by Leger, Lori
“It was Second Avenue and Tenth Street, Dad. That guy almost plowed into us. It would have been bad if Grant hadn’t slammed on his brakes when he did.”
“Did anybody recognize the truck or driver?” Carrie asked.
Grant spoke up first. “I’ve seen that truck somewhere, Mom. It has to be from the Gardiner or Lake Erin area. What happened?”
Carrie held up the cigarette. “He was here again. This time Toto surprised him and chased him off. That guy jumped the back fence to get away from vicious here.” She turned to Sam. “You think it’s the same guy that nearly hit them?”
Sam nodded slowly. “Could be, that’s just one block over. If he’s in decent shape he could easily have run that distance in the time we’ve been out here.”
“And Toto chased him off.” Lauren said, bending down to hug the dog.
“Good dog,” Gretchen added, lavishing praise onto the ecstatic animal.
“What kind of truck was it? Can any of you describe it?” Sam directed his question mainly toward the boys.
“Chevy Z-71…Newer model with lots of chrome,” Nick said.
“Big tires and V-8 engine, by the size and sound of it. Like Nick said, lots of accessories,” Grant added. “The truck was either Navy blue or black, but our lights reflected off of all that chrome.”
“I didn’t see any kind of custom paint job, did you, Grant?” Nick threw in, as Grant shook his head.
“Did it have a tool box or anything else in the back of it?” Sam asked.
The two young men looked at each other and shook their heads. “Nope,” they answered in unison.
“The inside of the truck was dark. Maybe the windows were tinted,” Lauren said.
“Grant, remember how you accidently turned the dash lights off of dad’s truck and we couldn’t figure out how to turn them back on?” Gretchen asked brother. “You remember how it was so dark inside the truck it was scary?” She turned to Sam. “Well, that’s how dark it was, so maybe he’d turned them off.”
They went inside to jot down the various descriptions of the truck. When they were satisfied, Sam walked over to Doug’s with the list and the cigarette butt in a plastic bag, while Carrie and all four kids stayed at her place. Occasionally, she walked to the back door to make sure Toto was still playing the role of sentinel and guard dog to the family. He’d look up at her with his big brown eyes and thump his tail exuberantly, but remained at his post just outside the back door. Good Dog.
Sam returned from Doug’s about fifteen minutes later. “Doug called in the incident as well as the description. He said since it’s so quiet around here because of the holidays, he thinks the truck driver is our man. Grant, I told him what you said about recognizing that truck from either Gardiner or Lake Erin. It’s just too bad there were no identifying decals or custom paint job to make the truck stand out. That’s a popular truck, and navy blue and black are common colors. They’ll beef up the patrol in this area, swing by with their spotlights. He said they’ll let the Gardiner PD know about it, and that’s about all they can do for now.”
Carrie lifted her chin and smiled at the group. “I bet he stops now that he knows we’re not such easy targets.”
“I still don’t like it, Mom. Let me hide in a corner with a baseball bat,” Grant remarked.
“Or a tire tool. We could take care of this guy for you,” Nick added.
“Oh yeah, sure y’all could,” Gretchen teased as Lauren snorted with laughter.
“No one’s hiding anywhere with anything,” Carrie said, as she turned to Sam, who wore a troubled expression.
“I’m leaning toward Grant’s suggestion,” he mumbled, once the kids had all entered the house.
“It’ll be fine,” she reassured him as she pulled him by the arm. “Let’s go see what movies they chose.”
The five of them sat down to watch “X-Men”, the movie of choice, with “What Women Want” waiting in the wings. Carrie kicked off her shoes and curled her feet up on the comfy couch, snuggling closely to Sam. When the movie ended, Sam and Nick got up to leave. The kids all said their goodnights and Nick walked on home. Carrie stood out on the porch, alone with Sam.
“Smell anything?” he asked, as he watched her lift her nose to the air.
“Nope. He’s gone, thanks to Toto.”
Sam pulled her into his arms. “Look, I don’t want to scare you, but just because Toto chased him away tonight doesn’t mean he won’t come back and try something later.”
