“Well, well, if it isn’t my old friend. Hello, Renee, wanna come out and play?”
“Who’s that?” Aaron demanded. The voice had a sinister ring to it, as if the man had been watching B horror movies.
Renee stood frozen in place. Her body trembled. Aaron slipped his arms around her and kissed the top of her honey hair. “Is it Benny?”
She nodded.
The one who beat her senseless when she was a child, Lord.
The phone rang. Aaron answered it. “Hello.”
“The boyfriend, I presume?”
“Leave her alone, Benny. It’s over. Go back home,” Aaron demanded.
A wicked laugh pierced the phone. “She’s told you who I am. Well, watch your back. I’m watching yours.” The phone went dead.
Aaron slammed the phone down.
“Come on, you’re getting out of here. It’s not safe.”
Aaron star sixty-nined the call, but it came back as an untraceable number. “We’re going to the police station, and you’re filling out a restraining order. This guy won’t hurt you again, Renee. I promise. Renee?”
She stood in place, not moving, as if she were in a trance.
“Renee?”
Slowly she turned her head and looked at him. “I need to run.”
“No, you’re staying with me. You’re not running anywhere.”
“No, I mean I physically need to run. It reduces the stress. It’s my defense mechanism.”
“Oh. Can you run after we pack your bags and report this creep to the police?” He grinned.
She smiled. “Yes, but I’ll need to run tonight.”
“I’ll run with you, unless you want to do laps with me in the pool?”
She shook her head. “Nope, I need to run. It helps.”
“All right, you can run. But first, let’s run into your bedroom and grab some clothes and get away from this guy. We’ll order some new locks, a new phone number, and get you secure. But for now, you’re staying with me.”
“Aaron, stop and think for a minute. I can’t stay with you. Your place isn’t safe for me either. It’s like you said, he’s probably already found out where I work, where I run, everything about me. The best thing is for us to stick with the plan of my staying at your parents’—at least for tonight.”
He hated that she was right. “All right, but first we pack, agreed?”
“Agreed.”
Her cell phone rang. She went to answer it. Aaron took it from her hands. “Hello?”
“Yeah, she’s right here, hold on.”
He cupped the phone. “It’s someone named Jean.”
“Jean?”
“Yeah, she says you know her from church.”
He watched her mentally calculate whether she knew the woman or not. “Oh.” She grabbed the phone. “Hi, Jean.” After a brief pause, she said simply, “Fine.”
Fine, my foot. She’s got a lunatic running around after her, and she says she’s fine. He stuffed some clothing in a gym bag. He opened her underwear drawer, grabbed a fistful, and plopped it in the bag. He didn’t care to look. If he didn’t pull out the right stuff, she could buy more. Everyone always needs new underwear, he reasoned.
“No, you know what,” he heard her say into the receiver, “I don’t think I can make it to the Thanksgiving service after all.”
Another brief pause. “Yeah, I know, but something’s come up.”
Again, the author of understatements. Not that he’d want the entire world to know his business either. But two minutes ago she was a zombie, now she was acting like she didn’t have a care in the world. She probably runs in the sun with no hat. Down here the sun could scramble your brains. That had to be it. No one could turn their emotions on and off that quickly, could they? He certainly couldn’t. In fact, he was beginning to work up to a full steam. He needed to calm down before he lost his powers of reasoning.
“Thanks, Jean, I really appreciate it. Adam’s really excited. I appreciate your help on that too.” Renee looked at Aaron mischievously. “Nope, can’t talk right now. He’s standing beside me.”
She chuckled. “Absolutely. Talk to you later.”
Her duffel bag oozed with clothing that dangled from the opening. He stuffed it in and pretended he wasn’t curious about Renee’s Thanksgiving plans.
Fourteen
“Aaron, sit down and let me explain.” Renee held her hands together to keep him from seeing her shaking. “Something you said made perfect sense, but I didn’t see it until I was talking with Jean.”
