How the hell had he found her?
She shot Wendy a text, giving her a heads-up. At some point today, there’d be pictures of her with crazy hair all over the internet. Outside, she heard a commotion and climbed out of the clawfoot to see what was going on.
She stood on the toilet seat to peer outside the window. Cash had the photographer pinned against a tree. Sawyer must’ve called him.
A short time later, Sawyer joined Cash. She hadn’t heard his Range Rover and suddenly remembered that it was still at the mechanic’s. He must’ve run the whole way.
She dashed to her bedroom, changed into a bra and T-shirt, slipped on her new cowboy boots, and flew out the back door.
“Who the hell do you think you are—?”
Sawyer cut her off at the pass. “We’ve got it under control.” He held up the memory card from the digital camera, which was currently in Cash’s hand. “Jace is on his way.”
“You hurt my camera and I’ll sue you,” the man bellowed. “You don’t have a right to take people’s equipment.”
Sawyer looked up at the sky as if he was praying for patience. Then he turned to the man and in a voice that was surprisingly calm said, “Come on, you were trespassing and staring into a woman’s window like a freaking Peeping Tom.”
“I’m just trying to make a living.” The photographer stared at Gina and started to say something, but Sawyer held up his hand.
“Don’t even think about it. The sheriff is on his way to deal with you.” He looked at Cash and said, “Give him his camera.”
“I need my goddamn memory card back, that’s what I need,” the photographer yelled. “It’s my property. You have no right to keep it. If you don’t give it back you’ll hear from my lawyers.”
“By all means, tell them to give us a call.” Sawyer grasped Gina’s shoulders, turned her around, and told her to go back inside the cabin.
“Not until he tells me how he found me.” She put her hands on her hips. “Who told you where I was?”
“I’m not divulging my sources.” He jutted his chin at her.
Gina hoped that Laney or Jimmy Ray hadn’t sold her out. But someone had. How else had he found her?
“You want a story? An exclusive? Then tell me who your source is,” she demanded.
Sawyer took her by the arm and dragged her to the front of the cabin. “The guy’s a bottom-feeder. Don’t bargain with him. When you have an exclusive to tell, you’ll give it to a reputable news organization. This guy is a stringer. He’ll sell whatever you give him to the highest bidder.”
She let out a breath and pinched the bridge of her nose. “If he found me, others will too.” She’d have to leave and find a new place to hide. She didn’t want to go. Not now. Not when she…she just didn’t want to have to leave.
“We’ll lock the gate,” Sawyer said.
A locked gate was the last thing they needed while they were trying to get Charlie and Aubrey’s business off the ground. A business that relied on visitors.
They looked up as Jace’s sheriff’s SUV bounced along the rutted road, stopping short of the front porch.
He stuck his head out the window and let his Oakleys slip down his nose. “Where is he?”
“Around back,” Sawyer said.
Jace hopped out of the cab in full sheriff’s gear: badge, holster, gun, the whole nine yards. Gina had never seen him in uniform before. He was hot in jeans and a flannel shirt. In the uniform, he was smoking. Not as good-looking as Sawyer, but Charlie was a lucky woman. Aubrey too.
“Is he mad at me?” Gina whispered as Jace crossed the yard to the rear of the house. She’d brought this upon them. Besides having someone invade his private ranch, Jace had better things to do with his time than chasing some jackass with a camera off his property.
“Nah, that’s his cop scowl. He reserves it for trespassers.” Sawyer maneuvered her onto the porch. “What did the photographer say to you?”
“Nothing really. He pounded on the door first, then came to the window. I opened the blinds to see who it was and he started snapping pictures.” She scanned the area, suddenly realizing that she hadn’t seen a car. “How did he get here?”
“Probably parked on Dry Creek Road and hiked in.”
“Oh God, you don’t think he was here all night?” The idea of a stranger creeping around in the trees while she was in the cabin alone gave her the willies.
