Before she could make it to the hallway he stepped into her path, blocking her way. “Why? Why didn’t you come back? Why didn’t you reply to one of my letters? Did you just want to put everything about this place behind you, including me?”
“What?” Her eyes widened. “I wrote you every week for months and you never wrote back. Then Mom got a call from you while I was at an audition. You were discharged and left no way for me to contact you. Damn you, I had bought a bus ticket and was coming to see you. I wanted to know why you cut me off. But how was I supposed to find you if you weren’t at the hospital?” She stepped around him.
Realization dawned on him. Why hadn’t he considered the one person who’d always stood in the way of their friendship would go that far? Sabotage from within her own house. He reached out and wrapped his hand around her bicep.
“Let go of me.” Her voice cracked. “I can’t do this.”
Kendrick stood in the doorway. “Is there a problem here?”
“Send your guard dog back to the hall.” His voice was rough with emotion. “Five minutes. Damn it, Leena, that’s all I’m asking for, five minutes and then you can leave and I won’t stop you. I’ll stay out of your way while you’re here.”
She stared at him long enough that he doubted she’d do what he asked. “It’s okay, Kendrick.”
The guard paused a heartbeat before stepping back out of the door. Instead of watching the hallway as he had before, he stood so that he could keep an eye on them and let the younger guard handle the rest of the area. Not that there was anything happening in the hallway. With most of the administration staff gone for the day, it was quiet.
“That’s the best you’re going to get out of him, and you’re wasting time,” she said. “Say your piece.”
He let go of her arm but didn’t move away from her. “Your mother…” He let his words die off as he wondered what the hell he was doing. She’d stood in his way of being with Leena, but that didn’t mean he should slash through her heart just to explain why they’d lost touch. What did it matter all these years later? Because I still love her. He had fallen in love with the teen girl, but the woman before him still stirred the same emotions. “Fuck.”
4
Chapter Four
Leena’s throat tightened and anger sparked within her. She knew where he’d been headed before he stopped himself. You wouldn’t, Mom, would you? Why? She had grieved for this man, for the love she had for him. Always left wondering if he was alive. Her first album contained a song that she had written about them and to this day every time she sang the song it tore her heart. She had loved him and never really moved past him. There had been others in her life from time to time, but never anything long-term or serious. Her heart had always belonged to the sick boy she fell in love with.
“I grieved for you.” She glanced up at him and emotions rushed through her. “Damn it, I thought you were dead just like Meredith.”
“I’m sorry.” The coffee pot brewed, slurping in the background, left forgotten.
“If you knew that she…” She stopped, unable to bring herself to say that her mother had denied their friendship. “Why didn’t you come find me?”
“It took me time to put it together.” He took her hand into his, interlacing their fingers. “I wasn’t sure until your dedication. Always in my heart, T. And the songs on the album. That’s when it finally dawned on me, but that was almost two years later. You were making it in the country music scene and I was just starting college.”
“You bought my CD.” That touched her deeper than anything else. He had thought she had pushed him away and wanted to forget about them, and yet he still bought her CD.
“I have every one of them. Maybe you’ll sign them for me?” He grinned before his smile faded. “I regretted not trying to get back in touch with you when I realized what had happened, but so much time had passed by then. Hell, I was scared that I was wrong and didn’t want the rejection again.”
She took a step back and bumped into his desk, then leaned on the edge of it. “You wouldn’t have wanted to know me then. I was a different girl…I guess I’m a different woman now.”
“We all change,” he reasoned.
“It’s more than that. The business changes you. Or maybe I let it because I needed something to focus on.” She let out a soft chuckle. “You know my mother was livid when my first CD released. I didn’t let her listen to some of the cuts before it was done. She knew it was dedicated to you.”
Her mother’s words echoed through her thoughts. Why are you dedicating this to him when he walked out of your life? You should be doing it in memory of your sister. Not that bastard. He broke your heart and this is how you repay that grief? She hadn’t cared then what her mother thought, but now it was like another jagged edge.
“Normally, in a situation like this, I’d say she was just protecting you.”
“Do you find yourself in positons like this often? Got a string of girls hiding in your past that their mothers cut you off from?” She tried to make it a joke but her heart was breaking all over again. Her mother had watched while she suffered and said nothing. It’s for the best. How many times had she heard that? “Damn it, she should have let us have our chance.”
“Let me take you out for dinner.”
“What?” She pushed off the desk to stand straight.
“Dinner, just the two of us.” He stepped in front of her, sliding his hand up her arm. “You said we should have had our chance. Why not now? Unless you’re seeing someone.”
“No…I mean no, I’m not seeing anyone.”
“Then, dinner?”
His touch made it hard to focus. She wanted to close her eyes and just sink into the feeling. “It won’t be the two of us.”
“Yes, your guard dogs. Then my place instead of somewhere public. I’m sure we can find some alone time even if your men are there. We can grab Chinese from across the street and my place isn’t far from here. But it’s quiet and no one will even know you’re there.”
