Rachel shuddered. “He spoke in a whisper, except for once when he yelled, ‘No!’ It was hard to distinguish any kind of accent. He kept calling me Jordan and said I belonged to him.” She drew in a breath. “He told me he’d been waiting a long time to have me and asked me not to ruin it. Oh, and he said something about me betraying him. When I fought, he threatened to hurt me. That’s it.”
“Why would he call you Jordan? A case of mistaken identity?”
“I doubt it. For five years I played a character named Jordan Hale on a soap opera, but that was a long time ago. People still recognize me occasionally.”
The sheriff stopped writing. “It sounds like you have a stalker.”
“That’s what I’m afraid of.”
“Has any stranger approached you lately, maybe tried to talk to you or follow you? Have you gotten any unusual letters or e-mails?”
“No mail, electronic or otherwise. I did feel like I was being watched a few times at work, but I thought it was just my imagination. I’m almost positive someone was following me up at Granite Lake.”
“Where do you work?”
“I own a bookstore in Vine Haven. It’s in Napa County.”
“You don’t live in Tahoe?”
“No, I’m just visiting my in-laws. My daughters and I were up at Granite Lake Retreat on Donner Summit for a week before we came here.”
“You thought someone was following you there?”
“One day when we were out hiking, I heard someone on the trail behind us.” Rachel shrugged. “I didn’t think it was important at the time, but now I’m not so sure. Could this creep have actually been at the camp with us?”
“It’s a possibility we’ll look into, although it could have been someone hanging around the area. Now, what do you think he meant about betraying him? You told me you aren’t married, but is there a man in your life?”
“There hasn’t been, but I met someone at the camp.” Her face heated. “We were together a couple of times in somewhat compromising circumstances. I suppose it’s possible we were observed.”
The sheriff’s pen poised above the notebook. “The man’s name?”
“Kane Lafferty.”
He asked a few more questions before taking her full name, address and phone number. “I’ll have this typed up. You’ll need to come by the station tomorrow to sign it. Under the circumstances, I wouldn’t advise going anywhere alone.”
“I don’t intend to. Thank you, Sheriff.”
Ford walked him to the door and returned a few minutes later. “How’s your head?”
“The pain medication you gave me is helping.”
“Good. You can take the ice pack off if you’d like.”
“Thank God, my head feels frozen.”
Ford took the pack from her and felt the lump. He probed carefully and smiled. “The swelling has gone down some. Would you like something to eat?”
“I think I’ll pass, but go ahead. You must be starving.”
“You could sit with us.”
“I’d rather just rest here if you don’t mind fielding the questions all by yourself.”
He patted her arm. “I don’t mind at all. I’ll check on you shortly if you’re sure you don’t need anything else.”
“Actually, would you mind sending one of the girls up to my room for my purse? I’d like to make a phone call.”
“One of them will be down with it in a jiffy.”
Jade came in a minute later and handed her mother the leather bag. “Does your head still hurt?”
“A little. Thanks, honey. Go finish your dinner.”
“I was done. Aren’t you going to tell us what happened?”
“Right now I need to rest. Your grandfather knows all the details, so you can grill him.”
“Okay.” Jade hurried from the room.
Her daughter obviously didn’t want to miss any of the excitement. Alone again, Rachel pulled out her cell and the business card Kane had given her. Her fingers caressed the SFPD emblem. Taking a breath, she sent up a prayer he’d answer and tapped in the number.
Chapter 11
“This is…surprise. Did…miss…so soon?” Kane’s voice faded in and out.
Rachel let out a long breath. “I’m so glad I reached you. Can you hear me?”
“…sound funny. What’s wrong?”
“Some lunatic attacked me. My throat is a bit sore.”
“What did…say?”
“I was attacked.”
“Shit, hold on…run up…hill…reception…better. If…lose…call back.”
Rachel leaned against the couch cushions and closed her eyes. A minute later his voice was stronger in her ear.
“Now, explain what happened. I want to hear everything.”
