“You’re probably right,” Kayla said as Kelly opened the car door. “But what would you do if it happened?”
Kelly grimaced. “Lose my mind, of course. But, thankfully, San Francisco is one team that doesn’t need a back-up catcher. So I’m not going waste my time worrying about it. Besides, even one thought about Matt Scanlon is one thought too many. The man is a Neanderthal.”
“But a very hot one,” Kayla said, and watched as Kelly’s cheeks turned a light shade of pink. “Don’t you think?”
“No,” Kelly said with disdain and slid into the car. She started the ignition. “I’m not into men with dark hair and obsidian eyes.”
Obsidian eyes?
“Whatever you say, Kel,” Kayla said, thinking her sister had protested just a bit too much.
As Kelly backed out of the driveway, a brown delivery truck pulled up to the curb. Kelly waved and then disappeared down the street. The driver climbed out of the truck and trudged up the driveway carrying a package the size of a shoebox.
Per Lisa’s instructions, Kayla hadn’t ordered anything for herself online in a few years. While she wasn’t a major star, she was still in the public eye and Lisa had been concerned her credit card and personal information could be compromised. So whenever she saw something online, Lisa ordered it for her and Kayla paid her back. Lisa had ordered the sandals just two days ago. The company’s promise of fast delivery at a low cost was obviously no joke. After signing for the package, she crossed the yard eager to see if the sandals were as cute as they’d looked online.
Once inside the house, she activated the alarm and went to the kitchen. Setting the box on the granite countertop, she found her box cutter in the junk drawer and cut through the tape at each end of the box. She set the cutter aside and lifted the lid.
Immediately a foul smell filled the air and when she pulled the tissue paper from the box and saw what looked like a dead rat inside her blood turned to ice and her body started to shake. Forcing herself not to retch, she quickly replaced the lid, and for the first time noticed the precise block lettering on the label. It had Shay’s name on it, but her address.
The stalker knew where she lived.
Her cell phone was on the counter. She reached for it with a trembling hand. Sean answered after one ring. “Hi, sweetheart.” His voice was warm and solid, and for a moment that gave her comfort.
“I got a package from the stalker.”
“What? When?”
“Just now. I was outside saying goodbye to Kelly when the delivery guy drove up. When I signed for it I didn’t notice that the label had Shay’s name on it. I just took it into the house.”
“Did you open it?”
She took in a deep gulp of air, trying to stop herself from freaking out. “There was a dead rat inside.”
Sean swore softly. “Call Detective Shelton right away.” Sean paused for several seconds. “Damn it, they just called me for rehearsal. Call him now, Kayla. This is the last scene before lunch. I’ll be there as quickly as I can.”
“I’ll call him as soon as I hang up,” she promised, not able to control the sudden shaking of her knees. Naively, she’d thought that maybe the stalker had been the woman at the grocery store and had been spooked by Detective Shelton’s visit. But obviously, whoever it was had just been lying low for a while. “I activated my alarm,” she said anticipating his next question.
“That’s good.” Sean’s voice was calm and she was grateful. She felt anything but calm. “I’ll be there as soon as I can. Kayla, it’s going to be all right.”
“I hope so,” she said in a shaky voice.
After their conversation, Kayla went back to the kitchen and giving the box a wide berth found the card Detective Shelton had given her in her purse. Staring at the box, she placed the call and prayed he or someone from the LAPD would find something in or on the box that would lead them to the sick person tormenting her.
* * *
After breaking every traffic ordinance in L.A., Sean pulled the Jeep into Kayla’s driveway and parked in front of her garage. He’d hoped that whoever it was that was sending the letters had decided to stop. But evidently the person had decided to play an even sicker game. The stalker was letting her know he knew where she lived.
When he got to the front door and she opened it his gut clenched at the haunted look in her dark eyes. She didn’t say a word. She just closed the door behind him, punched in the alarm code on the keypad and then turned and stepped into his arms. Holding her, he felt her body shake with quiet sobs and it almost destroyed him. He felt absolutely helpless, something he wasn’t used to feeling.