Temptation sparked within her. A normal night, having dinner with someone who wasn’t part of her crew, sounded heavenly. But there was one big issue that made her hesitate. “I can’t bring what’s happening to your front door. Can we eat here?”
“Sure.” He brushed the back of his fingers across her cheek. “But it’s going to cost you. I want to know what danger you’re in that you need the guard dogs for.”
“Oh, that’s nothing, just normal business bull crap.”
“You’re still a bad liar.” He reached behind her and grabbed the menu from beneath the phone where he kept it.
“I don’t need that.” She pushed the menu he offered her away. “General Tsao chicken and share an order of dumplings with me?”
“You haven’t changed.” He grabbed the receiver and called to place their order.
“I’ll send Matt over to get it.” She wasn’t sure Kendrick would like her sending one of her guards on a food run, but she didn’t care. They were a precaution, one her manager had forced on her, and she’d be happier as soon as she could get rid of constant guards.
“Ready?” Kendrick asked as she stepped into the hallway.
“No.” She turned to the younger guard. “Matt, take the elevator down to the first floor and when you step off turn right instead of going through the lobby. Follow the hallway to the end and out that door. Directly across the street is a Chinese restaurant and they have an order for us.”
“This is out of the question.” Kendrick stepped closer to her. “We are here to guard you, not make food runs.”
“Would you prefer that we all make the trip down and venture out of the hospital to grab some food? You know I’m safer up here than I would be out there or in a public restaurant. I’m hungry and we’re going to eat one way or another. So the choice is yours.”
“You’re making it hard to guard you,” Kendrick bitched.
“If it was supposed to be easy you wouldn’t get the salary
you get.” She turned back to Matt, who was still standing there waiting for orders. “Go, Matt.”
He glanced at Kendrick, who nodded.
She waited until Matt had left before she let her attention return to Kendrick. “You’re the best, Kendrick. It’s why I relented and I’m dealing with being shadowed. But you’ve got to give me some leeway. I’m not used to being followed around or having my movements limited.”
“I’m here to keep you alive, not to keep you happy.” He looked past her to Turner, who had hung up the phone and was pouring them coffee. Kendrick leaned a little closer and kept his voice low. “You want someone to make you happy, you’d better get back in there.”
“Huh?” Her eyebrows knitted together in confusion.
“I’ve been around long enough to know the signs. You’ve been depressed lately. Maybe some of that is from having us follow you everywhere, and maybe some of it is from being here, but something changed when you ran into him. I haven’t seen you smile in days.”
“It’s been years since I’ve seen him.”
“Time apart only makes the heart grow fonder.” When her mouth hung open, he added, “That’s what my daughter says. Every time I get back in town to see her, she tells me that. I think she’s hoping that her mother and I can patch things up, but that’s not going to happen. You don’t have to let the same thing happen to you. Go in there and see what the future might hold.”
Like it could even work. In a few days I’ll be leaving town. Instead of saying that she didn’t have the same opportunities as he might if he wanted to fix things with his ex, she turned on her heels and strolled back into Turner’s office.
He stood near the buffet with two mugs of coffee in hand. “Now it’s your turn. Why the guards?”
“You’re not going to let it go, are you?” She took the mug from him and strolled over to one of the chairs near his desk.
“No. So you can tell me or I can pull out the whiskey and get you drunk enough to spill all your secrets.” He sat down at the second chair in front of the desk.
“Wow, and both choices sound so delightful. How will I choose?” She took a sip of the coffee and set it aside. “Lately there’s been some contact from an overeager fan. He believes we’re destined to be together and has expressed that he will do whatever he has to in order to make me his. My manager has been handling the mail I’ve received from him and each letter grows more desperate. The last one said he’d be here waiting to claim me. Now because of some asshole I’m stuck with Kendrick and Matt.” She managed to explain without her heart beating out of her chest with fear.
“Have you gone to the police?”
“Reports have been filed, but he’s careful.” She wiped her hands on the legs of her jeans. “We’ve kept it quiet so that we don’t ruin this event. I spoke to Nora and Chelsea about it and they’ve added extra security. Everyone is sure it’s going to go off without any problems.”
“Except you?”
“Am I that easy to read?”
“To me.” He set his coffee aside and leaned forward to lay his hand over hers. “Is there anything I can do?”
“Thanks, but no. All anyone can do is wait until either the police figure out who he is or he makes a move.” She let out a deep sigh and closed her eyes. “I’m tired of living with this hanging over my head. I’m tired of being afraid to leave my house because he might be watching.”
“Watching? Has he been stalking you?” The alarm in his voice made her open her eyes.
“It’s nothing.”
“Bullshit, Leena. If he’s been watching you that’s not just nothing.”
She rose from the chair and went to the window. Darkness had fallen and the twinkling lights of the town below and the stars above called to her. She wished she could disappear into the darkness and forget about her stalker. “He believes we’re in love. His letters talk about things he believes we’ve done and he thinks the songs I sing are about him.”
