Taken by You (Killer Next Door #2)

by Carlie Sexton

  “Yes, it’s been crazy. The best part has been decorating the nursery. Mom and I have had a wonderful time finding everything to make it an oasis for our child.”

  “I know from Neil’s place your mom is quite the decorator,” Kate said, glancing over at Neil’s mom. “I love how you’ve decorated Neil’s condo. You have an eye for it.”

  “Thank you. It’s kind of my hobby. I get a vision and then have a ball making it come to life.”

  Mac had been conversing with Neil while he was waiting for an opening in the conversation.

  “Kate, it’s good to see you again,” he said with his devilish grin. She realized he was far better looking than she remembered. He was tall and well built, with chestnut brown hair and striking pale blue eyes.

  “It’s good to see you too, Mr. Matchmaker,” Kate said with a grin. She turned to her friend. “Natalie, this is Neil’s friend who I met at school the day Neil stood me up. He’s the reason I met Neil.”

  Mac took Natalie’s hand. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Natalie. I’m Michael, but my friends call me Mac.”

  “It’s nice to meet you. How was Mac derived from Michael?” Natalie questioned with a quizzical look on her face.

  “My full name is Michael Aaron Clark, Mac for short. Kids started calling me that during Little League and it stuck.”

  Natalie nodded and looked down at her hand. Mac was still holding it.

  Neil whispered into Kate’s ear, “He clearly thinks she’s hot.”

  Kate whispered back in Neil’s ear, “She seems to like him too. And look, he’s still holding her hand.”

  Magnus offered them each a glass of wine. Kate took a sip, grateful to have something in her hands. She was still a little nervous, even though Neil’s parents had been so gracious. They had been more welcoming than she could’ve imagined. Neil had become the most important person in her life and she wanted his family to be pleased they were together. She didn’t want to relive the disapproval that had plagued her relationship with David. She noticed Natalie drank her wine a little quickly and Mac refilled her glass. She really didn’t blame her friend. She must’ve been completely overwhelmed right now.

  “So, Natalie, how do you and Kate know each other?” Mac asked, putting his wine glass down on the counter.

  “We worked together at Nordstrom for several years. We’ve been friends since our first day together.”

  “Yep,” interjected Kate, “Natalie’s a kind, generous, loyal friend. You can’t find anyone better than her.”

  Mac smiled and nodded at Kate as if he knew she was thrusting her friend in his direction.

  “How about you and Neil? How long have you been friends?” Natalie asked in response to Mac’s question.

  Mac looked up at the ceiling briefly. “I think we met in third or fourth grade. It seems like we’ve been friends our entire lives. He’s like a brother to me and his family treats me like their own,” he said and then took a sip of his wine.

  “Are you not very close with your own family?” Natalie asked, but then tried to take her words back. “I’m sorry. That’s none of my business. I shouldn’t have asked such a question.”

  “Please everyone, help yourselves to the hors d’oeuvres on the kitchen table. We’re about an hour away from dinner being served,” Sophia said, motioning toward the table. “You all can take your wine and snacks and go sit out on the terrace if you want. It’s a beautiful day.”

  They did as Neil’s mother suggested, each taking a small plate of tasty treats along with their refilled wine glasses to the terrace. The sunshine’s warmth on their faces, though unexpected for late November, was soothing and added to the feeling of peace. Kate and Neil sat on the sofa while Natalie and Mac each took a chair.

  “In answer to your question, my parents are gone and I’m an only child,” Mac said. “They died in a plane crash when I was nineteen. So Neil’s family took me under their wing. You could say his parents helped guide me through the first few years of adulthood. I view them as my adoptive parents.” He popped a cracker laden with spinach dip into his mouth.

  “Oh, I’m so sorry. You’re lucky to have them. Family is a blessing,” Natalie said, her eyes filling with tears. “Excuse me. Neil, where’s the restroom?”

  “Go through the kitchen door and turn left down the hallway. It’s the second door on the left.”

  Natalie got up swiftly and fled to the bathroom. Kate made eye contact with a bewildered Mac. “Was it something I said?” he asked, concern covering his handsome face.

