“Enough about me. What’s going on with you, Olivia?”
The smile faded from her lips and she groaned, dropping her head in her hands. “Oh, Jackie, I didn’t want to admit it, but I think I really do have a stalker on my hands.”
Jackie gasped. “Are you sure? Has it really gotten that bad?”
“I think so, yeah. Both Brad and Mason seem to think so…what with the flowers, and the note…and now last night with my tires. Then, this morning, finding even more flowers outside my door.”
“Creepy!”
“I know, right? I mean, not only does this guy know where I live, but he’s obviously willing to break into my house. Last night, I had to wash everything in my top drawer because who knows if he pawed through it? I couldn’t bear the thought of putting anything he may have touched against my skin. And forget about sleeping. I tossed around all night.”
“You mean you didn’t have Mason stay with you?”
She slumped down in her chair and gave her friend a glum look. “Mason and I kind of had a spat yesterday.” Under her breath, she admitted, “It may have been my fault.”
She relayed to her friend her concerns about Mason’s obsession with Robert Mendez and how she wasn’t sure it was healthy to be dragging him into the whole stalker situation she found herself in.
“…but, Olivia, what if he’s right and this really is that Mendez guy?”
“Come on. What are the odds the two of them would be in the same small Maine town at the same time? Everything I’ve read indicates they think he’s holed up somewhere and laying low, trying to avoid the heat from the cops.”
“I don’t know. Stranger things have happened.”
“True.” She threw her hands up in the air. “Like the fact that I even have a stalker. This whole situation feels completely ridiculous. Honestly, if I hadn’t been so scared the other day, I’d think it was a joke.”
Jackie gave her a pointed look. “But it’s not, Olivia Harper, and you’d better start taking this whole thing more seriously, or you could wind up getting really hurt.”
As her friend filled her ears with caution, Olivia’s gaze slid away and spotted the tall, handsome man striding across the street towards her café. Jackie’s eyes widened as she followed the direction her friend was looking.
“You’re awfully lucky I figured things out with Tom, or I might have decided to give you a run for your money with that man.”
Olivia laughed at her, and got up to unlock the front door and let Mason in. The fact was that she was relieved to see him, especially after what had been said the previous day.
“Hey,” he greeted her as he stepped through the door.
“Hi.”
“Well, I hate to break up this scintillating conversation,” Jackie said as she walked up to the two of them, “but, I have to get going. Who knows what kind of trouble Tom and Abby have gotten into without me?”
She gave Mason a smile. “I’m Jackie, by the way. I hear you’ve been helping my best friend with her little situation.”
He couldn’t help but smile at the sunny, petite woman standing in front of him. “I’m certainly trying to. She doesn’t always let me.”
She patted him on the shoulder. “You just keep trying. I have a feeling you’re helping her a lot more than you know.”
With that, she gave Olivia a wink and then paused, her face growing more serious. “Be careful, okay? And, let me know if anything else happens or if there’s some way I can help.”
Giving her best friend a hug, Olivia said, “Honestly? The best thing you can do is keep yourself and Abby removed from the situation as much as possible. I couldn’t stand it if I thought I’d somehow dragged you two into this mess with me.”
“Don’t worry. I’m not any kind of wimp or anything, but I know for a fact Tom will keep us safe.”
With a final squeeze and a nod to Mason, she let herself out the front door. He watched her as she climbed into her car, parked out on the street.
“That’s some friend you’ve got there.”
Olivia nodded. “The best.”
For a beat, neither one of them said anything else. Silence filled the space between them.
“Look, Olivia…”
“Mason, about yesterday…”
They both stopped and looked at each other. He gestured for her to go first.
She nervously swallowed and began again. “About yesterday, I’m sorry about what I said. I know all you’re trying to do is help protect me, and I shouldn’t be so quick to dismiss your instincts.”
A ball of tension and anxiety began to loosen in his chest. It had hurt more than he’d realized that she had been so quick to doubt him.
“I can’t tell you how much that means to me.” He ached to reach out and pull her into his embrace. Something about this woman made his arms feel empty without her in them.
Instead, he stuffed his hands in his pockets and tried reason. “Look, I know this situation sucks. And you’re right; there is still the possibility that this isn’t even Robert. I went by the police station today to talk to Brad. He’d gotten the forensic report back.”
She raised her eyebrows. “Oh! That’s good news, right?”
“Unfortunately, they didn’t find any fingerprints. They did, however, find some traces of light powder, the kind you find on the inside of plastic or latex gloves. They think the guy was wearing them when he was in your house.”
She sighed. “So, we’re back to square one, then.”
“Well, not exactly. Not that I ever thought this was likely, but I think we can rule out the possibility that this was just a prank done by some neighborhood kids. They wouldn’t have thought to take forensic countermeasures.”
She thought about that and nodded. “That’s true. Okay, so, now what?”
“Well, I don’t know about you, but I didn’t get any sleep last night. I was so worried that I was half tempted to drive back to your house and sit out in my truck, watching.”
She felt a twinge of guilt for causing him more distress. “I know what you mean. I had a restless night, too.”
