by Lee Rose
It was all too much for her to handle. This whole week had been awful. She felt the tears coming out of her eyes, and then it was as if a floodgate opened and she started sobbing openly. Even if a customer walked in she didn’t think she would be able to stop. Liz could no longer hold all her feelings in. Was there any man out there that would ever be able to love her, not because of her dad and his money, but just for her? She wasn’t a bad person. She thought of herself as attractive and kind to others, but how did others see her? It hurt so much, the problems with Ethan and Gary and all the trouble with the store. She had been holding in all her emotions, trying to be strong, but she couldn’t any longer. She needed time alone to gather her senses back together. She closed the store midday and went upstairs. She put her pajamas on, turned off all the lights, and took her phone off the hook in case Gary tried calling. She put the covers over her head and blocked out the world.
* * * *
Liz felt refreshed and ready to deal with her life again by the next day. She had slept the whole day away yesterday and now she felt restored.. Ethan White was not meant to be hers and the sooner she accepted it the better off she’d be. She needed to forget all about him, no matter how she longed for him. She’d concentrate on her business and her friends. She was okay with that now. Liz was finally able to reach her dad and she told him about the attempted break-ins and he suggested she put up security cameras and an alarm. He gave her the number to a reliable company from St. Louis willing to travel to Appledale and install it, so Liz agreed. As it was, her insurance rate was going to go up. She couldn’t afford any more attempts. No more wishing for things that weren’t going to happen. Love and romance were not in the cards for her.
Chapter 6
Liz drove to the community hall to meet Lacy for the first self-defense class a few days later. Ryan had picked Sunday because most businesses were closed on that day. Liz was excited about relearning some techniques and anxious to start. She may have forgotten some moves but she had always enjoyed the physical activity and the confidence she had gotten from the lessons. It was a good way to get rid of her frustrations. She was already wearing some comfortable yoga pants and a loose white T-shirt. She walked in the building and found Lacy right away dressed similarly to her. Lacy was standing there talking to Ethan, and she turned toward Liz and waved.
“Hi, I’m so glad you came,” Lacy said, hugging her. She hadn’t seen Liz in a few days. Business was busy for Liz, and Lacy was taking care of last-minute details for her wedding in two weeks.
“I am, too.” Liz looked around and saw a variety of people, men and women of different ages and a few teens, too. “Wow, what a turnout!”
“Lacy is just excited to say ‘I told you so’ to me,” Ryan said, walking up to them with a smile. “I honestly didn’t think this many people would be interested but I was wrong. We’re dividing the classes into beginners and advanced. Ethan will be teaching advanced. If more show up I’ll get Gabe in here to help.”
“Well, Liz belongs in Ethan’s class. She’s taken self-defense classes in Chicago and has experience.” Lacy offered, winking at Liz helpfully.
“But I’m rusty. It’s been awhile,” Liz said quickly trying to get into Ryan’s class with Lacy. The last thing she wanted to do was spend an hour lusting over Ethan’s body.
“I’ll be in Ethan’s class,” Melissa Summers offered, interrupting their conversation and running her hands up Ethan’s chest. She owned the hair salon in town and dyed her hair regularly. This week it was bright red. She was dressed in tight shorts and a tank top showing off her ample cleavage. She was tall and well built. Just Ethan’s type, Liz thought jealously, watching the other woman flirt with Ethan. It made her angry to see Melissa touching him, but she had no rights over Ethan so she stayed silent.
Ethan removed Melissa’s hand from his chest and said in a firm voice. “This is a serious class, Melissa. If you’re here just to pick up men, go to Thorn’s with Emma and Lori.”
Melissa pouted, not taking him seriously. “But I am serious, Ethan. I need to learn to defend myself since I don’t have a big strong man to do it for me.”
Ryan sighed impatiently, tired of Melissa’s desire to cause trouble. “Melissa, I’ve known you since we were kids and I know you have no training so you’re in my class,” he told her firmly. “Quit playing around and go warm up with the others.”
“Fine.” Melissa pouted and walked away, winking at Ethan and swaying her hips so he would notice. “I’ll see you after class, Ethan.”
