Chapter 10
Grim
I’m a stalker. An actual bona fide stalker.
I shift in my seat, trying to find a position that doesn’t make my ass go numb. I’ve been parked here since early this morning, watching Wren’s house, and so far, there’s been zero movement.
It’s just after lunch now, and all is quiet on the suburban front.
Her house is small but cozy-looking, tucked into a pretty neighborhood with tree-lined streets and well-maintained lawns. There’s a closed-in yard out back that I can just barely see from my vantage point, and the front has several flower beds behind a white picket fence.
It’s nice. It suits her.
I grab the bag of potato chips from the passenger seat and rip them open.
I put a handful into my mouth, my eyes never leaving her front door.
This is a stakeout. I’m not actually stalking her. I need to orchestrate a “run-in” with her in the interest of making friends.
Yeah, that sounds better.
I eat some more chips.
There’s movement, and I freeze mid-chew, my eyes locked on her front door as it swings open.
And there she is.
Wren steps out onto her porch with two small furry dogs on leashes. She’s wearing a pair of denim shorts that show off her lush thighs and a simple T-shirt that hugs her curves. Her feet are in flip-flops, and her hair is pulled up in a messy bun with strands escaping everywhere.
She’s fucking gorgeous.
For a few moments, I just stare at her with my mouth gaping open like an idiot.
Then I remember why I’m here and snap back to attention.
Wren locks her door and heads down her front walkway, the two dogs pulling at their leashes, their little tails wagging. She turns left at the sidewalk, heading up the street at an easy pace.
I wait until she turns the corner two blocks up, then I fire up my engine and pull out, keeping my distance. I turn onto the street, parking so that I can track her movements while staying out of sight.
When she makes a right turn at the next road, I’m pretty sure I know where she’s going. There’s a park a few blocks from here. I know this because I’ve studied the map of her neighborhood multiple times.
I’m ready.
I take another route that will bring me to a different entrance to the park. If I’m right about where she’s headed, I can beat her there and make this look natural.
Natural. Right. Nothing creepy about any of this at all.
I pull up next to the park and kill the engine, then climb out and head inside. It’s decent-sized, with walking paths, a small playground, and a lake in the center. Ducks glide across the water’s surface, and a couple of people are scattered around on benches.
I make my way to the lake and find a bench along the main walking path. The one that goes past the water. People are attracted to water. I’m sure she’ll come this way. At least, I hope she will.
I sit down and stare at the ducks, trying to look casual. Trying to look like someone who just happens to be here.
I should have brought bread to feed the ducks. That would have made this more believable.
She’s going to know I’m up to something.
I should go.
I should leave right now. Only I don’t.
Because what choice do I have? I’m running out of time, and she’s my best option. My only option, really.
I hear footsteps approaching. Light, quick steps accompanied by the patter of small paws and the jingle of dog tags.
Then her scent hits me. It’s sweet and female. It makes my dragon wake up and take notice.
It’s her.
Of course it is. She was on her way here, just like I predicted.
It’s too late to leave. Too late to change my mind. Too late to abort this completely insane plan.
“Grim?” Her voice sounds surprised, and I turn to look at her like I’ve just noticed she’s there.
Act shocked.
Her face is pink, and she lets out a nervous little giggle. “Of course it’s you. I knew that. I just didn’t expect to see you here.” She narrows her eyes.
“Oh, um… Hi,” I tell her, injecting surprise into my voice. “Do you live around here?”
I’m such an asshole.
“Yes, just up the road, actually.” She glances over her shoulder, gesturing in the complete opposite direction from where she actually lives.
Humans have zero sense of direction.
“And you?” she asks, her pretty eyes studying my face. “Do you live around here?”
I shake my head. “I had an errand to run near here and decided to come to the park for a while,” I lie some more. “I find I can relax when I’m in nature, and it’s been a…” I trail off for a moment. “It’s been a tough week,” I admit, and it’s true, it has.
Her face morphs into concern, her eyebrows drawing together.
“Yeah.” She nods a few times. “I heard about the complaint against you.”
I school my emotions. There was never actually a complaint filed, but Sally’s story has spread through the clinic, and it serves my purpose perfectly. I nod a few times and make a sound of agreement.
