Forever Hers

by Walters, Ednah

  Stiffening her upper lip, Amy started her car and jacked up the AC then took a deep breath before opening the back door of the SUV. She unbuckled Raelynn and helped her down. When she turned around, Eddie had already unhooked the booster seat.

  She gripped the booster seat and yanked it from his hands. “You and I are going to have a long talk when we get home.”

  He gave her a puzzled look that only pissed her off more. Grinding her teeth, she turned and snapped the seat in place than buckled Raelynn in and closed the door. She yanked her wallet from her purse, pulled out five hundred dollar bills, which should cover what she owed him, including towing her car and groceries, and slapped them in his hands.

  “I know your family has money, Fitzgerald, but I’d appreciate it if you didn’t turn me into your latest charity project. I pay for my own things.” She marched to the driver’s door, opened it and slid behind the wheel.

  Eddie rapped on her window.

  She ignored him, started the car and turned to watch the rear as she reversed. When she faced forward, her eyes widened. What the hell was he doing? Eddie had planted himself in front of her car and from his flashing eyes, he was furious.

  Well, tough. That made two of them. Amy gripped the steering wheel and glared. She could either run him down or continue going in reverse. The problem was there was very little space between her rear fender and the line of second hand cars in the parking lot.

  She pressed a button and the window rolled down. “What are you doing?”

  “Do you mind explaining this,” he waved the money, “and that ridiculous comment you threw at me?”

  “That is the money I owe you. I told you…” Amy looked at the rearview mirror to make sure Raelynn wasn’t watching them. Raelynn was busy playing with Mr. Rabbit. Amy shifted the gear into park, then stepped out of the car, crossed her arms and glowered. Eddie moved closer, his eyes narrowed.

  “Your buddy Randal just told me what you did. You shouldn’t have paid for the repairs behind my back. This is my car, therefore my responsibility.” His expression grew thoughtful. “That money should cover everything including the towing fee and the groceries. As for the self-defense lessons, they’re off. I will not be treated like—”

  Eddie muttered something then shoved the money in her hand and took off toward the service shop. Amy stared after him, wanting to yell at him. What was he going to do? Punch Randal for telling her the truth? She would have found out anyway when she picked up the car. Shaking her head, she turned to enter her car and froze. The words he’d mumbled finally registering.

  “I didn’t pay for your car repairs,” he’d said.

  If not him, then who? Even as the question crossed her mind, everything fell into place. Nolan. She owed Eddie an apology.

  CHAPTER 6

  Eddie searched the sprawling and busy interior of the auto shop until he located the young man Amy had been talking to earlier. “Are you Randal?”

  The young man turned and frowned. “Yes?”

  “Did you service Mrs. Franklin’s car?”

  “One of our guys did. Why? Is something wrong?”

  “The car is fine. I’m more interested in the man who paid her bill.”

  Confusion flashed in the mechanic’s eyes. “Her brother?”

  “Is that what he told you?”

  “Yes. He knew her name and her little girl’s and had pictures of her.” His voice became defensive. “He even had one of her when she was pregnant. Her hair was a different color, but it was Mrs. Franklin. He said it was a surprise.”

  “That’s the oldest trick in the book, Randal. He pays the bill, you give him the receipt, he gets access to her phone number and address.”

  Randal frowned. “You mean he’s not her brother?”

  “No, Nolan is my ex-husband and a very disturbed man,” Amy said from behind him.

  Something cold settled inside Eddie at her words. This was worse than he’d thought. Whenever exes were involved, it always meant custody dispute. And custody disputes were ugly. Raelynn, seated inside Randal’s cubicle a few feet away, played with Mr. Rabbit. She appeared completely oblivious to the unfolding drama.

  “Can you describe him?” Amy asked, surprising him.

  “About five-eleven, maybe six, skinny, black hair and a thin moustache. I had no idea he was crazy. I would never—”

  “Yet you did.” Eddie wasn’t in the mood to placate the man. “I don’t know how you do things around here, young man, but you never give out information about a customer to strangers just because they claim to be a relative. I don’t care how many pictures he flashes and how much money he spends in your shop. Because of you, he’s been calling the house and harassing her.”

