Running Into Love - The Complete Box Set

by Annalisa Nicole

  “No, wait. Don’t hang up.”

  What the fuck? I look around and wonder how in the hell he knew I was going to hang up on him. Then I see it, his blacked out, black Explorer sitting down the street.

  “Yeah, that’s me. I saw you guys all come over last night. I knew Ava would rally the troops. Look, is she doing alright?” he asks sincerely.

  “No, she’s not doing alright. How the fuck did you think she would be after you just dump her out of the blue without any reason. What the fuck is wrong with you?”

  “I wanted to explain myself to you. I can’t have all of you thinking I’m a royal douchebag. When Ireland grabbed Chloe, my heart stopped. For the first time in my career, I hesitated. I wanted to stop what I needed to do and go to her. I could have really put her life in danger. I can’t have that. I can’t have Chloe dragged into my career and put her in harm’s way. That’s the last thing I want, man. My life is complicated with surveillance and stakeouts. I run with a heavy crowd, man. I can’t have that bleed through to her. I love her too much. She’s already been through some heavy shit. She doesn’t need to deal with mine, too. I need to ask you to keep an eye on her for me. I’ll be around. I’ll always have her back and keep her safe. I just can’t be with her, too. Do you understand me, man?”

  “I guess I do. I understand your need to protect her. I think it’s fucked up though. I don’t see the problem in doing that and still being with her. But, know this, she’s a part of this family now, we all have her back, too.”

  “That’s all I can ask of you. Thanks, man.”

  With that, he hangs up. He starts up his truck and peels out leaving black tire tracks on the road. Fuck, why did he have to tell me all this? Now, I have to tell Shay. And she’ll probably tell Ava, Amelia, and Willow, who will then tell Chloe. Fuck.

  “What are you doing out here, babe?” Shay asks me, standing at the front door.

  “Oh, I just had a phone call, that’s all. I didn’t want to disturb anyone,” I tell her.

  Technically that’s all true, but I feel like I just lied to her.

  “Come back inside, everyone else is up too. There’s fresh coffee brewing,” she says.

  Everyone gathers around the table and I feel like an ass knowing what I know. I feel like I should tell everyone. As I look at Chloe though, my mind instantly changes. Her black eye is huge. I can’t help but put myself in Max’s shoes and feel the same way, if that had happened to Shay and that was the line of work I was in. That sucks that he has to choose between the love of his life and his life’s work.

  “Earth to Adrian,” Shay says, placing a soft kiss on my cheek, then sits down in the chair next to me.

  I smile at her and pull her in my lap. I’m so thankful that isn’t the case. There’s nothing that will keep me from Shay ever again.

  “My coffee is over there, let me up so I can drink my coffee,” she says, pointing at her coffee, just out of reach.

  I lean forward, scoot her coffee in front of us and say, “There you go, drink up.”

  She smiles and wiggles her ass in my lap, then stifles her grin with her coffee cup.

  Soon we’ll be married, and we’ve already started on trying to have a family. I feel bad for Chloe. Her heart didn’t choose to fall in love with a man who has a dangerous job. None the less, she loves Max and she’s devastated. I know how it felt when I lost Shay the first time, so I know exactly what she’s going through.

  The next few months at the job site are on track and even a little ahead of schedule. There’s a big bonus if we finish the job ahead of schedule and it looks like we may just get that big, fat bonus.

  Wedding planning is progressing as well. Shay and my sisters have been working on it nonstop. I can’t help but notice every month that goes by that Shay doesn’t get pregnant, she seems to fall deeper and deeper into a depression. I’ll catch her rubbing her thumb over her tattoo on her wrist, and she always seems to be a million miles away. I don’t know if she’s lost in thoughts of the baby that never was, or the baby that she’s probably thinking will never be.

  I love both my brothers and I could never pick between them who’d be best man. So Shay and I decided to pick couples for the wedding procession and to have them walk down the aisle with no particular relevance. We decide to have Asher and Willow walk down as the first couple, then Kyle and Amelia, then Ava and Mia. Since Max is kind of out of the picture, we paired Aiden with Chloe and they will walk down last. Since Shay’s dad is no longer with us, she will have her brother, Drew, walk her down the aisle. We decided since we got engaged at the stables, to have our wedding at the exact same stable.

