Lost and Found (Beyond Fairytales)

by Linnea Alexis

  The right turn signal blinked on a dark SUV directly ahead. She blew out a sigh of relief and decided to follow it.

  The vehicle exited the freeway. So did she. At the bottom of the off-ramp, she stopped at a red light. The motorist she’d followed turned on the rear window wipers then twisted around in his seat. A male driver stared over his shoulder at her long enough to make her shudder.

  “Great,” she muttered. “I’d choose some serial killer to follow. He probably thinks I’m following him for a different reason.” She let out a nervous giggle and, deciding it was best to avoid making eye contact, looked away.

  The light turned green.

  The lead driver turned left.

  Haley turned right.

  She drove less than a mile before pulling into the parking lot of a fast food restaurant.

  The rain finally stopped. The sun broke through the dark clouds, bringing a rainbow with it.

  Resting in the near-empty lot gave her a chance to check her bearings. The road sign straight ahead said Pine Creek Road—the exit she wanted. She smiled, and a heavy weight lifted from her shoulders.

  As she exited the parking lot, a blue Honda swung out behind her. Was she being followed? Or had the stressful trip made her paranoid?

  She turned right onto Pine Creek Road.

  So did the Honda.

  Why hadn’t she called Eli before starting out?

  She followed Pine Creek until she reached Wagon Wheel Lane. On the side of the road, a downed pine tree blocked one lane. She made a sharp left turn and headed for a narrow bridge. It was gone. She slammed on the brakes. The slick road prevented her from stopping immediately, and she skidded toward a creek. She gripped the steering wheel and yanked it to the right, aiming her car into a shallow ditch, barely missing another pine.

  Her head jerked back, then forward. She banged her forehead on the steering wheel. Lifting her head, she surveyed the area. Alone. Stranded. She shifted into reverse and hit the gas. The tires spun with a sickening screech, letting her know she wasn’t going anywhere.

  She killed the engine and dialed 911. The screen on her phone showed ‘Out of Area.’

  A car drove up and parked behind her Camry. Lifting her gaze to the rearview mirror, she recognized the same blue Honda that had followed her out of the parking lot. The driver’s face was concealed. A chill crawled down her back. She rubbed her arms, trying to make the feeling of helplessness—of dread—disappear.

  Someone rapped on the driver’s side window.

  A scream flew out of her. The man from the Renaissance faire stared inside. She gasped and dropped her phone in her lap

  What was he doing here? Ice slid down her spine.

  He motioned for her to roll the window down.

  She wasn’t going to give him the opportunity to grab her, so she cracked the window open only wide enough to speak with him. Not wanting to arouse suspicion, she bit back the urge to ask why he was stalking her.

  “Hi, Haley. Remember me? Dillon?” He sounded surprised to see her, but she knew better. She knew he’d been following her. “If you step out, I can get you out of the ditch.”

  With cell phone in hand, she eased out of the car and made sure she stood far enough away so he couldn’t grab her.

  “Good thing I happened along, huh?” With a pleased grin, he slid inside her car and cranked the engine over.

  But she wasn’t buying his Good Samaritan line of bull. This was no coincidence—she didn’t believe in them. Her gut churned. Had approaching him at the Renaissance faire given him the wrong impression, and he was stalking her? But who was he? What was the real reason he just happened to show up? What did he want from her?

  Chapter Seven

  “What the hell?” Eli leaned forward in his Jaguar and stared out the windshield.

  Haley stood shivering in the middle of the street. Did the Camry in the ditch belong to her? Or did it belong to the man who sat behind the wheel? From the way she kept her distance from the man in the car and clutched her hands to her chest, Eli suspected the man was not someone she trusted. A stranger?

  Eli hit the gas.

  As he drew nearer the accident site, the man poked his head out of the car door and locked gazes with Eli. The man was no stranger. He was Haley’s date from the Renaissance faire. The fellow Parker had warned him about.

