Chapter 4
MAYA
The kitchen smells like coffee and something else.
Bacon. My stomach growls as I walk in, trying not to notice how Reed looks in the morning light streaming through the windows.
His t-shirt is rumpled, his hair sticking up at odd angles, and there’s a pillow crease on his cheek that makes him look younger, less guarded.
“Morning,” he says without turning from the stove. “Coffee’s ready.”
“You’re cooking again.” It’s not a question. I can see the eggs scrambling in the pan, bread waiting by the toaster.
“Figured we both need fuel for today.” He glances over his shoulder, and something flickers in his eyes when he sees me. I’m still wearing his hoodie from last night, which I want to live in because it’s so cozy and warm, and it has Reed’s scent on it.
“How long have you been up?”
“Hour or so.” He turns back to the eggs, but I catch the tension in his shoulders. “Couldn’t sleep.”
When he hands it to me, our fingers brush. We both freeze for a heartbeat, then pull back like we’ve been caught doing something we shouldn’t.
“Sorry,” I mutter.
“Nothing to apologize for.” But his voice is rougher than it was a moment ago.
I escape to the bathroom, splash cold water on my face, and stare at my reflection. Hair wild from sleep. Eyes bright with a desire that I haven’t seen in years. I want Reed so much my fingertips ache.
When I return, he’s plating the eggs and bacon. A sudden image of this happening every morning flashes in my mind. I’ve never looked at a man and wanted this.
My phone buzzes. Mom.
I let it go to voicemail, but Reed’s watching me with those too-observant eyes.
“Tuesday morning call,” I explain, though he didn’t ask. “Like clockwork.”
“Important call?”
“My mother.” I set the phone aside. “She can wait.”
He doesn’t push, just slides a plate toward me. “Eat. I need to get to work to install the cameras and check with our tech guy to make sure the feeds are up.”
Reed’s been gone for twenty minutes, and I’ve checked the window more times than I can count.
Stay inside. Stay away from the windows. Keep the doors locked.
His instructions were clear, but I can’t help it. I drift to the living room window again, searching the property for any sign of him. The construction site looks peaceful, if muddy, in the post-storm sunlight, but I know it’s not safe.
My phone buzzes with an email notification. Lucy.
Maya! Call me when you can. Have news!
I call her immediately, needing the distraction from obsessively tracking Reed’s movements.
“Finally!” Lucy’s voice is bright and excited. “I’ve been dying to tell you.”
“Tell me what?”
“I’m pregnant! Due in July. Martin’s over the moon with happiness.”
Genuine joy floods through me. “Lucy, that’s amazing. Congratulations. How are you feeling?”
“Exhausted and nauseous, but happy.” She laughs. “You’re going to be Auntie Maya again. Maribeth’s already planning to teach the baby everything.”
I smile, picturing Lucy’s four-year-old daughter taking her role as big sister very seriously. “I can’t wait. She’s going to be the best.”
“So will you. You were amazing with Maribeth when she was born.” Lucy pauses. “Maybe this will get your mom off your back about settling down? Another grandchild to spoil?”
I half-laugh at the thought. “You don’t know my mother. She’ll probably say something like ‘See? Lucy has two children, and you have none. When will you make me a grandmother?’”
“She does know Maribeth is her grandchild, right?”
“Logic doesn’t apply to Mom’s baby fever.” I move to the window again, searching for Reed. Still nothing.
“Speaking of...any prospects on the horizon?” Lucy’s tone turns teasing. “It’s about time you let someone into your life.”
I should say no. Should deflect. “I’m out at the construction site with a security guy.”
“And?”
“And nothing. We’ve been out here since Monday afternoon. We’re just…working together.”
“Maya Raymond,” Lucy chastises. “I’ve known you since college. That was not a ‘nothing’ pause.”
My face heats. “Okay, fine. Maybe I’m crushing a little. He’s competent and protective and,” I pause for a moment, “very easy on the eyes.”
“Easy on the eyes? That’s all?”
I force a laugh, keeping it light. “What else would it be? We just met. It’s probably just proximity and adrenaline.”
But even as I say it, I know what I feel for Reed is more than just physical attraction. I can’t explain the connection I feel with him, but I feel like I can be who I am, and he’s not going to judge me or tell me I’m lacking somehow.
