“Would you mind texting me when you leave the salon? Just so I know when to expect you?”
It felt strange to have to check-in with someone, but she didn’t mind. “Sure. But remember, I’m going to stop at the store on my way home.”
“Okay.” He looked at the clock on the microwave. “I need to get going, but I’ll see you tonight.”
She nodded. “Have a good day.”
He gave her a lingering kiss. “You too.” Then he was gone.
Autumn sat on the barstool, lost in thought. This was so reminiscent of married life. It felt surreal.
When she and Sasha reached the salon, she was bursting with the news of all that had happened.
“How are you?” Haylie asked as a smile slowly built on her face.
Autumn couldn’t stop the huge smile from blooming on her mouth. “I’m awesome.”
Haylie threw a triumphant grin to Cassie. “I knew texting Jax was the right thing to do.” Then Haylie grimaced. “Wait. He did contact you, right?”
Cassie smirked. “Look at her face. That’s gotta be a yes.”
Autumn laughed. “Yes. When he got your text he came rushing over.”
“That message on your mirror was so creepy,” Cassie said. “Haylie showed me the picture.”
In her happiness, Autumn had pushed the memory of the blood-red message from her mind. Her smile dimmed. “Yeah.”
“So,” Haylie asked with raised eyebrows. “What happened with Jax?”
Autumn told them all about her evening.
There was no mistaking the shock on Cassie’s face. “You moved in with him?”
Wanting to clarify, Autumn shook her head. “Not like that. I’m staying in one of his spare bedrooms. Just until this…stuff…is figured out.”
“Okay.”
“Jax convinced me that it would be safer at his place. He has some security there. And of course my house has none.” She laughed. “In fact, anyone could crawl right through Sasha’s dog door.”
Cassie and Haylie looked at Sasha.
“Do you think that’s how that woman got in?” Haylie asked.
“I don’t know how else she would’ve.”
“Makes sense,” Haylie added.
“Now I understand why you brought Sasha with you,” Cassie said.
“Yeah. I’d better get her situated in the office before we open.”
At the end of the workday, before Autumn left, she sent a text to Jax to remind him she would be stopping at the grocery store. He replied a few moments later. Can’t wait to see you.
With a broad smile, Autumn tucked her phone in her purse, and with Sasha on her heels, headed to her car. After stopping by the store to get a few things, she drove to Jax’s house. As she pulled up to the gate and lowered her window to punch in the code, her lips twisted into a crooked smile. Who would have thought she would be staying in a fabulous house with a famous NFL star? No one. She especially couldn’t have imagined it. Yet here she was.
She drove through the gate and parked in front of the garage, then let Sasha out of the back before grabbing the groceries and walking toward the front door. She’d only made it halfway there when Jax opened the door and met her on the driveway.
Thrilled to see him, she couldn’t hold back her smile.
“How was your day?” he asked. Then he kind of grimaced. “No more weird stuff?”
“Great and no.”
“Good.” He leaned in for a kiss before taking the groceries from her.
Now that Autumn was safely home, Jax could relax. He hadn’t been worried about her while she’d been at the salon, but once she’d told him she was leaving, he couldn’t seem to stop himself from imagining terrible things happening to her.
Rob had been keeping tabs on Kelli Judd and had reported that she’d gone to work, then out to lunch, back to work, then out with coworkers.
“I’m ready to relax tonight,” he said as they walked into the house.
“Sounds good to me.” They stopped in the kitchen and Autumn turned to him with a smile. “You do want me to make dinner though, right?”
He set the groceries on the counter, then he turned to her with a grin. “I wouldn’t object if you cooked something up.”
She laughed. “That’s what I figured.” She unloaded the groceries and put some of the items away and left others on the counter. “I was thinking spaghetti would be good.”
Jax hadn’t had homemade spaghetti in ages. “That’s sounds great. What can I do to help?”
Her lips curved into a smile. “Just keep me company while I cook.”