“I’m sorry,” she murmured against his chest.
“Don’t be.” He stroked her back and wished he could wring the son of a bitch’s neck. He’d been useless at the studio, and for the first time since he’d started on the show, he’d phoned in his performance. He’d gone through the motions, reciting his lines as quickly as he could. Bill wasn’t happy, but Sean didn’t care. All he could think about was getting to Kayla.
“Detective Shelton left about ten minutes ago,” Kayla said, lifting her head and meeting his gaze. Wet tears clung to her eyelashes and dampened her cheeks. “He took the box and said he would call me after they’ve checked it out. They’re also trying to track it through the delivery company.”
Sean doubted that the sender would have been dumb enough to use a legitimate return address, but then again, some people who thought they were clever turned out not to be that bright. He hoped this person was one of them. “Do you want to come and stay with me?” he asked, wanting to do something—anything—to erase the fear he saw in her eyes.
Her smile was tremulous. “Part of me would like nothing better,” she said and then she pressed her lips together and shook her head, “but if I do that then whoever is doing this wins. They’ll have driven me from my home.” Her eyes hardened. “I can’t let that happen.”
“I understand. Hey, I have an idea. We’re both off tomorrow. Why don’t we drive out to my father’s house tonight? We can stay in the guest cottage and then do whatever we want tomorrow.”
“You’re trying to distract me again, aren’t you?”
“Guilty as charged. But I do have to check the house.” He paused and grinned. “And I think it’s time for that surfing lesson I promised you.”
“I know what you’re trying to do,” she said softly, “and I think it’s sweet.”
“Sweet?” he scoffed but his heart turned over at the tender look in her eyes. “I am not sweet.”
“Yes, you are,” she said with a smile. “And I’d love to go to Pacific Palisades with you. But you may regret it after one surfing lesson. I might end up drowning you.”
He stared into her dark as midnight eyes. He was already in danger of drowning.
But it wasn’t in the ocean.
* * *
The faint sound of gulls woke her. Opening her eyes, Kayla felt disoriented but then she remembered. She was in Pacific Palisades. With Sean. Although alone in the king-size bed, she wasn’t alarmed. Sean was an even earlier riser than she was. Slipping out of bed, she padded to the small bathroom and after using it she washed her hands and brushed her teeth.
The cottage was self-contained and beautifully decorated with antique furniture and eggplant-colored linens. Opposite the bed was a large window covered by wooden shutters. When they were open, the view of the ocean was just as grand and breathtaking as it was from the deck outside. But they were closed now and the room was dim.
Last night, she and Sean had sat on the chairs on the deck and watched the sunset. Kayla had never seen such a beautiful sight. As the sun dipped below the horizon, the sky became colored with ribbons of pinks and oranges that took her breath away. Watching it with Sean holding her hand had made it even more special. As each day passed her feelings for him were growing stronger, filling her heart with a happiness she’d never known before.
Moving to the door, she stepped out
on the deck and found Sean sitting in one of the deck chairs wearing his favorite Dodgers T-shirt and a pair of navy blue sweats. He was staring out at the ocean so intently he didn’t even turn when she closed the door behind her.
“Good morning,” she said and shivered. The coastal fog wouldn’t burn off until around noon and her skimpy sleepwear wasn’t enough to ward of the chilly morning air. Sean looked up at her as she halted beside him. He smiled but the smile didn’t reach his eyes. “What’s wrong?” she asked.
Sean reached for her hand and pulled her to his lap. She settled atop his rock hard thighs as his arms circled around her and held her tightly. “I had a message from Matt on my phone this morning.” He sighed and continued, “The Dodgers told him yesterday after the game that they’re shopping his contract around. They’re trading him.”
“Oh, no,” Kayla whispered, not all that shocked at the news. “I’m so sorry to hear that. How’s he taking it?”
“Not well. He was drunk when he left the message and when I tried to call him this morning he didn’t pick up.”
