by J. H. Croix
“Ella will be furious if she finds out we’re doing this behind her back, but I don’t want her to worry.”
“Damn straight. I’m gonna call Cade right now,” Rex replied.
I didn’t like keeping this from Ella, but even more so I was furious Lance came all the way to Alaska. It turned my gut to think he was this obsessed with her. Within minutes, Rex called me back. He and Cade concocted a story where Amelia‘s truck was going to be broken down, so she would need to borrow Ella’s for a few days.
According to Rex, Amelia wasn’t thrilled about the plan and was only agreeing as long as we told Ella by the end of the week. After I finished my call with Rex, I called Cade.
“Hey man, I’m not so sure this is a good plan? Ella’s gonna be pissed.”
Cade’s sigh was heavy. “Amelia’s already cranky about it. She doesn’t want to keep it from Ella and insists we have to tell her even if she gets stressed. But my dad is livid. He’s worried that if we say something, Ella’s gonna fight us on it, and she’s damn stubborn.”
I heard Amelia‘s voice in the background. Cade chuckled. “She’s reminding me we get three days and that’s it.”
“Look, I’ll just tell Ella I’m going to go to Anchorage for the day anyway. It’s easier.”
“That’s probably better,” Cade replied.
“I ordered some stuff for the station at the gear shop the other day. It’s due in at the end of the week anyway. Ward was supposed to pick it up, but I know he’ll let me do it if I explain why.”
“Oh yeah. Forgot about that. I’ll mention it to Ward tomorrow morning. He’ll be doing us both a solid.”
After I got off the phone with Cade, I called Rex back and explained the update. He agreed, thinking it was an easier fix.
Then, I called Ella. I felt silly knowing that she’d been in the house the entire time I’d been calling back and forth with Rex, but he’d explained she was busy grading papers in her room.
“Hey, what’s up?” she said when she answered.
“I was just wondering the same of you,” I replied.
“Grading papers. I meant to text you earlier and tell you I’d be working tonight, but I got busy.”
“I figured. Thought I’d call anyway, I have to go back to Anchorage on Friday. I thought maybe we could ride in together. Isn’t that the day that you have to go in for work?”
“Yeah,” she said, pausing. I heard the sound of papers rustling. “You sure you don’t mind? I’ll be there from nine until three.”
“If I minded, I wouldn’t be offering. I need to pick up the order at the gear shop, and my mom needs me to pick a few things up at the hardware store.” That was true, except for the fact that there was absolutely no rush. But I’d take whatever excuse I could. “If you want, we can just stay the night again,” I added.
“Let’s stay at your place. I feel bad leaving Creamsicle there alone.”
I chuckled, glancing over at Creamsicle. I knew he was perfectly fine when I wasn’t here, but he seemed to like Ella, so now she had a soft spot for him. “Whatever you want. I’m on a training rotation tomorrow, so I’ll be tied up most of the day. How about I just pick you up Friday morning?”
“Perfect.”
I hesitated as I held the phone against my ear, the words I wanted to say caught in my throat. It wasn’t as if I hadn’t told her many times that I loved her. But that had been in our first iteration—ten years ago. I wasn’t sure if she was ready to hear it right now. So I swallowed the words and said good night.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Ella
Standing on the porch at my parents’ house, a smile bloomed from the inside out when I saw Caleb’s truck. It was early Friday morning. The sun was just coming up, its rays cast across the frosted landscape. As the frost melted, it misted the sky in a hazy pink and lavender with the sunrise in the distance. I breathed deeply, savoring the earthy scents of autumn.
We were leaving earlier than we originally planned. Caleb had texted yesterday and suggested we plan to have breakfast at one of our favorite diners. So with the crisp fall air and the scent of wood smoke in the distance, I jogged down the porch steps to meet him halfway.
I didn’t even bother to keep myself from doing what I wanted. Catching his hand in mine, I reeled him close, leaned up and kissed him. He met me easily, dipping down and sliding his hand in my hair. His tongue swiped deeply before he drew back with a grin.
