Bevis looked over her shoulder; the country lane behind her was empty, and she didn't see any car following her, but it didn't mean there wasn't. It didn't mean she could see it. Today alone, there had been three different types of vehicles following her. She was about to think it was just a coincidence. The state-of-the-art surveillance camera on the dashboard that Jake had installed in her car worked all the time, and it captured pictures of the drivers of those three cars. In every instance, the person behind the wheel had been Brad. He was stalking her. She parked her car at a shopping mall as part of her tactics to get away. She texted Chelsea about what was happening after ensuring she was not followed. She searched a few stores and found one with changing rooms at the back. Thanks to an understanding store employee, she had been able to ditch Brad in the store and use the employee entrance, then catch a taxi in a very roundabout way to her appointment to see the cabin.

Bevis didn't want Brad to know what she was doing or where she was going. She didn't want him part of her life any more, and what she had seen on Chelsea's laptop had scared her enough to file for a restraining order against him along with the other women Chelsea was helping. Brad would have to sell all his properties and move to another country if the order went through. He would have an international record and be labelled an atrocious name. Bevis just wanted to be left alone, like all the other women he had harassed in the short time she had known him.

Pulling up to the cabin Bevis stepped out of the cab and paid the driver in cash. She never used to carry any money around before all this, but now she had it on her all the time. She was becoming used to it since she didn't know what part of her life Brad could trace. She had to get a new cell phone plan, a new phone, a new number ... well, a new everything to have a Brad-free life. Everything from the old life was lying in Jake's office, off and dead. He had insisted that all the batteries were taken out, the items sealed in plastic bags and in a box that blocked any signals from the many tracers and codes and heavens knows what that had been discovered on her electronic footprint. Seeing what he was truly capable of had scared her badly. She was frightened, bone-chillingly frightened. Once again, she was out of her depth and terrified, but it was on dry land this time, and she knew the person doing it.

"Talk about being out of your depth again," she whispered as she waved to the driver and turned to take in the view surrounding the cabin. She couldn't see anyone there, although a sleek modern car sat beside the dirt road.

The cabin was square in shape on the large size. There was a structure on the right and another on the left. Bevis wondered what that was for; perhaps she would find out soon. Turning in a circle, she smiled as she came across the wide river a healthy walking distance from the cabin and spotted a short, wide wooden jetty jutting into the water. A well-dressed woman stood near the end of the jetty waving at Bevis, nodding she started in that direction.

"Hey," the woman called when Bevis was in earshot, "I take it you're Bevis."

Bevis nodded, huffing out a breath, "That is quite a walk," she said, glancing over her shoulder, "are you waiting for someone?"

The woman kept glancing at the river, "Yes, I am," she said, "the seller is bringing the keys," she spoke while turning to Bevis, "hi there, I'm Meryl," she smiled.

"Nice to meet you," Bevis said, shaking the woman's hand, "who is the seller?"

"I'm not entirely sure," Meryl said, "... it was bought through a family trust for one of the youngsters on their twenty-first birthday," she glanced at Bevis, "... it's not something weird or anything. I dealt with the mother for all the information; the owner was away when it went on the market. But they said they would meet to look through the place with us."

"You don't have the key?" Bevis asked.

"Rarely do with private sales," Meryl said, "oh, it looks like someone is coming."

"Where exactly does this family live?" Bevis asked.

"Apparently a ... short drive down the river ... or so my text told me," Meryl smiled, "the place has just gone on the market. How did you know about it?"

"Someone gave me the address," Bevis said, "I wanted to see what was at the address, and I found the cabin," she glanced back at the structure, "It looks good from the outside."

Meryl nodded, "The land around it from the beginning of the tree-lined lane," she indicated a semi-circle to the river, "right up to the base of that mountain all the way down to the river ..." she said, "that is the land that comes with the cabin."

"What are the two structures?" Bevis asked.

"One is a garage," she said, "at the moment, it's fully kitted, but the owner will probably be removing the items once the sale goes through, and the other is a barn."

"Barn?" Bevis asked, frowning, "Why would I want a barn?"

"Where are you going to store your gardening tools?" Meryl smiled, "the place has a full home garden at the back, which we'll see as soon as that boat gets close enough."

