by Natalie Ann
“And neither would you. Which is why we are having this talk. You look like you’re capable of taking care of this,” John said, his eyes roaming over the size of Ryan.
“I am.”
“Then we’ll exchange numbers and keep this between ourselves.”
“We can do that,” Ryan said but then tried to remind himself he didn’t like secrets, yet he just agreed to have one.
25
Battle Brewing
“I was thinking of staying the night,” Ryan said to Shannon.
Her parents had left on Tuesday after having spent a week. They didn’t get to see much of each other. Not as much as he would have liked.
“But it’s Thursday,” she said, looking at him funny.
He was trying to figure out a way to get her to let him stay. After talking with John at Thanksgiving about this guy that had been bothering Shannon, and she’d said she moved here because people were asking her for help, he started to wonder if there was more going on. If she wasn’t being as honest with him as he would have liked.
A few days ago John had texted him to say they still had no idea where Walt Carpenter was.
The fact that he’d been driving up and down and had others on the lookout in the neighborhood hadn’t helped when one of the guys told him someone stopped him to ask for directions around the development. A guy.
Not that it should be a cause for alarm, but by the description, he’d seen the same vehicle driving around more than normal. Not many people just drove around this area for days.
He’d talked to the Chief of Police that lived in the development and then a State Trooper around the corner from him, Josh Turner. Since Josh was engaged to Ruby Gentile, whom he knew better, he was more than willing to run the plate and it came back as a rental.
So far nothing to really be alarmed about. In the past he’d think nothing of it. But now, the woman he was in love with and her two kids that stole his heart might be in danger and he wasn’t about to let anything happen to them.
“So? Maybe I’ve missed spending time with you,” he said back and wondered if he sounded like a wuss. He never said things like that before and she was angling her head at him like she might not be buying what he was selling. He moved forward and pulled her into his arms. “Or maybe I’m horny.”
She laughed and kissed him, then looked over to make sure the kids weren’t around. The two of them were off to the side of the kitchen, the kids in the living room watching TV now that dinner was cleaned up. She’d be getting them ready for bed soon enough.
“I’m always game for that, but still, you don’t spend the night during the week.”
“If you’d rather I didn’t, I suppose I don’t have to.”
“Let’s go talk in my office,” she said, pulling him in. “You’re acting awfully insecure about me or our relationship this week. Is everything okay? Have I given you any reason to doubt me or my feelings about us?”
Now he felt like shit that she’d think that. “No.”
“Then what is it? There is something going on. I’ve noticed a change since the holiday. I thought maybe it was because my family was here. But it was that night at dinner, after you had a talk with John. What did he say to you?” she asked, putting her hands on her hips. There was a battle brewing behind her eyes he’d never witnessed before.
He didn’t see any way out of this. He didn’t like keeping it from her either. If she didn’t know what was going on, then she wouldn’t know what to look for.
“It’s not like you think,” he said.
“What I think is he probably gave you shit about treating me right and if you messed with me he’d come after you. I’m going to kick his butt if he said those things to you.”
He laughed, not used to this fiery side of her that narrowed her eyes when others swore. “He might have said something like that, but I assured him I wasn’t going to hurt you.”
“Then what?” she asked. “Something tells me you aren’t easily swayed by much.”
“I’m not. Sit. Your pacing is giving me a headache.”
“I’m going to keep pacing until you tell me what is going on because I know it’s something.”
“Fine,” he said. “Remember how you told me about that guy that reached out to you? He tried to guilt you into helping him. One of the leeches?”
“Yeah. So?”
“John told me more. Walt? Right? That’s his name. John said he’d been taking care of it and has had him watched and he hasn’t known where he was for a few weeks.”
She narrowed her eyes at him. Her blue eyes ready to unleash fire like he’d never seen before. “And he didn’t think he could tell me that? That I’m some helpless woman that the guys need to take care of. And he doesn’t even know you. That he thought to tell you over me—I’m going to give him a piece of my mind.”
She started to march out of the office and he pulled her back in. “Where are you going?”
“To get my phone and call him.”
“No. Don’t. He asked me to keep it between us and I’ve honored that, but I haven’t felt comfortable doing it. If you don’t know what is going on then you can’t be aware and alert. The kids are here and, yeah...you need to know. And that he might be in town.”
“What?!” she screeched. “No one thinks I should know these things? Why? He’s harmless. He’s nothing but a leech that wants money or a free ride. I’m not in any danger other than being annoyed.”
“You don’t know that,” he argued.
“Neither do you,” she said back.
“Exactly. And until everyone is positive, there is nothing wrong with wanting to keep you guys safe.”
“So that’s it?” she asked. “You think he’s in the area. What makes you say that?”
“I’ve been driving around and looking for anything out of the ordinary. Or anyone. I’ve had a few other people watching too.”
“You’re going to just piss me off even more,” she said. “I can’t believe you didn’t trust me enough to tell me this.”
He knew by now he’d made the wrong decision by letting John convince him not to. “I’m telling you now.”