“You know both of your parents are watching us out the kitchen window,” he said.
Flushing straight through, I rolled my eyes. “It’s not like they don’t know we’re seeing each other. Anyway, let’s go then.”
Throwing my backpack over my shoulder, I walked ahead of him to his truck. The drive to Anchorage was gorgeous with the sun rising above the mountains and the mist slowly dissipating. As we drove and I absorbed the familiar views, I was feeling more and more like I was home, where I belonged.
Caleb dropped me off at the university, and I settled into a busy day. For the first time in too long, I was finally getting to do the work I wanted. That wasn’t to say that my last job hadn’t offered the chance. In fact, I’d thought it was my dream job on the faculty at the same university where I got my doctorate. I’d been hired on as associate faculty there. Yet, my enjoyment in burying myself in research had been short lived. Within six months, the texts and emails had started and I’d grown to dread going to work.
Here, my colleagues were friendly, everyone was busy, and it was all work. I spent the morning with another colleague who taught distance classes like me. We went over the curriculum together and then got up to speed on one of the projects where they were monitoring the tundra changes.
I loved digging into data. Some people found it boring, but not me. The day flew by. We also held a class with students who were there for a series of weekend classes. It was nice to actually meet some of the students I interacted with for online courses. Late that afternoon, Caleb arrived to pick me up, stopping in to greet a few of my new colleagues before we wandered off.
He glanced to me once we were in his truck. “I meant to find time to swing by the grocery warehouse today, but I was busier than I thought. Mind taking a run over there with me now?”
I grinned. “Of course not. I wondered why you didn’t pick up some groceries there last weekend. I’ve noticed your refrigerator is, um, kinda bare.”
Unabashed, he simply shrugged. “I don’t do much cooking for myself.”
“How about you leave that to me?”
He chuckled and started driving, while I realized my comment held more weight than I considered. I’d slipped right back into this dynamic with him—where we felt together.
A short drive later, we were wheeling through the massive grocery store. I insisted Caleb stock up on some more dry goods and then he let me completely take over. I contemplated asking him to buy a chest freezer, hesitating when I realized I might be overstepping my bounds. I was getting very comfortable. In fact, I was starting to think like I used to think back when we were in high school before the accident. I’d been head over heels in love with him and convinced we’d be together forever. I had just enough maturity at that time—barely—to realize I might’ve been getting ahead of myself.
In the intervening years, with the emotional upheaval and then life getting in the way, I had largely convinced myself that my memories of my time with him were colored by our youth and I couldn’t really have loved him that much.
But the way it felt to be with Caleb, well, it was like with no other man. Ever. There was that lingering pinch of guilt, but even that had faded enough I thought maybe, just maybe, I might finally learn how to let it go.
We were standing in line at the registers with Caleb’s hand in my back pocket when he took a call from his mother. He paused moving the phone away from his mouth. “Mom needs me to grab a few things. I’ll be right back. Don’t get out of line though. You mind waiting?”
It was packed h
ere. Every register was open and the lines stretched well beyond the waiting area in the front. I shook my head, waving him off. He turned and jogged away, still talking on the phone with his mother.
I shook my head with a laugh as I turned to face forward. Leaning my elbows on the cart, I waited as the line inched forward slowly. I’d been waiting maybe a minute or two since Caleb had left when I heard my name. A prickle ran up my spine, and the hairs on the back of my neck rose.
I knew that voice, but I had to be wrong. It’s nothing. You’re in Alaska. He’s not here.
I carefully looked around, trying not to be obvious. But then I heard my name again. My stomach tightened and that heavy ball of anxiety I’d come to know so well settled in as if it had never been gone.
This time when I looked around, I saw him. I was so stunned to see Lance there that for a moment I froze. He was standing by the vitamin section near the pharmacy. There he stood with his dark blonde hair, always slightly mussed. Tall and lanky, he stared at me from across the store.
