Southern Heart (Southern 5)

"I can imagine, especially with the way this family was brought up." I look at them both, and I’m going to admit that I envy what they have. It’s what you read about in story books, and then to see that it actually exists, it’s a gift.

"I want you to know," Jacob says, coming toward the bed. "That we are going to stand by you."

I nod my head, not sure I can say anything when Ethan and Casey come back into the room. "Sorry about that," Ethan says, and I look at Casey.

"Is she okay?" I ask, knowing that this is too much for her. It’s too much for me, and I lived through it. It also kills me that I brought this to her front door, and she got involved with this.

"Beau is with her," Casey says to me, and a second later, they both come back into the room.

"Chelsea," I say her name, and she just looks at me, and the redness of her eyes stabs me in the heart. There is so much I want to say to her, but here in the middle of her family is not the place, so I say the only thing that comes to mind. "I’m sorry." I leave out what I’m sorry for.

"Okay, so now that we have some answers," Casey says, and her eyes never leave mine. "I’ll fill you in on what I found.”

Chelsea now looks over at him. "The car was reported stolen."

"I called Mr. Harvey," Ethan says to the room. "Told him you had an emergency and your car didn’t work."

I shake my head. "He is never going to believe that."

"He didn’t," Ethan laughs, "but he said to tell that son of a bitch he better put gas in the tank."

I laugh now; we didn’t always get along, but we did share a couple of moments where we respected each other. He’s a veteran and fought in the Vietnam War, so we bonded over surviving and serving. "I’m sure he did."

"I got a copy of the fire report," Casey says. "Arson."

"Wait, what?" Chelsea asks, looking around at all the men in the room and then looking down.

"I’m already in this," she says. "So if you guys want to suddenly protect me, should you have not brought him to my house?"

"She’s right," I say to the room. "She deserves to know what we know." I look at her and see her beauty, and then I tell myself to back off. She is too young for me, and besides, she doesn’t need someone who has nothing.

"Fine," Ethan says. "The cabin was burned to the ground."

"Did you find his father in there?" she asks, hopeful that this is all over.

"No," Casey says. "And." He looks down. "Your gun is missing also."

"Of course it is," Chelsea says. "How do you think he got shot?"

"We have eyes everywhere," Casey says. "We have this house wired up tight."

"We can take shifts," Quinn says.

"Why?" Chelsea asks, and we all look at her. "If no one knows he’s here, why would everyone be here? We need to act as normal as we can. So it’s suspicious if Quinn is spending the night or Ethan isn’t home with Emily at night."

"She’s right," I say, looking at her. "During the day, people can come and go. But the night has to be normal."

"I’m not leaving her all night alone," Beau says, shaking his head. "No fucking way. No offense, Mayson, but..."

"I would do the same," I agree with him.

"Um, I think I can stick up for myself," Chelsea says. "As long as I have my gun, I’ll be okay."

"You can’t be serious," Quinn says, looking around. "This man is unhinged. He almost killed his own son. It is going to take nothing for him to off Chelsea."

"I would never let anything hurt her," I say, looking straight at her.

"And how do you think you will protect her?" Quinn says, almost shouting.

"Son," Casey says to him, and he just shakes his head.

"No, Dad," he says. "Answer me?" His eyes come to me. "How are you going to protect her? You can’t even stand."

"We will have eyes on the house all day and night long. We just won’t have someone in here."

"What’s the fastest we can get here?" Jacob looks over at Casey.

"Seventeen seconds," he answers, and even my mouth hangs open. "We have someone in the barn at all times watching."

"My horse is in there," Chelsea says, and Quinn smirks. "Where is Bella?"

"She didn’t like the extra people in there," Quinn says, "and she got a little testy."

"How so?" Chelsea asks, folding her arms over her chest.

"She tried to kick Diego when he tried to give her water.” Quinn laughs.

"Okay, is there anything else we need to talk about?" I ask. "The pain level is going higher and higher." Chelsea looks at the monitor. "I’m fine."