His Old-Fashioned Love (Old-Fashioned Series) (11 page)

His voice could have frozen a penguin and her temper surged
. Didn’t he know her at all? But then, they hadn’t actually known each other long. It only felt like she’d known him forever.

She should let him continue thinking that she’d been out with another man. It would be easier. But the stiff set of his shoulders let her know he was hurt
and even though she was angry, she didn’t want to hurt him.

“You jerk,” she snapped at him.

His eyes widened in surprise.

“
Do you seriously believe that I was out sleeping around? It that how little you think of me?”

She panted with her
anger.

Brax took a step back, his face shocked. “Holly—”

“Get out.”

He ran his hand over his short hair. “Holly, I’m so sorry. You’re right. I’m lashing out at you and it’s not fair. I just sat there all night, worrying about what had happened to you. You didn’t answer my calls or texts. I thought something bad had happened. I even called the hospital.”

His face showed his misery and she felt her temper ease, exhaustion taking over.

“
I wasn’t out with anyone. I’m not going to tell you what I was doing, but believe it or not, I don’t sleep around. I’m actually a bit of a prude.”

“You’re not a prude,” he objected. Then his shoulders slumped. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to imply that you…”

“Were a slut?” she finished for him.

“Are you in trouble?”

“Brax. Even if I was in trouble I’m not yours to rescue.”

“
Derrick expects me to watch out for you.”

This old argument. He couldn’t have it all his own way. Holly pushed down her temper. Yelling at him wouldn’t help.
“I don’t need a man to look after me. We’re just friends, remember? As my friend, I’m asking you to leave me be and let me sleep.”

He opened his mouth then closed it, thinking for a moment
. He looked as exhausted as she did and some awful part of her was glad. It wasn’t right if she was the only one suffering.

“All right. But, just know I’m here if you need me.”

Yeah, he’d be there for her.
Just not the way she really needed him.

She closed her eyes as he shut the door, willing sleep to take her over.

Holly drank cold coffee, grimacing at the taste. But if it would keep her awake a bit longer she’d drink it. This was the fourth night she’d spent watching Mason Philips house and she couldn’t keep going like this. It was killing her. She was here all night and trying to pretend everything was fine all day.

Her phone rang and she
reached for her handbag to pull it out. She checked who the caller was.

“Hello, Derrick, how are you?
” she greeted her brother-in-law warmly. “This is a bit late to be calling, isn’t it?”

“H
ello to you too. According to Brax, you’ve been out all hours lately so I didn’t think it would matter. What’s going on, Holly?”

“Brax i
s spying on me now?” she snapped, exhaustion loosening her tongue.

“No, sounded to me like he was worried about you. Where are you? What aren’t you telling me?”
Derrick could be a bulldog when he wanted to know something and she scrambled, trying to think up a valid reason to give him for her nocturnal activity. Unfortunately, her brain wasn’t firing on all cylinders and she came up blank.

“You know, I’m a grown woman. If I want to stay out late, I can.”

“We’ve known each other a long time, Holly,” Derrick replied in a calm voice. “Of course you’re an adult, but you’re forgetting how well I know you. We both know you’re an early-to-bed, early-to-rise person.”

“Boring, you mean.”

There was a moment of silence. “Not at all. You sound odd. I’m worried.”

She pinched her nose. What was she doing snappin
g at Derrick? He was her friend. He didn’t deserve to have her take out her bad temper on him.

“I’m sorry, Derrick. I’m fine, really I am. I just, I guess I’m missing home.” It was time to go
. Hanging around here, seeing Brax every day, it was torture. And it seemed like playing detective just wasn’t her calling.

“Then book tickets tomorrow and come home,” he said quietly. “B
rax is pleased with Joshua. I think you’re right and they can handle everything. Nothing else has happened. Come home.”

“
Yeah, I think I will. I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”

“All right, now get some sleep.”

“Yes, boss.” Watching Mason Philips house each night was turning into a foolish endeavor. Nothing had happened. Obviously she’d misheard, or else Mason had changed his mind. Even if he did try something what could she do?

It was time to go home.

