Chapter 17

 

Chase managed to get Willy down from the tree with his first attempt. He was ready to call Guinness Book of World Records on that one. The cat didn’t even manage to draw blood this time. A win-win all around.

“Why did you leave the door open?” Chase asked, handing Willy back to Rebecca and following her inside. “You know you can’t give Willy any reason to escape.”

“There was this photographer looking in the window, and I wasn’t thinking.”

Chase’s fists clenched, and a protective anger rose inside him. “What do you mean he was looking in the window?”

Rebecca shoulders rose and fell. “I think he was at least. I don’t know. I just turned and saw him. I got scared but then I got annoyed, so I went to confront him. Before I could Willy ran out the door and then the guy disappeared.”

“You went out to confront him? Are you out of your mind?”

“Excuse me?” she said, hand planting firmly on her hip. “Don’t yell at me.”

“I’m not yelling but you have no idea who that guy was. What if he was dangerous?”

“He was holding a camera, Chase, not a gun.”

“It doesn’t matter. He was trespassing. Who knows what else he would have done.” His voice rose with each word.

“He’s gone. It’s not a big deal.”

“Not a big deal?” He couldn’t believe what she was saying. Maybe she was used to peeping Tom’s, but she wasn’t in L.A. anymore. She was in Red Maple Falls, and that was not something that was tolerated. People respected others here, and they sure as hell didn’t go glimpsing in windows.

Chase fished his phone out of his pocket and jabbed his fingers against the screen. With the force he was tapping numbers he was surprised he didn’t crack the glass.

“Who are you calling?” she asked, but he was too angry to get words out until Matt picked up on the other end. Chase had known Matt for a long time and they had been on many calls together. Chase trusted him.

Rebecca might have wanted to forget about it, but there was no way Chase was letting it go so easily. What if she was in here changing her clothes? What if the guy saw her naked? The thought made the already growing tension in his neck tighten even more.

“What’s going on?” Matt asked.

Chase took a deep breath, pushing his anger aside and explained the situation to Matt.

“Unbelievable. I’ll be right over to file a report, and we’ll discuss it further when I get there.”

Chase hung up the phone and began to pace. The anger wouldn’t subside and sitting wasn’t going to make him feel any better. At least if he was moving he felt like he wasn’t just sitting around.

“Who was that?” Rebecca asked again, but he was too busy trying to control his anger. “Hey!” she demanded, grabbing his arm and spinning him toward her. Her green eyes flared with rage. “I have enough people in my life keeping me on the outside. I don’t need you doing it, too.”

His anger gave way to hers as he stared into the emerald depths of her eyes. “I’m sorry,” he said. “I’m just… I don’t like the fact that some creep was spying on you. I called my friend. He’ll be here soon.”

“What’s he going to do?”

“He’s the sheriff so he’s going to take a police report.”

“A police report isn’t going to stop them. Nothing does.”

“Maybe in L.A. Not here because this also happens to be the sheriff’s parents’ property so believe me when I tell you he is not happy about some random guy lurking around.”

“But if you file a police report, it’s public record. People will be able to find me if it gets out.”

“I’ll talk to Matt. Maybe we can put my name on the report and keep you anonymous.”

“Not that it matters. People have already found me here. It’s only a matter of time before the whole circus shows up.”

Chase didn’t want that at all. The minute Red Maple Falls was no longer Rebecca’s private oasis, she would head back home, leaving him behind.

The obvious frustration in her eyes made him wish he could find a way to give her the privacy she deserved.

He took her face in his hands and kissed her forehead. “We’ll figure it out. I promise.”

“Maybe Jill was right. Maybe I should never have come here.”

He pulled back, like he was kicked in the gut. “Don’t say that,” he said, his voice practically a plea. “Don’t. Because if you never came here I never would have met you, and that’s not something I want to think about.”

“I’m bringing so much drama into your life. You can’t tell me this doesn’t bother you. I can see the tension in your shoulders.” She reached up, running a finger near the crease of his eyes. “And here.”

“I can’t say that I’m thrilled about you having strange men lurking outside your window with cameras or my face being plastered across the tabloids. But when I look at you, hold you in my arms…” He wrapped his arms around her waist. “None of that matters. All I care about is you.”

“They’re relentless. They won’t stop.”

“Then bring it. I promise you that they can’t do anything to me that would make me not want to be with you.”

“You promise? You have no idea how much I want to believe you, but you seriously don’t know what you’re up against.”

“Believe me, Rebecca.” He leaned down to kiss her when there was a knock at the door. “Hold that thought,” he said. He walked over to the door and turned back to Rebecca. “Grab Willy. I don’t want have to climb any more trees tonight.”

With a laugh she scooped up the white fluff ball and held him close to her, kissing the top of his head. Chase opened the door and Matt stood on the porch, dominating the small space in his tan sheriff uniform that only reinforced his air of authority.

