“This business with Benji and Garrett is distressing. In my life before now, I’d have handled them both. I’d have ignored most of it, but I most definitely would have pressed charges against Benji for nearly hitting me. I’d have told Garrett off so hard his ears would have bled. But this is different. Everything is different, and I’m off balance and freaked.”

He tightened his arms around her. “I’m here with you.”

“I know and I’m really glad. I gave up all that other stuff, a community, my own firm, a great house, and I came here. Here where people are hostile to me all the time. Here where my family—the ones I moved back here for—are hostile but for one. My apartment got broken into. My panties were handled by some creep! Damn it, that bra I threw away was perfect. Someone broke into my home and touched my stuff and destroyed my things. My memories. My perfume bottles.”

She hadn’t noticed at first, but survival was over and the tears were coming hard and fast.

“I don’t cry in bathtubs! I don’t have to deal with the police about anything I ever did. People don’t ransack my house. I don’t have men trying to punch me in restaurants. This isn’t my f**king life.”

She’d gotten to that gaspy, hiccuppy crying point where he couldn’t understand a word she said, but held her tight and murmured various comforting things anyway.

Finally she ducked under the water completely until the noise died away and then she resurfaced. He held up a bar of soap and a washcloth. “You’re dirty.”

He started to scrub her back, around each shoulder and down each arm to her hands.

“But I find I like my job. It’s not Seattle, I don’t have a view and lunch at five-star restaurants weekly, no. But I make a difference. For the most part I like my clients. I really like the people I work with.”

She forged ahead, needing him to know how he made her feel.

“And I have you. Which is the biggest and best thing about being in Petal. Everything else I could take or leave, or manage from far away. But you? You’re here with your hands in the dirt. And what you do changes lives. I love that. I love that you’re doing something so amazing with your land and your life.”

Surprised pleasure lit his face. “I’m a simple guy. A farmer.”

“Sometimes it’s the most simple things that make the biggest difference. Your successful farm is good not only for you and for all the places you sell your produce to, but to the community as a whole. Not just in health benefits, but it brings money to the area. And you’ve done something to me. To my life. You make me see things differently. And I like your house on this rise with the land spread out like a blanket all around. I feel safe here. With you. I like life when you’re in it. When your cat is riding me like I’m his horse and cleaning my head as he does it. I feel very much under siege right now, but less so because of you.”

He started to clean some of her better parts, and she gave him one raised brow. He showed her where he thought his dirtiest part was and urged her to get it nice and soapy.

After an hour they hopped in the shower, cleared up and then got out so they could get ready for dinner. As she walked past him, he stopped her by taking her hand. “You make my life better when you’re in it too. I know how much you gave up, but I’m sure glad you’ve found some of the things here worth the trip.”

She kissed him. “Yeah, you’ll do.”

Chapter Seventeen

Melissa held a bottle of beer Clint’s way. “So do you think the guy heard you on the first broadcast or later on one of the syndicated spots?”

Both Royal and Caroline narrowed their gazes as they leaned toward Melissa. “What? Syndicated?” Caroline asked.

“Oh my God, you didn’t know?”

“No! I had no idea. I mean the host guy said they sometimes used the shorter spots to fill out empty air but since my story was more local he wasn’t sure.”

Clint spoke. “I heard it on my satellite radio when I was working in my office last night at like midnight I think. Melissa heard it during drive time on the local affiliate. The satellite station it was on was one that’s sort of statewide legal issues. I bet if you got hold of the guy he’d be able to get you that info. Shane probably needs it for the case.”

“Meh, it’s a burglary. It’s not like anyone is going to make a big deal out of it. People’s houses get broken into every day.”

“Clint is right, Caro. There’s a threat here. The vandalism and theft of the pictures say this is personal. They’re going to act to protect you if for no other reason.” Royal paused as he ate the rest of the chocolate cream pie Polly Chase had given them earlier. He’d protect her either way.

“I have a friend who produces Good Day Atlanta, and I told her about you and your story.”

Caroline looked to Melissa and then Clint. “You’re full of surprises.”

Clint laughed. “She wants to talk with you about maybe doing a spot. A local if you have any information call this number sort of segment. She said it’s like a three or four minute spot so not huge, but you’d be expanding your audience.”

“Wow, that would be incredible.”

“I’ll get your contact info to her then.”

“I really appreciate it. Media is so big and it has the chance of helping. But also, well it’s so big I don’t know how to get attention focused on it. We made a video and uploaded it to the internet too. Ron, the investigator, he’s on the ground doing all this stuff. He’s checking the tip line and forwarding relevant things my way. Nothing major so far.”