She stood. “I didn’t even give you a chance to drink your coffee. Come back to the kitchen and I’ll make you a fresh cup.”
While he drank a new cup of coffee the conversation remained light, despite the many troubling concerns he had, and he knew she must be entertaining, as well.
All he could do right now was make sure he was by her side no matter where she went or what she did. They had reported the incident to Chief Thompson and left Avery’s car at the station. Now there was nothing more they could do but be on guard for the next attack that would happen.
And the terrifying thing was, he had a gut certainty that another one would.
Chapter 7
At four thirty they left the house to go pick up Lulu. When they reached the stretch of road where the truck had banged into the back end of her car, distress and anxiety pressed tight in Avery’s chest as she remembered how terrified she had been.
Who had been in that truck? Who had tried to wreck her car and force her off the road? She shuddered as she thought of what might have happened if she’d lost control of her vehicle.
“Avery, we aren’t being followed,” Dallas assured her the fourth time she twisted to look out the back window. “Try to relax. All that stress you’re carrying can’t be good for the babies.”
She settled back in her seat and released several deep, cleansing breaths, knowing he was right. No matter what was happening in her life, she needed to think of the health of her twins. She just hoped Chief Thompson would have some answers for them about the driver who had attacked her.
She breathed a sigh of relief when they pulled up in front of Regina’s. The bell tinkled over the doorway as they walked in. It was only a minute before Regina appeared from her back room.
She looked at Dallas in surprise. “If it isn’t Dallas Colton. Hey, Dallas, it’s been a while.”
“Hi, Regina. It’s been a lot of years,” he agreed.
“Ah, but I’d recognize that handsome mug of yours no matter how many years passed,” Regina said, and then looked around as if in mock fear. “Better not let Joe hear me talking to another man like that. He’d quit making his special pulled pork for me.”
Both Avery and Dallas laughed. Regina and Joe McGraw had been married for more years than Avery had been alive. It had always been obvious to others that the two of them adored each other.
She then smiled at Avery. “When Dallas was a young pup, he used to bring in stray dogs he found and have them washed and groomed.”
“That’s nice,” Avery replied, and looked at him with a new respect. Him being kind to animals, especially strays, only assured her once again that he was going to be a loving, caring father.
“Was Lulu good for you?” she asked.
Regina smiled. “That sweet baby is always good for me. She doesn’t have an aggressive bone in her body. Let me go get her for you.”
She disappeared into the back once again and Avery looked at Dallas. “Strays, huh?”
He shrugged. “I’d occasionally run across strays and they were usually filthy and matted. Once they were cleaned up I’d try to find a good home for them. It was no big deal.”
At that moment Regina returned with Lulu in her arms. The dog had been shaved except for cute poodle puffs around her ankles. She sported little pink bows at her ears and matching pink polish on her nails. “Oh, Regina, she looks so cute,” Avery said as she took Lulu from the groomer’s arms. “You’ll bill me?”
Regina laughed. “You know I will.”
Minutes later they were in the car and headed back to Avery’s house, and for the first time she began to process the fact that Dallas would not be going to his cabin that night.
“Uh, I didn’t know you would be at my place this evening so I didn’t pull anything out of the freezer to cook for dinner,” she said.
“Don’t stress, I’ll just order a pizza.” He flashed her a quick glance. “Avery, I don’t want you stressing about anything. I don’t expect you to cook for me every night. You don’t have to worry about picking up after me or entertaining me. The main thing is I’m not going to let anyone hurt you. You’re safe with me.”
She hadn’t realized how tense, how filled with anxiety she had been until some of those emotions drifted away with the determination she heard in his words.
Other than that it was a quiet ride home, and once they were inside the house he got on the phone to order the pizza. When he was finished she gestured to his duffel bag.
“Feel free to hang your clothes in the spare room closet, and you can put your toiletries in the guest bathroom. I have a bathroom off my bedroom that I use.”
“I’ll take care of that right now.”
While he unpacked, she sank down on the sofa with Lulu in her lap. The day had been exhausting. From the horrifying car drive that morning to Dallas moving in, she felt overwhelmed with everything.
There was no question she was grateful Dallas was here with her, because there was no question that whoever wanted to harm her might not be finished trying to achieve that goal. A chill worked through her at that thought.
Hopefully, despite everything else he had on his plate, Chief Thompson and his men could figure out who was behind these threats and get them arrested.
“All done,” Dallas said, as he came back into the living room. Lulu jumped down from her lap and headed for the doggie door. Avery started to get up, but Dallas waved her back down. “Sit tight. I’ll go out with her.” He opened the back door and disappeared.
Avery got up from the sofa and went into the pantry. On the floor, tucked back in a corner, were doggie training pads. She’d used them when she’d first been training Lulu, and now she was going to use them again.
There was no way she wanted Lulu to go outside by herself, so she intended to throw the metal pins that would stop the dog door from opening. At least during the night she’d keep the door locked and put down a puppy pad.
