It was after five by the time the last couple left, but she was pleased with the turnout. It had been a successful open house, and Anna was sure one or two couples would put in an offer before the week was out. Even though she was exhausted from being “on” all afternoon, it was a good tired, not like when she’d spent the afternoon poring over documents. In lots of ways, she missed the selling and interactions, but the business was so big it needed all of her time to keep things running smoothly.
She’d really hoped that Tag would decide to come on board, especially after he was discharged, but he’d found his purpose finally, and she was excited when they’d found the perfect property for his new rehabilitation facility or as he kept calling it his Double R—rehab ranch. It hadn’t been open for long, but he and Mac really put a lot of time and energy into making it the perfect place for not only physical therapy but helping Vets with PTSD. Of course, that meant she was on her own with Willow Haven Realty, at least for now.
With a sigh, she double-checked that everything was back to the way she’d found it and set the lockbox on the door. As she grabbed the sign from the front lawn and headed toward her car, she noticed a guy leaning against the side of an old rusted-out green pickup truck. Their eyes met, and the hair on the back of her neck stood at attention. There was something sinister about the way he was staring at her.
When she looked up again after putting the signs in the trunk of her car, he was still there and still watching her. Not anxious to see if he was going to be trouble, she got into the car and made sure to lock the doors. She glanced up hoping he’d be gone, and that the entire thing had been her imagination, but it wasn’t. Instead, he was still staring at her. Even from across the street, she picked up on his menacing vibes, there was real hatred there. But they didn’t know each other so it couldn’t be directed toward her, could it? While she watched, he flicked his cigarette. Her gaze followed the glowing ember as it arced in the air before bouncing on the asphalt. With one last look in her direction, he climbed into his truck and pulled away.
For a few seconds, she contemplated calling Ethan but talked herself out of it. “You’re overreacting.” The neighborhood was quiet, no one else was out, and he was just grabbing a smoke. Since she was the only other person around, of course, he’d be watching her. Maybe she needed to stop watching all the Criminal Minds reruns.
Even though she didn’t call Ethan, she couldn’t shake the feeling that something wasn’t right. She’d never seen the guy before that she could recall. Why would he be watching her? Trying to shake off the ‘willies,’ she decided not to take any chances he might follow her and turned down every side road possible on her way to the office, even going so far as to drive by the police station. After not seeing any sign of the truck, she pulled into the office parking lot.
The office was deserted, but considering it was after six on a Saturday, she wasn’t surprised. Most open houses were done by four and the agents went home from there. But this one had run late, very late and then with clean up, she was running behind—again. Just like Ethan said would happen.
Jenny only worked until four. For the most part being a realtor was a lot like being self-employed, at least the way she ran the business. No micro-managing for her. She despised it, so she sure as hell wasn’t going to do it to anyone else. It was one of the first changes she’d made when she’d taken over, and morale had soared.
She stopped by Jenny’s desk to check for messages then went into her office. Seeing the mountain of paperwork on her desk was like being doused with a bucket of ice water. It was the last thing she wanted to deal with after the busy afternoon. Knowing Ethan was already at her house preparing dinner sealed the deal. “Screw it. It waited this long, it can wait until Monday.” Nodding at her decision, she leaned the signs against the wall, put her go-bag on one of the chairs, locked the office, and left.
The sun was still shining, and she stopped to grab her sunglasses from her purse after locking the front door of the building. That’s when she noticed the truck, at least she thought it was the same truck. Was it a figment of her overactive imagination? Her mother always told her she should be an author since her imagination was out of control. Funny, she hadn’t remembered that until just then. But it really did look like the same run-down truck. It was too far away for her to get the license plate, and she hadn’t thought to check for it while at the open house. Were there that many old green pickup trucks in Willow Haven? Maybe. But it was weird that out of the blue today she was noticing them. If it was the same truck, where was the guy?
As she’d learned in her self-defense class, she checked her surroundings. Taking the class had been a knee-jerk reaction to losing control of everything in her life after Ryan was killed. But it was good to know, especially since she spent so much time alone, or had, until she met Ethan.
After a quick scan of the parking lot, she hurried toward her car, she slid in and locked the doors. Once again, she was tempted to call Ethan but felt silly. He’d be busy making dinner and waiting for her to show up. What could he do anyway? She did decide to drive past the truck and try to read the license plate number. Better safe than sorry.
No sooner had she started her car when the truck peeled away from the curb. Coincidence? She didn’t think so, and it reinforced her uneasiness. Why was he following her? For that matter, who the hell was he? She couldn’t remember ever seeing either him or the truck before. Had she just been oblivious to her surroundings? Goosebumps rose on her arms. Was he watching her before today? Did he know where she lived?
For once she was glad she’d listened to her parents and had the alarm system installed at her house. Along with the self-defense classes, she should be okay, right? Taking a circuitous route home, she wondered whether to tell Ethan. She was most likely making a big deal out of nothing and needed to lay off the Tami Hoag books for a while. But it didn’t stop her from routinely checking her rearview mirror for any sign of the green truck or its creepy driver.
