Chapter Three

Chapter Three

June couldn’t get their guest off her mind. She was exhausted, but that was nothing new. After cleaning up dinner and making a list of what she needed to buy at the store tomorrow, she headed outside to one of her favorite places in the world.

It was cold, but that didn’t bother her. Being outside in the fresh air, alone with her thoughts, away from Elaine and Carla—who might yell at her to bring them something—was heaven.

She was sitting on the old swing that her dad had put up when she was around eight, slowly pushing herself, swaying gently in the moonlit evening.

Hearing a noise to her left, June turned her head and saw a figure walking around the back of the house. For a moment she tensed, thinking maybe Carla hadn’t been lying after all, and she really did have a stalker, but then she recognized the silhouette.

Cal.

She’d resented the man’s arrival because of all the extra work it made for her . . . until he’d actually arrived. Even before Carla admitted her plans earlier that evening in the kitchen, June had overheard her stepsister’s excited ramblings to her mother about how she was going to make a real-life prince fall head over heels in love with her, so she could be a princess.

She’d half hoped Carla did marry the man, because then she and her mom would likely move away to live in some castle or whatever, leaving June in her beloved family home.

But the second she’d laid eyes on Cal Redmon, June had a feeling the future she’d hoped for wouldn’t come to fruition. For one thing, he looked anything but overwhelmed with love or lust for Carla. For two, she couldn’t help but see the look of obvious doubt on his face when Carla’s stalker was mentioned.

She was relieved the man wasn’t as stupid as her stepfamily was hoping. But his disbelief meant that he’d probably leave soon, and June herself would finally have to make her move.

She thought she might actually have enough money squirreled away to leave DC. She’d never lived anywhere else and considered the city itself a big tie to her dad. And the thought of leaving the house to Elaine and Carla was still overwhelmingly repugnant.

But it was time.

She’d been nothing but unpaid labor since her father died. Talked down to. Looked down on. And she was done. It was time for her life to begin. Elaine and Carla could fend for themselves; her dad would understand. He’d probably be upset that she’d stuck around this long.

Bringing the swing to a slow stop, June watched as Cal slowly walked the entire perimeter of the house. He examined the windows, the back door, the side door, the trees . . . he left nothing unscrutinized. He disappeared around the other side of the house, toward the front, and June let out the breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding.

She wasn’t sure why the man made her uneasy. It wasn’t that she was scared of him. He just seemed . . . larger than life, despite what appeared to be a quiet demeanor. He’d seen and done so many things, she felt like a country bumpkin in comparison. She hadn’t been anywhere. Had lived all of her thirty-two years in this house, on this property. And she’d been a doormat for her stepmother and stepsister for almost half that. She was shy, not brave in the least, and she hated herself for not having the strength to break away from the unnatural hold they had on her.

To her surprise, Cal reappeared on the other side of the house, but instead of continuing to examine the structure, he seemed to be walking straight toward her.

June had thought she was hidden in the shadows. Even with the branches still bare of leaves, she’d thought there was no way he’d see her in the darkness among the thick grove of trees.

But her earlier assumption had been spot on . . . he didn’t miss much.

Cal strode right up to one of the large trees on the outer ring of the grove and leaned against it. He didn’t say anything, which unnerved her.

She wanted to say something witty, worldly, but absolutely nothing came to mind. She wasn’t good in social situations.

After a long moment, he broke the silence. “I’m Cal.”

“I know,” June replied.

His lips twitched. “You’re Juniper?”

“June,” she blurted. “Please call me June. Elaine and Carla call me Juniper, and I hate it.”

He blinked in surprise. “All right. June. How’d you know?”

She frowned and remained still on the swing, looking up at him. “Know what?”

“That I had a migraine.”

June relaxed. For a second, she thought he was talking about Carla’s imaginary stalker. “You were squinting, and every time there was a noise, you turned your head away from it.”

Cal nodded. “Thanks for the pills.”

“Did they help?” she asked softly.

“Surprisingly, yes. As did the tea. Thank you.”