He sat down on the edge of her bed. He held the duffel bag between his legs. “What could I possibly have said that would make you want to stay in this unsafe place?”
“It’s not unsafe. Okay, tonight it is. But tomorrow I’m coming back.” She came beside him and sat down. “Aaron, you said that I needed to trust the Lord. Well, I do. I can’t be running from Benny the rest of my life. I’ll file a restraining order, but I’m not thirteen, and I’ve learned some self-defense techniques over the years. I’m going to fight him, Aaron. I have to. Don’t you see? It’s now or never.”
He rubbed the back of his neck and worked the stress out of it.
“Adam and I have gone to a lot of trouble to put together something special,” she continued, “and I’m not going to take that away from him.”
Aaron let out an exasperated breath. “I suppose you’re right. But I don’t like it. I want additional protection here.”
“Like what? I’ve got a superintendent who now knows not to let anyone in. I’ve got a security system in the apartment I can put on “stay,” and if someone opens the door, the alarm will go off. I can sleep with the panic button next to me, just in case. Seriously, if we look at this logically, he can only come at me via the elevator. I don’t think Benny will walk up seven flights of stairs.”
“Okay, but tonight you’re staying with me.”
“No, tonight I’ll stay with your parents,” she corrected.
“Then I’ll stay there too.”
“Aaron,” she chided, raising her voice.
“Oh, all right. I’ll go home, but Adam stays with my parents.”
“Agreed. Now, why don’t we call Detective Diaz and see about applying for that restraining order.”
Aaron shook his head.
“What?”
“You. One minute you’re falling apart, the next you’re the rock of Gibraltar.”
“Oh. The psychologist said that shock impacts me that way. After the initial shock, I come back swinging.”
“Well, keep your bat handy.” He grinned.
Playfully she swatted him on the shoulder. “Thanks for being here for me, Aaron. You don’t know how much that means to me.”
❧
Two hours later Renee found herself at Charles and Gladys Chapin’s house. Detective Diaz was skeptical of Renee’s claims until he pulled up Benny Gamaldi’s file, and she was able to give him details of the dates of his arrest and the court case against him. With the taped phone message and the testimony from Aaron of Benny’s phone call, they were able to put in a petition for a restraining order against the man. The judge would have to get an order to unseal her records and verify that this man was guilty of the crimes against her, since his court records only read that he’d beaten a minor.
Her running shoes and clothes on, Renee was ready for a good workout. Aaron insisted on coming with her. She didn’t mind the company, but she needed to run hard. He wouldn’t be able to keep pace with her. He was in good shape, but he wasn’t a runner. They went to the moonlit beach where she could run for awhile and still be well within Aaron’s view if he should need to rest. And she knew he’d need to rest.
To warm up, she started with her stretching. “Do you do this every day?” he asked.
“Yup.” She bent down and placed her palms on the ground without bending her legs.
“Ouch, that looks painful,” Aaron whined. “You sure you don’t want to go to my place and take a few
laps in the pool?”
“Chicken?”
“Bock, ba, ba, bock.” Aaron imitated the bird with some feet scratching and head bopping along with the clucking.
“Come on, Chicken, I’ll run the first lap slow. Hey, what’s a good chicken name? I can’t call you Chicken all night.”
“How about Fred?”
She started a slow jog to the water’s edge. The tide was low, providing lots of room for a flat footing. “Fred?”
“Yeah, it’s short for Alfredo.”
“Whatever happened to Frederick?”
“That, my dear, would be from my father’s side, my English side.”
“I see, so today you’re Alfredo the Spanish chicken?”
“You have to admit, Chicken Alfredo sounds much nicer,” he huffed.
Renee laughed. “Any chance we can get some this late at night?” She kept an even pace for him to follow.
“Possibly, but it’s more likely we can get your favorite Italian food.”
“Pizza,” they said in unison.
