“I don’t want to go.” Lilly struggled to sit up.
The doctor helped her upright and observed her for a few minutes. “Any dizziness?”
“Just a little. It is painful, but I guess I have to expect that.”
The doctor nodded and turned to Zach. “If she won’t go to the hospital, she needs to be watched for the next twenty-four hours.”
She’d stay with him whether she wanted to or not. “What should I do?”
“Wake her up every hour or so if she falls asleep. If you can’t wake her, call 911. Also, if she gets extremely dizzy or confused, get her to the hospital immediately.”
Zach nodded. “What should I do for her pain?”
Dr. Stern glanced down at his watch. “I’ll call a friend here who can prescribe pain pills. It will be waiting for you tomorrow when the pharmacy opens. Tonight, give her some ibuprofen and use ice on her bruises.”
“Maybe you guys should sleep here,” Patricia said from her position behind the couch. “Your father and I could help out if you stay.”
Zach glared up at his mother. It wasn’t her fault he fought with Lilly, he knew that was all on him, but she certainly hadn’t helped matters any. Why was she being so nice now?
“It’s fine, Mother. I’m taking her home. We’ll both be more comfortable there.”
And hopefully Lilly’s stalker didn’t know where Zach lived, and would leave them in peace for the night. At least he could set the security system, which offered more protection than they’d have at Lilly’s house.
“Please, son, don’t push me away. I want to help.” Tears glistened in her eyes.
Zach sighed. He couldn’t hurt her on purpose. He gentled his voice, “Could you gather our things while I get Lilly out to the car? That would be a big help.”
Patricia hurried out of the room and James followed her. Margaret and Savannah entered as soon as his parents cleared the doorway.
“We wanted to check on the patient,” Margaret explained.
Savannah raced across the room and stopped abruptly, not touching Lilly. “Mommy said you fell again, Aunt Lilly.”
“Yes, but I’m going to be okay.” Lilly reached out and squeezed Savannah’s shoulder. “Don’t worry, alright?”
Savannah hugged her. Though she was careful when she touched her, Lilly winced when Savannah’s head was turned. “I love you,” Savannah said.
Lilly’s arms tightened around the child, and she kissed her head. “I love you too, munchkin.”
The sight of her and Savannah together warmed Zach. Even through her own pain, Lilly was considerate of his niece. She would make a great mother one day.
Margaret sat carefully next to Lilly. “Don’t worry about work this week, child. I’ll come over to Zach’s house later when you’re feeling a bit better.”
“But I can’t afford to miss more work.” Lilly shook her head. She whimpered slightly and leaned her head against the back of the couch. “What will you do, Margaret? I already missed time last week.”
“Look at you, child. You can hardly sit up right now.” Margaret squeezed Lilly’s hand. “I’m ordering you to stay home. There are plenty of people around to keep an old woman company.”
No one ever argued with Grandma when she used that tone.
Lilly was no exception. “Whatever you think is best.” She reached her hand toward Zach. “Let’s go. The sooner we get out of here, the sooner everyone can stop fussing.”
Zach pulled her to her feet and steadied her against him.
She winced and put her free hand to her head.
“Do you have a headache?” he asked.
“Pounding.”
Dr. Stern pulled the light out of his bag and looked into Lilly’s eyes once again. “If the headache doesn’t get better by tomorrow, take her in.”
Zach nodded.
James and Patricia returned, arms laden with clothing and Lilly’s purse. Zach took inventory of the items and realized her cane was missing. Hadn’t she had it earlier in the evening?
“Where’s your cane, honey? Is it downstairs?”
Crandall walked around the couch toward them. “I think it fell when I brought her in here,” he said. “I remember grabbing it.”
Lilly’s body twitched beneath Zach’s arm, and she leaned closer to him.
In the midst of a crisis, Crandall grabbed her cane? Something wasn’t right here. He needed to get Lilly alone so they could talk.
“I’ll find it,” Savannah said, running around the room at full speed. She darted back in the corner behind a table and stood up with it in her hands. “Here it is.”