Worried that he’d follow her home, she took the most out of the way route hitting every back road possible. It turned a ten-minute ride into twenty and pretty much ensured no one had followed her. It was a good thing she knew Willow Haven like the back of her hand, or she’d probably have gotten lost. By the time she got home, she was convinced she’d probably blown the whole thing out of proportion. Just because she’d seen the truck twice in one day didn’t mean he was following her, it wasn’t like the town of Willow Haven was huge. Maybe he lived in the neighborhood or was a guest, and they wouldn’t let him smoke inside. When she thought about it that way, it made much more sense than a stranger following her, especially after there was no sign of him since she’d left the office.
As she turned into her driveway, she pulled past Ethan’s car and into her garage. It had been thoughtful of him to pull over to the side so she could pull inside. Turning off the car as the door closed behind her, she took a deep breath. It had been a long day, longer still after she’d gotten herself all worked up, and taken the scenic route home.
The garage door was unlocked since Ethan was waiting for her. She pushed it open and stepped inside the mudroom. A mouthwatering aroma stopped her in her tracks. She inhaled again as she tried to figure out what he’d made. Until today, she hadn’t even realized he could do much more than steaks or burgers on the grill. But the fantastic array of scents proved otherwise.
“Oh my God, Ethan, it smells amazing…” she said stepping through the kitchen doorway and stopping short as she saw him holding his phone to his ear.
As soon as he saw her, his face lit with a huge smile and held up a finger. Nodding, she pointed toward the bedroom. She might as well change out of her work clothes and let him finish his call. She hoped he wasn’t being called in for work. It hadn’t happened often, but it had happened. As much as she fought against their relationship, if she was honest with herself, she had to admit that she couldn’t imagine him not in her life, even if she wasn’t ready to tell him or move on to the next level. She was sure once he found out she cared for him, he wouldn’t let up until she agreed to either move in with him or let him move in with her. And she wasn’t ready for that. It was too close to how things had gone with Ryan. He’d moved in when he was home on leave, and then never returned. Nope, she definitely wasn’t ready for another man to move in, but maybe she’d let him stay the night this time. That was progress, right?
***
“God dammit. Another one? Do you need me to come in?” Ethan asked his lieutenant as he heard the garage door open. Anna was finally home. He’d been waiting for her to call him all afternoon expecting her to cancel, after their little “thing” over lunch. When he hadn’t heard from her, he was glad. But now after getting this call, he couldn’t be happier to know she was finally home and safe.
For most of the time, he’d been on the job in Willow Haven it had been nice and quiet, exactly what he’d wanted and needed after his five years in the Air Force. But over the last two months, there had been a rash of burglaries. All the homes had been empty, and most were for sale with the owners either away or already moved out, except one where the couple had returned early from vacation in time to see a panel van pull out of the driveway. Unfortunately, they hadn’t been able to identify anyone or even know if there was more than one person. Whoever was behind this been careful not to leave any evidence behind.
He and his partner, Steele Brennan, had caught the first case, and at the time thought it was a simple B&E, or maybe the neighborhood kids getting some kicks. But they’d discovered soon enough that the robberies were well-planned—not a group of bored teenagers looking for trouble. After that first one, there had been another one every weekend just like clockwork. Two months and eight, err now nine, burglaries later, and they were no closer to solving them. They had to catch a break soon. Ethan was a firm believer that everyone fucked up eventually, and they’d be there to catch them. He just hoped no one got hurt before they did.
They’d been lucky the press hadn’t made a big deal of the break-ins, and he would bet fifty bucks it was because there was nothing exciting about the robberies. It did make it easier for him to keep from discussing it with Anna.
She had plenty to handle without worrying about her staff getting robbed or worse. It was part of the reason he’d made sure to stop by the open house earlier. Not that he wanted her to think he was checking on her. Oh, fuck no. An avalanche of crap would have rained down on his head if he even implied she couldn’t take care of herself. Since He and Steele hadn’t figured out the timeframe for the break-ins, they were worried one of them would happen when someone was home. The only thing they had so far that even slightly resembled a lead was that all the houses were up for sale.
It’s what bugged the shit out of him. How did they always know which house to hit and when? Steele thought someone was casing different neighborhoods in Willow Haven looking for vacant properties. Ethan had a feeling there was more to it, but he’d be damned if he’d been able to figure it out yet.
The crime scene called to him, it was like a puzzle he hadn’t been able to figure out, and for him, that was damn frustrating. He should be there, but the LT said CSU and two other detectives, Davis and Harris had it covered. There weren’t any witnesses other than the neighbor who’d seen lights on in the empty house and called it in. It was his case, and he should be there, but it was one of the biggest things in Willow Haven, so Ethan figured the LT wanted to give everyone a shot. But his gut twisted into a huge knot when he found out the address of the latest robbery—3232 Seashell Lane—the location of Anna’s open house.
“What’s wrong?” The case had him so deep in thought, he hadn’t heard Anna come in.
