Copyright ©2020 by Kristen Middleton
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Stalked by a stranger she met on a dating site, Sophia Jordan finds that the law isn't always on her side... and must take matters into her own hands.
1
Summit Lake, MN
September
SOPHIA
I SAT IN the parking lot of Summit Lake Bar & Grille watching the front entrance anxiously. I was supposed to meet a guy I’d met on Casual Meets, a dating site my best friend, Marcy, had talked me into joining. She’d recently met a handsome architect named Robbie through the site. The last two duds I’d dated I’d met at night clubs and both had turned out to be complete losers. One had been a drunk and a gambler. The other, I later found out in horror, had been married with a new baby. Fortunately, Casual Meets screened their members, which was very comforting. The man I was meeting tonight, Brian Gunderson, had never been married, didn’t have kids, and was a successful dentist. I even drove by his practice on my way to work, so he didn’t live far from me. According to his bio, his hobbies were also similar to mine—reading, hiking, and, he apparently loved to fish. Unlike many of my girlfriends, fishing was one of my favorite pastimes, even in the winter. My father, Cal Jordan, had raised me on his own after my mom died of cancer when I was six. He’d owned a lure shop and had taught me to love the sport. Unfortunately, Dad died of a stroke three years ago, which only served to deepen my love for fishing. Especially in the early mornings. During those calm moments, as I sat in his old Yamaha boat fishing for crappies, our memories together would surface and I could almost feel his loving presence. Fishing was definitely my happy place and therapeutic in more ways than one. It always made the problems I faced more manageable and less stressful.
I should have gone fishing this morning, I mused, still nervous as hell about meeting Brian. I just prayed that I wasn’t wasting my time again. I not only wanted to find a decent, successful guy without baggage, but someone with similar passions. Of course, his profile picture showed him to be very good-looking, which didn’t hurt. In fact, he slightly resembled the actor, Henry Cavill, only with a mustache and glasses.
I glanced at the time. Ten more minutes until my date.
Taking a deep breath, I pulled the visor down and checked my reflection. I still wasn’t quite used to the new blonde highlights and eyelash extensions Marcy had talked me into. I had to admit, however, I didn’t look too shabby. Sure, I could stand to lose a few pounds, but thought my new black dress hugged my curves nicely and was even a little slimming. That alone was worth the outrageous price tag I’d splurged on.
My thoughts turned to my ex-husband, Greg, who’d left me for his younger, beautiful blonde assistant, Jenna. He was a successful real estate agent who’d swept me off of my feet when we’d first met. The man had been quite a charmer and one hell of a salesman. Of course, I’d known that he’d had a reputation for being a ladies’ man when we’d first met. I had made the mistake of thinking I would be enough for him, however. That our love would make Greg faithful.
I’d been such a fool.
The worst part was that he’d left me after a miscarriage, so I’d already been in a bad place. The loss had been devastating, especially since it had taken me so long to get pregnant. I’d wanted our child desperately and the miscarriage had been a crushing blow. Meanwhile, as I’d dealt with trying to work through the terrible loss, Greg started working longer hours. Little did I know he’d been spending those evenings with Jenna and knocking her up in the process. And that was how our marriage ended—
with me miscarrying and my husband moving in with his pregnant lover.
Talk about a slap in the face.
In the end, however, I realized how lucky I’d been that we’d never had children together. Rumor had it that Greg eventually cheated on Jenna as well. The last I’d heard was that he’d joined a sex-addicts anonymous group and had even screwed around with a couple of members. I truly was so much better off without him.
My phone buzzed loudly. I checked the messages and found one from Brian.
Brian: Sorry, I’m running a few minutes late. I had a difficult patient and now just getting out of the office. I feel so awful.
I sent him a reply, telling him not to worry and to take his time.
Brian: Thanks, you’re the best. I can’t wait to meet you. I’ve been looking forward to it all week.
Me: Same.
He replied with a smiley face.
I slipped my phone into my purse and decided to go into the restaurant, which was getting busier by the moment.
After checking my reflection one last time, I got out of my car, headed inside, and told the hostess I had a reservation.
“Oh, good.” She looked down at the computer screen. “What’s the name?”
My mind went blank for a few seconds and then I remembered Brian’s last name. “I believe it’s Gunderson.”
The young woman checked the list and then gave me an apologetic smile. “I’m so sorry. Your table is almost ready. We had a huge corporate party and they haven’t quite left yet. It shouldn’t be more than another ten to fifteen minutes.”
“No problem.”
“Would you like to wait at the bar?”
I looked over and noticed a couple of empty spots. I imagined that a drink might actually calm my nerves.
“Yes. By the way, I’m still waiting for my date to arrive. Brian. If he shows up, could you direct him over to me?”
The hostess smiled again and handed me a small pager. “Of course.”
