"I bet my sister would like Sully Point."
"Your sister? I didn't know you had any siblings," Rose said.
"Yes, my little sister, although I guess I can't really call her that when she's twenty-five years old. She tried living in Montana for a while, but she doesn't like that much cold weather. Now she lives at my house in L.A. and likes the weather better, but she likes quirky places like Sully Point."
"You should ask her to visit while you're here this summer."
"What were you saying when I came in earlier? Something about dragging me somewhere?"
"Yes, in the morning. I need to go to the grocery store to shop for salad stuff. I need to make a giant salad before we leave for the barbecue."
"Hmm. I need clothes from my place. I'm going to finish up this Moo Goo Gai Pan and then I'll get Kevin and Leo to take me to the cabin. I'll get my stuff for tomorrow and then come back here. I don't want to leave you alone tonight."
He paused and then tilted his head to the side.
"Okay, it's more than that. I don't want to be alone tonight either. Is it okay with you if I stay?" he asked.
"You beat me to asking you to stay over. But while you're gone, can I get one of the guys to stay inside with me? And the other right outside the door?"
"I'm sure they'll do that, no problem."
They ate the rest of their meal in a kind of grim silence.
Finally, Rose said, "I can't eat another bite. You go get your clothes. I'll put this stuff in the fridge so we can have leftovers later."
"I think I'm finally full, too. Okay, let's get Mel or Owen in here."
Mel agreed to stay inside with Rose. Kevin and Leo took Ben away, and Rose sat down across from Mel.
"Tell me, just how dangerous is it?"
"Pretty dangerous. How she was today...it's not good that she started out living in her delusion and by the end was threatening you. You absolutely need to keep us with you everywhere."
"I plan to. Do you guys know about the beach barbecue tomorrow?"
"Yes, and we aren't thrilled by the venue. Lots of people by the sound of it, and we'll need to watch all of them. It will help having Kevin and Leo there too, but I think we'll use a few more of the men as extra backup."
Rose took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "Do you honestly think she'd show up at the barbecue? With everyone looking for her?"
"The only certainty there is in dealing with stalkers is that they will do the unexpected. So, we plan for that."
She offered coffee and when he said yes, got up to fix it. How was she ever going to relax, especially tomorrow? She eyed the bottle of scotch, but then shook her head and made some chamomile tea.
Mel thanked her for the coffee, and she finished putting away the leftovers. After scrubbing down the coffee table, the kitchen counters, and washing the dishes by hand, she felt some of her nervousness dissipate.
When she heard Ben's voice talking to Mel, she ran out of the kitchen. Ben saw her coming and gave her a big hug.
"I was worried," she said, only then realizing she'd been scared for him while he was gone.
"Nothing happened. We're safe. The nightshift guys are showing up outside and there are three of them this time."
She gave him a final squeeze and let go.
"I'll see you tomorrow morning," Mel said, as he got up to go. "We'll be here at nine for the trip to the grocery store."
"Okay, we'll be ready," Rose said to him as he left the apartment. She turned back around.
Ben stood looking at her and she stared into his eyes, so dark a blue tonight.
"We're alone," he said.
"I have a request," she said. "Sit with me on the couch, wrap your arms around me, and let's just veg out with a movie."
"Only if I get to make love to you after the movie."
"That sounds perfect," she said, smiling.
He crossed the room to stand in front of her. He leaned in and kissed her, putting his arms around her. The kiss was soft and sweet and a homecoming, exactly what she needed.
"Maybe we should watch the movie in bed," she said softly.
"Absolutely."
Chapter 8
The next morning, Sam was directing the placement of grills on his large deck. The deck had two tiers, with stairs leading down to the beach itself. Cody and Julia had arrived, along with Frank and Betsy. Anna was in the kitchen putting cold foods in the fridge.
"So how dangerous is this woman who's after Ben?" Frank asked Sam.