She swallowed back the pain. Brax didn’t want her. Not the way she wanted him. Even though she thought his reasons were bullshit, it was time to stop pining over him. She started up her car, fiddling with her radio for a moment to find a tune that would keep her awake. Then turning on her lights, she pulled out of the park. Suddenly, a truck pulled out in front of her from Mason’s driveway.

He was on the
move.

Adrenaline flooded her as she
slowed down to create some space between them. After ten minutes, he hit the road that led out of town.

Forcing down the urge to follow him closely, Holly
fell back even further. Of course there could be any number of reasons to drive along this road, but she had a sick feeling he was going to the site and there would be trouble.

Glanc
ing down at the cell phone she’d placed on the passenger seat, she knew she should call Brax. But what would she say? That Mason had gone for a drive? Brax would just order her back to her room. Like a child.

Well, she wasn’t a child. She worked for Derrick and it was her job to ensure things ran smoothly.
Except she knew Derrick would be furious with her for risking her safety like this. Yeah, this was one of her stupidest decisions. Seemed Brax was rubbing off on her and she was starting to think things through rather than rushing blindly in. As soon as she was sure that Philips was headed to the building site she would call the sheriff.

Sure enough, the tail lights in front of her pulled off at the
resort. She decided to drive straight past, that way if Mason had seen her car in his rear-view mirror, he’d see it just drive on by.

Nerves
danced through her stomach as her palms grew sweaty against the steering wheel. Driving over the small hill, she drew her car over to the side of the road, knowing the slope would hide her. Grabbing her cell phone, she opened it to call the sheriff.

No signal.

God no. Not now. What was she going to do? She could keep driving, but what if he heard her car start up? She could walk along the road until she got reception, but the idea of wandering along in the dark, on a deserted road terrified her.

Her only other choice was to head towards the building site and hope she hit a patch of
reception without getting Philips seeing. Nibbling at her lower lip, her stomach clenching in fear, she finally made up her mind. She’d walk towards the site. Turning her phone to vibrate, she set out over the hill, glad it wasn’t too steep.

The
security lights surrounding the building site gave off enough light to guide her way, she just hoped that Mason didn’t see her coming. As she got closer, she tried to keep to the shadows. The gates were unlocked and she frowned. How had he gotten a key? Where was the security guard? The night was so still that she easily heard someone moving around.

Holly stepped up towards the closest trailer and skirted her way around it. Her heart thundered in her ears, her breath sawing in and out of her lung
s as she kept checking her phone, praying for reception.

Don’t make any noise. Don’t let him know you’re here.

She moved forward, her gaze focussed on her phone. There! She had one bar.

Suddenly, her foot hit something hard and she found herself falling. Sticking her hands out to catch herself, she barely held in her squeal of shock as her knees landed on something soft.
Her hands scraped on the hard ground and she winced as her leg wrenched painfully. Her phone went flying.

Looking down,
heart beating triple time, she gasped as she saw exactly what she’d landed on. The security guard.

Scrambling off, she placed her hand on his chest.

Please be breathing, please be breathing.

His chest rose and fell and she let out the breat
h she’d been holding.
Thank you, God.
Damn, where was her phone? Scrambling around on the ground, she finally found it.

T
he guard needed help now. Relief flooded her as she saw she still had reception. She quickly sent a text off to Brax. She couldn’t call the sheriff and risk having Philips overhear her.

Security guard
injured. Need help at site. Call sheriff
.

Making sure
her phone was still set to vibrate, she stood and stepped over the guard. She couldn’t do anything more to help him, but she also didn’t want to leave him behind. He was too heavy for her to drag off and she might do more damage than good by trying.

Maybe she should
see what Mason was doing. Hiding here and wondering was worse than not knowing. He could step around the trailer at any moment and see her. Yeah, she should keep an eye on him. That way she could take off and hide if she saw him heading towards her.

Her phone vibrated in her hand,
but she ignored the incoming call. Hugging the wall, feeling a bit like a silly heroine in a cheap movie, she took a deep breath as she reached the end of the trailer.

W
ishing she could just turn around and hide, she stuck her head around the corner.

Mason
reached into the back of his truck and pulled out a large can.

What was he doing
? He appeared to be pouring something from the can, splashing it around.

Oh hell. H
e wouldn’t, would he?

Would he
really set the place on fire?

