“Yes, I’m fine. Judith and Emmy are just shaken.”
“Where is she?” Caldwell asked.
“Rebecca’s dead. Hilbert got there and killed her. He just ran away.”
Caldwell and Medina exchanged glances.
“Hilbert was there? And he let you go just like that?”
Amanda nodded. Even Sutton was incredulous.
“I’ve got a team around the building. The place has been surrounded for around three minutes. If he tried to get away within that time frame, we’ll get him.”
Caldwell pulled out his cell phone.
“Condor, this is Hawk 1. Do you copy?”
After getting a response, Caldwell continued.
“We’ve got Aurora and the others. Over.”
Whoever Caldwell had contacted replied to him. After a couple more exchanges, Caldwell pocketed his phone.
“Walkie talkie code?” Emmy asked.
“It’s our standard procedure when there’s a situation. Let’s go outside.”
When they got out of the building, Amanda saw an ambulance and several police cruisers. Paramedics checked Judith and Emmy. Neither of the girls was severely hurt. Christopher stayed with them.
As soon as Amanda saw Nathan, the two practically ran toward each other. They met in an embrace. Nathan sniffed Amanda’s hair, taking in her scent.
“You’re here. I thought that scoundrel would hurt you. Thank God you’re OK.”
“I’m glad to see you, too.”
Nathan leaned back to look at Amanda.
“Why did you run away from us?”
“I had to, Nathan. Rebecca had my friends.”
The two looked toward the ambulance. Neither Judith nor Emmy showed any signs of harm. The latter waved at Amanda when she caught her glance.
“Ms. Tilley,” a voice said. Amanda turned, seeing Hayden. He offered his hand, which she shook. “We’re glad to see that you and your friends are fine.”
“Thanks.”
Hayden’s phone rang. He raised it to his ear.
“Condor, this is Hawk 2. Do you copy?”
“Copy that. Over.”
“The suspect has fled in a vehicle. Hawk 1 and some officers are in pursuit. Over.”
“Hawk 2, what’s your 20?”
“Returning to Aurora’s position. Over and out.”
Hayden ended the call.
“Medina is on his way here. He says that Hilbert escaped. Caldwell and some cops are in pursuit.”
“Let’s hope he doesn’t get away,” Nathan said.
“I doubt he’ll ever come back if he does disappear,” replied Amanda.
“We’re not taking any chances. Men like him just don’t give up.”
“Nathan’s right, Ms. Tilley,” said Hayden. “I’ve handled a few obsession cases in my former position as a police officer. They only give up when they go to jail, or when they die.”
Five minutes passed. Just then, Nathan nodded toward a spot over Amanda’s shoulder. She followed his line of sight. Detective Sutton was on the phone. When the call finished, he addressed those around him.
“Good news, everybody. We’ve got him.”
Amanda exhaled. Finally, she’d be able to have peace.
“Hilbert’s going to spend a good amount of time in the hospital, though. He ran his car into a tree.”
Emmy winced.
“That must have hurt.”
Nathan and Judith laughed.
A few seconds later, Sutton approached Amanda.
“We need to take your statements now.”
Amanda nodded.
“Okay. I’ll go first.”
Amanda followed Sutton toward his cruiser. She looked back at Nathan. He blew her a kiss. Amanda blew him another one. Things would be okay now.
SEVERAL WEEKS LATER
“Wake up, Amanda. We’re here,” Nathan said.
Amanda opened her eyes. She straightened her head, looking out through her window. Nathan was driving. He was just pulling out of Interstate 80. They had arrived at Joliet, their hometown.
“Home,” Amanda said, stretching her arms.
The school semester had ended. Amanda, Nathan, and their friends passed all their classes. They’d stayed at Ithaca for a week before deciding to leave.
“Your family must be eager to see you.”
“I know. Especially my brother.” Amanda thought about Ryan, smiling. “Did you know that Ryan’s decided to enroll at Cornell?”
“No. Does he want to be with you?”
