and
pretended to fall back to sleep.
****
It was much later, after Callie had made her bed and
showered, when she worked up the nerve to venture into the kitchen. Thankfully,
she found it empty and a note next to the coffee pot that said Chaz and Blade
had gone riding. She breathed a sigh of relief and helped herself to some
coffee. Finding it cold, she nuked it in the microwave. They must have left a
while ago. As the coffee warmed she glanced at the clock, surprised to find it
would soon be lunch time.
Would they return for lunch? She took her cup and went out
onto the porch through the front door. There were several Adirondack chairs and
she sank down into the first one nearest the door. What am I going to do? Should she just pretend the whole thing had
never happened? And while she was at it she’d pretend her heart wasn’t breaking
because Blade didn’t love her.
She took a careful sip of coffee, hearing the kitchen door
open and close. They did come back for lunch. Blade said they took Sundays off,
but the least she could do was offer to make them some sandwiches. Callie
placed her cup on the floor next to her chair and got up to go back inside.
From her viewpoint she couldn’t see anyone, but she heard movement. Maybe they
were making their own lunch.
“If you boys will just wait I’ll be glad
to…fix…you…a…sandwich.” She came to a shocked halt, her jaw dropping. “Donald!
What are you doing here?”
He looked a little disheveled, as though he’d been roughing
it for a while. His blond hair needed cutting. His clothes were wrinkled. And
there was a glaze in his brown eyes that indicated he’d either been drinking or
wasn’t getting enough sleep.
“Looking for you. Did you think I was just gonna let you
walk away from us?” He started toward her. “You look damned good, baby.” His
gaze moved down and up her body. “This vacation has done you some good.”
Vacation? Callie frowned. “Donald, you’ve got to stop this.
It’s over between us. I’ve started a new life.” She was more annoyed than
afraid of him. “Please don’t touch me.” Callie scooted away from him just as he
reached out for her.
There was a look of confusion on his face. “You used to like
my touching you.”
A long, long time ago,
Callie thought to herself. “Donald, you’ve got to get it through your head
that I’m not going back to you. Stop stalking me or I’ll have to get the police
involved.” Callie made sure she kept the kitchen table between them. “How did
you find me this time?”
He grinned, pleased with himself. “The mail man.”
Callie thought about it for a moment. Oh hell! She’d never
given Carl, the mail man, a second thought. He, Donald, and some others played
poker on Saturday nights. And she’d left a change of address with him. “He’s
not supposed to do that,” she said lamely.
Donald shrugged. “Get your things. You’re coming home with
me.”
“No, I’m not. I live here now. This is where I work.”
“Work?” For the
second time his gaze moved over Callie. “Dressed like that? What kind of work
do you? It looks like you’re playing house with someone.” As the thought
entered his mind she could see his expression harden.
Callie opened her mouth to explain why she was wearing a
tee-shirt and pair of shorts, but caught herself. She didn’t owe Donald
anything. “Please just leave.”
“Not without you, Callie. You’re mine. I’ll find you
wherever you go.”
With a sinking feeling, she started to believe him. So far
she’d moved three times and he’d managed to hunt her down every time. “I’m not
running away this time, Donald. I’m going to do what I should have done the
first time you tracked me down. Get a restraining order against you.” Callie
felt panic swelling up. “Now get out!”
She watched an array of emotions cross his face, and Callie
recognized them all. After a few minutes Donald shrugged. “I thought by coming
after you that
pretended to fall back to sleep.
****
It was much later, after Callie had made her bed and
showered, when she worked up the nerve to venture into the kitchen. Thankfully,
she found it empty and a note next to the coffee pot that said Chaz and Blade
had gone riding. She breathed a sigh of relief and helped herself to some
coffee. Finding it cold, she nuked it in the microwave. They must have left a
while ago. As the coffee warmed she glanced at the clock, surprised to find it
would soon be lunch time.
Would they return for lunch? She took her cup and went out
onto the porch through the front door. There were several Adirondack chairs and
she sank down into the first one nearest the door. What am I going to do? Should she just pretend the whole thing had
never happened? And while she was at it she’d pretend her heart wasn’t breaking
because Blade didn’t love her.
She took a careful sip of coffee, hearing the kitchen door
open and close. They did come back for lunch. Blade said they took Sundays off,
but the least she could do was offer to make them some sandwiches. Callie
placed her cup on the floor next to her chair and got up to go back inside.
From her viewpoint she couldn’t see anyone, but she heard movement. Maybe they
were making their own lunch.
“If you boys will just wait I’ll be glad
to…fix…you…a…sandwich.” She came to a shocked halt, her jaw dropping. “Donald!
What are you doing here?”
He looked a little disheveled, as though he’d been roughing
it for a while. His blond hair needed cutting. His clothes were wrinkled. And
there was a glaze in his brown eyes that indicated he’d either been drinking or
wasn’t getting enough sleep.
“Looking for you. Did you think I was just gonna let you
walk away from us?” He started toward her. “You look damned good, baby.” His
gaze moved down and up her body. “This vacation has done you some good.”
Vacation? Callie frowned. “Donald, you’ve got to stop this.
It’s over between us. I’ve started a new life.” She was more annoyed than
afraid of him. “Please don’t touch me.” Callie scooted away from him just as he
reached out for her.
There was a look of confusion on his face. “You used to like
my touching you.”
A long, long time ago,
Callie thought to herself. “Donald, you’ve got to get it through your head
that I’m not going back to you. Stop stalking me or I’ll have to get the police
involved.” Callie made sure she kept the kitchen table between them. “How did
you find me this time?”
He grinned, pleased with himself. “The mail man.”
Callie thought about it for a moment. Oh hell! She’d never
given Carl, the mail man, a second thought. He, Donald, and some others played
poker on Saturday nights. And she’d left a change of address with him. “He’s
not supposed to do that,” she said lamely.
Donald shrugged. “Get your things. You’re coming home with
me.”
“No, I’m not. I live here now. This is where I work.”
“Work?” For the
second time his gaze moved over Callie. “Dressed like that? What kind of work
do you? It looks like you’re playing house with someone.” As the thought
entered his mind she could see his expression harden.
Callie opened her mouth to explain why she was wearing a
tee-shirt and pair of shorts, but caught herself. She didn’t owe Donald
anything. “Please just leave.”
“Not without you, Callie. You’re mine. I’ll find you
wherever you go.”
With a sinking feeling, she started to believe him. So far
she’d moved three times and he’d managed to hunt her down every time. “I’m not
running away this time, Donald. I’m going to do what I should have done the
first time you tracked me down. Get a restraining order against you.” Callie
felt panic swelling up. “Now get out!”
She watched an array of emotions cross his face, and Callie
recognized them all. After a few minutes Donald shrugged. “I thought by coming
after you that
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