Chapter 14
Natalie sat on Nick’s bed where he’d left her tucked in the shield of a bright gold, velvety blanket. Her mobile vibrated as Corie’s latest message bleeped through.
See you at the train station Friday at 5.
Corie was coming. Her sister would be here to help, share the burden, offer the sass and sensibility as she always did—
Perfect. See you then.
She clutched her phone, trembling, feeling shaken to her core. Two doors down, the police were dusting for prints in her room.
The tall, thick hotel manager had come and left in a flurry of apologies. He’d laughed at his own bitter joke: if her room wasn’t already comped, she’d be staying for free.
She stood at a crossroads. There was no way she’d stay at this hotel one more night, but where would she go?
Back to San Diego? No. That wasn’t an option anymore.
Forward, to the B&B?
I’m watching.
If he was watching her here, why not at the Valence castle, too? Or why not follow her all the way back home where there was no one to help?
Would anywhere ever be safe again?
Shuddering, she scanned Nick’s hotel room. It was a mirror image of hers, but a whole universe away from her neat and tidy world. Evidence of him lay sprawled on every surface.
Jeans and T-shirts were strewn over the sofa. One tennis shoe laid by the couch, another at the dresser. A newspaper was draped over the wingback chair arm. A half-drunk glass of water stood on the table.
Nick knocked and opened the door. He was a mile tall and sturdy. A protective scowl marred his usually amicable face. He slid her satchel from his shoulder and set her overnight case into her grasp.
Nick scratched his scalp as he said, “The mirror writing. It wasn’t blood. But something called—”
“Forever Red.”
He nodded. “Yeah, they’re holding your lipstick hostage.”
Nick’s words should have soothed, but they didn’t. Her eyebrows rose as she ran her hands over the flowered kit. A stalker, maybe a killer, had been through her things. She pushed the flowered bag across the nightstand—it might as well have been filled with writhing worms.
“Dalton said they found a partial print,” Nick continued. “They’ll run it, see if there’s a match in the system.”
“I’m living in CSI.” Forehead to palms, she shuddered a laugh. Hysterical. I’ve gone hysterical, and I’m alone with Nick in his room, breaking every rule I’ve ever made for myself.
The bed squeaked, dipping under his weight. Still, he remained a canyon’s distance from touching her. Close. But not too close.
Present.
Just like he promised, Nick wasn’t leaving.
“They’re watching surveillance tapes, but—”
“—he stayed out of sight again,” she finished for him.
His fury was palpable, and she pulled the blanket tighter. Wrapped in softness, its shield was an illusion. Like her safety.
“So what now?” Tilting her head up, she waited for him to answer, to tell her what to do, falling into his sky-blue stare.
Nick clapped his hands to his knees and closed his eyes. Pain lived in his bunched shoulders. Agony dwelled behind his wince.
At last, he opened his eyes to look at her. She’d thought of his eyes as mere blue, but there was so much color and depth in them. Sun-touched gold and fiery flecks of copper danced amid the cobalt.
“Are you okay?” His eyes were hungry for her, protective and fierce, but he didn’t move to take what he wasn’t offered.
She nodded. “I will be.”
The moment stretched while her heart pounded an earthquake. This wasn’t like before. She swallowed the welling emotion at the tenderness she saw in him.
Has anyone ever really looked at me before? Truly seen me?
His gaze shifted from hunger to twin pools of concern before washing into fierce determination.
He blew a long breath and held a hand out before her. “Do you trust me?”
Mouth dry with anticipation, her hand slid easily into his warm grasp. The shock of their touch shot through Natalie’s every nerve as she watched his eyes go wide. Had he felt it, too?
Heart thrumming wild, Natalie allowed emotion to wash over her in a warm wave.
She’d already granted him her trust, her spirit. If he asked her to be his, she would willingly surrender everything to him. This is why she’d pledged to wait until she found her husband—Nick was the one, he just didn’t know it yet.