  Shit. They must be together. A wave of disappointment swept over him. His first impulse was to drive away. To leave them alone. But he couldn’t do that. He had to warn her about the guy and decided to stick around to keep an eye on the situation.

  Besides, the car in the ditch tugged at the Boy Scout inside, and as long as he was here, he might as well lend a hand. He parked behind a blue Honda and stepped onto the wet pavement.

  “Looks like you got yourself into quite a jam,” he said, swaggering toward Haley.

  “What tipped you off?” She leaned toward him, lowering her voice. “I’m so glad to see you.”

  His stomach did a little happy dance. “Likewise. It’s pretty chilly. Why don’t you go sit in my car? It’s nice and warm in there.”

  She shook her head. “The rain has stopped, so I’m fine. Thanks for the offer though.”

  Eli rubbed his palms together and, with a bounce in his stride, hurried toward the Camry. “So what do we have here?”

  “She ran off the road,” the man answered, getting out of the car.

  “Let me give you a hand.” Eli moved to the passenger side and opened the door. He grabbed the inside of the door and, facing the back of the car, pushed, mirroring what the other man did. Together, they muscled Haley’s car out of the ditch and back onto the road.

  “Thank you. Thank you. Thank you,” Haley said.

  “Now that the cavalry’s here and you’re in safe hands, I’ll take my leave.” The man saluted Eli. “Take care, Haley, and stay out of ditches.”

  “Thanks again, Dillon,” she shouted after the man, who couldn’t seem to get to his car and away from them fast enough.

  Watching Dillon drive off, Eli thought it suspicious the fellow left so abruptly. “Wasn’t he the guy you were with at the Renaissance faire? Were you together?”

  She shook her head. “God, no. I wasn’t with him at the Renaissance faire. We’ve never been together—then or now. He just happened to show up after I ran into the ditch.”

  Eli knew Dillon was a bad guy, but couldn’t figure out what brought him here. Allen’s storage units? Haley?

  “Lucky he came along when he did.”

  “Too lucky, if you ask me.” Suspicion filled her voice. She narrowed her eyes to slits.

  “Why do you say that?”

  “Let’s just say I’m awfully glad to see you. Dillon—if that’s his real name—gives me the creeps. I swear he’s been following me.”

  Why would Dillon be following Haley? And where had Eli seen him before?

  “Speaking of ‘following me,’ what are you doing here?”

  Instead of admitting he feared for her safety, he answered, “I’m probably here for the same reason you are. Allen’s storage units.”

  Her mouth went slack. “How did you find out where they were?”

  “You’d mentioned it when we spoke yesterday,” he answered, hoping she wouldn’t recall she hadn’t mentioned the location. “Then I did the math. Allen’s secret storage units plus you away from your store equals Pine Mountain.” He tapped the side of his forehead, deciding it was best not to disclose he had access to her late husband’s private and confidential files. No use in raising more questions.

  Giving Haley’s Camry a quick once-over, he got behind the wheel and cranked the engine over. It started right up. “So far, so good, but you’d better not do any long-distance driving until a mechanic checks it out. Which means you don’t drive it back home until it’s deemed safe. Hopefully, the only damage is aesthetic.” He stepped out of the car and patted the dented fender on the passenger side.

  Haley slipped in behind the wheel.
“In case my car quits running, how about you follow me?”

  “Sounds like a good idea.”

  Relief settled over Haley. Despite struggling to navigate a vehicle that kept drifting to the left, she made it to Pine Mountain Storage in one piece.

  Eli was right. Her car was in no condition to drive back to Orange County. Next order of business? Find an auto mechanic.

  Two stories high, Pine Mountain Storage was surrounded by a six-foot-high chain-link fence. There were four rows of units, all with roll-up doors. Next to the fence, a one-story office. Tall pines surrounded the small, brown lawn. The structure was in dire need of a paint job. Peeling gray paint covered the walls and door.

  A handmade sign hung prominently in the window: Closed Today for Family Emergency.

  Closed?

  Eli parked his expensive sports car next to Haley’s dented Camry. He got out of his car, and she did the same.