  We decide on a March wedding. The average temperature for Seattle in March is around fifty. The stables are heated for the horses, but if we need to bring in some patio heaters, that can be arranged as well. My mother, Ava, Amelia, Willow, Mia, and Shay are going on a girl’s day only shopping spree to find Shay the perfect wedding dress this weekend. We have both agreed that because we eloped on our first wedding, that we’re going to have a big to do for this one. Although, we have decided to tone it down just a bit from the big traditional wedding. Shay decided not to have the big fluffy wedding dress, but to go with a more elegant evening gown. The men will still all be in tuxedos. Abbey and Noah will be the flower girl and ring bearer. And we will, of course, include our favorite horses, Patsy and Dusty, in the ceremony as well.

  Shay

  I’m not looking forward to this weekend or shopping with Adrian’s family. I know I should be, but I can’t shake this depression that seems to be all-consuming lately. It’s been months since Adrian and I have been trying to conceive a baby, and each month I start my period I fall deeper and deeper. A sense of emptiness washes over me, then devours me whole. Every time I see a woman with her child, jealousy and guilt wage a war in my heart. Sometimes I just wonder what the point of anything is if I can’t conceive. I’m not young anymore. I know movie stars get pregnant well into their forties, but all I can think is what if that one time was my only shot. What if I can’t get pregnant again? I can’t do that to Adrian. I can see it in his eyes just how much he wants a family. He deserves to be with someone who can give him that.

  Adrian and I are the same age, he could have someone who is younger that will be able to give him a baby in no time at all. I can’t deprive him of something as important as a child. I think I have no choice other than to end things with him now. My heart is being torn apart. When I ran the first time, I had this deep dark secret and I blamed myself for everything that happened. Now, I feel as though it’s not something I’ve done to him, but something that I’m doing for him. As much as it breaks my heart, I can’t be the failure that I am. He deserves everything in life. He deserves to have children and to have a family. He doesn’t deserve what I can’t give him.

  I feel as though I’m being that fool ass coward that I was all those years ago, but all I can think to do is run. I have some vacation time saved up already. The job site has long not needed me. Mia can take over whatever projects I’m working on until I get back. Right now I just can’t face his family and go shopping for something that cannot happen. I can’t marry Adrian. I know he’ll be angry with me, but, in the long run, he’ll thank me when he finds someone else that can give him the family that he so desires.

  I call Stewart and tell him that I need some emergency time off and to please not tell anyone that I’m going on vacation. I call Mia and tell her that I just need to get away. I know what I have to do. I know I have to end things for good with Adrian. I don’t want to fight with him about breaking up. I know he won’t understand. The only other thing I can think of to do is run.

  I book the next available flight to Hawaii. I’m going to do nothing, but sit on the beach with some insane over-priced, fruity, watered down alcoholic beverage and maybe plot my life as the bat shit crazy old woman on the corner with fifty cats.

  Like the true coward that I am, I rush home while Adrian is still at the const
ruction site and pack my bags. I contemplate leaving a note, but that seems like a feat I just can’t accomplish. To pour my guts out in a note will be too hard. I just need to leave for two weeks and I’m sure Adrian will open his eyes and realize that he’s sure fucking glad he got out of this dead end relationship while he could.

  I take a cab to the airport and I just can’t help but wish that Adrian would show up like a knight in shining armor on Dusty, and proclaim his love for me and beg me to stay. I know that’s not going to happen, but damn it a girl can still dream, can’t she?

  I cry the entire six hour flight like a little girl who lost her puppy. I check into my hotel on the beach with red swollen eyes. All I want to do was get to my room, curl into the fetal position, and cry myself to sleep.

  I’ve been in Hawaii for two days now and I have yet to go down to the beach with that fruity drink like I said I would. In fact, I haven’t even left my room. I put the do not disturb sign on the doorknob, and I’ve ordered room service, with specific instructions to just leave it outside the door on the floor. Tomorrow, maybe tomorrow, I’ll go down to the beach.

