The Shadows Trilogy

by Cege Smith

  “I’m hanging up, Jake. I’m not going to do this again,” she said. She hated the quiver in her voice that gave away her anxiousness.

  “I’ll come and get you. Mark my words. You’re MINE.” The line went silent with a click.

  Ellie realized she was shaking. She had thought the phone calls were over and now he had called two nights in a row. She went to her door and made sure the lock was securely fastened. Her breaths came in short, rapid gulps.

  She didn’t think Jake would ever follow through on his threats, but if his drinking had gotten out of control again, she couldn’t be sure. She considered calling the police, but she didn’t think they’d do anything unless Jake actually showed up at her door. She didn’t want to agitate the situation any further. She just wanted Jake to forget all about her and leave her alone.

  Ellie closed her eyes and forced herself to take a deep breath. She leaned against the door frame. Skipper was by her side a moment later, wagging his tail and looking up at her expectantly.

  “No, it’s not time to get up yet,” she whispered to him. “Besides, I don’t think it’s the best idea for us to be going outside at this time of night. There may be monsters out there.” Skipper’s tail stopped and he looked forlorn as she moved away from the door.

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  Ellie was surprised to find Kevin instead of Linda in the back room when she arrived at work the next morning.

  “Where’s Linda? Fridays are her morning to open. Is she okay?” Ellie asked. Linda hadn’t missed a day of work the entire time she had worked for Ellie. She had never been late or even asked for time off.

  “She is fine. Fluttering around like a butterfly right now, I’m sure,” Kevin answered. At Ellie’s questioning glance he continued, “She’s all in a tither about this dinner party. Called me up last night saying she had a million things to do and asked if I would mind helping her out by taking her shift today.”

  Linda wasn’t the only one fluttering about that day. Even as he talked Kevin didn’t stop moving as he crossed into the storeroom, leaving Ellie standing in the middle of the room.

  “So she’s not coming in at all?” Ellie asked, frowning. Apparently there was a lot she didn’t know about dinner party preparation.

  “Don’t worry. I called Joanie and she said she can come in and help us out later if we need her.” Kevin’s muffled voice came from the storeroom. Joanie attended college nearby and had been willing to pitch hit on an as-needed basis when Ellie had busier than usual days.

  “Well, I feel completely useless. Not like I own this place so people should keep me in the loop or anything,” Ellie retorted, crossing her arms.

  Kevin’s head popped out of the storeroom. “You okay?”

  She wilted under his concerned look and was horrified when tears started streaming down her face. Kevin was beside her in an instant and took her into his arms, rocking her back and forth as the tears turned into huge gulping sobs.

  “Oh, sweetie, what’s wrong?” he said as he stroked her hair.

  “I can’t believe I’m here again,” she finally managed to sputter, pulling away and wiping her eyes with the back of her hand. “Jake called me in the middle of the night the last few nights just being hateful. The things he said were awful.”

  “I thought those calls were over,” Kevin said, the worry evident in his voice.

  “Me too, but I guess I was wrong. He was drunk both times. He called me some names and last night he said that he was going to get me either way because I was HIS.” She emphasized the word, mimicking Jake’s threatening tone.

  “Christ, Ellie. Did you call the cops? He can’t keep harassing you like this.” Kevin squeezed her tightly.

  She felt a rush of gratitude for Kevin’s friendship. If she hadn’t had him to lean on during the divorce she had no idea where she’d be right now. She knew that she didn’t tell him enough how good it was to have him in her life. She was a bad friend. She had to start being better about that.

  “No, no. He was just drunk.” Ellie was regaining her composure. She took a step back and looked up at Kevin. “Thanks for being a good friend. I am sure there is nothing to worry about. Jake is fairly harmless.”

  “Yeah, sure. Just like all those movies on cable TV.” Kevin crossed his arms and looked at her pointedly.

  Ellie could tell that Kevin wasn’t buying her excuses for a second. He had seen the knot on the back of her head the night she left Jake for good. “He doesn’t mean it. He’s sick. He’s a menace to himself, not me.” Ellie couldn’t believe that she was defending him. The words sounded shallow, even to her. But if she ever wanted to move on with her life she had to get over her failed marriage and move on. She was tired of being depressed and lonely.