She gave him a brief synopsis. “The sheriff thinks some psycho fan from my past is stalking me. It could be a man from the camp.”
“Why would he believe that?”
“Someone was following us the day the girls and I hiked to the waterfall. I told Jed about it, but I’m pretty sure he thought I was imagining things.” She sighed. “It’s hard to believe someone I’ve met would actually attack me.”
He swore. “Give me your address, and I’ll be there in an hour, maybe a little longer.”
“Kane, you don’t have to come. I’m sure I’ll be safe if I stay close to the house. I shouldn’t have called, but I wanted to tell you the sheriff will be investigating all the men who were at the camp with us.”
“Of course I’m coming. This guy sounds like a serious lunatic. You don’t know what his next move will be.”
“I’m sure the sheriff would have left a deputy here if he thought I was in imminent danger.”
“Honey, no disrespect to a fellow law enforcement officer, but your small town sheriff is more used to drunk and disorderlies than violent stalkers. I’ll pack my stuff and be there as soon as I can. Now give me those directions.”
Rachel recited the address and the code to the gate. “I might be asleep when you get here. I’m pretty tired.”
“Then warn your in-laws I’m coming. I don’t want them to mistake me for your attacker and shoot on sight.”
“I’ll tell them. Thanks, Kane.”
“Take care of yourself. I’ll see you soon.”
Rachel put the phone back into her purse. She looked up when Olivia entered the room, followed by the rest of the family.
“Did you call your parents?”
“I spoke to my friend, Kane. He’ll be here shortly.”
Olivia frowned. “Do you really think that’s appropriate under the circumstances?”
“He’s a police detective, and he thinks I need protection.”
“You mean this psycho following you might come here?” Erica frowned and pushed blond hair behind one ear.
“I don’t know. I hope not.”
“What about Mom’s party tomorrow? We certainly don’t need any problems at a family celebration.” Her voice rose. “It’s too late to cancel the caterer now.”
“Cancelling is probably a little extreme.” Dan rested a hand on his wife’s shoulder.
Rachel straightened against the cushions. “I could go to a hotel.”
“You aren’t going anywhere.” Ford sat beside her. “For one thing, with that concussion, you’ll have to be watched tonight. We don’t wake people up every couple of hours anymore, but someone needs to keep an eye on you to make sure your symptoms don’t worsen.”
“You and I can take turns, dear.” Olivia touched her granddaughter’s arm. “Maybe Lark can help, too?”
“Mom, you’ll be exhausted for your party if you’re up tonight.” Erica frowned. “Dan can take Wes home, and I’ll stay.”
Rachel stared at the circle of concerned faces, her stomach churning. “No one has to stay with me. It’s only a headache. I’ll be fine.”
“Ivy and I can help.” Jade stepped forward. “We’re not babies. We c
an stay up and make sure Mom is okay.”
Ivy squeezed in next to her. “Why can’t she just sleep all night?”
Ford cleared his throat. “She can, but we need to make sure she doesn’t have any problems.”
“I don’t see why everyone is arguing about it. If Kane’s coming, he can stay with her.”
Relief flowed through Rachel as Ivy’s words sank in. “You know, that’s probably the best solution. I’m sure he won’t mind losing a little sleep.”
“What, now Kane is staying here?” A scowl twisted Lark’s lips. “How convenient.”
“I suppose I could make up the sleeper couch in the den.”
“Please don’t bother, Olivia. I’m sure he’ll have his sleeping bag with him.” Rachel forced a smile. “I wish everyone would quit worrying about me. I’m fine. All I need right now is a shower.”
Ford patted her knee. “Lark will check on you in five minutes. I don’t want you to pass out up there.”
“Make it ten. I have a lot of dirt to wash off.”
Jade touched her mother’s hair. “You do look pretty gross, Mom. There’s dirt on your face and pine needles in your hair.”
“You couldn’t have told me sooner?”
“I would have, but I was more worried about the bruises on your neck.”
Ivy giggled. “Yeah, Mom, we didn’t think dirt was your biggest problem.”
