Chapter 2
Eve’s body trembled, and she held tight to Reid. His strong arms wrapped around her, securing her. Saving her. Protecting her.
“You’re all right. I’ve got you.” Reid spoke softly, as if raising his voice above a whisper would be too frightening.
But nothing could be more frightening than being attacked. She didn’t even want to imagine what would have happened if Reid hadn’t appeared. How far things would have gone.
Wanting to escape from the ugliness clawing at her psyche, she buried her head in the crook of Reid’s neck and closed her eyes.
The scent of his cologne—a mixture of pine and leather—surrounded her, comforted her.
She should tell him to go after her attacker, but she couldn’t stand the thought of being left alone.
She gave herself a few more seconds to fall apart before pulling herself back together. “We need to call the police.”
Reid grabbed his phone and scooted out a chair from the nearby table. “Take a seat. I’ll make the call. Do you want any water or anything?”
“Maybe a shot of whiskey,” she said on a short, humorless laugh.
Reid’s eyebrow shot up. “Seriously? I can get that.”
“I’m joking.” She held up a palm to stop him. “Just sit with me.”
Nodding, he took a seat beside her and pressed his phone to his ear. “Hi, Mary. This is Reid Sommers. I need an officer at Tilly’s Bar and Grill right away. Eve was attacked.”
The matter-of-fact statement made her brain buzz and replay the horrible scene all over again.
Disconnecting, Reid placed his phone on the table and shifted to face her. He widened his legs to sandwich hers and gathered her hands in his own. “Are you okay? Did he hurt you? Touch you?”
His concern warmed the cold pit in her stomach.
He’d been a good friend over the last year, one who crossed her mind more often than he should.
Their flirty banter and easy conversations fulfilled her in ways nothing else could.
She hated showing him her vulnerabilities, but the bearded cowboy who’d tried to force himself on her had stolen her choice to keep up her guard.
At least for the night.
“My head hurts from where he pulled my hair, but other than that, I’m fine.
Just shaken. I can’t believe something like that happened.
I can’t believe—” Tears closed off her windpipe, stealing the rest of her thoughts.
She shook her head as if the motion could wipe away the stain that now marred her second home.
A place filled with memories of laughter and friends and family.
“Hey, now. You’re safe. I promise.”
As if to punctuate that point, the door swung open, and two sheriff’s deputies entered the restaurant. They wore matching frowns and uniforms, but everything else about them was opposite of one another.
Deputy Hill, a twentysomething man with deep dimples and dark hair, dipped his chin. “Evening. Deputy Silver and I heard you folks have had some trouble.”
Eve wanted to laugh at the word trouble but held it in. “You could say that. A man was in the bar and waited until we were alone to attack me. Reid showed up and scared him off.”
“No, I showed up and put him on edge enough for Eve to get herself away from the asshole.” Reid shoved his hand through his shaggy brown hair, his ever-present tan cowboy hat forgotten on the table. “He tossed her to the ground then took off.”
Deputy Silver pulled out the chair across from Eve and sat. Kindness filled her big brown eyes, and her blond hair was pulled back in a long ponytail. “I’m sorry this happened. Can you describe the man who attacked you?”
“He was a little older than me, I think. Long, brown beard that covered a big portion of his face. He wore a dirty cowboy hat low over his eyes, sat hunched over his plate the whole time he ate.” Describing him brought back his scent, the hard edge in his eyes, and she swallowed past the lump in her throat to steady herself.
“He smelled like cigarettes. His eyes were green.”
The deputy wrote in a tiny notebook then refocused on Eve. “Did you recognize him?”
Holding back tears, she shook her head.
“I didn’t, either,” Reid said. “I’m not from around here, but I’ve lived in Cloud Valley long enough to recognize most people who venture into town. This guy didn’t ring a bell.” He pressed his mouth into a firm line as fury rolled off him in large, hot waves.
“Deputy Hill, why don’t you head out and see if there are any witnesses? Try to track this guy down before he hurts anyone else.” Deputy Silver’s tone made it clear her question wasn’t a suggestion.
“I’m on it.” Deputy Hill tipped the brim of his wide hat then hurried out the door.
“Ms. Tilly, are you injured? Do you need me to call a paramedic?” Deputy Silver flicked a quick glance at Reid. “We can always speak in private if that would make you more comfortable.”