Lacy rolled her eyes and said seriously, “Can anyone say ‘easy’?”
Liz laughed loudly and Ryan shook his head, groaning at his fiancée and taking Lacy’s hand. “Okay, let’s get this class started before I lose complete control. I’m getting Logan in here to help control the females.”
Ethan laughed but pulled Liz’s arm so she wouldn’t follow Lacy. “All he’ll do is flirt with all of them and start fights. You’re in my class, Liz. We’ll start slow and see what you remember.” He didn’t give Liz a chance to argue with him. He called the class to attention and got started.
The class was small, with only Liz and four others, so Ethan was able to work individually with each of them.
After they warmed up he spoke to the class. “Tonight we will begin with the elbow strike. This is good to use when someone comes from behind to grab you. Mark, you be my partner.”
Mark Henderson walked up to Ethan. He was a mechanic at Dillon’s garage. He was smaller than Ethan in height, but he liked to work out so he had a muscular build similar to Ethan.
“When someone grabs you from behind you can use your elbow to hit their throat or nose. If you use all your strength, they will let you go and you can get away from them.”
Ethan demonstrated the move several times with Mark then looked at the small class. He paired up Liz with the only other female, an eighteen-year-old high school student, Lisa Smith. “Jack, you and Louis pair up,” he suggested to the two remaining men.
They started practicing their moves as he showed them. Ethan walked over to Liz and Lisa. “Try putting your hand in a fist, Lisa. Now take your other hand and hold your fist with it. Use the strength from both hands and elbow with all your might.”
Lisa did as he suggested. “Awesome.” She smiled when she succeeded. He showed them a few more variations then ended the class.
“Because Christmas is right around the corner, we will have the next class after the New Year. If you liked it, tell your friends about these classes.”
Once class was dismissed, Liz opened her bottle of water and sat down for a second. Ethan walked up to her smiling and holding his towel around his neck, showing off his impressive biceps. “Good job, Liz, I can see you have had training before.”
“Some in Chicago, but it’s been awhile. My dad insisted I know how to defend myself,” she said, feeling energized from the physical activity but sweaty. Sleep should come easy tonight, she hoped. It had been a rough week. Some nights she’d wake dreaming of Ethan and feeling so aroused it was hard to fall back to sleep so she would lay in bed daydreaming about him.
Ethan nodded. “I’m sorry for our argument the other day. Can we talk?”
“That’s okay,” Liz said, brushing off his apology, not wanting to hear “let’s be friends” again. “Maybe later, I’m beat.” She really didn’t think there was anything else to say but she didn’t want to argue either. If Melissa and her little group of followers overheard their conversation they would have a field day spreading it around town. They loved to spread gossip and cause drama.
Ethan looked into Liz’s eyes. They were such a deep blue in color and her lashes were long and dark. It would be easy to get lost in them. Her feelings always showed in her eyes. Liz was making excuses to not talk to him and he couldn’t blame her. He had been a judgmental ass and he felt bad about it. He wanted her physically but he still wasn’t sure if they would have anything else in common. He was past the age where sex w
as enough to start a relationship, but he had to try or he’d always wonder.
Liz smiled but it didn’t reach her eyes. She threw her empty water bottle away and stood up, packing her gym bag and putting her jacket on. “You’ve already made up your mind about me, Ethan. I am not your type, remember? I’m snobby and too fragile for you. If you want a one-night stand go find Melissa. I think she’s very interested and the exact opposite of me.”
“I’m trying to apologize here, and you are not making it easy,” he replied angrily and started to say more but was interrupted by a student asking questions about a certain move. Liz took the opportunity to leave without waiting to hear anymore. She just wanted to go home and shower and go to bed. Being around Ethan was hard on her libido. Her body wanted him still. She didn’t think she could handle being just friends with Ethan. It would drive her crazy trying to keep her hands off of him. She’d be acting like Melissa and that would be tacky. It would be easier if she just stayed away from Ethan completely. Maybe someday she would meet the right man for her. She had to have hope.