  Randal glanced at Amy. “I’m so sorry. I had no idea.”

  “It doesn’t matter now,” Amy said. “Eddie, let’s go.”

  “No, it matters,” Eddie said. “Stalking is against the law, and by giving out your information to your ex-husband, Randal can be found culpable of aiding and abetting a stalker.” Eddie peered down at the shorter man, deliberately using his size to intimidate. “Unless you’re willing to help us catch him?”

  “I’ll do anything,” Randal said eagerly. “I’m meeting him at Eichardt’s Pub for drinks this evening. He’s new in town and doesn’t have, uh, friends.” He glanced at Amy, who was already leaving the building with Raelynn, and winced.

  “Did he tell you where he’s staying?” Eddie asked.

  “No, sir, but he left a number for me to call.” Randal opened a folder on his desk and removed a yellow sticky note with a number scribbled on it.

  “How did he pay for the repairs?” Eddie asked.

  “With cash.”

  Eddie removed his cell phone. “Give me a number I can use to reach you.” As Randal recited the numbers, Eddie punched them in then added Randal’s name to his contacts list. “I’ll call you sometime this afternoon with instructions, but for now, don’t talk to anyone about this. Not your wife, girlfriend or parents. You are officially part of this sting operation.”

  Randal swallowed nervously. “Yes, sir.”

  “Good.” Eddie turned to find Amy staring at him with a weird expression. She shook her head and continued with Raelynn toward her car. He finished issuing instructions to the cowering man. “If he calls you again, call me. Are you good with numbers, Randal?”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “Then memorize mine. Do not write it down or put it on your phone.” Eddie recited the ten digits and then turned to leave.

  “What’s your name, sir?” Randal asked. “I mean, I don’t know what to call you.”

  “Detective Fitzgerald.”

  Eddie punched in the numbers written on the sticky note and brought the phone to his ear as he walked toward Amy. Raelynn was back in the car, the engine running and the window rolled down. An automated voice answered. Cursing softly under his breath, he snapped his phone in its holder and crunched the piece of paper.

  “The number was no longer in service,” Amy said, watching him warily.

  “How do you know?”

  “Because using a pre-paid phone is something he would do. Also, the description Randal gave us is not…” she glanced at Raelynn and lowered her voice to add, “Nolan’s. It’s someone else.”

  “Exactly how many people are after you and why? Are you a fugitive? Is this a custody battle thing?”

  She shot him a withering look. “None of your business. Did you have to scare that poor guy back there like that?”

  “Should I have given him a pat on the back? He had to understand what he did was wrong.”

  “You didn’t have to sound like some prosecutor out to get him.”

  She was feeling sorry for that idiot who had enabled her stalker? Unbelievable. “Come on. Let’s head back to the lake house.”

  “Wait.” She grabbed his arm and sighed. “I’m sorry I lit into you earlier. I thought you’d paid for the repairs and saw red.”

 
He studied her pretty face. Once again, he wondered if she was a fugitive and who, other than the husband, was after her. Would he be willing to protect her and Raelynn if she was a criminal when he’d sworn to uphold the law? When she smiled, it was as though she’d reached inside his chest and grasped his heart, and that was the deciding moment. He would do whatever was necessary to help her. Testify on her behalf if this was a custody thing. Trap her asshole of an ex if he was stalking her. Serving and protecting just became personal.

  “You are not used to depending on people,” he said.

  “They have a tendency to disappoint.”

  She looked away but not before he saw the pain in her eyes. Someone had let her down. He tilted her chin and looked into her haunted eyes.

  “Talk to me.”

  The haunted look disappeared and a twinkle entered her eyes. “Fitzgerald—”

  “Don’t be flippant, Amy. I mean it. You can tell me anything. I promise I’ll never disappoint you.”