"Doesn't seem like whoever is driving wants to arrive quickly," Bevis said, "that could be a while."

"Let's walk up and look around the place," she said, "I think you can see the home garden through the greenhouse windows."

"There is a greenhouse," Bevis said, nodding as she followed Meryl toward the house, "of course, there is a greenhouse."

Bevis followed Meryl around the main structure, glancing back at the river; from where she stood, she couldn't see the boat and followed Meryl.

"Here is the greenhouse we were talking about," Meryl said; rounding the corner, she came up short, "oh, hello," she said smiling and stretching out her hand, "you must be the owner."

Bevis followed her round the corner to find her shaking hands with Jason, "You're the owner?"

"Hi there," he said, "yes, I am. I'm glad you found the address."

"You two know each other?" Meryl asked, a knowing glimmer jumping to her eye.

"Yes," Jason said, smiling at Bevis, "we spent a few days rafting the river, and it was an experience."

"It certainly was," Bevis said, grinning, "something I'll never forget."

"That is fantastic," Meryl said, "since I'm only here for the introductory part of it all, I'll leave you two to chat and discuss anything you need to know."

This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

"Thank you, Meryl," Bevis smiled, shaking her hand and watching her walk toward her car, "she seems really nice."

"She is," Jason said, " and a friend of my mom's, but I've never met her. She doesn't do this kind of thing for any private sales, but she did it this time as a favour to my mom."

"Are you paying her for doing that?" Bevis asked.

Jason nodded, "If the sale is successful."

"Smart move," Bevis said, "you could be out of pocket if it was for every introduction."

Jason chuckled, "Yeah, she wouldn't accept it on those terms."

"You got this place on your twenty-first birthday," Bevis said, seeing Jason narrow his eyes at her, "Meryl told me."

"Ah, of course, she did," he chuckled, "yes, I did get it as a gift. I always came here, but it's been harder to get away with my growing business."

"This could become prime property one day," Bevis said, "why are you selling?"

"Oh, we know it's prime property," Jason said, "that's why it's tied up in a trust. It won't be sold ... not in the next million years."

"How?" Bevis asked.

"It's part of a trust that has those words as part of a clause," Jason said, "the land around us and the water plus the land on the other side of the river are all owned by my family through the trust."

"So you're telling me ... you're rich," Bevis said, looking at him with concern etched on her features.

"I'm telling you my parents are," Jason said, turning toward the cabin, "want to see inside?"

"Sure," Bevis said, following him, "why are you selling it?"

"Trying to help a friend," he said, smiling at her, "someone who needs to start over, find their feet and perhaps get away from everything that really isn't who they are."

Bevis frowned as she followed him, it sounded too close to home, but right now, she was more interested in the property than who that person could be. Looking around, she wondered what would happen if she fell ill or needed help.

"What would I do if I got sick or there was an emergency?" she asked.

"There is a CB if you need to reach someone, but we also have cell towers strategically placed," Jason said, pushing the key into the lock and opening the door, "this is inside the cabin. Wander as you will and ask any questions you have."

Bevis stepped through the door into a finely finished haven of coolness. The high ceiling and vast living space held a comfy-looking lounge suite with a large cotton rug under a heavy solid wood coffee table. Near a large archway to the right, she found a large round table with eight chairs circling it with a bowl of decorated pine cones in the middle. Ambling through the room, Bevis began to smile; she felt like she had come home. The windows were panelled in wooden casings and could open if required. She gasped when she turned toward the sitting area; the stone fireplace took most of the wall and held various grids hanging on one side.

"You like it?" Jason asked, watching her as she slowly moved toward the enormous archway.

Bevis entered a massive kitchen, her eyes wandering everywhere as ideas of what she could do with the empty shelves and looking into an expansive open room with each wall covered from floor to ceiling in shelves; she felt as though it had been designed specifically for her.

Returning to the living space, she nodded, "I love it, but where are the bedrooms and bathroom?"

"Through here," Jason said, moving to the back of the sitting area where a heavy wooden door could be seen, opening he waited until she preceded him, "It's a short passage, with a skylight that can open on sunny days and a light for when you need to close it due to bad weather," he switched on the light reaching for a thick rope and pulling, above their heads a piece of wood moved to the one side flooding the area with light, "the bathroom is down the short passage this way, and the two bedrooms are through that door and that door," he pointed in the various directions, "go have a look."

