Disengaged (Terms of Engagement Book 3)

by Melissa R. L. Simonin

  “Alright…” Erik considered that, as he exchanged a glance with Amber. She looked kind of mad. He wasn’t thrilled someone picked up their order either, but she was taking it much harder than he was. Then again, she was also a lot younger. He smiled reassuringly, and she looked a little less hostile.

  “I told him it was, because I thought he worked for you,” Tabitha said apologetically. “I had no idea he didn’t.”

  “Has anyone called before, and asked something similar?” Amber suddenly inquired, inserting herself into the conversation. And making her presence known.

  “Uh—I’m sorry, who is this?” Tabitha asked in surprise.

  “I’m Amber, Erik’s partner,” she promptly replied. Erik wondered if she knew how that sounded, but Amber kept going. “Has anyone called before, asking the same thing?”

  “Uh—yes, I—yes,” Tabitha stuttered.

  “Exactly what did they say?” Erik asked.

  “It was last week, a man called. I don’t remember exactly what he asked, but I thought he worked for you. He seemed to know what he was talking about… he asked about the granite order you made.”

  “About our specific order?” Erik asked, seeking clarification. “Did he mention the order number, color, size, quantity, anything like that?”

  “No… but he knew it was granite. He asked if it would be ready on time, and wanted to confirm the date.”

  “Alright,” Erik considered. “How about the vehicle that picked up, yesterday?”

  “I’ll have to transfer you to Mike,” Tabitha answered.

  “Alright, thanks, Tabitha,” Erik replied. With a click, the sound of static, interspersed with the strains of an unfamiliar song, told him he was on hold.

  “Of course he knew it was granite,” Amber said, with a roll of her eyes. “That’s all they sell, for goodness’ sake!”

  “Yes… and you’re right about this, I’m sure of it,” Erik said, as he thought it through. “Whoever’s responsible, isn’t getting their information from one of our guys. Good job, partner.”

  Amber glanced at him. Erik smiled, and held up his hand. Her eyes lost their annoyance and she laughed a little, as she gave him a high five.

  “Thanks,” she said.

  The indistinguishable music and static, ceased. Erik kept his eyes on the road, but they both turned their attention to the phone in Amber’s hand.

  “Granite Solutions,” said a man’s deep voice.

  “Hi, Mike. This is Erik Davison.”

  “I’m really sorry about that order mix-up,” Mike replied. He sounded concerned, and a little anxious.

  “I understand. It sounds like this guy had everyone fooled. What can you tell me about this? What was he driving, and was he acting alone?”

  “He was in a truck. A dark, four-by-four, two-door Ford. Not sure of the model. It was towing a flatbed trailer. Looked like it’d seen a lot of wear. The boards were scratched, chipped, and paint-splattered.”

  “What color paint?” Amber asked.

  “White, mostly. Some tan,” Mike answered.

  “I don’t suppose the license plate made a lasting impression?” Erik wondered.

  “What was it…” Mike thought. “I don’t remember the numbers, but the letters were HUG.”

  “What state?” Erik asked.

  “This one,” Mike replied. “The guy was maybe five-ten, five-eleven. Hey, Al! How tall are you?”

  They heard a distant voice call back to him.

  “Five-eleven,” Mike relayed. “He had dark hair, and a cap. Guy was maybe in his thirties. Hard to tell build, since he was wearing a heavy coat. He was no weakling, he helped load. He was in a hurry to get going.”

  “Did he say anything that would help identify him?” Erik asked.

  “What about an accent?” Amber added.

  “He did have an accent… I’m not sure what it was. Not Spanish, but… I don’t know. He didn’t say much.”

  “Did the truck have markings that would associate it with a business?” Erik wondered.

  “No…” Mike considered.

  “How about snow?” Amber asked. “Was there any on the hood, and roof? How about in the truck bed, and on the trailer?”

  Erik was impressed.

  “There was snow on the truck, yes,” Mike remembered. “About the same as mine. The trailer, not as much.”