For a moment, June was nonplussed. When was the last time someone had actually thanked her? She had no idea. Which was sad and just one more reason to get the hell out of DC. “You’re welcome.”

“It’s cold out,” Cal said.

June shrugged. “It’s not so bad. I like it out here.”

He stared at her for so long, June began to feel uncomfortable. As if he could somehow see right through her. See all her fears, frustrations, and sorrows.

“Shouldn’t you be on your way home?” he asked after a while.

It was June’s turn to blink in surprise. The strange feeling that she’d met this man before, that they somehow knew each other already, had been so strong, she was actually startled to realize he had no idea who she was. “I am home. I live here.”

“Oh,” he said with a small frown. “I’m kind of surprised the Greens would hire a live-in housekeeper.”

June suddenly realized he was fishing for information.

Maybe because it was dark. Maybe because she felt drawn to this man. Or maybe because she was finally ready to move on with her life. Whatever the reason, she was done tiptoeing around who she was to Carla and Elaine.

“Elaine married my father when I was fourteen,” she said quietly. “Carla’s my stepsister. This was my house—mine and my dad’s—before it was theirs. I’ve lived here my entire life. And they haven’t hired a live-in housekeeper. Hiring someone means paying them. I’m not only expected to clean the house, but to cook, do all the shopping, laundry, dog sitting, and simple repairs . . . and all for free.”

She was practically out of breath by the time she finished speaking, and she immediately regretted being so honest. She didn’t know this man. He could go inside and tell Elaine what she’d said, and then she and Carla would be even more insufferable than they were already. If she thought her life was tough now, it would be nothing after Elaine got through with her for sharing so much with the prince.

June wasn’t sure what Cal’s reaction to her outburst might be, but she didn’t expect him to push lazily off the tree, walk toward her, nod to the swing, and ask, “May I give you a push?”

Stunned, June could only nod.

Cal pulled back on the ropes at her shoulders, then gently pushed her. Closing her eyes, she could almost pretend she was ten years old again, and her dad was the one behind her . . . the last person who’d pushed her on this swing.

It really was too cold outside, but the feel of Cal’s hand on her back every time she swung his way was too unusual and comforting to give up in favor of being warm.

Several minutes went by in silence as he pushed her. The longer he went without commenting on what she’d said, the more concerned June felt. For once in her life, she’d been completely honest, but she didn’t want this man to think she was a complete idiot. Who would stick around and work like a dog for free?

Finally, she couldn’t take the quiet any longer. “When my dad died, I was devastated. For a while, Elaine treated me very kindly. I was fifteen, still in high school, and she came to my extracurricular activities and generally pretended to care about me. But when I graduated, she somehow convinced me to stay at the house and help out with Carla. That turned into cleaning, which turned into cooking, driving them around . . . basically doing everything.

“I wanted to go to college, but never got around to talking to anyone about my options. Elaine kept me too busy. And it felt good to be helping. My dad loved this house. I made him a promise to look after it, to never sell it. He left it to me, you see.”

She fell silent, feeling ridiculous all over again. Why was she telling so much to a complete stranger? She pressed her lips together.

“What happened?”

Bringing her feet to the ground to stop the swing, June twisted slightly so she could see his face. “How do you know something happened?” she asked.

Cal chuckled, but it wasn’t a humorous sound. “I just spent a few hours with your steps, and it’s obvious they’d lie, cheat, and steal to get whatever they want.”

June stared at him for a long moment, relieved beyond measure that he wasn’t falling for their over-the-top charm.

“I was stupid,” she finally admitted. “Elaine came to me with a bunch of papers and said they were from the lawyer. Something about my dad’s estate. I had just turned eighteen, and since I was legally an adult, I needed to sign them to get my inheritance. I signed the papers without reading them. I trusted her . . . and she got it all. The house, the life insurance money, everything. I inadvertently signed away everything Dad had worked so hard for.”

“That bitch,” Cal muttered under his breath.

June huffed a surprised laugh, then smiled. “Yeah.”

