Chapter 1
Reese stood by the large picture window in the cozy living area of the guest house she’d been staying in for over a month now. It overlooked a beautiful lake surrounded by tall wild grasses and was often visited by egrets and butterflies. Most of all, she loved watching the fireflies at night. They fascinated her in a way that made her want to stay up for hours, sitting in the safety of the dark room as they lit up like tiny floating lanterns.
It was only four o’clock in the afternoon though, several hours before the first fireflies would appear, but Reese wasn’t disappointed. She had a far better view right now of the most handsome and sexy man she’d ever laid eyes on. Garrett leaped off the small dock jutting out over the lake, and dove head first into the freezing water.
Reese only allowed herself the briefest of interactions with Garrett, mostly when he brought her groceries, or the science magazines they both loved reading, and that time when he was kind enough to bring her one of those disposable pay-as-you-go cell phones. He’d even loaned her his tablet that she spent most nights scrolling on when she couldn’t sleep, afraid to wake up back in that musky motel room chained to the bed, or worse, in that psychiatric hospital, drugged out of her mind.
At first, she’d tried to give the tablet back, insisting it was too much, but he’d just shrugged and said he hardly used it. Shedidn’t really believe that. Garrett Cooper was just a good and generous man.
As he swam in the lake, first doing laps, then floating on his back, she shivered just thinking about that frigid liquid touching her skin. He dove under again, then surfaced at least twenty feet away, and the corners of her mouth pulled upward.
Even when no one was watching, or at least she didn’t think he saw her watching him, the man was a ball of fun energy. It said a lot about him, since he was a Texas Ranger, and wore a gun and badge for a living. She’d seen him in action once, when he’d rescued her, and unlike the man out in that lake right now, Garrett was fierce and a force to be reckoned with on the job.
It was one of the many reasons she chose to stay in his guest house, instead of running away as soon as she got her bearings and strength back. Garrett Cooper made her feel safe.
She honestly hadn’t felt much of anything in a very long time, but safe hadn’t even been on her radar until he closed the distance between them in that filthy motel room, slipped the handcuffs from her wrists and ankles, and said, “You’re safe now.”
Reese had almost laughed in his face, but something about the way he said it made her believe him. Maybe it was the sincerity in his rumbling voice, or those deep-set eyes she found herself wanting to look into, but stopped herself just in time. She wasn’t sure she could’ve survived the repercussions if their gaze had met. She’d felt so weak, broken, and defeated, both mentally and physically. Seeing this man’s death, feeling it consume her so soon after seeing Vivian’s death, it would’ve been too much.
Then his large, calloused hands touched hers, enveloping her cold fingers like a warm familiar blanket, and the most bizarre thoughts filled her mind. She blamed them on dehydration or hunger, or even whatever that condition was called when someone supposedly fell in love with the person who’d savedthem. She kept telling herself it wasn’t real. That these feelings for Garrett weren’t real. But every day that went by, they didn’t seem to fade.
“Hey Garrett!” A man’s voice called from outside, penetrating her thoughts, and she instinctively stepped back from the window. The man wore a navy blue t-shirt with khaki shorts. He smiled at the woman next to him, a beautiful brunette. But the lines on her arms and legs that looked like scars had Reese’s breath hitching. Garrett said he knew the other woman Vivian held captive. Was that her? A strange longing to go out there and meet her tugged at Reese, but she quickly pushed it aside. It wasn’t like she knew the woman, nor did she have any idea what to say to her. Bonding over a traumatic experience didn’t seem like the greatest way to start a friendship.
Garrett had come by that morning to tell her that his friends were coming over for a barbeque today. He’d invited Reese to join them, but she had declined. The thought of being with that many people in broad daylight terrified her. If she accidentally looked into any one of their eyes… just the thought sent fear skittering up her spine.
There was a time Reese tried to live as normal of a life as possible, ignoring whenever her ability was triggered. But after seeing the awful death of a client, she started going out of her way to avoid making eye contact altogether. Even if it made her stand out in all the wrong ways, she just couldn’t deal with it anymore. Seeing all the horrible ways people died gave her nightmares and anxiety attacks, but seeing that poor woman being buried alive had caused her to have a full-blown panic attack.