“I doubt he’ll think I’m worth that much trouble,” she snorted.
Sam smiled down at her. “He’d be wrong,” he said, pulling her close for a kiss.
She allowed the one kiss then pushed gently away from him. “Sam, my kids.”
“What…” he groaned. “They already know I’m crazy about you.”
“I can’t stand out here on the porch and neck with a guy they saw for the first time yesterday. I need to set a better example than that.” She patted his chest as he nodded patiently, his jaws tightly clenched. “How about you come for breakfast tomorrow before I leave for work?”
“I’ll be here, but keep that radio on,” he said, pulling her toward him for another kiss.
He ended the kiss, leaving her weak-kneed and wanting more. “The radio…Yeah…I’ll…I’ll keep it turned on,” she stammered as Sam touched his forehead to hers.
“Looks like the radios won’t be the only things turned on tonight,” he growled, giving her one more, light kiss on the lips before backing away from her.
“Looks like it,” she murmured, catching the grin on his face as he turned away from her to walk home.
CHAPTER 20
Carrie walked into the office the next morning at five minutes to seven. She sniffed appreciatively as the smell of fresh brewed coffee reached her.
J.C. glanced up at her from his desk. “Hey Carrie, did you have a good Christmas?”
She nodded and set her purse down on her desk. “I did have a good Christmas. I got moved into my new place, so it was busy.”
J.C. nodded. “So, you heard any from Sam? I wonder what he’s been up to?”
Carrie remained silent as she walked into the kitchen to pour herself a cup of coffee, followed closely by J.C.
“I mean, when the rest of us left here that last day of work, you two were still here. I just thought maybe you two got a chance to talk,” he continued.
She prepared her cup in silence and took the first swallow before finally turning to face him. “We talked, and…other things,” she said, wondering how long he’d last.
“What kind of other things?” he asked, obviously past the point of simple curiosity.
Carrie grinned at him. “Just spit it out, Nosy Rosy. You know you’re dying to.”
“Are you two a couple now, or what?” he burst out.
She paused briefly before answering her co-worker. “We’re a couple.”
“I knew it,” he exploded. “Even when you were pissed off at him on your second day here, I had this feeling.” He pulled up a chair at the small table in the kitchen. “Tell me everything.”
“It’s a long story; you sure you want to hear it?”
“It’s just you and me here today. We’ve got all day to talk.” Once she’d filled him in on all the happenings over the holidays, he shook his head in awe. “Sam wasn’t too afraid to leave you alone today?”
“I asked him to stay home and watch my place instead. My kids are there.”
“And you have no idea who the guy is?”
“J.C., I have wracked my brain and I can’t figure it out. Grant says he’s seen that truck somewhere before, so we’re thinking it’s someone in Gardiner or Lake Erin. For the life of me, I can’t imagine who or why. I don’t get it.”
“Hey, some guys are turned on by scrappy women.”
“I’m not scrappy,” she insisted.
He burst into laughter. “Oh yeah, you are! You put Langley in his place and shoved your husband into a poli
ce car. Dat’s scrappy. Some men like that. Now, as for myself, I like a woman I can control. Someone who says ‘yes sir’ and ‘no sir’, someone who runs my bathwater for me, serves my food to me, and meets my every need,” he droned on.
Carrie laughed so hard, she choked on her coffee. “Am I going to have to call Tracie over here to kick your ass?” she sputtered.
J.C. shook his head and chuckled. “I said I like women like that, didn’t say I married one.”
***
Carrie smiled at the sight of Toto waiting for her, tail wagging excitedly, as she pulled her car into her driveway later that afternoon. She walked over to the fence to praise him then frowned as she opened the door to the unlocked, empty house. Starting to panic, she reached for the newly installed telephone, only to have it ring before she got to it.
Sam’s deep base carried through the lines. “Grant left about an hour ago, but your girls are over here watching t.v. with Nick.”
“They left the house unlocked, and I asked them to lock up if they were going to leave for any length of time. They aren’t being pests, are they, Sam?”
