A faint pink flushed her cheeks. Ill be okay with what I have. I cant afford to pay for it right now...
Knowing how that admission must have dented her pride, he softened his voice. No worries. Part of SOSs services. Jarrett will foot the bill.
The dog gulped down her food and finished, then sat by Megs side, growling at him. Cooper pointed his soup spoon at Sophie.
Hey, watch it, mutt, or you wont get dessert.
Megs mouth curled into the first real smile hed seen from her. She was so pretty, her mouth all rosebud red, her cheeks flushed.
Sophie is not a mutt. She is a purebred shih tzu.
A shih-what?
Shih tzu.
Sounds like something I suffered downrange in Iraq that the medic had to treat with antibiotics, he muttered.
Coop stared in frank bewilderment at the growling mop of fur. Any temporary bond created when hed rescued the dog had been broken, as evidenced by the bared fangs.
Sure has a sharp set of teeth for such a little thing.
Guilt flashed across Megs face. Shes very protective and loyal. Unfortunately, she hates men.
Selective, he murmured. Or did she learn from her owner?
Her big green eyes narrowed in apparent anger. She learned it from my ex-husband, who tried to starve her to make her mean.
Coop looked at the dog. You had it rough, huh? Guess I cant blame you for biting me if you thought I was a threat to your mom here.
Meg blinked. Most people think Im exaggerating about my ex. Hes very well respected in the community. Hes on the board of several charities and hes known for his contributions to society.
That doesnt mean hes not a jerk. What people show in public can be very different from their private lives.
You believe me?
She sounded incredulous, as if shed stated her ex was a little green alien instead of a bastard. Cooper carefully set down his spoon. I believe the dog. Dogs, like horses, learn to be mean when theyre treated badly. Its self-defense.
Judging from the bruises Meg sported and the suspicious looks she cast him, the princess had been treated the same.
Let me try something. He picked up a piece of meat from his stew and held it out to Sophie. Look, Sophie. Good stuff.
More growling. Cooper avoided looking straight at the dog. Looking head-on at the canine would indicate aggression. Its okay. Come on.
Sophie trotted forward, snatched the meat from his outstretched fingers and pranced backward, as if afraid hed suddenly hit her.
Cooper leaned back, well away from the dog as she ate the meat.
Good girl, he crooned.
Sophie sat back and licked her nose.
Lacey told me youre good with dogs. Youre a Navy SEAL and Jarrett was your leader. Did you work much with dogs when you were deployed?
Grief pinched him as he thought of Max. He stiffened. Id rather not talk about me. Lets get you and the furball settled for the night.
It took a few minutes for the tour. Meg gripped the dog as he showed them the master bedroom upstairs and the bathroom with the old-fashioned claw-foot bathtub. The guest room where shed sleep was downstairs next to another bathroom. He stood in the living room, wondering if shed noticed how worn the plaid sofa was, with bits of fabric fraying at the armrest, or how the chair by the fireplace sagged a little too much.
Beneath the northern window overlooking the barn was a small table and two chairs. Brie had found the set at an antiques fair in Maine. He remembered that day so clearly it hurt. Hed taken her for an outing before one of his deployments, and theyd eaten hot dogs at a stand. It was a crisp, cool May day with pink and purple pansies and petunias starting to bloom, and shed seen that little table with a long scratch down the middle and declared it needed a little TLC and would fit perfectly beneath the window.
Hed sanded, buffed and stained it, and shed hugged him so tight he could barely breathe.
Soon after, she announced she was going to work in the inner city where she could do more good in protecting women and children. Hed tried to talk her out of it, but Brie was stubborn. So hed purchased a new bulletproof vest his brother Derek said was the best. Combat Gear Inc.s vests were lighter and more flexible, allowing Brie to get out of a tight space quicker.
He knew all about getting out of tight spaces.
Shed thanked him over and over when shed tried on the vest, marveling at how thin and sturdy it seemed. Hed hung up the phone that day, relieved his little sister would be safe.
That body armor had proven faulty when Brie was killed. If he ever found M. E. Franklin, the man whose name was on the corporate documents... His jaw tightened as Coop shook the cobweb of memories from his mind. Had to focus on the present, and Meg, who kept staring at him as if he were an ogre.