“What’s all the yelling,” Zoe said, coming down the hall and around the corner. “Jeffrey came downstairs to get me and said that you guys were fighting and he’s upset.”
“I’m sorry,” Shannon said. “It’s just a disagreement.”
“No, Zoe should know too.”
“Know what?” Zoe asked. He shut the door and they filled her sister in. “That’s odd. Some guy stopped the kids and me when we were walking the dogs after school. He asked directions somewhere. He was in a silver car, but I’m sure it’s just a coincidence.”
“I don’t believe in coincidences in instances like this. Do you have a picture of this guy to show your sister to see if she might recognize him?”
Shannon walked over to her computer. “I might have an employee picture on here somewhere.” A few minutes later she found one. “Zoe, was it this guy?”
“Ah, yeah, I think so.”
“That ends this conversation. I’m staying here until we find out what is going on,” he said, refusing to budge.
“It’s my house and if I don’t want you here then you can’t stay.”
“Wow, that’s mean,” Zoe said. “The guy’s just watching out for you.”
“Get,” Shannon told her sister. “Go tell the kids it’s nothing. That Ryan and I are having a disagreement about a TV show.”
“You really think Jeffrey is going to believe that?” Zoe asked.
“I don’t care. Go.”
“You can lie or hide it from your kids, but I get shit on for not telling you?”
“Oh, don’t even go there,” she said. “That’s not even close. They are kids. They don’t need to know and be scared. They don’t understand. And there isn’t anything to be scared about. You guys are making a bigger deal out of this. Walt is an annoyance but nothing else. I can take care of it my
self.”
“I don’t care. Until I know more, I’m staying here. I can sleep on the damn couch if you want, but if you want me gone you’re going to have to throw me out or call the police.”
“This is ridiculous. Whatever,” she said, throwing her hands up in the air. “I’ve got to get the kids ready for bed. You can make up the couch if you think you are staying the night.”
At this point he really didn’t care. The two of them went into the living room.
“I’ll let the dogs out while you get Maddie ready for bed.”
“Fine,” she said. “Jeffrey, you come up too and you can get in the tub.”
“Are you two really fighting over TV?” Jeffrey asked. “You both look really mad. You can’t leave if you’re mad at each other. Daddy always said you never go to bed mad.”
Ryan looked over at her while she tried to comfort her son who was on the verge of tears. “We aren’t mad at each other and Daddy was right. But we really disagree about this show. Ryan thinks he knows everything about it and I’m trying to tell him otherwise. We won’t go to bed mad though.”
“Okay,” Jeffrey said, running to Ryan and giving him a hug like he did every night that he was here when the kids were getting ready for bed.
He was starting to depend on the affection from the kids. From Shannon.
For a person that never thought he needed it much in his life he was finding he couldn’t live without it.
When Shannon was upstairs with the kids, he grabbed the leashes and let the dogs out. Zoe, having said goodnight, went downstairs after he’d told her to make sure everything was locked up.
Once the dogs were taken care of, he moved his truck into the garage. No reason to leave it out and have to scrape any frost off of it in the morning. He didn’t have a change of clothes here, but it’s not like he lived so far away he couldn’t run home in the morning.
By the time Shannon came down he was watching TV with a coffee in his hand. “They are settled for the night. I’ll get you a blanket for the couch.”
“Fine,” he said. He wasn’t going to argue with her. If she thought having him stay out here was going to put him off enough to leave, she had another thing coming.
“Here you go,” she said, coming out and handing it over. “Sleep good.”
There was a shitload of sarcasm in her voice and when she put the blankets and pillows on the couch he grabbed her arm and pulled her down next to him. “I’m sorry. I don’t say that often.”
“What are you sorry for?” she asked.
“For not telling you. I still would have done everything else, including staying here, but I should have told you and didn’t. I went against my better judgment on that.”
“You did. And you’re still staying on this couch.”
He shook his head, not expecting anything differently.
26
Right Decision
A few hours later Shannon heard her phone go off. She turned and reached for it to see that it was the security system showing some motion in the backyard.
She got up and went into the living room wanting to wake Ryan and tell him. She hadn’t thought there was any real danger from Walt and felt he and John were both overreacting.
But when she got to the couch she noticed it was empty. She wasn’t about to turn any lights on though. “Ryan,” she whispered and heard a noise in the kitchen.
She moved closer to see what it could be and then realized that might be stupid. What if it wasn’t Ryan? Or what if he was just coming back from the bathroom? She was overreacting again.
When she heard the glass door opening though, she started to panic and moved faster to see if someone was coming in or going out. Either way she wasn’t going to let Ryan be by himself.
Her phone was in her hand and she was ready to call 911 if she needed to.
It was still dark on the deck until out of the corner of her eye she saw something go flying off the deck and heard a loud grunt.
She pulled the door open in time to see the security lights going on and Ryan rolling around on the ground with another man. Then his fist came back and connected with the guy’s face and wouldn’t stop pounding on him. Not just his face, but his midsection. The guy was fighting back and then he just stopped.