Their fingers threaded and a sigh breezed through her. Nick’s thumb circled over her hand as she waited for him to take the lead.
His mouth softened to an almost smile, and Natalie couldn’t tell if he was about to apologize, kiss her senseless, or tell her his deepest secret.
Natalie knew better than to put herself in this position. Alone, with an adult who would expect mature, adult things. A kiss. A touch. And then, all of the things she’d never done.
Shame over her inexperience heated her from spine to brain. How do you tell someone “no” when you’re not sure you mean it?
Nick cleared his throat, her hands locked in his. “Where two or more gather … you know the drill.”
He bowed his head, chin to chest. Waited for her to follow suit.
The drill?
Instead of his mouth dipping to meet hers, he bowed his head and recited the Lord’s Prayer, calling in an army of angels for Natalie’s protection.
He wants to pray with me and I wanted, well, him. What kind of woman does that make me?
A flush of heat rushed from head to toe. How had she misread his intentions so completely? Guilt washed over her as she rearranged her fingers in a more prayerful position.
Nick wasn’t out for skin and pleasure. He wanted to pray with her. Just like her brother would. Just like Dad.
Heads bowed, Nick’s resonant voice declared victory in heaven, called upon God’s protection, and thanked Him for placing warrior angels at the doors of all whom the stalker would set his murderous intent.
As he prayed God’s powerful protection over them, she lifted Nick up in prayers of her own.
With all of his boyish charm and chivalry, Nick wiped out the memory of Mike. He reminded her that men could be kind instead of cruel. Mike had left her unable to fully trust. She saw the darkest sides of who people could be, not who they were.
Natalie exhaled a stuttering sigh, feeling complete again, unbroken at long last. Even in this dark hour.
In Nick, she had found someone whom she could trust with her whole heart. For him, she would leave no corner dark. Her heart would be bright and new for him.
Did he feel that same way about her? And would he understand?
Help me do better, Lord. Renew my heart. And if we are truly matched, please don’t take too long in letting me know.
Nick moved on to praying for the police. For answers. For an end to the nightmare.
“Finally, Father, help us have wisdom in the face of this evil. Grant us courage and unending faith as we go through this trial. Together.”
Finishing, his low, rumbling baritone tangled in her heart.
He squeezed her hands tight in his, warm and strong.
Together.
She let their touch linger, lifting up both of their prayers in her heart before saying, “Amen.”
“Well, isn’t this a pretty picture?”
Dalton set a stack of files down on the table with a heavy smack. He sat across from them on the opposite bed and filled them in on his current investigation: the complete dismantling of her room for forensic evidence.
“It’s a hotel room, so finding DNA is tricky.”
“The Lakeview Slayer never left any before. Why would he start now?”
“You’re assuming it’s the same guy.” Dalton held a hand up to halt Nick’s rebuttal and continued. “All we know is, while you two were off gallivanting around town, someone not employed by thi
s hotel took a turndown cart, headed to your room, and had a bit of fun at your expense.”
Nick frowned. “Coincidence?”
“Hardly. You don’t have to pray about it. This is our guy.”
Nick stiffened at her side. “Just doing my part to help you out, man.”
“Well, then tell Jesus to send some concrete evidence already.” Dalton’s laugh was cold. “We still don’t have squat.”
Nick kept hold of Natalie’s hand. That, in part, was a victory all on its own.
She caught Dalton’s attention as it swept from his brother to her, and she spoke from the heart. “Praying really does help.”
“Sure, Nat.” Dalton’s eyes were a stony version of his brother’s. “We could use all the help we can get.”
Nodding, Natalie excused herself to go wash her face. She could hear the boys talking through the bathroom door.
“The medical examiner thinks she’s close on ID’ing the latest VIC. It takes time when you’ve only got bones to work from, but they’ve got a preliminary sketch off the facial reconstruction.”
“It’s something,” Nick said, voice jagged with emotion. “Closure for her family, maybe, if nothing else.”