I walked over to the bar and sat down, grateful I’d found a spot. I had on new high-heels and my feet were already getting sore. Noticing a wine and cocktail list, I grabbed it and began searching for something good.
“Good evening.”
I looked up at the bartender and found myself facing a hot-as-hell, rugged lumberjack-type of guy. He had on a black and white flannel shirt, which seemed to enhance his tan, and had the bluest eyes I’d ever seen. His hair was dark brown and wavy, resting just below the collar. His smile, well it was the kind that belonged on a movie screen—sexy, disarming, and hard to look away from.
“Good evening,” I said when I finally found my voice.
His eyes widened in surprise. “What do you know? It’s you.”
I watched him roll up his sleeves, exposing muscular, powerful forearms. He obviously had me confused with someone else. I’d never forget a guy like him. “Me? I’m sorry, have we met?”
“You work at St. John’s hospital, right? You’re a nurse?”
I nodded.
“That’s what I thought. I brought my buddy in last week after he was hit in the head by a baseball. Jim Wylie? He ended up having a slight concussion.”
“Jim Wylie,” I repeated, thinking back until I remembere
d taking the vitals of a red-haired guy with a goatee. He’d had on a white and blue baseball uniform. I didn’t recall seeing the hunky bartender with him, however. “Oh, yeah. How’s he doing?”
“Great. He has a hard head, so the ball suffered more damage.”
I chuckled. “Nice.”
His eyes twinkled. “You don’t remember me, do you?”
I smiled apologetically. “I’m sorry. Things were pretty crazy that night. As usual.”
He nodded. “Yeah, you definitely had your hands full. The name is Mitch, by the way. Mitch Gaylord.” He held out his hand and I shook it.
“I’m Sophia.”
“Nice to see you again.” He glanced down at the pager I’d set on the bar. “Waiting for your table, I see.”
I nodded. “Yeah. I figured I may as well have a drink in the meantime.”
“Sounds good. What can I get you?”
I ordered a white-wine spritzer.
He poured it and set the glass down in front of me. “Are you dining alone? We serve at the bar, too. I can get you a menu.”
“No. I’m waiting for someone.”
“Husband? Friend? Significant other?”
I suddenly felt a little embarrassed to tell him the truth. A guy like Mitch was so good-looking, I doubted he ever had to use a dating service. “Actually, I’m on a blind date.”
His eyes twinkled. “In that case, you sure you don’t want something stronger?”
I laughed. “Honestly, a couple of shots sound pretty good right about now.”
Still looking amused, he nodded toward the other side of the restaurant. “A word of advice—if you need to bail for any reason… there’s a back door by the restrooms.”
“So, you’ve given this kind of advice before?”
“Many times. This place actually gets a lot of blind dates.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. Not only is it safe, but not too romantic to make it uncomfortable, especially if there’s no chemistry. Plus, the food arrives fairly quickly and tastes great. So, even if the date goes south, it’s not a complete waste of an evening.”
I smiled.
“Of course, I’m a little biased, considering that I own the place.”
“Oh, wow. I had no idea. This is probably my favorite restaurant in Summit Lake. My friends and I meet here for drinks all the time.”
“Thank you. I appreciate your business and the nice praise. It means a lot.”
“It’s true, though. Everyone loves this place.”
“That’s good to hear. I love when hard work pays off.”
Making a mental note to give him a raving review on Google, I reached into my purse to pay for the spritzer. Noticing me grab my wallet, he stopped me.
“It’s on the house. My treat for helping Jim. And being such a loyal customer.”
“Oh, you don’t have to—”
“No.” He smiled again. “I insist. Honestly, I wish I could do more. My sister is also a nurse and I know how stressful your jobs can be. If anyone deserves a free drink, it’s you.”
“Well, thank you.”
“No problem.”
“Where does your sister work?”
“At the Mayo Clinic in Rochester.”
“Oh, cool. Does she like it there?”
“She gets really stressed out at times, but I think she’s pretty happy there. What about you? Do you enjoy being a nurse?”
“It has its ups and downs. Some days I love it. Some days I want to walk out and never return.”
“I bet.”
A customer at the other end of the bar, an older guy with a long beard and friendly smile, called out for him.
Mitch waved at the guy. “That’s my uncle, Jerry. I’d better go and say hello.” He looked at me again. “Anyway, good luck with your date.”
“Thank you.”
Mitch left and I continued watching him out of the corner of my eye. I hadn’t seen a ring on his finger, which didn’t mean anything. He could be married or engaged. Not to mention, a wealthy, handsome guy like Mitch had to have women slipping him phone numbers all the time. Regardless, he had been pleasant to talk to and had even calmed my anxiety down.
I took a sip of my wine and that was when my pager started buzzing. I stood up, grabbed my things, and headed over to the hostess. She led me to the table, and just as I was about to sit down, Brian showed up. He was dressed in a black suit and tie and looked about as nervous as me.