“I really don’t like the idea of you being alone with this guy out there, whoever he his. I’d like to propose that, for the time being, you use me as your bodyguard. I promise, I will stay on the couch, and nothing else will happen unless you want it to, but please, Olivia. Let me do this. I need to be sure you’re okay.”
Maybe it was the fact that she was still so tired from the night before, or the tone of his voice and the earnest way he looked at her. Or, maybe it was just the way her heart began to race when she’d seen him crossing the street, and the sense of relief that had filled her when she realized she hadn’t completely messed things up between them. Whatever the case, Olivia knew she wasn’t going to be able to say no to him. Not again.
Cautiously, she nodded, and felt any residual tension between them melt away. He took a step towards her and folded her into his arms.
“Great! I can’t tell you how happy that makes me. I really wasn’t looking forward to spending the nights in my truck if you’d said no.”
She gave him a startled look. “You mean, you really would have done that?”
He smiled and gave her a light kiss. “Yes. I told you, I intend to see you safe. I keep my promises.”
A sense of warmth and well-being filled her as she gave what he said some thought. “I appreciate that, but Mason, I have to tell you, I don’t see how this situation is going to be very sustainable. I don’t want this guy making me feel like I’m a prisoner in my own life. What if the cops never catch him? What then?”
She pulled out of his arms to head back towards the kitchen. He followed her. Pulling her coat down off the hook, she began getting ready to leave. “I mean, even you are going to need to get back to your own schedule after the holidays. You are still planning on going back to active duty down in Boston, right?”
He caught her hands as she put her hat on and tugged the cap snugly over he
r ears. “Look, I realize this is a temporary solution. I didn’t say it was perfect. But, for now, I think it’s the best we can come up with.
“Who knows? Maybe we’ll catch this guy. Or maybe when he sees we’re constantly together, and you’re always escorted, he’ll move on. Don’t get me wrong. That’s not Mendez’ style. Once he fixates on someone, his obsession takes him over completely. However, you said it yourself; there really hasn’t been any proof that it’s him, for sure. So, if it’s just some fly-by-night, amateur stalker with a fancy for golden-eyed, sexy cooks, maybe he can be convinced to move on.”
He sighed. “The point being that we can tackle the rest of it when we get there. Okay?”
She got the feeling he was talking about a lot more than just the stalker situation with that last statement. But, hadn’t she already been entertaining the idea of just enjoying the time she had with him, regardless of whether it was only for a short time?
“Okay.”
Bundled and prepared for the cold outside, they both walked out the back door. He stood to the side as Olivia locked the café for the day. “So, what’s next?”
“Well I was planning on heading over to the grocery store to pick up a few things. How do you feel about root vegetables?”
He gave her a grin. “With you cooking? I feel pretty good about them.”
“Great, because there’s this new recipe I’ve been wanting to try…”
Chapter Twenty-Five
An hour later, they were walking in her front door. He chuckled as he juggled the cute, reusable nylon bags of food. “I don’t think I’ve ever been to the grocery store quite like that before.”
She cocked her head at him as she made her way into the kitchen, and started unloading her finds. “What do you mean?”
“Well, first off, when I go to the grocery store, I don’t get personally greeted by the manager.”
She laughed and took a moment to admire the small pumpkin she set on the counter. “Herb? Of course he’s happy to see me. I certainly spend enough time and money in his store.”
“But the real difference was that it was like an adventure. I’ve never stepped down half those aisles before. I know I’ve never bought a whole pumpkin for the purpose of actually cooking it instead of carving it.”
“It’s just a little one.” She shrugged and turned to put her eggs in the fridge. “What can I say? You just got to see me in my version of a toy store.”
“It was nice.” He stepped around the kitchen island and reached for her hand, tugging her into his arms.
She looked up at him and wrapped her arms around his neck. “Hey, I figure if you’re going to be my bodyguard, I might as well feed you properly.”
He bent his head down and began to nibble on her ear. Little shivers raced down her neck and she tilted her head to give him better access. “Mmm, I’m starting to feel very hungry.”
The way his voice had roughened and thickened with desire caused her to melt a little more. She struggled to keep her senses with his mouth trailing down her neck. “Mason…” Was her voice really that breathy? It should be illegal the way this man addled her brains with a kiss.
“Hmmm?”
She gave a little laugh that somehow became a moan as she felt his tongue dip into the hollow of her neck. “Mason…if you want dinner at all tonight, I need to start putting things together…”
He raised his head and looked her in the eyes. Reluctantly, he loosened his hold on her and leaned his forehead against hers. He sighed. “I suppose I should call my sister and let her know I’m staying here tonight anyway.” He carefully released her, but not before giving her a final kiss on the lips.
Self-consciously, she tucked her hair behind her ear and moved to pull out her cutting board. “Go ahead and make your call. I’m just going to get this pumpkin in the oven and start making the pasta for tonight.”
“Wait, you’re going to make pasta?”
“Oh yeah! It’s not that hard, and it tastes so much better. Just wait. You’ll see.” Now that they were back on the subject of food, she was feeling more confident again. She didn’t know what it was about him, but somehow he always had her feeling slightly off-balance and on edge.
