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Honestly, our relationship had changed. I really couldn’t say hewasn’ta friend anymore. Not after all he’d gone through with me during the last few weeks.
Unfortunately, the friendship was pretty one-sided at this point. Really, what had I done to helphim?
“I’ll try not to be too much trouble,” I conceded reluctantly. “As soon as I’m well enough, I’ll start looking for my own place. I should have done that a long time ago.”
I startled when Chase gently wrapped his larger hand around mine. “You’ll never be an inconvenience, Vanna. I’d be honored to be a friend and advisor to you. You didn’t ask for this. You were just trying to do your job. It never should have happened.”
I savored the warmth of physical contact as I let out an anxious breath. Chase had become my support, both physically and mentally. I had no idea how to break that habit, and I wasn’t sure I wanted to right now. “Oh, God, my crew.”
Jen, my producer, was probably worried to death, along with the rest of the small crew I’d had with me in Bajo Chiquito.
“Your producer was frantic,” Chase confirmed. “Everyone who works close to you atDeadline Americawas relieved to find out that you were going to be okay. Marshall didn’t tell them much. Just that you got lost, and had been kidnapped in the jungle. He also said that you’d later been found by hikers after you’d escaped your kidnappers and that you’d been sent to Panama City to recover. That’s the cover story. We’ll work out the details of how you got lost later.”
“I’m not sure that Jen will completely buy the fact that I got lost,” I told him skeptically. “She’s been my producer for years. We follow a lot of safety protocols that don’t include being stupid enough to wander away from our base station after dark.”
He squeezed my hand as he said, “You’d be surprised at how creative Marshall can be when it comes to making up believable cover stories. He’ll twist it until it suits your personality. Trust me.”
“You’re right,” I agreed. “That’s probably the least of my worries.”
“No worries,” Chase insisted. “Wewillwork everything out. We’ve gotten very good at covering our asses on the details.”
“I have a job to do, Chase,” I said regretfully. “I have to do narration in the studio to fill in gaps for this special report about the Darien Gap before it’s finished. I was done with all my interviews, and we were actually getting ready to leave for the States the following day, but it’s not ready to air yet.”
“That can wait until you’re healthy,” Chase grumbled. “Relax, Vanna. Are you worried about money? If you are, I can—”
“No!” I said hastily. “It’s not the money. I’m fine financially.”
I’d made good money over the years, and I’d just sold my mother’s house not long ago. Cable news didn’t pay me like I was an A-list movie star, but I had more than enough money in the bank to sustain me for now.
“Then what are you worried about?” Chase inquired gently.
Tears began to roll down my cheeks as I whimpered, “I don’t know. This whole experience just feels overwhelming right now. I’m anxious about everything, and that’s not like me.”
I felt weak, raw, and vulnerable.
I felt completely unable to bury my emotions when I was around Chase, andthatwas terrifying for me.
He let go of my hand and wrapped a strong arm around my waist. “It’s totally normal for you to feel that way,” he informed me huskily. “You’ve been through hell, sweetheart, emotionally and physically.”
God, I really loved it when he called me by some of his sweet pet names, even though I knew it was just a friendship comfort thing.
I really was pathetic.
I let out a long, anxious breath, leaned my head against his shoulder and savored the feel of his warm, strong body as he cradled me against him.
For now, I’d allow myself to take comfort in Chase’s friendship and confidence that things would be all right and that I’d get through this.
I didn’t have the strength to do anything else.
If he wanted to be my friend and my advisor, I’d accept that because I needed that more than I needed to obsess about my attraction to him. Besides, sex was the last thing on my mind at the moment.
“Talk to me, Vanna,” Chase encouraged as he stroked my hair.
“I remember so little about what happened, Chase. I can recall what happened the day of the kidnapping, and how I was taken right after I came out of the shower area. It was so warm that day, and I spent more time in the shower than I should have. But it was right next to our sleeping quarters, so I didn’t have to walk more than a few steps to get to the stairs that led up to the small building we were occupying. Everything happened so fast. Night was falling and they came up behind me. One of them slapped a hand over my mouth before I could scream for help. Another one punched me until I was so dazed I couldn’t even think. I had no choice but to start walking into the jungle with them. It was more like they were carrying me than me actually walking when we left Bajo Chiquito.”
“How did your feet get so torn up?” he asked.
I cringed. My feet were a mess, although they were much better than they had been.
