Laying down the brush, I slid my feet beneath the sheets and puffed the pillow. Just as I was about to lie down, I heard a car approach our house at a high speed, brake out front, and then peel off with tires spinning. I rolled to my knees to look out the window but all that was left was a pair of taillights in the distance before they disappeared over a rise in the road. My heart pounding, I rolled back to lie down. I lay awake for a long time that night, wondering who had been driving. My gut told me that it was the man who was so very good at tracking me and appearing out of nowhere. It had to be Colt; he likely had my parents’ address and had tracked me long enough to know I would be there. A short flight and a rental car later, he was watching my house and did it loudly enough to let me know he was there. What was it that made me shudder? Relief or fear?
Coming back to Brookfield was nice, but obviously, there was nowhere for me to hide from the inquisitive Mr. Stillman. I needed to settle things with him before I lost my job and gave up whatever security I’d build for Carrie and myself. I couldn’t let him ruin the new life I’d built.
The next morning, I fibbed and told Mom I’d gotten a text from my boss and that someone had quit, and they needed me back pronto. “I can’t afford to make them mad, Mom. I haven’t had the job long and I really need to make a go of it.”
She nodded, thoughtful. “To tell you the truth, I’ve been wondering why you came home at all. You couldn’t have built up vacation this early. Did something happen there? Is something wrong?”
“No, just got homesick,” I fibbed again, my mind saying yes, something happened okay. He’s tall with black hair, blue eyes and charisma dripping from his lips. I’m in trouble—real trouble.
Carrie and I left the next morning.
Chapter 9
Coulter
What in the hell happened? One minute she’s in bed next to me and the next, she vanished. She knew where she was and who she was with. What went wrong?
This string of questions raged through my brain like an overflowing river. I decided to give her a few days to calm down or come to her senses; depending on what applied. In the meantime, I had a business to run.
Mason Derry was sitting across the desk from me, a folder of papers in his hand and a puzzled look on his face. His reading glasses had slid down to the tip of his nose.
“I thought you were going to have this all sort out?” I yelled at him. “Every day those permits are withheld, I’m losing millions. So, here’s what I’m going to do. Until you get this mess cleaned up, don’t bother billing me because you’re not cutting it!” My hands were literally quivering with my rage and at the same time, my stomach was rolling from nerves and the fifth of bourbon I’d put away the night before on the floor of my living room. Alone.
“Woah, Colt, calm down.”
“Don’t tell me to calm down. Don’t sit there making excuses or rolling this off on me. You’re the one in the hot seat. You should have seen this kind of shit coming and sheltered the risk a long time ago. It took some moron loser of an ex-employee to cause this gargantuan, fucking mess? What the hell were you doing to protect my interests? Golfing? Fucking somebody’s wife?” I was pounding my desk.
Mason closed his folder and took off the ridiculous glasses. “I can see we’re not going to get anywhere here today. You want to fire me, then fire me. But you’ll have a bigger mess on your hands than you do right now. I don’t think you’re one bit upset about the permits—you’ve been in this business far too long to get shook like this. There’s something else going on, Colt, and it has nothing to do with me. Call me when you’ve calmed down,” he finished and left my office. I threw an ink pen at the door as it closed behind him.
There was a tap on my door and it opened. Buddy’s head poked around the side of it. “What the hell is going on in here?” he asked, although he was careful to keep his voice level and low.
“Just the person I was looking for. What have you got to do with this whole thing?”
“Excuse me?”
“Don’t play innocent. I know you and that ditzy girlfriend of hers teamed up to get us together and I no more got her past hating me and she’s disappeared. What you know about this?”
Buddy came in and shut the door quietly, but firmly behind himself. He held out his hands. “Well, Colt, calm down now. I’ve never seen you like this before. You’re letting a woman get to you?”
“She’s not just any woman!” I shouted, throwing another pen at him. Lucky for me he was able to back away before I took out his eye.
“Damn! I’ve never seen you hot like this, not even in a fight.”
“Fights are fair, this isn’t.”
Buddy sat down in the chair opposite my desk that Mason had just vacated. “Okay, let’s talk about this,” he said in a very calm voice. “First of all, she hasn’t disappeared from the face of the planet. You can find her, you can always find anyone you want. I think you’re aggravated because she doesn’t want to find you. You’re not used to being treated that way.”
“You’re sure as hell right about that,” I muttered and swiveled my chair so I was staring out the window. “I feel like that line in the old Bogie movie. Of all the gin joints why did she have to walk into mine?”
“Look, Colt. Give her some space. I don’t know a whole lot about her, but I do know that she’s a good person. Bitsy thinks the world of her and as wacky as Bitsy might seem, she’s got street smarts. She works with every crappy crime you can think of every day and she still manages to stay sane. I haven’t talked to her about this and, frankly, I had no idea you were this upset. You’re taking this way too personally.”
“Oh, really? How would you take it if you were really into a lady and she came home with you but disappeared before you got out of the shower the next morning?”
Buddy winced. “Oh, yeah, that is bad. But only if you didn’t want her to leave. I can think of a few times I wish they would’ve left as soon as the fun was over.”