  “Were there brush marks? Like it was swept, or the snow shoveled out?” Amber wondered.

  “No… And there wasn’t much. It was only dusted.”

  “It started snowing at nine,” Amber considered. “What time did he pick-up?”

  “About one,” Mike answered.

  “Did you see him pull out of the parking lot? Which direction did he go?”

  “He headed south on Parker, and turned east on Fifth.”

  “Really,” Amber said, tamping down her excitement. Erik reminded himself that he needed to keep his eyes, and most of his focus, on the road.

  “That’s right,” Mike confirmed, then paused, at the sound of another voice in the background. He spoke away from the phone for a moment, before returning to their call. “Do you… have any other questions?”

  “I don’t know. Amber?” Erik asked.

  “We’ll let you know if we do,” Amber assured him.

  “You know where to find me,” Mike said.

  “Thanks, Mike,” Erik replied, and Amber tapped the screen to end their call. She handed the phone back to him, and caught the look of admiration in his eyes.

  “What?” she prompted.

  “I forgot how smart you are. Or no, that’s not true. I could never forget. But—wow. I’m amazed at your questions. We have a lot more to work with, than I would if I was doing this on my own.”

  “You can go ahead and admit it,” she said loftily. “You need me.”

  “Yes, I’d say I do,” he agreed, and she was satisfied.

  Of course, he needed her! She was glad to know he knew it.

  “Ace Photography is on Fifth Street,” Amber informed him. “They sell cameras and video equipment. They’ve always got several different models recording, to give customers a look at the merchandise in action. We’ll check and see if they caught video of the truck, as it passed by.”

  “Are you serious? This is great!” Erik said enthusiastically.

  “We’ll also drive around that area. It’s not like he can use your counters, and he wouldn’t want to be caught with them in his possession. I can think of a few places where he might dump them.”

  “Where?” Erik wondered.

  “Several blocks down, is the railyard. There are some warehouses in that area, too. There are alleys, dumpsters, weeds, and it’s not highly or frequently populated. His truck was outside, either all morning, or most of it. But the trailer, was sheltered. Locally. He picked it up from somewhere, maybe he rented it, then went to pick up your order. After that, he had to get rid of it. And probably return the trailer.”

  Erik glanced in the rearview mirror, at their sleeping nephew.

  “Maybe… we should put off building that snowman, until morning.”

  “That would be wise. The more time that passes, the more likely it is that trash pickup will cart away your counters.”

  “Think your parents will mind watching Caleb for an hour or two this evening?” Erik wondered.

  “Not at all,” Amber smiled.

  ROB closed the Bible he held, and rubbed his eyelids. He blinked a few times, and looked around.

  No wonder his eyes were strained. The light of day, dim as it was thanks to the storm, was waning fast. The red-hot logs smoldering in the fireplace, were on their way to becoming the cabin’s sole source of light. Rob wondered how he managed to read for as long as he did.

  He set the Bible aside, and turned his gaze in Samantha’s direction. The flickering light played across her face, and he saw that she was awake. Her eyes were fixed on the glowing logs, but her thoughts were far away.

  “How do you
feel?” Rob asked gently, and she stirred. She tried to speak, then cleared her throat and tried again.

  “Okay,” she managed.

  Rob left the recliner, and knelt beside her.

  “How’s your throat?” he asked, feeling her forehead and cheek.

  “Rough,” she rasped.

  “How about your back?”

  She considered that, and winced a little.

  “It hurts.”

  “That doesn’t sound okay to me,” was his verdict. He added logs to the fire, then took the pillow from behind her back, and warmed it.

  “I’m going to end up with bedsores,” Samantha winced again, as she sat up, with effort.

  “Couch sores, you mean,” Rob replied. He propped the pillow against the back of the couch and held it, and she leaned back with a sigh. He helped arrange the blankets over her legs, then brought her a soda from the fridge. “The bed would be more comfortable.”

  “But not as warm,” she replied, as he sat beside her.

