Found Read online

  “Good point. I’ll make sure to tell her as soon as you guys leave.” My parents were only in town for two days before they headed out.

  At that moment, my phone rang. It was Angie. That’s three. I glanced at my dad, “Let me take this. Just to make sure everything is okay.”

  Dad nodded as I pressed Accept. “Hey, Angie.”

  “Hey, sorry to bother you. I hope I’m not interrupting anything with Scarlette.”

  “No, she’s with my mom. They’re grabbing a bite to eat in Fredericksburg. What’s going on?”

  She sighed. “It’s just tough. I miss him. My parents and sister are tired of hearing about it. But you get it. I feel like you’re the only one I can talk to.”

  Well, shit. What am I supposed to say to that? I rolled my neck. “It’s tough. I get it. Have you thought about seeing anyone? It might help.”

  For a minute, all I heard was sniffles. “Yes, it’s just . . . I don’t know. Thanks for listening. I just needed a friendly voice.”

  “Take care of yourself, Angie.”

  “I will.”

  We hung up, and I took a deep breath. I turned to Dad, who shook his head.

  “Yeah, that’s a mess. Talk to Scarlette, and together, you’ll figure it out.”

  Having finished my beer, I grabbed another one. Dad must have sensed I was done talking about it and changed subjects. “What are your plans now? You plan to stay in Fredericksburg?”

  “Not sure. I want to see where this goes with Scarlette. Then I suppose if things go the way I want, we’ll figure it out together. I like this area. It’s family oriented.”

  Something changed in my dad’s expression, and I knew he liked hearing the word family. Dad slapped me on the back. “I’m proud of you, son.”

  Those were words every son wanted to hear from his father, and I was no exception.

  My phone vibrated with a message from Mom.

  Mom: Angie . . . what does she look like?

  This felt a little like déjà vu. Why is Mom bringing up Angie? I’d mentioned something to her the other day over the phone about the frequency of her calls, but I didn’t think it had been that big a deal. Mom had amazing intuition.

  Luckily, when I met people, I immediately profiled them and filed that information away in my head. It was a habit from being a sniper.

  Me: 5’6. 120 pounds. Short black hair. Pale complexion. Green eyes. Why?

  Mom: I think she’s here talking with Scarlette but she said her name was Felicia. She looks like the girl in the picture of Kevin you showed me.

  What the fuck? We talked less than twenty minutes ago. She had been in Fredericksburg the entire time.

  Me: Where?

  Mom: At the Rathskeller Restaurant on the main street.

  Me: On my way. Don’t let Scarlette out of your sight.

  Mom: On it.

  Mom had a sweet heart, but if you crossed the line with her family, she could be ruthless. I was already walking into the house as I read her last message.

  “Dad, we need to go. I’ll explain on the way. Hurry.”

  Without a question, Dad followed me, and I filled him in on the way to restaurant. What the hell is Angie doing here? The anger continued to build, but I needed to stay calm and level-headed. Pretend you’re in the field. Immediately, my pulse slowed and I regained some much-needed perspective.

  Stay calm. Get Scarlette out.

  I parked the car and rushed into the restaurant. Bypassing the maître d’ altogether, I rounded the corner into the dining room, scanning the tables. In the far right corner, motherfucking Angie stood, talking to my girl. She had her phone out like they were about to exchange numbers. My mom was animatedly talking.

  When Angie saw me, her eyes widened and she took a step back from Scarlette.

  “Angie, what are you doing here?” My voice was deceptively calm. Inside the anger boiled. This was a first. Normally when I was in the zone, nothing shook me.

  Angie gave me a nervous smile, and then something passed over her face. “Austin? What are you doing here?”

  Oh, that’s the game she wants to play? “I decided to meet my mom and girlfriend for lunch.”

  Her expression changed to one of fake realization. “Oh my gosh! Is this Scarlette? What a small world.”

  Small world, my fucking ass. Scarlett looked confused. Shit. I would explain it all later. I kept my voice terse. “Small world, indeed.”

