by Amelia Rose
“I parked in the garage at the hospital, and I was on my way to the elevator to get to work when this crazy woman almost ran over me.” She was speaking rapidly. He barely understood her words.
“Slow down,” he said quietly. “I can’t keep up with you.” He heard her snatch a hasty breath or two.
“She almost hit me, Wes. If I hadn’t seen her and jumped out of the way, she would’ve killed me.” She breathed a little slower this time. “Then she screeched to a halt, opened her window, and waved a gun at me.”
“What? She had a gun?” He was about to tell her to call the police when she continued.
“Please, Wes. Let me finish. She said something about if I know what’s good for me, I should stop messing with her man.” Kristi paused, apparently waiting for his reply. “Do you have any idea who this woman is?”
Wes wiped his face with his free hand as he went back to his desk and sat down again.
“Yeah. I think I do.” He inhaled deeply, stalling just long enough to think of what to say next. “Tell me what she looked like. What kind of car was she driving?”
“I don’t know what make or model the car was—it all happened so fast. But it was a small car and it was sort of silvery grey.” She stopped for a moment, presumably to recapture the image of the woman. “I couldn’t tell much about her, except that she had short, dark hair. Her face was kinda small so I guess she’s not too tall, maybe a little over five feet. That’s all I could tell.”
He sighed. “That’s plenty. I know who she is. Let me call her and I’ll call you right back.”
Wes was sure he knew the woman Kristi described, especially when he learned the color of the car she was driving. It could only be one person—his ex-girlfriend. When he’d told her it was over, he thought she’d understood that it was final. Apparently, she was thinking he’d come back to her but that just wasn’t going to happen. He’d had more than he could take of her controlling ways, and he wouldn’t subject himself to that torture again.
Calling her was the last thing he wanted to do, but it was obvious he had no choice. It had to be done, and he was the only one she’d listen to. At least, he hoped she would.
He pulled up the contacts list on his phone and found her number. He’d meant to delete it a few weeks ago but for some reason he’d neglected to, and now he knew why.
Her name glared at him. It was a name, and a woman, he wanted to forget as easily as if the information had been surgically removed from his brain. Liza Hill.
Chapter Five
Kristi called the nurse’s desk as she waited for Wes to call her back. She told the outgoing head nurse what was going on and that she’d be there as soon as she could to take over for the day. Maggie was concerned and wanted to help, but Kristi insisted she was fine. A bit shook up but otherwise, she was okay.
Dear, sweet person that she was, Maggie responded that she should take her time and she’d sign Kristi in so she wouldn’t be docked any pay. Kristi thanked her and promised to return the favor some day, then hung up in case Wes was trying to call. A minute later, he did.
“I’m sure it was her but she denied it,” he said when she answered.
“Did you honestly expect her to admit it?” She knew she sounded annoyed but with what just happened, she couldn’t help herself. “Sorry. That didn’t come out the way I intended.”
“It’s okay, I understand. You’re still shaken up about it. That’s to be expected.”
“Yeah. You can say that again.” She took a deep breath to try to calm herself. It helped, but only marginally. “So, who is this woman?”
She heard him inhale, then sigh. “It’s my ex-girlfriend, Liza Hill. She’s an unbalanced control freak. That’s why I broke it off more than two weeks ago.”
“What do you mean? How controlling was she?”
Another sharp, deep intake of air from his end. “She insisted on knowing what I was doing every second of every day. I almost couldn’t use the bathroom without her wanting to know what I was up to.” He paused. “At first, I thought it was jealousy. She’d told me her last boyfriend had cheated on her, so I let it go for a little while. Then, she took it upon herself to rearrange all my living room furniture and everything in the kitchen.”
“She rearranged your house? Without you asking her to?”
“Yep. That’s exactly how it happened,” he replied. “By the time I came home from work that day, she was starting on the bedroom, although I put a stop to it. Then I made her put everything back the way it was.”
“I think I’d have done the same thing. I mean, it’s not her house. She didn’t have any right to do something like that.”
“She didn’t stay there much longer after that episode of hers. I told her we were through and she should go back to her place. That was the last I saw or talked to her until just a few minutes ago.”
“Well, I just hope she doesn’t bother me anymore.” Her nerves were much calmer now. “I have a child to take care of, and I don’t need this kind of thing upsetting our lives.”
“Liza may be a lot of things, and do things other people wouldn’t, but I think she realizes I meant it when I said it was over between us. She shouldn’t be a bother again.”
Kristi hoped he was right. “But what if she is? What should I do?”
“I really don’t think she will but if so, call the police and let them handle her. That’ll get her to stop, if nothing else does. The threat of calling the police really bothers her for some reason.”
She sighed. “I’d hate to do that, but I guess you’re right.”
He hesitated for a few moments. “So, now that we’ve got that settled, would you like to have dinner again tonight?”
She glanced at her watch. “Can I think about it and give you an answer when I get off work? I’m already late, and I should be getting inside.”
“Sure.” His voice sounded hopeful. “I’ll talk to you then.”
