by Lee Rose
“I never said you were not good enough for me, Holly. I felt like I was not good enough for you,” he insisted. “Yes, I have dated a few women, but none of them get to me like you do.”
“There is no point in going over the past. You made your choice and I have to live with it.” She folded her arms across her chest, hoping to look tough. “Why are you here?”
“I couldn’t stop thinking about today, and I wanted to make sure you were okay and not scared to be alone,” he replied. He was in uniform, so he must be on duty. What if she confessed that she was nervous? Would he offer to come in, or would he sit in his car, watching her house?
“I am fine, Deputy Smith. Pete is in jail where he belongs,” she told him, and started walking toward her porch. She ran up the stairs and to her front door. She turned her head to look back. He was still standing on her sidewalk, looking at her. He looked like he wanted to say more, but she didn’t want to hear it.
“Good-bye, Matt,” she whispered. She went in and shut the door, locking it. She didn’t have the guts to peek out and see if he was still outside. She needed to forget Matthew Smith. She had allowed him to hurt her for far too long. It was time to move on.
Chapter 4
Holly and Jasmine had just finished jogging. They met at the park three days a week to jog down the trails of the park. Holly loved the early morning hour before it got to hot. Not too many people came out this early. Since she had stopped going to Helena’s, this was her new morning routine. Jasmine loved to run as much as she did, saying it made her feel energetic.
She ran an antique store and decorating business with her aunt. Jasmine had moved here last spring after a disastrous relationship ended. She had fallen in love with Drake Lopez, a Red Hook deputy, and made a success of her aunt’s failing business. Holly counted her as one of her best friends. They had asked Alicia Garcia, the third to their group, to join them, but she had laughed and said she would only run when someone was chasing her.
They slowed to a walk after two miles. It was going to be a hot day, but at least there was some coolness to the air right now.
“Drake asked me to move in with him,” Jasmine stated calmly. Holly could hear the confusion in her friend’s voice. The couple had been together almost a year now and seemed to have a solid relationship. The love between the two was obvious.
“That sounds like progress, but I hear confusion.”
Jasmine nodded. Her long, black hair was pulled up into a ponytail. “You know how traditional his family is. Eva told me they were expecting us to marry, not move in together. We have only been together for a year. Isn’t that too soon for any of this?”
Eva was Drake’s older sister, and Jasmine always went to her for advice.
“What are you really afraid of, Jazz?” Holly asked her friend. She knew the love between the two was genuine.
“We get along great right now, but we don’t live in the same space. What if it changes things?”
“You love each other, Jazz. Anyone can see that. Drake is a good man. Even if you had arguments, he would never cheat on you like Grant did. He is solid as a rock. Do you know how lucky you are?”
Holly tried to keep the sadness out of her voice. Ever since her confrontation with Matt last week, he had been embedded in her mind. It felt like they’d just broken up, which was why she had done her best to avoid him at all costs.
“I am lucky. I know that. Drake wants marriage. It is me that holds back,” Jasmine admitted as they turned the corner of the trail. “It isn’t fair, but I can’t help it.”
“I’m sure Drake understands all of this. Maybe it’s better to wait until you feel comfortable with the idea,” Holly told her, and Jasmine agreed.
“So, I hear Matt was the one who saved you.” Holly heard the curiosity in her friend’s voice. Jasmine and Alicia were the only ones who knew how deep her pain went. She hadn’t wanted her sister fretting over her, or worse, going to the station to tell Matt off. Faith would do it. Adam often teased her and called her a mama bear when it came to Holly.
“He was just doing his job, Jazz.” She did not want her friend trying to be a matchmaker. Being with Matt was a hopeless dream.
Jasmine sighed. “I don’t think so, Holly. I think he regrets calling things off. I think his feelings for you scared him. Last month, when we had poker night at Drake’s, he asked why you didn’t come. He seemed disappointed when I told him you were babysitting Hope.”
