by Heather Lyn
“Damn right. I’ll talk to you tomorrow, Linds. Sleep well.”
“Night, Brody.”
The call ends and I toss the phone aside. I spend the next twenty minutes finishing the show I started earlier, and when I go to sleep, a feisty blonde fills my dreams.
CHAPTER FIVE
Lindsey
Waking up slowly, the first thing I register is the sun blinding me through the open curtains. The second is the steady humming of my cell phone, vibrating on my end table. Barely awake, I reach for my phone, seeing Unknown Caller on the screen. Rolling my eyes, I ignore the call and check the new text from Brody instead.
Brody: Good morning, possum food. Can I take you out tonight?
Lindsey: Not funny, asshole. And no, I don’t think you can.
Brody: Aw, come on, Linds. I was joking.
Lindsey: Fine. I’ll call you later.
Brody: Looking forward to it.
I roll my eyes again and toss my phone down, needing a hot shower and coffee.
Twenty minutes later, I emerge from the bathroom feeling a million times better. But when I come out and see I have two missed called from Unknown, it sets me on edge. I thought yesterday was a fluke, but now I can’t lie. I’m a little freaked out.
My thoughts drift back to last night, and I laugh out loud thinking about that stupid possum and how scared Brody got. After we hung up, I realized that it rocked me a little, knowing he was that upset. I was telling Hollie that we have a serious connection. I may have only met him a little over a week ago, but he’s all I can think about.
And clearly, after his reaction last night, he feels the same. Tonight we have our first date, and I’m actually really looking forward to it. I’m sure he won’t tell me what he has planned, but I don’t care. We could get takeout and hang at my place and it would be perfect.
As I stand at my counter, waiting for the coffee to brew, I decide to send a group text to my sisters.
Lindsey: Guess who’s got a date tonight, bitches.
Blair: Not me.
Grace: Ryan’s sick, so definitely not us.
Blair: And it can’t be our sister the prude.
Lindsey: Shut up. I’m going out with Brody.
Grace: Mr. Hot Bartender? About fucking time.
Lindsey: Yep! Apparently, his friends are friends with Liam and Hollie.
Blair: Just promise you’ll make him wrap it. He could be deadly.
Grace: Good Lord, Blair.
Lindsey: No way. Me, the nurse, should practice safe sex?
Blair: Screw you. Breakfast tomorrow so we get all the deets?
Lindsey: You know it, Blairey. Love you xo
Grace: Love y’all too. Be safe, Lindsey.
My coffee is ready, so I abandon my phone and pour myself a cup. Filling it with my favorite peppermint creamer, I carry it into the living room and plop down on the couch. Flipping to the local news channel, I briefly catch the weather and am happy to see it’ll be nice out tonight. Maybe Brody will take us somewhere outdoors.
Once I’ve finished my coffee, I head into the bathroom to dry my hair and am just shutting the hair dryer off when I hear my phone ringing. Goose bumps break out over my bare arms as I step into the kitchen to see it lit up, Unknown again calling me.
Taking a deep breath, I answer the call.
“Hello?”
Nothing. Complete silence. I start to hang up, but I hear something.
“Hello, is anyone there?”
“Lindsey….” It’s said so quietly I can’t even begin to make out who it was, or whether it was a man or a woman.
Heart racing, I clear my throat.
“Yes, this is Lindsey. Who is this? Why do you keep calling me?”
No answer, just breathing. And then just as fast as it began, the call ends. I stare down at the dark screen, my hand shaking and I gulp loudly, throat filled with unshed tears.
What the fuck?
I wipe at a few tears that escaped and dial the first person I can think of. I have no idea, but that phone call scared me. Why would someone do that?
Listening to it ring, I try to keep control of my emotions, but as I pace around my coffee table, my skin is cold and clammy. Then he answers.
“Hey, Linds. Wasn’t expecting to hear from you so early. Just couldn’t wait, huh?”