You look really angry, she whispered.
Sorry. Just woolgathering. This place used to be my sisters.
Does she mind if I stay here a few days? I dont plan on being here long.
Meg wasnt going to settle here for a while. She probably saw how shabby everything was and figured this wasnt the Hilton. He wouldnt force it. Shes dead, he muttered.
Ignoring her apology, he focused on building a fire. As the flames caught and flickered, he thought of how homey and cozy the cottage was. Brie had teased him about how he should use it for a tryst with a sexy brunette.
Funny how the princess fit the description. Her body, yeah, just his type, but not the personality. He preferred country girls who loved riding horses, didnt mind baling hay and enjoyed dancing at the local honky-tonk.
Not wealthy women who carried dogs in designer purses.
After piling wood into the fireplace and igniting it, he dusted off his hands. Theres plenty of food in the pantry. Thermostats on the wall behind the sofa if you get cold. Power may go out in this storm, but the heater is gas so youll be set. Ill leave candles and a flashlight on the hall table.
Meg sat on the sofa, eyes huge and round as she clutched her dog. Youre leaving us alone here?
Damn if she didnt look lost and forlorn, like a stray puppy. He stood and cleared his throat. I have to spend the night with Betsy.
Her expression fell. I understand. Im sure your girlfriend wouldnt like you to stay here with us.
Cooper grinned. Betsys not my girlfriend. Shes a horse with colic.
Megs eyes widened, and then a lovely smile graced her full lips. She gave a little laugh. Oh! I thought...
Admiring the pink flush on her china-doll cheeks, he pointed to the window. I was going to spend the night in the barn, checking up on her. But Ill come back here later, make sure youre okay.
You really do care about your animals.
His throat went tight. Yeah, and ole Bets is special. She belonged to my sister.
He didnt want to launch into an explanation, but Meg nodded and a soft expression filled her face. Of course. I understand. The animals come first. Because they cant defend themselves. Your sister would do the same, Im sure.
Cooper rubbed a hand across his flannel shirt, suddenly uncomfortable. He hated talking about Brie. Any time her name was mentioned, it sent fresh grief through him, and he had to fight hard to maintain his composure.
Ill leave my cell number if you need anything. Barns not far.
My cell phone couldnt get a signal, probably because its an inexpensive throwaway phone. Otherwise I would have called you.
Ah. Thats why you never called. I waited and waited. Hate it when a woman says shell call and never does.
He liked her smile, wished she would relax. But he saw in her eyes the same trauma hed seen overseas in women who had suffered much.
For a minute he imagined what this must be like for herhomeless, on the run, at the mercy of a stranger. A big stranger. She was so tiny and frail-looking, yet he suspected within hid a core of steel. It took courage to pack up and leave everything you knew. He couldnt imagine doing it....
When did your husband beat you?
At first she didnt answer, and the pink of her cheeks warned hed stepped over an invisible line. Coop suspected she was ashamed of the incident and what happened to her.
He gentled his voice. I only want to know if you need medical attention. If you dont want to talk about it, tell me.
Megs head bobbed in a jerky nod, and she looked away. He wasnt that bad this time. But the time I ran off last year, before my grandmother got sick, that was very bad. I was in the hospital for a week. When I returned home, Sophie was gone. I found her in a shelter known for euthanizing dogs.
Cooper wanted to find her husband and show him exactly what he thought of men who beat women and animals. Hed had plenty of experience in dealing with those types and didnt tolerate them well.
Drawing in a deep breath, she picked up Sophie and hugged her until the dog whined. He started toward her, but Meg flinched.
It would take time for her to trust him. Sighing, he took the pad and pen by the old-fashioned rotary phone hanging on the kitchen wall and scribbled his cell. Service out here is sporadic, but I installed special equipment to boost the signal. Im going to call your cell to make sure it works.
After he dialed the number, the cell phone hed plugged in at the counter began to chirp. Nodding, he hung up the phone.
Everythings okay.
I wish I could believe you.
