“I know, Nate.” Isaiah nodded, glad now that Kelli was really gone.
Seeing his brother like this just sealed it. Even if it were true that Kelli wasn’t the reason Nathan was so upset, no way could Isaiah ever consider the possibility of anything more with her. It was the principle of it. He wouldn’t even date a good friend’s ex, let alone his own brother’s. And he certainly wouldn’t be letting Nathan in on his weekend with Kelli now. Now that she was really gone this time, there was absolutely no need to add salt to that wound or open old ones. Isaiah could only hope now that Kelli had been right. Nathan admitted he never chased after women, yet he had after Kelli when clearly he knew very little about her too, so it very well could be true. He was just stubborn and had gotten caught up in the chase—the challenge. He’d be over her soon enough.
Isaiah managed to talk Nathan down and into getting in bed. When he spoke to AJ again a few days later, they both agreed, as long as Kelli was really gone this time, it was better if they left well enough alone. Nathan didn’t ever need to know about Isaiah’s weekend with her.
Chapter 7: Incognito
A Year Later
Kelli
Despite her father’s assurance way back that the text messages she’d continued to receive after her weekend with Isaiah were all bluffs, Kelli refused to chance it. They’d never taken credit for Isaiah’s accident, but it just felt too coincidental, since she hadn’t received a text from them in days. Then the morning of his accident she got another photo text. While the photo didn’t include any texting, it was the same one they’d used that first time when they’d said it’d be a shame if something were to happen to his handsome face.
Kelli had gone cold when she heard the news reports about the fallen firefighters. Without even knowing the names of the victims, her gut had told her it was him. When it was finally confirmed that he’d been one of the ones injured, it had been beyond devastating. Then it was reported that there was a possibility of head or spinal injuries. Kelli had been inconsolable, and of course, he hadn’t returned any of her calls or texts.
By the time Nathan had shown up at her salon the following week, she at least knew the injuries were nowhere near as serious as they first thought. Only she still couldn’t shake the feelings of guilt that she’d dragged him into her mess. She had to know if she’d been to blame for his accident.
While she hadn’t been able to confirm at the ESPY’s that she wasn’t to blame for his accident, her going there had confirmed something else. Kelli felt for Isaiah what she’d been waiting to feel her whole life. The devastation of knowing there was nothing she could do about it was by far the biggest blow her heart had ever taken. Kelli couldn’t decide which felt worse, knowing there was zero chance of her and Isaiah reconnecting or feeling what she’d felt when she heard about his accident. But both these things were the deciding factors to why she was here now.
She needed to get away from La Jolla, far away from Isaiah, because she didn’t trust herself not to contact him. Though she was done trying to do so via Nathan, she knew her heart would continue to beg her to reach out to Isaiah in some way. As much as she wanted to give into her heart, she’d never forgive herself if doing so put him in danger. So her father had been beyond happy when she agreed to his urging to go away for a while.
At first, she’d stayed at different hotels, but after a few months of moving around, not having a permanent place, it got old. Her dad finally figured out how to get Kelli her own place without anyone being able to track her down. Going from the buzz of a busy city to the tranquility of a sleepy little town where everybody knew everyone, was going to take some getting used to, especially since Kelli was supposed to be lying low.
The little house her father had paid for in cash under her great aunt’s name just outside of town was adorable. Her closest neighbor was about two miles away, so privacy wasn’t an issue. Her father had asked her to just sit tight and only go into town when she needed to, such as buying groceries and the like, but Kelli refused to live like a hermit or a prisoner. This little town was so far out in the middle of nowhere she was certain she was safe.
After months of agonizing boredom, she hadn’t been able to help herself when she’d walked into the local dairy farm store one day and saw the “help wanted” sign on the window. She was willing to do just about anything to get herself out of that lonely little house and into town a few more times out of the week than the one time she rode in now for groceries. But she drew the line at milking cows, so she made sure to ask.