There were several habits that were going to have to be broken for now. She could no longer walk into the kitchen first thing in the morning in her bra and panties to make a cup of tea. Not that she’d done that recently, but occasionally that’s the way she started the day.
No longer could she just jump into the car and drive to the grocery store for a gallon of milk or a loaf of bread. Thought and planning would have to be in her mind at all times.
And how long would this nightmare go on? How long would Dallas be willing to put his life on hold to be her personal bodyguard? She’d already been terrorized twice. Was the person—or people—behind it done now? And even if they were, how would she and Dallas know that?
He and Lulu came back into the house and Dallas locked the door after them. She told him her plan about the doggie door. “It will just be for the nights, when we aren’t available to go out with her.”
“Sounds like a good plan to me,” he agreed. At that moment the doorbell rang. “That must be our pizza.”
Avery stifled a gasp as he pulled a gun from the back of his waistband. She hadn’t noticed the weapon before. He answered the door and then placed his weapon on the nearby coffee table so he could pay and grab the pizza.
Once he’d done that he carried his gun and the pizza into the kitchen. He set the gun on a nearby countertop and the pizza box in the center of the table.
“Do you have paper plates?”
“In the pantry. I’ll grab them.” She got the plates and then the two of them sat to eat, while Lulu enjoyed a chew bone.
“What do you think about Fred and Wilma?” he asked, as he served her a piece of the pepperoni pie.
She laughed and shook her head. “No way. You are not naming the twins after prehistoric cartoon characters.”
“Then I guess Tweety and Sylvester is out, too.”
“You’re just trying to make me laugh,” she said accusingly.
He grinned at her. “I like the sound of your laughter.”
“Thanks. I find yours pleasant, too.” She picked off a piece of pepperoni and popped it into her mouth. “I’ll try not to drive you crazy while you’re here.”
He looked at her curiously. “How would you make me crazy?”
“Sometimes I get up in the middle of the night because I can’t get comfortable and my back hurts.”
“That won’t make me crazy,” he replied easily.
“And sometimes I leave my breakfast dishes in the sink until lunch.”
“Still not crazy.” He smiled at her once again. “Avery, I’m a pretty laid-back guy. It would take a lot for you to drive me crazy.”
“We’ll see about that,” she replied, with a smile of her own.
As they ate they somehow got on the topic of pets they’d had in their past. “We always had dogs when I was growing up,” he said.
“Zeke was always bringing home animals. Dogs...cats...he even adopted a pet toad that lived under a rock in our backyard. I think he was about six at the time.” She smiled sadly. “He was such a gentle man, but he was tortured with demons for most of his life.”
“I’ll bet you were a great big sister.”
“I certainly tried to be.”
Dallas gazed at her warmly. “You’re going to be a terrific mother.”
“I intend to be,” she replied firmly. “It’s probably going to be challenging with twins, but I’m more than up for the challenge.”
“And I’ll be right at your side, helping you out,” he replied.
“I really appreciate you being here with me now, Dallas,” she said. “I’ll admit I’m a little scared, although what I’m hoping is that after terrorizing me this morning, the attacks are done.”
He stared at her for a long moment and any warmth she might have felt wafting from him disappeared. His jaw set and a knot began to pulse there. His mouth became a thin slash.
“Unfortunately, I don’t have that same hope. What they did to Lulu was terrorizing. What they did this morning was more. As far as I’m concerned it was attempted murder, and I don’t think they’re done yet. I fear that they’re just getting started.”
* * *
He shouldn’t have said it. The minute the words left his mouth she paled, and he instantly wished he could take the words back. “Avery, I’m so sorry. I shouldn’t have said that.”
“No, I want to know what you’re thinking. I always want to know what you’re thinking.” The natural color began to fill her cheeks once again.
“But the good news is we know somebody wants to harm you and we can be prepared and be on alert. I’ve told you before and I’ll tell you again, as long as there is breath in my body nobody is going to hurt you.”
“And on that note, I’m eating another piece of pizza.” She pulled another slice from the box to her plate. “Thankfully, talk of my own demise does nothing to diminish my appetite,” she said wryly.
They finished the meal, cleaned up the kitchen and then went into the living room to numb out in front of the television.
He could tell she was relaxing by her slow and even breathing and how she stroked her stomach in small circles. Good. He wanted her relaxed. She’d been far too stressed for the past couple days.
The television show playing was a silly sitcom and it warmed his heart each time she laughed. It was the perfect way to end the night, with her relaxed and laughing.
It was just after eight when she got up from the sofa. “I think I’ll call it a night.” She frowned. “Are you sure you’re going to be okay on the sofa?”
“I’ll be just fine,” he assured her, and stood, as well.
“I’ll bring you a pillow and blanket.” She left the room and returned a few minutes later with the items. “Then I guess I’ll just say good-night.”
“Good night, Avery. I hope you have sweet dreams.”
He watched her go down the hall and heard the soft sound of her bedroom door closing. He sat back down on the sofa and turned off the television.
