by Trisha Grace
“I think I want my fiancée to stop thinking of herself as a guest.”
“I don’t. I just want to make sure that you like what I’m changing.”
“I do. I’ll tell you if I don’t, I promise.”
“And you don’t mind leaving the study alone?”
“I don’t think the guys need another excuse to come over.”
She laughed and kissed him. “I love you.”
Tyler opened Kate’s letterbox, relieved that there weren’t any threatening letters. He checked to make sure that the pinhole camera he had installed on the mailbox was still intact.
Maybe Kate was right. Maybe it was just a stupid prank, and they were overreacting.
He closed the mailbox and turned back to his car. That was when the corner of his eye caught sight of the parcel. He stared at the parcel sitting right in front of Kate’s house, and his brows drew closer.
Kate didn’t tell him that she was expecting a package.
He strode forward, picked it up, and gave the box a light shake to gauge what was within.
Whatever was inside was light, but it seemed large.
He studied the box that was wrapped with a light brown paper and addressed to the Mitchells.
There wasn’t any reason for Lydia to be sending her things here; she knew Kate wouldn’t be home.
He didn’t want to open up Kate’s parcel, but he had a gut feeling that whatever it was, it had something to do with the threats she’d been receiving.
Sighing, he tore off the wrapping to reveal a white box. Taking off the lid, his face paled.
Two charred dolls lay side by side in the box.
Clenching his jaws, he told himself to throw the dolls into the trash can and return to the mansion.
But he couldn’t move his legs. He couldn’t even loosen his rigid fingers that had clenched onto the edge of the box.
He exhaled a slow, long breath and sat on the steps.
The nightmare that had eluded him for months came rushing back to his mind, and the fear was worse than he had ever felt.
The mere thought of losing Kate in a fire constricted his lungs, causing him to struggle for air. Putting the box down, he closed his eyes and made himself focus.
He called Detective Allen before calling Ryan to bring Kate over. Then he called Kate, informing her that there was another threat and that he’d told Ryan to drive her over. He tried to keep his tone as placid as he could, but he probably wasn’t doing too well with that.
“What is it? Are you hurt?” Kate asked.
“No, I’m okay.”
“Something’s wrong. Tell me or I’m going to be worried sick all the way there.”
“It isn’t just notes this time. The person sent something else.”
“What?”
He took in a deep breath and slowly exhaled through his nose. “A pair of charred dolls. I think you’re right about your sister not telling you everything. It isn’t just meant for you; it’s meant for both of you.”
“I should call her.”
“Do it on the way here.”
“Okay.” She paused for a moment before continuing. “Ty, I’m safe. I’ll be there soon.”
He continued sitting where he was until Detective Allen arrived.
When Detective Allen’s Ford Focus came to a stop, Tyler couldn’t continue sitting on the porch. Despite the waves of fears crashing against him, despite the images of the charred dolls imprinted so firmly in his mind, there were things he had to do.
He wasn’t a helpless kid anymore. He didn’t have to hide under the table while his loved ones got snatched from him.
He could change things now. He could protect her.
He got up, connected the pinhole camera to his computer, and reviewed the footage captured by it.
“Did it capture anything?” Ryan asked as he peered over their shoulders.
Tyler stretched out his arm and pulled Kate tight against his side as she stepped in.
He kissed her on her hair and said, “Nothing, it’s just the postman. I figured that when I saw the postage on the box, but I thought we could give it a try anyway.”
“Send me the footage. I’ll have someone look over it thoroughly to check if anyone has been watching the house,” Detective Allen said.
“Do you think the person is serious about the threats?” Kate asked.
“First, it was the rock, then hand delivering those notes. Now, whoever is behind this is taking steps to avoid getting caught,” Detective Allen replied. “Makes me think that maybe he has a plan and doesn’t want to risk getting caught before it can be executed.”
“A plan,” Kate muttered before reaching for her locket.
Tyler remained silent. He could sense Kate’s eyes on him, but he didn’t turn to her. He didn’t want her to see the fear in his eyes. Clenching down on his jaws, he looked away and tried to shift his thoughts from images of his parents’ being trapped in the fire; images that were quickly morphing to include Kate.
“Don’t worry, Ty. We’ll keep doing what we do. There’s no way anyone can get close to her. She’s been safe so far.”
“Kate!” Evelyn shouted once she got out of the car. “Have you called Lydia?”
Kate rolled her eyes at the mention of her sister’s name. “She’s sticking to her story, and she’s refusing to come home; says she can’t leave school over some silly threats that probably meant nothing.”
“Take a photo of the dolls and send it to her.”
Dan was right behind Evelyn. He gave Kate a hug, then turned to Tyler. “What are we going to do?”
“We’re leaving,” Tyler said.
“We’ll follow your car.”
“No, I mean we’re leaving the country. Anywhere you want to go, but we’re not staying here.” Before, the notes were just words. But the person had upped the game. The dolls, the fire—Tyler couldn’t take the risk.
“What? We can’t leave. We’re planning a wedding, and we’re redesigning the house. What about our work?”
