“All I got is beer.” He held up a long neck bottle that he pulled from the fridge.
“Beer works for me.” She smirked as his eyebrow shot up. “Jayden, I have been drinking since long before I was legal. My parents practically raised me on wine.” That wasn’t entirely true, but there wasn’t a night at the Guthrie house that wine wasn’t served. When she turned fifteen her parents had let her have a glass with her dinner.
She could sense that even though she was well over legal age, Jayden thought she wasn’t as mature as the girls he normally dated.
He finally handed her a beer. She took a drink, letting the icy beverage slide down her parched throat.
She might not be his type, but she certainly was far more mature than he was giving her credit for. And the only way for him to realize that was to see for himself.
#
Jayden sat across the kitchen island from Haley. He couldn’t stop himself from watching as she ate her first bite of meat.
“Mmmm. That’s really good.” She sighed. “I haven’t had steak in months.”
“I hear there are some good steak restaurants here in Fayetteville.”
“Really? I guess I haven’t had the opportunity to find out.”
Jayden frowned. College was supposed to be an experience of a lifetime and some asshole was taking those moments away from her, keeping her living in fear and isolation.
“How long have you been getting the notes?” Jayden took a long drink and studied her.
She brushed her blonde hair out of her eyes and set her fork down. “The first note came a few weeks after I transferred here.” She shrugged. “I didn’t think anything about it because it was so generic and innocent. I actually thought it was Dana’s boyfriend, Mark, leaving her notes. When I asked Dana about them she said that Mark hadn’t written them.”
“Mark Boulland is enrolled in the medical program, right?”
“Yeah. How’d you know that?” Haley gave him a surprised look.
“I had to research everyone who might be a potential suspect. Usually stalkers have a personal relationship with their victims.” He tried to keep his tone casual, so as not to scare her. She needed to know that he would do whatever it took to keep her safe. He wouldn’t fail her again.
Haley shook her head. “I don’t think it’s anyone I know. At least not any of my friends.”
Jayden shrugged. “You could be right.” But he wasn’t taking any chances. While she had been asleep, he’d called Barrett and told him he had moved Haley into the house to keep her safe. His commander wasn’t exactly pleased, but Jayden didn’t apologize for it. He had also updated his Pack Master about the note she’d gotten and shipped it to Barrett so he could check it for prints.
Haley gazed longingly out the kitchen window.
She looked so sad, like she was caught between her fear of what might happen and wanting to live her life.
“You want to go sit out back? It’s pretty private and the fence is secure. No one can see you or get in.”
“I’d love to.” Her eyes sparkled like he’d just given her a present. She’d lost the simple joy of enjoying a spring night.
It fueled his rage at the asshole that was stalking Haley. She didn’t deserve this.
When Jayden caught him, and he would catch him, he was going to make sure he paid with his life.
After dinner, they stepped out onto the wooden deck with their beers and were greeted with the heavy scent of jasmine and azaleas hanging in the air. They sat in the Adirondack lounge chairs, both silently appreciating the peacefulness. The sun dipped below the horizon leaving only the faint purple light of twilight in its wake. The gentle evening breeze caressed her blonde hair and Jayden caught her scent on the wind. He wanted to dig his fingers through the silky strands and bury his face in her neck and breathe her in.
“I’ve missed this. Being able to sit outside, especially now that it’s warm.” She stared up into the sky, a soft smile on her lips.
“There’s an outdoor concert Saturday at the park. It’s supposed to be perfect weather. We could take a cooler of beer and a blanket.” Jayden watched Haley’s face light up for the briefest of seconds before her expression sobered.
“I don’t think that’s a good idea.” She looked away and wrapped her arms around herself.
“I think it’s a perfect idea. I’ll be there. You’ll be safe.” He knew she needed this, needed to get out of the house and start living again.
Her brow creased as she contemplated his promise of safety. He could tell she was thinking too much about her safety.
“I’ll be right back.” Jayden stood and walked in the house. He came out with his phone and portable speaker. “How about some music?”
“Sure.” She smiled.
He connected the speaker to the phone and turned on his playlist. Easing into the chair, he pillowed his hands behind his head to stare up at the sky.
“Did you go to college?” She turned and looked at him.