I forced myself to stay calm, but the panic was building inside. I wanted to turn and run through the store to find Caleb. But I didn’t want to show my fear, not with Lance watching me. I knew that was what he thrived on– making me afraid.
I felt Caleb’s presence approach from behind me. In the maybe three minutes he’d been gone, everything had shifted. He tossed a few things in the cart, glancing over to me. The moment he saw my face, he froze, his hand sliding down my back.
At the feel of his touch, I wanted to collapse into his arms. But I couldn’t do that. Not now.
“Ella, what is it?” he asked, his eyes searching my face.
I swallowed through the fear caught in my throat. “He’s here.”
Caleb’s eyes narrowed, but he didn’t look away. “Are you talking about who I think you’re talking about?”
I nodded, my motions jerky. “It’s Lance. I don’t want you to look. He’s over there by the vitamins.”
Caleb held still for a beat, his eyes assessing. “Ella, I’m gonna go talk to him, okay? You’re not alone, and you’re not going to be alone. Before I do, I’m going to call your dad. I just need you to act like nothing’s happening. Just stay in line and check out. Can you do that?”
Staring at him, I felt myself nodding. Because it was the only thing to do.
Caleb didn’t leave my side as he called my father. I listened to his half of the conversation. “Rex, Caleb here. Lance is here in Anchorage. We’re at the grocery store.” There was a pause as he listened to whatever my father said. “Yeah, she’s okay. She’s right here with me. I’m going to go talk to him and keep him here while she checks out. We have way too many witnesses for him to do anything stupid here. As it is, she’s going to be waiting in line a good fifteen minutes before we get out of here.”
I couldn’t hear my dad’s voice, just the murmur, and then Caleb handed me the phone. He waited while I spoke to my father. “You okay?” my dad asked.
I felt sick and cold. My hands were freezing, and I just wanted to run. I’d become inured to the anxiety while I had to face it every day, but I’d had a respite from it and now it was slamming back into me. But I knew it wouldn’t help to say anything about that to my father. So I lied, but not completely. Because I would be okay. Caleb was here with me. “I’m fine, Dad. I mean, I’m not fine, but I’ll be fine.”
“Hang in there,” he said simply. “You stay in line and let Caleb go talk to him. We need something to keep him there, and Caleb oughta tie him up for a few. We were worried this might happen after he sent those photos, so I’ve already updated the team there. I need to go so I can talk with them, okay?”
I must’ve said goodbye, but I didn’t recall. With my phone clutched tightly in my hand, I waited, the time ticking slowly by. The murmur of voices around me faded to nothing but static.
All I could think was this was the reminder I’d needed. Just when I’d thought I could relax and find something good again, life reminded me why I couldn’t.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Caleb
Tension coiled in every muscle as I came to a stop in front of the man who I knew to be Lance Wallace, if only because his gaze never left Ella the entire time I approached him. Crossing the warehouse, I had no awareness of our audience. My sole focus was the scum of the earth man standing there.
This man who got off on keeping Ella on edge, on scaring her, on trying to make her think he had some kind of hold on her. Cold fury was knotted in my chest. Stopping in front of him, I looked him up and down. He was the kind a guy most people couldn’t stand. He gave off an arrogant, shady vibe. He was thin and wiry, his eyes a flat brown.
Knowing he worked in academics, I sensed he thought he was above most people. Perhaps he was in intellect, but he was a fucking asshole, the kind of asshole who used his career as a cover.
I didn’t say a word. I just stared, standing close enough to force him to look at me. He was a coward. When he finally brought his eyes to me, I spoke.
“Leave Ella alone.”
His lips curled in a sneer. “Haven’t done anything to her. Who the fuck do you think you are?”
“That doesn’t really matter. I know about your record. This isn’t your first rodeo trying to bully a woman into giving a shit about you.”
Lance barely even looked at me. His gaze honed in on Ella again. Glancing over my shoulder, I saw she was still in line. I needed to buy a few more minutes here. Just enough for the cops to arrive. I had no fucking clue what they planned to do as far as charges went.
