Alaskan Mountain Pursuit Elizabeth Goddard (best short novels .TXT) 📖

the attack in her dreams was too great a risk to take. She’d rather be tired.

She moved to the couch and picked up her sketchbook and a few pencils.

“You draw?”

She didn’t turn as Clay’s footsteps came closer. Emotions danced around inside her mind as she worked to settle on which one was strongest. Embarrassment, yes, that was it. Not only had she thrown herself into his path like some sort of damsel in distress, a role Summer wasn’t used to playing and refused to play, but she’d been standoffish and prickly, something that also wasn’t like her. Even Kate had said something to her about it earlier and Kate wasn’t the warmest of people when you didn’t know her.

She probably couldn’t put off the necessary apology any longer, as it appeared Clay wasn’t going away.

“I do.” She set the pencils in her lap and shifted her weight a little so she’d be face-to-face with Clay, who stood near the couch, just on the edge of the room. “Are you going to sit?”

“Didn’t know if you wanted company.”

“Does what I want matter at this point?”

“You’re still here at the lodge instead of in that safe house your brother picked out, aren’t you?” His voice gave away what he thought about that.

Hadn’t Clay backed her up earlier on the fact that a safe house wasn’t necessary? His tone now seemed to indicate something had changed. What had that conversation between him and her brother been about?

“For now. And look, I’m sorry that messes up what you thought you’d be doing.” Noah had informed her that Clay would basically be her bodyguard for the foreseeable future. She knew it wasn’t Clay’s fault, that he was just doing this because her brothers had asked him to, but the resentment was hard to repress. “It’s not what I was expecting, either—I don’t want my life arranged for me.” She’d spent too much time and energy crafting five-year plans to have them yanked away because of an attack that could have just been random. So far there was no proof anyone would come after her a second time. Summer was hoping, even thinking of praying, that it was a onetime thing.

“I don’t mind.”

Such a quiet, calm answer. Summer didn’t know what to do with that.

She exhaled. “Look, I’m sorry. About now and about earlier. You’re not seeing my best side at the moment.”

“Situations like this don’t tend to bring those out in people.”

“You’ve seen them before.”

He didn’t answer immediately. Just walked around the coffee table to the other end of the couch where she sat and took a seat. “I have.”

“Tyler trusts you. That makes sense, you’re his friend. But Noah trusts you too. You didn’t answer me before, but I was right with my guess, wasn’t I? You’re law enforcement, aren’t you?”

“No.”

“But you were.” His reaction to the question had made her even more sure, but it was more than that. It was the way he’d reacted when she’d first jumped in his truck—not overly riled but instantly understanding the seriousness of the situation. It was the way he’d listened as she told her story, the way he didn’t seem overly excited by anything but at the same time seemed like he never fully relaxed, was always aware of their surroundings and ready to do his part to neutralize any threat.

“I was.”

Summer liked that about him, the way he didn’t give more answer than he had to at first but didn’t attempt to dance around a direct question, either. A straight question deserved a straight answer. It seemed Clay agreed. A mark in his favor.

“I don’t suppose you’d tell me...”

“Not at the moment.”

The tone of his voice didn’t change a bit, his expression didn’t flinch. But the subject was clearly closed. Interesting. She was curious, not because she necessarily doubted his ability to protect her, although maybe there was a little of that. But she also just wanted to know.

“What do you think about the guy who’s after me?” Somehow Summer felt that if she was quiet, he’d be the one asking the questions and she wanted to avoid that for now. As long as she was asking the questions, she was the one in control.

“We don’t know enough yet to make any kind of guesses.” He took a sip from the mug she hadn’t noticed him carrying in with him. Coffee, she’d guess. Her siblings liked the stuff. Summer preferred tea—had gotten hooked on it one summer she’d spent in Europe mountain running and climbing.

“What do we know?”

“I’m not part of the investigation, Summer. I’m just looking out for you.”

“Surely they’ve talked to you about why that’s necessary.”

“They have.”

She let those words hang in the air for a minute while she considered them. “But you aren’t telling me.”

“Because right now, all we have are theories. They won’t help you. They’ll just drive you crazy thinking about the possibilities. I will tell you everything I know the second I think that’s what is best for you.”

Summer felt her shoulders tighten, the first hint of a frown on her face. He’d met her hours earlier. Who was he to decide what was best for her? She opened her mouth, ready to let him have it. Before she could say anything to him, she heard something. A doorknob being rattled? But everyone was inside already. They weren’t waiting for anyone.

She stopped and sat up straight. “What was that?”

Clay was already on his feet, reaching out for her hand, and she took it, the fight she’d been meaning to pick just seconds before mostly forgotten. The doorknob wasn’t making noise anymore, but in the seconds that had followed the initial rattling, there’d been a loud clatter, a small crash like one of the small tables on the porch had been knocked over.

Someone was outside.

“Go after him!” Summer urged.

“I can’t. I have to stay with you.” Clay had his phone out. “Noah, I think there’s an intruder on the deck. Okay. Yes. That’s what I thought.”

He hung up. “This