Page 49 of Shadowing Her Stalker

“Ryan Hastings,” he said with a nod. “Worked for years on protection duty. He left the force last year to start his own security and protection firm up in Bentonville.”

“Ryan Hastings,” she repeated. “Why does his name sound familiar?”

“He was involved in a pretty high-profile case last year. Some big-shot attorney and his son were killed. Ryan was assigned to protect the widow. Turns out the guy’s brother, a US senator, was involved.”

“Yes, I remember hearing about it.” She mustered a self-effacing smile. “Probably from my mother. I’m not big on absorbing the news of the world.”

“It can do a number on you.” Wyatt nodded. “I limit how much I take in too and try to get information from a cross section of sources.”

“Wise,” she affirmed.

The default ringtone on the mobile phone in front of her rang out. Cara glanced at the screen and drew in a deep breath. “It’s Tom.” Without looking to him for direction, she swiped to accept the call, then activated the speaker. When Wyatt sank back in his seat, she understood he meant to listen in unnoticed.

“Tom.” She exhaled her old friend’s name.

“Cara, are you okay? I heard about your house,” he told her, sounding genuinely upset.

“Wow. It made regional coverage?” She shot Wyatt raised eyebrows. “I wouldn’t have figured more than a mention onLA Today.”

There was a moment of hesitation on Tom’s end. “Zarah sent me a link.”

“Ah. Okay. Makes sense.”

“She said you weren’t home?”

“I wasn’t.”

“Any word on the damages?”

“I haven’t made it back to see for myself yet, but I’m told it’s all fixable.”

“Thank goodness.” Tom released a gusty sigh. “Where are you? Are you coming back before New York?”

When she met Wyatt’s gaze, he gave an imperceptible shake of his head, but shrugged as if to say it was her call as to what to tell him.

“Zarah has booked me a flight home.” Her tongue tangled on the last word. LA had been her home for years, but now it may as well have been a million miles away. An awkward beat passed in which no one spoke.

“Yeah, uh, I think she said something about you coming back when she sent the news. Sorry. You know how distracted I get.”

“I do. Anyway, I should get in late tonight.” Feeling disheartened by the ever-widening distance between them, she grasped for conversational straws. “When are you heading east?”

“Day after tomorrow.” The dullness in his tone told her he wasn’t looking forward to making the trip, even if it meant he returned to the West Coast a billionaire. “I got the files you sent for the bedtime meditation series. Good stuff.”

This was about as effusive as Tom ever was about the content she provided. Usually his persona of a disengaged, flighty genius amused her, but she found she was not in the mood to be dismissed. “Should be good for another ten million or so downloads,” she said, affecting the same offhanded tone.

“What?” Tom coughed, then chuckled. “Oh, yeah. At least.”

Irked by the stilted conversation, she decided to introduce a whole new topic. “Hey, did you also hear some guy tried to kidnap me at gunpoint?” she asked in a mockingly bright tone. “With a real gun and everything. Guess you can believe some of the stuff you read on the forums after all.”

“Cara, I’m so sorry about what happened,” he said in a rush of words. “I mean, you know I’m happy you’re okay. I’d hate for you to get hurt—”

His verbal stumbling and bumbling only angered her more. He’d never been the most socially adroit guy, but this was beyond ridiculous.

“Can’t kill the cash cow.” She smiled as she said it, but a cold knot formed in her belly. Needing to end this torture, she leaned in, her face close to the phone. “I’ll see you in New York, Tom. Safe travels.” She ended the call with an angry jab of her forefinger.

When she looked up, she found Wyatt staring at her, brows raised. “And he’s the one you’re closer to?”

“He’s...Tom. His mind is always miles down the road, you know?” She took a steadying breath. “I’m mostly used to it, but sometimes it would be nice if he could at least try living in the present.”

---