“Once we find out who she was, we might be able to pinpoint where she was abducted. Close the gap of his pattern.”
“What will you do now?”
“I’ll watch Natalie.”
Natalie blushed and shut off the water. He was so protective.
“And you can stop looking for dirt, Dalton. There are two beds in here. She’s safe. I’ve changed.”
“First time for everything … I’m off. You know how to reach me.”
Natalie opened the bathroom door and stepped back into the room. “He’s gone?” she asked, as if she hadn’t heard anything.
Nick nodded. “They’re all done with the wrap-up. The room down there’s a crime scene. You’re safe in here, with me.”
“So. You’re sleeping in that bed, and I’m sleeping in this one.”
“Yes, ma’am. You can trust me. Wouldn’t you rather be in here with me than by yourself?”
She slumped under the covers, pulled them over her head, and clutched the pillow tight.
“Don’t worry.” Nick focused on her with a teasing grin. He kicked out to lie on the opposite bed. “Your virtue’s safe with me.”
“Mine? I’m more worried about yours.”
“Very funny.”
He clicked SportsCenter onto the television and settled back to watch.
She exhaled through the wave of her temper before trusting her voice to speak. At last, she turned his direction. “We’ll do it your way. Tonight, I’ll stay here. But tomorrow I’m moving my stuff over to the castle, for good. By myself.”
“You can try.” He flipped from hockey to baseball. “It’s a big place. I’ll stay out of your way. For the most part.”
“You won’t have to worry about me long. Corie’s coming. She’ll be here by the weekend.” Natalie shot up. “Unless she shouldn’t come. Do you think it’s safe?”
His face was an unreadable mask. “She blonde, petite? Like you?”
“No. Dark hair. Tall. Like a gypsy.”
“So it’s just you I have to worry about.” Leaning his full weight on his elbow, he faced her, obviously dead set in his intentions. “You’re not getting rid of me that easy. Not while this guy’s stalking you.”
The reminder of what brought them here, to this moment, ricocheted in her chest. Natalie flipped herself away from him toward the wall and barked a muffled good night through her blankets. Nick didn’t answer.
He turned the lights off with a snap and adjusted the TV’s volume, the rise and fall of the broadcasters’ voices barely perceptible.
“I promised to watch over you, Natalie,” he growled at last. “I’m not going back on my word.”
He must have taken her silence as a resignation, but Natalie’s thoughts remained trained on the mirror, on the words angrily scrawled on the silver surface.
I’m watching.
Chapter 15
Friday morning spilled through a grimy circle on the kitchen windowpane. She plunged a sponge into the homemade vinegar cleanser and scrubbed at the glass, each swirl dirtier than the last until the filth finally lifted and sunlight shone through the whole pane. Sometimes, you needed to make a mess before you could clean it up.
It feels like I’m just making one huge mess, Natalie thought. But the cleanup will come. Someday. She had spent three days working at the house, and already she was making progress.
She dumped the grimy water into the large apron-front sink, wishing she could do the same to the thoughts she’d had the other night in Nick’s room. And, for that matter, to the dream she’d had last night.
In the dream, she and Nick stood under the stars and amid candlelight, her in a white dress, him in a tux. Her face in his hands, his eyes drinking her in like the finest wine …
After almost a week of flirting, one week of her insisting that she didn’t need help while he provided stubborn protection and assistance, why did her subconscious have them kissing at the altar?
She sighed. Whatever was going on between them, she was grateful for his help. Even now he was outside monkeying around with the fuse box, trying to get the power back on.
Finished with the windows in this part of the house, Natalie grabbed a roll of trash bags from the storage closet. She returned to sorting through kitchen utensils, not sure what half of the antique contraptions were for, much less how to use them.
Cooking was Corie’s department, and she would arrive at five. Five!