“You’re going to spoil me.”
“Pretty much. I guarantee you’ll never be satisfied with store bought again.”
He just grinned at her and went to make his call in the living room.
Left to her own devices, Olivia quartered and scraped her pumpkin, placed the pieces on the baking sheet, and popped them in the oven. Then she grabbed a mixing bowl and began making the pasta dough. She knew she’d have to let it sit for about half an hour before she could cut it.
After rolling it into a nice round ball and putting the dough back into the mixing bowl, she began working on the various root vegetables. She was so lost in the familiar rhythms of cooking that she didn’t even notice him standing in the doorway.
“You know you hum when you cook?”
Startled, she nearly dropped the knife she’d been rinsing at the sink. “I’m sorry?”
“When you cook, you hum. I never noticed before. Probably because it’s usually too loud at the café, and you’re tucked back behind that kitchen pass-thru window.”
She could feel her cheeks warm. She hadn’t realized that he’d been watching so closely. He moved further into the kitchen and took a seat at the island. “You have this easy confidence about you when you’re cooking. You seem to flow…it’s very graceful.”
“Oh…well…”
He laughed. “Ah hell, now I’ve done it. I wasn’t trying to make you self-conscious. Just telling you I like to watch you work. It’s obvious you love what you do.”
“Well, thanks.” Hoping to move on to a more comfortable topic, she asked, “So, what did your sister say?”
“Not much. Just that she was glad I was here to keep you safe and for me not to worry about her.”
She turned from checking the pumpkin pieces in the oven. “Do you think she’s in any danger? I don’t like the idea of her being up there at the bed and breakfast by herself.”
He took a moment to consider. “Most stalkers tend to only focus on one victim at a time. Whoever this guy is, we know he’s fixated on you for the time being. She should be okay… but, just in case, I also called Brad and asked if he wouldn’t mind taking a drive out there and checking on her at some point tonight.”
“Oh good, that was a smart thing to do. I’m going to need to get him a thank you gift or something after all of this blows over. He’s been so patient and helpful throughout this whole situation.”
He nodded. “Yeah, it’s been convenient that you two know each other.” Pausing, he added, “So, what’s the story between you two? Did you guys ever date?”
She laughed. “Who? Brad and me? Yeah, for a short time back in high school we did. We went to junior prom together. He was always a nice guy, but we quickly realized we were better off as friends.”
“What happened?”
“Nothing really, just no chemistry. He took one look at this new girl, Jenny Masterson, and fell head over heels. They ended up dating for a few months that summer, but…you know how it goes. I think she ended up going to college somewhere out West.”
“Ah, young love.”
“Exactly.” The whole time they’d been talking, she had steadily been peeling and dicing veggies. She piled everything into a bowl, and turned to take the pumpkin out of the oven.
“Wow, that looks great. What all is in there?”
“Oh, just a few carrots, a sweet potato, parsnips, and some shallots.”
“Huh, it’s very colorful. I don’t think I’ve ever eaten parsnip before.”
“Oh, really? Well, they’re good. I think you’ll like them.” She pulled out the package of pancetta she’d gotten from the deli, diced it into small cubes, and then set it aside.
“What are you going to do with that?”
“I’m going to fry it up so it
’s crisp, then sauté the veggies in the rendered fat and a little bit of olive oil.”
“Kind of like bacon?”
“Yup, it’s basically like Italian bacon. Before I get started on that, though, I need to get the peels off this pumpkin and pop it in the food processor to puree it. By that point, the dough should be about ready to start rolling.”
He got up and grabbed the pasta dough, leaning over her shoulder to place it on the counter in front of her. “So, how does the pumpkin and pasta come into play?”
“I thought I’d make little pumpkin tortellis—basically small pockets of pasta filled with pumpkin—and serve it with prosciutto and root vegetables in an herb butter sauce.”
“Sounds amazing.”
She smiled at his enthusiasm. “We’ll see. If it turns out as well as I’m hoping, I may have another item for my dinner menu.”
“Great. Is there anything I can do to help? I feel kind of bad about sitting here watching you do all the work.”
“You could open a bottle of wine.”
“I can do that.” Turning, he pulled a bottle from the wine holder. After opening a few cupboards, he grabbed two wine glasses and poured a generous amount for each of them.
Meanwhile, she began rolling out the pasta. After it was flattened and thin enough, she began indenting the pasta into squares. She showed him how to take a spoonful of the pumpkin puree and place it in the middle of the pasta squares, then separate them and fold the edges so that they looked like little purses.
They made about a dozen before she paused. “I think that’s more than enough.” She set them aside to be cooked at the very end and threw the pancetta into the hot pan.
“Are you finished with the cutting board?”
“Oh, yes, thank you.”
As he stood at the counter, she was struck by how warm and cozy it felt having him here with her. She enjoyed being able to cook dinner and talk with him while they shared a glass of wine. It would be so easy to forget everything else that was happening, forget about all the things that were still up in the air, and just overdose on the feeling of domestic bliss.
Just then, she noticed the pancetta was starting to get a little too crisp, and rushed to pull it off the burner.
Secret Hunger (The Harper Sisters) Page 17