Bevis looked at the three choices and headed into the bathroom. Opening the door, she found herself in a beautifully tiled room. The tiles flashed shades of blue depending on how the light moved. The large shower and corner bath, which extended along much of each wall on each side, where Bevis could imagine herself having luxurious bubble baths, was decorated in white and chrome finishings. The plumbing was all white and chrome everywhere she looked, while the curtain was of a soft baby blue material blending into the décor. A tasteful display of shells and other ocean décor was laid around the room or on a shelf. The round deep ceramic white basin sat independently in a cupboard beside the toilet. Everything in the room begged Bevis to enter and enjoy a time of relaxation. If this was the cabin so far, what were the rooms like? Entering the closest room to the bathroom, she gasped.

"This is like living in a forest," she whispered as she took in the soft greens on the walls and curtains, the window box of flowering plants, the wooden bed with a thick mattress comfortable-looking mattress and plush bed covers and pillows. The large window showed a split view of the mountains and the river from the desk behind the door; the window directly above it gave a picturesque view of the meadow and road, "what is in the next bedroom?"

"Go and see for yourself," Jason said, grinning.

Bevis now enjoying every moment of this viewing, opening the second bedroom door stopping in the doorway and looking around. The white walls, bed, bedlinen and curtain contrasted with the view from one window into the greenhouse and over a bed of blooming roses. A neatly stacked pile of notepads marked with rose prints lay on the desk. The walls held pictures of roses growing in gardens and bouquets in vases. She entered the ample space and found a floor-to-ceiling window with a glass door looking out over the river. Moving toward it, Bevis felt everything to be surreal. She would sign the papers today if the cottage came with the furniture.

"What do you think?" Jason's question whispered to her from where he stood in the doorway.

"It's beautiful," she said, "I love everything about it. Does it come as it stands? Furniture, décor ... everything?"

"It does," Jason nodded, "my mother would be delighted you like it ... she decorated it a year back ... I guess she got tired of waiting for me to do something with it."

"She has good taste," Bevis nodded, "we just need to look in the garage and the barn, and then I'll be happy to sign the papers."

"You want it?" Jason asked in surprise.

"Yes," Bevis said, "I've been out of my depth for so long I may as well be somewhere amazing to learn how to cope and grow."

"Huh, knew there was more to you than being a city girl," Jason said, grinning, "how did you get here?"

"Taxi," she said, "do I need to call one to get home?"

Jason frowned, staring at her hard, "What happened to your car?"

"I had a problem with ..." Bevis sighed, "how much as Jake told you?"

"Brad is causing you issues, so he's requesting a restraining order," Jason said, "how bad is it, Bevis?"

"He's been following me, bugged my laptop, mobile phone, portable headphones ..." Bevis shook her head, "basically anything to monitor and control me."

"You have a mobile here," Jason said, "is that a new one?"

Bevis nodded, "I had to buy everything new. Jason, Brad comes into my apartment when I'm sleeping and moves things around," she closed her eyes, "watches me sleep ... smells my clothes hanging in my cupboard."

"What?" Jason said, his eyes large and wide with concern, "That is bad, but that doesn't explain your car."

"I had to leave it in a shopping mall parking, pretend to go shopping, beg a sales lady to let me out the employee exit of the store to escape him," Bevis said, "I took a taxi somewhere else and then took another one here."

"This is ridiculous," Jason shook his head, "moving out here will be the best thing for you. Brad couldn't get near you without breaking enough laws to be jailed for a long time."

"That makes this place even better," Bevis smiled, "now ... what do I need to do to sign the papers?"

"A boat ride to the main house," Jason said, waving Bevis through the door, "... secondly you'll need to meet the executives of the trust ... my parents," Jason chuckled, "and probably have to submit to a meal and chat, and we'll go from there."

Nodding, Bevis moved through the cabin, "That sounds like a good way to spend the day," she smiled as she looked down at the dock, "where is the boat?"

"That you can see while we're checking out the barn and garage," Jason said, "follow me."