Immediately, she turned away and
rested back against the trailer wall, trying to catch her breath. She had to do something. Now

She wished to hell sh
e’d brought her Taser. But it was lying in her handbag in her car.
Stupid.
She’d have to confront him on her own, unarmed.

Her gaze moved over
to the security guard. She knew he carried a gun. Walking over, she ignored her sore leg as she kneeled down and grabbed the gun from its holder.

Without thinking, she had no time to argue with herself, she
moved back to her previous spot.

Just in time to see Mason
place the can in the back of the truck.

“Stop right there
,” she called out. “I’m armed and I won’t hesitate to shoot.”

If her voice hadn’t been shaking
it would definitely have had more impact.

Mason swung around. “Who’s there?” he growled.

Realizing that he couldn’t see her, Holly took a couple of steps forward so he could see she wasn’t bluffing.

He smiled slowly. “Well, what do we have here? The bitch who tasered me
.”

Damn, she
’d hoped he wouldn’t recognise her.

He took a step forward. “Put the gun down before you hurt yourself, sweetheart. Soon as I’ve finished here, I’ll come take care of you.”

Then he turned his back on her, telling her exactly how much of a threat he found her.

“Stay still,” she snarled, gratified to find her voice had firmed. But he didn’t
turn back.

“Stop. Now. Or I will shoot.” She slid the safety off
and aimed the gun at the ground, well away from the area he’d just drowned in gasoline. Derrick had insisted on teaching her to shoot. She hated guns but she knew how to use one. Concentrating hard, she fired off a shot.

Mason turned
, his eyes wide as he stared at her.

“What the fuck!” he screeched
, taking a step forward. Oh God, he was coming towards her!

Headlights
suddenly caught both of their attention. Holly forced her gaze to stay on Mason even as she longed to turn and look at whoever had pulled up.

A door slammed.

“Stay where you are, Mason. Don’t even move one inch.”

Brax.

Thank God.

“Holly. Put the gun down, sweetheart and walk towards me.” His voice was ice. Cold and indifferent. She shiver
ed. As safe as he made her feel, she wasn’t entirely sure that getting close to him was a good idea right now.

“Holly,” he growled.

“Can’t get your woman to behave, Jamieson?” Mason said mockingly. “Need me to show you how to do it?”

“Holly. Now.”

She placed the safety on and lowered the gun, but didn’t put it down. Instead, she backed away slowly, trying to keep her gaze on Mason the whole time.

She
could feel Brax’s fury pounding at her, demanding her submission. But she wouldn’t back down. She’d done what she thought necessary and she wouldn’t apologize.

“He poured gasoline everywhere,” she warned Brax as she got closer.

“Get in the truck,” Brax ordered, not even acknowledging what she said.

“You might have caught me, but I’m not telling a thing,” Mason snarled. “You’re going to be ruined, Jamieson.”

Brax didn’t reply.

“The security guard is hurt, I’ll go
sit with him,” Holly said.

“
Holly, get your butt into my truck or as soon as I’m able I’m going to turn you over my knee. No matter who else is around.” His voice shook with his anger but his arms were steady as he kept his gun trained on Mason.

She shook her head. Men. She could understand that he wanted to make sure she was safe, but he was being
pig-headed. Mason hadn’t made a move since Brax had gotten here.

Sirens sounded and she breathed a sigh of relief. She didn’t like how coldly furious Brax was, in this condition she didn’t think he was thinking properly.

“Get down on your knees, hands behind your head.”

For a moment, she gaped at Brax
, but then she realized he wasn’t speaking to her. Mason snarled.

“Five more minutes,” the other man said. “That’s all I needed and this
place would have been a giant bonfire.”

But he dropped to his knees. Obviously Mason had no problem believing that Brax would shoot him.

“Holly, I swear to G
od, if you don’t get in my truck I am going to spank your—” Before he could finish that thought, the sheriff pulled up, lights flashing.

“Guns down. Hands where I can see them.”

Brax lowered his gun. “He’s poured gasoline everywhere,” he warned the sheriff.

One of the deputies moved toward
s Philips, frisking him before placing handcuffs on him. Holly let out a deep sigh.

Brax handed his gun over to another deputy and Holly did the same.