Her CEO Stalker and Her Second Chance Mate Chapter 32

I woke up late in the morning with a headache, no doubt, too much alcohol and tears. After wrapping my ribs as Cater instructed, I found a robe on the back of the door, and walked down the stairs and meandered to the first floor, finding myself alone in the house. The note by the coffee pot with a bottle of Advil, told me everything I needed to know. I sighed, investigated the pot, found it prepped, and pressed the brew button. Rosie, who had followed me down, scratched at the back door as Tucker lazily meandered into the kitchen with a stretch before finding his bowl of kibble to eat. I let Rosie out. My eyes followed her as she bounded off the deck and into the side yard to do her business.

When the coffee was done, I made my way out onto the back deck. I watched the valley below bask in the late morning sunlight, the sounds of nature spoke to my soul. I processed the events from the night before; dinner, the panic attack, the way Carter’s hands felt against my skin. He seemed like a good guy, really. I just wasn’t in a place I could look at anyone like that. I didn’t know if I could ever look at anyone like that ever again. I hugged myself leaning against the railing, squinting my eyes as I looked for any signs of Rosie. 

When there were movements in the bushes at the treeline, I moved to the left side of the deck. Two blurred figures were running in the trees.

“Rosie!” I called to her, my heart beating wildly. The dog busted through the treeline, tongue lolling, her tail happy and alert, as she stopped in the yard, looking at me expectantly. Then the second figure came to a skidding halt at the threshold of the trees. A large brindle wolf.

“Rosie! Come!” I shouted sternly, moving towards the open gate on the deck. She glanced back at the wolf, but immediately bolted to comply. I shut the gate behind her. My eyes fixated on the wolf that didn’t move. She stared at me, as if sizing me up, while my hands ran over Rosie’s coat looking for any injury. The wolf cocked her head and backed into the treeline. I let out a breath of relief. I’d have to ask Carter about the wolves in the area. I’ve heard of dogs running with coyotes before, but that wolf was much bigger than any coyote I had ever seen.

I grabbed my coffee and went back inside, locking the door behind me. I leaned against the back door letting my breathing even out before I popped two Advil, and checked the closet under the stairs. There she was, the most beautiful shotgun I had ever seen. I picked a point on the wall and tried out the sight after clearing and reloading the slug. I glanced around the closet, seeing a few more zipped gun cases, I shut the door. It eased my mind realizing the house was well stocked. I checked the front door and found it locked. I thought he said people around here kept their doors unlocked. Maybe he had taken the Creedon situation seriously and wanted me to feel safe. 

I padded up the stairs and poked my head into his room. Moving around with the brace limited my mobility, but the compression eased the general pain I had been dealing with since I got out of hell. I picked up a few articles of dirty clothes off the floor. The scent of him on the clothes had me swooning. How does the damn man smell so good? The scent of aspen and woodsmoke filled my head, reminding me of the feel of his fingers on my skin. I shook my head, clearing it, before stopping at the bathroom to do the same with the washcloths and towels in there. The least I could do was to do the man’s laundry. I got dressed in fresh clothes and gathered my dirty stuff too, before I wandered down and put the laundry in for him. I took my stuff out of the dryer and sat on the couch to fold the laundry. The remote was missing so I got up and turned on the TV, flipping to the lifetime channel. It had to be safer than the news. I never wanted to see Creedon’s face again.

A few hours later the laundry was done and I was sniffling through the third movie in a row, with Tucker curled up in my lap, and Rosie napping at my feet. The credits rolled and I sighed, needing a break from the scandalous emotional drama I had succumbed to. I set Tucker on the couch and stood up as he stretched. Rosie woke up alert and her nails clicked on the wood floor as she followed in my wake. I wondered what time Carter would be home. He had left his number, should I figure something out for dinner. I opened the fridge, surveying it. I glanced at the clock, it was two in the afternoon. My fingers itched to at least text him, to hear from him, somehow. I looked over at Rosie, who looked at me with her head cocked, her tail thumped on the floor. “Fine!” I said out loud. Her mouth fell open in that happy go lucky canine way, her tongue hanging out.