Cal studied her for a long moment. Long enough for June to get uncomfortable yet again. It didn’t help that he was standing, and she was still sitting on the swing. He towered over her. She should stand up, put them on more of an equal footing, but for some reason, she stayed where she was. Her head tilted back as she stared at him.

“You stayed,” he said in a tone June couldn’t read.

She shrugged. “I had nowhere else to go. I didn’t have any money, and I made a promise to my dad.”

“How old are you?” Cal asked.

For some reason, June felt herself blushing. “Thirty-two,” she admitted softly.

“Seventeen years,” he said, more to himself than her.

“Yeah,” she agreed. “Too damn long. But I’m leaving,” she added quickly, admitting it out loud for the first time ever. “I’m done. I’ve let them take too much from me, and even though I promised my dad, I can’t do it anymore.”

“Your loyalty astounds me. It’s impressive. I’ve only seen that kind of loyalty a few times in my life.”

June couldn’t read him. Wasn’t sure she wanted to. “It’s more like stupidity,” she mumbled.

To her surprise, Cal moved until he was in front of her and squatted down. They were eye to eye now, and she couldn’t take her gaze from his face. She could just make out his features in the moonlight. He didn’t touch her, but she swore she could feel the heat coming off his body and seeping into her skin.

“Where will you go?”

“I haven’t decided yet,” she admitted, curling her hands around the ropes to prevent herself from doing something stupid . . . like reaching out to this man.

“Hmm.” The sound came from deep inside his chest, and oddly, it made her blush again. “It’s getting late. You probably have to wake early,” he said after another moment.

June nodded. “Not as early as you think. Elaine and Carla aren’t morning people. But I do need to go to the store to get some things. Is there anything you’d like? A certain kind of tea? You grew up in the UK, right? I’m sure there’s something you prefer, and I can get whatever you want.”

“You know about me?”

June stared at him, her mind swirling, trying to decide what to say. In the end, she went with honesty. “Some. When Carla and Elaine started talking about you coming, I wanted to learn more about you.”

She caught his slight wince, and hurried on. “I only read your Wikipedia page,” she told him. “I just know the basics. I didn’t look at the pictures or videos from when you were captured. I know that you grew up in England, and you’re bilingual, English and German, and that it’s unlikely you’ll ever be king because of how many people are ahead of you. You live in Maine, and you own a business with your friends, who are also POWs.”

June forced herself to shut up. She’d word vomited way too much, and she was embarrassed. Biting her lip, she waited for him to stand up and storm off. She wouldn’t like people prying into her life, so why would he be any different?

But he surprised her by staying right where he was. His gaze was intense, and for the life of her, she couldn’t figure out what he was thinking.

“That’s a pretty good summary. What the article didn’t say was how much I love Maine. The remoteness, the physical labor of working with trees, of hiking the AT.” He reached out and grabbed one of the ropes just below her left hand. “I’m not going to marry your stepsister, June. Nor am I qualified to be here. I’m not a private detective, I’m not a cop. Yes, I can shoot a gun, but that’s about as far as my abilities go when it comes to being a bodyguard. I’m only here because my cousin Karl saw Carla’s tits and went a little crazy, begging my parents to ask me to come here to make sure she’s safe.”

She barked a surprised laugh at his words. “Karl and Carla,” June snorted.

Cal’s lips twitched. “Yeah. It’s ridiculous.”

“She does have nice boobs,” June mused, then shook her head. Jeez, she was being a dork. Like usual.

But Cal simply shrugged.

June stared at him for a beat. “So . . . you’re leaving?”

“Is she really being stalked? Or was that a ruse to get me here, so she could try to get her hooks into me and become a princess?”

June wasn’t sure what to say. There was always the possibility that Carla was being harassed; she was very pretty, and she was in the public eye, thanks to her modeling career and her own ambitions to become Kardashian-famous.

“They treat you like shite, and yet you’re still loyal,” Cal said with a small shake of his head. “One in a million. Wait until I tell Chappy. He’ll laugh his head off.”

