Page 3 of Bodyguard Crush
“No, this is actually the first time I’ve ever been around one. I know nothing about horses,” I confess.
Her brows lift. “Well, you seem to know what you’re doing.”
I shrug. “What about you? Did you grow up around horses?”
She smiles and looks to be a bit taken aback. “I’m not used to people not knowing everything about me.” I let out a soft chuckle. “Umm, my grandmother always had horses. I’d spend entire summers there as a kid. While my mother forced me into dresses and made me act like a lady while she shoved me in front of a camera, my grandmother just let me be a kid. I’d get dirty, scrape up my knees, and play with the horses all summer long. It drove my mother crazy.” She laughs.
“It’s nice you have those memories with her. I know your parents were actors, but was your grandmother?”
She snorts. “God, no. My grandmother grew up in the country. She could do anything a man could do. And by the time I had come along, she was the only one taking care of her land and animals. My mother was raised that way too, but she grew up resenting it. The moment she turned eighteen, she ran off to California and did whatever she could to become famous. She tells stories of the things she had to do, bad things, but she swears it was worth it. In her eyes, the worst thing in the world would’ve been returning home with her tail between her legs.” She shrugs. “But that’s also why she doesn’t understand me or this move I’ve made. She hates the country, hates the horses. She wants fame and money. She doesn’t want privacy like I do.”
“Wow, I had no idea.” I turn and lean against the stall while she continues to pet the horse.
“That is refreshing.”
“Why’s that?” I ask, a smirk tugging at my lips.
“Everyone always knows everything about me. It’s kind of nice having someone who doesn’t.”
“Well, to be fair, your brother told me a lot about you.”
Her brows lift as she laughs and shakes her head. “Oh, great. What did he say?”
I chuckle under my breath. “All kinds of embarrassing stories.”
She laughs. “Remind me to kick his ass later,” she says, heading for the door of the barn. “Come on, I’ll show you the property line.”
The two of us load back up, and she drives along the brick wall. I keep my eyes open for cameras, broken twigs, or smashed grass to figure out how this person is getting in. “If you don’t mind me asking, why do you think this person is stalking you?”
I look over at her to see her shrug as she keeps the steering wheel tight and steady in her hand. “I guess they’re just obsessed with me or my family. I mean, it would be one thing if I was a normal person and I had a stalker, but I’ve basically been on people’s television sets since I was born. Sick people watch my movies, and they somehow insert themselves into the opposite role, like my love interest. In their minds, they really believe we were in a relationship of some kind. At least, that’s what everyone has been telling me.”
“So you don’t think you actually know this person?”
She shrugs. “I can’t think of anyone I know who would do this.”
I nod, then go back to keeping my eyes peeled. “Stop here,” I tell her. She lets off the gas and slows to a stop. I climb out of the vehicle and walk through the nearly knee-high grass that’s beside the far corner of the wall. She steps out with me and rushes over to my side.
“What is it? What do you see?”
“You see how the grass in this corner is all laid down?”
She nods. “Yeah.”
“I think this is where he’s probably coming in.” I look all around. “You don’t have cameras around here?”
“No, we didn’t think we needed them way out here.”
“I’ll install some as soon as possible.” I walk into the corner and jump up. I’m six-foot-five, and the wall looks to be about eight feet tall. Jumping, I’m able to hook my fingers over the edge and pull myself up. I kneel on top of the wall, studying the property on the other side. Most people wouldn’t notice anything out of the ordinary. It just looks like a typical Colorado forest. But I note that most of the pine needles on this tree have been knocked off by someone brushing against them time and time again to hop this fence. A few of the small branches have been snapped off. The tree trunk is scuffed, too, like someone used it to climb higher to make it over the wall.
“This tree is showing signs of damage. Someone is climbing up this tree to get over the wall. After I install the cameras, I want to travel the length of this wall on the outside. I’ll get rid of any tree that’s big enough to climb if it’s too close to the wall.” I hop back down, landing beside her.
Her brows lift as surprise covers her face. “Wow.”
“What?”
“The police have been here several times, and they haven’t found anything. You’re here one day and already finding things. Maybe I should’ve hired you sooner,” she says, walking back to the vehicle and climbing behind the wheel.
Her compliment makes me smile, but I make sure to wipe it away before turning around and climbing into the seat next to her. We’re soon back on our way, driving around the perimeter of the property. Suddenly, I feel anxious. I want to do a good job and prove myself to her. I’ve given up a lot to take this job. Since it’s a live-in position, I had to give up my apartment in town. I didn’t have the money to keep the rent paid, and I won’t make any money here for at least a week. If I screw this up and get fired, I won’t have anywhere to go.
