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“Jacqueline threw it in the lake seconds after she woke up, when I offered to call for help.” He shrugged.
“Threw it in the lake. Of course Jacey would do that. She’s the best.” Walker stopped laughing. “Because you offered to call for help? She really is scared.” He rubbed his jaw. “She’s a feisty tease and has a brave shield up. I haven’t really seen her admit she’s scared, except when Quaid was captured by his mom.”
A feisty tease with a brave shield. That fit Jacqueline perfectly. Absolutely intriguing and appealing to him. Dang, he knew how to pick them. First Sheryl, a two-timer with the face of an angel who had destroyed him, his pride, and his relationship with Clint. Now Jacqueline Oliver, one of the most famed and mysterious women in America.
“Let’s get a bead on how to help her,” Clint asserted. He nodded to them, stepped down off the porch and placed the call.
The cocky sheriff was admitting he shouldn’t make this decision. He was calling Quaid Raven. Jacqueline’s brother. Notorious, wealthy, classy people. He’d teased with and almost kissed Jacqueline Oliver. That was mind-blowing. His sisters would never believe him. Heck, he could hardly believe it himself. If only he could go back to the innocence of his unexpected guest having amnesia and needing him.
Walker rolled his eyes at his big brother, hurried to his truck to retrieve his phone, and placed the call to Doc.
Cade shifted his weight, wanting to rush back into his house, gather Jacqueline into his arms, and reassure her she was safe with him, welcome to stay, and her famous and twisted mother would never find her here.
But that was not his place. Clint was here now. He’d take Jacqueline away, as he probably should.
Cade listened impatiently to the Coleville boys talking on their phones, Walker carefully asking Doc some ‘hypothetical’ questions about amnesia and Clint speaking in rapid tones to Quaid Raven, one of the most famed men in America.
Clint told Quaid about Cade’s military service, his medals and accolades, how he was ‘tougher than any man knew’. It was shocking to hear Clint building him up, turning his back as if Cade couldn’t hear him then. Maybe his former friend just didn’t want to look at him while he said something positive.
It was intriguing and embarrassing. Clint bragging him up? That was a switch. It was almost as if Clint wanted to push Jacey to stay up here. Were they tired of the burden of protecting her? Did he think this remote valley was a safer spot than the Coleville Ranch?
Clint kept repeating, “You want her to choose?”
Cade liked that. Her brother wanted her to choose. Would she choose him?
Personally, he longed to keep Jacqueline here with him and be reassured she didn’t want Clint or any of the Coleville brothers. He’d keep her safe and pray for a chance with her. He would fight for her, do whatever needed to be done to keep her safe.
A chance? A hick cowboy hermit having a ‘chance’ with Jacqueline Oliver? Not only was she one of the most beautiful women in the world, but she was also classy, educated, and wealthy. The way she spoke alone yanked him in like a dog on a leash and proved she was from a different world than his.
A chance? He rubbed his jaw.
His mind was more messed up than hers right now.
Chapter
Five
She had no idea how long she sat in the bathroom, vacillating whether she should go fight by Cade’s side or stay hidden. It was long enough that her backside grew stiff and cold from the tile and she needed to use said bathroom. Did she dare? Standing carefully, she pressed her ear to the door and listened. Nothing.
Cracking the door oh so cautiously, she listened again. Nothing. If the men were still here, they must’ve gone outside.
She shut the door, locked it, and switched on the light. Using the toilet, she withheld a groan as she stood and her thigh and head both ached. She flushed the toilet, then fretted whether she should’ve. Instinct.
Turning to the sink, she gasped. Oh dear. Whatever was messing with her brain wouldn’t allow her to recall her own name, but she somehow knew this wasn’t the manner her face should appear. A horrific mess.
And Cade … that ruggedly handsome cowboy had almost kissed her. Was he a lonely, desperate man, or one of those saintly men who focused on the soul? He appeared to be the best man in the world to her.
Glancing around, she realized there were no beauty products available. Just a pedestal sink with hand soap and a hand towel. She didn’t require makeup or perfume; however, a sample of lotion or tube of Vaseline would be something to work with.
She washed her hands and face. Removing her shirt, she cleansed under her arms. She scrubbed her shirt with the nice-smelling hand soap. A vanilla and lavender mix. It was pleasing. At least she had that to work with.
She wrung the shirt out and slid it back on, grimacing at the snags and tears in the material and dirt smudges she couldn’t get out. At least it smelled better and was a dri-fit material that would dry before long.
Pulling her hair out of the ponytail, she secured the elastic on her wrist and then flipped her hair, shaking it out.
Throwing her head back, she looked critically in the mirror. Ran her fingers through her straight hair and fluffed it around her face. Marginal improvement. Hopefully she didn’t stink any longer. Cade emanated a musk, leather, and outdoorsy scent, the perfect cowboy accents if she had ever thought of that before. And she smelled like a high school locker room. No, a hockey locker room. Her nose wrinkled. How did she know what a hockey locker room smelled like?
Footsteps approached and she froze. While she had fretted about outward appearance and scent, there were men infiltrating Cade’s home. Danger had arrived. Cade appeared to be a loyal cowboy hero, but what if he’d sold her for a mess of pottage? A Bible reference. At least she remembered that.