He needed to listen to the normal sounds of the house and become familiar with them so he didn’t jump and grab his gun a hundred times during the night.
The sound of the furnace whooshing on and off and the faint hum of the refrigerator were a normal conversation happening in the house. They created a white noise that he would easily be able to dismiss.
At least the alarm was set, so he would be alerted if anyone tried to break in. However, he didn’t know if the alarm included all the windows. He should have asked Avery about that. He’d have to ask her tomorrow.
He made a quick call to his brother Forrest, to let him know what was happening and that Dallas would be at Avery’s place for an undetermined amount of time. He also made a call to his brother Donovan, to keep him up to date with what was going on.
He’d brought his computer with him, so while he was here he could continue to look for the names of army men who had been in the area forty years before.
Despite everything that had happened to Avery over the past two days, Dallas hadn’t forgotten that a serial killer was working in Whisperwood, a killer he wanted to help get off the streets.
He finally decided to go ahead and call it a night. First he went to the front and looked out the window to see if anyone was lurking around the house. Seeing nobody, he then moved to the back windows and checked outside. Nothing appeared amiss.
He turned off all the lights and made his way to the sofa. He made sure his gun was in easy reach. He shucked his shirt and pants, leaving him in his boxers and stretched out and pulled the blanket over him.
Instantly, a picture of Avery’s lips filled his head. He’d lost count of the number of times over the past couple days he’d thought about kissing her, had wanted to kiss her. The next time the desire swept over him he needed to just go for it. Surely if he kissed her once it would get the idea out of his head for good.
He must have fallen asleep, for he awakened with all his senses alert. His hand snaked out of the blanket and grabbed his gun. Something had awakened him—a faint noise, a shift in air pressure...something.
Moonlight drifted into the room, allowing him to see that he was alone. But that didn’t mean somebody who didn’t belong wasn’t in the house.
Without making a sound, he slid off the sofa. His heartbeat slowed as he went into the cool, unemotional mode that had served him well as a soldier.
He smelled her before he saw her, that evocative scent that dizzied his brain. Avery. He flipped on the living room light, to find her standing at the mouth of the hallway.
“Avery. Jeez, woman, you almost got yourself shot.” He lowered his gun. “What in the hell are you doing, skulking around?”
His tone must have been sharper than he intended, for her lower lip trembled. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t want to wake you, but apparently the twins don’t like pepperoni very much. I’ve got a little heartburn and so I was just going to get a glass of milk.”
“Come on then, let’s get those kids some milk.” Together they headed for the kitchen, where he turned on the light and sat at the table while she beelined to the refrigerator.
She was clad in a long white cotton nightgown with little blue flowers on it. The low scooped neckline revealed the tops of her breasts and he tried desperately not to focus his attention there.
The clock on the microwave indicated it was a quarter before two. “Do you get heartburn often?” he asked.
“Not too often, but occasionally. I should have known better than to eat all that pepperoni off the pizza.” She poured the milk and then joined him at the table. “I really am sorry that I woke you, but I couldn’t stand it any longer, and milk seems to be the only thing that works to ease the burning.”
“Avery, I don’t ever want you to worry about waking me up. You need to g
o about your normal life and just ignore that I’m in the house.”
She took a sip of the milk and then smiled at him. “It’s pretty hard to ignore a nearly naked, handsome hunk sleeping on my sofa.” Instantly her cheeks grew pink and she quickly stared down into her glass.
“So, you really think I’m a handsome hunk?” he asked teasingly, hoping to stop an awkward moment from happening and ridiculously pleased by her words. He chose to ignore the “nearly naked” part of her comment, although he wished he would have yanked on his jeans before he’d come into the kitchen.
“You know you are,” she replied. “Besides, I wouldn’t have jumped into bed with you so fast the night we first met if you hadn’t swept me off my feet with your physical attractiveness.”
“So, are you telling me you’re a shallow woman who only sees somebody’s outer beauty?” Once again his tone was teasing.
Her eyes sparkled with humor. “Yes, that’s exactly what I’m telling you. I am a shallow woman who only surrounds myself with beautiful people.”
He laughed. “If you were really that kind of a woman then I wouldn’t like you as much as I do.”
She held his gaze for a long moment. “It’s important that we like each other not only just now, but for a long time to come.”
“There’s no reason why that isn’t going to happen,” he replied. “Now, drink your milk so you can go back to bed and get some sleep.”
She finished the milk and then put the glass in the dishwasher. He walked with her down the hallway and the scent of her wafted around him. Suddenly his desire burned hot inside him.
Just a kiss. Since the moment he’d seen her again he’d been tormented by memories of what they had shared on the night they had met. He wanted just one kiss to confirm that his memories of kissing her were far better than the actual act.
When they reached her bedroom door, she turned back to look at him. “Again, I’m sorry for waking you,” she said.
“No problem.” He gave himself no time to overthink things, and no little voice whispered caution in his head. Dallas reached out and took her in his arms and then captured her lips with his.
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