“Just for the record,” Wren says, her voice soft, “I think it’s wrong that someone did that. You don’t need to change because of them. You’re fine just the way you are, Grim.” She bites on her lip, and I have to force myself to lift my eyes back to hers.
Something warm unfurls in my chest at her words. She’s defending me. This sweet, kind woman is standing up for me, and I’m using her.
I shrug. “Actually, I do need to make more effort. Perhaps I came on a bit strong, and you’re right, it isn’t me. I’m not some happy-go-lucky, chatty male, but I could do better than I have been doing. I haven’t been myself lately. It…um…I…”
Shit! Why did I say that?
I need to redirect and fast.
“I like your dogs.” I look down at the two fluffballs at her feet. They wag their tails enthusiastically as soon as the attention turns to them, their whole bodies wiggling with excitement. “And what are your names?”
I drop down to my haunches, and they immediately jump on me, their little paws scratching at my jeans as they compete for attention. I scratch behind their ears, and they practically melt.
“The one on the left is Ball,” Wren says, and I can hear the smile in her voice. “And on the right is Breaker.”
I look up at her, then back down at the dogs. “Ball and Breaker?”
She nods, her eyes dancing.
Laughter bubbles up from deep in my belly. It’s short, barely more than a few seconds, but it’s real. For the first time in forever, I actually laugh.
It feels good. Too good.
“Actually,” Wren says, her face going even pinker, “that was a silly joke. They’re called Peanut and Butter after one of my favorite foods.” She gestures to each dog in turn. “Sorry. It was stupid. I make silly jokes when I’m nervous.”
It isn’t lost on me that peanut butter is one of her favorites. I’m not sure if I love or hate that.
“It wasn’t silly. It was funny. Why are you nervous?”
The question is out before I can stop it. I know exactly why she’s nervous. I know she likes me.
She shrugs, not meeting my eyes. “I’m shy, and we don’t really know each other, even though we’ve been working together for a while.”
Her dogs are yapping and bouncing, demanding more attention, and I give it to them, scratching their fluffy little heads while I try to figure out what to say next.
“I’m glad to see you’re feeling a bit better…more upbeat. You have looked a little down at times. Sometimes you’re a lot down,” Wren says after a moment of awkward silence. I thought I hid my hurt well under a guise of anger and irritation. It would seem that she saw right through me.
Wren looks down the walkway. “Anyway, I’d better get going.”
Shit! Shit! She’s going to leave.
I stand, and she has to crane her neck to maintain eye contact.
“Maybe we could go for a friendly coffee?” I shrug.
A friendly coffee?
What the fuck is that?
Wren freezes. Her eyes go wide, and she just stares up at me.
She doesn’t answer. Doesn’t say anything. She just looks at me, her lips parting as she pulls in a breath.
Wren
My heart is racing so fast I’m surprised it doesn’t burst right out of my chest.
Grim just asked me out.
No, he did not.
A friendly coffee is hardly a date. I need to pull my head out of my ass, and right now.
For a few moments, all I can do is stare up at him while Peanut and Butter tug at their leashes.
I want to go with him so badly, but…I can’t. There are several reasons why not.
“I…” I start, then stop.
He’s watching me with those dark eyes, waiting for an answer.
Craaaaap!
I want to say yes so badly, but I force myself to think clearly instead.
He’s being nice. That’s all this is. He’s trying to make friends because of that complaint someone filed. He’s not actually interested in me. Not like that. Not the way I’m interested in him.
Even if I wanted to go, I can’t. I have a ton of files waiting for me at home. I’ve only gotten through one and a half of the boxes. They’re paying me a lot of money for overtime to get them digitized, and I promised I’d have them done by Monday.
“I would love to,” I finally manage to say. “But I can’t. I’m sorry. I have so much work to get through this weekend.”
His expression shifts. Is it disappointment? Or am I just imagining that because it’s what I want to see?
“Work, as in those boxes of files you were carrying yesterday?” he asks.
I nod. “Yeah. I committed to inputting all the old records into the digital system. The Mainland Health Department is paying me really well for the overtime, and I need to get it done, like I promised.” I glance down at my watch and wince.
“Actually, I should probably head back now and carry on. This was supposed to be a quick walk for the boys.”
The disappointment I feel is crushing. This was going so well. We were actually having a real conversation, and he seemed…relaxed. Himself, but…nice.