“I was babysitting,” Holly insisted. She didn’t mention she was the one who called Faith and suggested she go out with her husband. She didn’t want Jasmine angry with her, but she also did not want to see Matt.
“Mmm.” Jasmine smirked as if she knew the truth. They were heading out to the open area with the pond. Some people were just arriving to begin their activities.
They sat at a bench under a shady tree. “You know, my first date with Drake was here. We rented bikes. I should get him to bring me again.”
“Are you Holly Davis?” A male voice interrupted Jasmine’s memory.
Holly looked up and had to squint her eyes against the bright sun. A tall, slim man stood in front of her. He had short, blond hair and was dressed casually in jeans and a T-shirt. She didn’t recognize him. “Yes.”
“I’m Gerald Ferguson, Pete’s older brother,” he announced with a serious look.
Holly heard Jasmine gasp. “What can I do for you?” Holly asked calmly.
“Pete is my youngest brother. He has never committed a crime like this before. He needs to be in rehab and not jail,” the man stated. He looked to be in his mid-twenties.
Holly wanted to ask him why they didn’t put him in rehab a long time ago before it got to this point.
“I am here on the behalf of my momma. She wants you to drop the charges so we can get him the help he needs. After all, you didn’t get hurt,” he said, as if he didn’t care that his brother had a knife to her throat.
Holly’s hand went to her neck where she still had a scar. “I beg to differ. He scared me, threatened me and cut me with a knife. He stole drugs at knifepoint. If not for the sheriff’s department, he planned on kidnapping me, too.”
“It’s not up to Holly, anyway. When a crime is committed with a weapon, the state makes the charges, not the victim.” Jasmine spoke up angrily. She did not like what Gerald was asking, and neither did Holly. Pete was a violent man and should not be running free. Was his family blind?
“Who are you, her lawyer?” he asked with an attitude.
“Yes, I am.” Jasmine answered coldly. “So I must ask you to leave my client alone. You should be directing all this to the sheriff.”
“I have,” he stated with anger. His brown eyes narrowed as he looked at Jasmine’s red shorts and black tank top. He looked back at Holly and her similar outfit. The look in his eyes gave her the creeps. The jerk was checking them out. Suddenly, she felt cold and threatened. “I got nowhere with the sheriff, so I came to see if you had more sense than that oaf.”
“It’s out of my hands, Mr. Ferguson. From what I have been told your brother has a long record,” Holly responded calmly. “Maybe he should have gotten some help long ago.”
“We had no idea it was that bad.” His voice got louder. “I can see what a stuck-up bitch you are. I told my mama it would do know good to plead our case with you.”
He turned and walked away. Holly watched him hop on a bike and ride away. “That was a great start to the day.”
Jasmine stood up, looking furious. “The nerve of that guy to even ask you, to act like Pete did nothing.”
Holly stood up, feeling a little unsettled by Gerald Ferguson’s visit. How did he know who she was, or that she was jogging at the park?
She had to shower and change for work. She dismissed her troubled thoughts. “I know. Let’s get out of here.”
As they walked to their cars, Holly had a feeling she had not seen the last of Pete’s brother.
* * * *
Matt was
fuming mad when he heard from Drake what happened at the park. They were getting ready to start their patrol and had just left the station. Matt knew Gerald Ferguson. He was a carbon copy of his brother Pete. Noah had been wanting to arrest him for selling meth, but Gerald was smart and never got caught with the goods on him. Matt was sure the mother knew, but since both her grown sons lived with her and paid her bills, she did nothing. Matt was sure she approved of their activities, since it allowed her not to work herself. Now, when it was too late, she wanted to help the younger son.
“I know. That punk is lucky I wasn’t there,” Drake complained. “I told Jazz the next time she sees him, she needs to call me. I have a few things to say to him.”
“I would love to have a chat with him myself. Holly is much too nice and was probably polite. She should’ve told him to fuck off.” Matt growled, hating the thought she had been scared by Gerald. He wanted to find her and check on her, but the last time had not gone so good. She’d sounded so bitter, and he knew her pain went deep. He hadn’t been able to sleep since.