  “I asked Scarlette about her shoes. We struck up a conversation and I found out she’s new to town. We were going to exchange numbers for coffee.” Each word was sweet—like honey dripping from a bear’s mouth. And they were all lies. One thing about my job, I had become an expert at reading body language, considering I watched people for hours as I waited for the kill shot.

  When I said nothing, she rambled on. “I’ve been thinking about moving to Fredericksburg.”

  Then we’ll be moving away.

  I continued my silence, and Scarlette tilted her head, looking at me curiously.

  Touching my shoulder as though she knew me intimately, Angie said, “Thanks for all the chats over the past week. Maybe lunch soon?”

  Bitch.

  “I know you’re having a hard time with the anniversary of Kevin’s death, but lunch wouldn’t be a good idea.” I threw some money on the table. “You guys ready?”

  Scarlette stood and grabbed her purse. “Yes.” With the mention of Kevin, I was sure the dots were connecting.

  “It was nice meeting you, Scarlette. Would you like to exchange numbers?” Angie put on what appeared to be a panicked look. Why does she want Scarlette’s number? Whatever the reason, it couldn’t be good.

  My girl simply smiled. “It was nice meeting you. Good luck on your house hunt.” Though Scarlette might have seemed meek, she was a force to be reckoned with when she put her mind to it. It was a silent strength.

  We were walking out of the restaurant, and I looked at my parents. “Dad, can you ride with Mom? I need to talk to Scarlette.”

  “Sure, son, we’ll meet you back at the house.”

  They got in their car while I opened the passenger side of the truck for Scarlette. Once inside, I looked up to see Angie watching us from the window. I stared at her, trying to figure out what was going on. Her mask slipped, and I saw the jealousy she’d been hiding. No more phone calls or texts with her. There was no way that was coincidental, especially after I’d just given her my address.

  Stupid. Stupid. Stupid.

  The truck roared to life, and I drove away from the restaurant, watching the rearview mirror in case she decided to follow. Scarlette remained silent. “So, I need to tell you something.”

  Scarlette watched me closely. “Was that Kevin’s fiancée?”

  “Yes. There’s nothing going on between us. She’s been calling and texting me a lot lately because she was having a rough time. I wanted to help since Kevin was my spotter. After the stunt today, no more.”

  Scarlette’s brow furrowed. “Does she want more than friendship?”

  “If you asked me yesterday—or hell, even an hour ago—I’d have said no. I have no idea what the hell that was about just now. She lives two to three hours away from here.”

  Scarlette reached over and squeezed my hand. “I trust you, Austin. I do. Did you feel uncomfortable talking to me about this? About Angie?”

  “No, it wasn’t that. It just never came up. Then I was consumed with being together when we finally were together. It wasn’t a big deal to me, so I forgot to mention it. She called me twenty minutes ago, saying she was having a rough time, and I mentioned you were out having lunch with Mom.”

  Scarlette gave audible gasp. “Do you think she stalked your mother and me there?”

  “Yes.”

  The worry came back to her face, and I squeezed her hand. I would do whatever it took to protect Scarlette. I was on edge after misreading Angie from the start. That was my job. How was I so wrong? I kept my face calm though inside, the turm
oil had set in. “I promise you’ll be fine. I’m going to look at making some modifications to our place, just to be safe.”

  “Are we in danger?”

  I hated seeing my girl distraught. “I’m going to call my ex-captain and talk to him about it. He’ll want to know since it involves Kevin. Together, we’ll get this sorted and get her the help she needs.”

  “Good. It’s definitely strange.”

  I would be digging in a little deeper into Angie’s past.

  ***

  We stood in the driveway, waving as my parents pulled away. It had been good to have them here for the last two days. Yesterday, because of the shit with Angie, we pulled the cars into the garage. Dad helped me add a door in the garage that connected to our apartments. Garrett and Emma were okay with it as long as I fixed it before I left. Now, with the door in the middle, neither of us had to go outside to get into each other’s apartment. I knew it was a little over the top, but my training had ingrained in me to prepare for the worst but hope for the best.

  Scarlette hugged me. “I enjoyed them being here. And your mom was fantastic. I forgot how much I missed having a mother figure in my life.”

