know he did was put my car into neutral and push it down an incline. It was totaled. He called a few days after that incident, and I thought he was going to apologize and try to make it right. Instead, he drugged me." A shiver worked through Haisley, and disgust crossed her face. She looked like she was ready to bolt.

Peach said nothing, but inside, he was ready to cause pain. He had no idea who the deadbeat was who'd taken advantage of her, but he wanted to repay the man in kind. It took a long moment for Haisley to speak again.

“I remember flashes. I know the pastor was there, as well as the sheriff. When I woke up, I was on the edge of a swimming pool partially on the steps. Water lapping at my face is what woke me.”

Anger almost erupted. Leaving someone near a body of water who wasn't conscious was one of the most dangerous things someone could do. She could have rolled in and drowned. He gambled that was what they wanted.

Haisley leaned back, fear evident on her features. “You look angry.”

He sat back and blew out a breath. "I can't believe they did that to you. I mean, I can. I'm not doubting your story. I see that kind of behavior all over the world, but it pisses me off. I don't like that the pastor's wife saw you. Now Sheriff Eason shows up here. I don't like it one bit. I have a bad feeling."

“Bad feeling?”

An idea hit. "I don't know about you, but I don't really want to stay here tonight. I pulled the car around back so Eason didn't see it. He doesn't know what I'm driving, and since he didn't see the car here, he won't know if we're here or not. Let me shower and grab some papers, and then we can find a hotel."

Haisley stiffened. “I’m not sleeping with you.”

He held up both hands. “I would get us two rooms. I don’t ever sleep with anyone who doesn’t want to sleep with me. I just don’t think this place will be safe tonight.”

Her lips thinned, and she shrugged. "Okay, I'll go with you. But I can't afford to stay at expensive hotels.”

“I’ll pay. I get some discounts, so I'll book us something that is closer to Atlanta, but honestly, I don’t think you should come back here.”

Haisley didn’t look convinced. But there was something sinister in this town. He wanted to close up his parents’ house and get back to California and away from this place before something terrible happened.