“Brody.” That one word cracks, and tears begin pouring down my cheeks as I cry. Dropping to the couch, I pull my knees up to my chest and bury my face against them as I listen to Brody trying to calm me down.
“Linds, I can’t help you if you don’t tell me what’s wrong.”
“I… can’—”
“Linds, what’s your address, I’m coming over.”
Rattling it off to him, he assures me that he’s on his way. Ending the call, I fold in on myself and let the fear out. My body shakes and I struggle to take in a full deep breath. I have no idea how long it’s been, but when I hear a loud pounding on my door, I jump, eyes wide.
“It’s me, Linds. Let me in, darlin’.”
Brody.
Rushing to the front door, I unlatch it and swing it open, in his arms in a second. He kicks the door closed behind him and carries me to the couch. Sitting down, Brody cradles my body to his, pressing a gentle kiss to my head.
“What happened, Linds? You’re really freaking me out.”
Sniffing, I rotate myself so I’m straddling him and bury my face in his chest while I recount the events from just a few minutes ago. His body stiffens and then his arm comes around my shoulders, squeezing me tightly.
“I’m sorry. That’s fucking creepy as hell. Do you have any idea who it was?”
“No, none. I couldn’t make out the voice.”
Brody cups the back of my head and presses a soft kiss to my forehead, his lips lingering for a moment while I compose myself. When I’m calmed down, I pull back to look into his brown eyes.
“Sorry, you must think I’m crazy. We haven’t even been on a date yet and I’m already ruining things.”
“No,” he murmurs, shaking his head. “You haven’t ruined anything. I promise you that. But I do want to run something by you.”
“What’s that?”
“Let me call my brother, Garret. He’s a cop. It’s probably just some teens trying to pull a stupid prank on you, but I’d feel better if he looked into it.”
When I nod, he smiles and kisses me, his lips warm against mine.
“I’ll be right back.” He starts to rise, but I shake my head.
“Not yet. I just….”
“What?”
“Can you just hold me for a few more minutes? I feel safe with you.”
Brody’s eyes soften, and his lips turn up in a smile.
“You are safe with me. I promise you, Linds.”
Snuggling up to him, I take a deep breath and force all thoughts from my mind. Except one. The only thing I can think about.
Am I really safe?
§
“So, tell me if I got everything correct. You’ve received no fewer than six calls, and this last time someone was actually on the line?”
Garret Walker is standing in front of me, his partner—Jace, I think his name was—next to him. Nodding, I wring my hands together. Garret’s eyebrows furrow and it makes me feel as if he doesn’t believe me.
“Yes. Someone whispered my name and when I questioned them, all I could hear was heavy breathing on the line. Then they hung up.”
Brody comes walking in the room with a bottle of water that he offers to me. While Garret jots something down in a small spiral notebook, I can’t help taking in just how different he is from his brother. Garret is taller, with curly hair and bright blue eyes. Yet somehow they also look exactly the same. They must each favor a parent.
“Look, sir—”
“Jesus, Lindsey. Call me Garret. I’m less than two years older than Brody. Calling me ‘sir’ makes me think I need to start wearing sweater vests and finding a date for the early bird specia
l.”
I raise an eyebrow at him. “Well, my parents always taught me to respect my elders.”
“Damn, little bro. You sure got yourself a mouthy female, huh?”
“Fuck off, Garret,” Brody jumps in. “Don’t talk about her that way.”
Shaking my head, I take a sip of water and pop my hip out.
“It’s okay, Brody. Sounds to me like Garret needs to get himself some ‘mouthy’ big-time. He’s clearly PMSing. Now if you don’t mind, could we get back to the issue at hand here?”
Garret starts laughing and shoves his notebook in his breast pocket. Stepping forward, he rests his hands on my shoulders. “I like this one, Brody. She’s awfully feisty. You’re gonna have your hands full, that’s for sure.”
“Well aware, man. Now, what do we do about that call?”
Jace steps forward to address Brody and me.