“That, I can do.”
First, she fed Sasha, then she got to work. Jax enjoyed watching the expert way she moved about the kitchen, and as they chatted about their day, he was amazed at how right and how comfortable this felt. She had slipped into his life so effortlessly. Being with her was easy, and the way he felt towards her… He was falling in love with her.
After dinner they sat on Jax’s patio and enjoyed the pleasant evening, and when Jax began tossing a ball for Sasha, warmth and peace enveloped Autumn. Knowing he was there for her… It meant everything. When she was with him she felt complete.
“Your dog’s pretty smart,” he called to her as Sasha dropped the ball at his feet.
She smiled. “I know she is.”
“Of course if she went out and got a job, then I’d really be impressed.”
He always made her laugh. That was one thing she loved about him. One of many. “What kind of a job? Like playing football? Maybe she can be a receiver.”
That earned her a laugh. “Maybe.” He threw the ball and Sasha bolted after it. “She’s definitely faster than some of the guys on the team.”
“Well, she does have twice as many legs.”
Jax laughed. “True.”
After a few more throws, Jax joined her on the patio, and when it began to get chilly, he lit the outdoor fireplace. They sat side by side on an outdoor couch, and when Jax put an arm around her, Autumn snuggled close to him. Though she was eager to resolve the strange happenings, she found she wasn’t in a hurry to go home.
Chapter Thirty-Three
The next morning at the salon, Autumn reported on her evening to Cassie and Haylie, who hung on every word.
“I want a boyfriend like Jax,” Haylie said. “Rich and hot and sweet. And did I mention hot?”
“Maybe we can find one like him online,” Cassie said with a look of hope.
Knowing how lucky she was, Autumn just laughed.
The day flew by. Autumn was too busy to go to lunch, so she had Cassie bring her something back from the deli, and when it was time for the salon to close, she told Haylie and Cassie she’d see them in the morning. She had to stay and do some administrative work before she could leave.
“Okay,” Haylie said. “Be safe. We’ll see you first thing.”
Autumn locked the door behind them, then worked for another hour before clipping on Sasha’s leash and walking out to her car. The parking lot was fairly empty as all the stores near hers had closed for the night, and as she approached her car, a chill raced up her spine.
Glancing around, when Autumn looked at Sasha and saw that she didn’t seem spooked, she calmed. Surely Sasha would let her know if she was in danger.
Autumn stuck her key in the lock but noticed that the interior pop-up lock was in the up position. Had she forgotten to lock her car when she’d gotten to work? It was possible. She’d had a lot on her mind.
Shaking her head with a sigh, Autumn opened the driver’s door, but when her gaze went to the upholstery, she recoiled with a gasp. The fabric on both the driver’s side and the passenger side had been slashed. Repeatedly.
Heart racing, and with the leash clutched in her hand, Autumn turned and ran to the safety of the salon. Hand shaking, she struggled to insert her key. It took three attempts before she managed to unlock the door and burst inside. Sasha was right on her heels, and after they were both safely inside,
Autumn locked the door and fled to the office, closing and locking the door. The lock on the office door was flimsy, and she knew being inside gave her a false sense of security, but it was better than being out in the open.
After taking several deep breaths to calm herself, she dug her phone out of her purse and called Jax.
“Are you on your way home?” he asked before she had a chance to tell him anything.
“No. I’m…I’m hiding in my office.”
“Hiding? Hiding from who? What happened?”
“Someone slashed the seats in my car.”
“What?”
“Yeah. I was ready to come home, but when I saw the damage, I freaked out. Now I’m in my office with the door locked.”
“All right. I’m on my way.”
“Thank you, Jax.” She disconnected the call and squeezed her eyes closed, comforted to know he was there for her, that he would protect her.
When she heard knocking on the salon door twenty minutes later, Autumn jumped, her heart pounding.
“It’s me,” Jax called out.