"We don't really know yet. But she showed up at Rose's apartment last night when Ben was there. Now she knows about the two of them being involved. I just hope Rose will be safe," Sam said.
"What does she look like?" Betsy asked. "Is she as pretty as Rose?"
"I don't think so," Sam replied. He stepped inside the house and came back out with an eight-by-eleven photo in his hand. "Here's a picture of her."
Betsy looked at it and sniffed. "Not nearly as beautiful as Rose."
Frank took the photo and glanced at it, and then his eyes opened wide and his mouth fell open.
"Frank? What is it?" Betsy asked.
"This is her? The stalker woman?"
"Yes, Frank."
"But I know her! She was in my store this morning before I left to come here!"
"What?" Sam stared intently into Frank's gray eyes and said, "Talk. Tell me everything that happened."
"Well, I didn't know it was her, did I? She said she was an actress, and I assumed she was in the play. I mean, how was I supposed to know? When I asked if she'd be coming to the barbecue—"
"Oh no," Betsy said, shaking her head. "You didn't!"
"We talked for a few minutes about the barbecue, and she bought a badminton set to bring. She seemed perfectly normal, nothing weird about her at all. She didn't mention Ben. When she asked me where the barbecue would take place, that she hadn't been paying attention at the announcement, I told her it was at Sam Carter's beach house. And she said..."
"What did she say, Frank?" Sam practically growled.
"She said, 'Oh is he related to Rose? She's a friend of mine.' And I said yes, because she seemed so normal."
"That tears it—she'll definitely show up here today," Sam said, running a hand through his hair. "I've got to call Rose and speak to the security guards. Maybe she and Ben shouldn't even come here."
"Oh, dear. I hate for them to miss it," Betsy said.
"We'll see what the guards say, first," Sam said and walked into the house to get his phone. He came back out dialing.
"Betsy, I just didn't know," Frank said glumly.
"I know, dear, I know."
* * * *
"What do you think?" Rose asked. "Is that enough grape tomatoes?"
Ben looked into the cart. "I don't know. Is it going to be a tomato salad?"
"Ben..."
"Kidding, just kidding. Let's see what else you have on the list. Cucumbers, and red onions and we're done."
"Anna said she'd be making a large amount of salad dressing, two kinds, so we don't have to buy any of that."
"Here are the cukes," Ben said, pointing ahead down the aisle.
Rose's phone rang and she motioned at Ben to take the cart. "Hello? Sam?"
"Rose, I need to talk to your guards. Frank accidentally told Suzanne about the barbecue and how to get to my house. I think she plans on being here."
Rose realized she was standing frozen, when Ben turned and took one look at her and ran back.
"Rose? What's wrong?"
She handed the phone to him. Why was it that the idea of seeing Suzanne again filled her with such dread? She certainly had never been psychic, but she felt it almost like a premonition, that something bad was going to happen. She tuned back in to hear Ben's voice getting loud.
"What do you mean it was an accident? What was he thinking?"
Ben stopped talking to listen, and then he handed the phone to the security guard, Owen.
"How did he accidentally
do this?" Rose asked.
"He never saw a photo of her. She was in his store, said she was an actress...she played it beautifully. Rose, she told him she was your friend."
"No."
"Yes, and he's pretty sure she'll be coming to the barbecue. I think we're going to have to decide whether to show up, knowing she'll be there, or to avoid it instead."
Owen handed the phone back to Rose. "Folks, I'm really not sure you should go. She'll definitely show up. The question is, with all of us there to watch her, to stop her, can we catch her in the act of something and get her arrested?"
Rose looked at Ben, and was ready to say they shouldn't go, when he looked at her with a determined expression on his face.
"We have to go. I'm not going to run away. We can't let her dictate our behavior, ruin our lives that way."
"Are you sure?" she asked. "I don't have a warm and fuzzy feeling about this."
"I know, but you get it, right? You know what I mean?"
"Yes," she said, and then sighed. "Okay, we'll go. Let's get those cucumbers and onions and get out of here."
