Free Someone to Watch Over Me by Jerrie Alexander Page A

smile and wisecrack lightened the weight resting on Cash’s shoulders. This was one tough woman. His respect for her grew daily.
    ****
    Tempted to check for steam coming from her ears, Stacey shifted sideways and lifted her feet up beside her on the porch swing. Sergeant Kelly had actually told her to stay out of the way. As if she were stupid enough to get within a city block of that snake.
    Creepy crawly sensations skittered around under her skin. One of the sheriff’s deputies was a snake wrangler, catching rattlesnakes for the big roundup in Sweetwater every year. He removed a long metal rod from his trunk and had everyone back away.
    A person had to be insane to catch a viper so deadly and then put it in Cash’s floorboard. A shiver raced through her. If she’d moved a second faster getting into the truck, she’d have been bitten and would be in the hospital fighting for her life.
    A thought hit. Her stomach lurched.
    What if she wasn’t the target? Had the snake been placed on the driver’s side of the pickup? It could’ve easily slithered across the mat.
    Stacey’s heart imploded. She couldn’t put him at risk. Not again. For his sake, she had to stay away from him. Her mind raced in search of a workable plan.
    Cash stepped onto the porch. Picking up her feet, he sat next to her, placing them on his lap. His dark eyes held a hint of anger, but he said nothing. The wind caught his woodsy scent, sending a gentle touch across her skin and calming her. Leaving him would be the hardest thing she’d ever done. His safety came first.
    After this nightmare ended, would he welcome her back? The idea of losing him for the second time filled her soul with darkness. He might not be in her arms, but he’d be alive.
    She dropped her feet to the floor. “There’s nothing left for the cops to ask, so I’m going home.”
    “Come again? I must not have understood you.”
    The look of confusion on his face ripped at her heart. “Please don’t argue. Ray knows I’m here.”
    “And he damn near killed you.” Cash’s harsh tone sent chills across her skin. “There’s not much left of your apartment. You’re not going back there alone. In fact, until this bastard is caught or I kill him, you’re not going anywhere alone.”
    Kill him? Judging from the expression on Cash’s face, he was capable of doing just that. All the more reason to relieve him from the burden of trying to protect her.
    “Don’t tell me what to do. If you’d try being logical, you’d know I’m right.” Unable to face him with anymore lies, she turned her back and went inside.
    Cash caught up with her in the hall. Strong hands lightly gripped her shoulders, weakening her resolve. Was her leaving stupid? Probably. But he’d placed himself in mortal danger because of her.
    “Sug,” he whispered into her hair, almost melting her resolve. “Don’t you know I’d lose my mind from worry if you left? Please, don’t make me live out of my truck just to watch over you.”
    “I can’t let you risk your life.”
    He sucked in a deep breath. “It’s possible the rattlesnake was supposed to bite me. But it could’ve been placed there for you.”
    Tears streamed down her cheeks, tears for how helpless this situation made them. Tears for all those years they’d lost. She turned into his arms. The pressure in her heart to speak up was too much to bear. With her face buried against his chest, she whispered, “I love you.”
    There, she’d said it. She’d released an elephant in the room. Had she made a fool out of herself? She held her breath waiting for him to say something. Anything.
    He hooked his finger under her chin and tugged until she looked up. His gaze locked onto hers. He tenderly brushed her cheeks dry. Panic that she’d said too much rushed her. The blood ran from her head. He’d said he wanted more. But how much more?
    The corners of his mouth lifted, and his stormy eyes sparkled. Hope flared inside her chest.
    “That’s a