Page 57 of Before the Night Falls
“I nearly broke my blender,” she admitted. “And my dog wouldn’t even eat it!”
Tyson caught Olivia’s eye across the table, pleased to see genuine enjoyment replacing the tension that had shadowed her face for days.
For a few hours, at least, she seemed to have forgotten about the roses and the calls.
After dinner, everyone gathered around the kitchen table to play cards. William proved surprisingly competitive, while Tonya kept them laughing with stories from her job as a kindergarten teacher.
Soon after, Wes and Chandler had to leave. They were both going back to New York for the weekend—Chandler to see his family, and Wes because he had Yankees ticketsanda date with his latest love interest.
Just as everyone left, Tyson’s landline rang—unusual, since most people called his cell. When he answered, the caller asked for Olivia without identifying himself.
Something in the caller’s tone made the hair on Tyson’s neck stand up.
He paced into the living room, and he extended the cordless phone toward her.
“Olivia, you have a phone call.” He kept his expression neutral despite his concern. “Didn’t give me a name.”
“That’s odd.” She looked puzzled as she took the phone, her brow furrowing in confusion. “Hello?”
Tyson watched as her entire body tensed at whatever the caller said.
“Paul?” she whispered, her knuckles whitening around the phone.
Tyson moved to give her privacy but couldn’t help wondering who this Paul was and why his call had such an immediate effect on her.
Was this a social call? Tyson found himself surprisingly bothered by the possibility that it might be.
He lingered in the doorway, telling himself he was just concerned for her safety, but knowing there was more to it than that. Much more.
* * *
Out of the corner of her eye, Olivia saw Tyson lingering in the kitchen, collecting the dirty dishes and placing them in the sink. He wasn’t in a hurry, and she had a feeling he was hanging around with intent.
“Special Agent Harris, thanks for calling me back. Though I’m not sure why you chose this number instead of my cell.”
“I tried your cell, and you didn’t answer. That’s when I did some research and called this number instead. What’s with the formality?”
For some reason, his words grated on her nerves. “Just keeping things professional.”
He paused before saying, “I see. How are you holding up?”
His voice sounded low and husky, just as she remembered. It was one of the qualities that first made her heart race.
“I’m hanging in.” She glanced over at Tyson.
He wiped down the kitchen table and counter, his muscles rippling beneath his T-shirt as he worked.
Olivia tried not to stare.
“About the message you left me . . . I’m sorry this is happening. I’ve been in touch with Scarborough, and we’re trying to figure out if there’s some kind of connection between New York and North Carolina.”
Only two people really knew everything she went through with the stalker—Paul and Lyle. Paul had been the lead FBI agent on the case, so he knew all the details.
He’d offered a shoulder to cry on.
She’d trusted him with her heart, and he’d broken it when he’d cheated on her after only two months of dating.
“Have you found out anything?” she asked. “A connection?”