Drake laughed. “Not her style, or Jasmine’s, either. I told Adam about it, though, and Liam is walking Holly out to her car tonight.”
Matt wanted to protest that Holly belonged to him. He should be the one taking care of her. All his protective instincts rose one hundred percent. He had been such a dumbass to give her up. Now she wouldn’t give him the time of day, and he had no one to blame but himself. It was a depressing thought.
“Let’s go drive by the empty fields. If we have any luck, Gerald and his buddies will be hanging out by that abandoned barn,” Matt suggested, cheering up. “I feel like chatting with him.”
Drake chuckled and agreed. He turned the corner and headed out toward the outskirts of town.
Chapter 5
Holly was on the phone with her sister later that night. “I swear it wasn’t that big of a deal, Faith. Gerald is a jerk, but he did not break any laws by approaching me, and he left right away. I am glad Jasmine was with me. She was the one to run him off.”
Faith was worried when she heard what happened. She was also upset because she found out from Adam, who had been told by Drake. “I wasn’t going to upset you now when you are in a delicate condition.”
“Delicate condition? Bull. I am not a fragile flower,” she protested. “I already had this talk with my husband. Don’t make me come over there and have it with you, too.”
Holly laughed. She could imagine Adam wanting to treat her sister like a piece of glass, but Faith was the strongest person she knew. She would never settle for that. “No ma’am, you don’t. Liam walked me to my car, and Matt came by to make sure I was okay, too.”
“Oh, really? And did you let him check under your bed, too?” Faith teased. Holly suspected she did not do a good job of hiding how she felt about the sexy deputy.
Holly snorted and rolled her eyes. “No way. He checked the yard and all my windows, but I would not let him in my house. I told him it was no big deal. Gerald was angry, but he left after calling me a stuck-up bitch. Not like that is the first time I’ve heard that word.”
“You should have let Matt in. Noah thinks he still cares about you. He was just scared because his feelings for you went deep. Men are not as strong as us women,” Faith remarked. Holly heard Adam say something in the background, and Faith chuckled.
“I meant emotionally, babe,” she said to her husband.
Holly felt her cheeks warm up at the thought that Matt had feelings for her. Her head ruled it out right away, but her heart wanted to believe. “Maybe he feels lust, but he doesn’t care for me. I have seen him on several dates over the last months. I saw him with Linda Sanchez a few weeks ago.” Linda was a spoiled, selfish woman who looked down on the people of Red Hook even though she lived among them, too. What could Matt see in her?
If only she was the casual fling type, maybe she could have a brief affair with Matt, but he meant too much to her. She would never feel casually about him. Her body heated up and tingled at the thought of having sex with Matt. She twisted the cord of the phone around her finger nervously. She had to stop thinking of him. It would only lead to more heartache.
“I want to be loved, Faith. I don’t want casual sex. I can get that anywhere.” Holly sighed, feeling self-pity. She hated that feeling. She had spent most of her childhood feeling that way.
“I know I have never been a big fan of Matt Smith, but maybe he does care for you, Holly. Maybe you should give him another chance. Sometimes, you appreciate something more when you lose it,” Faith said quietly. “As much as you try to hide it, I know you haven’t gotten over him. I see how sad you look. I wanted to have words with Smith, but Adam strongly suggested I stay out of it.”
Holly never got the chance to answer. She heard the doorknob at her back door rattle. She was in the hallway by the kitchen, so she heard it clearly. It was locked, but Liam had told her the lock was weak and she needed to replace it. It was on her list of things to do. Red Hook was basically a safe town, so she had never been in a hurry to fix it.
“Oh, shit,” she whispered, hiding by the wall but peeking into the kitchen from the corner. A dark shadow fell across the sheer lace curtain. Matt had already been by an hour ago. He would knock on her door if he was checking her backyard again. She had basically kicked him off her property with a rude attitude. Why would he come back?