But it’s probably for the best, since I’m attracted to Grim and he doesn’t see me that way. Even if he did, we work together. It would be crossing a line. Breaking my own rule.
Before I can take a step, Grim speaks again. “I could walk you home.” His voice is gruff. “You live somewhere close, right?”
My heart does that stupid fluttering thing again. “I do. And…yes. That would be nice. Thank you.”
Why not? I think to myself. It’s just a walk. What harm could it do?
We start walking, Peanut and Butter trotting happily ahead of us. For a while, we walk in silence. It’s not uncomfortable exactly, but I’m hyperaware of him beside me. Of how tall he is. How his arm occasionally brushes against mine when the sidewalk narrows.
“How long have you been living on the island?” he asks.
I glance up at him, a little surprised by the question. “About a year and a half now.”
He nods, his eyes scanning the neighborhood around us. “Do you like it here?”
“I like it well enough,” I say, and it’s the truth.
“I mean, I moved to Draig Island because of the job offer. The pay is amazing.” I laugh a little self-consciously.
“I’m just a nurse. I wouldn’t make nearly as much on the Mainland, but I do very well here.
Salaries are particularly high working at the Vaccination Center.
” I shrug. “I wouldn’t make quite as much working at the hospital in town.
I mean, the Vaccination Center can be a bit boring sometimes.
Still, I’m going to stick with it for a while longer and take on all the extra work I can. ”
Grim is quiet for a moment, and I wonder if I said too much. But then he asks, “Do you need the money? Or do you have a plan? A dream you’re working toward?”
The question catches me off guard. It’s…thoughtful and quite personal. Not what I expected from him.
“I do, actually.” I adjust Peanut’s leash as he tries to chase a bird.
“Eventually, I want to move back to the Mainland. I want to be able to buy a home there, with a yard for the boys, and start my life properly. It’s something I would have really struggled to achieve if I’d stayed on the Mainland.
My family and friends are all there. This is just…
” I trail off, searching for the right word.
“This is just a stepping stone, you know?”
Even as I say the words, something twinges inside me. A strange sadness I wasn’t expecting.
Because the truth is, I’ve settled in quite nicely here. I like my little house with its white picket fence.
“Having a nice home is important.” He nods a few times.
“And you? I get the feeling that the Vaccination Center is just a stepping stone for you, too?”
He shrugs, his eyes lifting in thought. “I guess it is. I was a little lost. I didn’t know what I wanted to do anymore.
I had a solid plan for my future, but sometimes things change.
People change. Suddenly, my dream wasn’t my dream anymore.
A friend got me the job at the center to give me something to do until I…
found myself again.” He gives a humorless laugh.
“I sound like a complete pussy. Forget I said any of that.”
I will not. He just opened up to me…a little. I wish I could ask him more about it, but I know I wouldn’t get any more out of him, so I don’t.
“We’re here,” I say, pointing to my house as we turn the corner onto my street. “This is me.”
I stop at the gate, and Peanut and Butter immediately start pulling me toward the front door, ready for their lunch.
“Relax, you two,” I tell them, and they settle. I know it won’t last.
This is it. Time to go inside and get back to work. Back to reality.
But I don’t want to. I’m having a good time.
I could tell Grim I’ve changed my mind about the coffee. That the files can wait. That I’d rather spend time with him.
The words are right there, sitting on the tip of my tongue.
But I don’t say them.
Grim drops down to his haunches in front of my dogs, and they go absolutely crazy, jumping all over him and licking his face. He scratches them behind their ears.
“Bye, Ball,” he says to Peanut. “Bye, Breaker,” he says to Butter.
Despite everything, I laugh.
Then he stands, and suddenly he’s towering over me again. “Have a good weekend, Wren.”
The way he says my name sends a shiver down my spine. He’s so darned cute.
“You too, Grim,” I manage.
He nods once, then turns and starts walking back the way we came. His stride is long and confident, and I watch him for just a second before forcing myself to look away.
I unlock my gate and walk up the path to my front door, fishing my keys out of my pocket. Peanut and Butter are whining, eager to get inside.
I slide my key into the lock.
All I want is to look back and catch one last glimpse of him, but I don’t.
I step inside and close the door behind me, leaning back against it with a heavy sigh.