She smiled and squeezed his arm. “Maybe we can help make this a good Christmas for each other.”
He swallowed. “I hope so.” He could tell she was about to say something else when her cell phone chimed for an incoming text. “Excuse me. I need to see who this is.”
She pulled it from her pocket and opened the message. Suddenly her face paled, and she closed her eyes. Luke reached out and grabbed her arm. “What’s wrong?”
“He hasn’t gotten in touch with me since the night Patches and I fell. Now it starts again.”
Luke jerked the phone from her hand and stared down at the message. I don’t like Luke Conrad spending so much time with you. Tell him to leave now and stay away if you want him to live.
He looked back at Cheyenne, and she had her fist jammed against her lips. Her eyes were large and terror-filled. “He wants to kill anybody he thinks I’m becoming close to. What are we going to do?”
Luke had no idea, but he couldn’t tell her that. At the moment all he could think about was how her stalker knew they had spent time together for the past week. He turned his head and scanned the area as far as he could see, but he couldn’t make out anybody watching them.
A cold chill went up his spine. Somebody knew he was here, so whoever it was had to have seen them. But where was he? Now instead of just watching out for Cheyenne he had to worry about himself, too. He hoped those tech guys could find something soon before someone else was hurt—or killed. And if that text was true, it looked like he might be the next intended victim.
NINE
Cheyenne stood next to Luke and watched Maggie put the last ornament on the Christmas tree. Her lips trembled, but she cleared her throat and tried to ignore the roiling in her stomach. She remembered as a little girl putting the final touch to her family’s tree, and now she was in someone else’s home watching it being done by their child.
Next to her, Luke seemed to sense her moment of nostalgia, and he slipped his fingers around hers. She turned her head to stare at him, and suddenly she didn’t feel quite so sad anymore. His smile lit his blue eyes, and she studied his face for a moment before she returned the gesture.
The feeling she’d had a few minutes ago seemed to dissipate as she laced her fingers with his and grasped them tighter just as she heard Maggie laugh and clap her hands. Cheyenne turned her head to see what was so funny and saw that Dean had plugged in the twinkling lights. The tree was now ablaze, and Maggie’s eyes were filled with wonder.
The little girl looked over her shoulder, and her shrill voice echoed in the room. “Cheyenne, isn’t this the most beautiful tree you’ve ever seen?”
All Cheyenne could do was nod because her heart had filled with a new sensation she hadn’t felt in several years. She looked around at Luke, Dean, Gwen and Maggie, and knew she wasn’t really alone in the world. They’d all invited her into their lives and made her feel welcome. She hadn’t expected to ever find that again.
She smiled at Maggie and finally found her voice. “I think you’re right. It is the most beautiful tree I’ve ever seen.” She glanced at Luke. “What do you think?”
He smiled, but his gaze wasn’t on the tree. It remained on her. “Beautiful,” he whispered, and Cheyenne felt her heart race.
She didn’t know what to say, so she was relieved when Gwen spoke up. “Okay, it’s time for hot cocoa, and then it’s off to bed for Maggie.” She glanced at Dean and her daughter. “I need you two to help me in the kitchen.”
“Anything you say,” Dean said as he grinned and followed his wife from the room.
Luke glanced at Cheyenne and shook his head. “Do you get the feeling that we’ve just been set up?”
Cheyenne pursed her lips and nodded. “I think you’re right.” She tilted her head and looked up at him. “So what do you think we should do?”
“I think we should sit down on the couch and take in the beauty of that Christmas tree,” he said.
Still holding his hand, Cheyenne turned and led him to the sofa. When they were settled, she glanced around the room. The fire that Gwen had lit, along with candles that burned on several tables and the twinkling Christmas tree, produced a peaceful atmosphere, and she sighed in pleasure. “This is nice,” she said.
“It is,” Luke agreed. “I’d forgotten how special something like putting lights on a tree can be. I’m glad I got to see Maggie having such a good time tonight. Christmas is really a special season for children.”
“It is. I was worried that this Christmas was going to be difficult because it’s the first one without my parents, but I realized tonight how blessed I’ve been. I get to spend it with new friends in a new place.” She swiveled in the seat until she faced him. “What have you done on Christmas since your father died?”
Luke shrugged. “I work. Since so many of the other deputies have families, I always volunteer to take the holiday shifts. That way Ben can work it out so that they can all be with their families at some time during the day.”
Cheyenne’s heart pricked at his words. She’d never thought about those whose jobs were geared to public service having to miss Christmas with their families. The fact that Luke tried to make it better for the people he worked with made her admire him even more than she already did.
“That’s very nice of you, Luke.”
His face reddened a bit, and he ducked his head as he gave a little chuckle. “Just trying to help out,” he said.
“The way you’ve been doing for me ever since we met. You’ve gone out of your way to help with Patches, and what has your kindness gotten you? A threat against your life. I’m so sorry about that.”
He reached over and covered her hand with his. “I’m used to things like that. I’m in law enforcement. This guy’s not the first one who’s wanted to kill me.”
Her happy mood vanished at his words. “But this time, it’s because of me, the same as it was with my parents.”