“Nah, I like having them here, but I have to admit, we seem to be getting an unusual amount of company since word got out about those two being in the neighborhood.”
“Oh God,” Carrie groaned.
“It’s inevitable when they’re as pretty as their mama,” Sam explained.
Carrie bit her lower lip in worry. “Just send them home now, please. They need to pick up around here. I’m baking chicken for supper and you and Nick are invited.”
“Sure, what can I bring?”
Carrie checked the fridge and made a face. “Ugh, I can’t afford to support their addictions to canned drinks. They’ve cleaned me out already. It takes enough to keep them fed.”
“Yep, I made a pop run earlier today. We’re a Coke family, but I picked up some DP’s since that’s your kids’ drink of preference. I’ll bring some over.”
Carrie placed the seasoned pan of chicken, potatoes, and onions in the oven and glanced up as her daughters walked in.
“Just in time to fold the clothes,” she said, pointing to Gretchen. She swiveled around to address Lauren. “You can wash the dishes. I believe I asked the two of you not to leave the house unlocked, or in a mess, didn’t I?”
“Oh, sorry Mom,” Lauren said, as she started to load the dishwasher.
“Yeah, sorry. Nick and Mr. Sam asked if we wanted to go watch some t.v. over there, since we don’t have cable,” Gretchen added.
“Lock up before you leave, that’s all I’m asking. When y’all finish up I want you to go straighten your rooms.”
“Okay Mom,” the twins said in unison. “Can we watch Oprah when we’re done?” Gretchen asked. “It’s supposed to be pretty good today.”
Carrie couldn’t help but remember how Dave would fuss if he caught her and the girls watching the talk show in the afternoons. He claimed her ‘men-hating’ opinions were a bad influence. “You sure can. Nobody’s going to tell us we can’t watch some Oprah if we want to. New house, new rules, and I make them.”
***
Later that evening, Sam and Nick walked into a home filled with the delicious aroma of baked chicken and vegetables.
Carrie glanced up as she emptied two cans of green beans into a pan of sautéed onions and mushrooms. “Hey, guys.”
Nick told her hello then met the girls in the living room. As Carrie stood at the stove, Sam walked up behind her and put his hands on her waist to pull her close to him. She leaned her head back against his chest then turned in his arms. “Hmm, I could get used to this set-up,” she murmured against Sam’s neck after a good, long kiss from him.
“God, I love having you and the kids so close,” he whispered.
“Hang on,” she told him. “I need to uncover the chicken so it’ll brown.” Carrie leaned over the oven to remove the lid and turned back around to find Sam adjusting himself uneasily. She gave him a smug look as he intercepted her gaze. “The baking?”
He shook his head helplessly. “The bending…sorry, Babe,” he admitted, smiling at her amused ring of laughter.
“You’re such a guy.”
“Nice of you to notice,” he answered.
“Oh, I’ve noticed,” she said, giving him a mischievous smile. “I need to feed Toto,” she told him as he followed her outside. Carrie poured some fresh dog food into the dog’s dish while Sam filled his water bowl. The dog alternated between eating and looking up at his mistress as though he adored her. Carrie knelt down to scratch him behind the ears.
“That dog sure seems to love you and those kids,” Sam admitted.
Carrie smiled and gazed into the eyes of her faithful pet. “He’s been with us for nearly eight years now.”
“That’s a pretty good stretch for a dog.”
She nodded as she gave Toto one last rub behind the ears and stood up to let him eat. “Yep, he’s a part of the family.”
After Carrie, Sam, and the kids finished a pleasant meal, interspersed with lively conversation, they watched a couple of one hour programs on the tube. Nick walked home afterwards and Carrie stepped out to the porch to talk quietly with Sam for a few minutes.
“No cigarettes out here tonight?” he asked.
She sniffed the air. “Nah, that guy won’t bother with me now that I have a dog, you’ll see. I can give you that radio back now that my phone is connected.”
“Hang on to it for awhile longer, just until this thing is completely settled.”
She hugged him tightly. “If you insist.”