The older lady behind the counter, Mrs. Vanoy, had scrutinized Kelli over good and well before informing her they needed an extra hand to help around the storefront about twice a week. She also informed her it would only be temporary until her pregnant daughter-in-law was able to get back to work once she had her baby in a month or so. The job would only be for two maybe three months tops.
“That sounds perfect,” Kelli had said, taking the application and letting her know she’d be back with it once it was filled out.
That very afternoon Kelli returned to the store, fearing someone else might beat her to the job, and Mrs. Vanoy once again studied her up and down. Kelli was aware she likely didn’t look like someone who’d live in a small town, much less someone who’d want to work at a dinky little store. She made a mental note to tone down the hair and makeup next time she came into town. Her dad had warned her enough, every time she spoke with him, about making sure she blended in and not called attention to herself.
Luckily, she got the call a couple of days later, and she was now an official employee of Vanoy & Sons Dairy Farm. She ventured into town three times a week now, helped stock shelves, occasionally manned the register, and kept the place tidy. It wasn’t a glamorous life, but it sure as heck beat sitting on the porch of her little place, getting excited every time a car passed by. She even wore her hair in a braid whenever she went into town now and kept the makeup to nothing more than lip gloss and a little eyeliner so that she’d better fit in with the more demure townsfolk.
Everything was going just fine, and Kelli was settling in better than she ever imagined she would, until she got home one evening, turned on her prepaid phone, and got the call from her father.
“You got a job?” Her father’s voice boomed in her ear as soon as she answered.
She squeezed her eyes shut, wondering how he’d found out. “Dad, I used the fake ID and social security number you got me. No one will track me down here.”
“Do you know the lengths I’ve gone to, to make sure nobody finds you? Do you—?”
The loud and demanding knock on the door nearly made her drop her phone. Not once in the over six months she’d been living there had anyone besides the UPS guy knocked on her door. “There’s someone banging at my door,” she whispered frantically as she rushed to her bedroom to retrieve the gun she’d vowed never to use.
Whoever was at her door banged again with even more urgency, and she really did drop the phone this time. She doubted her father had heard anything she’d said because he was too busy still ranting about her job. Even as her phone fell on the bed speaker up, she could still hear him going on and on.
She reached for the box under her bed and pulled it out, even as she heard the front door forced open. “Oh my God!” she gasped as she opened the box and pulled the gun out, nearly dropping it with her shaky hands.
The door of her bedroom flung open and she pointed her gun.
Chapter 8: No Fucking Way!
Isaiah
It had been over a year since Isaiah’s accident, six months since he left the fire department, and just as long since he started training with his cousin Moe. He was just now getting ready for his first assignment.
“This is bullshit,” AJ said, shaking his head. “I can’t believe you’re doing this. I gave you the perfect job to keep you away from this kind of dangerous shit, and you’re seriously choosing this?”
“I’ll keep handling your stuff and do this,?
?? Isaiah explained as he finished zipping his bag. “I just can’t stand sitting around anymore. You know a desk job is not my thing. If I could stand it, I’d still be with the fire department. They said it might only take a few years of rehabilitating this damn knee for the docs to sign off on me getting back on unrestricted duty, and even that I couldn’t wait for.”
“So you put yourself through months of training for this instead?” AJ countered, just as disgusted as Isaiah expected him to be when he told him about this.
“He learned how to handle a gun and some self-defense,” Moe said with a smirk. “Relax, AJ. It’s not like he’s even gonna need it. It’s just all part of the state requirements to be licensed to do this kind of work. I’m telling you this is all babysitting work. But it’ll get him out of the house and away from that desk he hates so much for a little while.”
“Exactly what will he be doing—” AJ’s stopped mid-sentence, his eyes going wide, and Isaiah could’ve kicked himself for pulling his gun out so nonchalantly. “Why do you need a gun?” He turned back to Moe. “I thought you said he’ll just be babysitting rich brats.”
