Chapter 31
31
First-quarter grades were in, and the kids at school were excited. Fall break came a few days before Halloween, and Lenore thought it was perfect timing. While other school systems had to deal with kids on sugar highs and the ever-present battle over whether to let kids wear costumes to school, Lenore thought it was a wonderful break. The town had already had its fall festival, so the week off was an opportunity for families to take vacations or enjoy having time off before the madness of the holiday season kicked in. And, of course, if kids and teens ate too much candy, they had a chance to run it off at home instead of during the school day.
She knew that Sisco still had her house on the radar of LSIMT but felt that it might be overkill. She’d met with her counselor several times, and while she wasn't foolish enough to think that her being taken as a hostage was not traumatic, the comfort Sisco provided went a long way to help her move past her fears. It had been several weeks since the kidnapping had occurred, and nothing untoward had happened since.
As she left the building after the middle school and high school students were dismissed, she felt a strange tingling on the back of her neck. Glancing up and down the road, there were too many vehicles to ascertain if one contained someone looking just at her. Maybe it's one of the Keepers… no, Sisco said he was on his way, so they wouldn't need another one of his coworkers. Her gaze now searched for Sisco's vehicle, but it wasn't in sight.
Hurrying along the sidewalk to the elementary school, she continued to feel eyes on her. “I'm losing my mind,” she grumbled aloud. Once inside the building, she breathed a sigh of relief. The elementary school had just been dismissed, and she moved to the desk where she had signed Evie out. Smiling at the aide sitting at the table, she turned, and her smile widened at the sight of her beautiful daughter running toward her.
“Mommy! It's fall break!”
Evie skidded to a stop directly in front of her, and Lenore stooped to wrap her arms around her little body. “I know, sweetie! Are you ready to head home so we can go to Sisco's for a few days?”
“Yay!” Evie shouted, her voice nearly drowned out by the other excited children all racing to meet their parents or get on the bus.
“Do you have everything you need?”
Evie nodded. “We don't have homework. Our teacher said we could just have fun.”
“That sounds exactly like what we're going to do.” They walked outside hand in hand. Her phone vibrated in her purse, and she pulled it out to see Sisco calling. “Hey,” she answered, looking around to find him.
“I'm so fuckin' sorry. I'm about twenty minutes late. Got caught in traffic from an accident and am getting there as soon as I can. Stay in the school until I get there.”
“Don't worry, just meet us at my house. I'm almost in the parking lot at my car, and tons of people are around. We'll go straight home, and you come there.”
“I don't like you being unprotected?—”
“Sisco, it's been weeks, and nothing has happened. It'll be fine. In fact, we're getting into the car now.”
“Okay, see you in a few. Secure the house as soon as you get there.”
“I promise.” Disconnecting, she quickly buckled Evie in her booster, climbed behind the wheel, and locked her doors. She was right when she said there were a lot of people around—teachers and parents were streaming out of the building. But as she drove down the road, she felt the tingling again. Pressing her lips together, she tried to listen to Evie's chatter about her day but kept her focus on the road and surroundings. She made it home in a few minutes and didn't see anything untoward, but the feeling of being watched stayed with her. She drove into the garage and closed the door before getting her and Evie out of the car. “Let's get in, sweetie. We need to finish packing before Sisco gets here.”
She alarmed the house, then breathed easier. Just as she placed their suitcases by the front door, Sisco had arrived. She let him in and couldn't help but smile as Evie bounced up and down with excitement.
As Evie ran back to her room to ensure she had all the stuffies she wanted, he carefully moved closer to Lenore and peered into her eyes.
“What's wrong?”
“Nothing is wrong?—”
“You look anxious, not excited.”
The last thing she wanted to do was give in to ridiculous fears, especially since they would be entirely safe for the next several days. “It's just that this is new for us.”
“Sweetheart, my house has four bedrooms. One is an office, and two are set up as guest rooms if my family visits. You will have your own space, but…” he wrapped his arms around her, “I hope you and I will share time together when Evie's asleep if you're comfortable with that.”
All anxiety left her mind, and the tension released as she gave in to the feel of his arms enveloping her. “I'll be more than comfortable with our time together,” she assured, squeezing her arms around his muscular waist.
Once loaded into his SUV, it only took thirty minutes until they pulled into the long drive to his house. She leaned forward, her eyes wide. “Oh, my gosh… this is your home?”
What greeted her eyes was a two-story house that looked as though it had been carved from the stone and logs of Mother Nature, rising as part of the surrounding nature. She looked into the back seat, seeing Evie's eyes just as wide, her mouth opened, but she was speechless.
