By the Book j-6

by N. J. Walters

  He leaned down and kissed her. There was an almost desperate edge to the kiss. She couldn’t tell if it was coming from her, from him, or from both of them.

  He broke away and went back to the basement and gathered his tools. Amanda was still waiting in the hallway when he returned.

  “I’ll see you in a few hours. Be sure and keep the doors locked and your cell phone with you at all times.”

  “I’ll be fine, Jonah. It’s daytime and nothing else has happened since the first breakin. It was an isolated incident. Bad luck and nothing more.”

  “Promise me.” He looked so fierce and protective she found herself nodding. He pressed a quick, hard kiss on her lips and headed for the front door. “I’ll see you at supper.”

  Amanda stood in the hallway and listened as his truck pulled away. She touched her fingers to her lips and sighed. Giving herself a shake, she headed to the kitchen. She’d make herself a cup of tea and then she’d start to unpack boxes.

  Two hours later, she stood back and admired the progress she’d made. One entire wall was filled with books and seven more boxes were waiting to be unpacked and displayed. She was pleased with her progress.

  Her cell phone rang and she retrieved it from her back pocket. She glanced at the caller ID, but it came up as caller unknown. “Hello.”

  There was dead silence on the other end, even though she could tell the line was open.

  Cold chills raced down Amanda’s spine. “Who is this?”

  “He won’t stay forever. I know you’re alone.”

  The loud click in her ear made her flinch. What did the caller mean? Was it just a wrong number or was it her assailant? Amanda nervously glanced out the window. “Get a grip. It’s just a phone call. He can’t hurt you through the phone.” He might not be able to hurt her physically, but he could certainly disrupt her mental state.

  She started to close her phone, but changed her mind. She dialed the sheriff’s office instead.

  A well-modulated female voice answered her call. “Jamesville Sheriff’s Department, how may I help you?”

  “May I please speak with Sheriff O’Rourke?”

  “May I ask who’s calling?”

  “Amanda Barrington.”

  “One moment, Ms. Barrington. I’ll check and see if he’s available.”

  She tapped her foot against the oak flooring and stared out the window. The room, which had seemed so cozy just moments before, now felt cold.

  “Hey there, Amanda, what can I do for you?” Patrick’s deep voice came across the line and she breathed a sigh of relief. Actually, now that she had the sheriff on the line it seemed kind of foolish to even bother him with this.

  “I’m not sure.” She gave a small, self-deprecating laugh. “I had a phone call and it spooked me.”

  “What happened?” His voice was all business now.

  She strolled away from the window and double-checked the lock on the door. “I was just working when my phone rang. It was a male voice, sort of muffled.”

  “What did he say?” She heard a distinct rattling sound on the other end of the line. It sounded like he was shifting through papers on his desk. “Was the voice familiar at all?

  Why would the caller muffle their voice unless they were afraid you might recognize them?”

  Amanda left her shop and went to the front door to check the lock there as well. “I didn’t recognize it, but as I said, it was muffled. He said that he knew I was alone and that he wouldn’t stay forever.”

  Patrick paused. “He wouldn’t stay forever?”

  Amanda leaned against the front door and sighed. “Jonah’s been staying with me since the night of the attack.”

  “I see.” Nothing in his tone gave away what Patrick thought of that arrangement.

  “What about your caller ID?”

  She shook her head. “Nothing.”

  “It could be just a crank call, but I don’t believe in coincidences. Did the caller say anything about a book?”

  “No. That was the only thing he said. Then he hung up.”

  “Okay. I’m going to send out a deputy to take a look around. In the meantime, we can contact your provider and look into your cell phone records and see if we can’t find out where the call came from.” She heard him call out to someone in the office and then he was back on the line with her.

  Amanda breathed a sigh of relief. She felt like such a coward, but for the first time in her life, she was nervous about being alone. “That would be great.”

  “You hang tight. I’ve got a man on the way out there.”

  “Thanks, Patrick.”

  “We’ll find out who it is.”

  “I hope so,” she muttered under her breath.

  “What was that?”

  She saw the familiar vehicle pulling up in front of her house. “The deputy is here.”

  “Good.”

  She sensed his hesitation. “Is there anything else?”

  “Are you going to be alone tonight?”

  Amanda felt like sinking into the floor. She was a grown woman, but she’d never openly had an affair with a man before. She and Jonah were practically living together.

  “No.” She cleared her throat and continued. “Jonah will be back around supper time. He went out on a job.”

  “That’s fine. My deputy can stay until then.”

  “Thanks, but there’s no need. I have my phone and all the doors are locked.”

  “He’ll wait outside until Jonah shows up.” She sensed the finality in Patrick’s words and couldn’t deny the relief she felt.

  “Okay.” A single loud knock came on the door. “I’ve got to go and let the deputy in.

  I’ll talk to you later.” She ended the call and opened the door to the uniformed man.

  “Please come in.”

  Work had always been a balm for Amanda during the bad times and now was no different. The shelves of her shop were filled and the boxes had been broken down. She planned to store them down in the basement for now.