“How’d it get back there?” Zach asked, turning to Crandall.
“I must have kicked it or something.” Crandall shrugged. He reached out and touched Lilly’s arm, but she shrank back against Zach. “I’m glad you’re okay, Lilly.”
Zach felt her tremble. The night of the boat party, even though she’d seemed afraid of Crandall, she’d gone off all by herself on a walk with him. Something changed. Her reactions tonight called to mind the way she looked when she talked about Charles.
Zach moved back slightly, pulling Lilly with him to break Crandall’s contact with her. Zach felt everyone’s eyes on him. Manners dictated he say something to the bastard. “I owe you my thanks.”
“Think nothing of it.” Crandall turned his interest back to Lilly. “You really need to be careful. What if something terrible happened?”
“I wasn’t thinking. It won’t happen again.” Lilly turned to Zach, shaking worse than before. “Can we leave now, please?”
“Yeah, let’s go home, honey.”
Chapter Twenty-Four
Lilly lay partially reclined in Zach’s bed, propped up on several downy pillows. He’d grilled her about things for the last twenty minutes between applying ice to her bruises.
Panic clutched at her heart as she tried to decide what to tell him. If she told him the truth, he’d probably be sympathetic at first. However, once Crandall learned about it and told his side of the story, would Zach still believe her? She couldn’t risk the fact that he might buy Crandall’s side of the story. It would crush him.
Crandall’s last threat played through her mind. No matter what happened with Zach, Lilly had to make sure the police didn’t become involved. She didn’t know if Crandall would really kill Sarah or he was just trying to scare her, but she wasn’t willing to take any chances.
“I don’t know what you want me to say, Zach? I didn’t fall on purpose.”
“I feel like you’re not telling me everything. Did Crandall do something to you?” Zach reached out and stroked her belly.
Lilly stiffened. A terrifying clash of memories tumbled in her mind. Charles slammed his fist into her face after finding dirt on the floor. Zach held her close as they danced at the pavilion in the rose garden. Crandall’s reptilian tongue was in her mouth while Zach lovingly kissed the ruined skin of her thigh. It was too much.
“Don’t touch me!”
Zach’s hand jerked away as though burned. “What is it?”
Lilly sighed and turned to face the wall. She didn’t want to see the pain her rejection caused him. She had more than she could deal with already. “It’s been a very long day. Can we talk about this tomorrow?”
“Sure.” He leaned across her and kissed her forehead.
She cringed when his weight briefly trapped her, but he moved before panic took over. “I’m tired, Zach. I’m going to sleep.”
“I’ll wake you in an hour,” he said. “We’ll talk tomorrow.”
***
Lilly woke to the smell of bacon. Her entire face throbbed and the lump on the back of her head ached terribly. Even the pillow against it was uncomfortable.
“Good morning, beautiful. I made you breakfast.”
Lilly opened her eyes and blinked in an attempt to clear her vision. Zach sat next to her on the bed with a tray of food sitting between them. She made the effort to sit up, and he placed
the tray across her lap.
“You cooked?” Her voice came out as a rough croak and the movement sent up a flare of pain.
Zach grinned. “Microwaveable bacon and toaster waffles. Pretty good, huh?”
She tried to smile. How could she have been so afraid of his touch last night? This was Zach, her sweet, sexy, exciting lover; the man who picked out thoughtful gifts and wanted to protect her.
With every nighttime awakening, a little piece of Lilly’s fear dissipated. Around the sixth time Zach woke her, she asked him to stay. Zach’s arms had wrapped around her and she slept deeply, secure in the knowledge that Crandall wouldn’t get to her as long as Zach was near.
Zach cut the waffle into small bites. Lilly put one of the syrup-drenched pieces into her mouth. The soft food went down her raw throat with minimal effort.
He plucked a piece of bacon off the plate and ate it. “I heard from the local cops already. They want to come interview us about the pictures.”
“Today?” In the midst of everything else, Lilly had forgotten about her stalker. She didn’t feel up to facing all of that today, but knew she had to. “What will the police think? I must look horrible.”