“We can plan the wedding from somewhere else. We’ve already reserved the place. The rest can be arranged through e-mails or calls. You can redesign the house anywhere. All we need are the blueprints. And I don’t care about work. I want you safe.”
“I am safe. Everyone’s watching me as if I’m the president of the United States. And if we run, how long do we have to run? If we never catch this guy, do we keep running forever?”
He wasn’t thinking that far; he only wanted Kate out of the way of danger. He could plan the rest later when she was somewhere else and when his mind wasn’t drenched with fear. “We just need to leave now.” He stepped forward and took Kate’s hand, dragging her toward the car. “We’ll go home and pack. Everyone can come with us if they want.”
Kate wrenched her hand from him and stepped away. “You’re going to ignore what I’ve said and force me to follow your ridiculous plan? It’s my life, too.”
“You can be angry with me. I don’t mind. But we’re leaving.” He took a step toward Kate, but she staggered back at his advance.
Evelyn immediately stepped in front of Kate. “Tyler, enough,” she said softly, but without a hint of a smile, letting him know that she was serious.
“You want her to stay? Even with the danger, she’s in? Move aside,” he commanded.
Kate stood with her mouth open, stupefied by what he’d said. “I’m a human, Ty. I’m not the book that your mom left behind. You can’t just snatch me away and shout at whoever is trying to come near me to leave.”
He knew Kate was referring to the incident of Joanne touching his The Little Prince book; the last book that his mother had read to him before the accident. He ran his hand through his hair and drew in a long, deep breath. “Kate …”
Irate, Kate turned away from him and stalked toward Dan’s car.
He watched Kate storm away. He wanted to go after her. He knew she was right, and he was being nonsensical, but his legs failed him again
.
When Dan’s car disappeared from his sight, he got into his car and drove back to the mansion.
Once he was back at the mansion, he headed straight toward his room and slammed the door close. He had marched past a confused Marianne, but he didn’t bother to say anything to her. He was certain Ryan would bring her up-to-date with what was going on.
In his room, he sat on the floor with his back against the wall.
He knew he’d screwed up big time, but there wasn’t anything he could do now. “Get out,” Tyler said the moment he heard the door opening.
Undeterred, Ryan stepped in and sat beside him. “Look, I know you want your space, but I’m afraid that you might take a little too long to realize what you need to do.”
He closed his eyes, trying to ignore Ryan.
“I once asked Kate when was the first time she felt there could be more than friendship between the two of you. You want to know the answer?”
His eyes remained shut.
Ryan shrugged. “She said it was in North Dakota. When she told you that there would be times when she’d disagree with the decisions you make. And you told her that if she did, you’d do whatever necessary to rectify the situation. Something about buying a plane. I can’t really remember. Point is, Ty, that was something you could easily solve with money, and I know you have a lot of that. But now you’re in a situation where money can’t solve the problem. Are you still willing to do anything to rectify the situation? Can you put your fear aside, put your parents’ accident behind, and do what is needed to appease her anger? Man up to your words.” Ryan gave him a pat on his shoulder and walked out of the room, leaving him to his thoughts.
He sighed audibly and tipped his head back as the door closed. He hated to admit it, but Ryan was right.
He did tell her that and he’d meant it.
Kate wasn’t a thing for him to control, and she had compromised time and again for him. This time, it was his turn to step up.
He got up and left the mansion without saying a word to anyone. He didn’t have much experience with apologizing, but he was sure that flowers were a must.
He returned home once he’d bought a bouquet of pink tulips and sat on the couch, waiting for Kate to come back.
He wanted to go look for Kate. He was fairly certain that she would be at Evelyn’s house, but he was equally certain that Evelyn wouldn’t give him the address to her house.
“Dinner is ready,” Marianne said.
Tyler nodded, but he didn’t move. Kate should be back anytime now, and he didn’t have the appetite for anything until he made things right with her.
“She’ll come back.”
“I’ll wait.”
He continued sitting where he was even as the clock crawled toward twelve. As he sat and watched the clock ticked away, he felt as if he were eight again, sitting in the house and waiting for his grandfather.
Every day, he’d hoped that it would be the day his grandfather would turn up.
Every day, he had gone to sleep disappointed.
This was why he never allowed himself to care. Everything he cared about was ripped away from him. And now the unshakable fear that Kate would disappear from his life percolated through his soul.
Marianne must have noticed him staring at the clock. She picked up the phone, probably to call Kate.
“Don’t.” He didn’t want Kate to return because Marianne called her; he wanted it to be her choice.
Just as Marianne put the phone down, the door flew open. Kate entered the house, all flustered. She glanced at her watch and sighed. “Thank God we made it in time.”
Evelyn and Dan were right behind her. “Sorry, we forgot about the time. She was busy cleaning while we watched TV and lost track of time.”
“Cleaning?” Ryan asked.
“She does that when she needs to blow off steam. And according to her, there’s always plenty of things to clean in my house,” Evelyn answered.
Tyler sighed and stood, pulling Kate into a tight embrace. “I’m so sorry. It was a stupid idea. I won’t force you to do anything you don’t want to.”
Kate wrapped her arms around him and snuggled closer. “I am, too. I know those charred dolls reminded you of your parents’ accident. I should’ve been more understanding. I’m sorry.”
