by Laura Scott
By the time he finished his meal, dusk was falling over the horizon. He carried the heavy container of Josie’s special outside, and decided it would be easier to walk the couple of blocks to Janelle’s townhouse than to drive over.
As he approached her townhouse, he noticed a dark silver sedan parked on the other side of the road. He frowned, trying to see if the car was empty, when abruptly the headlights flashed on, momentarily blinding him.
He shielded his face, and tried to catch the license plate number, but was a second too late. The car backed up, turned around and quickly disappeared around a curve.
A chill snaked down his back. Was he imagining things? The actions of the driver seemed suspicious. Had he parked there in order to watch Janelle’s house?
And if so, why?
Chapter Four
Janelle was thrilled to see that Sebastian seemed to be doing so well, he’d been so enthralled in his game that he hadn’t even asked for a friend to come over.
She’d finished cleaning up the mess the crime scene techs had left behind and now stood in the kitchen, trying to think of something to make for dinner. Her fridge was pretty empty, she’d need to grocery shop in the morning. A loud knock at her front door startled her from her thoughts, and she took a moment to put a hand over her racing heart, before crossing over to peer through the window to see who was out there.
“Devon?” she asked as she opened the door. She tried to squash a wave of pleasure at seeing him again. “What are you doing here?”
He lifted a container. “Josie sent you a healthy serving of her Saturday night special.”
“Pot roast?” she asked with a smile, opening the door and gesturing for him to come in.
“Yep.”
“Dev!” Sebastian abandoned his game to come rushing over to greet his new hero. “Did you come to play wif me?”
“I’m sorry, Sebastian, but I’m working tonight,” Devon said. “Are you hungry? I brought dinner.”
“Will you stay to eat with us?” Sebastian asked.
“Sweetie, Devon already told you he’s working,” Janelle quickly interjected. “But if you eat all your dinner and take your medicine, I’ll play another game with you before bedtime.”
“Okay,” Sebastian agreed, although she could tell the little boy was still disappointed that Devon wasn’t going to stick around.
“Janelle, do you know anyone who drives a silver sedan?” Dev asked as she carried Josie’s container of food into the kitchen.
She glanced at him in surprise. “No, why?”
He shrugged and shook his head. “No reason, I don’t want to alarm you.”
She stared at him. “I’m already scared, Devon so just spit it out already. Why are you asking about a silver car?”
He winced. “I’m probably making a big deal out of nothing,” he warned. “But I noticed a silver car parked across the street from the townhouse. Could be someone staying at the Crystal Lake Motel, though.”
She shivered and tried not to let her imagination run wild. “The motel has a parking lot, why would they choose to park along the road?”
“Listen, just ignore me,” Devon said, rubbing the back of his neck, looking embarrassed. “I’m sure it’s nothing. I promised you I’d drive by frequently and I will continue to do that. No need to worry.”
Janelle wished it was easy to shut down the worry gene, but unfortunately it seemed that she’d only gotten worse in the weeks since she’d taken custody of Sebastian, rather than better. “I’ll try,” she said, trying to hide the doubt in her tone.
“I’m sorry, Janelle,” Devon said with a grimace. “I shouldn’t have mentioned it.”
She lifted her troubled gaze to his. “There’s no reason for the robbers to come back here, right? This wasn’t a personal attack against us.”
“Absolutely not,” Dev assured her. He crossed over and put his arms around her in a quick hug. It disturbed her how much she longed to lean against him, absorbing his strength. “Don’t think about it, okay? I promise to watch over your place.”
It was on the tip of her tongue to point out that he wouldn’t be on duty twenty-four seven, but she forced a smile and stepped back. “I appreciate your support, Dev.”
“I only wish I could do more,” he said in a serious tone. “Call me if you need anything.”
“I will,” she agreed although she knew that Devon had certainly done enough for her and for Sebastian. She walked him to the door, sneaking a glance up and down the street to make sure there weren’t any strange cars lingering.
Which of course there weren’t.
“Where’s your car?” she asked with a frown.
“I walked over from the café,” he said. “I’ll see you later,” he said as he walked back out toward the road.
She lifted her hand in a nonchalant wave as Devon glanced back at her, then closed the door, locked it and shot the dead-bolt home.
The rest of her evening flew by, and soon she finished infusing his last bag of peritoneal dialysis. She quickly cleaned up the supplies and then crossed over to tuck Sebastian into bed.
“Are you ready to say your bedtime prayers?” she asked, sitting on the edge of his bed.
He nodded, pressing his tiny palms together and squeezing his eyes shut. “God bless Nana, Devon, and my angel Mommy,” Sebastian said sleepily. “Amen.”
“Amen,” she echoed, blinking the moisture from her eyes. She leaned down to press a kiss on Sebastian’s forehead and when his arms wrapped tightly around her neck, she pressed him close, savoring the embrace.
“I love you, Sebastian,” she whispered in his ear.
“I wuv you, too, Nana.”
In that moment all her fears about her finances, her job, even being the victim of a robbery, flew right out the window. Nothing was more important than this little boy. Sebastian was a precious gift she’d cherish forever.