  “You are going to have to do something sooner or later if he keeps this up. You can’t live like this.” Kevin was pleading now.

  “I’m sure this was just a fluke. Really.” Ellie shushed Kevin away. “I’ll be fine. We have to get this place ready for business.”

  Kevin reluctantly returned to the storeroom. “You always know you can call me anytime if you do want to talk,” he said, turning back to face her.

  “I do. Thanks, Kevin,” she said as she gave him her bravest smile. Her face fell the instant his head disappeared.

  What was the matter with her? If it followed her usual suit, hysterics were next, and she couldn’t afford to fall apart now. Not after everything she had done to hold herself together all this time. No man was worth that. She repeated that in her head a few times. Then she squared her shoulders and raised her chin. Enough was enough.

  Taking another deep breath, Ellie headed for the front of the store. She could see a bright orange aura peeping through the blinds. Melanie Wilson was pacing outside the door. She glanced at her watch. The store didn’t open for another twenty minutes. Sighing, she went to the door, unlocked it, and was promptly run over.

  “Thank God you’re here!” Melanie exclaimed. She rushed over to her usual table and pulled a tablet and pen out of her bag. Then she sat down and started massaging her temples with her eyes closed. Seconds later a notebook slammed on the table and Melanie was scribbling words into it.

  “How are you this morning, Melanie?” Ellie asked cautiously. With Melanie, you never knew what the reaction would be.

  “Fine, fine!” was the snappish reply.

  Ellie shook her head and headed for the counter, hoping to avoid any further conversation. The espresso machine wasn’t warmed up yet, so Melanie was going to have to wait for her caffeine injection.

  “Ellie!” Melanie didn’t even look up as she yelled Ellie’s name across the room.

  Ellie stopped her prep work and walked over to Melanie’s table. It was too early in the morning to shout across a room, and Melanie obviously wasn’t planning to move. Ellie forced a small smile.

  “Yes, Melanie?” she said a bit too brightly.

  “You’re going to this little dinner party that Linda’s having tomorrow night, right?” Melanie asked.

  The question was unexpected. “Um, yes,” Ellie said.

  “Good, good.” Melanie nodded as if in satisfaction. Then she looked up from her notebook. “I’ll see you there, then. Hopefully I can make some sense of this damn novel of mine before then. If not, I’m going to be drinking a lot. My damn editor won’t leave me alone and if I miss my deadline again I think I’ll just throw myself out of one of Linda’s lovely windows.”

  Ellie had no idea of the right way to respond to Melanie’s tirade. “Okay, then. I’ll see you there,” she said. It seemed like the safest response.

  Melanie nodded and started to rub her temples again. Then she picked up her pen and started scratching furiously in her notebook again. Ellie took that as her signal that it was all right to leave. She quickly walked to the back and grabbed Kevin’s elbow as he came out of the storeroom. “Linda invited Melanie?” she whispered and jerked her head toward the front of the store.

  “Probab
ly,” he whispered back. “I think Linda’s been dying to have some sort of gathering forever. Maybe she’ll invite everyone she knows, and I know that Linda knows some pretty glamorous people in this town.” Then he smiled. “Thank goodness that gorgeous man decided to chat things up with you. It gave her an excuse to do something to shake things up a bit.”

  “David was just being nice. I am sure he doesn’t mean anything by it. I mean, why would he ever be interested in someone like me?” Ellie said.

  “Honey, if you think that, you are naïve. You are gorgeous and it’s okay to have a man interested in you. You and Jake are divorced.” Kevin patted her on the shoulder. Ellie felt like she was twelve all over again.

  “I know, but I don’t think he’s interested in me like that. I’m older than him, divorced, and apparently a very unhappy person,” she said, crossing her arms. It was her way of daring Kevin to dispute her facts.

  “Neurosis is very attractive in women these days, I think,” Kevin teased. At Ellie’s glare he laughed. “That’s why I’m attracted to men.”