“Maybe you should go see him. Didn’t you tell me he lives in Santa Monica? That’s not far from here.” Kayla saw Sean’s jaw clench and knew that if he didn’t check on Matt he’d worry about his friend all day. “I saw a few books in the cottage. I can sit on the deck and read until you get back.”
“Are you sure?”
“Positive.”
“Thank you for understanding. I’ll wait a bit before leaving. It’s still early. We seem to get up at the crack of dawn, don’t we?”
“You can blame our hours at the studio,” Kayla replied with a smile. “But I’ve found I like early mornings. Everything is new. It’s quiet. You can hear yourself think.”
Sean searched her face. “Do you know that one of the first things I noticed about you was your smile?” Surprised, she shook her head and he continued, “You always seemed so happy. Everyone at the studio loves you…”
“Everyone except Rachel,” Kayla interrupted, unable to suppress a wry grin.
“She doesn’t count,” Sean said, lifting a hand to brush her hair back behind her ear. He trailed his fingertips to her cheek to caress her skin. His intimate touch and the tender look in his eyes caused her heart to turn over. “How do you do it? How do you stay so normal in this crazy business?” he asked. “And how is that even this early in the morning you’re so damn beautiful it hurts?”
“My parents,” Kayla said softly, snuggling against him. His body was warm, warding off the early morning chill. “They raised me, so they get the credit. As for my looks, well, that’s not my doing either. I guess Kelly and I are lucky our parents are attractive.”
“I’m the lucky one,” Sean said huskily. “Because I met you.” As their eyes locked, Kayla could no longer deny the depth of her feelings for him. The truth had been staring her in the face for a couple of weeks but for whatever reason she’d chosen not to acknowledge it. She was completely and totally in love with Sean Barrett and it felt like the most natural thing in the world. Reeling from her realization, she stared at him mutely. She wanted to tell him how she felt and yet something stopped her. She knew exactly what it was. It was the fear of giving her heart to a man who might not feel the same way about her.
“I have an idea,” Sean said, his smile finally reaching his eyes.
“Okay, what great idea do you have now?” She returned his smile and noticed the slight stubble on his jaw and how sexy his tousled hair looked in the morning. He always looked gorgeous but there was something about him the morning, an earthiness that stirred her as no other man ever had.
“Let’s go back to bed for a while.”
“Are you still tired?”
“No.” His gaze lowered to her lips. “But I’d like to make love to you.” Her heart pounded as he lifted his eyes and met hers. The dark heat in them was mesmerizing. “If you’ll let me.”
Kayla pressed her lips gently to his. “I’ll let you,” she murmured as Sean took possession of her mouth just as masterfully as he’d taken possession of her heart.
* * *
When Matt opened the front door of his beach house, Sean wasn’t surprised to see that his friend looked like hell. His eyes were bloodshot, dark stubble shadowed his jaw, and his jeans and polo shirt were rumpled and wrinkled from passing out in a drunken stupor the night before.
“I got your message,” Sean said as Matt eyed him warily, hanging on to the door as if it were a lifeline.
“What message?” Matt asked, scrubbing a hand over his jaw.
“Can I come in?”
Matt pulled the door open. “Suit yourself,” he said and turned and shuffled into the living room where he collapsed on the sectional sofa in front of the large picture window that looked out onto the beach and the ocean beyond. Closing the door, Sean followed him into the room and saw the empty bottle of Jack Daniels sitting on the coffee table next to a slightly scuffed baseball. No wonder Matt looked like shit. He’d bypassed his usual beer and gone for the hard stuff. “I don’t remember leaving you a message.” Matt leaned his head back on the sofa and stared up at the ceiling. “What did I say?”
“That the Dodgers are trading you.” Sean walked to the window and stared out at the ocean. It was gray just like the clouds above it. The fog had yet to burn off.
“Well, you must be thrilled.” Matt’s tone was terse. “I mean, you predicted this, right?”
Sean’s heart was heavy. Seeing his best friend in so much pain was tough to watch. “I’m not thrilled at all.” He turned from the window and folded his arms over his chest. “I’m pissed.”