“He won’t say. I think he must have met a girl he likes, but I can’t imagine who she might be.”
Moments later, Nathan pulled up in front of the Tilley’s house. He killed the engine and walked over to open Amanda’s door.
“Thanks,” she said. Hand in hand, they both walked forward. Amanda opened the gate with a key. She took Nathan’s hand again and led him to the front door. It was just a twenty-foot walk. When they got there, Amanda rang the bell. A few seconds later, William answered.
“Amanda!” he said. She walked forward and hugged her father. “It’s great to see you.”
“I missed you, Dad.”
The two pulled apart. William turned toward Nathan.
“How are you doing, Nathan?”
“Great, sir. Thank you,” he replied, shaking hands with William.
“Come on in.”
Amanda and Nathan followed her father inside. William closed the door and then walked past them.
“Your mother is tending to the garden. I’ll go let her know you’re here.”
William left toward the back of the house. Nathan led Amanda to the sofa. They both sat down.
“You look tired,” Nathan said to Amanda. He brushed a lock of hair behind her ear.
“I feel like dropping into bed and not wake up until tomorrow. I’ll just wait until I say hello to my mom.”
The two of them waited. Shortly after, William came back with his wife, Florence.
“You’re back!” she said. Amanda stood up and embraced her mother. “I’m glad to see you.”
“Me too, Mom.”
Florence smiled, kissing Amanda on the forehead.
“Your father and I couldn’t wait for you to get here. We were worried about your safety.”
“I’m fine now, Mom.”
“Enough about sad stuff,” William said. “You must feel exhausted, Amanda. Would you like to sleep now?”
“I’ve got your room ready,” Florence told her.
Amanda turned to Nathan.
“I’ll see you tomorrow,” she said.
“Same. Sleep well.”
“Thanks,” Amanda said. She let Florence take her up to her bedroom.
“I’ll see you all tomorrow, Mr. Tilley,” said Nathan.
“You have a good rest of your day, Nathan. And thanks for bringing my daughter.”
Nathan nodded. Before he could leave, Harold walked in from the back on the house. Nathan tried not to tense.
“Good afternoon, sir.”
“Thank you,” Harold replied. It was all Nathan could do not to raise his eyebrows. “I want to have a word with you before you go.”
Nathan’s eyebrows furrowed in confusion. Mr. Tilley looked at him reassuringly before leaving.
“I want to apologize. Amanda and I talked over the phone about everything that happened. She explained what that wretched woman did to the both of you. I’m sorry for how I’ve treated you this whole time.”
“It’s okay, sir. I get that you were just looking after your granddaughter.”
“Yes. My biggest regret is that I couldn’t protect her from that harpy. You kept Amanda safe.”
“I did my best.”
Harold nodded.
“I’ll let you be on your way now. You must be tired.”
“It was a long drive.”
“Have a good day, Mr. Ferland. Oh, and thanks for what you’ve done for my granddaughter.”
“You’re welco
me, sir,” Nathan said. He turned around and left the house. Nathan was going to stay at his father’s during his visit in Joliet.
Nathan drove a short distance to his father’s house. He pulled into the driveway and killed the engine. Then he walked toward the front door.
“Dad!” Nathan said, knocking on the door. “I’m home.”
There was movement inside. Seconds later, Nathan’s father opened the door.
“How are you, son?” Jeffrey asked. “I’m happy to see you back.”
“Thanks, Dad,” he said. They both walked into the house.
“Where’s your girlfriend?”
“I just dropped her off at her parents’. Amanda needed some rest. It was a pretty long trip.”
“Do you need to sleep too, son?”
“Not yet. Is there a snack around?”
“There should be. You can check the fridge.”
Nathan walked to the kitchen. He found a bag of chocolate chip cookies in the pantry. After pouring a glass of milk, Nathan began eating his snack.
“Marissa called about a half hour before you came,” Jeffrey said. He was standing in the doorway. Nathan looked up. “She said her plane was an hour from landing.”
“Is Marissa coming here?”