“I figured you’d worry about that. I told them to give us a few hours, so you’d have time to shower and get your makeup on.”
She sighed and continued working on her food. “The officer in Portland seemed to think they would be able to help us more here, and I’d like them to catch Charles, if he’s out there.”
Zach nodded. “Me too. I’ve got a security system here, so I think you’re safe, but I’ll feel better when they catch the bastard.”
Lilly took a small sip of apple juice and tried not to feel too guilty. Here Zach sat, worrying over her safety, taking care of police appointments, cooking her breakfast...and she had lied to him again. Granted, she only wanted to protect him and Sarah, but it was still a lie.
“You have fresh clothes to put on too,” he told her. “I washed everything in your suitcase last night. When you get out of the shower, I’ll run out to your house and get more clothes for you and stop and pick up the pain pills.”
He did her laundry? He was impossibly good to her.
Lilly blinked back tears. “You don’t need to do all that. Doctor Stern said I could go home tonight. We can get the pills on the way to my house and you can just drop me off. You don’t have to babysit.” She looked down at the plate, not sure if she wanted him to argue or not.
She still didn’t know how to feel about things with Zach. She knew he was genuinely sorry for telling his family about her past, and she did love him. It would be great if they could get things back on track between them.
Patricia seemed to forgive her last night and tried to make amends, but Lilly felt skeptical about how long that would last. Also, what would she do when Crandall came after her again? He didn’t seem likely to leave her alone, and that had the potential of hurting Zach.
Then again, the thought of being without him was almost too much to bear. Maybe she could avoid Crandall at future functions the Woodbridges invited him to. At the very least, she’d never go alone to a room again.
“You staying here isn’t up for discussion, Lil.” Zach munched another bacon strip. “If you’ve changed your mind about us, I’ll sleep in the spare room. I’m not sending you home until I know you’re safe. Please, do this for me.”
“I haven’t changed my mind,” she said. No matter what else happened, she didn’t want to lose Zach. “I’m sorry I always push you away. I don’t mean to.”
“I think we’re bound to make mistakes, given our pasts.” His eyes narrowed and he shook his head. “I’m so sorry for not asking you before I told my family.”
“It’s okay. Please don’t apologize.” She grabbed his hand and leaned back against the pillows. “Let’s not talk about yesterday anymore. I just want to put the whole thing behind us.”
“Just one more thing.”
Please don’t ask about Crandall. “What’s that?”
“Do you like the earrings?”
She sighed in relief. “They’re wonderful.”
***
Lilly sat on the couch next to him, clutching his hand. Her eyes had a slightly vacant look in them, and Zach was glad her pills finally kicked in. She’d left it up to Zach to explain the situation, and the burly cop sitting in the chair next to them took copious notes.
Zach gave as detailed of an account as he could. He also handed over the letter from the rose gardens, explaining how a child dropped it off.
Officer McMann had been on the police force as long as Zach could remember. Zach knew McMann’s reputation as a hard working, honest cop, and trusted he would do a thorough investigation.
“So, you think the stalker is the guy she was accused of killing?” Office McMann asked.
“Not necessarily,” Zach said. “But it’s a theory we’re working on. The coincidence of the letter seems a little much if it isn’t Charles.”
McMann rubbed a hand along his balding forehead. “Portland is sending over the pictures and letter. We’ll look them over and see if we can figure out where the person stood while they took those ones here in town. Maybe someone saw him following you and we can get a lead on him that way. We’ll test this second letter for fingerprints, too.” He stopped and looked at his notebook. “Ms. Price lives alone?”
“Yes, sir, but she’s staying with me for now.”
McMann nodded. “I think that’s a good idea. A stalker generally won’t do anything if he can’t catch his victim alone. Most of these people are crazy, but they usually have a good sense of self-preservation.”
Lilly snorted. “Some of them are willing to hit you no matter how many people are around.”