Kristi ended the call, turned off her cell phone, and headed toward the elevators. This guy was persistent, she had to give him credit for that. And even though they’d known each other for less than a day, he seemed to genuinely care about her and Janie. She’d be lying to herself if she didn’t admit she’d thought about the fact that the girl needed a father figure. Wes seemed to be the kind of man who would be a good one. However, if this thing with his ex-girlfriend escalated, would it be worth the fuzzy warmth to deal with it?
* * * * *
She couldn’t believe he actually called. She saw his number on the caller ID, and felt as if she’d won the lottery. But that only lasted about as long as it takes to blink when he accused her of trying to run down his new bitch. She hadn’t even been out of her apartment this morning, so how could she have done that?
Something was up, but she had a good idea what it was.
Maybe you’re right, but you know you black out sometimes.
“I do not black out!”
You know, you really need to stop lying to yourself.
“I don’t do that, either. Go away.”
I can’t. You need me.
“Really? Why do I need you? To pester me all my life?”
To help you remember things. And to help you understand yourself.
“I’m doing fine on my own, thank you very much.”
Uh huh. You never would’ve gotten out of that institution without me, and you know it.
That was true. She couldn’t lie her way out of it. But that had been a long time ago, after Bill left her for that bimbo he’d been seeing on the side. She still didn’t understand how her husband could have done such a thing.
To the best of her knowledge, she’d been a good wife, partner, and lover. It wasn’t her fault she couldn’t conceive his child. All the tests proved she was fertile, so that meant it was on him. He didn’t have enough ammunition to hit the target, but would he admit it? Nope. Not William P. Hill.
So he left, shacked up with some tramp, and she received divorce papers. Th
e last she’d heard, he still hadn’t found a woman who could have his baby. When would he realize the problem was his all along? Probably never, knowing that egotistical bastard.
But that was the past, and she had a present problem to solve. A problem that seemed to grow bigger every day. She had to talk to Andy. He was the only one who could help, the only one who truly understood her. Maybe he was the only one who truly loved her in the purest, most pristine way one human could love another.
* * * * *
Janie was a precious child, at least that’s the way Wes thought of her. Of course, her Aunt Kristi was much more to his liking, if he were to be totally honest. But they were a package deal, and he liked the thought of an instant family.
Better slow down, cowboy, he thought. This was only their second dinner date, even if it was at a fast food burger place, and they had a long way to go before thinking like that. He couldn’t help it. There was something about Kristi that made him think there was such a thing as a love that could last until the end of eternity.
“What are you thinking?” Kristi’s voice cut through his reverie.
He smiled. “About how much I enjoy spending time with you.”
The palest shade of rose began to creep into her face. “Better watch out, Mr. Chandler. If you keep talking like that, I may be forced to kiss you in front of my niece.”
“That would be fine with me.” He waggled his eyebrows.
With that, she brought her fingertips to her lips, tilted them toward Wes, and blew lightly on them.
He threw his hand up and snagged the invisible kiss and brought it to his lips, as if savoring a warm, sticky cinnamon bun.
“Will that do?”
“For now.” He chuckled and when Kristi joined in, he felt like a kite soaring in the breeze five hundred feet high.
“So, are there any exes in your past I should be worried about?” He’d intended the question to come out in a joking way, but the sour apple look on her face told him something went terribly askew. “I’m sorry,” he added quickly. “Guess that wasn’t a good thing to ask.”
She gazed into his eyes. “No, it’s okay. It just reminded me of this morning, that’s all.” A tiny smile lifted the corners of her mouth. “But to answer the question, I’ve been lucky that the two guys I’ve ever had any kind of relationship with were secure enough with themselves to accept the separation.”
He thought about this and beamed a sunny smile at her. “Well, that’s good to know.” After a moment, he added, “So, you think Liza has some kind of insecurity issues?”
“Don’t get me wrong, I’m not a psychiatric nurse but I’ve had a little training in the area so I can recognize the signs. It’s obvious that something is going on with her. With what you told me about how she insists on having control, coupled with the actions she’s recently displayed, my best guess is that she has some type of insecurity issue—maybe even more than one or two.”
“In other words, she’s crazy and should be in the nut house. Is that what you mean, doc?” A mischievous grin appeared on his face as he winked at her.
“I didn’t say that. And don’t call me ‘doc’, I’m a nurse.” Her tone was playful. “However, I will say that she should get some professional help.”
He sighed, seeming to deflate like a beach ball with a leak. “Yeah. I don’t know how many times I thought the same thing. Now, I wish there was something I could’ve done to help her.”
“Nope! Don’t go there.” Her expression was firm. “None of this was your fault. Even if you’d tried to get her to go to counseling, it only would’ve worked if she’d wanted it.”
“I guess you’re right.”
“Of course I am. I’m a woman, aren’t I?”
His laugh was like the roaring of a lion. “I’m smart enough not to argue with you on that.”
