Chapter Seven
“Thanks again, I’ll be back in thirty.” Lianna called out to Barb.
Her mother-in-law was busy finishing dinner with the kids and had suggested Lianna go enjoy some free time. Lianna jumped at the chance for fresh air and exercise. Grabbing a light jacket, Lianna exited the house through the garage. At the top of her driveway, she noticed a dinged-up old truck idling across the street. She couldn’t make out the driver and shrugged it off.
Turning the opposite direction, she headed away from Tim and Diane’s home. She walked towards the park at the top of her street. Crossing a two-lane road, Lianna entered a walking path that cut through the trees. The sun was setting, but under the shadow of the trees, it felt dark, and Lianna almost turned back, before deciding to stay on course.
She had strolled the same trail dozens of times. It was populated by locals and dog walkers, rarely was she alone. Tonight, however, there wasn’t a fellow walker in sight. Breathing deep, she started the outdoor walk tracker on her watch and settled into a nice pace.
A few minutes into her walk she slowed down at a fork in the trail. Lianna’s tingling sixth sense urged her towards the path that would lead her back towards the street. Ever since investigators had officially deemed Justine Starks a missing persons case she had been on edge. The other day they announced new evidence led them to believe Justine had not left under her free will and they suspected foul play.
Lianna didn’t realize how tense she had been until she reached the road. Breathing a sigh of relief, she rolled her shoulders and began to walk back towards home. The street was also empty and eerily quiet. Everyone must be inside enjoying their dinners she supposed.
Several paces later a loud rumbling truck turned onto the street coming towards her. Lianna watched as it slowed down as it passed her. The windows were tinted, which struck her as odd considering the truck was ancient. She quickened her pace into a power walk, a ball forming in the pit of her stomach when she heard the truck rolling over gravel. As she feared, a quick glance behind her confirmed that the truck was pulling a U-turn. It maneuvered onto the shoulder of the road and headed back towards her.
Panicked, Lianna took off in a full out sprint. Darting back into the woods, leaves crunched beneath her shoes and branches whipped past her face. She hurdled a puddle and then she stopped. What is wrong with me? She stood in the middle of the path, heart beating wildly, spider webs surely dangling from her hair. She looked around. No one was following her. The truck probably was lost and needed help. Bending over, she rested her hands on her knees and tried to calm down.
Between Gabe’s warning last week about running alone, the prank calls, and then the note left on her garbage, Lianna was rattled. Telling herself to get it together, she forced herself to breathe deep. Beginning towards home, Lianna willed herself to walk at a normal pace. By the time she had made it back to her street, her breathing was back to normal.
She was starting to feel like the bimbo in a horror movie who ignores her instincts, walking right into the pursuer’s hands. But everywhere she turned there seemed to be trouble lately. She couldn’t call the police every time she felt something was off. Her sixth sense was clearly out of whack, and she needed a reset.
Although Gabe and Izzy thought she was putting herself in danger, Lianna didn’t see it that way. She didn’t have a man to wake up in the middle of the night, she needed to be the tough one. While Gabe was helping her an awful lot lately, Lianna needed to be the provider and protecter of her own family. Plus, she was of zero importance, why would anyone target her?
Waving to a neighbor pulling their recycling bin to the curb, a plan began to take hold. She needed a distraction, something that wouldn’t have her looking over her shoulder. She was sick of feeling like her life was out of control. It was time to take hold of the reins and stop being a victim. Next time she saw Gabe, she was going to ask him out on a date. After all, he was her favorite distraction.
****
A double beep signified Gabe was here to pick up Harris for Thursday night’s flag football practice. Lianna stopped at the hallway mirror giving herself the once over, while Harris dropped to the floor to tie his cleats.
She wore dark, form-fitting jeans that highlighted her self-pronounced best feature, her behind. A creamy white sweater with a deep V-neck was paired with a lacy camisole. The push up bra she wore gave her barely-there boobs just enough oomph to look distractingly sexy. She had even straightened her hair this morning and refreshed her makeup after work.
Still shaken from her experience in the forest, Lianna had done all the self-care she could last night to calm her nerves. A warm bath, and good night’s sleep went a long way towards helping her think clearly. She was rattled. That was the only logical explanation for it. If she continued to look for trouble everywhere she went, she was going to keep finding it.
Gaining confidence from her reflection, she flung the door open and followed Harris outside. While he walked over to the back-passenger side, Lianna steeled herself and approached the driver’s window. Gabe lowered it with an eyebrow raised in question.
Lianna hadn’t seen Gabe since her moody outburst Monday morning. Saying she felt remorseful about treating him that way was an understatement. She realized that she was acting like a perpetual child soon after dashing off to her car. It wasn’t his fault she was having trouble coping. They certainly weren’t going to repair their friendship if she continued taking her anger out on him.