“Erotomania.” His voice was rough and full of emotion.
“What?”
“Erotomania. It’s the delusion where a person believes that another is in love with them. Normally someone famous or of a higher social status, but typically it’s women not men who are doing the stalking.” He went to her and laid his hand on her shoulder. “He will attempt to get close enough to you to act out his fantasy in real life and he will expect you to return his affection.”
“How do you know so much about this?”
“I’m a lawyer. While I mostly deal with the hospital’s legal issues, I also take on pro bono cases and many of them are from the women’s shelter. I’ve handled my fair share of stalker cases and abuse victims.”
“It doesn’t normally end well for the victim.” She leaned back against him and tried to breathe through the fears that were trying to drown her.
“We’re going to make sure you’re safe.” He wrapped his arms around her, holding her tight against him. “Besides contacting the police, what else have you done?”
“Extended my security, both at work and at home. I thought about going to the media and trying to send a direct message to him. To let him know that I was flattered but not interested. Or to go out on a few dates with someone. I could have gotten a friend to play along or something, but my manager thought it would enrage him.”
“There’s no reasoning with him.” He ran his hand down her arm. “Trying to deliver a message to him wouldn’t work. He would believe that you’re only saying it because someone is forcing you. Appearing with another guy would most certainly enrage him and most likely cause him to take further steps.”
“Further steps might get him caught.” Or I could end up dead.
“It’s too risky.”
“Maybe it’s time to take some risks instead of living in fear.” She closed her eyes and let his embrace keep her terror at bay.
“Give me some time and I’ll figure out something to keep you safe.” He pressed his lips to her temple. “We’ll fix this.”
We? She told herself not to get caught up on a single word, or how good it felt to have his arms around her. They were from two different worlds and even if the feelings were still there, it couldn’t work. She wanted a husband and a family…but he was her past, not her future.
5
Chapter Five
Turner stood on his porch watching the sun peek over the horizon and sipped his coffee. While most of his coworkers chose houses close to the hospital, he preferred the solitude of the country. He could look out any window in the house and see rolling land and trees. Peace and quiet. And his two story log home took advantage of the views.
That morning, the view did nothing to relax him. His thoughts were full of Leena and what to do about her stalker. The idea of her being in danger didn’t sit well with him and brought out the protector in him. He wanted her with him so he could shield her. Instead, she was camped out in her bus at a hotel near the hospital with her crew inside. He didn’t like that she was alone on the bus. It was dangerous and he was surprised Kendrick had agreed to it.
A cloud of dust spilling up from the road caught his attention. “I knew he’d come,” he said to himself. He polished off his coffee and headed around the house to greet his visitor.
He turned the corner of the house just as the undercover police cruiser came to a stop at the bottom of the steps of his front deck. Detective Mason Hazelwood stepped out in plainclothes, but his gun was clearly visible and his badge hung on the belt of his jeans. Mason was one of the most dedicated police officers Turner had ever met. He did what he could to make the community a better place. I hope he can help Leena.
“Not everyone loves mornings as much as you.” Mason pushed the car door shut with a bang. “How about some coffee?”
“Come on in. There’s a pot with your name on it.” He climbed the steps and opened the door before he glanced back at the detective. “Thanks for coming.”
“It better be good. I worked the night shift and
have to be back on in a few hours. I need some sleep.”
“Just ten minutes of your time and you can go home to your bed.”
“My lonely bed,” Mason complained, following him into the kitchen. “Tina’s gone. It wasn’t working.”
“Sorry, man.” Turner poured the coffee and kept from looking back at his friend. Tina wasn’t worth Mason’s time. She was trouble and he’d gotten tired of seeing his friend angry over the latest stunt she pulled.
“Yeah.” Mason pulled out one of the bar stools and sat down with a huff. “She went back to Ohio to her ex, but that’s okay. Anyway, what was so important that I had to stop over after going off the clock?”
“You’ve heard about the charity event this weekend, right?”
“Oh, yeah. I’ve heard nothing else. My niece is a huge fan of Leena’s and my boss is pissed I’ve requested off for the day so I can take her. If I wasn’t a doting uncle, I’d be working that mess and I’ve spent enough time doing crowd control.”
Turner set a mug in front of Mason before refilling his own. “Then you know who Leena is.”
Mason’s eyebrow shot up and he shook his head, grinning. “Man, she’s out of your league.”
“We’re old friends—”
“Sure.” Mason’s doubt coated the word as he brought the mug to his lips. “You’ve been working too many hours.”
“This is serious, Mason.” He set his coffee aside and eyed his friend. “She’s in trouble. She’s got a stalker who thinks they’re in love.”
“She needs to make a report.” His attention piqued. “Does she know who it is?”
“No.” If he knew who it was, he wouldn’t have invited Mason over so he could tell him. Instead, he’d be dealing with it in his own way. “There have been letters and calls. She’s taken some precautions and has a team of guard dogs.”
“Sounds like she has it under control. Why inform me?”
Leena’s Dream Page 3