“He passed on that one,” Moe explained. “I had the perfect one for him in a small hick town, babysitting the daughter of a client of mine. He just wanted someone to keep an eye out for his reluctant daughter, who doesn’t even think she needs a bodyguard. The job was safe, but this one thought it was too boring.”
Isaiah closed his eyes as he continued to pack, knowing his younger brother was about to go ape shit on him. “You’re looking for something more dangerous?”
“Not more dangerous. I just have no desire to go from a desk job to hanging around some small cow town in the middle of nowhere.”
Moe walked away when he got a call he said he had to take, and Isaiah explained the job he had agreed to. “I’ll be driving this guy around, escorting his paranoid ass in and out of events and such around Los Angeles because he thinks someone’s out to get him. Moe says these guys are almost always way off with their paranoid fears. But c’mon, if you had a choice between Los Angeles and some cow town out in butt fuck nowhere New Mexico, which would you choose?”
AJ shook his head just as Moe walked back into the room. “Change of plans,” he said with a frown. “We’re too late for our guy in Los Angeles.”
“Too late?” Isaiah asked, confused. “I’m not even due out there until tomorrow.”
“I mean he’s gone. They found him dead this morning.”
“You see!” AJ pointed at Isaiah then at Moe. “Not dangerous, my ass. Can you imagine if you’d been there with him? You’re not going anywhere.”
Isaiah rolled his eyes at his brother but at the same time felt the exasperation of having to spend yet another day sitting in front of a computer. He’d been so ready for the change. Moe explained more about how it turned out the guy in Los Angeles was killed by his own wife.
“I guess the asshole was having an affair. So it seems what he claimed was probably just paranoia wasn’t so much. The woman he was cheating with was also married.” He shrugged. “You’re gonna play; you’re gonna pay. The guy was probably worried about what his mistress’s husband would do to him if they got caught. Little did he know it’d be his wife who popped a cap in his ass.”
Moe chuckled as he continued scrolling through his phone, shaking his head. AJ was still glaring at Isaiah.
“Oh,” Moe said suddenly. “Looks like our cow town girl is a feisty one. She fired the guy I assigned to watch her. Her dad’s asking for a replacement ASAP.”
Isaiah groaned, sitting down on his bed. “Take it,” AJ urged. “If it were up to me, I’d say don’t do any of this shit, but if you’re gonna insist and I know you are,” he added with an annoyed frown, “take the safer assignment, man, at least your first time out.”
“Yeah, you may not even be there long if she fires your ass too.” Moe laughed again. “But if you want it, I can get you on a plane there today. It shouldn’t be too bad. Iggy said she was hotter than shit too. Maybe that’s why she fired his ass.”
“You see.” AJ turned to Isaiah, his expression softening a bit. “You might even get laid.”
“Who’s getting laid?” Nathan asked as he strolled into Isaiah’s front room.
“No one’s getting laid,” Moe said to Nathan then turned back to Isaiah, “at least not by Cow Girl anyway. Kind of a conflict of interest. But if it happens,” he added with a wink, “don’t ask don’t tell has always been my policy.” Then he pointed at him with his phone. “Seriously though, this guy wants someone on her ASAP. You want it or not? Otherwise, I have to get someone else on it. There’s contracts and shit I need to redo.”
AJ explained to Nathan about Isaiah’s L.A. job being cancelled as Moe gave Isaiah the rest of the info on this new assignment. This would be a lot different from Los Angeles. He’d be flying out to a small town in New Mexico. “It’s one of them little towns where everyone’s up in everyone else’s shit,” Moe explained. “This girl doesn’t want anyone knowing she needs a bodyguard, so you’ll have to pretend you’re family or a friend or something. She’ll let you know what she wants you to say in case anyone asks when you get there. You won’t be staying in a hotel room either. I mean there are a couple in town, but it’d get too many tongues wagging since she has a three-bedroom place all to herself.”
Moe scrolled through his phone again and tapped a few things then started reading some stuff off to all three brothers, whose attention he now had.