After a fifteen-minute run south on the beach, she turned and headed north. “Okay, Fred, it’s time to beat feet.” She poured on the steam. Every step slammed into the sand below her as she pushed herself into a hard, brisk run. She heard him groan but didn’t turn back. She went up to the wharf and turned to head south again, having made the distance in seven minutes rather than the fifteen. Aaron wasn’t too far behind. She had to give him credit for sticking by her. “Come on, Fred, four more laps to go.”
He smiled and watched her pass.
Lord, I don’t deserve this man. He’s so special. Help me be worthy of his love and affection.
The cool evening breeze swept past as her body glistened with sweat, cleansing itself from the horrors of the day. Why, after all this time, would Benny be coming after me now, Lord? Shouldn’t his temper have waned by now?
The simple fact was that without her testimony, they wouldn’t have nailed him on half the charges they had against him. She’d seen and witnessed too many of his criminal acts. It still amazed her that the police had used a thirteen year old to get to a criminal.
Her breathing deepened as she pushed herself for another lap. Aaron had jumped into the ocean for a quick swim. His lean frame sluiced through the waters as if he were native to the sea.
Her sneakers felt like lead as their weight increased with the water. Father remove this yoke from me. I can’t bear it any longer. Thank You for helping me open up to Aaron. Why have I lived in shame for so long? I was a kid, fighting for my life. Tears streamed down her face. Please, remove Benny from my life completely. I don’t want to be looking over my shoulder for years to come.
Aaron swam toward shore. “Hey there, Beautiful, wanna come for a swim?”
Renee removed her sneakers and dove in. “No,” she said, sputtering water, “but I wouldn’t mind spending some time with you.”
Aaron wiggled his dark eyebrows and captured her in his arms. “So, what’s this secret you have going with Adam?”
“I’ll never tell.” She winked, then dove farther into the waves. “Race you to the end of the pier,” she challenged.
❧
Aaron worked the kinks out of his neck as he tossed and turned in bed. He and Renee had decided not to talk about Benny and his threats. She’d agreed to stay at his parents’ for a couple days until the security changes were incorporated at her apartment. The fact that someone was out there watching, waiting for the right moment to strike, kept him on edge. No matter how logical it was for Renee to stay in her apartment, he couldn’t rest. He needed to protect her. The nightmares of Hannah dying in the accident had changed. In the driver’s seat, he found Renee, beaten and dying. How could he explain his fear to her? And did he really trust God, as he’d been asking her to do, if he worked so hard to protect her, to overprotect her? Thoughts of sleeping in his car outside her apartment made the only sense for protecting his sanity. Of course, that wasn’t fair to Adam, so what could he do?
Trust the Lord.
The simple phrase required so much. The irony was that Renee saw him as a pillar of strength with his faith. Only he knew how weak he really was.
He turned to his side and punched the pillow. “Protect her, God. Please don’t take her away.”
Today was Thanksgiving, a day to celebrate all that God had done for them. To Aaron it had always represented the beginning of Christmas celebrations. Adam and Renee had something up their sleeves for the day. He’d tried to snoop but hadn’t found a clue. She was masterful at keeping secrets.
He groaned. If he heard from one more federal agent or police officer that she was not to be trusted, he wasn’t too sure he’d be able to keep from exploding. Oddly enough, Diaz had become her strongest supporter. Of course, he was the only one who spent real time with her. Everyone else looked at the paperwork.
Aaron leaned over and picked up the ringing phone. “Hello?”
“Hey, Lazy, wanna open the door?”
“Renee?”
“The one and only. Adam and I have a surprise for you, so get out of bed and come into the living room.”
Joy blew away his negative thoughts. The woman he loved and his son were waiting on him. “I’ll be right out.”
He tossed off the covers and dressed in a pair of jeans and a polo shirt. Brushing his hair, he went to the sink and then took care of his teeth. One quick glance in the mirror, and he entered the living room.
“Happy Thanksgiving, Daddy!” Adam ran up to him. Aaron scooped him up and gave him a great big hug. Yes, he had plenty to be thankful for this morning.
