Zack shook his head, convinced that Sondra had gone over the edge. “I think you scared every mouse in the area earlier. I doubt we’ll catch anything, but I’ll set the traps.”
She smiled at him. “Thanks.” Then her brows drew together in a frown. “Ummm. Do you think you can borrow an extension cord from Granny?”
“She was heading to bed last time we talked. I doubt I can rouse her. What do you need it for?”
Sondra swung her still-wet hair back and forth. “I’d like dry hair for the night. If it’s going to be cold, I want to start out warm.”
“I’m sure the bathroom is safe…”
“Not on your life.” Sondra was mulish.
“I’ll go hunt down an extension cord.”
“Thanks.”
The room was icy by the time Zack returned with an orange cord.
Sondra spent a few minutes blowing through her hair. She was dressed as warmly as she had been the night before. When Zack moved to the bed, he stared at Sondra a moment, who looked like she had no intention of moving from the center of the bed. He flashed his dimple. “I think the idea was for both of us to sleep here.”
She indicated the side closest to the bathroom. “Go ahead. There’s plenty of room.”
He stared at the small space on the side. His reply was dubious. “If you say so.”
“I had that much room on Monday. Trust me, you’ll fit.”
He cleared his throat. “Our sizes are just a bit—”
“I’m NOT moving.”
“Okay. Okay.” He rolled into the narrow spot and was promptly accosted by Sondra. He rolled over with some difficulty to take in her form plastered next to his. “Is this really necessary?”
She nodded vigorously. “If there’s a mouse anywhere near here, I want it to get you first.”
“I don’t think there will be a problem with that.” He squirmed. “Can you move over just a bit? I’m going to fall on the floor. I won’t be much of a protection down there.”
A flash of fear ran across her face, and she scooted to the center of the bed. Zack reached over to touch her cheek. “You know,” his tone was conversational, “I don’t remember you being this scared when those guys were after you or even when we were stranded on the street.”
She shuddered. “I know… there’s just something about a mouse… and he was staring right at me.”
He chuckled. “I have to confess, I don’t miss the sheepskin.”
Sondra giggled. “It’s wound around my feet.”
“Armor against a mouse?”
“Something like that.”
Zack wrapped his arms around her and let her settle into his chest. She sighed happily. After a few minutes, he could feel her relaxing. When her breathing indicated she had fallen asleep, he whispered against her hair, “Remind me to buy some mice…”
Sondra started awake. “What did you say?”
“Nothing.” He grinned against her hair.
“Hmmm.” She snuggled back against him and resumed her rhythmic breathing.
Chapter Nineteen, Shattered
Sondra’s eyes flew open when Zack’s alarm rang. Her eyes met his, and his quick grin had her realizing she was still plastered to his side. She pulled away and asked, “Do you think the mouse is gone?”
“I’ll go check the traps.” He rolled out of bed and spent a couple of minutes in the bathroom. “Empty.”
“Thanks for checking.”
“No problem. The bathroom’s all yours.”
A flash of fear ran across her face, but then her human needs took over. “Thanks. I’ll be just a few minutes.” She grabbed her clothes and raced to the bathroom.
He took his own clothes to the bathroom down the hall. Granny hadn’t risen yet, and the house was frigid. He opted for no heat to avoid any potential rodent problems and was back into their bedroom before Sondra had emerged.
“Are we going to wake Granny?” She asked.
“I’ll just peek in and say good-bye. You can come along with me. I’m sure she won’t mind.”
“Well, she doesn’t seem to mind bothering us in bed, that’s for sure.” Even she could hear the petulance in her voice.
He chuckled. “The perks of being eighty-three.”
They peeked in on Granny, who was sleeping with her mouth open. When Zack softly said, “Granny, we’re leaving,” she sat up with a start. Her dark blue down comforter slid down, revealing her Van Gogh Starry Night print flannel pajamas. To Sondra’s surprise, Granny’s natural gray hair was almost as long as her own. “Who? Where? What?” she burst out with some confusion.
“Our flight leaves this morning. We need to go.” His voice was soft.
Her eyes focused and she peered at him, reaching over for her glasses. After she donned them, she said, “I didn’t realize you were leaving so early. Do you want some breakfast?”
“No. We’ll catch something at the airport. Neither of us is much of a morning person.”
Granny shivered in the cold. “I thought you wanted me to leave the heat on.”
“Well, you were right about the mice,” he admitted.
“I warned you.” She had an I-told-you-so glint in her eyes.
He laughed. “You did. I should know better than to think you don’t know exactly what you’re talking about. Sondra preferred the cold to the critters.”
“Smart woman.” Granny winked at Sondra. “My sentiments exactly.”
“I set a few traps in the bathroom. You’ll want to check them every couple of days.”
“You’re right.” Granny nodded. “I wouldn’t want something rotting in my house.”
“They’re live traps.”
Granny stared at Zack in horrified amazement. “What am I going to do with a live mouse?”
Sondra giggled. “Zack thought it would make a great meal for the farmer’s cats.”