  A smile curled her lips. “I know. I’m depending on you to teach me how to kick some serious butt.”

  She was retreating behind flippancy again. “Share with me the details of this case and I’ll put Nolan behind bars if he’s guilty.”

  “Oh, he is guilty, Mr. Prosecutor. Proving it is a different matter.”

  “I am not a prosecutor or a lawyer.”

  “You sound like one.”

  Eddie frowned. “I’m a cop, a detective with the L.A.P.D.”

  Her smile disappeared. She shook her head. “No. You can’t be.”

  He scowled. “I am.”

  She kept shaking her head, the haunted look he hated returning in her eyes.

  “Is my being a cop a problem?”

  She swallowed and continued to stare at him. “Yes, it is. I don’t deal with cops. I don’t like them and I sure as hell can’t afford to trust one. I just can’t.”

  Eddie watched her march around her car, get in the driver’s seat and banged the door with so much force the windows rattled. He jumped out of the way when she took off with squealing wheels, nearly hitting him.

  What the hell? Eddie jumped in his SUV and took off after her. He prided himself on keeping his cool under most circumstances, but Amy Kincaid had a knack of yanking his chain. He put scum bags behind bars, damn it. He was one of the good guys. She was acting as though he was the devil’s spawn.

  This was why he avoided emotional women. They were rash with their judgment and illogical when you least expect it. Once she calmed down, she’d appreciate his offer. Despite his pep talk, he kept seeing the revulsion that had crossed her face. His anger grew.

  To keep his mind off her, he speed-dialed Ron Noble’s number. Ron was the heir to Neumann Security, a high-tech company that manufactured surveillance gadgets and provided security to casinos and hotels along the west coast.

  The phone was picked up after two rings. “Hey, detective. This is a surprise.”

  “Can you talk?”

  “Just a second,” he said then Eddie heard him talk to someone in the background, “It’s Eddie. What? I can’t ask him that.” Noble laughed then added, “Whoa, sweetheart, easy with daddy’s tablet…” More background unintelligible exchange then, “okay, I can talk now. What’s going on?”

  “How’s the family?” Ron was married to Eddie’s cousin Ashley.

  “Ella is officially a chess protégée and Ash thinks our son is going to be a football player.”

  Ash was expecting baby number two. “That would be great. We don’t have one in the family.”

  “She wants to know how the courting of the lovely housekeeper is going and if you need help.”

  Eddie ground his teeth. Having a big family was a curse. “I’m not courting anyone.”

  “Not according to the family. Ash thinks your heart needs mending. I told her I didn’t think you had one.”

  “You are an ass, Noble.”

  “Ash thought so too. I almost slept on the couch for that wisecrack.”

  Eddie laughed. Ashley and her husband were so in love they finished each other’s sentences and still stole kisses at parties. He’d feel smothered in that kind of a relationship.

  “That I would have loved to see,” he said.

  “You know, that’s the first time I’ve ever heard you laugh, detective. Maybe Idaho agrees with you. So what can I do for you?”

  “I need an invisible outdoor surveillance system. Something even cops can’t detect.”

  “I might have just the thing. We’re testing one and so far the results are amazing. How soon do you want it?”

  “Yesterday.”

  “How many points of entry?”

  Eddie mentally went through the doors and windows at the lake house. “Five doors, including the garage, and seven windows.”

  “You’ll need the deluxe unit. Will ship it off first thing Monday morning. Anything else?”

  Eddie mentioned a few more things then added, “If you have problems finding any of them, call me.”

  “Sounds like you are going to be busy in the coming weeks.”

  Once he convinced Amy he was trustworthy, yes. If not, he’d probably be thinking up ways to wring her neck. The woman was maddening.

  “It depends,” Eddie mumbled.

  “Having problems with the lovely lady?”

  “Nothing I can’t handle.” The problem was he didn’t have a plan. When it came to Amy, he wondered whether one could work. “Ship the entire package overnight, and include the shipping costs in the invoice. I’ll cut you a check that covers everything as soon as I receive it.”