  Chapter 15

  Adrian

  Today is another great day at the job site. We’re so far ahead of schedule that we’re offered a second bonus, if we finish even sooner.

  “Doll, I’m home, what’s for dinner? I’m starving,” I say, unlacing my work boots at the front door.

  That’s strange. She’s usually home before me.

  “Doll, are you here?” I ask again.

  I search from room to room, but she must not be home yet. I get a beer out of the fridge and take a seat. I’ve been on my feet all day. Man, does it feel good to take a load off. An hour goes by and Shay’s still not home. I try her cell, but it goes straight to voicemail. That’s odd. I think I hear a car pulling into the driveway, so with a smile, I head to the garage to open the garage door for her. When I open the door, I see her car is already in the garage. Panic instantly takes over, and a really bad feeling weighs deep in the pit of my stomach. I rush to the bedroom and throw open the closet door. There are way too many empty hangers. No, no, no, no she wouldn’t do this to me again. I pull her drawers clean out of the dresser, to find at least half of her clothes gone.

  What the fuck is going on here? I know she’s been in a funk about not getting pregnant yet, but we’ve only been trying for a few months. Where is she? The only person I can think to call is Max. I hit the speed dial and listen to it ring.

  “Come on motherfucker pick up the phone,” I say out loud.

  “What’s wrong with Chloe? What’s happened?” is how he answers.

  Damn the man still has it bad for Chloe.

  “There’s nothing wrong with Chloe. It’s Shay, she’s disappeared. Can you run some sort of check and find out where she is or something.”

  “Alright, calm down. When’s the last time you saw her?” he asks.

  I can hear him start the engine to his Explorer as he talks.

  “This morning. I kissed her goodbye then went to work. When I came home, she wasn’t here. That’s odd, because she’s usually home before me. I called her cell, but it goes straight to voicemail. Her car is in the garage, and some of her clothes are missing. There are several suitcases missing too. Where the fuck would she go? You have to find her man!” I say in a panic.

  “Alright, just hang tight, I’m already on my way,” he assures me.

  I disconnect the phone and start tearing the place apart. She left too many things to be gone for good. Her mother’s handblown glass heart is still on the mantle, she’d never leave without that. I’m so confused.

  Within ten minutes, there’s a knock on the door. Max comes in and takes a look around. He sets up his laptop and clicks away on the keys. I don’t get it. Why the fuck would she just leave and not tell me? Shit, Stewart. Maybe he knows where she is. Maybe he had to send her on an emergency business trip and she didn’t have time to call me. Maybe she’ll be calling me any minute to explain. Yes, that has to be it. She wouldn’t do this to me again.

  I dial Stewart’s cell and it goes straight to voicemail.

  “Look, Stewart, do you know where Shay is? She’s not answering her cell and it looks like she’s left town. Did you send her on a business trip that I don’t know about? Call me back.”

  “I found something,” Max says.

  “What? What did you find?” I ask and walk over to Max and his laptop, thinking his laptop will somehow magically have found her.

  “There’s a credit card record of her purchasing a nonstop flight to Hawaii, it lands in a few hours,” he says.

  “Why the fuck is she going to Hawaii? I’m going to blow up Stewart’s phone until he answers me, the little prick.”

  I dial his number and yet again, it goes straight to voicemail. I immediately hang up and try again. This time, he answers.

  “Look Adrian, you need to stop calling, I can’t tell you anything,” he says before I can even question him.

  “What the fuck do you mean you can’t tell me anything? I already know she’s on her way to Hawaii. Did you send her there on a business trip?”

  “How do you know she’s on her way to Hawaii? Never mind, I’m staying out of this. No, I didn’t send her on a business trip, that’s all I’m telling you. You two need to deal with your own problems and leave me out of it,” he says and hangs up.

  What the fuck? Now, I’m really worried. That bad feeling in the pit of my stomach is twisting in knots so tight I think I might be sick.