“What is it? What’s wrong?” Faith asked in a whisper, as if Holly’s intruder could hear her.
“I think someone is at my back door,” Holly whispered back. “I can’t get to the kitchen knives, either, or he will see me. He is rattling the doorknob. What if he breaks a window?”
She heard her sister talking to Adam. “Adam is calling Noah.”
“What should I do, Faith?” Holly heard her voice tremble. Could it be Gerald trying to scare her? She could fight him off, she assured herself. She remembered the baseball bat Liam had left here when they’d joined the softball team together a few weeks ago. She walked to the closet in the hallway, away from the kitchen. She opened it and grabbed the bat. It was heavy and sturdy. She turned off the hallway light so he wouldn’t see her if he was peeking in the window.
“Adam said help is on the way,” Faith told her. That made her feel slightly better. “Do you see him?”
Holly walked back by the kitchen, wishing she had not left the light on. She peeked around the corner. “No. It’s quiet, but what if he is on the front porch? I keep my doors locked, but he could break a window.”
“Stay on the phone with me. Adam said to hide in the closet.” Holly could hear the upset in her sister’s voice.
She heard sirens in the distance, and let out the breath she had been holding. “I hear sirens, Faith. I am going to hang up so I can answer the door.”
“Okay, wait for them to get there,” Faith warned her. Holly hung up the phone. She could see the red and blue lights from her living room window, and she felt some of the tension leave her body. She was safe. The lights would scare her intruder away. She set the bat down by the front door and waited for someone to knock on her door. A few seconds later, she heard Drake’s voice. “Holly, it’s me.”
She opened the door and he immediately hugged her. “You okay?”
She let go of him and stepped back. She refused to cry, although she wanted to. “I’m fine. He was at the back door, trying to get in. All I saw was a dark figure.”
Drake looked grim and was in total police mode. His eyes were cold and hard. “Matt is checking out the backyard.”
Drake walked to the kitchen and opened the door. Matt stood on her back porch. “All your pots of plants have been knocked to the ground, and I see footprints in the dirt by your window.”
Holly looked at the huge window that she normally had her coffee by. She loved looking out at her backyard filled with colorful flowers. Now it would be tainted by the memory that someone had been out there, watching her.
“You think he could have been watching
me while I was talking to Faith?” Holly felt cold and she rubbed her arms.
“Yes,” Matt confirmed. “Maybe he thought your back door was unlocked.”
“I always keep it locked, and the front door, too,” she said in a low voice. Even though Red Hook was basically a safe town, a woman living alone still had to be careful. “I have central air, so I rarely open the windows.”
“Good,” Drake said. Matt walked in and closed the door. He made sure to lock it, then rattled the doorknob. “This lock sucks, Holly.”
“I know. I was going to replace it,” she admitted. She was going to have to do it soon.
They went toward the front and out to her front porch. It was small, with enough room for one chair. It was all clear out there.
“The porch light scared him off,” Matt observed. “Your neighbors could see if someone was messing around out here.”
“Do you think it is Gerald?” She hated the thought that Pete had brought this mess into her life.
Drake nodded. “We looked for him earlier, and we couldn’t find him. He was probably lurking around your house, waiting for an opportunity to scare you. Jasmine said he left very angry.”
“Well, he did scare me, and that makes me furious,” she grumbled. “What a mess. I was the victim of Pete’s attack, so now I have his crazy family after me.”
“We will make sure nothing bad happens to you, Holly,” Matt assured her firmly. She looked up at him and nodded. He was a good officer. She knew that he took his job seriously. “Thank you both for showing up so fast. I didn’t know what to do. I have a baseball bat, but that is all. Guns terrify me.”
“Maybe you should stay with Faith tonight,” Drake suggested, patting her back gently. “Otherwise, you will not sleep a wink. I will have Tony and Greg drive by to make sure your house is safe.”
Holly sighed. She hated bothering her sister, but Drake was right. She would not be able to sleep, thinking of Gerald Ferguson all night.