Page 24 of Reclaiming Chaos
Chapter 11
Carlee
Her eyes flew open, and she shot upright in her bed, clutching the linens to her chest. Heart racing, she replayed the nightmare in her mind. Powerful and unstoppable people wanted her silenced. There was no place she could hide. No place safe enough that the people she’d pulled into this game of cat and mouse would be safe enough. Ridge was in danger. She’d seen his handsome face in her nightmare, watching him die again, as she’d predicted earlier. But she’d move heaven and earth to be sure that didn’t happen. No matter what it cost.
Carlee slid out of bed and stepped into the bathroom to run water on her face. No matter how cold, it still didn’t erase what would happen, how this would all play out. His life or hers. Those were the only possible outcome.
There was a soft knock on the door, and Carlee toweled the water from her face as she went to answer it.
“I thought you could use some clothes and toiletries,” the brunette from last night said as she handed them over. “Why don’t you get cleaned up. Ridge and Gwen have almost finished cooking breakfast. They have a bet going to see who makes the best pancakes, and we’re the judges.”
“Oh no,” Carlee said. “I’ll eat, but I’m not judging.” She leaned in and grinned. “Besides. I already know who’s going to win.”
“Really, which one?” the woman asked.
“It’s going to be a tie. They both use the same recipe that’s been handed down through the Bennett family for years. They’re going to be the exact same.”
The brunette laughed then spun and walked away.
Carlee eased the door shut. In less than ten minutes, she was showered and dressed for the day.
The smell of pancakes, coffee, and bacon made Carlee’s stomach growl as she entered the kitchen. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d eaten.
Carlee took the only empty seat, and Ridge put a plate in front of her containing bacon and pancakes.
His scent surrounded her and she breathed in deep trying to memorize his earthy scent. Before he’d been just a picture in her mind, a memory from her dreams. He was so much better in person; his manners, his smell, his laughter. Now she craved to know more. Things her predictions hadn’t warned her about, like the smell of his aftershave. The gleam in his eyes when he smiled, the way his hungry gaze dropped to her lips. Oh yes, he was much better in person.
Gwen provided the coffee and set a carton of creamer in front of the cup. “Unlike you, I don’t know how much creamer it will take. I’m not a mind reader.”
“I appreciate this,” Carlee said, taking the syrup bottle and squeezing it over the stack of pancakes.
They were all watching Carlee as if she’d forgotten her manners. Gwen stood at the sink with her arms folded over her chest. Ridge was sitting at the table, sipping a cup of coffee. The other girls were trying not to glance in Carlee’s direction. “What’s wrong?”
“We don’t use the same recipe,” Gwen announced.
“Not even close,” Ridge said. “I add cinnamon to mine, and she uses buttermilk in hers.”
Carlee glanced down at her plate and took a bite of the one with specks. It tasted of cinnamon with a hint of sugar. Then she took a bite of the other. Two different pancakes. Two different chefs. How had she gotten something so simple, so wrong?
“I don’t understand,” she said, lifting her gaze.
“You were wrong,” Gwen said, tilting her head and resting her hands on her hips. “Has that never happened before?”
“Quit screwing with her,” Ridge said, gesturing to the plate. “We switched up the recipe after you told Amanda that they were going to be the same.” Ridge nodded toward the brunette who had brought me the clothes. “I guess even you can still be surprised.”
“Sorry. I couldn’t resist,” Amanda said with a chuckle.
Relief flooded Carlee, and she took another bite of the ones with cinnamon. She ate while the others bantered around her. It wasn’t until the dishes were done and the others had left that Gwen moved toward the kitchen’s entryway.
“I’ll keep a team nearby for whatever you need, but I need to head out.” She crossed the distance and dangled a house key in front of Ridge. “You guys can stay as long as you need.”
“Thanks.”
She tossed a packet onto the table. “Inside, you’ll find money and a fake ID for Carlee, should she need one. I pulled the photo from her company ID badge in their system and had it made overnight. Just let us know if you need anything else.”
She glanced at Carlee and winked. “Enjoy playing house.”
“It’s not like that,” Carlee said., even if she’d like it to be. A flutter stirred in her belly. Her heartbeat sped up.
