clipboard in one hand and a thick manila envelope in the other. She pulled a face as she eyed him. “What sorta paperwork is it?”
He shrugged, looking irritated and desensitized by his job. He handed her the clipboard, and Melody signed for whatever he was delivering.
He handed her a package. “Enjoy your summons.”
“Summons.” Melody gasped, hating that roiling swell of fear still churning in her stomach. “What am I being summoned for?”
Package delivered, he obviously didn’t have to answer her question. The young man turned around and left her standing in her bathrobe and fuzzy slippers in the open front door. While he walked down her driveway, she tore into the envelope. She pulled out the paperwork, seeing it was some sort of court date for a foreclosure, which would have concerned her if she owned a house, but she didn’t. She scanned the legal jargon until she found her name and address listed right underneath Justin’s information.
Uncaring of the freezing temperatures and snow-covered driveway, Melody raced after the deliveryman. Her fuzzy slippers were soaked and ice-cold, her robe wasn’t doing a very good job of combating the morning chill, but she couldn’t feel anything except heart-wrenching terror.
“Did he get one of these?” she called out as she came up on the man crawling into his car. “Did you deliver one of these summons with my address to him?”
“Who’s him, lady?” the guy barked, his polite disposition gone now that he wasn’t trying to get her to open the door.
“My ex-husband.” Melody thrust the paperwork at him and pointed to Justin’s name above hers. “Did he get one of these? It’s really important that I know if he got one.”
“I don’t know.” He tucked his legs into the car in a silent dismissal of her. “I just do what I’m told, and they told me to drive way the hell out here and give that to you.”
“Listen to me,” Melody said slowly, the fear making her voice quiver. “If he has my address, I need to know about it because I have a restraining order against him. He wasn’t supposed to know where I am. I have no idea how you guys got this address. I don’t even know what house this is, but it’s really important that you find out if he knows where I am because that means I need to quit my job and move.”
The delivery guy looked at her, his gaze running over Melody standing there shivering in the cold in her robe and slippers. “What? You think he’s dangerous or something?” he finally asked skeptically.
“Look, I know it sounds ridiculous.” Melody sighed, her heart pumping panic through her bloodstream. “I know it seems like I’m just blowing things out of proportion—everyone thinks that—but I’m not. He threatened to kill me, and I’m inclined to believe he’s serious. If y’all can find out if he got one these files, I’d really appreciate it.”
The guy sighed, his shoulders slumping in defeat. “I guess I could call the office and find out if they were able to locate him.”
Melody took a quivering breath, her eyes stinging with tears. “Thank you.”
“Just gimme a minute.” He reached past her to grab the handle to the car door, his gaze running over her body once more. “Unless you want me to come in and make the calls there?”
Melody looked down at herself, remembering her robe. She’d slipped it on when she woke up, and she was completely bare beneath it. She clutched at the opening that dipped low, her anxiety and suspicion in full gear.
“I’ll just go put something else on,” she said rather than take him up on the offer. She turned to leave, her cheeks burning. “Just knock.”
“Whatever, lady.” He huffed, sounding irritated.
Melody raced back up to the house, being careful not to fall. The driveway was covered with only a thin sheen of snow. Someone had shoveled a few hours ago. The yard showed evidence
He shrugged, looking irritated and desensitized by his job. He handed her the clipboard, and Melody signed for whatever he was delivering.
He handed her a package. “Enjoy your summons.”
“Summons.” Melody gasped, hating that roiling swell of fear still churning in her stomach. “What am I being summoned for?”
Package delivered, he obviously didn’t have to answer her question. The young man turned around and left her standing in her bathrobe and fuzzy slippers in the open front door. While he walked down her driveway, she tore into the envelope. She pulled out the paperwork, seeing it was some sort of court date for a foreclosure, which would have concerned her if she owned a house, but she didn’t. She scanned the legal jargon until she found her name and address listed right underneath Justin’s information.
Uncaring of the freezing temperatures and snow-covered driveway, Melody raced after the deliveryman. Her fuzzy slippers were soaked and ice-cold, her robe wasn’t doing a very good job of combating the morning chill, but she couldn’t feel anything except heart-wrenching terror.
“Did he get one of these?” she called out as she came up on the man crawling into his car. “Did you deliver one of these summons with my address to him?”
“Who’s him, lady?” the guy barked, his polite disposition gone now that he wasn’t trying to get her to open the door.
“My ex-husband.” Melody thrust the paperwork at him and pointed to Justin’s name above hers. “Did he get one of these? It’s really important that I know if he got one.”
“I don’t know.” He tucked his legs into the car in a silent dismissal of her. “I just do what I’m told, and they told me to drive way the hell out here and give that to you.”
“Listen to me,” Melody said slowly, the fear making her voice quiver. “If he has my address, I need to know about it because I have a restraining order against him. He wasn’t supposed to know where I am. I have no idea how you guys got this address. I don’t even know what house this is, but it’s really important that you find out if he knows where I am because that means I need to quit my job and move.”
The delivery guy looked at her, his gaze running over Melody standing there shivering in the cold in her robe and slippers. “What? You think he’s dangerous or something?” he finally asked skeptically.
“Look, I know it sounds ridiculous.” Melody sighed, her heart pumping panic through her bloodstream. “I know it seems like I’m just blowing things out of proportion—everyone thinks that—but I’m not. He threatened to kill me, and I’m inclined to believe he’s serious. If y’all can find out if he got one these files, I’d really appreciate it.”
The guy sighed, his shoulders slumping in defeat. “I guess I could call the office and find out if they were able to locate him.”
Melody took a quivering breath, her eyes stinging with tears. “Thank you.”
“Just gimme a minute.” He reached past her to grab the handle to the car door, his gaze running over her body once more. “Unless you want me to come in and make the calls there?”
Melody looked down at herself, remembering her robe. She’d slipped it on when she woke up, and she was completely bare beneath it. She clutched at the opening that dipped low, her anxiety and suspicion in full gear.
“I’ll just go put something else on,” she said rather than take him up on the offer. She turned to leave, her cheeks burning. “Just knock.”
“Whatever, lady.” He huffed, sounding irritated.
Melody raced back up to the house, being careful not to fall. The driveway was covered with only a thin sheen of snow. Someone had shoveled a few hours ago. The yard showed evidence
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