He closed his eyes and held her close, refusing to budge even when he felt Kate trying to take a step away from him. He didn’t want to let go. He was so afraid that if he did, she might disappear.
“What’s wrong?” she asked and laid her head against his chest.
Again, he said nothing.
Kate tipped her head back and looked up at him. “I’ll always come back. No matter how angry I am, no matter where I go, I’ll always come back.”
And for the first time since Kate stormed away from him, his lips parted into a smile.
He didn’t know what he was thinking and how he’d allowed the senseless fear to take over his thoughts. He turned to the coffee table and picked up the flowers he had bought for her. “For you.”
“Thank you.” Kate took the flowers and glanced around the empty room.
Everyone had escaped into the kitchen to give her and Tyler some space.
Taking his hand, Kate pulled him to the couch and sat. “I don’t want to leave. I’ve already been leaving Eve to take care of all the work. I can’t just skip town. I want to stay here, I want to sit in the rooms and redesign them. I want to be here when we turn the mansion into our home.”
“Then we’ll stay. But you won’t go anywhere alone. Don’t just take Evelyn; bring one of the guys as well. And I’m going to apologize to you in advance for how I’m probably going to behave until this thing is over. I’ll probably be calling you all the time, and you may find me around your office during working hours. But I promise I won’t affect your work.”
Kate laughed softly. “You won’t affect my work, but you’ll probably affect some of the female staff.”
He didn’t care what her staff thought of him; he only wanted her safe. “If you want, I can stay hidden in your office.”
“Thank you. I know it’s difficult for you, and it means a lot to me that you’re listening to what I think. And remember, above all else, God and His angels are watching over me.” She leaned in and kissed him. “Is there any food left? I’m starving.”
Now that she was back, he was too. “We have Marianne; there’s always food.”
Chapter Twenty Four
“I think this is the best,” Evelyn commented as Kate twisted to the side to have a better look at the dress she was wearing.
Of the three dresses she had shortlisted, she loved the current one she had on. “I think so, too.” She ran her hand down the smooth satin with silver and gold embroidery threads that weaved classy flowers down one side of the gown.
“It’s so you.” Evelyn added as she circled her, looking at the dress at every angle. “Perfect. This is perfect.”
“The dress does look great on you. With veil or without?” Helen asked as she tugged at the excess materials around her waist and took note of the adjustments that had to be made.
“With,” Evelyn said.
Kate nodded, agreeing with Evelyn. “Have you decided on your bridesmaid dress?”
Evelyn picked up a dark violet off-shoulder dress. “You know, most brides choose the bridesmaid’s dress. They choose the ugly ones.”
“Why would I do that? You’re the maid of honor, so you get to decide what you want to wear.”
Evelyn laughed and shook her head. “Everything is perfect. You’ll have a perfect wedding, a perfect marriage, and you’ll live happily ever after.”
“I thought you didn’t believe in happily-ever-afters.”
“I believe it for you.”
She smiled warmly at Evelyn and gave her a hug. “Thanks.”
“It’s settled, then. We should pack up and leave. We shouldn’t be here in the first place, and where is Dan?” Evelyn complained as she took a
glance of her watch.
“I’m sorry, it’s just that …” Helen pursed her lips. “It’s a little difficult to work on the dress at Evelyn’s place.”
It wasn’t just difficult for Helen to work on the dress; it was impossible to walk across Evelyn’s living room without dragging something under the train of the dress.
An hour before the appointment, Helen suddenly called and asked for a change in location.
Evelyn was adamant about not letting Tyler see the wedding dress. With that, the only location left was Kate’s own house.
Though Tyler was totally against the idea, it was too late to make other arrangements, so he eventually gave in after asking Dan to accompany them since he was around the area.
But they had been in the house for over an hour, and Dan was still nowhere to be seen.
“He’s probably caught in a jam,” Kate said.
“Tyler won’t be too happy with us staying here longer than necessary.”
Helen led Kate away and helped her remove the dress, making sure that the pins stayed in place.
“All right, I’m done. Do you want me to stay with the two of you?” Helen said as she packed up her bag.
Kate smiled and shook her head. Helen was already going out of her way to travel out of the studio with all the heavy gowns. Kate had told Helen the gist of what had been happening, and she had been kind enough to accommodate. “We’ll be fine. Thanks for coming.”
“Thanks for flying me in first-class and for the five-star hotel suite,” Helen said mischievously. “I’ll see you at the next fitting.”
“Thanks.”
Helen left while Kate and Evelyn continued waiting for Dan.
“We should head back to the mansion on our own,” Evelyn suggested when Dan didn’t pick up his phone.
“He’s probably on the way here. Let’s wait for a while. I can clean up a little while waiting,” she said with her arms akimbo and her eyes scanning the room.
Even with her back toward Evelyn, she could feel Evelyn rolling her eyes.
“Fine. Fifteen minutes, then we’re leaving.”
Kate agreed and proceeded with her chores, trying to clean as much of her house as she could. Evelyn switched on the television and lazed on her bed, waiting for the fifteen minutes to pass.