  “That’s all you can tell me about where she is?” I ask Max.

  “That’s all she’s used her credit card for today. I can keep monitoring them and tell you when she makes another purchase.”

  “No, get on the phone, or click away on your laptop, and purchase two tickets to Hawaii. We’re catching the next available flight out. I’m going to get to the bottom of this.”

  “What do you mean two tickets and we’re catching the next available flight? I’m not going to Hawaii with you,” he replies.

  “Uh, yes, you are. I need your help and your tracking skills. You have to come with me. Please, I’m begging you. I did you a favor and I’ve kept my mouth shut about why you broke up with Chloe. Please, you have to help me.”

  “Fuck, alright. But, I can’t stay that long. I have open cases that I’m working on,” he says.

  “No, I promise one, two days tops. I just need time to find her and set her ass straight once and for all. I have a pretty good idea why she left.”

  Max and I each pack just a carry-on and head to the airport. The next available flight isn’t until early tomorrow morning, but hell, I’m going to wait at the airport. Max isn't happy about that, but I remind him that I’ve kept his secret and I just bought him a mini two day vacation to Hawaii.

  As soon as we land in Hawaii, Max checks his computer for further credit card charges. She seems to have checked herself into a hotel. We catch the next cab and go straight there.

  I head up to the check-in desk and ask for Shay Bradshaw’s room. He does a little click click on his keyboard, then scowls at me.

  “I’m sorry sir, but there are specific instructions that Ms. Bradshaw not be disturbed. I’m sorry, I can’t give you her room number,” he informs me.

  “The fuck you won’t,” I tell him adamantly. “You’ll tell me right now or I’ll go hallway by hallway, floor by floor, shouting her name until I find her.”

  “Sir, if you do that, I will have to call the authorities,” he says condescendingly.

  I turn around and start shouting Shay’s name. Go ahead and arrest me, by the time cops get here to arrest me, I’ll have already cleared all the floors and found her, I think to myself.

  “FBI, you’ll need to tell me what room Ms. Bradshaw is in right now,” Max says and flashes his badge.

  “Uh, certainly sir, why didn’t you just say that to begin with? She’s in room 604.”

  We head to the elevator and I say t
o Max, “I didn’t know you were FBI. I thought you were a PI?”

  “I’m not FBI. I figured if I just flashed my PI badge it would scare the little fucker enough to tell me what we want to know. They never question me or want to see my badge up close.”

  We take the elevator to the sixth floor and I knock on Shay’s door. She doesn’t answer, so I knock a little louder.

  “Just leave it on the floor, I’ll get it in a few minutes,” she says.

  I knock again and wait.

  “Just leave it on the floor, I’ll get it,” she says again.

  I knock again and wait. Hopefully, she’ll get mad and open the door. I step to the side, so she can’t see us out of the peep hole.

  My plan works, she opens the door and says, “Look, I’ve left specific instructions just to leave it on the floor, your tip will be left on the receipt.”

  I step into view, grab her around the waist, and pull her body to mine with a thud. She doesn’t realize it’s me yet, and she starts to scream. I put my hand over her mouth and her eyes go wide with shock when she realizes that it’s me.

  “I’ll just leave the two of you to talk, I’ll be down at the beach,” Max says, winks at Shay, then closes the door.

  Tears pour from her eyes as I remove my hand from her mouth. “What are you doing here?” she asks in a whisper.

  “What am I doing here? I think the more important question is what are you doing here? If you think you’re just going to disappear on me again, you need to think again.”

  “Adrian, I can’t…” she starts to say.

  “I think I have a pretty good idea about why you left. And I’m going to tell you right now. This is the last fucking time you run from me. You stay and we talk this shit out.”

  “I only left because, I think it’s what’s best for you,” she tells me with more tears in her eyes.

  “I think I’m a pretty good judge on what’s good for me, and I think you need to explain yourself.”

  She takes a seat on the bed and hangs her head before she says, “I think it’s become pretty clear that I can’t give you everything that you need. I think it’s best if we just break up. You need to find someone who can give you the things that…that I can’t give you.”