“When you do, Jones will have to eat his words.”
He opened his eyes and laughed. “It sounds as if you’ll enjoy watching.”
“I will.” She smiled back and tucked her arm in his. “I know I woke you up. How about some breakfast?”
“That would be great.” His arm burned where she touched him, and he wanted to bend down and kiss her. Tina led the way into the kitchen, then smiled as she slipped away from him. Was she completely unaware of his reaction to her?
“How about an omelet?” she asked.
“Sounds good.”
He studied her as she worked, and realized that she was unaware of the effect she had on him. She had no idea that all he wanted right now was to wrap her in his arms and carry her off to a bed somewhere. How did a woman reach her age and still be so damned innocent?
He remembered her reluctance to talk about her father and her family life in general. There were hidden depths to Tina, and he wanted to know all of them. He wanted to know everything about her with a sudden, deep hunger he was sure he’d never experienced before. He couldn’t possibly have forgotten this feeling.
In a few moments, she slid two plates on the table, and they began to eat. “This is wonderful,” he said.
“Thanks.” She grinned at him. “You should at least get fed after having me drag you out of bed at the crack of dawn.”
“I’m glad you called,” he said. “Promise you’ll call if anything else happens.”
“I promise.” Her smile faded. “I was scared last night,” she confessed. “I know I said that nothing happens in Grand Springs, but I guess I was wrong.”
“You should have called. I would have come right over.”
“I know. And that’s why I didn’t call. You were exhausted yesterday.”
“Do you have to work today?”
She nodded.
“Do you want me to drive you to work, then pick you up? At least you won’t be coming home alone.”
“Absolutely not. Thank you for offering, but I’ll be fine. I’m sure whoever was prowling around the house last night was scared away by the police. The officer said it was probably kids, and I’m sure he was right.”
He was certain that it wasn’t kids, but he didn’t know why. “Will you call me as soon as you get home tonight? I’ll want to know that you’re okay.”
Her face softened into a smile, and she couldn’t tear her eyes away from him. “Of course I’ll call.”
The sunlight streamed through the window behind her, turning her dark red hair into a halo of fire. Her blue eyes gleamed with laughter. “I think I like having a watchdog.”
He wanted to be far more than a watchdog for Tina. But he couldn’t allow himself to take what he wanted. Pushing the chair away from the table, he said, “You’ve probably got a lot of things to do before you go to work. I’ll talk to you tonight.”
He fled the house before he could show her exactly what he wanted from her.
Tina left the hospital shortly after eleven o’clock, tired and ready for bed. The lack of sleep the previous night had finally caught up to her, and she was exhausted. Pulling her car out of the employee parking lot, she headed for home.
A car swung in behind her. The bright lights in her rearview mirror were an annoyance, so she slowed down and waited for the car to pass her. But the other car slowed down, too.
As she drove along, her eyes flicked to the mirror, but the car stayed where it was. When she found herself looking more frequently, she stepped on the accelerator. The car behind her speeded up, too.
Fear stirred inside her as she watched, and she impulsively turned down a side street. Surely the car would keep going straight.
But the other car turned, too. She squinted in the mirror, trying to make out the license plate, or at least the type of car, but the headlights were too bright.
She speeded up again and turned another corner, and the car stayed with her. Now thoroughly frightened, she gripped the steering wheel and tried to think what to do.
Drive to the police station.
But it was on the other side of town, much too far away.
Tom.
She would go to Tom.
But what if the person following her had something to do with the Steele murders? What if he had something to do with Tom? What if he were looking for Tom?
She couldn’t lead the car to Tom.
She speeded up and crossed an intersection, but the car behind her simply speeded up, too. She looked around frantically, praying to see a police car, but there were few other vehicles in sight. There wasn’t much traffic in Grand Springs at this time of night.
Finally she saw a light turning yellow and speeded up again. She ran through the red light, barely avoiding the cars starting through the intersection in the opposite direction. She glanced in the rearview mirror and saw the other car stopped at the light, blocked by the stream of traffic.
“Thank you, God,” she whispered, and quickly made a left turn. She continued to drive, making random turns, until she was convinced that she had lost her follower.
What could she do now? She didn’t want to go home. The thought of facing an empty house was terrifying. She had time now to go to the police station, but in the end she’d have to do the same thing—go home alone.
Without thinking twice, she turned the car in the direction of Tom’s apartment. She would be safe with him.
The windows of his unit were bright with lights, and she remembered that she had promised to call him when she got home. He must be waiting up for her call. After one more look to be sure no one was behind her, she scrambled out of her car and rang his doorbell.
“Tina! What are you doing here?” he asked as he opened the door.
She fell across the threshold and into his arms. “Thank goodness you’re here,” she said, wrapping her arms around him and holding on tightly.
“What’s wrong?” he asked as he bent his head close to hers. She thought that his lips brushed her hair, but she wasn’t sure.
“Someone was following me in a car. I finally lost him, but I didn’t want to go home just yet.”
“Did you call the police?”