  “When there’s a lull, I’ll go pick up more firewood from the other cabins,” Rob promised, with a glance at the dwindling pile. The thought filled Samantha with alarm.

  “Is that safe?” she asked anxiously.

  He knew she’d be just as concerned for the safety of any other person, but that knowledge did nothing to diminish how good it felt to hear the concern in her voice. In spite of all the ways he let her down, she cared for his welfare, and he was glad.

  “I won’t go at all, unless the radar app indicates there’s an adequate break in the storm. I won’t risk leaving you here by yourself.”

  She sipped her drink as she thought about that.

  “There’s the emergency generator,” she reminded him.

  “Yes. There is,” he agreed. “We won’t run out of heat. By making a run to the other cabins, we won’t run out of the rest of what we need, either. I might as well pick up firewood, while I’m at it.”

  “How?”

  “How will I bring it all back? I guess I’ll pile it on a blanket, and drag it. Or bundle it. I’m sure there’ll be dragging involved, anyway. And probably a blanket. It’s either that, or carry it one armload at a time. If there’s enough of a break in the storm for that, it’ll be enough for someone to come rescue us.”

  “It won’t be much longer, will it?” she asked anxiously.

  “I have no idea. But it’ll be fine. I’ll make sure you have everything you need.”

  Everything but her son. She chewed her thumbnail absentmindedly.

  “Where is my phone?” she wondered.

  “I’ve got it plugged in,” he answered. He reached over and retrieved it from the end table, and handed it to her.

  She turned it on and wondered how to make a call in the small cabin, without him hearing everything she said. Was it possible? She sighed quietly. She missed Caleb more than she could stand, but she didn’t dare to even look at the pictures on her phone. If Rob saw—she’d have to do the same thing Amber did, and let him think Caleb was her sister’s. The thought made her scowl.

  “Is everything alright?” Rob asked in concern.

  Everything was all wrong, but there was no benefit in pointing that out. She shrugged a little.

  “It’s fine.”

  “That’s what you say when things aren’t fine. But… I guess that was kind of a dumb question, anyway.”

  Samantha made a face as she considered that, then half-shrugged, half-nodded. Rob laughed, and as she glanced at him, she couldn’t help smiling back a little. The sight filled him with joy, and sadness.

  “I’ve missed your smile,” he said wistfully. “I’ve missed everything about you.”

  There was longing in his voice, and in his eyes. Samantha felt uncomfortable, and glanced away. As Rob watched her, he was filled with regret.

  “I didn’t exactly give you any reasons to miss me. I’m so sorry, Samantha.”

  “I know you are, Rob,” she replied quietly. “You don’t have to keep saying it.”

  “Maybe I’m making up for all the times I should’ve said it, and didn’t. I don’t know, but I can’t seem to stop,” he admitted.

  She brushed the moisture from her eyes, and cleared her throat.

  “Congratulations on starting your own contracting firm. That’s quite an achievement.”

  “It’s my grandfather’s company,” Rob said modestly. “He was ready to retire, so he let me and Erik take it over.”

  “Still, you’re doing great, Pine Mountain is a huge project,” she insisted, blotting her eyes with the sleeve of the robe she wore. “You and your brother have something to be proud of.”

  “Lack of pride was never one of my shortcomings,” Rob said ruefully. “But… how about you? You’re design lead for the model homes. That’s a major accomplishment.”

  “Thanks. It kind of is,” she admitted, as a smile flashed across her face. The sight filled Rob with warmth.

  “While I was draining the pipes last night, I saw what you did with the place. It’s awesome. You’re really good.”

  “Thanks.”

  “You’re staging the rest, right?”

  “Yes...”

  “Then the subdivision will go in, in no time,” Rob said with confidence. “I’m tempted to buy one of the houses, myself.”

  Samantha laughed at that, and looked at him quizzically.

  “It would be a long commute, if you still live in Ashland.”

  “I’m willing to relocate,” he said, entirely serious now.

  She glanced at him briefly, then looked away.

  “Why would you want to do that?” she asked quietly, but he shook his head a little.

