Page 9 of Finally

Iwaited as Topher settled into his own car, then headed to my truck, letting out a relieved sigh as I climbed behind the wheel and shut the door. My mouth was set in a firm line as I followed him out of the parking lot and down the busy city streets. I kept an eye on our surroundings, checking to make sure no one was following us, but I did it all on autopilot as my mind circled over the events of the day.

It was getting dark out by the time he turned onto a long, paved driveway. We pulled up in front of an old farm-style home which was painted a beautiful colonial blue and white and was complete with bay windows and a large, wraparound porch. I wasn’t sure how much of the surrounding land belonged to him, but the next closest house had been about a half mile down the road. I had to admit I was impressed, but I wasn’t surprised either. Having been the only child of two very successful doctors, Topher had always had money. I grimaced at the reminder of how different our lives had been.

I grabbed my overnight bag off the back seat of the truck before climbing out. Topher looked at me skeptically as I approached him. “What are you doing?”

“What do you mean what am I doing?”

“I’m home now. I’m exhausted and just planning on grabbing a bite to eat and going to bed. I won’t be going anywhere else tonight, so you can go on home and I’ll see you in the morning,” he insisted.

I slung the bag over my shoulder and narrowed my eyes at him. “Do you really not understand how this works, or are you just trying to be obstinate?”

I watched him bristle at that and his mouth turned down into a frown that made his plump bottom lip push out seductively. I was having trouble looking away, but fortunately, he was too irritated to notice. “What is that supposed to mean? How what works?”

“I mean me, being your bodyguard. Your father hired round-the-clock security, and since I’m the only one available, that means I’ll be staying here with you until this election is over and we can be sure you’re safe,” I explained.

Any other time I might have laughed at the horrified expression on his face, but I couldn’t find any humor in the fact that not only was I going to have to be near Topher for the next several months, but apparently, I was about to meet his lover too. And who the hell was this Charlie? Was he Topher’s boyfriend? Husband? Either way, he sounded like a real dick if he couldn’t handle Topher working a little late once in a while.

Topher mumbled something under his breath that sounded a lot like “Holy shit.” Yeah, my sentiments exactly, buddy. He stared at me for another minute and then his shoulders slumped, the dark circles under his eyes telling me that he was too tired to argue about it right then.

“Fine. Let’s just get inside.” I stayed at his side as he walked up the steps of the porch and unlocked the front door. “Charlie, I’m home,” he called out as it swung open and my jaw clamped down tight enough that I was surprised I didn’t crack a tooth.

I heard movement from somewhere above me and steeled myself for the introduction that was about to take place. My mouth dropped open however, when instead of a man coming down the stairs, a dog came barreling down to greet us. Topher quickly tossed his briefcase aside and dropped to one knee, so he could show the proper amount of attention. I’d never seen a dog grin before, but I swear this one did as Topher rubbed its ears and cooed softly.

“This is Charlie?” I asked.

Hearing the surprise in my voice, Topher looked up at me. “Yeah. What were you expecting?”

I shrugged my shoulders. “I guess I thought Charlie was your boyfriend or husband,” I admitted. I felt Topher’s eyes on me as I knelt down and ran my hand over Charlie’s smooth coat.

“I’ve never been married,” he said quietly. “And with all the time I spend on the campaign, I haven’t had the time or energy for dating. Charlie’s good company though and she doesn’t mind me working throughout the night or having to get up early, as long as I’m not late getting her dinner to her.”

“Charlie’s a girl?”

“Yeah. She’s part beagle, part basset and part blue tick hound dog. I got her from a rescue center when she was just a few months old. They’d been calling her Charlotte, but she looked like more of a Charlie to me.” The first real smile spread across Topher’s face and my breath caught in my throat. He was even more gorgeous now than he’d been as a boy.

“Well, you shouldn’t keep her waiting,” I said, standing abruptly. I needed to put some space between us because being so close to him, with the smell of his cologne filling my senses, was making it difficult to think straight. He looked confused by my clipped words, but I couldn’t help it. I felt like I was already going out of my mind and it was only the first day.

“I’ll just let her out and feed her and then I can make us something to eat, if you want,” he offered.

“I’m not really hungry, but thanks. I think I’m just going to walk around, check that everything’s secure and then get to bed. I’ll do a more thorough investigation in the morning and see where we can beef up security here at your house.”

“Okay. Let me show you where your room is then,” he said.

The house was just as beautiful inside as it was out. Rich hardwood floors ran throughout each room, intricate trim work framed the doorways and a wide staircase led to the second story. I followed Topher up the flight of steps and down a hallway as he pointed out where the bathroom was, then showed me to my room. He stood in the doorway, hands shoved in his pockets as I looked around. The room was spacious and included a four-poster bed, a chair in one corner, and a large antique wardrobe that looked big enough to hold every article of clothing I owned and then some.

“This is great. Thank you,” I said.

Topher looked almost shy as he reached up and scratched a hand over the back of his neck. “My housekeeper was in yesterday so there should be fresh sheets on the bed. There are towels in the hall closet next to the bathroom. I’ve updated nearly everything, but it’s still an old house and the pipes tend to make noise when you first start the shower. Anyway, if you think of anything else you need, just let me know.”

He turned and slipped back into the hallway before I could even thank him, and I wondered if maybe this was as awkward for him as it was for me. I suppose it would be, although for very different reasons. I had to deal with being around the man who’d broken my heart. He only had to put up with someone hanging around who he wanted nothing to do with. The relief I’d felt when I realized Charlie was a dog instead of a man had only managed to confuse me even more. I shouldn’t care one way or another whether Topher had someone in his life. So, why did I?

With a frustrated sigh, I tossed my bag on the bed, grabbed my flashlight out of it and went outside to do a quick check of the perimeter. By the time I was finished, Topher was no longer downstairs. I locked the door behind me and turned off the lights as I made my way back up the stairs. A single light shone from under a door at the end of the hall which I assumed was Topher’s room.

I stared at it for a few minutes, wondering what he was doing in there. Was he reading or watching TV? Was Charlie curled up next to him on the bed? I shook my head, frustrated with myself. What difference did it make what he was doing in there? None of it was my business and it never would be. My only concern was keeping him alive long enough to get elected. Once that was done, I could get back to my life and forget he ever existed.

With a sigh, I headed into my room and grabbed my bag. After brushing my teeth and taking a quick shower, I went back to my room and shut the door. I undressed quickly, clicked off the light, and climbed into bed in only my underwear. The bed felt ridiculously comfortable, as only a high-quality bed could, but I still couldn’t seem to stop my mind from racing. I’d spent the entire day trying to push aside my memories of Topher, but lying there in the dark with the moonlight filtering in through the window, those memories refused to be silenced.

My vision blurred with unshed tears as I stared down at the big red F circled in the top right corner. Dad had lost his third job of the year after he got caught screwing his boss’s wife in the company van. When Mom found out, she’d lost her mind, railing at him and throwing things and calling him every name in the book. After he’d stormed out, she’d collapsed in a heap on the kitchen floor, sobbing uncontrollably. I’d tried to help her, but she’d pushed me away and disappeared into her room with a full bottle of whiskey.

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