  He winked, and Ellie couldn’t help but chuckle. “Okay, Kevin. I don’t agree with you, but I give up,” she said as she threw her hands up in a sign of mock surrender.

  “What are you going to wear?” he asked. He grabbed her wrist and started to waltz her around the room.

  Normally she’d try to push him away, but Ellie was tired of being serious and glum all the time. She wanted to try having more fun and stepping out of her comfort zone. She giggled despite herself, and realized it felt good to be silly for once.

  “I’m sure I’ve got something in my closet that will do,” she said and then stumbled into the storeroom door when Kevin suddenly stopped and released her. “Ouch!”

  Kevin ignored her cry of pain. He stood there shaking his head and looking her up and down. “Oh no. You have to go shopping and find something fabulous to wear. Some new clothes will make you feel better too.”

  “What’s wrong with the clothes I have?” she demanded, even though she knew that he was right.

  “Ellie, you’ve lost thirty pounds since the divorce and have been wading around in clothes that don’t do you justice.” Kevin’s eyes did a head-to-toe assessment, and Ellie could see that he didn’t approve of what he saw there.

  “Well, I don’t know what I’d wear to this sort of thing.” Ellie couldn’t believe that she was actually admitting that out loud.

  “Didn’t Jake ever take you out to a nice restaurant? To a show? Somewhere where you had an excuse to get all fancy?” Kevin quizzed.

  “Jake wasn’t comfortable in those types of places,” she said. “To him, the local bar and grill was as good as it needed to be. Maybe if he was feeling really adventurous, we’d go out to Red Lobster.”

  Kevin put his hands on her shoulders and she could see the sympathy. Her eyes started to well up again with tears.

  “Don’t you worry,” Kevin said. “Eric and I will take you shopping, have a latte, and we’ll have a great time,” he said.

  “You’d do that for me?” she said. She was delighted at the thought of going shopping with Kevin and Eric. She knew they had great taste. She gave Kevin a long hug, enjoying the closeness and the smell of his clean aftershave. She missed being close to a man.

  “Of course! Let me call him right now. If we can’t do it tonight, we’ll go tomorrow morning,” Kevin said. He was almost jumping up and down with excitement.

  Ellie pushed a stray hair behind her ear and smiled shyly up at him. “Okay. I’ll do it.” She started back toward the front of the store.

  “One more thing.” His voice caught her just as she reached the threshold.

  “What?”

  “Go get yourself a good haircut. You’ve got beautiful hair. Treat yourself a little. You deserve it,” he said.

  “Let’s not get all crazy now,” she laughed.

  CHAPTER NINE

  David walked into his apartment Saturday afternoon thoroughly exhausted. He threw himself on his couch and thought about sleeping for the next twenty-four hours straight. His work usually invigorated him, but he had been running on fumes and caffeine for weeks. The residency had been a lot more intense than he had anticipated.

  Although being a doctor was immensely satisfying, David wondered if he was cut out for the long hours and personal sacrifice. David wasn’t the type to shy away from a challenge, and once he started something he wanted to be the best at it that he could be. But he didn’t remember ever having a choice in the matter when it came to his profession. His parents had said that he would be a doctor, and that had been that. He vaguely recalled his mother saying that being a doctor would help him meet girls too.

  Speaking of mother figures, Linda had called him at the hospital that afternoon to confirm for the third time in the last two days that he was going to be at her dinner party that evening. Although he was more than a little annoyed at the constant reminding, the way that she gushed about how excited Ellie was to see him made him feel really good. He was excited to see her too. He hoped that he’d get to know her better that evening.

  Although he knew next to nothing about her, Ellie seemed to have everything that he had been searching for in a woman. She was beautiful and strong-willed. She was obviously self-sufficient and successful. She enjoyed quiet time with her dog. The people close to her adored her and went to great lengths to see that she was happy. She was the kind of girl he could proudly take home to his folks.