  My heart fucking broke for her. “Mom is crazy about you, too. I heard her talking to Dad about planning another trip here in a month or so.”

  “I would like that.” She stood on her tiptoes and kissed my cheek. “I’m going to go clean up the breakfast dishes.”

  Mom had tried to help, but Scarlette had insisted on leaving it so we could visit more. I kissed the top of her head. “I’ll be right in. I just want to check a few things.”

  “Take your time,” Scarlette said before she walked inside.

  I stared at the door, hoping to hell Scarlette would be my wife someday. She was it for me. And if that came to be, I knew Mom and Dad would want to move closer to us.

  I walked around the yard, scoping everything out. There were no fresh tracks, no out-of-place broken branches. Skip, my ex-captain, wasn’t giving it much thought, but I knew that an unbalanced person could be pushed to extremism. From what I could find, Angie was a normal girl who’d had her heart broken. But “normal” people had been known to do bad things for less reasons.

  I was on edge. In the last two days, I could have sworn I saw Angie drive by our place at least three times. I added surveillance cameras in the middle of the night to help me monitor the situation. Angie was inexperienced and could easily be subdued. But if she had a gun and had any skill whatsoever using it, any control I thought I had became an illusion. So, it had to be balanced with safety.

  Skip was wrong on this one. I was sure of it.

  This morning, there had been cookies on our front doorstep. Her behavior was more erratic and unpredictable. I’d put together a “go” bag for myself and for Scarlette in case of a speedy departure. At this point, there wasn’t much the police could do since Angie hadn’t broken any laws. So I considered my options. My goal was to help Angie, not hurt her.

  The anniversary of Kevin’s death might have sent Angie over the edge. I couldn’t be sure. There was constantly an underlying concern for safety, but we pushed forward with as much normalcy as possible. I would not let this jeopardize us. Against my better judgment, I kept Scarlette informed of everything—that was the way she wanted it.

  We needed a change of scenery. I knew Scarlette could feel the tension radiating through me. I walked into the house and saw her reading a book. Even now, staring at her, my dick hardened. I would never tire of her. But we needed to change things up. “Would you be up for a little adventure today?” I asked.

  Scarlette turned my way with a teasing smile. “Will there be kissing? Maybe more?”

  “I think I can arrange that.” I stared into her blue eyes, drowning in their beauty. I knew I was in love with her, but I had no idea how to tell her. Shit. I had never told a woman I loved her.

  She set her book aside and beckoned me closer. When I was an inch away, she pressed her lips to mine, murmuring, “It’s a yes from me if I can have as many as I want.”

  “Let’s go. The faster we get there, the faster I can make good on my promise.” I picked her up and headed for the truck.

  The sound of her laughter never got old. If she wasn’t laughing half a dozen times a day, I wasn’t doing my job as her boyfriend.

  After loading up, we drove my truck to the Mathews’ ranch in Mason. Two days ago, I’d called Garrett and Emma and asked for any location that might be special to Scarlette. After talking with them, they’d let me know about quite a few important places.

  Earlier today, I texted Gunner to see if he was okay with me stopping by for a bit, and of course he was. He lived on the ranch near Emma and Garrett and ran the ranch. Scarlette hummed along with the radio as the truck bounced on the gravel road. The recent rain had made the road a little worse, so I had to drive slower than usual. I looked over at Scarlette, and she gave me a smile that lit up my life.

  I could die a happy man right now.

  When I put the truck in park, Scarlette peered around outside. “Where are we?”

  “The spot where your dad saw your mom for the first time.”

  The Mathews’ ranch was huge, and each time we’d visited, we’d come in a different way. Scarlette’s eyes teared up as she looked through the windshield. “This was the hill Daddy rode his horse up?”

  “Yes, the same one. I asked Garrett about it after you told me the story a couple of days ago.”

  Scarlette got out of the truck, using the stepladder I’d had installed, and ran over to the crest of the hill. I followed closely behind, hoping her reaction was a good sign. When I caught up with her, I stood behind her, rested my hands on her hips, and looked out over the land. It was mesmerizing out here. I wanted a place like this one day. Somewhere I could hang my hat. Maybe there was something in the water here that brought people together.