“She only told me that she would be driving straight to her hotel. Marissa said you should call her if you want to talk to or see her.”
“Thanks, Dad.”
Jeffrey nodded. He then left the kitchen.
Amanda woke up early the next morning. She stretched in bed, relaxing her muscles. Then she stood up. Amanda looked at the clock on her wall. It was a little past eight in the morning.
It’s my birthday! Amanda thought to herself, smiling. She had eagerly anticipated that day.
After dressing up, Amanda left her bedroom. She walked downstairs, wondering where everyone was.
Amanda walked into the kitchen. She peered around the refrigerator to see if her mother was there. When she saw no one, Amanda left the kitchen. Just then, she saw her parents, grandparents, and brother in the living room.
“Happy birthday!” they said in unison. Amanda looked at them, feeling happy by the gesture. Florence walked forward and hugged her daughter.
“Do you realize how special this day is?”
“It’s just my birthday,” Amanda replied. William and Mildred exchanged glances.
“Not just any birthday, silly. You turn twenty today! That’s a milestone, as you’re not a teenager anymore.”
Amanda thought about it. She hadn’t thought that her teen years were behind her now. The knowledge made Amanda feel like she was starting a new stage in her life.
Ryan walked up to Amanda and hugged her. He then handed her a gift.
“Happy birthday, sister.”
“Thanks, Ryan.”
William hugged his daughter next. Harold and Mildred followed, carrying their own gifts. Florence then handed Amanda two more.
“Those are from your father and me. You’re going to have to open one early, because we want you to use it.”
Amanda looked at the gifts her parents gave her. One of them was in a long, flat box. It looked like the kind used for dresses.
“Thank you, mom.”
“No problem, sweetheart. I guess you must be hungry. Go put away your gifts and join us in the kitchen.”
Amanda went to her room, placing her gifts on top of her bed. After that, she walked to the kitchen. Amanda’s eyes widened when she saw what was on the table. Florence had made banana nut muffins and chocolate shakes.
“Excellent, Mom!”
Florence laughed. She set the plates and then sat down with the rest of them.
“A great day awaits you,” William said. “Nathan is helping us with your birthday party.”
“Is it going to be here? I saw that the garden looks well-tended.”
Florence smiled.
“No, we’re having lunch elsewhere.”
After breakfast, William told Amanda that she had half an hour to leave.
“Where are we going? Does this have to do with my party?”
“No,” Florence said, laughing. “It is a surprise, but it’s from Nathan. He’s coming over to pick you up.”
Amanda felt a strange sensation at the thought of seeing Nathan. She regretted doubting what he felt for her. To make up, Amanda was going to show Nathan how much she loved him.
Thirty minutes later, the doorbell rang. Amanda was in her bedroom. She walked out and headed for the living room. Florence was already opening the door.
“Oh, good morning, Nathan!”
“Good morning, Mrs. Tilley.”
Florence stood aside to let Nathan inside. After that, she closed the door. Amanda closed the distance between them.
“Hi, Nathan,” she said, a bit awkwardly. For some strange reason, Amanda felt as if she and Nathan were falling in love all over again.
“Would you like something to drink, dear?” Florence asked Nathan. He shook his head.
“No, thanks.”
At that moment, Harold walked in. Amanda started to turn around when he put his hands on her shoulders.
“Morning, Nathan. You’re here to pick up Amanda, right?”
“Yes, sir. I’ll bring her back by noon.”
Florence nodded. Harold let go of Amanda, and she walked toward Nathan.
“Keep her safe, okay?” Florence told Nathan.
“I will.”
“See you later,” Amanda said.
“Have fun,” Harold replied. Nathan took Amanda’s hand and led her outside. They walked to his car.
“What’s the surprise?” Amanda asked Nathan. They were already on the road. Nathan smiled.
“I don’t want to spoil it. You’ll know soon enough.”