Gabe had been right, if she didn’t want people to think of her as a burden, she had to stop believing she was one. She had to value herself as highly as she wanted other people to, including Gabe. Why her boobs had to be displayed just below her chin to accomplish that was anyone’s guess.
Lianna pasted on a smile and summoned her courage. “Hey, do you guys have any plans this weekend?”
She had chickened out of asking him on a date, but a family outing still gave her time with him and the distraction she needed. Gabe continued to gaze at her with that lifted brow like he was going to say, ‘ do you smell what the Rock is cooking’, at any moment. And speaking of, holy smokes, he looked hot. He wore a baseball hat turned backwards and a gray fitted t-shirt that made his expansive chest look like it was a mile wide. His dark beard was trimmed down so you could almost make out the hard angles of his face. Oh, and those lips! Even when drawn in a firm line waiting for her to explain herself, they looked so dang juicy she wanted to bite into them.
She giggled. Damn it ! Surely her Feminist Legal Theory professor would dig her own grave watching Lianna right now. She was transforming into a breathing blob of J-e-l-l-o, just because Gabe turned on his silent, brooding persona.
“I’m taking the kids to the pumpkin patch on Saturday afternoon and Harris thought Jacob might want to come.” She twisted her hands as she spoke. “And I thought you might want to come? With me,” she quickly finished.
Why? Why do I always resort to sexual innuendo around him? She hoped his mind wasn’t as immature as hers. She could sense her cheeks heating and felt her armpits dampening. Thank God she wore a white sweater today.
“I’d like to come. With you,” he said deadpan.
Lianna stood there speechless. Thankfully, he changed the subject.
“No more dead animals or prank calls, right?”
Composing herself, she cleared her throat. “Nope, I promised I would tell you otherwise.”
“And no more uninvited appearances,” he said, glancing in the direction of the neighbors.
“Haven’t seen him since your friendly little chat.” She narrowed her eyes at him.
He grunted, then diverted his attention to the boys in the back. “Everyone buckled in?”
“Yes,” the boys said at the same time, followed quickly by “Jinx!”
“Okay, I guess I’ll see you on Saturday then?” Gabe said, admiring her cleavage before redirecting his attention to her face.
“Oh, yes. Awesome, this is going to be so fun. The kids and I can pick you guys up in the minivan. Or you can drive. What time do you want to go? You know what, I’ll just text you about coming, about what time. Okay, bye.” Jesus.
Lianna didn’t wait for a response to the verbal vomit she just spewed. Instead, she turned, doing her best not to speed walk to the front door. The whole time reciting a silent prayer that her jeans did their job and distracted him from what just came out of her mouth.
****
Gabe watched Lianna hustle back into the house, not bothering to hide his smirk. He would have to find a way to reel in the urge to flirt. If this friendship was going to work, and he was going to regain her trust, then he couldn’t lead her on with mixed signals. If he couldn’t give her a relationship, then she deserved to know up front so she could find someone who could.
The thought of her with someone else had the chicken fajitas he’d made for dinner threaten to come back up. Gabe reached for the pack of gum he kept in the center console to settle his stomach, while he backed out of the driveway.
As he neared the end of the street, he paused to let a truck turn. Glancing at the vehicle, Gabe did a double take when he realized it was Lianna’s neighbors. They didn’t see Gabe, too caught up in an argument they were having. The wife threw her hands up dramatically and the man, Tim, grabbed her violently by the wrist. The woman’s eyes went wide and then they were past his car. Gabe stayed at the stop sign watching the truck in his rear-view until it turned into their driveway and out of sight.
“Dad, what are you doing?” Jacob piped up from the back.
“I was just looking at something. Hang tight, here we go.”
Gabe drove to the practice field with a sick feeling in the pit of his stomach. This man Lianna thought was harmless, who played the innocent and mild-mannered neighbor, seemed to have a dark side after all.
****
Gabe shifted on the hay bale, hoping to find a spot that didn’t send a strand poking into his butt cheeks. Despite the uncomfortable tractor ride, Gabe felt the happiest he had in a long time. Maybe it was the brisk, bright fall day. More likely it was the company he kept. Stealing a glance across to the opposite bench, he smiled.
Lianna sat hand-in-hand with Annie, cheerfully pointing out the spooky decorations that had been set up around the farm. They looked adorable, seated there in matching flannel shirts, blue jeans, and mud boots. The boys sat on Gabe’s right side, shoving mini donuts into their mouths at a record setting pace. They were trying to one-up each other’s tales of schoolyard glory around each bite.
The next time he chanced a glance across the wagon, his heart raced when he found Lianna looking back at him. Pretty dark eyes twinkled as she gifted him an award-winning smile. The sunshine highlighted her freckles, making them so pronounced he would swear they were painted on her face. Gabe swallowed loudly, sure the driver of the tractor could hear it over the motor.
