Jameson waited until the lights went out in the cabin before silently making his way to his room. He took off his shirt and lay on the bed, recalling his conversation with his teammates. After giving it some thought, he decided to wait until Caroline healed, and then he’d confess his secret. Until then, he’d treat her like a friend.
“No, no, no. Please don’t shoot,” she screamed, making Jameson grab his weapon and run into the room. Seeing her thrashing in the bed, he realized Caroline experienced a nightmare. He set his weapon on the dresser and approached her.
Gently shaking her shoulder, he whispered, “Caroline, it’s Jameson. You’re safe.”
Her eyes popped open at the sound of his voice, and her arms wrapped around his neck. She clung to him as she sobbed in terror.
“He came back. Cain’s coming for me,” she cried.
“No. Our men have him under surveillance. He’s not going anywhere. The ringleaders have lost their confidence in him.You know his time on this earth has started ticking down. It’s only a matter of time before someone sends him to hell.”
His words relaxed her, but she buried her face in his neck.
He avoided touching her back, but he picked her up from the bed, returned to the chair, and sat her on his lap. His hand stroked her hair as he kissed her forehead.
“You’re safe, I’ve got you,” he assured her. “Do you want to talk to me about the nightmare?”
“I waited for you to return. When you didn’t come, I fell asleep and dreamed Cain shot you,” she whimpered into his neck.
“Pfft, he can’t aim worth shit. I’m sorry it took me so long to return. We found a new lead concerning an auction. I may be bugging out for a few days. Do you want me to ask the women to come stay with you?”
She shook her head. “No. They have families, and I’m not troubling them because I have a nightmare every now and again.”
He almost pulled her away to remind her he woke her almost every night when she screamed in the darkness. Jameson added a nightlight to the bathroom, hoping to give the room a bit of light when she woke from her terror. She came out of them faster, but it didn’t stop her fear.
“Tell me a story, Jameson,” she pleaded.
“I’m out of stories, slugger,” he said tiredly. “What made you think of Cain tonight?”
“Rebecca said he returned to the farm. I bet it enraged him to find the cage cut. He won’t stop searching for me,” she told him.
“What if he thought you died?” he suggested. “We tossed the idea around. We can ask Rebecca to mention her disgust at finding a dead woman in a cage.”
“It might work,” she said hesitantly. “I won at poker tonight. Rachel complained I cheated her out of a pair of Jimmy Choo’s.”
“Matthew will need a second job to support her shoe fetish,” he said softly. “It’s late. Try to get some sleep.”
She raised her head, gazing at him. “Will you stay?”
“I won’t leave you,” he promised.
She lay her head on his shoulder. “Have you ever wondered what it might be like if we met in another lifetime? A place where you didn’t know what happened to me, and we met out of the blue.”
“I’d ask you to dance with me. It’s my favorite way to get to know someone,” he murmured. “If they move slowly in my space, I know they trust me. If they start out stiff and step on my toes, I know they’re a terrible dancer and want to keep me at a distance. If they invade my space, they’re into themselves more than me,” he said softly. “My dance instructor taught me this.”
“You had a dance instructor?” she asked, surprised.
“My mother insisted I know how to mingle in society, including taking dance lessons,” he admitted. “Do you need a demonstration?”
“I’m not a good dancer,” she blurted. “I only danced in high school.”
“Then let me lead,” he encouraged, lifting her off his lap. He rose from the chair, returned the gun to his holster, and took her hand, leading her into the living room. He took out his phone, selected a slow song, and held out his hand.
Caroline stepped into his embrace and moved along with the music. Her shoulders relaxed as she put her head on his shoulder and let him lead. Jameson closed his eyes, knowing their time together would soon come to an end. She fit perfectly in his arms, and the scent of her honeysuckle shampoo tickled his nose.
They stayed locked together, no longer paying attention to the song ending. They continued to make their own music as he swayed with Caroline in his arms.
“You’re a very good dancer,” she whispered. “Your instructor taught you well.”
