Page 42 of Butterflies and Hazel Eyes
I sat up and rubbed the bump on my temple. It was much smaller now that I’d taken some ibuprofen and kept ice on it. “This is what I can’t figure out,” I said, setting the melting ice bag onto the side table. “What were they going to do if the door was locked? Where would they have put the note? Also, why me? Why not you or Mathias?”
“I can answer the one question. There was a pin on the paper. We didn’t notice it until the chief lifted it up. I think the plan was to just pin it to the victim, but since the doors were open, they decided putting it on the reception desk proved they can get to us and we, and our research, aren’t safe from them.”
“Whoever ‘them’ are,” I said sarcastically. “That also means there were at least two of them. One to hit me over the head and one to drop the note.”
“Or one guy did both,” Gulliver said logically.
“Could be, but I doubt it. A team of two makes more sense in this situation. They’d want to watch each other’s backs.”
Gulliver’s head bobbed. “That’s true. I hope the police can find them, but I highly doubt it. The guy delivering the note was wearing gloves, so I’m sure that note will be clean of prints. I think I can answer the why-you part too,” he said, patting his knee. “I think they’ve been watching us. They knew the right person to attack if they wanted to scare me into making a mistake.”
“I don’t understand,” I said, my head cocked to the side. “I do have a head injury, though.”
His hands held mine, and he brushed sand off my elbow gently. He was always gentle when he touched me and it did things to my heart I couldn’t explain. “They know the person I care about, Charity. We gave them the opportunity to hurt that person, and they took it.”
“Do you mean we have to stop spending time together?” I asked, the words choppy and soft. “Do you think I need to leave town?”
He rubbed my arms as if he understood what was running through my head right now. “I want to say you should leave town, but Chief Flats told me you might be in even more danger out on the roads. He suggests you stay here until this is resolved. I know you have the other job waiting, but it shouldn’t take that long to figure out who’s behind this and then you—”
I put my finger to his lips. “I have time before I have to head to Indiana, okay?” I asked, and his head nodded. “I’ll keep working at Butterfly Junction with Honey, which means two of us in the reception area at all times. We will have Mojo by us as well, and if someone gets aggressive, he will take care of the problem. He would have tonight, but whoever hit me waited for him to be distracted. That won’t happen again. We will start keeping the front door locked, and people will have to buzz to come through. If we’re nervous about a situation, we don’t buzz the person in. We don’t get that much foot traffic anyway. It’s mostly delivery guys.”
“No, I don’t want you anywhere near this business, Charity. It’s not safe here, not after what happened tonight!”
I threw my arms up in the air, and Mojo sat up on alert, a growl low in his throat. I held my hand out to him, and he lowered himself again with a huff. “If I’m not safe here, then I’m certainly not safe at the campground. Think about where Myrtle is parked, Gulliver,” I said, pausing for a minute while he thought about it. “My site butts up to the woods on one side and lake access on the other. Sure, there’s a shortcut to the main office, but that shortcut still takes five minutes. If someone did hear me screaming for help, they’d never get to me in time. I weigh less than ninety pounds, and anyone can pick me up, dump me in a boat, and be gone before anyone is the wiser. At least here there’s a security system and other people around.”
He tapped his chin while he considered the options. “You know you’ve won this one, don’t you?”
I ran my hand lightly up and down his forearm to calm him. “I’m not trying to win anything, Gulliver. I’m not making this up just to win an argument. If the people behind this have been paying attention like you said they are, then I’m a sitting duck out there.”
He bit his lip out of nervousness and some other emotion I couldn’t pin down. “It didn’t cross my mind, but you’re right. One well-placed bullet and Mojo is a goner, immediately followed by you. I don’t think we’re anywhere near the danger level of death yet, but there’s no way to guess where the line will be crossed.”
“I agree. At least at the office Mojo has a purpose, and he will do his job. He’s my protection detail, and he will protect anyone in this building the same way. Someone might get a bullet in him, but not before he gets his teeth into them.” I swallowed hard and rubbed my forehead. “Man, I hate talking about the big guy this way.”
Gulliver put his arm around my back and held me, his lips finding their way to my temple. “I do too. I have to admit that I’m glad you’re here with me tonight. I have to make sure you’re safe, and the only way to do that is to have you next to me.”
His fingers stroked my cheek lightly while he inspected the knot on my head. “I’ll be fine on the couch, Gulliver. Don’t worry about me.”
“I do worry about you because I care about you, Charity. My heart still isn’t beating right, and it’s been hours since we found you out there. I couldn’t figure out why Mojo was being so loud and why you weren’t hushing him. When we hit those doors running and saw you there on the sand...” He paused and shook his head. “I don’t know. I just know that tonight, you’re going to sleep in my bed where you’re comfortable. You’re going to shower and put on one of my clean T-shirts, then get some sleep. I have to wake you up every two hours, so don’t get mad at me.”
My laughter filled the room, and I captured his hand to my face. “I understand, and I won’t get mad at you. I promise, I’m fine, though. I will take you up on the offer of a shower. I have sand everywhere. Once that’s done, I need some sleep.”
“I know you do. Tomorrow is your birthday, and you only turn twenty-seven once.” I grimaced at his words and dropped my gaze rather than hold his. “Why didn’t you tell me it was your birthday, Charity? I thought we had a connection here. I know it’s not serious for you, but I’m hurt that you didn’t want me to know.”
I glanced up and saw the deep hurt undulating in his eyes. I braced my hand against his chest and shook my head. “You’re not the reason I didn’t mention it,” I promised. “I’m the reason.”
“I don’t understand,” he said, confusion on his face while he checked my temple again. “Are you sure you’re okay?”
I took his hand down and held it, so he didn’t distract me from what I was trying to say. Every time he touched me, the heat and electricity that flowed through his fingers and across my skin made me want to throw myself into his arms and kiss him senseless.
“I don’t celebrate my birthday because I have no one to celebrate with. It’s not like there’s anyone out there who cares that I was born. This year I had hoped to celebrate it with someone who does, but at the same time I didn’t want to tell you and make it awkward.”
He grasped my shoulder, his other hand holding my waist as he stared me down. The intensity flashing in his juniper eyes gave me the answers to my questions without him saying a word. “Why would telling me it was your birthday make things awkward? And for the record, I care about you and your birthday.”
I flipped my hand around until he grabbed it and held it still. “I think what I meant was I didn’t want you to feel obligated to have to spend it with me?”
“Are you asking a question or making a statement, because it sounded like a question.”
“I suppose a little of both,” I admitted. “You’re a busy guy, but at the same time I want to spend it with you, even if we’re just working.”