“Probably not anything,” I add, deflecting. “But he’s sure easy on the eyes.”
“Uh huh.” Lucy doesn’t sound convinced. “Well, keep me posted if it becomes something.”
“I will. And Lucy? I’m really happy for you.”
After we hang up, I return to the window. The vulnerability hits me suddenly, unexpectedly. Someone’s been targeting this property for weeks. Escalating. What if they stop focusing on the buildings and start focusing on me personally?
The thought makes my stomach drop. If someone wanted to hurt me—
But I’m not out here alone. Reed’s here. An absolute certainty washes over me that if something happened, if someone came for me right now, Reed Ambrose is the only person I’d want at my side.
I trust him. Completely. After only a handful of days.
Thinking about someone targeting me should be terrifying, but Reed makes me feel safe in a way I’ve never felt. He hasn’t said as much, but on some level, I understand he would protect me with his own life. I gasp as I consider the significance of that.
The front door opens, and I spin around as Reed walks in, kicking off his boots by the front door and taking his tool bag to the dining room table.
“Everything’s installed.” He sets down the equipment, eyes scanning me. “You okay?”
“Fine. Just—” I gesture vaguely. “Waiting for you to come back. I got a bit antsy on my own.”
His expression softens. “Come here. Let me show you what we’ve got.”
I cross to the dining table where he’s setting up his laptop.
Pulling out a chair for me, he settles beside me.
He does something on his laptop, and the screen suddenly divides into quadrants, each showing a different angle of the property.
The main entrance. The equipment shed. The dock. The model home’s front door.
“Four cameras,” Reed explains, typing commands. “Motion-activated, night vision, weatherproof. They’re recording to cloud storage, so even if someone destroys the physical cameras, we can retrieve the footage.”
I look at the screen, surprised at the clarity of the images. “This is great,” I say, knowing that’s an understatement.
“See here?” He zooms in on the dock camera. “This catches anyone approaching from the lake. And this one,” he switches to another view, “covers the access road. We’ll know if anyone comes on site.”
“What about blind spots?”
“Minimal. I positioned them to overlap coverage.” He pulls up a site map and shows me the camera feeds. “The cameras are equipped with motion alerts and designed not to be triggered by animals. If anything else triggers them, I get a text immediately.”
“Even at night?”
“Especially at night. That’s when people think they’re safe.” He turns to look at me. “But you’re safe, Maya. I promise.”
The certainty in his voice makes me relax a little. “I know.”
Something flickers in his eyes. “You do?”
“Yes.” Simple. Honest. “I trust you.”
The words hang between us, weighted with more than just security. Reed’s hand finds mine on the table, fingers threading through mine.
“Good,” he says quietly. “Because keeping you safe is all that matters right now.”
“Show me how to check the feeds. In case you’re...not here. Or do you have to keep the laptop locked down?”
“I’m not going anywhere. I can give you access to this laptop. Any files are stored in the cloud, and I don’t work with files anyway.” But he pulls the laptop closer and walks me through accessing the cameras, checking alerts, and reviewing footage. His patience is infinite, his explanations clear.
When he’s satisfied I understand the system, he sits back. “Feel better?”
“Definitely.” And I do. The vulnerability from earlier has transformed into something that feels like strength.
If only I were brave enough to tell my mother that this is what I need. Not a husband she picks. Not a predetermined life. But someone who sees me as capable while still prioritizing me and my choices.
“What?” Reed asks, watching my face.
“Just thinking about earlier. My best friend is pregnant again. She’s also my sister-in-law, but I know it’s just going to give my mom more fuel for asking me for grandchildren.”
Reed’s thumb strokes across my knuckles. “You deserve better than that pressure.”
“Thanks. I wish I could be honest with her,” I say, stopping before I say anything further. A desire to tell Reed everything fills me, and it’s confusing. Why do I want to tell my secrets to a man I’ve only known for a few days, who already feels essential to my life?
“What would you say?”
I pause, considering whether to tell him everything, but decide against it. “I don’t want the life she’s planned for me. I want something different—but I know she won’t like it.”
Reed leans closer, and my breath catches. But instead of kissing me, he rests his forehead against mine.
“Whatever you choose will be okay, Maya,” he says, pulling me into a hug.
Somehow, despite all the doubt I’ve ever felt, he makes me believe everything will be okay.