I slammed my fist on my desk. “She’s not like that,” I jabbed my finger at him. “You got that?”
“Got it, got it. Okay, here’s what we’re going to do. And for once you’re going to take orders from me. I’m going to get up from this chair and I’m going back to my office. I’m going to give Bitsy a call and invite her to lunch. I’ll find out what I can from her, but I don’t know how much she knows. When I come back, I’ll come in and talk to you and tell you what I’ve learned. But between then and now, you’re going to go through your calendar and start setting up appointments. We’ve got one hell of a lot of guys standing around doing nothing, still on the payroll. We have buildings that must go up and we have permits to secure before we can do that. It’s all on you at this point, Colt. There’s only so much I can do on my own.” He stood up and walked away from my desk, stopping as he was ready to open the door. “She really got to you, didn’t she?” he said quietly over his shoulder.
“Yeah, she really got to me,” I admitted.
* * *
Buddy was back a couple of hours later. He wasted no time. “She’s been out of town, apparently went to see her parents. She’s back but doesn’t want to see you. I don’t know why—don’t know what happened, but that’s it. Sorry, Colt.” I could see the trepidation on his face as he unloaded the information. He was probably nervous that I’d go off on him again.
“Nothing more?”
“Nope,” he shook his head.
“Okay. I’m taking the rest of the day off. Look after things, will you?” I didn’t wait for a response but swept past him on my way out. I had my own ways of finding her—I’d already proven that.
* * *
“You.”
The young woman at the reception desk looked up at me and practically fell off her stool. I didn’t know her name. “Me?”
“Your name, please?”
“I’m Monica Stewart, Mr. Stillman.” Her pretty face was furrowed with what almost looked like fear.
“Monica, come with m
e.” I motioned and strode toward the exit that led to the garage. I turned around and she was sitting there with her mouth hanging open. “Are you coming?”
“Uh, yes, right behind you,” she said, grabbing her purse from her drawer and stumbled to catch up. I held the door open for her and pointed to my car which was in my personal spot next to the door.
Unlocking it, I opened the door and motioned for her to get inside. She stood there, undecided and nervous. “It’s okay. I need a young woman to go shopping for me and you look like you’ll fit the bill.”
I guess it was the magic word “shopping” but she instantly seemed more interested and cooperated by climbing in. On the ride over to Blaze, I expected what I wanted her to do.
“You are going to be like a secret shopper, but instead of checking out clothes, I want you to look for a certain young woman. Her name is Gwen and she’s a tallish blonde but her most unusual feature is her huge turquoise eyes.”
“Okay, but what do I say when I find her?”
“Oh, no, don’t talk to her. Not unless you can’t help it, and don’t tell her I sent you. Here,” I reached into my pocket and pulled out a gold card. “Buy yourself some clothes, I don’t care what, but the reason you’re there is to look for her, pay attention to how she’s behaving and whether she looks happy. Can you do that?”
“Well, sure. That’s not work at all.”
I handed her the card. “Remember, this is not about shopping, this is about connecting with her state of mind.”
“Got it,” she snapped the card from my hand as we pulled up to the curb and she got out.
“I’ll be across the street in that parking garage, bottom floor. Come find me. I’ll be watching.”
She nodded and almost tripped in her haste to get into the store. I hoped she could contain herself enough to get the information I wanted.
An hour later, she came back, trailing through the parking garage with armloads of bags and a salesgirl trailing her with a luggage dolly piled with boxes strapped together. I got out of the car and loaded these in the trunk, avoiding a direct look at the salesgirl. I tipped her a hundred-dollar bill which she tucked it into her bra and then swung her hips broadly as she retreated.
We climbed into the car and I left the garage by the back exit. “So?”
Monica shifted in her seat, so she was facing me. “First, thank you for the clothes,” she said, pulling the card out of her blouse and laying it on the console between us. “I know who you were looking for. She was there. Tall and leggy? Busty?”
I nodded. “That’s her.”
“She seemed quiet, but she was working side by side with a very tall African woman with to-die-for cheekbones. I think I heard her called Metallica.”
“Okay, but what about Gwen?”
“She was really focused on what the Metallica woman was telling her. I got the idea that she was in training for something, like maybe a promotion. I tried to shop close by. I heard Metallica ask her if she intended to make Blaze her career or was she more interested in marriage and a family over the long term.”
Monica paused. I had to ask. “What did she say.”
She drew a breath, I think she knew I wasn’t going to like the answer. “She said she never wanted to be married.”
* * *
I dropped my car off back at the office and went to a bar not far from where Gwen worked. I knew what time she’d be off, and I’d be waiting. I ordered a double whiskey and settled back in a dark booth at the far side of the room from the door where I could watch. I was starting on my third when I looked down at my phone and saw it was close to her quitting time. I threw a hundred on the table and walked out into the sunlight, squinting a little and off tilt until I could adjust my eyes. Then I saw her; she was standing next to a very tall African woman. That was obviously the one that Monica had referenced. I hung back, watching, while the women chatted briefly on the sidewalk. Eventually, the Metallica lady turned and left and then Gwen turned in the opposite direction. She never heard me come up behind her until I grabbed her arm gently and she jumped.