  Kate took in a deep breath. “You and Natalie have a lot in common, I’m afraid. She’s no stranger to grief, as her parents also died a few years ago and her younger sister was killed just over a week ago in an accident. So she doesn’t have any family either.”

  “Oh shit, Kate. Why didn’t you tell me? She must be devastated.”

  “She is. I better go check on her,” Kate said as she got up and went to find Natalie.

  ***

  Neil

  Neil watched the woman he loved walk away, thinking about his plan for tomorrow. His heart pounded knowing he was about to ask Kate to be his wife. It might be soon, but he was certain she was the one for him. Smiling inwardly, he was quite satisfied with his plan.

  “Dude, I appreciate you wanting to set me up with someone,” Mac said with a frown, “but it seems a little soon for her to meet anyone. She’s grieving.” He shook his head as he took a generous sip of wine.

  Neil leaned back on the sofa and sighed. “Ah, you figured it out. Well, maybe you could just be her friend for right now and see where it might lead in the future. She’s a quality woman and I don’t see her as someone who would only like you for your money.”

  “Yeah, I can tell, but we all know how easy it is to be friends with a woman you’re attracted to. I haven’t been able to take my eyes off of her. Could you be just friends with Kate?”

  “Point well made. No chance I could just be her friend. I want her too badly. Speaking of Kate, I want you to be the first to know I’m going to propose to her tomorrow.”

  Mac’s eyebrows shot up. “Wow, this is serious. Are you sure? You’ve only known each other for a short time. I mean…You know what I mean.”

  “I’m ready, man. I want her to be my wife. I want the next phase of our lives to begin. She’s changed everything for me.” I want everything from her. She is my happiness.

  Mac nodded. “I’m happy for you. You deserve to have a good woman in your life. I can see how much she loves you.”

  “Thanks. I want the same for you. I think Natalie is as attracted to you as you are to her.”

  “I kind of got that feeling too. I’ll just see what happens. Who knows, maybe you just found the right girl for me like I did for you.”

  As the words left Mac’s mouth, Kate and Natalie returned. Natalie’s pale face was splotchy, her eyes slightly red from crying. “Your mom said dinner is almost ready,” Kate said, sitting on the sofa next to Neil. “Probably another ten minutes or so.”

  Neil and Mac shared some funny childhood stories. “Do you remember that time that we found a barrel?” Neil asked, laughing.

  “Yeah, we almost killed ourselves,” Mac said.

  “What happened?” Kate asked.

  “A neighbor threw out some old barrel and we took it out of the trash. We totally thought we had found a treasure. Then one of us,” Neil said, pointing at Mac, “got the brilliant idea to use it as some sort of vehicle. Mac got inside of it and rolled down the street. Cars were honking their horns and swerving to not hit the barrel.”

  “How old were you guys?” Kate asked.

  “I think we were about ten,” Mac responded.

  Neil smirked. “Anyway, when it was my turn, my dad was just about to pull up the driveway when he saw me getting into the barrel and Mac in the ready position to give me a push. He started honking and yelling for me to get out of it. Of course I did. We were in trouble that night. I think we both got grounde
d for that one, huh?”

  Mac nodded. “We both got grounded often for the crazy ideas we came up with.”

  Natalie watched them intently, but she hadn’t said a word since she returned from the bathroom. It seemed Kate had done her best to console her but Natalie’s emotions were just too raw. It was too soon after her sister’s death for her to be social. Neil figured Natalie probably wanted to leave but was too polite to say so. He’d talk to Kate about leaving early so Natalie could go home and rest.

  Sophia came to the terrace door and announced dinner would be served momentarily. They all got up and proceeded to the kitchen. Sophia and Jessica began dishing up all of the sides and asked Neil and Kate to deliver them to the dining room. Magnus began carving the turkey. In under a minute, the table was adorned with food and they all sat down to begin their Thanksgiving meal together.