Back at the apartment, they both worked at the kitchen table, chopping vegetables and filling up the huge bowl Beth had brought. Rose looked through the cabinets and found gallon plastic bags to store the rest of the salad. They'd refill the bowl when it began to run low.
"I'm going to change," Rose said.
"Will you be wearing that bikini you wore out on the boat?" Ben asked with a grin.
"No, not today. I'll bring it with us in case the water is warm enough for swimming, but I've got a sundress to wear first."
"I'll pack this stuff into those bags with handles so we can get it all down the stairs and into the car. I'm already dressed for the party."
Rose shook her head. "Men have it too easy."
She thought he looked masculine and sexy in khaki cargo shorts, a blue polo shirt that brought out the color in his eyes, and deck shoes. Her sundress was a mix of ocean blue and pale lime green stripes. She touched up her make-up and braided her long hair. She slipped on blue leather sandals and felt ready to face whatever happened.
Ben would be at her side, all the security guards would be there, dressed for the beach so they wouldn't stand out, and all her family would be on the lookout as well. Nothing bad was going to happen, she told herself firmly.
"Nice dress!" Ben said with a smile, and that certain look a man gets in his eyes when he knows he'll see more later on.
The dress had a square neckline that was rather low-cut so that the tops of her bosom showed, with slim straps over the shoulders, and a tight bodice which opened up into a fuller skirt. Rose liked the dress mainly because it was surprisingly comfortable to wear.
"Let's do this," she said.
After being driven by Mel and Owen, Rose and Ben walked into Sam's beach house to be met by concerned faces. They carried the salad into the kitchen. Anna took one look at what they had and turned them away.
"No more room in the fridge. I've got another one in the garage. Put everything in there. We'll set the salad out in about thirty minutes. They've got the grills going, and are just starting with the cooking."
"Do you need any help in here?" Rose asked.
Anna looked a bit frayed around the edges, but replied smoothly. "No, I'm all set. Holly should be arriving any minute, and I think your mother will be coming back to help. Ah, here she is."
Rose hid a smile. Sophia helping was more like Sophia commanding. She'd heard how intimidated Anna had been at first with her mother-in-law, but when Rose glanced back, she saw a glint in Anna's eyes that told her Sam's wife could hold her own with Sophia these days.
"You all go on outside once you put the salad away," Sophia said, after giving Rose a hug. "I think all your bodyguards are helping with the grilling."
Ben led the way and they got the food into the extra refrigerator. He took her hand as they walked out onto the deck. The smell of grilling meat wafted toward them.
"Mmm, I do love a barbecue," Ben said with a grin at her.
"I know, I know, you want to go hang out with the men who grill." Rose laughed and pushed him forward. "Go. Do manly fire things."
He laughed and headed for the grills, and then turned back around and snapped a quick photo of her with his ever-present camera. Rose went down to the next level of the deck. She noticed Mel and Owen were mirroring her actions not far away, but they weren't crowding her either. The second deck level had stairs on either side that went down to the beach. She saw that several long tables had been put together and covered with tablecloths. Betsy put a vase of flowers on each table. She saw Rose and waved her over.
"This is where we're putting the food out. It will be a big buffet, and then people can take their food down to other tables on the beach. I think Sam must have rented a bunch of tables and chairs. It's all set up down there. You should take a peek."
Rose nodded. "I think I will. I'd like to stare at the ocean a bit, too."
She walked down the last steps and took her time getting to the water's edge. The day had warmed up and would be sizzling within the hour. A nice breeze blew off the water, and Rose felt refreshed just by standing there and looking out at the waves. She began to walk down the beach, letting her thoughts meander.
Everything had happened very fast, she thought. Her feelings for Ben had developed over days, not months, and now here they were, in the middle of a love affair and in danger at the same time. Part of her hoped it was more than a love affair, but she knew there was no way she could find out everything about Ben in such a short time. Only time would really tell what they had between them.