“Truthfully, we’ll see what we can do, but more than likely it’s a burner phone, so we won’t be able to trace it. Maybe try getting the person to talk if they call again, see if you can hear any sounds or background noise.”
I nod, chin wobbling when I try to keep my emotions under wraps. I don’t want to talk to them. I want them to stop calling. Twenty-four hours ago, I hadn’t gotten a call, and now they won’t leave me alone. I want this to be over.
“I know this is scary,” Jace offers. “But like Brody said, it’s more than likely some punk kids dialing random numbers and fucking with people.”
“This isn’t the nineties, guys. There isn’t some phone book sitting around with my number publicly listed. This is my private cell phone that I don’t give out to anybody. How did they get my number?” I cross my arms and raise my chin, determined to be strong.
“That’s what we’re gonna figure out, okay? Until then, stick close to my brother. You’ll be fine as long as you can handle his bullshit.” Garret holds a hand out to me and I shake it.
They leave a few minutes later, and I’m left in silence with Brody. Scrubbing a hand down his face, he turns to me, shoving his hands in his front pockets.
“You okay?” he asks, then strides forward and pulls me into his arms.
Breathing him in for a brief time, I pull back and loop my arms around his narrow waist.
“Thank you, Brody.”
“Of course, baby.” He places a chaste kiss to my forehead.
“Baby, huh? Aren’t we, like, supposed to be in a relationship for you to have pet names for me?”
He laughs against the top of my head.
“Pretty sure there are no rules on dating, Linds. I’ve got a pretty good feeling about us.”
“I do too, but maybe we should actually go on a date before we decide that.”
Brody pulls back. “True, so go get that sexy ass dressed. We can have date day before date night.”
“Okay. Give me ten minutes?”
“Go ahead. Can I make one request though?”
“Yeah, what?”
Brody kisses me, hands cupping my face.
“Don’t put any makeup on this beautiful face. I mean, you looked hot yesterday, don’t get me wrong. But this look right here, where I can see your freckles, I like it best.”
My skin heats at his words, and I stand on tiptoes to reward him with a kiss.
“That was smooth, Walker. I gotta hand it to you.”
“Always, Linds. Now go.”
He pops me on the ass, and I rush to my room to get ready.
§
“So, tell me all about yourself, Linds. Your family, your job.” Brody leans back in his chair, looking at me over the table. We’re currently having a late breakfast at a local dive that makes the best home fries I’ve ever had.
“All about me huh? Well, let’s see.” Taking a sip of orange juice, I try to think of something interesting to tell him. “There’s really not much to say,” I joke, shrugging.
“I find that hard to believe,” he says, stuffing a piece of toast in his mouth.
“Seriously. I work at the hospital, ER nurse, and I love my job. It’s everything I’d hoped it would be in nursing school.”
“I’m sure you’re really good at it.”
“I’ve always put my all into work. I work with some people who aren’t driven, as I’d call it. You can tell they’re only there for the good paycheck and yeah, don’t get me wrong, it’s nice to have financial security, but it’s about the people. The kids who come in sick at midnight, or the older folks, scared that it’s their last day alive. It’s hard, but I don’t understand why more people don’t want to do this job.”
“Not everyone could do it, I imagine.”
“Exactly,” I nod, draining my glass of juice. “I always wanted to have a job that would help people. And this one is everything. It’s my life.”
“And your family?”
“I’m the youngest of three girls. Grace was a real estate broker until she got married to Jay, and now she’s a mom to twin boys. That’s her life now. Blair is the free spirit. She owns a hair salon with her best friend and will probably be next to settle down and have kids. Then there’s me, little old Lindsey. The baby.”
Brody smiles at me. “Yeah, I know all about being the youngest.”
“Not in my family, you don’t.”
“No?”
“No. See, I always felt this sense of needing to do more with my life so I didn’t fall into my sisters’ shadows. Blair played field hockey in high school, and I wanted to follow in her footsteps, so I joined the team in middle school and took a ball to the face my third practice. Got a bloody nose and my mom yanked me off the field so her baby wouldn’t get hurt. And I remember thinking, if that was Blair, she wouldn’t have made her stop. But I was too fragile.”