  “It’s Thanksgiving and I want to give thanks for our many blessings,” Magnus said, looking around the table to see that everyone was ready. “Would everyone please join hands and bow your heads?” Everyone did so.

  “Dear Lord, we want to thank you for the many blessings you’ve bestowed upon us this year. Please keep us all safe, happy, and healthy. Thank you for my wonderful family and bless this food to our bodies, amen.”

  Everyone around the table repeated “amen” and began eating. After his first bite, Magnus picked up his glass of wine to make a toast. “I want to toast the wonderful woman who prepared this sumptuous meal for us. Sophia, you’re a blessing to all of us and we’re so lucky to have you in our lives.”

  “To mom,” everyone repeated together and began clinking each other’s glasses. The next minute or so was spent oohing and ahhing over the delicious meal. Natalie got up abruptly and excused herself to the bathroom again.

  “I better go check on her,” Kate said a minute later, breaking the awkward silence hovering over the room.

  “Why don’t you let me? I’m pretty sure I understand what she’s going through,” said Mac.

  Kate nodded as Mac got up to find Natalie.

  ***

  Mac

  Mac checked the bathroom, but Natalie wasn’t there. He decided to go outside, where he found her sitting on the terrace. He sat on the sofa next to her. She was crying and had her head down, resting it on the back of the sofa. She barely noticed his presence.

  “Are you doing okay?” he asked, taking her hand.

  She looked up at him with a trembling lip. “No, I can’t take it. It’s only been a few years since my parents passed and just about two weeks since my sister was killed. I just can’t stand that they’re gone. It was a mistake for me to come today. When Mr. Statton prayed about being thankful, all I could think about was what I’ve lost. I feel so alone without my family.”

  Mac nodded and kept holding her hand. “I can understand to a degree how you feel. I felt the same way when my parents died, but for me it was many years ago. I miss them, but I’m not grieving anymore.”

  “When does the grief end? I just want it to go away.”

  “I hate to say it, but it’s going to take time. Years, probably. You’ll think that you’re fine and then something will hit you and you’ll miss them. I’m not sure it ever completely goes away.”

  Natalie exhaled loudly. “I’d finally felt okay with it being just Jessica and me. We’d made it through the darkest part and were moving on. Now that she’s gone, I feel like I’ve fallen down a deep well and there’s no way out.”

  Tears continued streaming down Natalie’s face.

  “Come here,” Mac said, pulling her closer. He put his arms around her and held her as she cried, her head resting on his chest. He didn’t know why, but he felt strongly connected to Natalie. Perhaps it was their similar pasts. He felt a need to protect her and watch over her. He wasn’t sure where it came from.

  “Do you want me to take you home?” he asked.

  She pulled away far enough to look him in the eyes. “Would you? I really want to go. I can’t stay and do small talk.”

  He got up and held his hand out to her. She took it and he escorted her back into the house.

  Mac and Natalie entered the dining room. “I’m going to take Natalie home,” he said. “She’s not feeling well.”

  “Let me make a plate for each of you. Give me two minutes,” said Sophia.

  “I don’t want you to go to any trouble,” Natalie said.

  “It’s no trouble, and I insist. I’ll be right back with some containers so you can have something to eat even if you save it for later.”

  “Thank you. I appreciate it,” Natalie said, nodding slightly.

  ***

  Kate

  “Nat, let’s get your coat and purse while Sophia gets the containers,” Kate suggested.

  They walked into the living room, where they found their purses on the sofa console table and their coats on the rack. “If you prefer that Neil and I take you home, we will,” Kate said, putting her hand on Natalie’s arm.

  “No, it’s okay. I feel comfortable with Mac. He understands what I’m going through. This might sound strange, but I think I need him right now.”

  “I’m glad he can be a comfort to you. I’m sorry. I didn’t think when I invited you how hard it would be. I just didn’t want you to be alone,” Kate said, her eyes filling with tears.

  “I know. I appreciate you asking me to join in. It means a lot to me to have you and Charlie in my life.”

  Mac walked up with a bag of food. “Are you ready?” he asked.