“Thanks for coming,” Chase said. “Come in.”

Chase realized once Matt came in the house there wasn’t much room for any of them to move.

“I don’t know how the hell my brother lived here,” Matt said. I had tents growing up that were bigger than this.”

“Why don’t we take this discussion outside so we all have room to breathe?” Rebecca said.

“Good idea.” Matt turned back to the door and headed to his police car. He leaned against the hood, crossing his arms over his chest.

“Chase gave me a briefing, but why don’t you tell me what happened?” Matt said to Rebecca.

She started from the beginning, and Chase listened since she was giving Matt more detail. He hated the fear that flashed in her eyes when she told them when she first noticed the bastard staring in her window. His blood boiled, knowing she was here alone, vulnerable to some asshole with no boundaries.

What if he hadn’t run off? What if he’d stayed there, taking pictures of her? She would have had nowhere to go to get away from the creep. The house wasn’t even big enough for her to hide. Maybe if she climbed up to the loft, but he wouldn’t put it past the guy to climb one of the nearby trees.

Chase draped his arm over her shoulder and pulled her against him, needing her to know that while he hadn’t been here for her before, he was here for her now.

Matt filled out the necessary paperwork, and Rebecca asked him questions, making it obvious this wasn’t her first rodeo. To think that this was part of her life—people blatantly violating her privacy in hopes of getting a picture of her to sell to a tabloid.

From what Rebecca was saying there were laws against it. It was illegal to take pictures of someone in their home, obviously, but this guy didn’t take a picture of her. He was probably trying to make sure it was her inside so he could stake out in the woods and wait for her to emerge. Unfortunately, he got caught before he could put his plan into action.

But because Rebecca chased after him, he now knew for sure it was her staying at the house. Would the guy be ballsy enough to come back? The thought didn’t sit well with Chase.

He began to pace, trying to push down the rising frustration and anger.

“I don’t know if Chase told you, but this is private property. My family’s property. If you suspect anyone being here without permission, you call me immediately. If for any reason you feel threatened or unsafe”—Matt pointed across the way to a large house on a hill—“that’s my parents’ house. You go straight there. Someone is always home so don’t feel like you’re alone out here.”

“She’s not,” Chase said, stepping forward his chest puffed out maybe a little too far.

Matt held his hands up, and Chase immediately felt like a jerk. “I mean when you’re at work or back at your place. Look I get it,” Matt said, meeting his gaze. “When we thought Shay’s place was getting broken into I lost my damn mind. It sucks feeling helpless.”

Chase couldn’t agree with him more. He couldn’t make the damn paparazzi go away, make those stupid tabloids stop printing lies about her, and he wasn’t here for her when a man was looking through her window, spying on her.

“We’ll keep her safe,” Matt said, and Chase shook his hand.

“Thank you.”

“Here’s the police report, and my number is on there if you need me.” Matt handed a piece of paper to Rebecca. “I put Chase’s name on the report so if anyone goes fishing through records they won’t be able to find you.”

“Thank you,” Rebecca said. “That means so much.”

“No problem. Now you two try to enjoy the rest of your day.” Matt got into his car and drove toward his parents’ house. They watched as he got out of his car and went up the front porch steps.

Chase turned to Rebecca and cupped her cheek, angling her to look at him. “How are you doing?”

“Fine. I just…” Her words faltered as she shook her head, her nose crinkling and her eyes glistening. There was pain etched in the corners of her eyes and seeing it there made his heart hurt.

“What is it?”

“I feel violated, and I hate that.”

He wanted to track that guy down and drive his fist into his face. Make him pay for that sullied look in her eyes. He pulled her close, engulfing her in his arms. The only thing he knew to do was to provide her comfort, make her feel safe.

“I want you to stay at my place tonight.” He wasn’t asking.

She pushed away from him, meeting his gaze. “I couldn’t.”

“You can and you will. This is nonnegotiable.”

“I can’t hide forever, Chase.”

“No, but for tonight you can sleep knowing there will be no one lurking outside your window.”

“What about Willy?” She looked at him with big green eyes, her lips parted slightly. “I can’t leave him here alone.”

“He can come, too.”

‘Really?”

“Really.” As much as he hated to admit it, the cat was starting to grow on him, and he couldn’t say no to Rebecca staring up at him with hope in her eyes. He was wrapped around her dainty finger, and whatever she wanted he would give her, especially if it meant he knew she was safe.

“Okay then.”

Chase let his hand fall from her face and wrapped a protective arm around her shoulder, pulling her toward the door. The faster they got away from this place, the faster she would be in his bed away from the outside world, and the better he would feel.

He had this overwhelming need to keep her safe, and he felt like he’d already failed her. He wouldn’t make that mistake again. The only way he could protect her, keep her away from the prying eyes and media frenzy, was to keep her close to him. He would never let something like this happen again.

Never.