I went upstairs to get my phone, with Rosie as my shadow, as I turned it on and made my way through the house and back into the kitchen. I typed in Carter’s number and saved it under the code name, “Hot Cop,” I grinned to myself before shooting him a text.

Briar: Hey Carter, it’s Briar I was wondering how late you would be tonight.

Carter: Aww, you miss me already?

I caught myself grinning.

Briar: I see someone thinks very highly of himself.

Carter: Do you blame me?

I chose to ignore that bit.

Briar: I was wondering if I should figure something out for dinner?

My phone buzzed, then “Hot Cop” flashing across the screen. I grinned and answered.

“You know a yes or no would suffice.” I teased him.

“Well,”--- he paused, as if thinking what to say— “I just came from Jake’s parent’s place, they want to meet you, and invited us over for dinner.”

My heart thudded in my chest, I hadn’t thought about the possibility that my grandparents were still alive. Uncle Jake never really talked about them.

“I didn’t tell them too much, just said you’ve been through some stuff, and I wasn’t sure if you would be up to it but I’d ask.” he let me know.

“I um, of course, I will go!” I finally sputtered out.

“You sure, Briar? They will understand if it takes you a while to be ready.”

“No, Carter, I’m good, what time?”

“I’ll come get you around 6. Their  place is a bit far out of town, so it will take us a bit to get there. I’ll be home after I finish up at the office, just got a few loose ends to tie up. Everything ok over there today?”

“I was gonna wait til you got home, but do wolves usually run up by the house?” There was silence on the other end so I continued. “I let Rosie out this morning and she was running through the woods with one. Rosie is fine, I’m just afraid to let her out again.”

“Um, must be her friend, there’s one she takes off with from time to time,” he said, nonchalantly. “What did she look like?”

“Ahh, I don’t know if it was a she, Brindle fur, green eyes.”

“Yup, those two play chase from time to time, nothing to worry about. She shouldn’t be up by the house though,” he grumbled at the end.

“Okay, I’ll see you around 6,” I let him know, a little confused at the way he talked about the wolf being so close to the house. He wasn’t surprised, rather, annoyed maybe?

“See you in a bit, sweetheart.”

“Bye, Carter.” I clicked off the phone and found myself staring at the neatly folded laundry on the bed Carter was letting me sleep in; and so began my new dilemma, I had nothing to wear. Guess the grandparents would meet me as I was, first impressions be damned. 

A few hours later I ended up in a fishnet shirt with a crop tee over it and the only pair of jeans I had with my boots. I was trying to cover as much of my bruised skin as possible. The brace came off as it could be seen poking out from under my tee. Carter could scold me later.

Next I dumped my makeup bag out on the bathroom counter and got to work concealing the bruises around my face and neck. I opted for a dark smokey eye, but didn’t overdo the winged eyeliner, trying to distract from the damage that still remained under the layers of concealer. It felt good to look at myself and not see the damage so blatantly, to pretend it didn’t exist. Lastly, I brushed out my hair, putting the top half up in a pair of space buns, and letting the back fall down my back. Rosie laid on her back, staring at me throughout the process, in the doorway. I was brushing out the back when I heard the front door. Rosie’s ears perked up but she didn’t move.

I stood frozen with sheer dread, until Carter’s voice called out after the door unlocked. “Briar?” I let out a breath of relief before answering.

“I’m up here!”

A few moments later, I heard Carter approaching. He leaned against the bathroom door jam and looked at me, a grin on his face. He glanced down at Rosie. “I see I’m chopped liver now. I don’t blame you, she’s much prettier to look at than I am. Our eyes met when he looked up and I could feel the blush creeping up my neck.

“I didn’t have many options for meeting the grandparents for the first time, so unfortunately, they get me as I am.” I said, with a shrug. Carter cleared his throat.

“They are going to love you just the way you are.”