Protect Her

Chapter Twenty

Derek

"Mommy, there's a SWING SET!" Riley shrieked, flying out the back door and out into the yard. She hopped into the swing and immediately started pumping her legs.

"Be careful, Riley!" Camryn called after her, shaking her head and laughing.

"So was I right?" I took her hand, spinning her around to face me. "Do you like this place even more?"

"It's incredible. This is where your grandparents lived?"

I nodded. "Once they were gone, I couldn't bear to part with it. Cole brings his family up here sometimes to vacation, but mostly, it just sits exactly how they left it."

That was how I liked it. It was the perfect cabin nestled deep into the woods. There were a few houses close by, but most of the neighbors were wildlife. I used to love sitting on the giant wrap around deck with my binoculars, spotting eagles and moose and sometimes even bears. The yard was completely flat with lush grass and lined with a rainbow of wildflowers. When we were young, my grandpa always used to pick a bunch to bring in to my grandma, and she'd always act surprised no matter how many times he did it. There were dense trees on one side, and a miles-wide lake on the other. It went so far you couldn't even see land on the other side.

There was a large sandbox by the swing set Riley was on, and after it rained, they'd fill it with coins and had us convinced the rain would bring them magically. We'd spend hours digging them up and then take our earnings to the Candy store. My grandma was always baking something, and the house smelled incredible every time you came. Sometimes I still caught a whiff of her banana cake when I walked in. They didn't have cable or Internet when I was growing up and we were forced to play outside and use our imagination. Although we'd added those things now, I still loved the sentiment. Cole and I played pirates and astronauts and built about a hundred forts in these woods. It had been years since I'd been back, but it still felt so fresh in my memory. I had so many special memories here and to see Camryn and Riley in this place was surreal.

"Well, it's incredible. And Riley is making herself right at home." Cam smiled, glancing out into the backyard again. "You're sure we're safe here?"

"This is probably the safest place in the world for you right now." I assured her, grabbing a bottle of wine and two glasses. I led her out to a couple of rocking chairs on the deck. "The roads we took to get here aren't on a map, and most of the locals just keep to themselves. There is a security fence four-hundred yards out in every direction. It's so sensitive that sometimes mosquitoes set it off. Plus, I've got Tyler and his team posted up all around if need be, and I can press a button and steel, unpenetrable plates cover every window and door in the entire house. No one is getting in or out of this place without my approval."

Her eyes got wide as I handed her a glass of wine. "Is it weird that I find that both terrifying and relieving?"

I chuckled. "I would be worried if you weren't a little terrified of me, Cam."

"Oh, I'm not scared of you." She smirked, arching her eyebrow. "The whole smart house thing has always terrified me. What if it malfunctions and locks us in?"

I let out a sharp laugh. "Okay yeah. You're right. That is pretty scary."

We're sat in silence for a few minutes, sipping our wine and watching Riley play in the yard. She was having the time of her life, and so was I, just sitting up here watching her mother.

Cam was fucking gorgeous, and something about the fresh mountain air only amplified that. Her brown hair was tucked back by her sunglasses and a few loose curls framed her face. There was already a slight blush to her cheeks from the wine, and a smile tugged at her lips as she watched Riley. Her love for her daughter made her absolutely glow. She had one leg propped up in the chair and the other dangled down as she wiggled her painted red toes every few minutes. Her jacket hung off of one shoulder, exposing her bare skin, and all I could think about was the masterpiece I'd see if it fell a little lower.