“Don’t even step a foot in her direction, you hear me?” I asked
Lance flicked his eyes to me, annoyance there. “It doesn’t matter. Ella isn’t meant to be with an idiot like you. I looked you up. I know you’re her ex from high school and you saved her life in a car accident. You think that’s why she cares? That’s nothing. She needs someone like me, not some tough guy firefighter.”
My anger went from cold fury to red hot. Not because this asshole insulted me. Whatever. It was the way he spoke about Ella, as if he had some kind of right to her. Spinning that into what I knew he’d been putting her through—just enough to make her feel crazy, just enough to make her feel nervous everywhere she went, every time she left the house—I wasn’t thinking clearly.
I drew my arm back, intending frankly to drive my fist into the center of his sneering face. But then I heard Ella’s voice and felt her hand on my arm.
“Caleb,” she said, her tone low, quiet and controlled.
If anybody could’ve stopped me right that second, she was the only one. “Don’t make a scene,” she said.
Lance stared at her, a bitter laugh escaping. “See, she doesn’t like the whole tough guy act.”
Turning back to face him, I stepped closer. “You fucker,” I bit out.
Ella’s hand tightened on my arm, and she tugged. I didn’t know what the fuck she was doing, and honestly, I didn’t understand.
“Ella, let me take care of this.”
When she tugged on me again, the murmurs around us started to puncture the fuzz in my brain, my anger clearing just enough for me to remember we had quite an audience here at the store. At that moment, I heard feet moving quickly in our direction, footsteps striking against the concrete. Inside of a few seconds, two police officers were beside us with another hot on their heels. They glanced between us, one of them pausing to look to Ella.
“Ma’am? Ella Masters, I presume,” the officer said.
At Ella’s nod, the officer glanced from me to Lance, his gaze calculating. The other officer looked to me, nodding his chin to the wall nearby, indicating I should step back. I did not want to fucking step back. But Ella had her hand on my arm and was pulling me away.
We stood there and watched as the officers spoke to Lance. I couldn’t hear them, but next thing I knew, they were sliding cuffs on his wrists. His gaze barely changed. He walked away, looking over his shoulder, his eyes on Ella the wh
ole time. The man was fucking crazy, and it made me sick. Ella stayed quiet beside me, but I could feel the tension emanating from her.
One of the officers approached us. “He’s being booked on charges of Second Degree Harassment. The DA will give you a call tomorrow,” he said, directing his attention between Ella and me.
“How much do you know about how long this has been going on?” I asked. I wanted to make sure this wasn’t going to be a catch and release situation.
“You must be Caleb Fox,” the officer said, offering his hand. “I’m Officer Turner.”
I shook his hand quickly and then arched a brow, expecting him to answer my question. He obliged. “Rex Masters has been keeping us up to date. One of our detectives has already lined up the charges if the guy ever came up here. Gotta say, we didn’t actually expect that to happen. So this was a lucky break.” He paused and looked to Ella. “Any questions ma’am?”
Her eyes bounced between us. “Not right now. I’d like to talk to the DA later,” she finally said. She looked agitated and weary.
Something felt off, but I didn’t have time to figure that out here in the middle of a busy grocery store with a police officer standing in front of us. “Can I get your number?” I asked before he turned away.
“Of course.” He recited it quickly and also handed us each a card with his name and contact information.
I looked to Ella who had crossed her arms, wrapping them tightly around her waist. She didn’t even look at me. She turned and walked quickly back to where our grocery cart was waiting unattended. It appeared she had asked the woman behind us to keep an eye on it.
“Thank you,” Ella was saying as I caught up with her.
The woman beside her, with bright eyes and a smile, glanced between us curiously. All she said was, “Of course. Is everything okay?”
Ella nodded tightly and curled her hands over the cart handle, pushing it forward slightly. I stepped into line beside her, glancing down only to see her eyes trained straight ahead. It was more than obvious that she was trying not to look at me.
