Chapter 9 #2
The simplicity would make his job easier while maintaining the peaceful, unobtrusive atmosphere that had clearly drawn Willow to this location. Casper sent the preliminary report to Bert, letting him know he would send the final equipment request once he’d seen the property line.
He then walked to the window outside her office and leaned over to see the shoe prints.
He crouched, took several photos, then placed a ruler next to the clearest one and snapped more.
It was long and wide, probably a man’s shoe, but that didn’t rule out a woman wearing it to disguise the stalker's sex.
The silk roses appeared nondescript, with no identification.
Standing, he turned to look behind him at the tall grass that led to the side of her property.
It would be easy for someone to park down the road, duck low enough to stay hidden in the stalks and few trees, and approach the side of the house without too much difficulty.
Especially if they know she wasn’t at the house.
Feeling anger move through him, he headed to the front porch. He walked back through the front door, finding the house now warm and welcoming after the crisp outdoor air. Willow was still curled in the overstuffed chair with what looked like a notebook in her lap.
"I'm going to walk the property line now," he announced, mentally preparing for the longer trek across her acreage. "It'll probably take me about an hour to cover everything thoroughly."
She looked up from her notebook with a grin that transformed her entire face, making her look younger and more mischievous than any of the professional photos he'd studied. "You didn't see the ATV I have parked on the far side of the garage, did you?"
He paused, one eyebrow raising slightly, embarrassed he hadn’t searched the garage earlier. "No, I missed that."
"We can take it to check the property line if you'd like. It'll be much faster than walking, and you'll get a better sense of the terrain." She was already closing her notebook and setting it aside, her enthusiasm evident. "Unless you prefer to do it on foot for security reasons?"
"You don't have to come along," he said, though he hoped she'd insist. Something was infectious about her sudden excitement over what should have been a routine security assessment.
"I'd like to," she replied, standing and stretching in a way that made his throat tighten unexpectedly. He managed to keep his eyes on her face, but that sure as hell didn’t keep the rest of her body out of his line of vision.
"I don't get many opportunities to show off my property, and I'm probably the only person who knows where the actual boundary markers are."
Twenty minutes later, they were both bundled in heavy jackets, gloves, and knit caps against the late afternoon chill. Willow led him around to the far side of the garage, where a sturdy quad-wheeler sat waiting, its deep-tread tires and reinforced frame indicating it was built for serious terrain.
"It was here when I bought the house," she explained, running an affectionate hand over the handlebar. "It's not pretty, but it's reliable. I’d never ridden one, but my real estate agent’s son came over and showed me how to use it."
Casper swung his leg over the seat and familiarized himself with the controls while Willow stood nearby, fastening a helmet over her cap.
"Ready?" he asked, starting the engine and feeling the machine's solid power rumble to life beneath them.
She climbed on behind him. "Is it okay if I hold on? I don't want to fall off if you hit a rough patch."
"Yeah… it’s the only way to make sure you're safe," he replied, his voice coming out rougher than intended.
When her arms wrapped around his waist with her body pressing against his back for stability, his jaw tightened involuntarily.
The sensation of her warmth seeped through his jacket, the way she fit naturally against him, and the subtle scent of her shampoo wafted past. It all combined to scatter his thoughts in directions unrelated to security assessments.
This level of distraction was foreign to him.
He was used to maintaining laser focus during any operation, able to compartmentalize personal reactions in favor of mission objectives.
But having Willow's arms around him and feeling the trust implicit in the way she relaxed against his back was making it nearly impossible to think about anything except the woman holding on to him.
Drawing on the mental discipline that had served him through countless military operations, Casper forced his mind back to the task at hand.
He eased the ATV into motion, starting slow to get a feel for both the machine and the terrain, then gradually increasing speed as they headed toward the far corner of her property.
The Nebraska landscape rolled past them in waves of golden grass and scattered trees, the late-afternoon sun casting long shadows that would need to be factored into camera placement.
He made mental notes about sight lines, potential blind spots, and the best locations for motion sensors, all while acutely aware of Willow's commentary about property markers and neighboring land boundaries.
They covered the entire perimeter, stopping periodically so he could take photos and GPS coordinates for the security company's reference. Willow proved to be an excellent guide, and soon, they headed back toward the garage.
Willow's laughter rang out behind him. The sound went straight through him, warm and genuine and completely unguarded, and he smiled despite his best efforts to maintain professional detachment.
By the time they rolled back into the garage and he cut the engine, Casper had to admit that the afternoon had been far more enjoyable than any security assessment had a right to be.
As Willow climbed off the ATV behind him, her cheeks flushed from the cold air and her eyes bright with exhilaration, he realized he was in serious trouble.
This assignment was supposed to be about keeping her safe, not about discovering how much he enjoyed the sound of her laughter or the way she felt pressed to his back.