Granny laughed with her. “I’m sure he’d appreciate my dropping off a meal.” She paused a moment to catch her breath. “That’s worse than planting zucchini on the neighbor’s porch. I’ll have to sneak over after dark.”
“Don’t stay out too late, Granny,” Zack admonished. “You know you can’t see well at night.”
“You’re right. I really don’t drive after dark. I’ll have to find someone to help.”
“I’ll see if I can find someone.”
Granny’s eyes narrowed suspiciously. “Don’t try too hard, young man.”
He looked at her with innocent eyes. “You know me better than that. I was thinking one of the poor college students in the area could use a few bucks. Maybe one of them can come over and help.”
“Well,” Granny huffed, “it’d better not be some young hunk of a guy. I don’t trust those college men, and I doubt any girl of a sound mind would want to be handling mice.”
He continued his pretense at innocence, “I’ll bet a nursing student wouldn’t mind. They work with lab mice all the time.”
Granny seemed to warm up to the idea. “You’re right. I wouldn’t mind someone helping me with the mice, and I don’t mind paying someone if I need their services.”
Content to let the subject drop, Zack walked over and hugged Granny. Sondra followed after. She had grown fond of the eccentric bundle of energy. Her throat tightened as she wondered if she’d ever get to see her again.
As they drove to the airport, Sondra turned to Zack. “That was a perfect way to introduce extra help. With the mouse problem, I’m kind of siding with Jade.”
He sent a hard look at Sondra. “Lots of farmers have mice. It shouldn’t be a make or break item for sending her to a nursing home.”
She quickly backtracked. “You’re right. It just seems like she should have some help. A nursing student would be perfect, but how do you make sure they’re going to be good for Granny. How do you make sure they’re honest?”
“I’m going to have to have some kind of weeding system, and I’m going to have to offer a high enough wage to attract people I can choos
e from.”
“That sounds like a plan. Maybe Jade can help with the selection so she’ll feel better about having Granny stay in her own home.”
“That’s a good idea.” He approved. “I know Jade loves her, too.”
They rode in companionable silence the rest of the way. After they cleared security, they picked up some breakfast sandwiches at one of the eateries.
Sondra took a couple of Dramamine that she had left over from her trip to Washington, forcing herself to swallow past a lump in her throat. The thought that she didn’t take them on the flight out to protect the twins brought tears to her eyes.
She wasn’t looking forward to going back to the drudgery of work, and she didn’t want to think about what Zack was going to do. He would no longer have an excuse to stay with her. She had come to rely on his companionship. It was going to be lonely without him, and she didn’t want to think about life without Dewk.
Sondra was asleep before the plane left the runway. The announcement of the approach to Salt Lake City woke her. Before she opened her eyes, she inhaled deeply and appreciated Zack’s scent. His woodsy cologne was as much a part of him as his dimple. For a moment, she resisted the urge to open her eyes, but then she wondered what the weight on her head was. She opened her eyes and was surprised to see that Zack had fallen asleep with his head resting on her. The emotional trauma of the last few days must’ve worn him out.
She cleared her throat and pulled away. “We’re landing in a few minutes.”
He shot up. “I’m so sorry. I don’t usually nap.”
“I got that feeling. We’ve both been through a lot the last few days.”
“We have. I didn’t realize how tired I was.” He stretched and moved his seat upright for landing. He caught her gaze and said, “I had a call from the office yesterday.”
“Oh.” Sondra was cautious. This felt bad. Really bad. “When was that?”
“While I was looking for the extension cord.”
“Thanks for getting that for me, by the way. I wondered what took you so long.”
He stared out the window at the gray skies. “They’ve asked me to help out in another office.”
Sondra’s brows drew together. “Where at?”
He turned to catch her eyes again. “They’re opening an office in Germany. I’ll be hiring the engineers and setting up the office.”
“That sounds… complicated.”
“And time consuming, I’m afraid. They’ll need me for a few months.”
“Months?” Sondra felt like her heart had turned to stone. She’d lost the twins, Dewk, and Zack in one nightmarish week. How could she go on?
She hid her pain with all the control she had learned in the courtroom. It was time to be strong. This had been a temporary arrangement from the beginning. They both new that. His dad was dead. The twins were dead. What use was this marriage to either of them?
Sensing her dismay, Zack reached over and lifted her chin. “I’ll be back. I promise. You’ll need me when you go through the next pregnancy.”
She wanted to shout, and then you’ll go away and never come back. Instead, she smiled weakly. “I know I can count on you.” She couldn’t say another word. She wasn’t that strong.
They walked in silence to the shuttle and rode to Sondra’s car. A few inches of snow bore testimony to the winter storm that had swept through during their trip.
Zack turned on the car and started warming it after he helped Sondra in. While she was sitting in the warming car, he scraped the windows and brushed the extra snow off.
By the time he climbed into the car, Sondra had convinced herself that she could interact sanely with this man who had stolen her heart. She could be calm, cool, and collected like a good attorney should be. When he sat in the car and the scent of his cologne whispered to her, she had to turn and stare out the window. Convincing herself of her ability and actually having it were two different things.
