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Manicured hedges lined the brick path leading from the sidewalk to the front entrance. On the right, a paved driveway wound around the side of the house. Trimmed grass filled the space between the bushes and the pavement. A glimpse of a stone pathway leading to a garden was visible around the left of the home.
“Ready to get out?” Josh asked. “The guard at the gate called up. She knows we’re here.”
Caroline nodded and reached for her door. “We should have made a plan on the drive.”
Instead of talking about what they would say now that they?
?d finally arrived at the end of their road trip, she’d spent the drive down from Eureka staring out the window. She’d made love to Josh Summers last night. After all this time, she’d gone to bed with him. She’d spent the night curled around his strong, powerful body. And she’d woken up with her head resting on the red-gold hair covering his chest.
She’d blown past impossible, pushed failure aside, and claimed her second chance. And now she didn’t want to let go. She wanted to hold on to him with all her heart.
But she’d fallen for a man who didn’t lie. He refused to pretend. Meanwhile she was afraid to use her real name. One glorious, orgasm-filled night didn’t erase the federal warrant hanging over her head.
Josh appeared at her side as her feet touched down on the sidewalk. “Ready?”
The white front door swung open and Helena waved down at them, a smile plastered on her face.
“She looks happy to see us.” Josh grinned and raised his free hand.
“Appearances can be deceiving.”
But he drew her forward, leading her down the brick path. Halfway to the front door, he inclined his head toward hers. “Say what you wish someone had said to you.”
“Chop off his balls?” she muttered.
“That seems a little extreme if we’re wrong and her husband’s just a giant ass who likes to yell at his wife,” he said.
“True.”
They reached the front steps and turned their attention to the woman who looked about as manicured as her hedges. There wasn’t a strand of hair out of place on her blond bob. Her pale pink dress screamed ‘designer.’ And her peep-toe white patent leather heels made Caroline’s combat boots look decidedly out of place. But who wore heels in their own home?
“Hello,” Caroline said.
“What are you doing here?” Helena hissed through her smiling teeth once they’d reached the top of the brick steps leading to the front door. “Are you crazy? I can’t believe you followed me home after eavesdropping on one little phone call!”
Josh drew Caroline closer to his side. “We were in Northern Cali anyway—”
“My husband will be back soon,” Helena snapped, her smile fading now. She looked close to tears again. “I’d like you to leave. Please.”
“Your friends were concerned,” Josh started. But she’d already stepped back and closed the door.
Caroline stared at the brass knocker and debated trying again. But if Helena didn’t want them here, what more could they do?
“I guess you should have replaced ‘hello’ with ‘cut off his balls,’ ” Josh said. “Want to try again?”
She shook her head. “Let’s go. We can have Lily call and see if she can convince Helena to meet with us at a bar or restaurant. Or at our hotel if Helena would prefer someplace more private. Even if she agrees to meet with us, all we can do is offer help. We can’t force her to leave. We can listen. But we can’t save her. She needs to make that call on her own.”
“We’re hanging up our superhero capes?” he said as they reached his truck.
“She needs to be her own hero.” Caroline opened the passenger door and climbed into the truck. “We came down here so that she knows someone is here for her. There’s a way out if she wants it.”
But the escape route comes with its own pitfalls.
Caroline glanced back at the house. She’d fought back, but she wasn’t free. Not yet. And the only way to get there?
No, she pushed that thought aside. Turning herself in wouldn’t set her free. She’d be locked up in a military jail.
“It’s past lunch time,” Josh pointed out.