  “Yes. Please say goodbye to everyone for me. I really just need to go,” Natalie virtually whispered, and she gave Kate a hug.

  “No problem. I’ll call you later,” Kate said.

  With that, Mac escorted Natalie out the front door.

  Kate returned to the dining room. She explained to Neil’s family what was happening with Natalie and they all felt dreadful for what she’d endured.

  “I didn’t realize being here would be so difficult for Natalie, but I should have,” Kate said. “I just love her so much and the thought of her being alone on Thanksgiving was more than I could bear. She’s always been there for me.” She shook her head slightly.

  “It’s difficult to know what to do when someone’s grieving,” Sophia said. “I’m sure Natalie was grateful to be invited. Mac will take good care of her. He’s a very kind man.”

  Everyone continued enjoying their food and the conversation was light-hearted with Neil’s parents taking the lead. Kate was relieved Magnus and Sophia were so gregarious; they kept the conversation lively. It took the pressure off her.

  After eating dinner, dessert was served in the living room. Sophia had made pumpkin pie and brewed a pot of decaf. Kate had a chance to visit with Jessica and get to know her and her husband a bit better. Overall, it had been a wonderful day, even though Kate was worried about Natalie.

  Neil leaned over and whispered in Kate’s ear, asking her if she was ready to go. She nodded.

  “Well, we’re going to go ahead and make our goodbyes,” he said to his parents.

  “We’re going to go as well,” Jessica chimed in.

  As Neil drove them home, Kate rested her head against the car door, gazing out the window the entire time.

  “Are you okay?” he asked as they were turning onto the street where they lived.

  “Not really. Today was a tough day. It was really hard to see Natalie in so much pain and I thought about my mom quite a bit too.”

  “When we get upstairs, why don’t you draw yourself a bath and give Natalie a call?”

  “That’s a good idea. I really want to check on her. She’s been through so much. I’m glad Mac took her home early.”

  “Yeah, it seemed like Mac could really empathize with what she’s going through.”

  Neil parked the car and they made their way to the elevator. “I really enjoyed meeting your family today. They were so welcoming to me,” Kate said, putting her hand to her chest. “Your mom went out of h
er way to make today great. I can see why you’re so special. You have an amazing mother.”

  “Well, I could tell my family loved you. You made a great impression on them,” Neil said, kissing Kate.

  Once inside, Neil followed Kate upstairs. Before she could say anything, he pulled the tie on her dress, causing it to open up, revealing her body. “I’ve been waiting to do that since you got dressed,” he said, his eyes blazing. Neil swept Kate into his arms and began kissing her, his tongue stroking hers in sweeping motions. His hands glided over her waist and Kate was lost in her sexy man. The feel of his touch made her weak in the knees. Her phone calls could wait, as she had the man she loved embracing her, loving her, intoxicating her. She felt like the luckiest woman alive.

  ***

  Kate turned on the water to fill the bathtub. She was more than ready for a long soak. She had her cell phone and had two calls in mind. One to Natalie to check on her, the other to Charlie to hear all about Mitch’s proposal.

  “Hi, Nat. I was calling to see how you’re doing.”

  “I’m okay. Mac stayed for a while. We ate the food Sophia sent with us and talked. He’s a really good guy. We watched a movie and then he left.”

  “Oh, that’s good. Did talking to him help?”

  “It did. He can relate to what I’m going through.”

  “Nat, have you thought about getting some grief counseling? I could ask Dr. Cox for a recommendation.”

  “Mac brought that up too. Maybe I should see Dr. Cox myself. He’s really helped you. I think he might be able to help me. Give me his number.”

  Kate rattled off the doctor’s number. Natalie said she was tired and had to work tomorrow with it being Black Friday, so their call was on the shorter side.

  Next, Kate called Charlie. “Happy Thanksgiving, Charlie! How was your day?”

  “It was the best day ever, Kate! Mitch proposed!”

  “That’s so exciting! How did he do it?” she said, not wanting to expose that Mitch had told her ahead of time. She didn’t want Charlie to think she had put Mitch up to proposing.