Annie distracted her mom with a joyful yelp as they approached the corn maze. Sitting to their immediate left, the sprawling pumpkin patch lay just beyond the maze. Gabe’s nerves matched his joy. He had to do this right, make friendly with the woman of his dreams so she would trust him enough to keep her safe. But … and this was a very big but … not get friendly enough that he would act on his feelings.
As the tractor sputtered to a stop, the boys were down the steps before Lianna could yell after them. She gave Gabe a “help me” look and he immediately followed them. Gabe jogged to keep up with the boys’ speedy pace through the maze.
An exhilaration he hadn’t experienced in years buzzed through him. Being part of a team with Lianna felt special, like he was the most fortunate man in the world. A life partner. The thought stole his breath. How could he be falling for this woman when his main objective was not to?
Hearing the boys’ laughter just ahead of him, he stopped and turned to look for Lianna. A wall of corn met his gaze. The maze wasn’t very challenging, set up with the younger demographic in mind. That didn’t stop Gabe from lamenting having to leave the girls behind where he couldn’t look after them.
A feeling of unease had blanketed him since witnessing Tim’s aggression towards his wife. Gabe hadn’t mentioned the incident to Lianna, but it was another reason why he was grateful he had taken the opportunity to keep her close today. The last time he had felt such a strong urge to protect a woman was … .no, today was too good a day to start down that rabbit hole.
When Gabe saw Lianna emerge several minutes later from the mouth of the labyrinth, laughing and exchanging hushed whispers with Annie, he felt a vise close around his heart. Inhaling the farm fresh air, he allowed himself the treat of just watching her. One afternoon and he was ready to throw caution to the wind.
“Maybe that guy set off the alarm last night!” Harris exclaimed.
The six-year-old followed his statement by pointing to a ghostly scarecrow strung up above the maze. Then laughed when the sight made his little sister cling to her mom in fear.
“Harris, no one thinks it’s cool to scare your little sister,” Lianna scolded. She turned to the girl. “That’s fake, Annie. Don’t worry, baby doll.”
Lianna consoled the little girl, rubbing her back as Annie stuck a tiny tongue out in her brother’s direction.
Gabe, sensing he was missing something, clarified, “What alarm went off?”
Lianna quickly tried to dismiss the topic. “It was an open window I must have forgotten to close after dinner.”
Gabe could tell by how eager she was to change the subject that it was significant. “Do you remember opening it?”
“No, but I usually open windows when I cook, and half the time forget to close them again.” Gabe started to speak but she pushed on, “Plus, there was nothing or no one outside when I opened the door.”
Gabe choked. “Please don’t tell me you went outside on your own to investigate?”
“I didn’t—the kids were with me, and the alarm company was on the phone,” she said stubbornly, her chin lifting towards the bright sky. “And nothing was there, not even Mr. Scarecrow.” She gestured toward the Halloween decoration. “Plus, it was windy last night.”
“You need new windows if the wind can open them.”
With a swift change of direction, Lianna herded the children towards the petting farm area. The three kids set off at a run in the animals’ direction.
In a hushed voice, Lianna continued, “Honestly, Gabe, it was nothing. I don’t want to scare the kids by speculating on what it could have been.”
“Is there anything else you aren’t telling me? Every time I see you, it’s something new you forgot to mention.”
Lianna sighed. “There were a few more early morning prank calls. But they said nothing, as usual. The alarm was a coincidence. No big deal.” She shrugged again and her lack of concern was starting to grate on his nerves.
“Okay, let’s try this. Anytime you get a prank call, a butchered animal, a nasty note, or a breached alarm, call me. I’ll decide if it’s a big deal.”
Lianna responded by crossing her arms and twisting up her face, but before she could unleash on him, he lightened the mood.
Elbowing her in the side softly, he teased, “Some people even think I’m good enough to pay to investigate when bad things happen.”
“Gabe, you investigate homicides. No one is paying you to explore mysterious prank calls or mean-spirited notes. I need Nancy Drew.”
He chuckled, glad she took his bait. When she laughed in return something funny happened to his stomach. The urge to reach over and interlock their fingers, maybe even swing their arms as they frolicked over to the kids, was so strong he clenched his hands into fists.
As if she knew his pain and wanted to torture him, she stepped into his path, intentionally bumping into his arm with hers. She lingered there, their bodies touching with each step they took towards the petting area. The awareness of something as simple as Lianna’s arm touching his was astounding. His entire side radiated like scalding hot pins and needles.
“So, want to go home and carve these pumpkins up with us?”
Gabe looked down at her and hoped she didn’t see the agony in his eyes.
