Let Me Paint A Picture
Esme clung to Wyatt’s hand as they moved to the inn. Her shoulders slumped in relief when someone armed the security system behind them.
She moved with the group to the kitchen. Although guests were allowed, Esme hadn’t accessed the kitchen yet, and she was surprised at the size of the room. Every surface sparkled with cleanliness.
Mara, the inn’s baker, hugged Seth when he walked in. He kissed her hair and murmured something to her.
Esme pulled her eyes from the private moment even as she envied the kind of connection they shared. Could she eventually have that with someone? With Wyatt? Even after how he’d reacted this morning, her body and heart reacted positively to him.
He squeezed her hand and led her to the table, holding out a chair for her, then taking the one beside her and pulling it close.
She smiled at him. “Thanks.”
He nodded. “You sure you’re okay?”
She shrugged. “I’m fine, but I’m worried I’m at the root of whoever was here.”
He frowned at her, eyes full of concern. “Is someone trying to hurt you?”
To his credit, his eyes didn’t drift to her scar, although she was sure it was on his mind.
She shrugged. “Maybe. Probably not physically, though.”
That earned her another frown, and she wanted to smooth it out with her fingers.
The alarm beeped again, and the other people who lived on the farm entered the room, including those who lived at the back of the property. After checking in to ensure themselves everyone was safe, the new arrivals filled mugs, plated snacks, and took their seats around the table.
Knox and Thea. Jolie and Ford. Lawson and Dani. Nash and Olivia with their kids, Charlie and Ella Mae. Gray and Amber. Mara and Seth.
Her and Wyatt? With the caring and concern radiating from him, she could imagine them fitting in with the group as a couple. It was easy to see in her mind.
She knew she should be slowing her imagination down, especially after Wyatt’s reaction to her former career, but her heart wasn’t listening. He said he had a reason that wasn’t about her. Until she found out more, she’d trust her instincts and him.
Wyatt passed her a mug of hot apple-peach-cinnamon cider. She’d never had the flavor combination before, but it smelled delicious.
From down the table, Charlie looked at Wyatt. “We tried peach with this latest batch. Do you think you can grow us a couple of peach trees? Would you be able to make a new tree that combines peaches and apples into a new fruit?”
Wyatt’s chuckle warmed her up. “Yes to the first. I have no idea to the second, but it would be fun to try.”
Charlie nodded, “I’ll help.”
The group kept the conversation light until another series of beeps signaled another arrival, which she assumed was Phail’s police chief.
Wyatt leaned in and kept his voice for Esme’s ears only. “Marcus is a friend of ours from the military. He’s the best of the best. You’ll like him.”
She nodded, but that didn’t help the nerves.
While most of the law enforcement she’d dealt with after her attack had been professional, a few had been horrid.
Some had told her she wasn’t nearly as important as she thought she was.
The attack had obviously been random. Others had been snarky, implying anyone in a career that was obviously desperate for the spotlight should expect nuts to attack them.
Esme shivered in reaction to the thought, and Wyatt put his arm over the back of her chair. “It’ll be good. We’ll figure it out.”
After introductions, Marcus sat across from Esme and Amber with his own mug of cider.
Charlie stood from his seat. “Do you want me to take Ella and Oggie into the other room?”
Nash hugged his son. “That would be great, thanks. I’ll fill you in later.”
The preteen took his sister and their beagle into the front room, leaving the adults to discuss what had happened.
Marcus nodded. “Thanks for the call. Who wants to walk me through what happened?”
Amber sighed. “I’ll start.”
Esme knew Amber well enough to know she disliked being the center of attention, but her voice was strong. Gray slid his arm around her, and Boomer sat with his head in her lap, where she patted his fur.
“Boomer and I were walking in the garden when we came across Esme by the water lily pond. She offered to help me with social media for the inn, then Boomer growled and turned to put himself between us and the cedar bushes. I called Gray, and he alerted the others. Boomer continued to growl, making me think someone was hiding in the bushes. Once Gray sent a group text, he called me back and stayed on the phone. Boomer kept growling, but his direction changed. We spotted the leaves moving, and Esme took a recording of the movement, but we couldn’t see anyone. ”
Amber smiled at Gray. “Then you arrived. When Wyatt and Seth followed, Gray gave Boomer the hunt command. He and Wyatt followed Boomer, while Seth stayed with us. Ford and Knox arrived next. We didn’t see or hear anything else.”