She pressed her face against his chest and shook her head. “I don’t have a car phone,” she said, her voice muffled. “I’ve never needed one.”
“We’ll call them now.”
Keeping his arm wrapped around her, he led her over to the phone and called in a report. Then he enfolded her in his arms again. “Someone will be right over.”
But she could tell the police officer very little. She hadn’t gotten the license plate number, and she hadn’t been able to tell what kind of car it was. “I thought it was big—maybe a sports utility vehicle of some sort. And it was a dark color.”
“You know anyone with a car like that?” the officer asked.
Before Tina could answer, Tom spoke up. “I have a black Ford Explorer.”
The officer looked up from his notebook, interest sharpening in his eyes. “Were you following her?”
“No. I’ve been here all evening.”
“Was anyone with you?”
“No, I was alone.”
The police officer looked at them both, speculation in his eyes. Then he snapped the notebook shut. “We’ll keep our eyes open, but without any kind of positive identification, it’s going to be tough.”
“I realize that,” Tina said. “Thank you for coming out.”
“No problem.” He started to leave, then turned around at the door. “Let us know if you see that vehicle again.” His eyes shifted to Tom, then back to her again. “Good night.”
Silence hung between them as they listened to the roar of the police car leaving the parking lot. Then Tom turned to her. “Do you want some coffee or tea, something warm to drink?”
She hadn’t realized she was shivering. “That sounds good. Thanks.”
She thought he was reluctant to let her go, but he put a kettle on the stove, and came back
over to her. He steered her to the couch, but he didn’t take his arm away once they’d sat down. “I’m going to give you two choices,” he said quietly. “Either you can stay here tonight, or I’m going to stay at your house. But you’re not going to be alone.”
Relief flooded through her, quickly followed by a jolt of caution. There was a sharp edge to his voice that set off the alarms in her head. Her father’s voice, harsh with orders and commands, echoed in her mind. “You’re being very bossy, aren’t you?”
“I’m scared as hell,” he said bluntly. “Someone was waiting for you at the hospital, Tina. God knows what would have happened if you hadn’t spotted him. There’s no way I’m going to leave you alone tonight. I wouldn’t get any sleep, and I suspect you wouldn’t, either.”
She couldn’t quite meet his eyes. She didn’t want him to see the echoes of caution that lingered in her heart, the sharp, sad suspicion that there was more to his offer than kindness. It was the legacy of her father, and although she fought it, she couldn’t completely banish it.
But she didn’t want to be alone. So she finally said, in a small voice, “Thank you, Tom. I’d like it if you stayed with me.”
“Here, or at your house?” he asked, as he stood up to make her some tea. She was grateful for the momentary distance. She needed to compose herself.
“At my house, I think.” She wanted to be on familiar ground. That way she would feel like the one in control. That was especially important because she wanted so desperately to lean on someone right now. And she couldn’t do that. She knew far too well what happened when you gave a powerful man even a little control over you.
“Fine,” he said easily, handing her a cup of steaming tea. “Why don’t you relax and drink this while I throw a few things in a bag.”
Without waiting for an answer, he walked into the bedroom. She could hear him rummaging in his drawers, then he moved into the tiny bathroom.
She sipped her tea and told herself she was an idiot. Tom was no more like her father than she was like her mother. He would never hurt her.
But that hard, stubborn grain of doubt remained, impossible to banish. It wasn’t going to disappear overnight, just because she wanted it to.
“Ready to go?” Tom said as he emerged from the bathroom carrying a small duffel bag.
She nodded and stood up, placing the empty mug on the counter. “I’m ready.”
He hesitated at the door, watching her. “Do you want me to drive you home? We can leave your car here and I’ll bring you to get it in the morning.”
She shook her head. “No, I’ll drive home.” Her voice was thin and she heard the tremble in it. “I’ll need it to go to work tomorrow.” She didn’t want to be without her car. She would be putting herself completely in Tom’s hands.
She told herself she was being ridiculous, but didn’t change her mind. She slipped behind the wheel of her car, gripping the cold steering wheel and watching her breath stream out in the icy stillness of the car. “You’re not thinking straight,” she muttered, but she didn’t get out of her car and get into Tom’s. It was illogical and silly, but she wanted to drive her own car home.
She pulled out of the parking lot, checking for Tom’s lights behind her. She half expected to see the bright lights of her mystery pursuer fall into line behind Tom as they swung onto the main street, but there were no other cars in sight. She drove home carefully, constantly checking her rearview mirror, but she and Tom were alone on the deserted streets of Grand Springs.
When they reached her house, she parked in the garage and Tom left his vehicle in the driveway. She started to open the door to the house, but Tom took the keys out of her hand. “You wait here,” he whispered. “I’ll check the house.”
“No way! I’m going in there with you.”
He turned to her, and she could see a flash of anger in his eyes. “I don’t want you to get hurt, Tina.”
“And I don’t want you to get hurt,” she retorted. “You were in a serious car accident not that long ago, and you’re not completely healed. Do you think you’d be a match for someone who was waiting inside for me? If I come in with you, at least it’ll be two against one.”