He sat up straight and shook his head. “Don’t think that way, Cheyenne. You haven’t done anything wrong. Your stalker wants to make you believe it’s your fault. That’s what they do to victims. You have to remember that he picked you out of all those people in that chat room. You were targeted before you even knew it, and he set about to reel you in. Now we’ve got to catch him so it doesn’t happen to someone else.”
Before Cheyenne could respond, Gwen came back into the room carrying a tray with two cups of cocoa on it. She set it on the coffee table in front of the sofa and smiled. “Here’s some hot chocolate for you. Maggie manages better at the kitchen table, so Dean and I are going to stay in there with her. Dean and I both have some work to do after we put her to bed, so we’ll bid you good-night. Luke, stay as long as you want, and Cheyenne, please turn off the Christmas tree lights before you go to bed.”
Cheyenne barely had time to respond before her friend had turned and walked from the room. When she was out of sight, Cheyenne looked at Luke, and they both burst out laughing. “Yep,” Cheyenne said. “They’re setting us up.”
Luke’s face flushed, and he chuckled. “Seems like it. I hope you don’t mind.”
Cheyenne felt her heart thump, and she swallowed her surprise. “I don’t mind it at all,” she finally whispered.
A sigh of relief escaped Luke’s mouth and his lips curled into a smile. “That’s very good news,” he said. “I think I knew you were someone I wanted to be friends with the minute I saw your shocked face through the windshield of my car.”
Cheyenne tilted her head to one side and directed a teasing look at him. “I have to admit I wasn’t so sure about you. When a man keeps calling you ‘ma’am,’ you wonder if he thinks you’re ready to be put out to pasture.”
Luke laughed. “Not a chance.” Suddenly a sober expression crossed his face. “I’m glad you came to the Smokies, Cheyenne.”
Her
heart was beating in double time now, and she inhaled a deep breath. “So am I,” she murmured.
They sat staring into each other’s eyes for a moment, and Luke leaned closer. She closed her eyes in anticipation of his lips on hers, but the moment was interrupted when his cell phone rang. She opened her eyes and saw that he was inches away, staring at her.
When the phone rang again, he bit down on his lip and shook his head before he pulled the device from his pocket. “That’s the ringtone for the station. I have to answer this.”
She nodded. “I understand.”
He exhaled and connected the call. “Conrad.” He listened for a moment before he darted a quick glance at her, rose and walked out of the room into the hallway.
Cheyenne could hear him speaking softly, but she didn’t try to make out what he was saying. She just hoped he wasn’t being called to report to the station because they needed his help with some crime that had been committed. She scooted to the edge of the couch, leaned toward the coffee table and picked up her cup of cocoa. As she sipped it, she heard Luke’s voice again.
“Thanks, Andy. I appreciate all your work on this. Can you send copies of everything to my email?” He paused for a moment. “Good deal. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
She took another sip from her cup and looked up as he came back to the couch and sat down. A troubled look lined his face, and it concerned her. She set the cup back on the tray and turned to him. “You look like you’ve had bad news. Is something wrong?”
He gave a small nod. “That was Andy, one of the tech guys who does work for us at the station. He’s the one who’s been trying to recover the emails on your computer.”
Cheyenne sat up straighter. “Has he had any luck?”
Luke raked his hand through his hair. “Yeah. He has.”
When he didn’t continue, Cheyenne frowned. “Don’t keep me guessing. What did he say?”
“He retrieved all the messages on your computer and has them copied. Then he contacted the accounting firm in Boston where Jesse said he worked. They did have an employee named Jesse Tolliver, but he died nearly four years ago.”
Cheyenne’s eyes grew large. “What? How did he die?”
“Apparently from natural causes. He had a terminal illness.”
Cheyenne’s mouth dropped open. “So somebody took his identity and used it to join a chat room?”
“It looks like that.”
Cheyenne sat still and mulled over what Luke had just said. She pushed up from the couch, wrapped her arms around her waist and began to pace back and forth across the floor. On her third trip, she stopped and stared at Luke, who had been watching her silently.
“So my stalker is someone who lives in the Boston area and probably knew the real Jesse Tolliver had died?”
Luke got to his feet and came to stand beside her. “I don’t know. Anybody can troll the internet for obituaries and assume a name. But Andy doesn’t think this guy is from Boston.”
“Why not?”
“Because his computer messages are from different towns all across the country. A lot of them are from here, and they’re all from public ISPs.”
Cheyenne cocked an eyebrow. “Which means...?”
“The messages were sent from a public place, like a restaurant or a hotel, not from an internet provider paid for by someone like a home owner. It’s impossible to tell the owners of computers on a public ISP.”
“Not at all?”
Luke rubbed the back of his neck. “Well, only if the person sending the messages used that computer at the same public place to log in to one of his personal accounts that has his real name on it, like a bank or a credit card. Something like that would leave a trace.”
Cheyenne sighed. “I’m guessing my stalker hasn’t done that.”
Luke shook his head. “Not that Andy has found, but he’s not going to stop looking.”