Natalie shot up a quick prayer of thanks that her baby sister was on her way. Corie had boarded her train and was now entertaining herself by sending Natalie funny pictures. So far, Natalie had received a lady in a ridiculous hat, a little girl sticking out her tongue, and a sideways picture of UCSD frat guys posing with their muscles flexed. Only one message had come through since that one:
Remind me again why I am not going to SD? ;)
Natalie texted back:
Need you here, kid.
Checking her phone a third time, Natalie decided her cryptic response hadn’t deserved a reply. Not when there were frat boys to play with. Corie was nothing if not predictable. She’d be in love again by nightfall.
Natalie looked over her work. The apron-front sinks showed their white porcelain, and the stainless steel tabletop gleamed. With Nick’s help, she’d emptied and scoured the fridge. Instead of rotting food, she inhaled clean scents of fresh lemon, vinegar, and a hint of vanilla from the candle she’d lit.
Faded curtains were rinsed white again, and they fluttered dry on a slight breeze that set the candle flame flickering. Satisfaction wove tendrils through her heart; the industrial kitchen sparkled from windows to floor.
She began returning items to the cabinets. Blender, hand mixer, and the puzzle pieces of the Cuisinart food processer all went back from whence they came. The kitchen still needed new shelf paper, paint, and probably an update on the countertops and floor, but elbow grease was all she could afford right now.
How did one go about running a kitchen in a small hotel? With any luck, that was something her sister would want to tackle. Would they offer breakfast, light afternoon snacks, dinner fare? Maybe cocktails on the verandah at sundown?
Would Corie want to stay and try her luck as a B&B chef? If she did, Natalie would have to figure out a way to pay Corie now that she was the real deal, fresh out of culinary school.
Natalie glanced at her watch. It was closing in on noon. Stomach rumbling, she cast a thought to Nick. Where was he?
In the time since he’d gone to see about power, she’d managed to clean the kitchen, a bathroom, and start her three-pile system for house cleanout: one to sort through and keep, one to donate, and one for the dumpster she’d booked to arrive tomorrow. Natalie would be lucky if Corie didn’t ransack the trash and donate piles in search of treasures before s
he had a chance to toss anything.
Natalie cracked open a water as she went to check her handiwork in the great room. She sat on the hideous floral couch and looked out the picture window to the round hump of Mount Paloma, attempting to ignore everything that still had to be done. Mismatched furniture covered several decades’ worth of fabrics from ’70s corduroy to ’90s mauve-floral, and the general decoration style reflected a castle on a Hollywood movie set.
This wasn’t a home. It was something out of a home improvement show gone dreadfully awry. But Corie was coming, she reminded herself, and they would figure it out together.
Finger-combing her hair back into its clip, Natalie eyeballed the pathetic stack of keeps, which was far larger than the piles of items to donate and throw away.
Deep down, she knew that until Marie Valence passed, she would keep everything but out-and-out garbage.
She’d called the hospital that morning, and they told her that Mrs. Valence was not showing signs of wakefulness, but she seemed to be resting comfortably. The best time to catch her awake would be in the evening. Natalie promised to be there.
It stunned her to realize she cared. How many conversations had she had with Mom declaring she had no interest in finding out about her biological past? And now, here she sat, immersed in it.
Natalie kicked her feet onto the coffee table. Head to cushions, she closed her eyes.
She’d come here to do her part as next of kin. To help out where she could, to raise money for hospital bills that would surely come.
Now she was half-determined to save this cavernous hole and turn it into Hotel of the Year. She’d put off quitting The Grand for now, so she could still return to her old job if it became too much.
But now Nick was invested. Corie was on her way. Little-girl dreams of owning a B&B were closer than ever. Maybe she could even have it all—marriage, a family, and the B&B. If only she was brave enough to see it through.
Thoughts of her dream drifted through her soul in lazy currents. Nick had looked amazing in a tux … She shook herself out of her reverie.
You’re not here to decide if he’s “the one” like Corie does every time she goes out on a date!
First Crush Page 11