“Ryan!” she screamed. “Stop it.” Zoe came running out of her door from downstairs while she ran down the back deck. “Enough!” she yelled again. “He’s out cold.”
Ryan sat back and looked at the guy on the ground and turned him over. “Is that him?”
“Yeah,” she said, shaking. “That’s Walt. I don’t know what he was doing in my backyard in the middle of the night.”
“We told you to be aware,” Ryan said, standing up. “Get me something to tie his hands up with while he’s out.”
“I’m calling the police.”
“Fine,” he said, then looked at Zoe. “Some rope or something?”
Zoe ran into the house and came back out with a jump rope that was in the exercise room. Shannon had just hung up the phone. “The police are on the way.”
“I’m going to call Josh. He’s right around the corner.”
She let him do what he wanted at that point. She was shivering standing there in a long T-shirt in early December.
Once she realized that Walt was just propped up on the ground, she went in and got her jacket and put it on and brought Ryan’s out too. He didn’t take it. “You’re going to get sick. You’re sweaty and you’re bleeding on your cheek.”
“He landed an elbow in my face fighting me off,” he said, wiping it off with his hand. “Josh and Nathan will be here any minute.”
“Who’s Nathan?”
“Nathan Randal. He lives a few blocks over. He’s a State Trooper too. They will get here faster than who responds to the nine-one-one call.”
She heard two cars racing close by and then pull into her driveway. Guess Ryan was right.
When the two big men came around back, they opened the fence and took one look at Walt on the ground starting to come to. Walt turned his head and saw her and said, “Shannon. You have to help me. This asshole attacked me.”
“What are you doing here? And in the middle of the night on my property let alone across the country?”
“Let’s refrain from asking questions,” one of the men said. “Are you pressing charges for trespassing?”
“Yes, she is, Nathan,” Ryan said.
“It’s my house,” she argued. “But yes. I should. I need to.”
“Walt Carpenter you’re under arrest.” Nathan and Josh pulled Walt up and cuffed him, then finished reading him his rights when a police cruiser pulled in. Another State Trooper. She waited in the kitchen like they’d asked her to.
When Ryan came in, his face was pale and he pulled her into his arms and held her. She wasn’t sure what to do. As scared as she was she’d never seen him that way either.
Sure, his family had said he had a temper, but he was beating the crap out of Walt. She’d never seen men fight in person before. Tyler was gentle. He’d never throw a punch. Neither would John.
“He had a gun on him.”
Now she started to shake and then cry. “He didn’t,” she said. How could she have not known?
“He did. They found it on his ankle. Aside from trespassing, he came here armed, he crossed state lines with a weapon and no permit. And he’s drunk. I could smell it on him. They are going to toss him in a cell to sober up.”
Shannon turned when she heard footsteps. It was Nathan coming in, followed by Josh. “Guess this was an interesting way to meet new people in the development.”
Josh cracked a little grin and came forward to shake her hand. “I know you met my wife, Ruby.”
“I did. You weren’t at the picnic this summer. You had to work,” she said.
“Yeah,” Josh said. “I showed up later though.”
“I was there,” Nathan said, “but we didn’t meet. They are taking Walt in. You’ll need to go in an
d make a statement. Both of you. It can wait until morning if you want though.”
“I’ll go now,” Ryan said. “There is no way I’ll get any sleep tonight.”
“I don’t want to leave my kids. I know Zoe is downstairs, but can I just stay here and talk with her?” Zoe had been white as a ghost and looked like she was going to pass out before she’d gone back downstairs. At least the kids were sleeping through it all along with the dogs in their rooms.
“That’s fine,” Josh said. “We’ll leave now. Ryan, you know where you need to go, right?”
“Yeah,” he said. “I’ll leave in a minute.” Once Josh and Nathan were gone, Ryan walked over to her. “Are you okay if I leave?”
“I think so. I need to sit. Maybe even throw up. I’m not sure yet.”
“I’ll stay,” he said.
“No. Go. A lot has happened tonight and I need to work through it on my own. I want to know what he was doing here and what he thought to accomplish but most of all I need to be alone.”
Ryan nodded his head and gave her a kiss on the cheek and then left. She walked downstairs to Zoe’s apartment to see how her sister was doing and noticed she had a shot glass out. “I’d ask for one of those, but I don’t think it’s smart. How are you holding up?”
“Not as good as you by the looks of it,” Zoe said. “I’m a wreck. What the hell was that? Did we make the right decision coming here?”
“We did,” she said. “It seems like that would have happened no matter where we were.”
“Then you better thank Ryan in more ways than one for fighting you and staying here tonight. I don’t even want to know what would have happened if he hadn’t been here.”
“I know. I will. Are you good or do you want to come up and stay with me?”
“I’m going to have another shot and then hopefully I’ll stop shaking enough to close my eyes.”
“You know where I am if you need me,” Shannon said, then made her way upstairs and to the second floor to check in on the kids who were still sound asleep oblivious to what had happened tonight. She’d like to keep it that way too.