  “This will be on the house, detective,” Noble said. “I owe you for what you did for Ashley.”

  Eddie had used his position to get Ashley protection when an arsonist tried to kill her. “She’s family, Noble. Thanking me for protecting her is an insult.”

  “Okay, detective, later. Will let you know when it’s shipped.”

  As soon as he hung up, Eddie made another call.

  ***

  Eddie is a cop. A freaking detective. Just like Nolan. There was no way she could ever trust a cop. Had she told him about what Nolan had done, he would not have believed her. Cops always believed other cops.

  But Eddie was the least of her worries now. Nolan was up to his old tricks again. The person who had paid for the repairs on her car must work with him, which means they would come after her. They had her address. Why couldn’t Nolan just leave her alone?

  The drive back to the lake house was the hardest Amy had ever done. As soon as she arrived, she hid behind her laptop while Raelynn played outside on the sand. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t concentrate. Her thoughts kept drifting to Nolan.

  Amy tensed when Eddie entered the house. Her apprehension disappeared when he walked right past her to the patio without saying a word and headed straight for the dock. He didn’t even care that she was pissed and disappointed. Although to be honest, she was angrier at herself, not him.

  She’d allowed herself to trust him and was going to tell him everything. Worse, earlier in the garage, she’d let her need for human contact rule her head and let him console her. She’d even wanted to kiss him.

  Never again.

  Amy had no idea where Eddie went in the boat, but he didn’t come home until it was time for lunch. Raelynn stopped playing and waited for him by the dock. Amy had no idea what her daughter said, but Eddie chuckled, said something in return and patted her hair. Raelynn didn’t flinch or show signs of fear, then she went back to playing with Jimmy and Sam.

  “Mommy, can we go on the boat with Mr. Eddie?” Raelynn asked during lunch.

  Amy glared at Eddie, who was enjoying a bowl of her soup in the patio. Using her daughter to get to her was low, but then again, what had she expected from a cop.

  “Did Mr. Eddie ask if you wanted to go?”

  “No, I asked him. He said to ask you.”

  Immediately, Amy felt bad for having assumed the worst. �
�We’ll see.”

  Raelynn’s lower lip stuck out.

  “Maybe tomorrow,” Amy added. She was in no mood to deal with Raelynn’s meltdown.

  Raelynn was still talking about the boat when Amy took her to her room for a nap. When she went back to the living room, Eddie was waiting.

  “Raelynn asked to go out on the boat,” he said.

  “She mentioned it,” Amy said.

  “And?”

  “I’ll think about it.” She moved to walk past him, but he blocked her path. “Do you mind?”

  He shook his head. “You are going to deny her something she wants just because you don’t like what I do for a living?”

  “Isn’t that the kettle calling the pot black?”

  He scowled. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  “You have issues with authors and you don’t see me throwing a hissy fit. I have a legitimate reason to distrust cops and you pout about it.”

  He threw her a disgusted glance. “I don’t pout.”

  “Could have fooled me.”

  His eyes narrowed, and then he shook his head. “It is impossible to have a conversation with you. You can’t let your issues with one man taint your view of an entire law enforcement agency.”

  “Like hell I can’t. Until you know my story, detective, don’t assume anything.”

  “Then tell me what the hell is going on?”

  Amy laughed. “Nice comeback, detective, but I don’t believe in double standards. You want to know about my past and what makes me tick, start talking about yours.”

  His expression grew thoughtful. “Okay. What do you want to know?”

  She blinked. She hadn’t expected him to give in quite so quickly. “Ah, why didn’t you tell me you were a cop?”

  “Because my profession didn’t come up. When it did I was honest with you.”

  He had a point. “Why do you hate authors?”

  “I don’t hate authors.”

  Amy rolled her eyes.

  “My mother is an author,” he said in a flat voice, but his eyes said it all. They burned with anger and old wounds. Hopefully directed at his mother, not Amy for bringing up what was obviously a painful subject.