Gray nodded and took over. “Wyatt and I followed Boomer through the garden, past the farmhouse, and to the road. Boomer wouldn’t have been far from catching him when we heard an engine start and race away.
By the time we reached the road, Boomer was staring north, but we didn’t see any vehicles, or even any exhaust.”
Marcus nodded. “Which means they were speeding. Maybe one of the neighbours was out near the road and spotted them. I’ll check into that later.”
Wyatt picked up the tale. “Boomer searched the area on the way back. He found a lens cap. We took photos of it in place, and then Gray picked it up with paper in case there were fingerprints.”
Esme sucked in a sharp breath at his words and her body tightened under his.
Marcus’s steady eyes turned to Esme. “That means something to you. Did you check your video yet? Does it show anything?”
She shook her head, cued up the video, then handed it to the man. He watched it with a nod. “Good job. I think there’s a glimpse of clothing through the trees. If you send me a copy, I’ll get a deputy to enhance it.”
She nodded and sent the video to the number he told her.
Then she took a deep breath for courage.
“I’m not sure, but I may have an idea who might have been in the bushes, especially if Boomer found a lens cap that might belong to him.
” Could she use any more qualifying words in one sentence? She sounded like a dingbat.
Wyatt’s arm tightened around her, and Marcus smiled softly. “Do you want to talk to me in private?”
She raised her head. “No. This is fine. If I’m right, everyone should know what kind of people to look for. That way, they won’t be out to hurt anyone else.”
Wyatt grunted, and everyone else leaned in.
Marcus frowned. “But they might be out to hurt you?”
She shrugged and squeezed her hands together to avoid brushing her scar. “Maybe. I was attacked before. A masked man attacked me with a knife when I was in LA. The police never found him.”
Marcus took out a notebook. “Any idea why he attacked?”
She picked up her mug to warm her hands and give her something to look at.
“Maybe. Most of the police believed it was a random attack, but he didn’t take my purse or try to assault me sexually.
He slashed at my face, took a few pictures, and ran off.
Some police theorized that the person took pictures to prove they’d hurt me or they wanted a picture to sell online. ”
Knowing the barrage of questions that statement would bring up, she continued.
“I was working as a model at the time. A skincare company was looking for someone to be the face of their new line, and I was among the people being considered. Paparazzi tend to follow models, looking for unflattering pictures, trying to find a shocking image that will earn them money from gossip sites. Even though I’ve been out of modeling for more than a year, there are still a few paparazzi who follow me.
I’m sorry if I’ve brought any of that here.
I can pack up my things and leave tomorrow.
They’ll leave you alone if I’m not here. ”
Wyatt moved his chair closer and ran his hand up and down her arm to share his warmth. The others burst into a flurry of comments that filled up her heart.
Not a chance.
We’ll help keep you safe.
You don’t need to leave.
We want you to stay.
You’re not leaving.
We’ve got your back.
You can’t let that asshole chase you away.
The absence of a single dissenting voice or opinion filled her eyes with tears of gratitude.
Beside her, Amber squeezed her hand. “We want you to stay. One day, we’ll all share our stories. Trust me when I say that these people are the best. Together, we’ve kept each other safe from mobsters, stalkers, embezzlers, and diamond thieves.”
“Seriously?”
Amber nodded. “It’s a lot for a small farm in Vermont, but we’ll talk about those later.”
Across the table, Jolie nodded. “We’ve all got stories, but the most important part is that we also have each other. All the guys are trained military men. All of us women are smart and capable.”
Knox laughed. “She’s right. We’re a great team, and we’d like to help you. Please stay.”
Blinking away the tears, Esme looked from face to face. They all echoed the same sentiment. Not one person looked angry or disgruntled. None of them wore a mask of politeness. They were sincere.
When she turned to Wyatt, she found his intense eyes studying her. “Stay.”
How could she do anything else?
Holy shit. Esme was famous enough to attract paparazzi. Famous enough to have someone attack her in an attempt to either make money or disfigure her.
That was insane. Absolutely unbelievable.
Who cared enough about money or was jealous enough to do that, or pay to have it done?
Esme trembled beneath his arm. Telling her story had been difficult, but she hadn’t flinched, hadn’t prevaricated. She’d told it straight to ensure others were safe.