The cop’s brown eyes pierced into her. “Miss, I don’t want to seem rude, but where’d you get all those bruises?”
Even with as much makeup as Lilly had piled on, there was no mistaking the purple stain that spread across her cheek or the way the side of her face bulged, swollen to twice its regular size. Zach had seen the marks around her neck, which she hid with the high collar of her shirt. This afternoon, as they darkened, they looked suspiciously like finger marks.
She’d wanted so much to move past yesterday and not talk about it, Zach hadn’t asked her any more questions. Maybe in her drug-induced haze, McMann could get some answers out of her.
She looked at McMann for a long time before speaking. “I fell last night at a party—down a flight of stairs. I don’t really remember much.”
“You fell?” McMann asked slowly. “Down some stairs?” His gaze flicked to Zach, and it didn’t take a genius to figure out where his thoughts headed. “You don’t have to stay here, Ms. Price. I can take you home and post an officer outside your house.”
Zach cursed himself. Why had he blithely accepted Lilly’s story? Even this officer didn’t believe her, and he’d barely met her. Zach hadn’t wanted to question her too closely; he’d just wanted everything to be okay.
Lilly must have realized what McMann thought too. “Zach didn’t do anything, sir. He was in a different room when it happened. Anyone can tell you. Curtis Crandall was the man who...found me. Zach’s taking real good care of me.”
“She has a concussion,” Zach explained.
McMann flipped open his notebook. “You’re sure there’s nothing more you want to tell me?”
“There’s nothing to tell. I hope you can figure out who’s stalking me. Now, if you’ll both excuse me, I’m terribly tired.” Lilly stood and clutched her cane. “I need to lie down. Thank you for coming out here, sir.” She turned and limped to the bedroom, shutting the door behind her.
“The name Curtis Crandall sounds familiar to me.” McMann looked at Zach. “Isn’t that the guy who was...uh...friends with your wife?”
Screwing her, you mean? Even though his family had been unaware of Victoria’s true nature, it seemed the great people of Serenity spent time gossiping about it. “Yes
, he was.”
“Is there any chance he could be Ms. Price’s stalker? I don’t buy that she fell down some stairs. I’ve heard that story from too many women, and she had the look of fear in her eyes I’ve learned to recognize.”
Zach gritted his teeth together. “Damn it. I didn’t press her for answers. I was so happy the doctor said she was going to be okay.” But I noticed the way she pulled back from Crandall. I actually thanked the jerk. “It’s possible Crandall did something to her.”
McMann’s eyebrows rose. “You know I can’t do anything if she doesn’t report it.”
“I’m pretty sure she won’t. She’s lying to me about whatever happened, when she’s trusted me with everything else. I don’t think she’ll tell you the truth either.” Zach tried to make sense of it all. “She met Crandall last weekend at a boat party. I don’t think he’s her stalker, he hardly knows her. But he did make a pass at her.”
McMann let out a low whistle. “Is this guy trying to piss you off, or do you have the same taste in women?”
Zach ignored that. “Is there any way I can keep Crandall away from her?”
“She can take out a restraining order against him, if you can talk her into it. At least then we can put him in jail if he approaches her again.”
“I don’t think she’ll do that.” Zach paced around the room, his hands clenched into fists. Was it possible that bastard beat Lilly? That she didn’t really fall. She’d told people the same story when Charles hospitalized her. It was a flimsy excuse.
Zach met McMann’s eyes. “Maybe someone should teach Crandall a lesson.”
“Mr. Woodbridge, it’d be nothing more than what he deserves, but think about the consequences.” The officer put his hat on and walked toward the door. “He’ll likely press charges, and I’ll be forced to arrest you.” He paused with his hand on the doorknob. “With a stalker out there terrifying her, and this Crandall character possibly having hurt her, who’s going to protect Ms. Price while you sit in jail?”
McMann was right. No matter how it made his blood boil, Zach had to stay calm. He’d do Lilly no good from the inside of a cell. “I’m not letting Lilly out of my sight again, I can assure you of that. And I’ll stay away from Crandall.”
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