Autumn hurried to open the door, and the moment Jax stepped inside, she threw herself at him. His strong arms enveloped her and for the first time since she discovered the vandalism to her car, she felt safe.
Burying her head against his chest, she murmured, “Thank you for coming.”
“Of course.” He held her a moment longer, then said, “Show me your car.”
Nodding, she released him and led him toward her car. Sasha trotted along beside them. They reached the car and Autumn gestured for Jax to take a look.
Jax opened the driver’s door and peered inside. Yep. The upholstery was trashed, just like Autumn had said. There was no doubt someone had slashed the fabric.
Staring at the damage, Jax didn’t know what to think. He was glad Autumn was safe, but what was really going on? As he’d driven over, he’d called Rob to get a report on Kelli and had been shocked when Rob had said Kelli had flown out of town early that morning. So early it was before Jax had kissed Autumn good-bye at breakfast. And Rob had verified that Kelli really was out of town.
There was no way Kelli could have done this. Yes, she could have hired someone, but that didn’t seem likely. He hadn’t heard from her since he’d stopped by her house. She seemed to have gotten over him. There was no reason for her to do any of this.
And there was no one else on the suspects list. If it wasn’t Kelli…
Jax thought about Ty’s ex again. The way she’d made things up to get attention. Could that be happening here?
Jax straightened and faced Autumn. “When was the last time you saw your car? At lunch?”
She shook her head. “I haven’t left the salon since I got here this morning.”
“And what time was that?”
“I don’t know. Seven thirty?”
Yep. That was at least an hour after Kelli had arrived at the airport.
Troubled by the possibility that Autumn might have another side to her, a side that he wanted nothing to do with, Jax stared at her. Her green eyes were wide and worry framed her mouth. She really seemed to believe someone had done this to her, but he couldn’t quite get there. Could she have done this herself before coming to the salon? Just to get his attention?
Maybe she had a split personality. One part of her was sweet and kind and wonderful—the side he’d fallen for. But the other? Violent and filled with rage.
He didn’t want to believe that, but he didn’t know what else to think.
Each and every incident that had occurred to her had no witnesses and no suspects. Besides Kelli Judd. But that had become a dead-end. And each and every incident could have been done by Autumn herself.
He looked toward the shops that lined the parking lot. “Are there any security cameras that look out here?”
Autumn shook her head. “All of us business owners discussed it, but it was too expensive so we decided not to invest in that right now.” She stared at him, her forehead puckered. “Should I call the police?”
“No.” The answer came out abruptly, so he softened it with a smile. “Let’s see what Rob says about Kelli. Maybe he saw her come this way.” He already knew Kelli was out of town. Why was he enabling her?
“Okay.”
Autumn looked at him with such trust that he felt guilty for disbelieving her.
“What should I do?” she asked.
That was the question of the hour and one that he had no answer for.
“Let’s, uh,” he said as he ran a hand through his hair. “Let’s just go home.” Was that really the best idea? What if bringing her back to his house put him in danger? No, he could take care of himself, and he wasn’t quite ready to cut her off completely. Not yet.
“What about my car?”
“Is it drivable?”
She glanced at the interior. “I think so. I haven’t tried to turn it on yet.”
“Give it a try, and if it is, let’s go home and think about what to do next.”
She nodded, then after opening the back door for Sasha, she climbed behind the wheel. The engine started right up. A relieved smile lit her face, and after she closed her door, Jax got in his car and headed home. Autumn was right behind him, and as they drove, his mind raced about what to do.
Chapter Thirty-Four
When they reached Jax’s house, Autumn parked in front of the garage. All the way home she’d pictured Kelli, crazed and wild-eyed, slashing and hacking at the upholstery in an uncontrolled rage. What was wrong with her? What was she trying to accomplish? Confused and scared, Autumn let Sasha out of the car and met Jax on the driveway.
Massaging his temples, he smiled, but it looked forced.