They shared a chuckle as they finished their meal. Moments later, they got up from the booth, brought the empty wrappers to the trash can, and headed out the door.
Halfway to his car, Liza appeared in front of them as if she’d found a teleportation device and zeroed in on their location. There was a gun in her hand, and she waved it at all three of them.
“So. This is how it’s gonna be, huh?” Her words were riddled with venom.
Kristi grabbed Janie and held her close as she instinctively stepped back.
“Liza, put the gun down. Now.” Wes knew his voice held a commanding tone.
“And if I don’t?” She sounded like a defiant, spoiled brat.
“Then I’ll have no choice but to call the police.”
This threat seemed to neutralize her mind-set long enough for him to approach her. He came to a stop within two feet of her.
He spoke quietly. “Liza, go home and relax. This isn’t going to solve anything.”
“But, Wesley—”
“No, Liza. Go home, or I call the police. Those are your only choices right now.”
She seemed to weigh her options. “Fine.” The insolence returned. “I’ll leave.”
Liza turned and walked to her car a short distance behind her as Wes returned to Kristi and Janie, pulling them into an embrace as if to protect them.
He was letting them go when Liza went past, pointing at Kristi and shouting, “This isn’t the end for you, tramp!”
Chapter Six
Kristi remained quiet for most of the ride home. She liked Wes a lot, and would be thrilled to pursue a relationship with him but Liza seemed determined to interfere. What kind of bond would they be able to form if his ex was always around, threatening not only her, but also Janie and Wes?
She felt as though she were being jerked in opposing directions. Should she give in to what her heart wanted, regardless of what may come or should she let it go to preserve the security of her niece, the only family she had left?
As they came within a few blocks of her house, she made her decision.
“Wes, I think we need to stop this before it goes further.”
He whipped his head toward her for a moment, then returned his attention to the road. “And if I disagree? What do we do then?”
She looked at him, feeling the first tears forming in the corners of her eyes. “It’s not my intent to argue with you but I have to take mine and Janie’s safety into consideration. That woman is just plain crazy and I can’t take the chance that she’ll do something to hurt us. And I don’t want her hurting you, either.”
“Yeah. You’re right.” His voice was quiet as he wiped at his eye, probably to pretend to having something caught in it to disguise it as the tear it was. “Maybe we should put this on pause for a while and see what happens.” He glanced at her again. “I don’t want to do that, but it looks like we don’t have a choice.”
“I can’t think of any other alternative. She’s definitely a strong-minded woman, I have to give her credit for that.”
“Well, I’m not sure I wanna find out what she’s capable of, if you know what I mean.”
She glanced at him as he pulled into her driveway. “Yeah. I know what you mean.”
Moments later, Janie had scooted inside as Wes and Kristi said goodnight at the door.
“I guess this is the part where we tell each other it’s time to separate for a while.” His voice told her he felt miserable about the mutual decision.
“Yeah. But, what else can we do?”
He placed a hand under her chin, tilted her face upward, and covered her lips with his. She felt the heat and desire coming through his kiss, and she threw her arms around his neck, pulling him closer, deeper into the passion. He wrapped his arms around her, pressing her midsection firmly against his.
She felt him tremble with anticipation and raw emotion, as if he craved more of her as each moment passed. His kiss was consuming her, burning away all resistance to what he obviously wanted from her. She was losing herself in her own desire to give in, losing the debate whether or not it would be the right thing to do. At this very moment, she wanted him more
than anything else, almost more than the air she needed to breathe.
But then, she thought of Janie. She didn’t want to let him down, but she had to stop this. She pulled herself away from him, slowly and gently ending their scorching embrace.
“I’m sorry—”
“No. Don’t be.” He was gazing into her eyes. What was it she was seeing in his? Something more than mere passion. Was it a desire to be with her forever? Could it be love? They hadn’t known each other long enough for that to happen. Or had they?
“I just … I can’t do this. Not now. Not if we have to part for an indefinite amount of time.”
He sighed heavily, but held onto her. “It’s okay. I know exactly what you mean. I don’t want our first time to be under these circumstances, either.”
She smiled up at him. He was the most understanding man she’d ever met. No matter what was going on, he seemed to know just what to say, how to react. It was as though he could read her mind somehow, as if he completely empathized with everything she was going through.
No, she wouldn’t, couldn’t, let him go. If Liza wanted a battle, she could have it. But as far as Kristi was concerned, that woman was going to lose.
* * * * *
Why did she do that? Okay, so she followed them last night to find out where the bitch lived, made the sign, and planted it in her front lawn. But then this morning, he accused her of trying to run the lanky bimbo over in the hospital parking garage where she worked. She didn’t even know the cow worked there.
She only went back to see if he’d come by again, and he did, but she really didn’t intend to follow them and make a scene in the parking lot of a burger joint. That turned out embarrassing for her, to say the least.
Why couldn’t she let go of him? That was the million-dollar question. Something about him made her lose all sense of who she was, what she wanted out of life. Since she first met him, all she could think about was being with him, doing whatever it took to please him.