“Raquel Stimpson recently widowed and lives alone.” Moe stopped reading and glimpsed up at them. “Ha! She works at the local dairy farm.”
“Why’s her dad so adamant someone be assigned to watch her?” AJ asked, as suspicious as ever.
“All I’m at liberty to say—”
“Bullshit!’ AJ was quick to protest. “What do you mean all you’re at liberty to say? If Sai’s gonna be watching her ass, he should know everything.”
“Hey, her dad worries,” Moe said with a shrug. “Guess she had a bit of a breakdown after her husband passed away last year and moved out to the middle of nowhere to”—Moe lifted his fingers making air quotes—“find herself. He said it’s just peace of mind for him to know she’s okay.”
“So how long is this assignment?” Nathan asked then turned to Isaiah. “How long you gonna be gone?”
They all turned to Moe, since any of their guesses was as good as Isaiah’s. “Few weeks. Month and a half tops,” Moe said. “Her dad just wants to be sure she’s gonna be okay out there on her own. Since she’s protesting the whole bodyguard thing, he’s not expecting her to go along with it for too long. But like I said Iggy wasn’t even there three days before she sent his ass packing. So it could be a lot shorter.”
Having no choice and not really looking forward to unpacking all his crap, Isaiah agreed. By that afternoon, he was on a plane to Santa Fe, New Mexico, the closest commercial airport to Deep Valley Acres. He still had an hour and a half drive to anticipate going through nothing but flatlands until he started up a canyon.
He passed a few tiny towns he sincerely hoped were smaller than Deep Valley Acres. “How the fuck do people live out here?” he muttered as he drove through the town that appeared more like a ghost town and took him all of ten minutes to cover the whole thing.
Why the hell had he been so stubborn? He thought of the huge home he’d left back in Point Bliss. He could be there now, ordering Chinese and throwing back a few cold ones with one or both of his brothers. Instead, he was on his way to what would likely be an awkward introduction with Cow Girl, someone he already knew resented Daddy’s bodyguards.
Something suddenly dawned on him. Did this chick even know he was coming? She up and fired the last guy. What if Daddy didn’t even tell her he was sending someone new?
“Great,” he muttered, shaking his head. “This just may turn out to be one colossal waste of time.”
With the sun starting to fade behind the mountains, the lights up a
head looked a little promising. The town wasn’t nearly as small as some of the others he’d passed. According to the map on his phone, she lived just outside of town on the other side. So he’d get a chance to take in the little dairy town as he drove through it.
It was actually a lot bigger than the little speck of towns he’d driven through, and that was a relief. It had a quaint little main street with a bunch of little shops, banks, and small restaurants. A big church in the center of town was having some kind of little fair or farmers’ market.
This hardly seemed like a place anyone would need to be worried about his daughter’s safety. It was one of those towns Isaiah had only seen on TV and in movies. He almost expected to see Opie crossing the street with his fishing pole.
By the time he reached the driveway of the little picturesque house just outside of town with the wraparound porch, he’d snapped out of his annoyed mood. He was even still whistling the theme song to The Andy Griffith Show as he walked up the stairs of the porch. He stopped whistling once he knocked.
No one answered, but he’d seen a car parked all the way up the driveway, and he was told she lived alone, so he knocked again—this time a little harder.
The knob finally rattled, and Isaiah held his breath, not sure what to expect. The door opened slowly at first then swung open all the way. Even though the screen door still between them shrouded his view, he could still see her fairly clearly, and he thought he recognized her. The moment their eyes locked there was no denying who he was staring at, and they both froze.
No fucking way.
Chapter 9: The Two-Day Sacrifice
Kelli
This was the third time in just a little over a week that Kelli had company. First, her father’s hired goon broke down her door. Then he sent another bodyguard to replace him. Now this. When Kelli peeked through the peep hole, she was certain she must’ve been seeing things. No way was the gorgeous guy at her door really who she thought he might be. But after opening the door, she nearly swallowed her gum.