Rachel steadied herself on the arm of the couch as she stood then gave each of her younger daughters a hug. She touched Lark’s arm as she passed. “You’ll make sure I don’t drown in the shower?”
“Better me than Kane.”
Rachel gritted her teeth.
As she headed slowly up the stairs, Erica spoke into the silence. “Sounds like the situation is under control. Let’s go, Dan. It’s long past Wes’s bedtime.”
Ivy’s voice piped up. “Don’t worry, Aunt Erica, we’ll be fine with Grandpa and Kane to protect us.”
“I certainly hope so. Good night, everyone.” Erica’s voice cut off when a door shut.
Exhaustion threatened as Rachel entered her bedroom. After stripping off her filthy clothes, she turned on the shower in the adjoining bathroom and stepped inside the stall. The hot spray eased her stiff muscles. Head hanging, she soaked in the warmth. Five minutes later, she worked up the energy to shampoo her hair.
A tap sounded on the door. “Mom, are you okay?”
“I’m fine, Lark. I’ll be finished in a couple of minutes.”
Rachel rinsed her hair and turned off the water. After drying on an oversized towel, she slipped on a pair of warm pajamas and a robe then ran a comb carefully through her hair and brushed her teeth. With a longing glance toward the bed, she went back downstairs.
Olivia and Ford were alone in the living room.
She sat on the couch beside her former father-in-law. “Where’re the girls?”
Olivia clenched her hands in her lap. “I sent them up to bed. They looked tired.”
“Thanks. It’s awfully late.” Rachel ran a hand through her damp hair. “I’m sorry for all the trouble I’m causing you.”
“Don’t be ridiculous.” Ford patted her knee. “It’s hardly your fault. We’re just glad you’re safe.”
“Hopefully the sheriff will catch this person so you won’t need to bother your friend for protection.”
Rachel eyed the tight line of Olivia’s lips. “I’m sorry if having Kane here upsets you, but I don’t want to risk my girls’ safety or yours. I have complete faith in his ability to protect us.”
Ford gave his wife a warning look. “Safety is our main concern, of course, and any friend of yours is more than welcome in our home. Isn’t that right, dear?”
“Yes, of course. Do you know when we can expect him?”
Rachel glanced at the old wooden clock on the fireplace mantle. Ten o’clock. “Soon.”
As if on cue, the doorbell rang. Ford got up to answer it and a minute later led Kane into the room. He hurried straight across the hardwood floor to the couch and took Rachel’s hand.
“How are you?”
She forced a smile. “I’ve been better.”
He reached out to touch the dark blemish on her neck. “When I find the guy who put those bruises on your skin, he’ll wish he’d never been born.”
Olivia cleared her throat.
Rachel dragged her gaze away from Kane’s. “Ford and Olivia Carpenter, meet Kane Lafferty.”
He held out his hand, and Ford shook it.
“Please, make yourself at home.” Olivia’s tone was cool. “I’m sorry to greet you and run off, Mr. Lafferty, but I’m more than ready to turn in. I’m afraid we don’t have an unoccupied bedroom to give you, but the couch in the den makes into a bed. Rachel can show you where everything is.”
“Thank you, Mrs. Carpenter, and please call me Kane.”
“Good night then, Kane. Good night, Rachel.”
Ford’s gaze followed his wife’s progress. “I’ll be up in a minute, dear.”
Kane glanced over at the older man. “I hope I’m not imposing.”
“Not in the least. The stress is getting to Olivia, what with the party tomorrow and worrying about Rachel. Now, we need to talk about Rachel’s care. She has a concussion, so she should be watched tonight. She thought you wouldn’t mind helping with that, but if you’re tired, I’ll stop by her room a few times.”
“I can manage it. I don’t need much sleep. What do I need to do?”
“You don’t have to wake her every hour like they used to tell you to do when someone had a concussion. Maybe just a couple of times to make sure she’s alert. If the headache or nausea worsens, let me know immediately.”
Kane nodded. “Not a problem.”