  “I don’t know about you, Haley, but I’m hungry and tired, and—”

  “Are you suggesting we get a room?” Where’d that come from?

  “I’m suggesting the storage company is closed for the day, and I’m sure as hell not going to make another road trip tomorrow. And I wasn’t the one to suggest we get a room. Getting a room was your idea.”

  “This is tourist season. There are a lot of kids partying up here before going back to college.”

  “Like spring break?” A smile tugged at the corners of his full lips.

  Her heartbeat tripped into double time and warmth rose in her cheeks. Why in the world did he mention spring break? “What I meant was, you won’t find a vacancy anywhere within ten miles.” Heat flooded her body and settled in her core as she recalled the weekend she’d spent with Eli at a Holiday Inn many spring breaks ago. Did he remember?

  “Mind if I verify the motel situation?” He whipped his iPhone from his pocket.

  “Be my guest.”

  He stretched his tall frame and paced. Shivers skittered up and down her spine as her gaze swept the length of his muscular body. How well she knew what was hidden beneath the shirt and jeans he wore. Tempted to ask if he remembered her, she found herself at a loss how to approach such a subject. Didn’t we have monkey sex during one wild weekend about ten years ago? Yeah, that would go over big. She laughed out loud.

  Eli returned to the cars, staring at his iPhone. “We’re in luck. Looks like there’s a group of motels nearby. I’ll start calling.”

  “Which direction to the motels?”

  He answered through a wide grin, “Make a right.”

  “I also need to keep an eye out for a garage—someplace where I can get my car checked out.”

  “Good idea.”

  She drove slowly, following Eli, out of the parking lot and onto a street lined with motels. A gas station with a full-service garage loomed on the right. Eli signaled and parked in front of the service bay.

  They parked next to each other and were greeted by a tall, lanky attendant. Steve was embroidered on his name patch.

  Haley explained what had happened to her car.

  “Might be an alignment problem,” Steve said and promised to take a look. “Is tomorrow okay?”

  After agreeing, she handed the keys over, removed her things, and transferred them to Eli’s car. He held the passenger door open, and she slipped inside.

  On the next block, Eli stopped at the first hotel and sprinted inside to inquire about the availability of rooms. No vacancies.

  Three more stops garnered the same result. The managers reminded him it was high season. Haley chuckled, giving in to the urge to crow, “I told you so.”

  Motel number five brought a different answer. With a shit-eating grin, Eli swaggered back to the car, hotel keycard in hand. He flashed his dimpled smile.

  Her heart raced, recalling how often she’d licked and kissed that dimple.

  “Room 117. It’s an end unit. In back.” He winced. “But it’s by the swimming pool. Hope you don’t mind. Rooms near pools tend to get a lot of foot traffic and noise.” He drove around to the back of the white-stucco motel and parked in the space closest to their room.

  She drew in a ragged breath and blew it out before stepping onto the paved parking lot. Why did she feel like she was doing the walk of shame when she hadn’t done anything? Yet. Keeping her head down, she waited for Eli to swipe the keycard. How many people stared at them between the thick, yellow drapes? Why did she care? They were adults. But they weren’t a couple. Still, she couldn’t deny how her heart thundered when their arms touched.

  Would their evening in the motel room be an opportune time to discuss spring break? Would he remember her? How could he not when they’d spent the majority of the time in bed?

  The motel door clicked open. They stepped inside. Would history repeat itself?

  Oh God.

  When Eli turned the lamp on, he hoped Haley wouldn’t notice his hands trembling. His breathing became uneven. What was I thinking? He was spending the night with the woman who had set the sexual standard as far as adventure and unbridled passion were concerned. Since then, no other woman had even come close. Now that he’d found her, he didn’t want to scare her away. He’d take it slow. Get to know her. He promised himself he’d be a good boy and keep his hands off her. Impossible. Perhaps he’d better sleep in the car.

  Lightning sliced through the sky, followed by rumbling thunder sounding several miles away.