The idea of being separated from Reid sent another spike of panic through her system. She reached for his hand, not caring if she came off as needy. “No. I’m fine. Reid got here before things went too far. If he hadn’t come… Honestly, I don’t want to think about what would have happened.”
“You don’t have to worry about that,” Reid said. “He’s gone.”
She blew out a long, shuddering breath, wanting to believe Reid was right. That whoever the guy was, he’d stay the hell out of her bar and far away.
“Okay then.” Deputy Silver stood, her small stature similar to Eve’s. “If there’s nothing else, I’ll help Deputy Hill try to find this guy. With any luck, we’ll have him behind bars before the night is over. I’ll be in touch, and don’t hesitate to call if you think of anything else.”
Eve should stand, should walk the deputy to the door, but her trembling legs probably wouldn’t carry her across the room. “Thank you.”
When the deputy was gone, she returned her focus to Reid. He watched her, his expression a mask she couldn’t quite read.
“Is your car parked in the lot?” Reid asked.
Wrapping her arms around herself, she shook her head. “I didn’t drive today.”
“Would you like me to walk you home?” he asked. “You shouldn’t be alone right now.”
As much as she wanted to assure him she’d be fine on her own, the idea of walking the two blocks to her house made her skin crawl. “I’d appreciate that. I just need to get my things and lock up.”
Not saying a word, he walked beside her as she went through the motions of gathering what she needed and making sure the bar was secure.
Secure. She mentally rolled her eyes at the thought. No matter how many locks were in place, she wasn’t sure if she’d ever feel safe again. At least not once she was left alone with the memories of what happened.
At least for now, she was protected. Reid stood guard, even if only for two more blocks. Then she’d be forced to face the impending nightmares all on her own.
Indecision slowed Reid’s steps as he and Eve approached her bungalow. The porch light highlighted the explosion of flowers in the white boxes on the two front windowsills. Large flowerbeds looped around the perimeter of the house, packed with plants and foliage of all shapes, sizes and colors.
They hadn’t spoken during the walk, and he’d kept his hands shoved deep in his jeans pockets to keep from reaching for her.
Back at the bar, he’d needed to comfort her. To touch her. To feel for himself that she was okay.
But now it wasn’t acceptable. Not when they stood outside her turquoise door. An awkward silence he’d never experienced with Eve made him uneasy—made him second-guess how to act and what to say.
“Well, thanks for…everything.” Eve dug in her purse for her keys, hesitating when she found them. “Do you want to come in?”
“Sure.” He waited for her to step inside before following and closing the door behind him. Curiosity had him peeking around her, the open concept allowing him a view of the tidy living room and kitchen beyond.
Eve kicked out of her shoes and made a beeline for the couch. She sank against the light gray cushion. “I should offer you something to drink or eat, but I don’t have it in me to play hostess.”
He snorted. “Don’t worry about it. I could use a drink, though, if you don’t mind me poking around your kitchen.”
She waved a hand in a go-ahead gesture.
He noted the simple and polished furnishings and the way framed photos added splashes of color to the tan walls.
The same simplicity met him in the kitchen: clutter-free marble counters and no streaks on the stainless-steel appliances.
The whiskey she’d mentioned at Tilly’s sounded appealing, but he opted to search the refrigerator for a couple of cold beers instead.
“Grabbed one for you in case you wanted it,” he said, rounding the sofa to sit beside her.
He passed her the brown bottle then opened his top and took a sip.
The cool liquid slid down his throat and relaxed the tight muscles along his shoulders.
He’d had a bitch of a day before he got to Tilly’s.
Since he’d walked into that god-awful scene, the day had gone straight to hell.
Damn, he was a self-absorbed bastard.
Nothing that had gone wrong in his day could compare to the horror Eve had endured.
“What’s that look?” Eve narrowed her eyes, but the exhaustion clinging to her like a burr kept him from spilling his thoughts.
He took another long pull from the bottle. “Nothing. Just worried about you. I hate the thought of you here alone all night.”
A light blush stained her cheeks, and she busied herself opening her beer. “I’ll be fine. I’ll make sure the doors are locked, and a few drinks of this will knock me out cold. Now that the adrenaline has leaked from my system, I can hardly keep my eyes open. It’s been a long week.”