Of course, not meeting people’s gaze led to moments of awkwardness and various outlandish accusations, including that she was on the spectrum. Not that there was anything wrongwith that, except she wasn’t. She would have no problem looking people in the eyes, if that was all she saw when she did.
But now, just peering out the window from several feet away, made Reese feel uneasy. She kept her gaze low, aiming well below the neckline in case anyone turned and looked in her direction. She had no idea what Vivian told them before she was killed, or what she herself knew. Vivian made a lot of assumptions, but Reese never told her the truth. Reese had known a few bullies in her life. She’d grown up with one. And the last thing Reese was ever going to do was give them power over her by admitting to anything.
Reese took another step back from the window as Garrett used the edge of the dock to pull himself out of the water. Despite her fear of making eye contact, she couldn’t seem to look away from the man’s glistening, muscular body. A large tribal tattoo covered his shoulder, and Reese wondered if it had any special meaning, or if he just liked the design. Her gaze lingered on him, appreciating the way his abs and peck muscles rippled every time he moved. The way his thick thighs carried him across the dock and somewhat unkempt yard. Even his bare feet were sexy, the way they cut through the grass to meet his friends.
The woman’s laughter traveled through the walls and windows that weren’t thick enough to keep out the sound, and Reese smiled at the lightness of her joy. Garrett was in profile to Reese now, talking to the couple, so she chanced a quick glance at his face. The man had a rigid jawline, a dimple in his right cheek, and a smile that could light up the state.
Reese had kissed a few guys in her time, mostly in cliche places that were veiled in darkness - movie theaters, cars. One guy actually thought it would be romantic to kiss her in a dark alley, but hearing the skittering of rats in a nearby dumpster, just left her feeling gross and unclean. Yet somehow the idea of kissing Garret - anywhere, really - made her skin tingle. Hercheeks burned with the thought and her core seemed to tighten with anticipation.
She was just being silly though. That man could have any woman he wanted, why would he choose someone like her, with a crazy step brother to boot? She nibbled her bottom lip, forcing herself to turn away from the window before Garrett sensed her gaze on him.
As more people came into the yard, Reese didn’t want to chance making eye contact with anyone. She returned to the couch and picked up the tablet, turning the screen on. It opened to the last website she’d been scouring before growing weary and going over to the window in time to see Garrett jump into the water.
Not wanting to sit and think about a man she could never have, Reese continued her scrolling of local jobs. She needed to start making money and move out of Garrett’s guest house before she wore out her welcome.
The problem was that she was only good at exactly one thing.
Before everything happened, she’d been a successful and well-established artist, living in Sedona, Arizona. She made a comfortable living selling her mixed media art sculptures and canvases, and was on her way to booking her tenth gallery show in the Southwest region. One of the gallery owners was friends with another gallery owner in New York City, and she’d promised that if Reese’s show did well, she would recommend her to her friend in the Big Apple. It was the opportunity of a lifetime, and Reese had missed out on it.
Just thinking about how many wrong turns her life had taken in such a short time had Reese’s stomach threatening to revolt. She could easily put all the blame on her step brother, but in the end, it was her own fault.
She’d been too trusting. Too open with a stepbrother who’d never accepted her as family. And it had cost her everything,including her freedom. She just wished she knew why Russell had turned on her like that.
***
Garrett kept his eyes forward on his friends, but he didn’t miss the prickle on the back of his neck telling him he was being watched. He smiled, nodding at Caden and Hallie as they closed the distance, but the smile was really for Reese.
“You just couldn’t wait,” Caden said with a chuckle.
Garrett smiled and grabbed for a towel. “Water’s great.” He quickly dried himself then reached for the bag Hallie was carrying. She readily handed it over and he acted like it was filled with a ton of bricks. “Good grief, Woman, does your fiancé always make you carry the heavy stuff? What’s in here? Rocks?”