“I’ll even toast the seeds…” she taunted.
Not trusting himself in her presence but wanting to be close to her to investigate the window alarm, he was at a crossroad.
“Jake and I should get home. I’ve got some paperwork to do before Monday.” Coward.
“Okay, I understand,” she said in a mock cheerful tone. “Let’s go grab the kids.”
She turned quickly but not before he saw the disappointment in her eyes. Lianna broke contact with him and strode off. He knew with each step she was re-establishing the distance between them both physically and emotionally.
****
An hour later, Gabe parked in Lianna’s driveway and immediately hopped out of the car. At first, she hoped that he had changed his mind about spending the evening with them. That hope was quickly diminished when he walked straight towards the side of the house, calling out that he wanted to look at the spot the alarm had been triggered.
Lianna knew Gabe was trained to look for clues, but it was remarkable watching him in action. He found her security cameras working but scolded her for not having the app downloaded that let her view the footage. Gabe was adamant that he found boot prints in the mud by her back fence. But when Lianna looked at them all she could make out was an odd tread pattern. It could have been from one of Harris’s construction toys or Annie’s big wheel.
Lianna left him to his investigative work and got the children settled at the kitchen table. She covered the already nicked up dining table with old newspapers. She had just handed them the package of kid-friendly carving supplies, when Gabe knocked on the window and motioned for her to come outside.
Walking onto the back deck, Lianna found Gabe crouched down along the row of windows from the kitchen that overlooked the yard. The windows extended from thigh level to about eight feet up. The bottom quarter was sliding glass with a screen, the upper portion only glass. His attention was focused on the bottom section.
Folding her arms around her midsection to stave off the chill in the air, Lianna walked to him. “What’s up?”
“Were these markings always here?” His face looked grim as he stood up to make room for her to look.
Lianna’s gaze went directly to the scrapes alongside the window screen. It looked as if someone had tried to shove a screwdriver or other tool inside the now mangled screen edge to pop it out. The siding on the house had long, thin scrapes similar to the ones she found on her car in the parking garage last week.
“No. At least not when I cleaned the windows a few weeks ago.”
Gabe scrubbed a hand roughly against his bearded jaw. This was him in work mode, laser focused, commanding. Then he turned those intense eyes on her and she took a step backwards.
“You need to start taking this seriously. We’re going to call it into the local PD. Someone is going out of their way to scare you and now it looks like they may be trying to physically harm you.”
She sighed, looking over her shoulder and through the window at the children. Harris threw pumpkin guts at Jacob. Then, as if he could feel her stare, looked up and locked eyes with his mom. Lianna narrowed hers and Harris quickly put his head down and went back to carving.
Despite the anxiety churning in her stomach, she grinned. Those children were her world. While she may think the things happening to her were misguided but harmless pranks, she couldn’t risk the kids’ safety on that assumption.
“Okay.”
When he didn’t comment, she looked up at him. He seemed to be waiting for her to say more and stumbled on his words when he realized she hadn’t argued with him.
“Okay, then. Good.” Then his gaze softened. “Well, it’s not good, but it will be.”
“This is so frustrating. Why is someone targeting me?”
Lianna wasn’t scared, she was annoyed. As if she didn’t have enough on her plate, someone chose to toy with her. Gabe put his arm around her shoulder and pulled her into his side. Giving her a gentle squeeze, he sighed as if the whole thing exhausted him as well.
“I don’t know, but we are going to figure it out. In the meantime, I need to make sure you and the kids are safe.”
Lianna let herself sink into his strong frame. He hadn’t touched her like this in weeks and being supported, even for just a moment, was irresistible. If she wasn’t careful, she could start depending on him and that was pointless. Lianna knew Gabe would begin pushing her away as soon as the threat was gone, and his protective instincts calmed down. Gathering her strength, she moved away from him.
“Can we just wait until tomorrow to call it in? I’m assuming that an officer will have to come out and look around. That might scare the kids. They have a birthday party late morning. Can we do it then?”
Gabe relented with a nod. “Fair enough.”
They stood outside for several long seconds without speaking. Lianna took in a deep breath and slowly let it out. Gabe tucked both hands into his pockets and stared through the window in the direction of Jacob.
“If the invitation is still on the table, I’d like to stay for dinner. Don’t think I could get Jake to leave now anyway.”
“Gabe, we will be fine. I’ll set the alarm as soon as you go. You don’t have to stay.”
“I want to stay. If we’re still invited,” he asked, raising a brow.
“I don’t want to cause a scene by kicking you out, so fine, you can stay. But you have to wash the gunk off the pumpkin seeds while I start dinner.”
“Deal. We make a good team,” he said, turning and starting for the patio door. Lianna was glad he didn’t stick around long enough to see her mouth hanging open after him.