Page 79 of Free to Run
None of them are turned on, and all of them appear to be visual only. I take great enjoyment in crushing them beneath my booted foot.
Meanwhile, Caleb has already been to the supply room, finding the closest cardstock to the one the flowers were delivered with. He replicated the card and silently hands it to me. I attach it to the plastic thingie sticking out and am about to make my way out the door when I stop.
“What did you mean when you said it wasn’t my car?”
“Close the door.” I do so quietly and wait. “I called Charlie for your VIN because I was able to get a clear shot of the drivers-side window, and then I pulled up the cameras we had installed at the farm. After her little stunt,” he says in disgust, “I also wanted to see if I could get a clear shot of her getting back in and get the VIN on the inside of the car door for confirmation.” He leans back smugly. “And I did.”
“While she was on the farm property, she didn’t break into the house?” I ask, letting out a relieved sigh.
“Confirmed. It’s an exact replica of your car, Keene, but all it does is show more of her crazy. The good news is”—Caleb flexes his fingers—“I have something tangible to track her on. Cars of that price don’t come cheap. She had to pay for it somehow.”
“God, I knew there was a reason I kept you around,” I breathe out reverently.
“What, as your best friend?” he snorts. “No one else wanted that job.”
I walk over to the door. Picking up Alison’s now debugged flowers, I say, “No, in the Army. And trust me, plenty wanted that job.”
His laughter follows me into the hall.
* * *
I haveto tear my mouth away from hers, or I’m going to lock her office door and take her against it.
“Alison,” I warn, my breath coming out raggedly.
The impish smile shining up at me almost makes my control crumble and reach for her again. Fortunately, the knock on the door behind my back, where Alison pinned me the moment I arrived inside her office with her flowers, interrupts us.
Stepping back away from me, Alison flips over at the waist, and her short hair falls back in place perfectly from where I had buried my hands in it. Smoothing a hand over her dress, she calls out, “Come in.”
I shoot her daggers as I quickly move away from the door. Cassidy and I collide. I almost fall over as I run into my sister’s protruding stomach. I can’t help it. The “Oomph” escapes me.
“Keene!” two very feminine voices snap at me.
Alison looks at Cassidy. Cassidy looks at Alison, and they both burst out laughing.
“And on that note, I’m out of here,” I mutter.
“Actually, Keene, you’re welcome to stay. I just popped by because I heard about the flowers.” Cassidy looks over at Alison hesitantly. Their relationship has been mending, but it’s going to take time for Alison to feel like Cassidy won’t hurt her again.
“Aren’t they beautiful?” Alison turns to Cassidy and reaches for her hand. Cassidy stiffens for a second before she moves closer and wraps her arm around her younger sister.
“They are, honey. They are so beautiful.” Risking a lot, she squeezes the younger girl. “I am so happy for you.”
Alison throws her arm around Cassidy’s shoulders and squeezes back. I watch as a tear trickles from my sister’s eye that she tries to unobtrusively wipe away.
For the moment, two sisters have united once again.
Courtesy of my stalker.
As my feelings of self-loathing skyrocket, I realize I need to find Melody now to get her poison away from my family.
Moving toward the doorway, I grate out, “I have to get back to work.”
As I move out the door, I hear Alison say to Cassidy, “This is why the flowers were such a shock. You see how well he does sentimental.”
Then I hear my sister respond, “Tell me about it. The first time he hugged me, I thought I was going to roll into a ball weeping.”
Pausing a few feet away from the door, I listen to the beautiful sound of their laughter, something that hasn’t been heard in way too long. The two women who own my heart laughing together.