The peaceful feeling that she’d had just minutes ago had left her. Cheyenne felt the fear she’d carried for three years return. She tried to blink the tears from her eyes, but it was no use.
“I’m never going to be free of him,” she whispered.
Luke was beside her before the words were out of her mouth and he wrapped his fingers around her arms. “Don’t give in to that kind of thinking. We know more now than we did. At least we know the towns he was in when the messages were sent. Andy is sending me all the locations and the dates. We’ll go from there.”
“Do you think it will help?”
“I don’t know, but it’s worth a try.” A tear slid from her eye and he reached up with his thumb and wiped it away. “Stay strong for me, Cheyenne. We’ll catch this guy.”
The intense look on his face and the way he spoke the words told her that he intended to do what he said. That was enough to bring a flicker of hope back to her. She nodded as her lips pulled into a wobbly smile. “I know you will, Luke. Thank you for all you’re doing for me.”
The muscle in his jaw clenched as his grip on her arms tightened. “I want to do more. You’ve lived with this situation for three years, and it’s been an emotional drain on you. I saw you having fun tonight decorating the tree, and now it’s ruined. I’m sorry about that.”
“I’ll be all right. It takes a few minutes for me to get back to normal after my thoughts return to him. I just need to refocus my mind.”
Luke smiled. “I know a great way you can refocus.”
“How’s that?”
“Have dinner with me tomorrow night. I’m on the day shift, but I’ll pick you up after work and introduce you to my favorite restaurant in the Smokies. How about it?”
“Okay.” She answered so quickly that it surprised her. She didn’t usually make such hasty decisions, but this was a no-brainer. She couldn’t think of anything she’d rather do than have dinner with Luke. “That sounds good to me.”
* * *
The next night Luke sat across the table from Cheyenne and watched as she let her gaze drift over the dining room of the restaurant where he’d eaten so often. This had been his favorite place for years, but tonight it seemed even more special. The atmosphere created by soft music playing over the speakers, the perfection of the food and Cheyenne’s company had provided the best evening he’d experienced in a long time.
He picked up his coffee cup and stared at her over the rim. The candle on the table flickered, and its light reflected in her dark, brown eyes. That was the first thing he’d noticed about her. The eyes. He’d never seen any that had such depth that they looked like deep pools of chocolate, and he couldn’t quit looking at them.
She glanced back at him and caught him staring at her. “What is it?” she asked.
He hurriedly dropped his gaze and shook his head. “Nothing. I was just thinking what a good time I’ve had tonight.”
She smiled. “I have, too. Thank you for bringing me here.” She picked up her fork, put the last bite of her apple pie in her mouth and groaned with pleasure. “That’s so good.”
He couldn’t help but grin at the look on her face. “Do you need another cup of coffee to finish the dinner off?”
She leaned back in her chair and rubbed her hands over her stomach. “I couldn’t hold anything else. This was wonderful, Luke. It’s been ages since I had such a good time.”
He pushed his dessert plate out of the way and folded his arms on top of the table. “I’m glad. It was my pleasure to see you enjoying the evening.”
She reached across and placed her hand on top of his. “Everything’s been great. Especially the company.”
His heartbeat increased at her touch, and he felt a tingle in his arm. He looked down at her hand and turned his so that their fingers were laced together. “That goes double for me.”
Her eyes twinkled. “Maybe we can do it again.”
&nbs
p; The teasing tone of her voice made his skin warm, and he tightened his fingers on hers as he leaned forward and smiled. “Miss Cassidy, I do believe you’re asking me for another date.”
She fluttered her eyelids and stared at the ceiling. “Why on earth would you think such a thought, Mr. Conrad?”
“Because,” he said, “that’s what I’m hoping you meant. Did you?”
Her mischievous attitude changed to a serious one. “Yes,” she whispered.
He smiled. “Good. Then we’ll do it again tomorrow night.”
A frown line pulled at her forehead. “It will have to be later tomorrow night.”
His eyebrows shot up. “Why? Do you have something else planned?”
She nodded. “I told Bill I’d come to work.”
He released her hand and stared at her. “What? You can’t ride. Patches isn’t ready, and I know enough about trick riding that the horse has to be really well trained with the rider they’re carrying. You don’t have another horse like that.”
“I know. I’m not going to ride. I’ll help the other performers backstage get ready for the show and do anything else I can to make the performance go smoothly.”
He shook his head. “I don’t like this, Cheyenne. The last time you were there, you were almost killed. We don’t know who’s trying to harm you, but it had to be somebody who got close enough to know your tack from the others. It’s not safe for you there.”
“It’ll be okay, Luke. Bill and Trace will be there watching out for me.”
The more she tried to defend her decision, the more upset he became. “I thought that’s what I was doing. I guess that means that you don’t need me around if you have them.”
“I didn’t say that. You’re making too much of this. I’m tired of not working, and I need to do this.”
He shook his head. “You don’t need to do anything but stay safe. That’s what I’ve been trying to do.”
She looked around the restaurant before her gaze came back to him. “Oh, I see. So you’re saying that our friendship hasn’t been real. It’s just you trying to keep me safe because that’s what a police officer does.”
Stalking Season Page 10