Rachel stood and gave Ford a hug. “Thanks. You went above and beyond the call of duty today.”
“Honey, you know I’d do anything for you. Try to get some rest.” He turned to Kane. “I’ll see you in the morning.”
“Yes, sir. Thank you.” As soon as the older man disappeared up the stairs, Kane pulled her into his arms. “You scared ten years off my life when you said you’d been attacked. How are you really?”
“I’m sore all over, and my head is throbbing. I’m so glad you came. I was really scared. Still am.” She leaned against his chest. “Who could have done this?”
“I don’t know, but you can be sure I’ll find him. Let’s wait until tomorrow to hash it out, though. Right now you look dead on your feet.”
“I feel half dead at least. Shall I show you to the den?”
“Nope. I’m coming up with you.”
“Olivia will have a heart attack.”
“I’m not planning a grand seduction. I don’t think you’re quite up to it.” He touched her cheek. “It’ll just be easier to watch you this way.”
“There’s a chaise lounge in my room, but it’s short.”
“I’ll sack out on the floor with a blanket and a pillow. Come on, let’s get you to bed.”
With his arm around her, he led her from the room, pausing to grab the small duffle bag he’d left in the entry. When they reached the top of the stairs, she looked in on Jade and Ivy. Both girls were asleep. A light shone in Lark’s room. Rachel knocked lightly.
“Come in.”
Lark lay propped against her pillows, a book open on her knees. She glanced up when Rachel pushed open the door.
“Good night, honey.”
Her daughter’s gaze went straight to Kane. “You’re here.”
“I’m going to keep an eye on your mom tonight.”
“I’ll bet.” She turned her shoulder. “Good night.”
With a sigh, Rachel shut the door. “If you haven’t guessed, she isn’t thrilled by your presence.”
“Neither is your mother-in-law.”
“She’s upset. Maybe calling you was a mistake.”
Kane tipped her chin up with one finger. “You m
ade the right choice. Your safety comes first.” He indicated the girls’ bedrooms. “Their safety comes first.”
She walked into her room then hesitated when Kane shut the door. “You’re right. Still...”
“Nothing is going to happen tonight that wouldn’t have Olivia and Lark’s full approval. I want you to get some sleep while I take a shower.” He grinned. “A cold one.”
Rachel smiled and dropped her robe on the carpet. With a sigh she slipped into bed. The water was still running when she drifted off to sleep.
* * * *
The light from the bathroom spilled across the carpet to caress Rachel’s face. Bruises shadowed her neck, and a little scrape marred her cheek. Kane’s fists clenched. He wanted to punch something—or someone. The bastard who’d put his filthy hands on her. The man who’d put a look of fear into her eyes.
He eased down on the edge of the bed but didn’t touch her. She needed rest, and he had no intention of disturbing her. Watching her was enough, this woman he’d grown to care so much about in one short week. The timing sucked with his career in disarray, her resentful daughter and some nut job on the loose. Falling for Rachel would only complicate an already difficult situation. Too bad he couldn’t control the way his pulse leaped every time he saw her.
Pulling the second pillow off the bed and an afghan from the back of a chair, he settled on the floor next to the bed. He probably wouldn’t sleep, but he could at least rest his eyes…
Three hours later, he gently touched her shoulder. “Rachel, wake up.”
Slowly she opened her eyes.
Kane grunted in satisfaction. “You’re doing great, darlin’. Go back to sleep.” He stroked her hair then lay down on the floor. Thank God she’d exhibited no signs the concussion was worsening. He wouldn’t wake her again, not if her breathing remained even.
When she stirred an hour later, he sat up. “Everything okay?”
She slipped her legs over the side of the bed then switched on the lamp on the nightstand. “Bathroom.”
He nodded and waited until the door opened again. “How’re you feeling?”
“My head still aches but not as bad as before.” The mattress sank as she sat on the edge. “You look exhausted.”
Her hair hung around her face in soft waves. The bruising had darkened, but her eyes were a clear, beautiful green.
Every Move She Makes Page 12
