Chapter 50 | Rae
Rae
Another couple days passed without any sign of Ethan, and I was going stir crazy sitting in the house.
Jenny and Luke had come by for dinner last night, and Cierra and I had texted and talked a couple of times, but other than that, we had been hanging out around the house and the barn.
I loved being around Caleb, but I needed to be outside of the house—off the property.
I knew Ethan had been escalating, but I made Caleb promise me that I could start work in a couple of days if we hadn’t heard from him.
I made him a promise that I wouldn’t leave the department unless he was with me, and I also reminded him that he could look for Ethan while he was on duty.
He agreed and called his sergeant and my boss to let them know our plan.
A part of me felt guilty for wanting that.
I knew it was for my safety since Ethan had escalated, and everyone was on high alert.
I knew what he had done, and if he ever got his chance again, I didn’t know what he would do as a punishment.
However, I also wanted to not have to hide from him the rest of my life.
Caleb and I had been lounging around on the couch for a bit and Duke was lying on my feet when a phone rang. I sat up, instantly thinking the worst but hoping for the best. Caleb reached for his phone and told me it was Jenny.
“Hey, Jenny. Yeah, that’s no problem. I know Rae is dying to do something, so we would love to help.” He shot me a smile. “Okay, we will get ready and head that way.”
Caleb hung up the phone and smiled at me again.
“How would you like to go to Jenny’s house with me?
She said there were some paint cans and smaller tool items that had been dropped off a few days ago, but they were not there when Luke went to pick them up later.
The company told her that she needs to have the items signed for this time if she wants the stuff sent out again at no charge.
The problem is, as she was finishing up in the barn, she got called into work.
I know we are still worried Ethan is out there, but I also know you’re itching to do something. ”
“I would love to go!” I jumped up and ran to put my boots on, then ran towards the front door. My excitement made him laugh.
We made the short drive to Jenny’s house.
The tree line that stretched between the two houses was covered in bright green leaves, the branches swaying gently in the breeze.
Caleb took a right turn off the main road onto a smaller one that led to her place.
The gravel crunching under the truck’s tires was a welcome sound since I hadn’t really left the house while hiding at Caleb’s from Ethan.
Caleb stopped the truck in front of the house. I hadn’t seen Jenny’s house since I was a teen, and the sight made me sad because of the state it was in. While it hadn’t suffered too much damage, the sight of the scorched siding made my chest tighten.
I got out and started to wander towards the front porch, but Caleb put his hand out to stop me. “Wait. We can’t go in right now due to the structural damage. Luke has hard hats we can use if you want to see inside later.”
I nodded. The crunch of gravel came from behind us, and we turned to see a truck driving towards us. Caleb positioned himself between me and the truck as it came to a stop in front of us.
“How’s it going? You Caleb?” An older gentleman stepped out of the truck.
Caleb nodded and walked towards him. “Fine, thank you. Thanks for letting me step in to sign for the delivery.”
I watched the two of them exchange small talk as the man loaded up the delivery into Caleb’s truck. A warm breeze blew my hair around my face and I turned into it, my gaze drifting back towards the house.
For a moment, I could have sworn something moved in the window. I squinted, focusing on the window, a prickling feeling on the back of my neck. I took a couple of steps toward the house, scanning from one window to the next, seeing no movement.
“What are you looking at?” Caleb said, walking up behind me, placing a hand on the small of my back. I looked back where the trucks had been parked next to each other and realized the guy who had brought the delivery out here had left.
“I could have sworn I just saw something moving inside the house.”
“Really? Luke’s truck isn’t out here. He and Jenny are both at work. Where did you see it?”
I pointed at the window. “It could have been a reflection, or even my imagination. I just had a weird feeling.”
“Hold on,” Caleb said as he walked towards the house.
I watched as he stepped carefully up on the porch and checked the front door, before moving to the window.
Another small breeze blew through the front yard, ruffling my hair a little, as Caleb looked through all the windows at the front of the house.
“Hey, Sunshine, I’m going to go around the back and check the doors there.
Can you get in the truck and lock the doors? ”
I nodded and hopped in the truck as I watched him walk out of sight.
It was warm in the truck, but not unbearable. I was also able to watch the front of the house better without my hair blowing into my face.
Caleb was back within a couple of minutes and smiled at me as he hopped in the truck. “Did you see anything or am I going crazy?”
He let out a little laugh before leaning in and kissing me on the temple.
“Baby, you’re not crazy. I didn’t see anything in the house, but I couldn’t go inside.
Luke made sure to get all new doors and replace the damaged windows before doing repairs inside, so he wouldn’t have critters or squatters living in there.
The only thing I saw that raised some level of concern was the back porch door.
The latch was a little loose, but the door was locked.
I tried to turn the knob and it didn’t open. ”
“So...”
“I’m thinking it was a reflection from something outside the house, but I am going to ask Luke and Jenny to let me know when they come back here. I’ll come with them to just check everything out.”
I nodded, trying to not feel crazy for thinking I had seen something inside of the house. But a small part of me was still not quite convinced.
After returning from Jenny’s house, Caleb and I put the items from the delivery in the barn. Bandit stuck his face out of the stall to say hello, so I walked over to him to return the greeting.
“Hey, Caleb... Can—can I be honest about something?”