As she twisted back around, her gaze landed on Sisco, seeing a smile curve his lips. She detected pride mixed with nervousness. She reached over and placed her hand on his arm. “This is amazing,” she said. “Breathtaking.”
The plains extended into the horizon, lifting to the mountains in the distance. He pulled into his two-car garage, and as she unbuckled Evie, he grabbed their suitcases.
They entered a laundry room from the garage, complete with a washer, dryer, a full-size freezer, a counter with a sink, and plenty of cabinets. He led them into his large, well-appointed kitchen. There, she gained her first look at the open concept, warm wood floors, and walls of his kitchen and living room. At the back, the ceiling vaulted, and she was met with the vista through the two-story windows. She was flabbergasted.
Turning, she caught his intense gaze as though he was cautious about her reaction.
Her exuberant Evie walked by her side until they reached the glass and saw a deck extending from the living room and kitchen. Still clutching her favorite stuffie, Evie turned and looked up at Sisco. “Your house is so big!”
His smile widened, and he winked at Lenore before looking down at Evie. “Good. Because now I want to show you the room you'll be sleeping in.”
They followed him up the stairs and onto the loft overlooking the windows. He walked to the end door and entered the room, setting her suitcase on the floor. Hurrying to follow him, Lenore spied a bed with blue and pink stripes. Pictures of the mountains were framed and hung on the walls, and a dresser and desk completed the space. “Will this be okay?” he asked.
Evie walked over and sat on the edge of the bed, bouncing slightly. Her grin was almost as wide as Sisco's. “It's so pretty!”
The bathroom is just across the hall.” Turning to Lenore, he said, “I'll show you your room.”
She followed him back into the hall, glancing behind just in time to see Evie already popping open her suitcase and pulling out another stuffie to put on the bed.
Chuckling, she walked past the hall bathroom and into one of his guest rooms. A queen-sized bed with a deep forest-green bedspread and pale blue accent pillows greeted her. More framed mountain photographs decorated the walls, and a comfy chair beside the window overlooked the plains. Turning to Sisco, she reiterated Evie's succinct thoughts. “It's perfect.”
He set her suitcase down and wrapped his arms around her. Bending, he kissed her lightly before leaning back. “I hoped you'd like it. I want you to like it.”
“What's not to like? It's beautiful.”
“I know we're moving fast, and things are early, but I'd like you to be comfortable here. No one can approach without me knowing about it. And I have a state-of-the-art security system. So, while I'm still finding out more about who was involved in your kidnapping, I want you and Evie to feel safe here.”
“I can't imagine we'd feel any safer, Sisco.”
“Well, there are trails to walk on, as long as I know where you're going. A fully stocked kitchen in case you get the munchies. Vivian and Mary will be over to check on you all when I happen to be at the compound. Plus, I have a TV with all the bells and whistles.”
Laughing, she lifted on her toes and kissed him. “Don't worry about us. Just being here with you makes it special.” She walked to the window and looked over the vista. “How much land is yours?”
“I have ten acres here. It's not much, but I didn't want neighbors too close.”
She laughed. “Ten acres sounds huge to me.”
He slung his arm around her. “You want to see my room?”
“Yeah, duh!”
Laughing, he led her back into the hall and across the hall. Through the door, she gasped. The large bedroom walls were the same warm wood as the rest of the house, but his expansive windows faced the same plains and mountain vista she'd viewed from the living room. Turning, she noticed framed photographs on top of the dresser. Moving closer, she looked at the various family pictures. It was easy to pick out his siblings' smiling faces and their families. Turning again, she spied Sisco standing near the king bed in the center. “Wow,” she breathed. “Um… your room is amazing.” She stepped closer, but her steps toward him halted as Evie bounded into the room.
Evie skidded to a stop as her eyes landed on the window. “You've got the outside inside!”
Sisco blinked as Lenore cocked her head to the side and peered at her daughter. “The outside inside?”
“Yeah,” Evie enthused. “It's like the outside has come in through the window!”
Sisco looked at Lenore and declared, “She's right, you know. The outside is inside.”
“Is that your bed?” Evie asked, moving to the large bed.
Anticipating what was coming next, Lenore said, “No jumping on any bed, young lady. Remember, we're guests here.” Spying Sisco opening his mouth, she also anticipated he'd give in to anything Evie wanted. Shaking her head, she lifted a brow. “Mom's rules.”
Sisco snatched Evie up and twirled her around. “Looks like mom's rules are for both of us.”
Evie giggled, and as the three headed back down the stairs, Lenore watched as Evie skipped ahead. Her heart felt lighter than it had in a while, and with Sisco's fingers linked with hers, it soared.