her. No sooner had the police left than Rayne pulled up and she ran outside to meet him.
His concerned gaze raked over her. “You okay?”
“Yeah, I think so. Shook me up a bit though.”
His jaw tightened. “Well, it's good to know something can.” He gathered her to him, held her tight against his chest. A strong finger tilted her chin so she had to look at him. “You scared me,” he told her. “I thought you'd be at home, cuddled up on the couch, but no, you went by yourself to a game downtown. And not only did Seth whatever-his-name is show up, but he followed you afterward.” He cupped her face in his hands, stared into her eyes. “Do you realize how lucky you were? You could be in the hospital right now, if you'd been in an accident because you ran one too many lights, or rolled your truck trying to lose him. Don't you understand? Making that team is not worth putting your life at risk, Chris. Who the hell knows what this guy is after, so until he's caught you're putting your life in danger every time you go out alone. Do you get that? Promise me you won't do anything so stupid again.”
Tears of frustration welled. He could never understand what the team meant to her, how hard she'd worked to get this far. But it wasn't just that. She wanted her freedom, wanted to live her life like any other person. It wasn't her fault some deranged maniac had fixated on her. She would have defended herself to him but the worry on his face took the fight out of her. “I'm sorry,” she said. “I didn't mean to scare you. I'll be more careful from now on.” Seeing how much he cared about her formed an even bigger lump in her throat.
He let out a deep breath and pulled away. “I called the boys and they checked out the license plate. The pickup's stolen, and they're looking for it right now.”
“I guess I can't go home then?”
“Not on your life, darlin'.” Absolute steel rang in his voice.
She forced down the spurt of panic at the prospect of being banned from her home. Her life was being stripped away from her; first softball, now her house. What would be next? She hated Seth whatever-his-name-was for it. “Okay,” She dug way down to stay calm. No point blasting Rayne for her predicament. It wasn't his fault, and it wouldn't solve anything. “So what now?”
“You could stay at my place.”
Oh yeah, like she would move in with him and make it that much harder to keep her feelings to herself. She arched a brow at him.
“Oh, come on,” he snapped. “I'm not expecting anything from you in return, so don't look at me like that.”
“Like what?” she demanded. She'd be an idiot to put herself through that kind of torture. Live in his space, seeing him day in and day out and be nothing more than friends.
He pinched the bridge of his nose like he had a killer headache, then glared at her. “That's it. If you don't have the sense to go somewhere safe, I'll damn well drag you there over my shoulder.”
“Maybe I could go and stay with Michael, but I'd rather not leave town entirely. Besides, this creep could follow me anywhere, so how does it matter where I am?”
“At least if you're not alone, he can't hurt you, can he?” His voice rose. “If you won't stay with me, pack your stuff and get over to Drew and Teryl's. This is not something you can handle on your own anymore, Chris, do you understand me?”
She did, and she didn't like it one bit. She hated the fact that some creep could turn her life upside down and scare her to the point where she actually had to leave her own home to find some security. “I don't know if staying with them is such a good idea. I'd feel awful if I put them at risk.”
“And is that as important as keeping you from ending up in the hospital? God, are you even listening to yourself? If Teryl could hear you right now she'd kick your ass.”
Yikes, he was really mad. Even his drawl had disappeared. This was no laid-back Southern boy. His eyes were like twin lasers
His concerned gaze raked over her. “You okay?”
“Yeah, I think so. Shook me up a bit though.”
His jaw tightened. “Well, it's good to know something can.” He gathered her to him, held her tight against his chest. A strong finger tilted her chin so she had to look at him. “You scared me,” he told her. “I thought you'd be at home, cuddled up on the couch, but no, you went by yourself to a game downtown. And not only did Seth whatever-his-name is show up, but he followed you afterward.” He cupped her face in his hands, stared into her eyes. “Do you realize how lucky you were? You could be in the hospital right now, if you'd been in an accident because you ran one too many lights, or rolled your truck trying to lose him. Don't you understand? Making that team is not worth putting your life at risk, Chris. Who the hell knows what this guy is after, so until he's caught you're putting your life in danger every time you go out alone. Do you get that? Promise me you won't do anything so stupid again.”
Tears of frustration welled. He could never understand what the team meant to her, how hard she'd worked to get this far. But it wasn't just that. She wanted her freedom, wanted to live her life like any other person. It wasn't her fault some deranged maniac had fixated on her. She would have defended herself to him but the worry on his face took the fight out of her. “I'm sorry,” she said. “I didn't mean to scare you. I'll be more careful from now on.” Seeing how much he cared about her formed an even bigger lump in her throat.
He let out a deep breath and pulled away. “I called the boys and they checked out the license plate. The pickup's stolen, and they're looking for it right now.”
“I guess I can't go home then?”
“Not on your life, darlin'.” Absolute steel rang in his voice.
She forced down the spurt of panic at the prospect of being banned from her home. Her life was being stripped away from her; first softball, now her house. What would be next? She hated Seth whatever-his-name-was for it. “Okay,” She dug way down to stay calm. No point blasting Rayne for her predicament. It wasn't his fault, and it wouldn't solve anything. “So what now?”
“You could stay at my place.”
Oh yeah, like she would move in with him and make it that much harder to keep her feelings to herself. She arched a brow at him.
“Oh, come on,” he snapped. “I'm not expecting anything from you in return, so don't look at me like that.”
“Like what?” she demanded. She'd be an idiot to put herself through that kind of torture. Live in his space, seeing him day in and day out and be nothing more than friends.
He pinched the bridge of his nose like he had a killer headache, then glared at her. “That's it. If you don't have the sense to go somewhere safe, I'll damn well drag you there over my shoulder.”
“Maybe I could go and stay with Michael, but I'd rather not leave town entirely. Besides, this creep could follow me anywhere, so how does it matter where I am?”
“At least if you're not alone, he can't hurt you, can he?” His voice rose. “If you won't stay with me, pack your stuff and get over to Drew and Teryl's. This is not something you can handle on your own anymore, Chris, do you understand me?”
She did, and she didn't like it one bit. She hated the fact that some creep could turn her life upside down and scare her to the point where she actually had to leave her own home to find some security. “I don't know if staying with them is such a good idea. I'd feel awful if I put them at risk.”
“And is that as important as keeping you from ending up in the hospital? God, are you even listening to yourself? If Teryl could hear you right now she'd kick your ass.”
Yikes, he was really mad. Even his drawl had disappeared. This was no laid-back Southern boy. His eyes were like twin lasers
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