  “What I want, is you,” he said softly.

  Her heart responded, as it always did when he spoke in that tone of voice. A sense of panic washed over her, and she focused intently on the can of soda in her hands. If they made eye contact right now, it would be all over. The look in his eyes would draw her in, she would throw caution to the wind, and for better or worse, she would be his. He would have her, and then he would have Caleb. Her blood chilled at the thought.

  Samantha’s phone buzzed. It was a disappointment to Rob, but to her, it was an answer to prayer.

  “I need to let my family know I’m alright. And the people I work with…” she said, as she rapidly viewed the slew of text messages that were sent while her phone was off.

  “I’ll fix you something to eat, while you do that,” he replied, tamping down his impatience. She nodded in response, her eyes on her phone. Rob sighed in silent frustration, and went.

  He loved her, he wanted her back, he wanted to hold her, to kiss her, to hear she’d never leave him again, he wanted…

  And it was all about him, as always. The realization filled him with sadness, and the determination to change, even if it killed him.

  If he had to do it on his own, it just might. But he didn’t, and that thought brought him comfort.

  Chapter 9

  AMBER practically snorted with annoyance, as she looked at the phone in her hand.

  “Finally!” she exclaimed.

  “What?” Erik wondered, as he followed the rapidly darkening streets toward what he was beginning to suspect was the bad side of town.

  “Samantha texted back,” Amber replied irritably.

  She seemed aggravated with her sister, but unconcerned by the graffiti-riddled buildings, their dented doors, and bent railings. Some of the windows were boarded, others broken, and all were dark. Even the snow, which surely blanketed a multitude of deficiencies, appeared dingy in this part of the city.

  “What did she say?” Erik asked, as he wondered what caused the shadows that disappeared on the other side of the door that hung from one hinge. And the faint glow that appeared in the window…

  “She said she’s fine,” Amber replied, her thumbs rapidly tapping out a response.

  “Okay… good,” Erik said absentmindedly, as he caught a glimpse of another set of shadows.
The beam of the headlights chased them away, revealing two figures. They ducked hastily down the narrow alley between buildings, and vanished.

  “Just a generic ‘I’m fine,’ that’s all she gives me,” Amber grumbled.

  “It could be worse,” Erik replied.

  It could also be a lot better. Amber could be safe at her parents’ house, instead of here, with him. If only he dropped her off along with Caleb! Although, as determined as she was, he wondered how he would’ve managed it.

  Maybe with her dad’s help. Maybe.

  “How?” she retorted.

  “How, what?” Erik wondered, as he followed the road across a set of train tracks.

  “How could it be worse,” she replied, giving him a funny look. She wondered if he was paying attention, at all.

  “We could be low on gas,” he replied. He gave the gauge a quick glance, and gave himself credit for filling up on the way into town.

  Amber rolled her eyes, and turned back to her phone.

  “I’m going to give you some advice, Erik,” she informed him.

  “What,” he wondered, as he slowed to a stop, and scanned the railyard that opened up ahead. Much of the snow remained undisturbed, but not all. In the last vestiges of the setting sun, the dim light cast by the street lamps on either side of the road, and the SUV headlights, several tire tracks were visible.

  “Listening skills are absolutely essential to a healthy relationship,” she declared.

  “Probably,” he said absentmindedly. He glanced at the side and rearview mirrors, then followed the road slowly.

  “If my aunt’s said it once, she’s said it a million times. Probably more, I quit listening after a while.”

  “Uh-huh,” Erik replied. He switched off the vehicle’s lights, and his gaze followed the tire tracks in the rapidly diminishing daylight.

  “You haven’t heard a word I’ve said,” Amber accused.

  “You have a million aunts,” Erik said. His eyes were locked on the large building up ahead. There were many rolling doors, all closed. The few windows, were dark. The tire tracks led in that direction.

  Amber’s lip twitched, and she raised an eyebrow.

  “I’m afraid there’s no hope for you, Erik. No girl would stick around for this abuse, no matter how good-looking you are.”