She was terrified opening her mouth would start another torrent of tears, and Zack seemed just as reluctant to talk. What was there to say? Months seemed like an eternity when you were looking on the wrong side.
* * *
Zack searched through the house while Sondra stood at the door. He had the routine down from his military days. Since Dewk had been killed, Sondra could only appreciate his extra concern.
While she was loading the washer with her clothes, she stared out at Dewk’s heated house. The back of his house faced the laundry room. Her scream was primal.
Zack charged into the laundry room, searching frantically for the source of Sondra’s terror. “What’s wrong?”
She pointed at the house. On the back was spray painted a single word. “Shattered.”
“I was afraid of this.” Zack’s face was grim.
“I’m sorry.” Sondra collapsed with her face in her hands. “I just can’t do this. I can’t.”
“I don’t want you to. Not alone.” He paced back and forth a couple of times and then stopped to pull Sondra up. He held her in his arms and stroked her hair. “I can’t leave you here like this.”
She looked through tear-blurred eyes. “You mean you’re going to stay?”
He shook his head. “I’m sorry. I can’t. I have a commitment I need to keep, but I’m not leaving you here like this. Whoever this is knows you. He or she knows you’re married. They know where you live. You can’t stay here.”
“What do you mean?”
“It’s not safe.” He led her to the front room, where they both sat on the sofa. Sondra avoided looking at Dewk’s rug. That was another storm waiting to happen, and she was too near the edge. He faced her, his worried face close enough she wanted to reach out and stroke it. His announcement wasn’t a surprise. “You’re going to have to move.”
“I can’t just pack up and leave.” She protested weakly.
“Why not?”
“Where would I go?”
“For starters, you can stay in my Park City place. You can stay as long as you need. In the meantime, you can look for another home. We’re legally married, so you can buy a new place under your married name. Since the person who is stalking you knows you at work, you should be safe using your married name. You haven’t used that there.”
She took a calming breath. “You’re right. That was probably a good move on my part. I didn’t even know how vital that would be to my safety. I’ll start looking right away.”
“I think you can wait a couple of days. You’ve been under a lot of stress lately.”
She shook her head. “I had no idea my life would take such a drastic turn.”
He reached up to tuck a loose strand of hair behind her ear. “I wish I could be here with you, but I really think switching your home will keep you safe. If I didn’t have faith in that, I would quit my job right now.”
She shuddered. “I’m sure that isn’t necessary. I don’t expect you to make such a huge sacrifice.” She didn’t say aloud what her thoughts screamed at her. For something so temporary.
“Let’s gather your things. We’ll put them in the back of the Hummer. We can get your car tomorrow.”
“I can just take it tonight.” She protested.
He met her eyes. She felt like he was searching her soul. He must’ve been able to see the terror there, because he drew in a deep breath. “I have some arrangements to make in Salt Lake tomorrow, so I can drop you off here and you can spend some time at a realtors office before heading back to my place.” He reached for her hand and gently rubbed the back of her hand with his thumb. “Whoever poisoned Dewk didn’t get in the house, so your car should be safe in the garage.” He wrapped his arms around her. “I don’t feel like leaving you tonight. Can you humor me this once? And besides,” he flashed his dimple, “I dared you to drive the Hummer. You can do it today.”
She stared at him a moment. “I thought you had something more adventurous in mind than a trip down the highway to Park City.”
“You convinced me you don’t
like four wheeling. The freeway is good enough. I think you’ll enjoy it.”
She pushed out her lip in a pout. “I doubt anything that big would be fun to drive, but I’m game.” Anything to keep her mind off that black-lettered threat.
“I want the police in on this.” Zack was pulling out his phone. She was glad he was willing to do it. Despite her work as an attorney, she wasn’t sure she would be able to stop a waterfall from starting if she had to talk about the event. All her court cases involved other people. She’d never had to deal with her own issues like this. She suddenly saw life from a whole new point of view, and it wasn’t pretty.
A police officer arrived a few minutes later. He talked to them, inspected the house and took some pictures. After he left, she turned to Zack and asked, “Could you grab the clothes I put in the washer?” She shuddered. “I just can’t go in there again.”
“No problem.”
It took about an hour to load all of her other clothes and essential items. After the Hummer was loaded, Sondra climbed up behind the wheel and was pleasantly surprised by how easily it handled. She had expected to feel like she was driving a bus, but after the initial few minutes of figuring out how much space she needed to give herself, she enjoyed being able to see where she was going.
As they headed down Parley’s Summit, she was speeding up more than she wanted and tapped the brakes. The brake went all the way to the floor. She tried again. No response.
White with fear, she grated through clenched teeth, “The brakes don’t work.”
“Use the emergency brake.”
“Where is it?” She forced between her teeth.
He reached for the brake and eased up on it so the Humvee wouldn’t jerk. Smoke from the brake filled her back mirror.
“This isn’t working. We aren’t slowing.” Panic sounded in her voice.
“There’s a good spot to turn off just a mile down the road.” Zack’s voice remained calm, soothing.
“What do you mean—run off the road?”
Lined With Silver Page 19