Liz said her good-byes to Lacy and Ryan. It was cold and dark, and Liz was glad she parked close to the building. It would snow soon and she couldn’t wait. She loved Christmas. Not just the lights and decorations but people were nicer at this time of year, too. She turned her radio station to one that was playing Christmas music, enjoying singing along to it.
The streets were dark and quiet even though it wasn’t late. In Chicago there was always traffic and lights from the many businesses. When she first moved here she found the dark, empty streets eerie, but now it didn’t bother her. She looked behind her and saw a car driving behind her, blinding her vision with bright lights.
“Turn it down, jerk,” Liz muttered as the car got real close to her rear bumper. Suddenly, Liz felt a bump and her car swerved. She tightened her hands on the steering wheel so she could control her car better, when she felt another bump and she swerved toward a tree and hit it before she could stop. Her head jerked forward and she hit it on the steering wheel and blacked out.
* * * *
Liz snapped out of her daze with a wince. Her forehead hurt and when she put her hand up to it she knew she wasn’t bleeding. Then she remembered what happened and she looked around, scared. She could see nothing but darkness. Whoever it was didn’t stick around to check on her. With shaky hands she reached in her purse for her cell phone. Who should she call? She couldn’t bring Stella out in the cold and dark. Would Ryan and Lacy be home or at the community hall still?
She moved her legs. They were achy but she didn’t feel any pain, so she knew she wasn’t seriously hurt. She was too scared and cold to get out of the car.
She called the station and gave a sign of relief when Gabe Wilson answered the phone. She told him she had a minor accident but wasn’t hurt and gave him the location.
“Don’t bother Lacy either, Gabe. She’ll spend all night worrying. I’ll tell her tomorrow.” She made him promise.
“Or Ethan?” he asked drolly.
Liz snorted. “Ethan wouldn’t care but he’d probably lecture me, so just get here without bringing the whole gang, okay?”
Gabe chuckled at her grouchy attitude. “Yes, ma’am.”
He arrived a few minutes later and looked at her car and scowled. “This looks like more than a fender bender, Liz. And you have a big bump on your head.”
Liz touched her forehead. “It’s nothing, Gabe, a little bump.” She explained what had happened and how she couldn’t see anything because the headlights had been so bright.
“This is getting serious, Liz. If it was a simple accident they would have stayed to help,” Gabe observed, still frowning at her. “This is more serious now than a few broken windows at your store. This is a personal vendetta. I don’t like the feel of this.”
Liz’s shoulders slumped. It was cold and late and she was exhausted. The way her life had been going lately, she didn’t think she would ever complain about life being too boring. “I know, Gabe, and I am so confused. I don’t have enemies. I’ve had words with Ethan and Gary lately and that’s it. Ethan wouldn’t do this. He is too noble and straightforward. As for Gary, I barely know him but he is so vain that it doesn’t seem possible he would do anything that would dirty his suit.”
Gabe chuckled at that comment and thought about Gary Peters. What if he hired someone? He would start looking into it before the situation worsened. “Listen, let me take you home and I’ll call a tow truck. Your front end is pretty smashed from hitting the tree. In the morning I will have to tell Ryan, okay?”
Liz nodded and got in Gabe’s jeep with a tired sigh and leaned her head back. Gabe had left the heat on, so it was very warm inside the vehicle. She just wanted to shower and go to bed. Tomorrow was another day where she could worry about somebody hating her and wanting to hurt her.
Gabe gave her a worried look as he drove. “What if you have a concussion? You’re not supposed to sleep. I should call Doc,” he said as he pulled in front of her building. Gabe picked up his cell phone and Liz put her hand on his wrist to stop him when suddenly someone knocked on the car window. She jumped and screeched in fright and looked up to see a very angry-looking Ethan at Gabe’s driver window.
Gabe rolled his window down and smiled. “Ethan, I’m so glad to see you.”
Ethan looked angrily at both of them. He had been waiting to talk to Liz for thirty minutes and was getting worried about her. When they pulled up he had anxiously walked over to the jeep and saw Liz holding Gabe’s hand, and then all he saw was red as his temper went into overdrive.