Nathan drove for another few minutes. Amanda saw that he was heading south. Joliet was a small city, so it didn’t take Amanda long to find out where they were going. Nathan later drove past a pair of brick pillars with a sign midway between them.
“What is this?” Amanda asked, looking around. “A race track?”
“I felt tempted,” Nathan admitted. “But I’ll never put you in danger. My friends and I used to come around here a lot. That was back when we were in high school. Needless to say, Ashton particularly loved it.”
Nathan found parking. He killed the engine and stepped out. When he was outside Amanda’s door, he opened it.
“Thanks.”
Nathan locked the car. The two of them started walking toward a building.
“Tell me, what is this place?”
“There’s a go-kart track here. We’ll race. And maybe we can throw turtle shells at each other.”
Amanda laughed. Nathan took her hand. He knew she would enjoy the surprise.
A couple of hours later, Nathan drove Amanda back to her house. They’d had a lot of fun racing on the go-karts. After an hour of that, Nathan had taken Amanda to a few more of his favorite spots in the city.
“I had such a great time,” Amanda said. She and Nathan were approaching her house’s front door. “Thank you.”
“It doesn’t end here,” Nathan told her. He leaned closer to Amanda, pressing his lips to hers. He gave her a kiss that he hoped would melt Amanda on the spot. After that, he spoke again. “The rest of your day will be just as unforgettable. I promise.”
Nathan took Amanda’s hands in both of his. They looked at each other, completely in love. Amanda kissed him on the cheek.
“I look forward to see what else you’ve planned.”
Nathan caressed the side of Amanda’s face.
“I have to go for now. You know, get ready. We’ll see each other again this afternoon. Your parents already know where to go.”
“Okay. I can’t wait.”
Nathan rang the doorbell. He then let go of Amanda’s hand.
“See you this afternoon, my love.”
Amanda felt as if she were starting to hyperventilate. Nathan walked down the short ste
ps off the porch, and continued toward the gate. Amanda watched him leaving. When the front door opened, she turned around.
“Oh, it’s you. How was your morning, sweetheart?” Florence asked.
“Fabulous,” Amanda replied. She followed her mother back inside.
“I’m itching to hear more, but that’ll have to wait. Your friends just called. They’re going to be here in a short while.”
“Emmy and Judith?”
“Yes. I don’t know what the plan is, but Emmy said that it would be relaxing.”
Florence led Amanda to the kitchen. There, the latter wondered what her friends were planning. She had to admit she was a little tired after her morning with Nathan. A bit of relaxation would be welcome.
Shortly after having lunch, Amanda’s smartphone vibrated. She pulled it out of her purse. It was a text.
“It’s Emmy. She and Judith are on her way,” Amanda said. She was in the living room with her family. They were watching the news.
While they were waiting, a news report came on screen. Amanda’s expression hardened when she saw his face there. Apparently, Hilbert Melendez would be transferred to prison after his stint in the hospital. The car crash in which Hilbert tried to take his life had taken something else from him. He’d lost the use of his legs.
“Serves him right,” William said. “I’m not one for violence, but that man had it coming. The number of women he harmed.”
Florence shook her head. Harold and Mildred looked displeased as well. The latter looked toward Amanda.
“That man was delusional. Thankfully, he’s back in jail, and not getting out this time.”
An air of tension hung in the room after that news report. Luckily, Emmy and Judith arrived just in time to dissipate it.
“Hi, friends!” Amanda said after answering the door. She hugged each of her friends.
“Happy birthday!” the girls said in unison. Emmy handed Amanda a gift. It was in a small wrapped box.
“Thank you!”
The girls noticed Florence looking at them. They waved their hands.
“Good afternoon, Mrs. Tilley.”
“Afternoon, girls. How are you doing?”
“Great, ma’am. Thank you.”
“Good. How did you do in school?”
“We did great, Mrs. Tilley,” Judith said. “Although, the final exams were sort of hard.”
Amanda looked at her friend. She knew what had upset Judith enough to make the tests seem hard.
Devoted to Her (Dream Date Book 2) Page 32