“Of course. Always.”
“I feel really weird for thinking about this.
Selfish, almost. I'm still kind of bummed that I haven't been able to start work. I can't even go to the grocery store without worrying.” I let out a long sigh as I ran my hand down Bandit’s soft nose.
“I love being here at the house and could be wrapped up in your arms all day...” I paused as he started to walk towards me, a sweet smile on his face.
He stood in front of me, so close we were almost touching.
“But the sense of normalcy was taken away because of this—because of him? The fact that you can't freely choose to go out, for fear he’s out there?” His voice had a gravelly sound to it. The sound of his voice, mixed with how close we were at the moment, sent heat throughout my entire body.
“Yeah, it sounds silly now that it’s been said out loud, especially considering how scared I still am.
I do still want to go to work in a couple of days, if things seem okay.
..It’s confusing.” I let out a breathy laugh, giving away the fact that how close he was made me nervous, but not in a bad way—just in the way that only he could make me feel.
“No, it doesn't sound silly. How about this? We go to dinner at the new bar and grill a buddy of mine opened, and then we get a few things at the grocery store. As long as you promise me you won't leave my side.”
He still hadn’t touched me, and the lack of contact was making it impossible to think clearly.
“That won’t be a problem.”
“My gosh, dinner was so good. Thank you for bringing me here!” I reached out and took his hand, our eyes lingering on each other’s, saying more than words ever could.
Rhett, the owner of the restaurant, walked up to us with a plate in his hand. “Dessert is on the house tonight. I heard you tell the waitress that dairy makes you sick, so I figured you may be one of the first people to try our new dairy-free desserts. That is, if you both don’t mind.”
“Rhett, are you trying to show off in front of my girl?” Caleb laughed as he helped Rhett make room for the dessert plates.
“No.” He let out a warm laugh. “As if I would even have a chance with the way she looks at you. Enjoy, you guys.”
My face heated at what Rhett had said, and I gave Caleb a smile. He winked at me, causing my face to feel even hotter than before.
I took a bite of the slice of cake that Rhett had given us, and it melted in my mouth. The vanilla icing was perfect. Caleb chuckled as he moved to take a bite of it as well, and I gave him a curious look. “You did it again—your happy dance you do when something tastes good.”
I took another bite of the cake, closed my eyes, and wiggled my shoulders on purpose this time.
When I opened my eyes, Caleb was matching my shoulder shimmy with one of his own.
Laughter bubbled up out of both of us. Caleb reached his hand across the table, and I placed mine in his without thinking.
We both finished the desserts in front of us, hand in hand.
When we were done and the bill was paid, we stepped out of the restaurant, into the warm spring air.
Caleb led the way down the street to the crosswalk, making sure he was walking closest to the street the entire way.
When we paused at the crosswalk, he slid behind me, arms wrapping around my waist. He leaned down just enough to murmur near my ear, voice low and smooth.
“Do you want to know what my favorite part of tonight was?”
I smiled, leaning back into him. “What?”
His lips brushed lightly against my cheek, kissing it gently before answering.
His voice was rich with that slow, teasing drawl that always got to me.
“Getting to show you off as my girl.” He pressed a kiss just beneath my ear.
“Walking with your hand in mine, getting to introduce you to my friend, kissing you in front of anyone watching...letting the whole world know you’re my girl. ”
My breath caught, and he gave a knowing little grin.
“But what we do in private?” He leaned around to meet my eyes, one brow lifted. “Now that’s even better.”
He winked, and my stomach flipped.
“You don't say.” I giggled, leaning into his warm body more.
“Mhm. Getting to love you the way you deserve, having you trust me entirely with not just your heart but your body as well, it's...intoxicating.” He kissed me deeply, and a needy sound escaped my lips before I could stop it.
“Let's get to the grocery store before I say we should just forget it and go home.”
I giggled and covered my face with my hand as I laughed. Loving Caleb and being loved by him was the most simple and...intoxicating thing I'd ever done, and it made me feel alive.
Caleb took my hand and led me across the street to the grocery store. It was quiet besides the sounds of the employees restocking shelves. The combination of the harsh lights and the silence gave off an eerie feeling.
“I don’t know if I have ever seen this place this quiet before,” I told Caleb, my voice low because I felt like I had to whisper.
“It’s almost 8 p.m., so I guess the rush just came and went already since they close soon.”
I nodded and continued to walk with him. We picked up the items we'd needed, including my favorite bottle of wine and apples for the horses, and began walking towards the registers.
Caleb stopped in the middle of the aisle. “One last thing. Do you want to pick out a bag of treats for Duke?” The smile I gave him was enough of an answer before he began walking to the next aisle over.
We picked out the treats for Duke and headed in the direction of the registers again.
As I rounded the corner of the aisle, I felt a pin-prickling feeling on the back of my neck like I was being watched.
I turned around, suddenly feeling very vulnerable and not safe like moments before.
I looked at the space around me, not sure what I was looking for, but also not sure why I felt a sudden shift.
Caleb noticed the change. “Hey, what's wrong?”
I reached for his arm and looped mine around his. “Nothing, I think? I just had the weirdest feeling—” I touched the back of my neck, and a shiver ran through my body. Nothing stood out to me, so I turned back around and smiled at him.
“Let's go home, Ranger.”