  David pushed himself off the sofa. As much as he wanted sleep, he was realizing his soul craved something else. And with each passing day, he was becoming more certain that something else was Ellie Coulter.

  Ellie walked slowly up the curved driveway that led to Linda’s house. She could hear classical music from the house drifting in the air, and she wondered if it was being pumped outside. She couldn’t help but stare at the house. She would classify it as a mansion actually. It was a pretty pink-white stucco that would look perfectly in place on an Italian hillside. Each window facing the front lawn had lit tapered candles in it, giving a soft glow to the patio outside. It had the feeling of expectation, warmth, and satisfaction all at the same time.

  Ellie ran a hand along her hair again, smoothing imaginary strands this time. She didn’t want to think about how much the trip to stylist had cost, but she was secretly delighted with the results. Her hair shone with new life now that the split ends were gone, and it had a soft wave that framed her face. It still fell well below her shoulders, and she had chosen to leave it loose for the evening with a silver broach swept up on one side to keep it out of her face. Kevin and Eric had insisted that she highlight her best features.

  Her nails were an apple red that she could see even in the moonlight, and the color matched the fitted silk blouse that Kevin had insisted on. Black faux pearls encircled her throat. Her skirt clung to her hips and tapered ever so slightly at the bottom. She felt awkward in the black heels, but she knew without asking her shopping companions earlier that day that the shoes made the outfit.

  Inwardly she cringed again at how much money she had spent, but she couldn’t deny the fact that she felt beautiful and confident in a way that she hadn’t in a very long time. She hoped she wouldn’t blush if her friends reacted too strongly to her new look. She was so deep in thought that she didn’t hear the footsteps behind her.

  “Ellie?” A voice broke her reverie.

  Ellie jumped with a sharp intake of breath and she whirled around.

  David was looking at her anxiously. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to startle you.” He reached out and touched her shoulder. His normally blue aura was tinged with pink. She had alarmed him.

  “It’s okay. I was just admiring Linda’s house,” she said faintly. Her hand had crept to her chest, and she could feel her heart beating anxiously. She wondered if it was the scare or David’s touch that had it racing. She could feel the warmth of each individual finger burning through her wrap. His eyes caught hers and he smiled
. She couldn’t help but smile back. In the moonlight, he looked devilishly handsome in a long woolen coat.

  David gently took her elbow. He was still much taller than she was, even in her three-inch heels. She liked that.

  “Allow me,” he said.

  She couldn’t manage to think of a thing to say as they walked up to the house, but David seemed comfortable with the silence. He was so close that she could smell his cologne; light and subtle, but intoxicating. She thought for the second time in as many days that it felt good to be close to a man and wondered how she had gone without it all this time. This contact made her feel almost completely human again.

  “Thank you,” she murmured as they arrived at the door. He just smiled knowingly and pushed the doorbell. Ellie hoped that her thoughts weren’t transparent on her face.

  “Darlings!” Linda exclaimed as she opened the door.

  Ellie didn’t need to see an aura to immediately tell that Linda was in her element. Linda’s face was glowing with excitement. She wore a diaphanous white blouse with a black skirt, and pearls that Ellie knew instantly had to have cost a fortune. Her hands were heavy with diamonds, and her hair had been recently done.

  “I’m so sorry that the butler wasn’t here to answer the door. I just sent him off on an errand to the kitchen so he should be back in just a moment to take your coats,” Linda said, ushering them inside the house.

  “You have a butler?” Ellie stammered as she started to remove her wrap. She felt confident hands on her shoulders as David helped her slip it off. He already had his jacket thrown over his arm. He was wearing a dark blue suit with a burgundy shirt and a matching tie. With his sandy blond hair and dark blue eyes he looked utterly irresistible.

  “Thank you,” she said shyly.

  David continued to smile at her, and she caught his gaze as it slipped from her shoes to her face. When his eyes returned to hers she could see definite appreciation in them and she blushed. Still holding her eyes, David pulled a wine bottle with a red bow tied neatly around the top from beneath his jacket. The movement allowed her to finally tear her eyes away from him. She took a deep breath. It was crazy how this man affected her.