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The adobe casita was all Southwest. Barbed wire separated the one-bedroom dwelling from a field of horses grazing on the few shoots of vegetation that hadn’t gone dormant for the winter.
It was cute, secluded and—Gia thought—her last haven before she had to make a terrible decision.
Run—and lose Caleb forever. Stay—and watch him die. Turn herself in—and live the rest of her life looking over her shoulder.
No matter what she chose, she would never be free.
One week.
The clock ticking in her head felt like it had enough dynamite attached to it to blow her entire world to smithereens.
Caleb input the access code to unlock the front door. A click followed a soft whirr of the locking mechanism as the deadbolt slid back.
He glanced back at her and frowned. “Everything okay?”
“Other than you holding a gun?” A pointed glance at the Glock in his hand. She could deflect with the best of them.
“Better safe than sorry.”
They stepped into the main living area with its bright white walls and rustic hardwood floors. The air inside was cool and smelled of pine-scented household cleaner.
“Cozy.” Her mood lightened.
The space was just large enough to accommodate the burnt orange upholstered couch that reminded her of desert sunsets and two sand colored canvas side chairs that were grouped around a petrified wood slab coffee table. The sliding glass doors on the back wall provided a picturesque view of the horses and a distant butte.
“No drapes.” Caleb didn’t seem as enamored of the view as she was. “Gotta find some blankets to cover all that glass.”
“Why?I like it.”
He shifted on his feet. Looked away. “We’d be sitting ducks for anyone with a rifle and scope, especially at night.”
Her stomach knotted. Sweat broke out on her temple, the bucolic scene ruined.
She moved to the corner, out of sight.
“Wait here while I clear the rest of the house.” Caleb disappeared through the archway to their right.
“Kitchen,” he called out.
He reappeared and crossed the living room to the other side of the casita. Opened the door there. “Bedroom.”
His gaze narrowed on her. “Why don’t you lie down while I unload the car and take a look around outside, before it gets dark.”
Apparently, the dull throb in her temple hadn’t gone unnoticed.
She trudged into the bedroom while the front door clicked behind her as Caleb went outside.
The bedroom and bathroom were modeled along the same clean lines as the living room. White walls, white tile. Even the duvet that covered the king-sized bed was white. The only splash of color was the hot air balloon shower curtain and a stack of mint-green bath towels.
Gia dropped her purse on the bed. Big enough for two. Whereas that orange couch in the living room?
Too small for anyone to sleep comfortably on.
She knew where she wanted Caleb.
In bed. With her.
But after what happened at the clinic, she couldn’t trust her mind not to betray her and ruin everything.