June didn’t know who Chappy was, but she didn’t like the thought of this man thinking she was loyal to Carla, who was probably lying her ass off. “I’ve seen no evidence of a stalker, but that doesn’t mean one doesn’t exist. And from the little I do know, I’m leaning toward her wanting to be a princess.

“She’s planning on ‘accidentally’ coming into your room after you shower,” she continued. “She said she wanted to see your penis. She purposely had me put a small towel in your bathroom instead of a larger one. She also made me douse your sheets with her perfume, thinking it would make you think of her as you slept and . . . I don’t know . . . become subliminally attracted to her or something?” She grimaced. “There’s a linen closet in the hallway right next to your room. There are clean sheets and towels in there. Oh, and the lock to your room is broken, but the one in the bathroom still works.”

When Cal didn’t say anything, just continued to stare at her with that intense gaze of his, she added lamely, “The room you’re in used to be mine. But Elaine decided to turn it into a guest room.”

That got a reaction out of him. Cal frowned and let out a small growl.

June had always thought authors of the romance books she liked to read were ridiculous for having their heroes growl constantly. But she understood it now. Goose bumps broke out on her arms.

“Where do you sleep now?” he asked. “And if you tell me the attic, I’m not going to be happy.”

June frowned. “I’m in the basement,” she admitted softly.

Cal sighed and looked toward the sky as if trying to compose himself.

“It’s not so bad. Sometimes I sleep in the sitting room in the winter, when it’s really cold. And it’s nice and cool down there in the summer, so that’s a plus.”

“Right,” he said sarcastically.

They stared at each other for another heartbeat before Cal abruptly stood. He held out his hand. “Come on, it’s cold out here, and you have to be tired.”

June stared at his hand, then moved her gaze up to his face. “Be careful,” she whispered. “Carla can be ruthless when she wants something, and she has her mind set on being a princess. She’ll make my life hell just for talking to you.”

“I have no intention of letting her get her claws into me,” Cal said calmly. He wiggled his fingers. “Come on, June, let me escort you inside.”

No one in recent memory had worried about her well-being or cared if she was tired or cold. She slid her fingers into Cal’s large, warm hand. He helped her stand, then didn’t let go before turning and heading for the door that led into the kitchen at the side of the house. He led them into the warm room and closed and locked the door behind them.

Then he turned to her and reached for her other hand. June could do nothing but stand there and get lost in his gaze.

“How do you feel about winter?”

She frowned at the surprising question. “Um . . . I’m fine with it?”

His lips twitched. “I’m assuming you don’t hate the cold, since you were sitting on that swing out there.”

She shook her head. “No, I don’t hate the cold. There’s something so peaceful and beautiful about the world when snow blankets everything.”

Cal nodded.

When he was quiet for a moment, June couldn’t help but take the opportunity to study him. The overhead lights in the kitchen were off, but she always left the light on over the stove just in case Elaine or Carla wanted something in the middle of the night. So she could see him a lot better, now that they were inside. His dark hair was a little long, he had stubble on his face, and his lips were way too luscious looking to belong on a man, but it wasn’t a turnoff in the least.

His nose was crooked, and part of an ear was missing, just as Carla had said. June knew that was thanks to his time as a POW. His face itself was scar-free, but she could see several gnarly scars peeking over the neckline of his T-shirt. The sight of them made her heart hurt . . . as much as it made her angry. No one had the right to do that to another human being.

“I usually get up early. Will that be an issue?” he finally asked, bringing her out of her inner musings.

“Not at all. What would you like for breakfast?”

“Anything.”

June frowned and asked again, a little more forcefully. “What would you like for breakfast, Cal?”

To her surprise, he grinned. Whenever she slipped and used that tone with her stepmother, she paid for it.

“A fry-up?” he asked, his grin widening.

“Fried eggs, sausage, bacon, tomatoes, mushrooms, and toast? I’m not making blood sausage, sorry. That’s gross.”

He laughed. “Why am I not surprised that you know what a fry-up is?”

June returned his smile. “I read a lot. Is peppermint tea all right? I think that’s all we have until I go to the store. I can pick up some black tea or some other flavor if you want while I’m there.”