  A gentle breeze blew, and I thought of Scarlette’s parents. I will take care of her, Mr. and Mrs. Noelle. I swear it. I wasn’t sure why I felt compelled to think those thoughts.

  I squeezed her hips as I thought about wanting her parents’ blessing. And then I realized if there was any place to tell her, this would be it.

  Scarlette exhaled and turned in my arms. Tears glistened in her eyes. “Oh, Austin. Thank you. When I spread my parents’ ashes, there wasn’t time to visit here.” She kissed me hard, and I melted at her touch. “I love you.” Scarlette paled and covered her mouth as she took a step back. “I’m so sorry. That slipped. Oh my . . . I . . .”

  Wait. Did she just say it?

  Scarlette attempted to take another step back, but I held her firm, willing her to say it again. She ducked her head and averted her eyes.

  No. No. No. We are not missing our shot. Gently, I put my finger underneath her chin to raise her eyes to meet mine. “Sweetheart, did you mean it?”

  “I . . . uh . . .”

  I wanted it out there. There were so many times over the last couple of days I’d wanted to say it. Needed to say it. “Scarlette . . . did you mean what you said?”

  She bit her lip before staring into my eyes. “Yes, I meant it.”

  Fuck yes. I pulled her face to mine and kissed those luscious lips. Her kisses were an addiction. “I love you, too. You’re it for me.”

  “Oh, Austin.”

  Something inside me shifted as she said my name. I knew I would do anything in my power to keep her safe. The time apart had only intensified my feelings for her, made me cherish her more. From the moment I met her, my heart was hers. She was my future. In time, I would make her my wife.

  The neighing of a horse brought us up short.

  “Austin, I thought that was you.”

  Oh hell. Thousands of acres and he chose exactly this tree at exactly this moment. I tried to remain nonchalant though my heart was going ninety to nothing. “Hey, Jeff. You out mending fences?”

  Jeff slid of his horse, and Scarlette’s eyes widened when she saw his shirt.
It said I wonder if Tacos think about me, too. Funny bastard. He had his hands full with his spitfire wife, Ari. I bet he snuck out of the house without her seeing it. The other day, she slapped him on the back of the head when he’d worn a shirt about beavers—and not the furry, animal kind.

  “I’m Jeff.” He held out his hand to Scarlette.

  “Scarlette. Nice to meet you.”

  “So, what—” His phone rang. “Oh shit. I’m in trouble. I told Gunner I would be back thirty minutes ago to finish helping him out. Turns out I took a detour to the beer cooler.”

  We laughed, and I said, “Good luck. If you guys need help this week, let me know.”

  “Gunner’s going to have my balls. At least Ari didn’t see my shirt before I left. She’d be pissed.” He turned his horse around. “Thanks, Austin. Nice to meet you, Scarlette.”

  When he was out of earshot, I turned back to Scarlette and grazed my thumb against her lip. “What would you say to going back to my place?”

  “I would say you read my mind.”

  Chapter Ten

  Scarlette

  A WEEK LATER, AUSTIN HAD a few drawers in my dresser, and some of his toiletries had made it into my bathroom. And I had some in his, as well. We rotated places depending on if there was a football game on. My place was currently without a television. We were kind of living together but not openly admitting it. Things were going well. So well, actually, that I was afraid something was going to go wrong.

  Something always went wrong for me.

  But right now, life was good. I’d received a bonus at work for a job well done after turning around some impossible deadlines. It allowed me to pay Garrett and Emma more in rent, though they’d tried to refuse. But I wasn’t a moocher. They’d given me a break, and I wouldn’t take advantage of their kindness. It felt good to go to the grocery store for staples like eggs, milk, bread, and not worry about being able to pay for it.

  Austin wanted to buy my groceries, but I always refused, and after a while, he relented. I was already spoiled with dinners and romantic gestures. Yesterday, I’d gotten a pedicure. It was pure heaven. My toenails were a gorgeous light pink.