No one knows youre here, he assured her. Only Jarrett and Lacey, and they wouldnt tell a soul. Youre safe. And no one has the phone number of this cottage except my mom and me. Tomorrow well move you up to the main inn.
Wishing he could make her believe him, he snatched up his jacket from a peg by the door, along with his Stetson, and tugged on his gloves.
Cooper paused at the kitchen door. Remember, you need anything, just call me. Youll be fine.
The dog looked at him and growled.
You too, furball.
Then he winked at Meg, opened the door, went onto the sunporch and into the storm.
* * *
When Cooper left, she peered outside, watching him struggle against the howling wind. Meg rubbed her arms, shivering from nerves, not the cold. Certainly it was warm enough here. But she hated being alone in this cottage. And how did she know he wouldnt turn her over to Prescott? Judging from the faded, worn furnishings, Cooper didnt have much money. Money could influence people, even those with the best intentions.
Shed seen it before too many times. But Lacey trusted him. And she trusted Lacey. It would suffice for now.
Not for long. Prescott would find her eventually.
The only person she could trust besides Lacey was Randall Jacobs, the longtime family friend who worked for the company. Randall had invented the fiber they used for racquetball paddles and Meg got the idea to incorporate it into flexible body armor.
After Randall discovered the material was too unstable to stop bullets, he pleaded to halt production. Prescott ignored his entreaties. So Randall hid copies of Prescotts internal confidential documents ordering the shipment of the defective vests to Boston.
Hed told Meg he would give her those documents for her to turn over to federal authorities, and then give himself protection under the federal whistleblower act.
She picked up the cell phone and checked the charge. Shed texted Randall while on the road. He had this number and promised to call by tonight to arrange to meet her at his familys summer house in a nearby town. What if something happened? Could someone trace this phone back to her? Shed been so careful.
Where could Randall have hidden those documents?
Sophie trotted on her heels into the living room after Meg washed the bowls and cleaned up. Sitting before the fire, she stared at the flickering flames.
Leaving Sophie to doze before the fire, she went into the bedroom and fetched her grandmothers quilt. Meg wrapped it around herself and curled onto the sofa.
I miss you, Gran, she whispered. Why did you have to leave me?
Letticia Taylor had been a healthy seventy-year-old until a few months ago, when she began to sicken. She died in the hospital two weeks ago, Meg stroking her chilled blue-veined hand.
Prescott attended the funeral, and a few days later, they went to the family attorney in Boston. Bert Baxter informed Meg that Gran had left everything to Prescott. Everything.
She was literally cashless and powerless.
The sexy Cooper with his crooked grin and burning blue eyes assured her this cottage was safe. He would protect her.
No one can really protect me.
She hadnt been safe all those times before when shed tried to escape Prescott, and she had no real confidence Cooper Johnson could deliver on his promise.
Meg turned on the television in the living room. It was an older model, and nothing compared to the wide-screen HDTV in her mansion.
She channel surfed, restless, until landing on a news channel. And then she stiffened as she recognized the familiar surroundings. It was a news report from Florida, with several police cars surrounding a BMW she knew...for she had been there the day hed bragged about getting that sweet car.
No, please no.
The television news reporter was talking.
Murder in Palm Beach! The body of Palm Beach millionaire Randall Jacobs was found this morning inside his car in a public park near a playground. There are no suspects at the time and police are investigating...
Meg snapped off the remote and stared at the blank screen. Wind pushed at the windows, howling to get inside.
Her chest hurt and her throat tightened. Randall, oh God, Im so sorry, she whispered.
Randall Jacobs, the only man she trusted, the only one who had the evidence to convict her husband and send him to jail, far out of reach, was dead.
Chapter 4
It didnt matter if Cooper Johnson had a room filled with weapons. She wasnt safe here. Prescott had murdered Randall. She knew it.
Wrapping her arms around herself, Meg paced the living room, thinking hard.
She went into the kitchen and unplugged her cell phone from the charger.
The light blinked, indicating a voice mail. She dialed it and listened, her blood turning to ice.
Randall.
Meg, theyre after me. A small, gruff laugh, filled with terror. Should never have stayed in this game, but I got greedy. Im sorry. Im so damn sorry for what I did.