Derick (Delta Forces #3) - Elizabeth Lennox Page 0,18

relaxed and happy to tense and nervous. Carrie knew she should have gone to the drugstore and gotten the hair dye sooner. But she’d just been so happy with Derick as well as the progress on her house that she hadn’t realized that the roots of her hair had grown out. When she’d looked in the mirror last week, she’d seen the blonde roots and gasped, rushing out to the store that very day to cover up the telltale signs of her identity.

“I just…I…” She wasn’t sure what to say. How could she explain why she hid her appearance? She couldn’t. Not without putting Derick in more danger.

Pulling away, she sat up, shoving her hair out of her eyes. “I’m sorry, Derick. I just remembered something.” Quickly, she grabbed her jeans and pulled them on, and her tee shirt. She didn’t bother to grab her panties or bra. Her fear was that overwhelming. Slipping her feet into her ugly work boots, she looked around, almost as if trying to figure out what she was missing. But that was pointless because the only thing missing was her common sense. “I have to go.”

“Go? Jolene, wait a minute,” he called out, frantically grabbing his jeans. But she was already out the door.

“I have something to do!” she yelled over her shoulder as she raced down the stairs, then burst out through the front door and sprinted across the yard to her house. Once there, she knew that she couldn’t hide from Derick. Not here in her house. So instead, she grabbed the keys to her pickup truck, her hat and sunglasses, then rushed back out of the house. Diving into her truck, she was already backing out of the driveway before Derick made it out onto his front porch.

Her heart ached as she spotted him and Carrie wiped away tears as she sped off, away from Derick and the happiness that she’d found in his arms. “Stupid!” she muttered to herself. “So stupid!”

Chapter 10

Carrie had stayed away from the house until midnight and had even considered sleeping in her truck. She’d done it many times before, but by eleven thirty that night, after driving around the town and the country roads, she knew that she owed Derick an explanation. He didn’t deserve her running off like that. He’d been so gentle and caring, concerned and kind. And she’d fled as if he’d beaten her.

When she pulled into her driveway, she noticed a light on in his living room, but no truck in the driveway. That was odd, she thought. It was almost as if…was he gone? Her throat closed at the thought of Derick not being there, not being next door to her.

That scared her silly! She looked around, peering through the windshield of her stupid truck. It was dark. Everywhere, it was dark with lurking shadows.

“Stop it!” she scolded herself. Holding her keys in her hand so that the keys came through her fingers, she hurried up the steps, then pushed the key home. But just before she slammed the door closed, she spotted something on her front porch. Derick had left her a basket of vegetables.

For some reason, the gift caused her heart to ache in ways she’d never thought possible. He might not be here with her, but his vegetables were his way of telling her that he was still there, still cared for her. She picked up the heavy basket and brought it into her kitchen, lowering her face so that she could breathe in the earthy scents. Ensuring that the doors were locked and the curtains drawn on the windows, she walked upstairs to her bedroom. But for the past two weeks, she’d slept in Derick’s arms. In his bed. Right now, the air mattress and sleeping bag looked…anemic. Pathetic.

After showering and pulling on yet another annoyingly large tee shirt, Carrie slipped into the sleeping bag, but couldn’t sleep. Instead, she stared at the ceiling, wondering where he was. She pictured jungles and deserts, guns and bad guys chasing him. It was almost dawn when she remembered that Derick was a capable man. He’d caught her up in his arms yesterday with barely any effort. And he’d carried her up the stairs to his bedroom. His strength was always controlled. But she didn’t think he’d control himself if some bad guy tried to hurt him.

Rolling over, she pulled her pillow closer. It was no substitute for Derick’s warmth, but at least she could fall asleep now, knowing