“Nothing, babe. The LT called about one of my cases.”
“Do you need to go? Can we eat first? I have to tell you though, whatever you made smells amazing. As soon as I opened the door, my mouth started watering. If I wasn’t hungry before I’m starving now.” She sounded surprised that he’d actually made something edible that didn’t involve the grill, but he’d never told her it’s what he did to relax. Cooking was therapy and the first thing he did when he was stressed. But usually, he’d donate the meals to the town homeless shelter instead of eating them; the preparation was what he enjoyed. Eating gourmet meals alone? Not so much. This was the first time he’d cooked for a date unless he counted the barbequing he’d done. He didn’t, grilling was easy, coming up with complex sauces and layering of flavors was the challenge. Hopefully, he’d impress this woman who’d had chefs prepare her meals for a lot of her life.
“Nope. I don’t need to go. Dinner is chicken in a white wine reduction with shallots and served on a bed of mushroom and garlic risotto. I have a fresh spinach salad with crumbled bacon, red onions, grape tomatoes, and blue cheese with a raspberry vinaigrette. I also picked up some rolls at Dixie’s when I grabbed lunch. I knew I wouldn’t have time to bake.”
“You made all of this by yourself? Wait, you bake bread?” The stunned look on her face made him laugh and helped to shove the case into the dark recesses of his mind. He’d take it out and examine it later when she was sleeping. Overnight was when he did most of his thinking when the world was quiet, and his memories couldn’t hurt anyone.
“Yup, I learned from my grandmother when I was really young. Over the years, I’ve taken a few cooking classes. But you know, you don’t have to act so surprised. I’m not a Neanderthal.” When her cheeks tinged with pink, he felt bad. He hadn’t meant to embarrass her only tease her a little.
“I know you’re not. I’ve never met anyone who could make bread from scratch, well, except for Dixie. But no one ‘regular.’ My mother can barely boil water. Tag and I would probably have starved if there hadn’t been a cook when we were growing up. It wasn’t on my mother’s list of important life skills.”
“Gran and Mom did all the cooking. I don’t remember a time when she didn’t live with us. After she passed away while I was in high school, it was never the same at home. I think she helped keep the family together.”
“I’m so sorry.” Anna put her hand on his lower arm and squeezed, sympathy evident in her eyes. He hadn’t thought about his family in a long time. They were all gone now. The only one who he’d really cared about was his grandmother anyway.
“It’s okay. I haven’t thought about her in a while. Anyway, I’m glad you’re hungry. Want to grab the wine and meet me at the table?” he said as he pointed to the wine bottle he’d opened earlier to let it breathe.
“Sure, anything to get the food to the table faster. Can I help with anything else?”
“As a matter of fact, there is something you can do.” Before she had a chance to ask what, he’d wrapped his hands around her waist and pulled her against his chest. Then he tilted her chin so he could gaze into her hazel-brown eyes; they were more green than brown at that moment. “You can kiss me. I’m suffering from Anna withdrawal.”
“Oh yeah?” She batted her eyes and grinned. “I think I might be able to help with that.”
The first touch of her lips set him aflame. It was always the same—spontaneous combustion—and it never ceased to surprise him. That she wouldn’t admit the spark between did, though, and it bugged the crap out of him. No other woman had even come close. From the first time, they’d kissed he’d known she was special. When they’d finally made love, it sealed the deal for him. She was it, there would never be another woman for him. His fate had been written.
Her arms slid around his neck as he deepened the kiss and she melted into his embrace. Forgotten was dinner, the break-ins, everything but the amazing woman in his arms. Soft, hot, but firm in all the right places. There would never be a time when he’d have his fill of kissing her. He was about to lift her up and carry her to the bedroom and say, ‘fuck dinner’ when she pulled back. His disappointment had to show on his face.
“I really am starving, and the food smells too good to waste. Let’s eat and then we can have dessert.” Her smile and wink softened the rejection he’d felt when she broke their kiss. She was right, they were adults, weren’t they? But a little spontaneity never hurt anyone, but would he ever be able to convince her of that?
With another quick kiss to her forehead, he pusher her toward the dining room, while he went to get the food from the kitchen. He already had the table set, so it was just a matter of serving her. He’d even remember to get a bouquet of lilacs and orange blossoms—her favorite flowers. The final touch were the candles he’d found in her cabinets. The look of wonder on her face assured him that he’d nailed it. Romance might not be his middle name, but it didn’t mean he couldn’t pull it off when he wanted. The appreciation on her face was all the encouragement he needed.
“Oh, Ethan, you really went for it. The table is beautiful. I can’t believe you even bought flowers. I don’t know what to say.”
“Baby, this is just me showing you that you mean the world to me. You’re the first woman I’ve cooked for besides my mother and grandmother. Hopefully, that tells you something.”
“Thank you.” She came over and stood on tip toes and kissed him. It was soft, gentle, and over almost before it started. But for the first time, there was a promise in the kiss. Maybe her hard shell was finally cracking—at least a little.