“What?” flew from her mouth in surprise.
“Gwen, I have to talk to you.”
“Well, I don’t have to talk to you,” she said cruelly, pulling her arm away from me. She tried to turn and walk away but I wouldn’t let her go. I caught up next to her and spoke as we headed toward her car.
“Gwen, please, stop.” I tried to put my arms around her, but she pushed me away. I pulled her hard against my chest and trapped her, my hand holding the crown of her head. “Shhhh… now hold on here. I’m not your enemy. Hey, now stop a minute—you owe me that much.”
“I owe you?” She was flushed and angry, but she did stop fighting me. The huge turquoise eyes looked up at me and welled up with tears. “What do you want from me?”
“Hey,” I lowered my voice again, “let’s just go across the street and have some wine and talk. What do you say?”
She shook her head. “No, I have to get home.”
“You’ve got time. What’s the rush?”
“I have to go, that’s all,” she said and pushed back, heading to a car parked at the curb. I assumed it was hers. She fiddled with the lock and then threw her things inside in frustration as I stood on the sidewalk, watching. I could see her jamming the key into the ignition, but the car didn’t start. I heard the give-away click-click that suggested her battery was dead.
Walking around to the driver’s window, I tapped, and she cranked down the window. At least no power windows, I thought and then felt bad. “Gwen, come on out of there. I’ll drive you home and send a wrecker to pick up your car. I’ll get it sorted out for you and have it brought to your place when it’s fixed. C’mon now.”
I opened her door and she sat there, chewing her lip in deliberation.
"You really don't have a lot of other choices, you know," I told her. "I thought you said you were in a hurry?"
"She looked up at me. "I am, okay, okay. Drop me off at my apartment building, please?"
"No problem, come with me," I held up my hand and she slid out of the car and stood up, smoothing her skirt. The sight of her legs took my breath away, but I had to control myself if I was going to get to the bottom of whatever was bothering her. "I'm parked just down the street."
She nodded and followed me, holding my hand as I had offered. She was that kind of a woman. There were times when she was like a little girl and times when she was a willful, strong-minded and stubborn woman who would never allow herself to be taken advantage of. That revelation gave me pause for thought. I deposited her in my car and walked around to the driver’s side. I slid in and looked over, her skirt had slid up her thighs and it was all I could do to not reach over and touch her. I remembered what she felt like and how she smelled. She was all sweetness and innocence. I reined myself in and revved the engine, pulling out into traffic. "Want to give me directions?"
She looked at me sidelong. "You're kidding, right? You've known where I live from the very beginning. You wouldn’t let a little thing like that escape your attention."
"No, I suppose I wouldn't.” I let the subterfuge pass and wondered when she’d caught on to me. She was a very bright woman and that was part of the reason she held such an attraction for me.
“You can just let me out at the corner," Glenn said as she motioned to the upcoming street.
"No, you don't. We have some unsettled business between us. I think at the very least, you owe me an explanation of why you ran out on me. I didn't expect anything from you if you remember you came into my room."
"Do we have to go over all that now?" I could tell the topic upset her and I had to know why. It was that nagging feeling that somebody was lying to me, and that always raised the specter that I was about to be stabbed in the back. I couldn't tolerate that feeling.
"So, what is it you want from me?" she asked with exasperation. Her huge eyes were watching my face, as though trying to see something there that would
answer her question. "We aren’t alike, you know. Nothing alike. We come from different backgrounds and we have different goals. You have your responsibilities and I have mine. None of those are in common."
"Gwen, listen to me. This isn't a casual flirtation if that's what you were thinking."
"Of course, that's what I'm thinking. Men like you do not associate with women like me."
"You keep saying that. What is it about you that makes you so afraid?"
"Okay, you want to know? Fine. I'll show you. Then you'll understand. And when you see, you’ll leave me alone forever. I won't be insulted, I won't be hurt, I already prepared myself for that outcome. Park this car and come with me." Her voice was adamant and emotional. I had no idea what it was she was hiding, but I knew I was about to find out.
Chapter 10
Gwen
I’d done everything that I could to discourage Colt Stillman from becoming a part of my life. I didn't have the luxury of letting him toy with my affections. I knew a hundred girls who would've taken one look at him or at his bank account, and jumped in the seat next to him, ready to take the ride no matter where it ended as he dumped them. I was different. I had a child, had responsibilities. I had a career in the making and these were the only things that would keep Carrie and me from living on the streets, probably Bitsy as well. I had to protect us all. I could not afford the risk that was called Colt Stillman.
Nevertheless, there I was, taking him to the door of my apartment building. He stood back at the bottom of the steps as I unlocked the outer door and opened it. He reached over my head and held the door open as I went through and started up the stairs. "Come along. You may as well see it at its beautiful best," I said sarcastically. We trudged past Mrs. Heathrow's apartment. She was collecting her newspaper and waved to me briefly. I just smiled and kept going upstairs. I didn't have time for introductions and she'd never see him again, so it didn't matter.
Mine to Protect Page 8
