Page 63 of Protection for Rowan

Shine felt like it was all about to fall apart. Though he had no proof that Charles was headed to the retreat where Rowan was staying, he was sure that’s where the asshole was going. “Shit. I pray she’s safe.”

Thario nodded. “Same, brother.”

They had tickets and were at the airport in less than an hour. Thario was getting in contact with authorities in that area, but they had no guarantee the police would take this threat seriously. If he didn’t get to Rowan first, he may never see her again.

Chapter 47

Rowan finally feltlike she had her head on straight. Her sessions were much better than when she'd first arrived. She knew she could go home and start living again at the end of this week. She would be a survivor. The first thing she would do once she got home would be sign up for karate. She needed to get some strength and learn some moves. The self-defense was great, but she needed more practice to feel good about her abilities to fend off an attack and get to a place where she could run.

“Excuse me?” a woman called from behind her.

Rowan turned, smiling at one of the other guests she’d met at dinner the night before. “It’s Cass. We met last night.”

“Yes, I remember.”

"I saw you out walking in the grape fields. Would you be kind enough to wait for me? We don't have to walk together. It's just that I'm not quite there on walking alone, but I feel cooped up here."

Rowan smiled. “Sure. How about after lunch?”

“Yes. I’ll be ready.”

“Great. I’ll wait by the gate after we eat.”

Cass smiled and took off, a bit of a skip in her step. Rowan was glad she could help. After a few days of feeling way too into her own mind to help others, she was finally starting to feel the pull to return to work. The people she saw in her practice weren't too difficult since most of them had severe flight trauma or were just there to get certified to work in the airline industry.

Her mind wandered to Shine and the trauma they’d experienced when they were both so young. They could have ended up having lasting phobias, but both of them had attacked the problems and conquered them. She may have preferred ground-based travel, but she could get onto an airplane now and not be too bothered.

After meditation, she headed to the room where they ate lunch. She felt like her joy for life had returned instead of constantly fretting about who was watching or if she was at risk.

Lunch was pleasant, and she felt like a weight had been lifted. She stepped over to the table where Cass was sitting and told her she would meet her at the gate in ten minutes. The weather was perfect, not too cool, and the sun was out. She could get used to this. The weather in San Diego wasn’t bad, just a little warmer. They had their days with heat, but most of the year felt pleasant.

Cass showed up, and they headed out. There were men in the field, but only a few, and they steered clear, picking paths that took them away from the workers. Walking in nature was healing. She really needed to take more time away from work and do nature walks. The beach was right there, and she hardly ever went out there to walk or even just sit.

Excitement buzzed through her at the prospect of moving forward in life with Shine. She bet he wouldn’thave any problem renting a boat and going out to Catalina or up the coast.

“You’re smiling big,” Cass said.

Rowan met her gaze. “I feel hopeful.”

“That’s good. I’m getting there. Walking out here is helping. I was thinking I needed to get out into nature more.”

“Same.”

They walked in silence for a little while, and she studied the grapes. She'd never really spent much time in a field of grapes. How would the wine taste from here? The retreat was drug and alcohol-free. She understood their reasoning. Once she got home, she would look up the winery and buy a bottle or two.

“You ready to turn back?” Rowan asked.

“Sure.”

She turned and let go a heavy sigh. She could get used to being out here. They were about halfway back to the house when a man stepped into the path. At first, she thought it was one of the workers, but he wasn’t dressed like the men working the winery.

Her stomach clenched as fear filled her. The scream in her throat caught as she started backing away. How the hell had Charles found her?

Chapter 48

Shine couldn't believethe airplane they'd booked seats on had to turn around just after takeoff. At least they didn't crash. Jay had been on the phone to rebook them before they'd even reached the gate. Because the original flight had been so late they couldn't take off until morning. It was so ridiculous, but there wasn't much he could do other than just go with the flow. They contemplated driving, but with a recent landslide after heavy rains and the closure of a major interstate, it would take too long to drive.

Once in San Francisco, they'd raced to the rental counter and picked up their car, taking off to the winery where Rowan was staying. A few miles out of town, the front tire went flat. Shine said enough curse words to fuel a fire. They changed the tire quickly, but still, it was minutes wasted.

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