“Happy Thanksgiving, Buddy.” He glanced to the living room and found a homemade turkey on the coffee table. Renee stood at the edge of the sofa with a precious smile.
“Happy Thanksgiving, Aaron,” she whispered.
He put Adam down and wrapped her in his arms. “Happy Thanksgiving, Renee.” He kissed her gently on the lips.
Adam tugged on his pant leg. “Daddy, you’ve got to see this. You can kiss Renee later.”
Aaron and Renee chuckled. “Okay, Sport, show me.”
“Look here, Daddy. See?” Adam bounced up and down beside the turkey centerpiece that he must have made with Renee.
“We made it.” He beamed.
“It’s a wonderful job, Son. How’d you make it?”
“With papier-mЙchО, right, Renee?”
“Right.”
“Open it, Daddy,” Adam pleaded.
Aaron lifted the colorful head of the slightly lumpy turkey.
“See?”
Aaron peered inside. “It’s my letter to God. Renee said we can write God letters and read them later.” Adam leaned over to him and whispered, “You’re supposed to write what you’re thankful for.”
“Ah, thanks,” Aaron winked.
“Come see this, Daddy!” Adam grasped his hand and led him toward the back patio.
“What’s out here?” Aaron asked, turning back to Renee to mouth the words “thank you.”
“More surprises.”
Yes, he had a lot to be thankful for. Help me keep it in perspective, Lord.
❧
Renee finished cleaning up from the day’s activities. Not only had Aaron’s parents come, but Marie and her four children had also spent the day at the house. The fried turkey had been a smash, but watching Aaron and his father fish it out with the broom handle had been too precious. Thankfully, she’d caught it on videotape. All five children and the remainder of the adults stood behind the screen wall of the pool.
“Hey, Wonderful, thank you for a great day.” Aaron came up behind her and kissed the back of her neck.
A moan of pleasure escaped her lips. “You know what I could really use is. . .” His hands kneaded her shoulders. She groaned. “That’s it.”
Aaron chuckled. “You’ve worked hard. I can’t believe all the food you prepared. It was a glorious Thanksgiving.”
“I haven’t had one this speci
al since I was a kid.” Changing the subject, she added, “Marie looked good.”
“Yeah, Manuel took off again. She and the children are always happier when he’s gone. I don’t understand why she doesn’t see it.”
“She sees it; she’s just afraid. Afraid she’ll be single and alone all her life. At least that’s what I figured motivated my aunt. She hated being alone.” Renee put the dishtowel down on the counter and turned to face Aaron. “I should be going home.”
“What’s the hurry? Adam’s down for the night. It’s the first night you and I’ve had together in a long time. Or at least it seems that way. Stay for a little while.”
“All right, but you can tell my boss why I’m late for work in the morning.”
Aaron took her hand and led her toward the living room. “I’ve met your boss; he’s a reasonable man.”
“Ha,” she huffed. “The man’s a slave driver. He gives me tons of work and just leaves.”
Aaron chuckled. “Must be because he trusts you.”
“Hmm, I’ve heard rumors.” They sat down on the sofa together.
“There is one other possible explanation,” he whispered.
Renee closed her eyes as the fine hairs on her arms rose to attention.
“He’s fallen madly in love with you and wants to keep you all to himself.” He traced her lips with the tip of his finger.
He pressed his lips to hers. She wrapped her arms around him, pulling him closer. Lost in his love, lost in her own for him, could life get any better than this?
An explosion shook the house.
The room went pitch black.
Fifteen
“What was that?” Renee squeaked out the words.
“Sounds like a transformer blew. Sit here, I’ll check.”
The idea of staying put in a completely darkened house didn’t set well with her take-charge approach to life. Renee worked her way to the kitchen and fumbled around the counter until she found the matches. She recalled seeing some candles in––which drawer? She mentally went over the contents of Aaron’s kitchen cabinets. Third drawer down next to the refrigerator. Her eyes now adjusted to the darkness, she could see the long, slender white candles still wrapped in cellophane.
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