“Goodnight,” she said when he finally drew away.
“G’night,” he answered, turning over and throwing his arm around his stuffed angel.
Janelle made sure the nightlight was glowing in the corner of his room before she left, leaving the door ajar the way he preferred.
A wave of exhaustion hit hard, reminding her that it had been a long day and that she hadn’t had much sleep the night before. Even though it was early, she moved through the townhouse, shutting off the lights and double checking the locks on her doors, before getting ready for bed.
As she walked past the living room window, a pair of headlights coming down the street made her stop abruptly, her heart leaping in fear. But then they passed by without stopping.
Idiot, she admonished herself. There was no reason to be afraid.
Devon would protect her.
Considering it was Saturday night, Devon was glad things weren’t too busy. He’d been called to a fight at Pete’s Pub, but by the time he’d arrived, the two men had been separated by the townsfolk, leaving him with nothing more to do than to take care of the paperwork. He didn’t hesitate to issue assault and battery charges and disorderly conduct charges to both men, one sporting a black eye, the other a fat lip.
Apparently they’d been fighting over a woman, who’d wasted no time in high-tailing it out of the place once the fight broke out. Not that he blamed her.
Devon dutifully filled out the paperwork, and then made sure both men were sober enough to drive themselves home. He also jotted down their license plate numbers along with the make and model of their vehicles, just in case.
Not that he suspected either one of them of being the perp who’d performed the robbery. Still, it didn’t hurt to be cautious.
He felt terrible for scaring Janelle, earlier. He’d driven by her townhouse several times and hadn’t seen anything the least bit suspicious. He shouldn’t have mentioned the stupid car, especially when he hadn’t gotten a good look at it anyway.
As the end of his shift approached, Devon took one more leisurely drive down Main Street, maki
ng sure things were quiet and peaceful before heading to the Sheriff’s department headquarters.
He headed home and changed his clothes, but wasn’t the least bit tired. Moving restlessly around his house, he found he couldn’t settle down.
Logically he knew Janelle and Sebastian weren’t in danger. He’d imagined the driver of the silver car was staking out her townhouse. And there really wasn’t any reason for the robber to return.
So why couldn’t he relax?
Dev forced himself to climb into bed, where he tossed and turned for the next hour. Finally he gave up. He threw on a comfy sweatshirt and jeans before heading back outside to his personal vehicle.
He drove back to Janelle’s townhouse, reassured that all was quiet. The windows were mostly dark, although there was a dim light coming from Sebastian’s room.
He pulled in front of her house and shut off the engine. The spring air was a bit cool, but not enough to bother him. He ratcheted back his seat and stretched out, making sure he could see her front door.
Dev let out a pent up sigh, feeling calmer now that he was close at hand, on the off-chance that Janelle would need him. He told himself he wouldn’t stay too long, just long enough to unwind after his shift.
The stars twinkled overhead and he couldn’t help remembering the way Debra had believed God was watching over them from the heavens.
It had taken him a long time to realize the pain of losing her and their unborn child wouldn’t ever go away completely. Granted he didn’t think about them every day, not any more.
But there were times like this, when he felt alone in the world that the bitter-sweet memories would return.
He tore his gaze from the velvet-black sky and looked over at Janelle’s townhouse.
Letting go of the past wasn’t easy, but he knew he needed to keep focused on the present and on dedicating his life to making a difference in the world.
Janelle woke up early, feeling refreshed after having a decent night’s sleep.
She couldn’t hear any sound from Sebastian’s room and quickly freshened up in the bathroom, enjoying a few moments of privacy. Not that she resented caring for her nephew, but becoming a full time mother had been a bit of an adjustment.
Okay, make that a massive adjustment.
She ran a brush through her hair and then headed into the kitchen to start a pot of coffee. Sebastian would be up soon, the kid had an amazing internal alarm clock, and she began to make a mental list of things she needed to get done.
Making breakfast and attending church were her priorities, followed by grocery shopping if they wanted anything to eat for the rest of the week. But then she really needed to figure out a daycare situation of some sort in order to return to work on Monday morning.
She headed into the living room to tidy up the controllers from Devon’s play-station, in case he wanted to come and pick it up in the near future. Glancing out the front window had become a nervous habit and when she noticed a black truck sitting directly in front of her house, she stifled a scream.
The robbers were back!
She rushed to the front closet and pulled out a baseball bat. She yanked open the front door and rushed outside, prepared to scream loud enough for the entire Crystal Lake population to hear her.
“Leave us alone!” she shouted brandishing the baseball bat like a sword. “The police are on the way!”
To her horror the driver’s side door popped open and a dark haired man climbed out. “Janelle, calm down. It’s me, Devon!”
“Dev?” She stood there for a moment, as the fear drained away leaving her feeling weak and foolish. Then she got mad. “What are you doing here? You scared me to death!”
“I’m sorry,” he said holding his hands up as if to reassure her he wasn’t armed. “Did you really call the sheriff’s department? If so, we’d better let them know it’s a false alarm.”
She slowly lowered the bat, letting out her breath in a sigh. “No, I didn’t call them. I reacted without thinking.”