He stared at her for a moment, and she braced herself for his anger. Instead, he slowly smiled at her. “You don’t do what’s expected of you, do you?” he asked.
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“It means that I’m supposed to protect you. But here you are, trying to protect me.”
“You’re injured,” she said, her voice defensive. “What’s wrong with trying to make sure you don’t get hurt again?”
“Nothing,” he said, and she thought there was tenderness in his voice. “But something tells me I’m not used to having women protect me.”
“Then I guess you’ll have to get used to it.”
“I don’t know about that,” he murmured, and she could see the glint of humor in his eyes. “But I will let you come into the house with me. We’ve been standing out here fighting for long enough that anyone inside the house should be at least three blocks away by now.”
Tom opened the door before she could answer, and they walked into the dark and silent house. She threw on all the lights, and they checked each room carefully. She noticed that Tom always put himself in front of her when they walked into a new room. When they were satisfied they were alone in the house, they headed for the kitchen. Tina carefully kept her eyes away from the back porch, the place the prowler had been a few nights ago.
“Was anything out of place? Do you think anyone’s been in the house?” he asked.
Tina shook her head. “No, I don’t think so.”
“Good. All the windows and doors are locked. Do you want to stay up and talk for a while, or do you want to go to bed?”
Tina realized she was exhausted. And now that Tom was in the house with her, she knew she would be able to sleep. “I need to sleep, I think. Let me show you the guest room.”
Tom shook his head, and Tina’s stomach clenched with sudden nerves. Then he said, “I’d like to sleep on the couch down here tonight. It’ll be easier to hear someone outside, and I won’t have as far to go.”
He hadn’t planned on sharing her room and her bed. She wasn’t sure if the feeling inside her was relief or regret. “If you hear anything, you call the police,” she said firmly.
“Of course.” He gave her an innocent look. “What else would I do?”
“I don’t want you to be a hero, Tom,” she warned. “Don’t try to catch this guy.”
“I haven’t been a hero yet,” he said, his voice flat.
She watched him for a moment, but she couldn’t read anything in his eyes. “We have no idea who is prowling around the house and who tried to follow me tonight. He or she could be dangerous.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.” He turned off the kitchen light, then stood staring out the window. “I don’t see anything right now.”
Tina went to stand beside him and peer out into the darkness. The bushes in her backyard threw up strange, twisted shadows, and the dying flowers looked sinister and mysterious. She shivered. “My imagination is working overtime.”
He slipped an arm around her shoulders. “There’s no one out there now,” he murmured. “And I’ve discovered that I’m a light sleeper. I’ll wake up if I hear anything unusual.”
“How do you know?”
She saw a rueful grin on his face. “Because it’s happened every night since I’ve been out of the hospital. Every cat on the prowl, every car that pulls into the parking lot, wakes me up.”
“Thank you for coming over here, then,” she said, and all her fears seemed silly and groundless. “Especially since you knew you wouldn’t sleep well.”
He gave her shoulders a squeeze. “I’d rather sleep poorly here than sleep poorly in that apartment. At least I’ll be here if you need me.”
She wanted to turn in his arms and tell him that she did need him. She wanted to tell him that she
didn’t want him to sleep on the couch and she didn’t want him to sleep in the guest room. But fear stilled her tongue and kept her silent. She hesitated too long, and the moment passed. Tom let her go and moved to the front of the house.
He moved the curtain aside to look toward the street, and Tina stood at the stairs, cursing her fearfulness and still oddly grateful for it. She wasn’t quite ready to take such a big step. “I’ll get you some bedding,” she said in a low voice, and she hurried up the stairs.
When she returned a few minutes later, Tom was carefully closing all the shades on the first floor. He turned when he heard her coming down the stairs. “I don’t want anyone to know I’m sleeping on the couch,” he explained. “If someone comes around, I want to surprise him.”
“So that you can call the police more quickly, right?” She gave him a pointed look.
“Absolutely.”
She laid a pile of sheets, blankets and pillows on the couch. “Here you are. I’ll see you in the morning.”
She felt him watching her as she walked up the stairs, and she stopped when she reached the top to turn around and look at him.
“Sleep well,” he said quietly.
“You, too.”
She hurried to her room and closed the door, then leaned against it. She called herself a coward for not kissing him good night, the way she’d wanted to. But she knew what would happen if Tom kissed her back. He wouldn’t be sleeping on the couch tonight, and she wasn’t sure she was ready for that.
After a restless night, Tina stumbled downstairs far too early the next morning, stopping abruptly on the stairs when she saw Tom sleeping on the couch. He was sprawled on his back, the blanket snarled around his waist. His chest was bare, and she didn’t allow herself to look any farther down than that.
She had seen him almost naked in the hospital, but it was a lot different here in her own home. She didn’t remember his shoulders being so broad, or his chest being so firmly muscled. The bruising that had colored his left side had faded, and now all she could see was the hardness of his body, his lean strength and power.
A Thanksgiving To Remember Page 12