  The cedar trunks were now empty and the books had been stored in either the safe or the glass cases behind her desk. The ones in the cases belonged to the store and were not on consignment for clients. They were books she’d personally picked up at yard sales and estate sales. They were listed with her online store, but she didn’t mind displaying them in her shop. The idea was to sell them, and Jamesville did a brisk tourist trade in the summer and well into the fall when they held their apple harvest festival.

  The trunks themselves had been placed strategically in front of the shelves to be used as seats. All she had to do was buy some cushions to go on top of them.

  Her store was ready for business even if she wasn’t. Her nerves were still on edge, waiting for the phone to ring again.

  The deputy had taken her statement earlier and returned to his car out front. She thought another car had arrived a few hours ago and replaced the original one, but she wasn’t one hundred percent certain. She felt sorry for them. It couldn’t have been very exciting for them to have to sit and watch her house all day.

  She glanced at her watch. It was just past six. “Damn.” She’d forgotten all about supper and had no idea what was in her refrigerator that she could cook for her and Jonah to eat.

  She was just about to head to the kitchen to rummage through the cupboards when she heard a vehicle pulling up outside. Walking to the window, she looked out. Her heart gave a little jump. Jonah was home.

  He climbed out of his truck and went straight to the deputy’s car. He leaned down and talked with him for several minutes before straightening. The deputy started his vehicle and pulled away, giving a little wave as he went.

  Jonah turned away and stalked up the walkway. He was angry. She could see it in the set of his shoulders, the scowl on his face and the way he loped up the path, like some predator on the path of his latest prey.

  She swallowed hard and headed to the front door. She had it unlocked and opened before he could knock. H
e stepped inside and shut the door tight behind him. “You want to tell me what the hell is going on?”

  The massive stranger crouched in the woods just behind the house and watched the deputy throughout the long afternoon. It was no hardship. He was more at home here in the woods than he would be in the house. Besides, this certainly wasn’t the first time he’d pulled sentry duty.

  He remained, unmoving, as a black truck pulled up in front of the house and a familiar man got out. He relaxed slightly, but continued to watch and wait until Jonah talked with the deputy and then strode up the walkway and into the house.

  All was safe. He could leave now that Jonah was back.

  Listening carefully to his surroundings, he didn’t move until he was certain he was still alone. He slipped out of his hiding spot and headed to his own vehicle, which he’d left in the parking lot of a grocery store several streets over.

  He was done for now, but he’d be back. He pulled out his cell phone and checked for messages. There were none, but he knew that there would be one when he was needed again. It was time for him to get some sleep.

  Chapter Eleven

  Jonah’s patience was nearing the breaking point. He’d hated being away from Amanda this afternoon, but he’d a job to do. Mrs. Haskins had been a friend of his mother’s and there had been no way he could turn her down when she’d called.

  Returning to Amanda’s place and finding a sheriff’s deputy parked out front hadn’t improved his mood. She’d had a threatening phone call and hadn’t bothered to contact him.

  He tried not to be hurt by that fact. But coming so hard on the heels of their disagreement this morning, it was hard not to take it personally. She’d balked when he’d told her he wasn’t going to charge her for the work he’d done. He still had no intentions of doing so. All the supplies he’d needed for the job had been charged to her account at the hardware store. That was bad enough as far as he was concerned. There was no way he was going to charge her for labor as well.

  He’d promised to send her a bill. He just hadn’t told her when. She’d be waiting a long time for that bill to come.

  He supposed he should be happy about the fact that she wasn’t clinging to him, wasn’t asking for more than sex. That’s what he’d wanted when this whole thing started.

  An affair, he’d told her. A no-strings affair was all he could offer.

  He was an ass.

  Somehow, this redheaded spitfire had accomplished something no other woman had been able to. She’d gotten under his skin. And she’d done it without even trying. All Amanda had done was be herself.

  Unlike most women he’d known, she didn’t spend hours primping in the mirror. She had a natural beauty that shone from her no matter what hour of the day or night it was.

  He’d wake up some nights and just lie next to her, watching her sleep.

  Awake, she fascinated him. She was smart, courageous, had a keen sense of humor and a boundless amount of energy. They talked about everything and anything. No subject was off limits. She was passionate about what she did for a living and her enthusiasm for books made him smile.

  Folks around town were starting to recognize her and they all smiled when they saw her coming. Well, everyone except Hector. He was still suspicious of Amanda and her business. Word around the coffee shop was that Hector was grumbling daily about Amanda and her new shop even though it wasn’t even open yet.

  Some people were a bit too friendly. Jonah had noticed several of the single men in town, including his ex-brother-in-law, eyeing Amanda when they’d gone shopping on Main Street. He’d barely refrained from putting his arm around her and tucking her under his shoulder to keep her close. As it was, he’d had to settle for glaring at several of them.

  Jim had just smirked at him and said hello to Amanda before sauntering down the street.

  There was something about Amanda that reached out and twisted his guts into a knot. She belonged to him. Now, he had to figure out a way to make her see just how much she needed him.