She realized that she'd decided two things in the middle of the mess they were in. One, she was going to tell Ben today that she was a doctor. And the second decision was to tell Doc Watson that she'd take the job here. It was time for her to do something just for her. And living life at a slower pace was what she needed and wanted. Plus, it was exciting to think of knowing her patients in-depth, of educating the public about health issues, and being of real service to the community.
The waves rolled in, powerful and sublime all at the same time. It was like life, she thought. Change could roll into a person's life like a wave, starting small and building to have a tremendous effect. All she'd intended when she came to Sully Point was to take a break. And her whole life had changed.
She heard laughter behind her and voices talking. She turned to see many more people on the beach, setting up what looked like a badminton set. A few were tossing a Frisbee as they ran down the beach. Taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly to blow away against the wind, she walked back to the stairs leading up to the deck.
"Hi, Rose," a woman's voice said to her.
She turned to see a redhead with frizzy hair and big white sunglasses smiling at her. "Hello...I don't think I know you."
"Oh, I think you do, Rose," the woman said, and her voice was suddenly familiar. Rose watched with fear as the sunglasses were removed and she could see Suzanne's eyes staring back at her.
Suzanne glanced down and Rose's eyes followed the look to find a large knife pressed against her body.
"What do you want, Suzanne?" Rose asked with a shaky voice.
"You...dead."
Chapter 9
Ben was laughing at a joke Cody had made at his father's expense. He was still feeling a bit aggravated by Frank's mistake, but the man was so genuinely apologetic and clearly felt guilty, that he'd had to let it go.
It had been a while since he'd spent time around regular guys, people not in the business. The conversation included nothing about movies, camera angles, make-up, or rehearsals. It was all about who had the best grilling technique for chicken, or how things were going with the foundation.
He'd been intrigued to hear about the Sully Point Foundation before, when he'd learned it was responsible for the Playhouse being built. As he listened to Eric and Cody talking about delivering computer upgrades over the internet
to folks in town who couldn't afford new software, he realized they had a big operation going.
He glanced out to see where Rose was, and saw the sun glinting off her hair with gold highlights. She was just at the bottom of the stairs, talking to someone. He felt like the luckiest man alive to have found her, and it was going to be—wait. That frizzy red hair—he knew it. He recognized the wig for what it was—Suzanne had played a part wearing that wig.
He said, "Suzanne!" in an intense voice that made the men around him gaze at him in shock. He didn't explain, but instead took off running down the steps. Why weren't the guards there? Then he saw that it was only from the top deck that he'd been able to see her. They probably thought she was going up the stairs.
He headed down the next steps and leaped from the third step up to tackle Suzanne. He felt something jabbing into his chest. He heard screaming. Suzanne screaming. Where was Rose? Rose...he couldn't breathe.
* * * *
Rose was stunned when Ben came flying out of nowhere to land on Suzanne and take her to the ground. Suzanne was screaming and fighting. The security guards were suddenly around them, pulling Suzanne away from Ben. And that was when Rose could see the knife Suzanne still held, being pulled out of Ben's chest.
Like a switch had been flipped inside her, she was a trauma doc again.
"Get that knife away from her," she ordered the guards. "Carefully, roll him onto his back."
When they stared at her for a moment, she frowned at them. "I'm a doctor. I know what I'm doing. See that blood bubbling there? She's nicked his lung. Somebody go get me a plastic bag, like a food storage bag. And hurry."
Two of the men pulled Suzanne away after relieving her of the knife. She continued to scream incoherently. Rose was kneeling by Ben, lifting his shirt up.
"Just that one stab wound, but that's enough to be going on with. Someone get me a knife. Somebody else grab me one of those white tablecloths. And I need a straw. Plus tape."
Everything she asked for appeared before her. She never saw who gave her what; she just took the items from hands in front of her face. All her attention was focused on Ben and saving him.
Love Imagines (Sully Point, Book 6) Page 13