“Join the club,” Matt said, lifting his head from the sofa. “Fucking Dodgers.”
“I’m not pissed at them, I’m pissed at you.”
Matt’s red rimmed eyes widened. “So we’re back to that?”
“Yes. We’re back to that. And if this isn’t a wake-up call for you I don’t know what is.”
“Why’d you come here?”
“You’re my friend. I’m worried about you.”
Matt let out a loud snort. “Worry about yourself, buddy. I’m fine.”
“You don’t look fine. You look like shit.” Sean felt his anger rising and tried to temper it. Yelling at Matt wouldn’t help his cause any. “You’ve been kicked out of thirteen games and it isn’t even the All-Star break yet. You’re partying and picking up strange women left and right, and the way you treated Kelly Maxwell the other night was outright rude. You never used to be like this, Matt.” Matt stared at him and for a split second Sean saw a flicker of pain in his friend’s eyes, but it was gone in a flash and Matt’s eyes once again became as hard as granite. “Please get some help,” Sean implored him. “Before you lose everything.”
“It’s too late.” Matt’s mouth twisted in a painful grimace. “I lost what was most important to me a year ago yesterday.” Sean’s heart dropped like a stone. He’d been so worried about Kayla that he’d forgotten what day it was. Matt leaned forward to pick up the baseball resting next to the empty liquor bottle. He stared at it with haunted eyes and it was then that Sean noticed the colorful crayon markings on it. “And the only one who remembered was me,” he whispered as he squeezed his eyes shut and bowed his head.
Crossing the room, Sean rounded the coffee table and sat down next to his friend. The friend he’d known since they were in first grade. The friend who had always had his back, and because of his own dysfunctional family, was the only one who understood what Sean had gone through when his mother died, and why that day had changed everything between him and his father. Hell, if it hadn’t been for Matt, he wasn’t sure he would have had any good times at all back then.
“I remember,” Sean said and put his hand on Matt’s back. Matt looked up and turned his head. His face was a mask of misery. He looked broken and it tore at Sean’s gut because until a year ago Matt had been the strongest person he’d ever known. “And if you’re ready to talk. I’ll listen.”
Chapter Twenty
Shay: This whole town thinks you’re crazy for marrying me.
Jared: I don’t care what they say. I don’t regret marrying you.
Shay: Wait another month when I’m as big as a house and very, very cranky.
Jared: You’ll still be beautiful.
When the morning fog finally burned off, the weather was absolutely beautiful. So beautiful that Kayla had almost forgotten about the dead rat incident until Detective Shelton called to tell her there were no identifiable prints on the box, and the return address provided to the delivery company didn’t exist. There was a note inside the box and after the detective had read it to her, Kayla was more angry than frightened. It was the same garbage. The letter writer called her a slut and a whore and told her if she knew what was good for her she’d leave town.
Wearing a pair of fleece sweatpants, T-shirt and a hoodie, Kayla sat on one of the Adirondack chairs on the deck with a book face down on her lap. It was a mystery and interesting, but it was hard to ignore the majestic view in front of her. After every chapter she couldn’t help but put the book down to gaze at the white capped waters of the Pacific Ocean.
Sean had been gone for several hours, but before he left to see Matt he’d made love to her with such tenderness that it had taken her breath away. She wasn’t sure if it was because of her newly acknowledged feelings for him or not, but this morning the connection between them had seemed more intense than ever before.
Hearing steps on the stone pathway that led from the house, Kayla turned in the chair expecting to see Sean. But it wasn’t him, and when she recognized the man that rounded the cottage her jaw dropped.
“Well, this is an intriguing surprise.” James Barrett put his hands on his hips and stared at her with undisguised amusement.
Shocked, Kayla grabbed the book and pushed herself up from the chair. “Mr. Barrett,” she said, taken aback by his arrival. Sean hadn’t said a word about his father returning from New York. “I can explain,” she began but then snapped her mouth shut when he lifted his hand and gave her a good humored smile.
Love in the Afternoon Page 24