Her CEO Stalker and Her Second Chance Mate Chapter 21

Briar

Carter paid the tab and when I tried to put a tip on the table, he snatched it and stuffed it back into my hand before he dragged me out of there, no doubt before his sister could corner him. 

“Come on, let’s go to the grocery store.”

“I won’t have power for a few days,” I said.

“Well, I need some things and you can keep yours at my place ‘til your power is on,” he said hopefully.

“You don’t have to do that. I’ll survive on canned stuff for a while. I’ve been doing just fine,” I pointed out. His eagerness to help me was daunting, I was confused. He made a noise in his throat in disagreement. I wanted to retort, my whole being was against being another man’s bitch. 

“I have to get some stuff, anyway. I live just up the road, really, we are almost neighbors,” he tried to relax my fears. I trusted nothing, everything felt like controlling behaviors, and I just wanted to bolt, but these were Uncle Jake’s people, and I wanted to get to know whatever world my father grew up in before Creedon inevitably finds me; though, I prayed this would truly be my sanctuary. I pulled my hood up and nodded, still bristling.

I went to reach for a cart and he grabbed it before I could. I huffed but followed him, crossing my arms across my chest. I felt exposed in the small grocery store, my eyes darting around looking for necessities. A bag of apples, oatmeal, rice, beans in a can.

Carter

She couldn’t survive on what she was tossing in the cart, so I doubled up on bacon, eggs, sausages of all kinds, and meat. One way or another, I’d make sure she was fed properly. She wouldn’t like it, but she needed it. She tossed in the cheapest processed bread she could find. I shook my head and bee-lined for the bakery tossing in a loaf of sourdough, and one of rye, into the cart. This woman was going to make me entice her to eat properly. I didn’t know how I was going to do it, but it was going to happen. When we got out of the food section, I grabbed charcoal and lighter fluid. She wasn’t paying attention, good. 

When we got to the counter she paused. While she had tried to keep her stuff in a corner of the cart it was now all magically mingled with mine. She tried to stop me more than once as I purposefully mixed our stuff up on the belt but she kept her mouth shut not wanting to draw attention to herself over my “mistake”. I could practically hear her cursing under her breath… then I chucked the divider, and Mea looked at me questioningly. I just grinned and she rang it all up together while I felt the heat of her anger at my back. Boy, was she feisty; she was already the prickliest porcupine I ever did meet.

“What exactly do you think you’re doing?” she spat, when we got to the truck and I began placing the bags in the back.

“Buying groceries.”

“I can afford my own, thank you, very much! Thanks for making me look like a charity case!” she snapped. I hadn’t looked at it that way and sighed.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t think about how that might come across, I just wanted to help a friend out.”

“Listen, Carter, I’m not looking for friends. I’m just trying to survive the situation I’ve been dealt and you are not helping what I am going through. I need to do shit for myself right now. Trust me when I say, I can afford it. I’m not a charity case.” That brought me back to reality, this woman needed a sense of control on her life and I had just taken a part of that from her. If my daddy taught me anything, it was when to apologize for being dumb to a female’s needs. 

“Look, I’m sorry, I thought I was just helping out. I didn't think about how it would make you feel." I looked over at her hugging herself. Feeling like an asshole. “Tell me how I can make it up to you?” I offered. She shook her head and shrugged. She didn’t know how and that was fair enough, I’d have to figure it out myself. 

The drive back was painfully quiet, and every way I had guessed I’d slink myself closer to her, had me fading further away from her with each mile I drove. I had been an asshat and thought my actions would gain her trust. I wasn’t thinking about her needs. I wouldn’t make that mistake again. She wanted a low profile. That is what made her feel safe. I’d give her that. I only hoped he would accept my word at face value, I needed time to get down to the bottom of this mystery of who Briar really was in relation to Jake, and what exactly had happened to her to bring her here in the condition she was in.

When we pulled up to Jake’s place, she shook her head, her hand pausing over the latch to her seatbelt. I know you are just trying to be friendly, but I was never given anything in life, I earned it. The first person I let do anything for me, did this,” she said, motioning to her face. I’m not going to fall into another trap like that again.”

“I’m not trying to trap you, Briar. I just want to help you. You’re new here; not everyone around here is going to be welcoming. You’ve gone through something awful, so you shouldn’t be entirely alone. You were important to Jake, you’re here now, and I’ll be damned if I let you go through all the shit you must be going through by yourself. I promise, I won’t buy you anything else, and once you have the power on and the truck running, I’ll back off.”

“Didn’t you just come here to make sure I wasn’t squatting on Jake’s place?”

“Yeah, well, Jake would probably knock my teeth in from the other side if I didn’t do right by you. I don’t feel right just leaving you on your own.”

“The last thing I want is anyone’s pity,” she huffed, shaking her head.

“It’s not pity, Briar, it’s compassion. This is a small town and we take care of each other. Jake must have given you the property for a reason, so to me, that’s enough of a voucher to include you in our community. Others may take more convincing, but in my eyes, you’re already a part of the p…town, and I’m here for you. Just like I’d be here for any of them.” I wasn’t lying, but I was omitting the part where I needed to know more about her, and there were some things I was keeping to myself until I learned enough to make sense of everything before saying too much to her, or to him.

I helped her sort out what she was keeping here, and when I went to help her inside, she asked, “Don’t you have a wife or a girlfriend to go home to? I’d be pissed if my man left me home alone to follow some other female around all night.”

“No, it’s just me. I usually eat at the diner cuz eating at home reminds me I live alone, well besides Rosie and Tucker.”

“Who are they?”

“My dog and cat,” I said, with a grin.

“Well, you best go home and feed them,” she tried to push me to leave as I set the bags on the counter.

“I’m off tomorrow. I’ll come by with some gas I got at the house and see if we can get the truck started, if that’s alright with you?” I figured I’d curb my ego and ask politely and see if she accepted. 

She bit her lip thinking, as she pulled a lighter out of her hoodie pocket and lit a few candles.

She nodded. “Alright, it’s against my better judgement, but I’ll give you a chance. You’re right about one thing…”

“What’s that?”

“As much as I just want to be alone, deep down, I know I shouldn’t be,” she said, somberly. There was defeat in her voice. As if all the trials she had been faced with were catching up with her.

“Alright, I’ll see you in the morning,” I said, pausing at the front door. “Mind you stay inside at night, the woods are full of wolves and bears, among other things,” I warned her. She nodded, taking things out of bags, and I left.

When I got home and put the groceries away I grabbed a beer and flipped on the TV. I stared at my phone, my finger lingering over his name. What do I tell him and what do I avoid saying.

“She claims to be Jake's niece, but we both know that’s not true, however she has all the paperwork that gives her rights to Jake’s property, Amber even acknowledged that. Give me some more time to get to the bottom of this. I’m making progress but her situation is delicate; so, slow and steady. I’ll let you know if I find out anything new,” I reported.

I believed she really thought she was who she said she was. If that were the case, who was she to Jake and why didn’t the rest of us know anything about her?

“What’s her name?”

“Briar Anderson.” The dots on my phone indicated my Alpha was typing but when a response didn’t respond right away, I set my alarm and plugged my phone in. I’d have to get up early if I wanted to surprise Briar with breakfast. But I needed to go for a run.