  “Amanda?” She was staring at him, her head tilted slightly upward and her stubborn jaw jutting out.

  “I had a phone call. It was nothing.”

  “Nothing.” Needing to do something with his hands so he didn’t wrap them around her shoulders and shake her, he stripped off his coat and hung it over one of the hooks by the front door. “So nothing had a deputy parked outside your door all afternoon?”

  She shrugged, her shoulders hunching slightly inward. “There wasn’t anything anyone could do. I had a nasty call and I contacted the sheriff. That’s it.”

  Unable to stand not touching her any longer, Jonah reached out and pulled her close.

  He sighed in relief when her arms went around his waist, hugging him tight. “You should have called me, sugar.”

  She leaned back, a bewildered look on her face. “But why? There wasn’t anything you could have done.”

  He stomped down his rising irritation. “I could have come home.”

  She shook her head. “I was perfectly safe. All the doors were locked. They were only words.”

  He was grateful she hadn’t noticed that he’d slipped up and called her place home.

  But that’s what it was starting to feel like. He’d moved back into the family home when he’d come back to Jamesville. Technically it was his home since he’d inherited it, but it had never been more than a place for him to eat and sleep. Later it became a haven for his sister and niece. But being with Amanda was as close to feeling at home as he had felt in his entire life.

  “What did the caller say?”

  Amanda ducked her head. “I don’t want to talk about it.”

  He cupped her chin in his palm and lifted it. He didn’t want her holding back from him. “Tell me.”

  She sighed and rocked back on her heels. He dropped his hand to his side, hating the separation he felt between them.

  “He said that he knew you wouldn’t stay forever and he knew that I was alone.”

  “Son of a bitch,” Jonah whispered. “He’s been watching the place.”

  Amanda rubbed her hands up and down her arms as if she were cold. “That thought did occur to me.”

  “Come here.” He eased her closer, running his palms over her shoulders and down her back. “Everything will be fine.”

  She shrugged. “It’s not up to you, Jonah. All I can do is be cautious and hope the police catch him.” She sighed, her breath warm against his neck. “And besides, the caller was right. You can’t stay here forever.”

  Jonah jerked back. “You asking me to leave, sugar?” He thought they’d settled this earlier today.

  “No.” A fine blush settled on her cheeks, but she met his gaze straight on. “But our relationship is strange. We’re only supposed to be having an affair, but we’re practically living together.”

  “Does it bother you that people might find out I’m staying with you?” It had occurred to him that a woman like Amanda might be upset by the situation. She wasn’t the type of woman to blithely have an affair. He was actually counting on that fact.

  She’d been pulling away from him the past few days. Not in bed. No, there she was as passionate and giving as ever. But she was putting an emotional distance between them. Her not contacting him when this crank call occurred was just another example of her pulling away from him and he didn’t like it. Not one bit. Now that he’d decided he wanted more than an affair, he was afraid that she no longer did. At least not with him.

  He might have done too good a job convincing her that a permanent relationship was something he would never want.

  Still, she had allowed him to stay with her every night. That had to count for something. He shoved all those negative thoughts to the back of his mind. There would be plenty of time to straighten out the status of their relationship once the danger to her was over. His only priority right now was keeping her safe.

  She shrugged and turned, heading to the kitchen. “I forgot all about supper. I was worki
ng until I heard your truck pull up out front.”

  “Amanda?” She obviously wanted to change the subject, but he wasn’t about to let her. He followed her into the kitchen, waiting for her to answer his question.

  She opened the refrigerator door and peeked inside. “Not too much here. I’ve got to make a grocery run again. I’m not used to buying for two.”

  “If that’s a problem, I can chip in for food.” He hadn’t thought about her financial situation before. She’d just moved here, bought a house and had some major work done on the place. Her bank account had to be feeling the squeeze.

  She whirled around, slamming the refrigerator door shut. “I don’t need your money.”

  Jonah held up his hands in mock surrender. “Fine.”

  Amanda gave a huff and rubbed her hands over her face. “I’m sorry. It’s just been a strange day.”

  “Your life hasn’t been very normal since you moved here.”

  She gave a small chuckle. “It hasn’t been normal in months.”

  Reaching out his hand, he tucked a stray curl behind her ear. Her hair was always escaping from her ponytail. She’d told him about her childhood and how she’d met and worked with Seymour Morton. Jonah knew the death of the older man had been a blow to Amanda. But he was glad she’d decided to move here for a fresh start, although it was proving to be anything but easy. She’d had one problem after another since she’d landed in Jamesville, including having him practically move in with her. He knew Amanda was fiercely independent and used to living alone. He had no idea how she really felt about him being here. Sure, she let him stay because she needed protection. But what would happen when the threat was no longer there?

  Jonah’s gut clenched at the thought of never spending another night with Amanda.

  He didn’t particularly like how quickly she’d changed his life. She made him want things he’d never wanted before—a home of his own and a wife. Just the thought of it made him break out in a cold sweat.

  “How do you feel about me staying here?”

  She patted his chest with her hand. That small touch had his blood pumping swiftly through his veins. He tried to ignore his growing erection.