“Linds….”
“I don’t mean that in a bad way, Brody. I love my family and we’re so close. We really are. My sisters are my best friends, and I love my parents. I guess what I’m saying is I try my hardest to not get left behind. I want to make my family proud, and not because I’m the baby, but because I’m Lindsey. Because I did something amazing, you know?”
Nodding, Brody leans across the table and takes my hands in his.
“I do, Linds. I get it. Look at me and Garret. It’s just the two of us. Mom was a full-time mother to us, and Dad worked long hours at the office to provide. My parents are fucking incredible people, and I love them more than anything, but to see the pride shine through my dad because Garret joined the police academy and I went to college for a degree I didn’t know what I would do with? That sucked. But I remember seeing that pride the first time he stepped into Walker’s on a busy night. Your parents are proud of you, and I’m sure of that. How could they not be?”
Smiling, I hold his hand up and kiss the back of it gently. “Thank you, Brody.”
“Anytime. You wanna get going?”
Scrunching up my nose, I shake my head. “No, I would actually love some more coffee. I like this, right here.”
“Me too, Linds.”
Grinning, Brody signals the waitress and when she comes to our table, he asks for a refill for the both of us. While she pours, he looks at me over the coffeepot and winks, smile wide and bright.
And I swear my heart melts just a little bit more.
An hour later, we step outside, hand in hand. Looking down at me, Brody smiles and I find myself completely wrapped up in him. Kissing my cheek, he jerks his head and motions for me to follow him. It’s a nice day, not too warm yet, and I rest my cheek against his arm as we walk. He steers us down the street to where he parked his truck. He helps me inside, and I’ve just pulled myself onto the running board when he grabs my ass and pushes me into the truck.
Turning, I look at him in shock.
“Watch it, Walker.”
“Sorry. My hand slipped, I swear.”
“Bullshit. You did that on purpose.” Sitting down, I reach for the buckle when he leans down to kiss me. His free hand grabs the seat belt from me and he buckles m
e in, his face inches from mine, a cocky smile spreading.
“Trust me, baby,” he says, kissing the tip of my nose. “You’ll know when I touch you on purpose. And when I do, you won’t be telling me to watch it.” With a wink, he kisses my cheek and hops down, shutting the door and leaving me to blush furiously. When he climbs into the driver side, I see the cockiness hasn’t left.
“We’ll see about that.”
“Damn right, we will.” He cranks the engine and we roar out of the spot.
I have no idea what he has planned for today, but I don’t care.
As long as it’s with him.
CHAPTER SIX
Brody
Well, it’s official.
Lindsey Taylor has me in the palm of her hand. There’s only one problem.
I don’t have her.
Three weeks have passed since our first date. We ended up back at her place and spent the entirety of the day and night on her couch, binge-watching The Office. She stayed cuddled up to me the entire time, and every so often she squeezed me like she didn’t want to let me go.
We talk every day and I’ve seen her three more times, but it’s like she has me dangling. Every time I think she’s close to jumping all in, she backs off.
Part of the problem is she’s still getting weird phone calls. Garret and Jace can’t figure out who it is, and they’ve never spoken since that one day. It was almost like they didn’t mean to say her name out loud or something.
Tonight, I’m taking her to the store to get her phone number changed. Linds texted me this morning to tell me she’s had it. No matter what, she needs the calls to stop. I know for a fact that she’s not sleeping, because I get texts from her at all hours of the night and I know her work schedule. Last night at dinner, she looked so run down, and then when her phone started vibrating while I was paying the check, I could see the frustration and fear in her eyes.
Linds silently cried the whole drive home, and I think getting her number changed is the first step. There’s no real title to what we are, but she’s my girl whether she knows it yet or not. And I can’t have her this upset all the time. Until there’s a lead, they can’t do anything.
And that’s not good enough for me.