“Goodnight, pretty girl. I love you.”
She smiled up at him. “I know you do.”
He groaned as he pulled himself away from her and headed home. She called out to him when he reached the street.
“Call me later, okay?”
“Yes, ma’am, I’ll do that. Now go on in and lock those doors, will you?”
***
He watched as she stood out there on her porch with him…hanging on to him as though he was the last man on earth. While he watched to two of them, he found it increasingly difficult to control his feelings of hatred and disappointment. He hated Sam, because he didn’t belong there, and felt extreme disappointment in Carrie for not being able to see it. He breathed a sigh of relief when Sam finally walked away from her, and smirked when he heard their requests. A locked door would be about as much help as that phone line would be tonight.
***
By nine thirty, Carrie and her girls were showered and in their rooms for the night. Quiet murmurs came from Gretchen’s room as her girls talked and listened to music on a low volume. Carrie picked up her latest read from the nightstand while she waited for Sam to call. The fast paced, romantic suspense demanded her attention, and after a good half hour of reading, she yawned and checked her alarm clock. “Well, hell Sam,” she muttered, slightly annoyed. “I thought you’d have called by now.”
She picked up the phone, and frowned as dead silence greeted her from the earpiece. Carrie got up to check the other phones in the house, with the same results. She stood stock still and felt a moment of panic before remembering the radios. Crawling back into bed, she pulled the radio out of the drawer. When she pressed the button, nothing happened. She took the back off and changed out the batteries with new ones. Still nothing.
“Dammit!” Trying not to panic, she dropped it on the bed and put her hands to her face. Now what the hell am I going to do?
She took a deep breath, and rechecked the radio to see if she’d inserted the batteries correctly. When she noticed the switch was off, she flipped it on. Her radio emitted a shrill screech, indicating a page. She raised it to her mouth and hit the button. “Sam?”
“Carrie…I was about to walk over there,” he said, sounding as panicked as Carrie felt. “Who’s been on the phone all night long? Over!”
“Nobody,” she answered. “I’ve been waiting for you to call and I finally picked it up to call yo
u. All three of my phones are dead. Over.”
“I’m calling Doug and I’ll be there in a minute…hang tight, babe.”
Carrie watched Sam’s departure from her window, amazed that the mere sight of him comforted her. She opened up the door for him. “Don’t upset yourself for nothing, Sam. I bet it’s just a short in the wiring or something,” she insisted.
He placed his hands on her shoulders. “Babe, you don’t know how bad I hope you’re right. Where’s that flashlight?”
By the time she walked out on the porch with it, Doug was also there with his own light. The three of them walked over to the box that fed the phone line into the house. Nothing looked amiss until Sam reached down and pulled on a wire that came loose much too easily. The two men directed both flashlight beams on the wire and groaned as Carrie’s breath caught in her chest.
“That’s a cut,” Doug said.
“Son of a bitch! That’s all it takes,” Sam said.
Carrie’s hand flew to her mouth. “Oh…God…” She turned to Sam, her eyes huge with panic.
The rare sound of panic in her voice concerned him more than anything. “Are your girls sleeping yet?”
She nodded as she stared into the darkness of the back yard.
“I’m getting Nick, Carrie. We’re staying here tonight.”
She continued to stare blankly into the darkness, her eyes fixed on a particular spot. Then she turned toward the neighbor’s house and gazed at the spot they’d found the first cigarette butt. She pivoted slowly, adjusting her stare in the direction of the intersection where the truck nearly plowed into their children. She jumped back with a sharp gasp as a large hand landed on her shoulder.
“Carrie, did you hear me?”
“Wh…What?”
“I said Nick and I are spending the night here,” Sam repeated.
Carrie fixed her terrified gaze on him and spoke in a shaky voice. “Okay…I’m…Thank you,” she stammered.
“We’ll bunk down on the couch and the chair.”
She turned to walk into the house. “One of you can sleep in Lauren’s bed. When I checked the girls’ phone lines I saw them both asleep in Gretchen’s room. Grant’s futon is available, too.”