Page 7 of Protecting Vidalia
“Go away,” she replied haughtily.
“I won’t bother you, I promise. Although, you need a good spanking in my opinion. I can guarantee you’d sleep well afterwards.”
“I don’t care about your opinion,” she retorted.
“You’ve certainly made that clear.”
She hesitated. “Can I really trust you to keep your word, Jake?”
“Vidalia, you can trust me. I won’t cross this threshold unless you want me to,” he mocked.
“That’s not going to happen, but I’ll take your word for it.” She unlocked the door and stepped back, leaving it ajar.
“Good girl,” he said softly, his eyes traveling up and down her slender frame. It felt like he was touching her because everywhere his gaze trailed seemed to light on fire.
Her voice came out in a whisper. “Just make sure you don’t come in.”
The last thing Vidalia needed was a man in her life. It was complicated enough right now and she couldn’t handle the emotion it would take to be vested in a relationship. She felt brittle all the time, like she would shatter into a million pieces if someone hurt her.
“Sleep well,” he replied, turning away and leaving her in peace.
Vidalia heaved a sigh of relief. Jake was really a charming man and she liked everything about him so far except for this spanking thing. In fact, she was so aware of him that it scared her and she regretted challenging him. It had brought them to a level of closeness now that she wished she didn't have with him.
She didn't want anyone getting close.
Another heartache was the last thing she needed.All she wanted was to be left alone to figure out how to handle this huge load that was weighing her down. Until she could figure that out, she had nothing left to offer to anyone else but a broken shell of herself.
Quickly she changed into her pajamas and crawled into bed with a flashlight and book to keep her mind from concentrating on the trauma that had driven her into the mountains. Her heart ached for Dani Owens, and she knew that little girl had changed her life. Nothing would ever be the same. Her brain told her there had been nothing more she could have done, but her heart told her differently. She couldn't seem to get past it, and her restless mind was always going back and replaying the conversation in her mind, searching for answers, trying to figure out how she could have done it better.
After three hours of reading, dozing, and waking up in a cold sweat, she finally gave in and took a sleeping tablet. It was the only way she ever got any real rest. The doctor had given them to her for emergencies. They would be gone soon though, but she didn't feel any closer to getting relief than she had previously.
She briefly thought of Jake in the living room on the couch. She supposed he would be comfortable, but if not, oh well. He’d invited himself to stay over, so it wasn't any concern of hers whether or not the couch was comfortable. With any luck he would be gone before she got up.
Snuggled under the covers, Vidalia waited for blessed sleep. At least, she would get a few hours rest before her dreams starting coming alive. It seemed they never left her alone anymore, and it was getting worse.
Light was barely breaking through her window when Vidalia woke up with a start. Her chest was heaving, and her forehead damp with perspiration. She looked wildly around the room trying to recognize where she was. Instant memory suddenly served her, and she realized she was at Dax’s cabin—and she had been dreaming again.Weird dreams.
Lightning bolts had been chasing her. Lightning bolts with faces. They’d been laughing at her and trying to stab her with their energy jolts. Beyond them was a still figure, a small girl with blond hair lying on the ground. Vidalia couldn't get to her.She wanted to get to her, but how? The lightning bolts were surrounding her. They were stinging her, and she couldn't move.
With a heavy yawn, Vidalia sat up in bed and glanced at her watch. It was 5:00 am and she had gotten a little over four hours sleep according to her Fitbit. She felt incredibly tired.She pushed her hair out of her face, tucked the damp strands along her forehead behind her ears, and swung her feet to the floor. No point in going back to sleep, this was as good as it got. Maybe she could get a nap later on, but for now, she wanted to get up and away from the dreams.
Quickly she dressed in sweats and running shoes and padded into the kitchen to make coffee. She would have some coffee on the veranda and go for a walk as the sun was coming up, then come back and eat breakfast.
Coming into the living room, Vidalia stopped short as she realized that Jake was still asleep on the couch. She’d forgotten about him. Deciding she didn't want to wake him making coffee, she slipped out the front door instead.
Once outside, she breathed deeply of the clean mountain air and looked around her with interest.The darkness wasn't quite so dark since the sun was trying to wake up. Everything looked wet from the storm last night and there were leaves strewn across the deck as if a giant had slapped the trees and knocked bits out of them.She started down the gravel drive that went back out to the main road figuring she would walk back and forth a couple of times for some exercise, then do some hiking later. Dax had said there were several trails around and had given her a map.
It really did feel good to be away from the hustle and bustle of the city. Vidalia enjoyed her walk and the rising of the sun in all its glory. It brought light and warmth to a new day. She stopped to watch a couple of chipmunks chasing each other around a tree trunk, and smiled at their antics.
When she came upon Jakes jeep, she was delighted to see a squirrel getting a drink out of the puddle on the soft top as she approached. Peering inside, she noted that it was fairly clean, no drink cups rolling around in the floorboard. She couldn’t say that was always the case with her little Ford Focus.
Moving on, her step was lighter and her spirits rose. It had been a while since she’d done anything like this, and she was grateful that Dax had made the offer.
As she rounded the corner of the cabin on her third time back, she saw Jake sitting at the wooden table on the deck, a pot of coffee and two mugs sitting in front of him. He smiled at her, and Vidalia's breath caught in her throat. How could a man look so sexy first thing in the morning?
***
“GOOD MORNING!COMEon up and have some coffee,” Jake invited with a lazy smile.I have to assume you drink it since you brought it with you.”