“Now I see why you didn’t want to talk to me at the hall. You had better things to do, huh?” he sneered at her. “What is your game, Liz?”
“Ethan, it’s not what you think.” Gabe tried to interrupt him but Ethan was too angry to listen.
“No? After you tried to get me to see that Liz was different than other women and I almost fell for it, you go for her? But she is no different than Diana or any of the loose women around here, is she?” he yelled at Gabe with scorn.
Liz gasped in shock and felt tears come to her eyes. It felt like he had just slapped her across the face. Liz was so shocked at his verbal attack that although she opened her mouth to protest nothing came out.
Ethan kept his eyes on her pale face, dismissing her tears as anger that her true colors had been found out just before she sank her claws into him. “Nothing to say, Liz? Sad that I discovered your lies so quickly?”
Gabe cut into Ethan’s tirade, his voice so cold and hard that it sent shivers up Liz’s spine. “You’d better stop before you embarrass yourself more than you already are.”
Ethan looked at Gabe, and Liz felt afraid that Ethan and Gabe would fight. “Good luck with this one, friend. She is a good deceiver.” He said the word friend with derision and walked away from them, getting in his vehicle and driving away with his tires squealing.
Liz sat there in pain, her heart turning to stone in her chest. She didn’t know what to say. She was so devastated at the words Ethan had spoken to them that she was speechless.
“What just happened?” Liz whispered, still crying.
Gabe wiped her tears and hugged her, patting her back. “A very jealous Ethan White just happened. I’ve never seen him act that way and we have been friends since childhood. He must really like you.”
“What are you crazy? Did you hear all that stuff he said and the way he looked at us with such hatred? For a moment I was really scared,” Liz replied. “My days just get better and better. I might not make it to New Year’s at this rate.”
Gabe chuckled softly, getting out of the car. “Come on, I will walk you upstairs and jump in front of the bullets if Ethan decides to come back and shoot at us.”
“Don’t even joke about that, Gabe,” Liz said, walking up the stairs with shaky legs. She unlocked her door and invited Gabe in while he called the tow truck for her. She made coffee for them and sat on the couch feeling achy fro
m the physical exercise and the car accident.
“I should call Lacy,” Gabe offered one more time, looking worried when she groaned from an ache in her back.
Liz shook her head. “I know what a concussion feels like. I fell off a ladder at the store last year, and I was dizzy and the lights bothered me. Right now I am exhausted but only because I’ve had a rotten night, make that a rotten week. I’ll take some ibuprofen and go to bed.”
“Okay, I am working until 6:00 a.m., so call me or Logan if you need anything or if you feel scared. Gabe said with a gentle smile. “Don’t worry about Ethan. Tomorrow he will feel like an ass and you’d better make him get on his knees and beg forgiveness. He deserves to work for it.
Liz smiled but didn’t comment on Ethan. It was too painful right now. “Thanks for all your help, Gabe. You are a good friend.”
“You’re welcome, sweetheart. Get some rest,” he said, closing the door behind him and making sure it was locked.
Liz showered and lay in bed, seeing Ethan’s angry face over and over until she finally fell into a restless sleep.
Chapter 7
The ringing of the telephone woke her up the next morning. It was Lacy’s panicky voice. “You are so lucky I am at work and Ryan just told us what happened to you last night, girl!”
“I’m okay, Lacy, really. I didn’t want to worry you or bring you out in the cold and Gabe was wonderful,” Liz explained, yawning, and lay back on her pillows. She still felt tired. She had tossed and turned all night thinking about Ethan. Was Gabe right? Did Ethan really care about her? If she was going to fall in love then why couldn’t it go smoothly instead of the rocky road she was walking down, and she couldn’t deny it. Her feelings for Ethan White went deeper than physical attraction. Otherwise his words last night wouldn’t have broken her heart.
“So I’ve heard all the gossip from Logan already including Ethan’s horrible behavior. Should I go kick his ass for you?” Lacy offered gallantly. Ethan is a goner for Liz whether he admits it or not, Lacy thought with a smug smile. Lacy knew if Ethan didn’t have feelings for Liz, seeing her with Gabe wouldn’t have upset him so much.
