Jennifer Morey - Runaway Heiress

Jasper hadn’t expected to be disappointed with the level of security. He did, however, need everyone on the security team to trust him. Taking out his wallet, he removed a business card.

“In case something happens. I’d like to be informed.” He pointed to the radio. “Maybe you could get me one of those.”

Dwight eyed him, scrutinizing him as though sizing him up, the most body language he’d seen from the man so far. “Aren’t you a detective? You’re helping the miss solve Bernie’s murder case, isn’t that right?”

“That is. But since the attempt on her life, my role has expanded. At Dark Alley Investigations, we take the safety of our clients very seriously.”

“All good to know, Mr. Roesch, but we’ve got her safety taken care of. As long as she’s in this house, it’s my job to protect her, and I take that very seriously.”

He could see that Sadie was in good hands, but the lack of trust could pose a problem.

What was it about Sadie that instilled so much loyalty? Everyone called her the miss. And everyone was fiercely protective of her, especially of her past, it appeared. What was going on with that? And did he really want to know? He should be relieved that he wouldn’t have to worry about her security. He was here to solve a cold case, not satisfy curiosity over a woman. A beautiful woman. A stunning, warm, intriguing woman who stood apart from any other...

All the more reason to keep his distance. And his hands to himself.

“Why so much security?” Jasper asked.

“You’ll have to ask the miss.”

“I already did.” Jasper left it at that. Dwight didn’t seem like an ignorant man. He had to know Jasper was well aware that he and most likely everyone here protected Sadie against anyone learning about her past. And her past had nothing to do with Bernie King’s murder.

Or did it?

Chapter 2

Two weeks later, Sadie was ready to step up her physical therapy. The doctor ordered her to rest for two weeks with walking and strength-building exercises and now she had the go-ahead to partially return to normal. Not full steam yet, but on her way.

She put on her suit with help from the maid Finley had hired. He always thought ahead like that. Ever since she’d found him and brought him to her facility, they’d grown close. He joined her program when the Revive Center was still under construction and she’d rented a large older home nearby. He’d been one of her more sensitive cases. He’d lived a normal life up until he lost his job and couldn’t find another. The bank kicked him out of his home and he’d found himself homeless. Sadie had spent extra time with him and helped him back onto his feet. Even after he’d been offered a job, he’d turned it down and declared he wanted to serve her for a profession.

Sadie had argued with him. He could do anything he wanted. Why chose servitude?

“I was a waiter before I went to prison for drugs,” he’d said.

Finley had a terrible addiction problem. Her center had addressed that first. He’d spent three months in rehabilitation before entering the Revive Program. By then the building had been complete. He had trouble finding a job with the felony on his record, and with the facility complete and pressure from Steven to keep a low profile, she had to return to Wyoming. She’d taken Finley with her and he’d studied how to manage a large house. He’d never given her a reason to regret doing so. And now he was like a brother to her. Of all who worked for her, she trusted him as much as Dwight, who’d been with her the longest.

Dwight had his own story of how he’d come to work for her. He had gone through hell in his divorce. Women could be as abusive as men. His ex was living proof of that. She had been verbally abusive and went after him for as much money as she could drain. She wasn’t ambitious and definitely not a productive addition to any community. She just plain did not want to work. She wanted everyone else to pay her way. And Dwight had, up until Sadie had hired him a new lawyer. All that alimony went away real quick. The last Dwight had heard, his ex had found a new victim to bleed dry of heart and soul—and income.

Sadie had accumulated a group of fine individuals who only needed a second chance. Her clan was a lot like the group on The Walking Dead. Everyone came from different backgrounds but they were all very close and cared deeply about each other’s welfare. While The Walking Dead group shared survival from zombies, hers shared survival from real, hard-hitting, life-altering circumstances.

Sadie stepped down the stairs into her indoor pool. Windows took up two walls, framed in pine logs and beams, showing off a panoramic view of the Tetons. Water trickled from a fountain into the pool. Tan-and-beige stone surrounded the pool and stone of differing texture and size made the walls. Dark wicker seating in three corners provided splashes of contrasting color, along with some trees and plants. On warm days the end window opened to an outdoor patio. She didn’t spend much time out there. Something about outdoor patios demanded a crowd. She went out there only when she threw barbecues for the household staff.

As soon as she reached deeper water and tried to swim, sharp pain stopped her. She almost went under before regaining her footing.

“Finley said you were in here.”

She turned in the water to see Jasper coming down the stairs in swimming trunks. Finley must have hooked him up with those. But it wasn’t the swim trunks that tickled her heartstrings. His rippling chest and abdomen. How that had her senses singing. Jasper...wow. Nice.

She’d seen little of him as she recovered, spending much of her time resting in her room or the library. He’d established a rapport with the lead detective working Bernie’s case and studied the file. She’d heard him on the phone a couple of times, asking questions, focusing on where the body had been found and what witnesses saw. So far he hadn’t progressed any further than the San Francisco police, but he’d asked questions and looked in directions no one else had yet. Something would develop soon. She felt confident of that, and in him.

“Are you sure it’s not too soon to start rehab?”

“Doctor said I should get moving as soon as possible.”

“Then let me help you ease into it.” He stood next to her. “Why don’t we start with floating on your back? You can move your arms, stretch your muscles.”

“All right.” That sounded delightful. She lay back on Jasper’s arms. He created a shelf under her mid-and lower back. Her left arm was stiff and sore. She couldn’t move it far. She rested her other hand on Jasper’s lower back. “This is going to take a while.”

“It’ll probably be a few months before you’re back up to full speed. We’ll take baby steps.”

She didn’t miss how he said we, but she wondered if he knew he’d referred to months. Did he expect to be here that long? She didn’t comment and floated for a while. He kept her head above water so all she had to do was concentrate on moving her left arm.

“You have an interesting staff,” he said after a while.

Was he merely making conversation? Or was he fishing for information? “I’m very attached to them all.”

“Your family must be envious.”

“I have no family.” She stared up at the pine ceiling, a circle of glass in the middle showing a sunny blue sky. “Didn’t Steven tell you that at the hospital?”

“Your father passed, but what about your mother?”

More fishing? She always got anxious when people asked her about her past. She had to be careful what she said. “My mother died when I was born.” She kept her emotion out of her response. Any talk of her mother usually spurred up some kind of sad thought.