“Peppermint is perfect. I have a feeling I’m gonna need something to keep my headache at bay while I’m here.”

June nodded, very aware that he was still holding her hands in his.

“I’m thinking three days,” he said.

June frowned. “For what?”

“For me to get the evidence I need that your steps are full of shite.”

“Oh,” June said, trying really hard to keep the disappointment out of her tone.

“Did you have a timetable for when you planned to leave?” he asked.

Blinking in surprise, June could only shake her head.

“Newton’s a nice town. Small but peaceful. My mates are good chaps, and I’m sure there’s a flat to let somewhere. Chappy’s getting married soon, and his fiancée, Carlise, is a hoot. I don’t know her all that well yet, but she’d do anything for Chappy, and that’s what matters to me.”

“Um . . . that’s good?” June replied, thoroughly confused.

Cal gave her a small smile. “Think about it.”

“About what?”

“About coming with me. To Maine.”

June gaped, stunned speechless.

Then Cal shocked her further by leaning closer and kissing one cheek before brushing his lips over the other. He was still smiling when he pulled back and squeezed her hands. “It’s the English way of greeting someone,” he said. “Or saying ‘see you later.’ Sleep well, June.”

Then he turned and headed out of the kitchen, presumably to go up to his room.

June stood stock still in the middle of the kitchen and stared at the doorway where he’d disappeared.

She brought a hand up to her cheek and stood there for a long moment. Then she sighed, shook her head, and headed for the basement door. It would be cold downstairs, but if Carla was going to be prowling around, trying to catch their houseguest naked, June didn’t want to be caught sleeping in the sitting room.

After she’d brushed her teeth and changed into a pair of sweats, June lay on the lumpy mattress of the old pullout couch and stared into the darkness.

Go to Maine? She couldn’t, right? Sure, she’d made up her mind to leave, but she wasn’t ready yet.

Then again . . . why not? It had been seventeen years, and it wasn’t as if Elaine or Carla were going to change. In fact, if Cal left after just three days, odds were their behavior would get a whole lot worse.

Yes, she had some money, but was it enough to get transportation to wherever she was heading, and lodging, and food until she could find a job? Maybe. But if she traveled with Cal and didn’t have to pay for a plane or bus ticket, that would be money she could save. She hadn’t thought about going to Maine, but why shouldn’t she?

Cal had asked if she liked the winter, and she’d been honest. She did. The cold made her feel alive. Besides, being as curvy as she was made hot summers almost unbearable. Boob and thigh sweat wasn’t fun, and if she was cold, she could always put on more clothes. If she was hot, there was only so much she could take off.

Was she brave enough to go with Cal?

She wasn’t sure. And it would certainly piss off Elaine and Carla if she did.

As her mind went back and forth, she realized it was funny that she didn’t think of him as a prince now that she’d talked to him one on one. He was so much more than a few paragraphs on the internet conveyed. She liked him. Probably more than was smart.

She’d be stupid—well, stupider than she already felt for allowing herself to be treated like crap for seventeen years—to not take him up on his offer.

For the first time in ages, a sense of exhilaration welled up inside June.

She was actually going to do it. Get out. Leave. The memories of her father and their good times would be with her always. She didn’t need to live in their home to cherish them. It might’ve taken her too long to realize that she was worth more than being an unpaid servant for her stepfamily, but she was going to take the hand that she’d been offered.

Freedom was finally within her grasp—and June couldn’t be more excited. But she’d have to temper that feeling. Make sure Carla and Elaine didn’t have any idea that something was up. Because if they knew she was planning to leave—with their prince, at that—they’d do anything they could to prevent it. June had no doubt about that.

Elaine had proved how cunning and immoral she was by stealing June’s inheritance out from under her. She was a fool for ever trusting her. She hadn’t consulted a lawyer once she’d realized what happened because she had no money, and she had a feeling Elaine would twist everything to her advantage. June could only comfort herself by staying. She might not own the house, but she still lived there, just as her father had wished.

But enough was enough. June was leaving. Nothing would stop her. Nothing.