He opened his mouth as if to chastise her, but then closed it again. He scrubbed his hands over his face and for the first time she realized he must have been there all night.
“Why in the world did you sleep in your car?” she asked, truly bewildered. Hadn’t he told her she wasn’t in danger? Or had something happened late last night?
“I didn’t mean to fall asleep,” he admitted with a self-depreciating smile. “I only intended to be here for a couple of hours.”
“So you didn’t see anything suspicious?” she pressed, needing to know the truth. Heaven knew, she’d already planned to be on the alert for any sign of a silver car following her.
“Nothing,” he said with confidence. “And really, I’m sorry I scared you.”
“Well, since I scared you, too, I think we’re even.” She gestured toward the townhouse. “I have coffee if you’d like a cup before heading out.”
His face broke into a relieved grin. “I would love some coffee. Cars are not meant for sleeping, that’s for sure.”
She laughed and shook her head. “I still can’t believe you did that.”
“Me either.” He came up beside her and gently pried the bat from her clenched fingers. “You really should have called the police first,” he murmured.
She sighed. “Yeah, I know.”
Their arms brushed as they headed inside and she tried to tell herself that the tingling sensation was nothing more than her overactive imagination. She headed into the kitchen and pulled two coffee mugs out of the cupboard.
“Cream or sugar?” she asked, glancing at him over her shoulder. Her breath caught in her throat at how handsome he looked standing there with his shadowed jaw and sleep tousled hair.
Whoa, what was wrong with her? She needed to stop thinking of Devon as a man she was interested in. He was simply a good friend, nothing more.
“Black is fine,” he said, his gaze lingering on hers. Was it her imagination or was there a flicker of awareness in his eyes?
“Dev!” Sebastian said in excitement as he padded into the room, clutching his stuffed angel like a lifeline. “You came back!”
She tried to hide a wince, certain that it hadn’t been Devon’s intention to be sucked back into another game with Sebastian.
“Sure did,” Dev said with a broad smile. “But I think you have a few things to take care of first, don’t you?”
“No I don’t,” Sebastian said defiantly.
“I’m pretty sure you need to drain your peritoneal dialysis first and then eat breakfast, right Janelle?”
She was amazed he remembered. “That’s right. I need you to lie down on the sofa for a little while to drain while I make breakfast.”
Sebastian’s lower lip trembled. “I don’t wanna.”
Her heart ached for the little boy, but at the same time, she knew she needed to be firm, for his own good.
“Come on, champ, I’ll sit next to you for a while,” Dev offered.
“Really?” Sebastian’s blue eyes instantly brightened. “Why can’t we play a game while I’m draining?”
Dev glanced at her curiously and she lifted her hands up in a helpless gesture. “No reason, I guess. Does this mean you want to stay for breakfast?” she asked.
“I don’t want to put you out,” he hedged. But she had to smile when the rumbling in his stomach gave him away.
“Can we have French toast?” Sebastian asked as he climbed onto the sofa and obligingly stretched out giving plenty of room for her to access his catheter.
“Sure,” she agreed. She pulled out the necessary supplies and then returned to the kitchen to wash her hands. She was keenly aware of Devon watching her every move. He gave the impression that he was truly interested, not simply gawking as she opened the clamp to allow the fluid in his abdomen to drain.
“I’m amazed that something so simple can be lifesaving to a child,” Dev said in a low voice.
“It really is incredible,” she agreed. “And it’s no
t that difficult to do the exchanges. Unfortunately, the concept still scares people off.”
He frowned. “So who watches him while you’re at work?”
She bit her lower lip and shrugged. “No one yet,” she said, avoiding the full story of how she was out of paid time off allowed under the family/medical leave act. She didn’t want to dump her problems on Devon, so she quickly turned and headed into the kitchen to start breakfast.
She enjoyed listening as Dev and Seb played video game as she cooked. This was what how she imagined her life would be like with Lane. Only he hadn’t wanted anything to do with her young nephew.
His loss, but she couldn’t deny his rude departure still rankled. Being angry at him was useless, but she was upset with herself for wasting the last year of her life dating him. Lane hadn’t been worth five minutes of her time, but obviously she’d been blind to his faults.
When she finished with the French toast, she washed her hands once again and went back over to disconnect Sebastian’s drainage bag. She expected Dev to be disgusted by the yellow fluid filling the bag, but as before he intently watched everything she was doing.
“Just give me a few minutes, and we can eat breakfast,” she said, carrying the bag toward the bathroom.
When she emerged a few minutes later, she was surprised to see that both Devon and Sebastian were in the kitchen waiting for her. She’d already washed up, so she pulled out her chair and sat down.
“I’m hungry,” Sebastian said, eyeing up the stack of French toast.
“We need to pray first,” she reminded him. Devon looked surprised, but he took his cue from Sebastian, clasping his hands together and bowing his head. “Dear Lord, we thank You for this wonderful food we are about to eat. We ask that You watch over us and guide us on Your chosen path as we begin our day, Amen.”
“Amen,” Sebastian and Dev said simultaneously.
She smiled, pleased at their response.
“When are you scheduled to go back to work?” Dev asked, as he held the plate of French toast out for her.