Page 33 of More Than A Boss

When Allie woke up, she looked out the French doors and saw the snow coming down in big flakes the size of nickels. So beautiful, she thought. After throwing on her robe, she went downstairs to make a pot of coffee. The first thing she spotted was the note from Zane.

“Allie, I received a call from Darcy and had to leave at dawn this morning. DO NOT LEAVE THE HOUSE! I will inform the office you won’t be in. Annika will cover for you. I will stay in touch. Love, Zane.” Her heart skipped a beat at the word love. Love? Was that just a standard sign-off, she wondered, or was it an endearment? Her anger of the past several days seemed petty now, in the face of the danger Zane was walking into. Please let him be safe, she thought.

—

Allie sat pondering the note and her options while drinking her coffee. She knew she would go crazy sitting at the house, just waiting to hear from Zane. With Will and everyone else out of the state, she was sure no one would be concerned with her if they had even been interested to begin with. Getting up, she fed Kat then started scrounging around in Zane’s kitchen drawers, looking for the keys to his Alfa. Just a quick trip out to see her horse and feel normal again. With that plan in mind, Allie jumped into the shower and dressed in a sweater, blue jeans, boots, and heavy parka to go out to the barn.

She settled into the Alfa and made a quick call to Laura from her cell to let her know she was stopping by the barn. Allie was a little worried about how such a small car would handle in this weather, but she would be extra cautious. She slid a little on the drive but didn’t let that deter her. Hanging back so the gates could swing in, she exited the property and the gates swung closed behind her. Freedom, she thought, but, because of her worry for Zane, the pleasure felt hollow and she really didn’t feel very free. She tried to shake off the worry for now and focus on her driving. She couldn’t wait to see Mel.

The lane to the barn had not been plowed yet and there was already about four inches of snow. She fishtailed slightly, making her way to the barn. She loved how quiet the world seemed during a snowfall and immediately after. There was a hush when everything was blanketed in white. She slid open the barn door and nearly cried when she heard Mel’s greeting.

“Oh, Mel, how I’ve missed you!” Wrapping her arms around his neck, she buried her face in his warmth.

“Let me go get you some treats.” Entering the tack room, Daniel and Jack roused from their warm comfy beds to greet her. “Some watch dogs you’re becoming. You must be the fair-weathered kind,” she said, taking turns petting them. She gave them each a treat from the bin, grabbed a few more oat cookies for later, and returned to Mel’s stall.

Pulling up a bucket, she flipped it upside down and used it for a stool as she sat by Mel’s head. Leaning back against the stall door, she said, “Mel, you wouldn’t believe the craziness that has become my life.” He listened intently, nuzzling her for another snack. Obliging, she held out her hand and he gently took it, with soft lips searching her hand much like an elephant uses his trunk to search for peanuts. She listened to the soothing sound of him crunching his treat. He blew out of his nose and lips, an expression of contentment. She didn’t know how long she sat like that, mind blank, just present to the smells of the horses and barn, the peacefulness, the sounds of the horses munching on their hay. She became aware that she was getting cold and stiffening up, so she thought it was time to return home.

“OK, Mel, I can’t promise how soon I can get back, but it won’t be too long. I love you, Big Guy!” Allie wiped a tear from her cheek with her gloved hand as she pulled the barn door shut. She had forgotten to bring a windshield scraper, so she just used her glove to swish off the snow. Fifteen minutes later, she was pulling in the gate to Zane’s place. It was so odd coming home alone, without Zane here to greet her. It felt a little eerie. “Allie don’t let your imagination get carried away,” she warned herself. “You got this!”

Pulling into the second stall, the garage door closed behind her and she used the code and entered the house. The large expanse of front windows, so striking and beautiful before, now made her feel like she was a specimen in an aquarium.

She fed Kat and made a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, taking it upstairs to her bedroom to eat. She closed the blinds and decided to snuggle in with a good book. First, she called Casey and set up a time to meet her the next day to go for breakfast and then to the farmhouse to retrieve a few more changes of clothing and her car.

Casey said, “Are you sure it’s safe, Allie?”

“I went to the barn today with no trouble, and wouldn’t it make sense that they would have followed the Havers, which is who they are really after?” she said convincingly.

“Well, if you are sure. I’ll be there at Zane’s around 8:00 tomorrow morning. I’ll text you when I get there.”

“Thank you. I don’t know what I’d do without you Case. I’ll be ready. I can’t wait to see you,” she said, fighting to keep herself from weeping.

“Me too! See you then,” Casey said, and disconnected.

—

Later in the evening her cell phone rang. It was Zane.

“Zane!” Allie said eagerly.

“Allie!” Zane said tenderly. “What are you doing right now?”

“Sitting in the bedroom, curled up in the chair reading. I lit a fire in the fireplace,” she said.

“I’m sitting in a diner with Darcy. We’re discussing strategy,” he said.

“It was weird coming back to the house alone.” Immediately realizing her blunder, she could only hope that he wouldn’t pick up on it. No such luck.

“Coming back?” he asked in a deadly flat tone.

“Oh, Zane, please don’t make a big deal out of this. I figured everyone is out looking for Will, so nobody could possibly be interested in me at this point. I decided to go to the barn for a quick visit. I’m back. Everything went fine. I’m safely tucked in again. Don’t be mad,” she pleaded.

“The Alfa, I presume?” he asked, dangerously quiet.

“Yes,” she answered in a small meek voice.

“I knew I should have taken those damn keys. Allie, how could you? Do you know who and what we are dealing with here?” he asked rhetorically.

“I know Zane, but nothing happened. I’m home now. I miss you,” she said quietly, taking the wind from his sails.

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