“I am so sorry that I’m late,” he said, his face flushed.
I smiled, grateful he looked exactly like his profile picture.
No surprises.
So far, so good.
2
SOPHIA
“NO PROBLEM AT all. I totally understand.”
Brian sat down across from me and smoothed down his tie. He grinned warmly. “Still, I feel bad. You look absolutely stunning, by the way. Even more beautiful than your photo.”
I blushed. “Thank you.”
Brian noticed my wine spritzer. “What do we have there?”
I told him.
“Sounds good. Normally, I don’t drink, but after a day like today, I could use something to help me relax.”
“I know what you mean.”
He picked up the menu. “It’s been ages since I’ve eaten here. What about you? Do you come here often?”
“Once in a while, my friends and I meet up here for Happy Hour.”
“Are most of them nurses, like yourself?”
“Many are. Yeah.”
He started asking me questions about the hospital, giving me his full attention, which was refreshing. The last date I’d had, with the married guy, had centered on him and his lies. It had been hard to get a word in edge-wise.
“How long have you lived in Summit Lake?” I asked, wanting to learn more about him.
“A few years.” He looked around the restaurant, suddenly looking agitated.
“Jesus, what’s taking so long?” Brian waved his hand at a nearby waitress carrying a tray of dirty dishes. He raised his voice. “Hey, could you send someone over here, like today? Apparently, our server has clocked out for the night.”
My stomach dropped.
Oh, here we go…
Customers at other tables turned to stare and my cheeks burned with embarrassment.
“Sorry, sir. We’ll get someone over right away,” the young woman replied.
“I’d appreciate it.”
The waitress left, but not before giving me a sympathizing smile.
“Well, this figures,” he grumbled. “Now I know why I haven’t been back for a while. The service here is deplorable. I should have known better. Sorry.”
I glanced around the restaurant, which was jam-packed. Servers were running around and looking stressed out. Being a nurse, I could definitely relate. “Maybe they’re just understaffed tonight?”
“That’s not our problem. I mean, hell, we should at least have water by now.” He nodded toward my spritzer. “At least you have your drink. I’m parched.”
I glanced toward the back of the restaurant, at the EXIT sign. Mitch’s suggestion of “escaping” out of the back was starting to sound inviting.
As if reading my mind, Brian relaxed. “Sorry. My bad. I must sound like a crabby old geezer. This isn’t me. I promise you. I’m just over-tired, hungry, and now thoroughly embarrassed. I’ve obviously overreacted. I hope I haven’t ruined our date before it’s even started…”
I relaxed a little. “It’s okay.”
He started talking about his last patient of the day and that was when our server arrived with the water.
She began apologizing right away as she set our glasses down. “There was an ordeal with an order that I had to take care of. I’m so sorry to have kept you waiting.”
Brian shrugged. “It’s fine. We understand. What do you have on tap?”
She listed an array of different beers and he chose a lager.
“Sounds good.” She
looked at me and smiled. “Would you like a refill on your drink?”
“No. The water will be just fine.”
“Nonsense. Have another drink,” Brian said. “You deserve to let loose.”
“No, that’s okay. I’m—”
He interrupted me. “Just get her another wine spritzer,” Brian said with a pleasant smile. “I believe she likes Moscato. Make sure it’s from a bottle of your best.”
I stared at him in surprise. I hadn’t told him the wine I preferred.
Had it been on my bio?
I couldn’t remember.
“Uh, sure,” the waitress said, noticing my frown.
“Also, I think we’d like to order an appetizer, too.” Brian scanned the menu again. “Buffalo wings, with ranch dressing, and maybe a flatbread pizza? I love the spinach artichoke one. It’s the best, in my opinion.” He looked at me. “Sound good?”
I frowned. “I guess.”
His pushiness, and the way he was taking control of everything, was making me less hungry by the minute. I honestly didn’t care what he ordered by that point.
The server left us.
“Are you sure you’re okay with the appetizers? I guess I kind of ordered without asking you beforehand. Sorry. I guess I’m just nervous.”
“It’s fine.”
Brian looked relieved. “So, this is your first online date?”
“Yeah. What about you?”
“I’ve been on a couple. Obviously, they didn’t work out. But, I’m glad. Otherwise I wouldn’t have met you.”
I smiled.
“So, you said you live in the area too?”
“Yeah.” I told him where my cabin was located.
“I know exactly where that is. My place is over by River Creek.”
I knew the homes located there were costly. A couple of the doctors I worked with lived on that part of the lake.
“Nice views over there I imagine.”
He nodded. “The best. I love how secluded it all seems. You still have neighbors, and quick access to the freeway, but it still feels so far away from everything. Not to mention that the fishing is really great there, too. You’d love it.”
Can't Forget You (Psychological Suspense Thriller) Summit Lake Series Page 1