“Do you want me to make you some dinner?” Autumn asked. Her appetite was gone, but she knew Jax would want to eat.
“Uh, yeah. Sure.”
Glad for something to do, she walked beside him, but she was acutely aware that he hadn’t taken her hand like he usually did. Maybe she should take his hand, but something held her back—a tension between them that she hadn’t felt before.
They walked into the house, then into the family room. Autumn scooped food into Sasha’s dog bowl.
“I’m gonna call Rob,” Jax said.
Autumn straightened. “All right. I’ll be in the kitchen if you need me.”
He gave her a curt nod, then he took his phone out of his pocket and walked in the direction of his bedroom.
Curious as to why he was leaving the room to call Rob, Autumn looked in the fridge to see what she could make for dinner. There was a package of chicken, but not wanting to take it if Jax was planning on using it for something else, she decided to ask him if she could use it. She strode down the hall toward his bedroom, but when she heard him on the phone, she slowed, not wanting to interrupt.
Curious what Rob had to say, she paused outside Jax’s bedroom door, but she could only hear Jax’s side of the conversation.
“There’s been another incident,” Jax said once Rob answered the call. Then he told him about the upholstery in Autumn’s car being slashed.
“Very interesting. Considering.”
Jax knew exactly what he meant. “So there’s no doubt?” Jax said. “Kelli’s out of town?”
“Yep. No doubt whatsoever.” He paused. “So this upholstery thing, it’s legit?”
“Yeah, I saw the damage.” Jax massaged his temples. He didn’t like where this conversation was headed, but he had to face the possibility that Autumn—the woman he was in love with—was less than stable.
“You’re thinking of your former teammate, aren’t you?” Rob asked. “Ty? The one with the psycho girlfriend?”
“Yeah.” Jax’s voice was resigned. “I can’t help but make the comparison.”
A sigh came across the line. “I have to admit, I’m thinking the same thing. Some women will do anything for attention, Jax. Especially with someone in your position. You have to consider that Autumn’s the one behind these
incidents. I mean, if Kelli is off the board, and there are no other suspects, it just makes sense that she’s the one doing it.”
“I really don’t want to believe that, Rob. I mean, Autumn’s convinced that someone is doing these things.”
“Ty was convinced that Britney was pregnant. Don’t forget that. But she wasn’t.” Rob chuckled. “Not even a little.” He paused a beat. “Just because Autumn’s convinced doesn’t make it true.”
That wasn’t what he wanted to hear, but maybe he needed to. He’d hoped Rob could shed some light on things, but all he’d done was validate Jax’s suspicions. Pointing out the similarity to what had happened to Ty seemed to cement it. “I know. I know.” Jax sighed audibly, frustrated over this whole situation. “I admit that I have serious doubts. I mean, how well do I know her, right?”
“That’s right. What do you want me to do?”
“Just keep digging. Thanks, Rob.”
He disconnected the call. Now what was he going to do?
Autumn was stunned.
Did Jax think she was making this all up? Why would he think that? She would never do something like that. He didn’t know her at all. What kind of person did he think she was? Furious to know what he thought of her, Autumn couldn’t move. Could barely breathe.
“Autumn,” Jax said as he walked out of his room seconds later, his eyes wide. “What are you doing here?”
Deeply hurt, but also outraged that he could think those things of her, Autumn stared at him. “I was coming to ask about dinner.”
“What about it?”
This was absurd. Who cared about dinner now? Certainly not her. “It doesn’t matter.”
“How long have you been standing there?”
Right. He was worried she’d overheard. Well, she had. And now she knew the truth. Gritting her teeth, she kept her gaze steady on him. “You don’t believe me, do you?”
He rubbed the back of his neck. “I think you believe someone is tormenting you.”
Eyebrows jerking together, Autumn said, “What does that mean?”
Pass Interference (Fair Catch Series, Book Four) Page 17