  “Looks like it’s going to start raining again,” he said. Rain was good cuddling weather.

  She held her handbag to her chest like armor. Did she feel the same apprehension? Would their lust for each other return? He hoped so.

  He wanted her. Wanted to hold her. Kiss her. Make love to her. Rekindle what once was.

  “I’ll get our things,” he said in a ragged breath. Why was he so nervous? It was only one night. Tomorrow the auction would be over and so would his reason for seeing her in such an intimate setting. There was still the matter of her late husband’s financial mess, but that meeting would probably take place in his office, not a motel room. If he ever planned to make a move, it would be tonight.

  He retrieved his gym bag and her small suitcase from the backseat along with her heavy tote.

  When he re-entered the room, Haley turned away from the bed to stare at him. Seeing her in such close proximity to where one or both of them would sleep that night made him flash back to spring break. It was as if no time had passed.

  She was as beautiful as ever. Yet different. She’d matured, grown into a strong woman who’d survived marriage to a paranoid, vindictive husband hell-bent on destroying her. And she’d even managed to keep it together during even more difficult negotiations where Allen battled her fiercely. After reining in her hot-headed husband, Eli continued to fight for his client until both parties were able to work out an agreement. If Allen had gotten his way, Haley would have ended up broke and living on the streets. A weaker woman would have crumbled under similar circumstances. She deserved his respect.

  To put her at ease, he offered an encouraging smile. He scanned the room. “Well, it’s not the Ritz, but it’s sufficient for tonight.”

  Sufficient was the kindest word to describe their accommodations. If it hadn’t been the only vacancy available, he’d complain and ask for a different room. But, for one night, it would do. At least it was clean.

  The room was small. The double bed with a red-and-blue plaid bedspread took up most of the real estate. A pine dresser stood off to the side. A lamp with an orange shade sat on the desk next to the door. A chair with orange cushions faced the desk. Pine nightstands flanked the bed.

  The small bathroom was also “sufficient” and contained a small sink, toilet, and tub. The plastic shower curtain was decorated with red-and-orange poppies.

  Outside the bathroom door, a narrow table held a coffee maker, plastic water pitcher, and all the trappings needed to brew a decent pot of coffee.

  Haley chewed her bottom lip and surve
yed her surroundings. When her gaze landed on the bed, she said, “I’m starving. Want to go get something to eat?”

  “You call it. What are you hungry for?” He knew what he was hungry for, but he doubted she’d agree. Yet.

  “Anything. As long as it isn’t served as a Happy Meal.”

  Haley looked so vulnerable, so ill at ease, he wanted to wrap her in his arms and reassure her she had nothing to fear from him. He could never hurt her.

  “How about Italian food? There’s a restaurant across the street.” He rubbed his hands together—an effective way to keep them off his roommate for the night.

  Chapter Eight

  Inside the crowded Italian restaurant, the mouthwatering aroma of garlic bread and marinara sauce smacked Haley in the taste buds. The dim lights created an intimate ambiance. Oh boy, this could be trouble.

  Eli rested his hand on the small of her back, generating shivers wherever his fingers touched. Fearing she would fall under his seductive spell, she began mentally chanting, This is Allen’s lawyer. This is Allen’s lawyer.

  The hostess led them past small tables to a booth in the rear of the dining area. She handed them menus. “Would you like a drink?”

  Before Haley had a chance to decline, Eli ordered a bottle of cabernet sauvignon.

  Considering the stress of getting to Pine Mountain safely during a blinding rainstorm, a drink sounded like a pretty good idea right at the moment. But she feared sharing a bottle of wine with Eli would lower her defenses, especially since she was spending the night in a motel room with him. Alone.

  The waitress brought the wine and two glasses. After ordering their meal, Eli held up his glass in a toast.

  A few sips later, tension fell away from her shoulders, and she leaned back in the booth. She engaged Eli in a breezy conversation and laughed at his stories about growing up in a large Italian family, all the while reminding herself, This is Allen’s lawyer. This is Allen’s lawyer.