Stalker In the Shadows Read online

  Ben’s frown deepened. “Who?”

  “Ainsley at the café,” Hunter said.

  “At the café...oh, her.” Ben’s rheumy eyes narrowed. “She’s a mean witch. She doesn’t like me and I don’t like her. She threw me out of the café just because I was a little bit drunk and a little bit rowdy.”

  “Did you maybe leave her a nasty note when you were in the café earlier today?” Hunter asked.

  “A nasty note?” Ben frowned. “What kind of a nasty note?”

  “You tell me,” Hunter replied.

  Ben’s frown creased his forehead again. “I didn’t leave no nasty note in the café for her or anyone else.”

  “You sure about that, Ben?”

  “I’m positive,” he replied, and then laughed. “Heck, I wouldn’t even know where to get a decent piece of paper or a pencil.”

  Hunter stared at him for several long minutes. He believed him. Despite Ben’s inebriated state, there was an innocence shining from his eyes that Hunter believed.

  Ben stayed drunk enough most of the time that to believe he’d had the foresight to get a piece of paper and a pen and actually write a note about something that had happened in the past seemed impossible.

  As Hunter finally headed home, his thoughts were troubled. When he’d seen the note and heard that Ben had been in the café that morning, he’d been sure that the man had written it in retaliation for Ainsley having him thrown out of the café.

  Now, with Ben off the table, the note somehow seemed a bit more ominous. Who might hold such a strong negative feeling toward Ainsley?

  It was just a hateful note, he told himself, but there was a small thought that niggled in the back of his head. Was the note the end of it, or was it the beginning of something much bigger, something that might be more dangerous?

  LONG AFTER HUNTER had left, a chill continued to fill Ainsley as she thought of the note. Although she succeeded in keeping things normal for the rest of the evening for Melinda’s sake, once her daughter was in bed, Ainsley wandered the small space they called home.

  She checked to make sure that both doors were locked and then checked the locks on all the windows. She told herself she shouldn’t take a stupid, anonymous note so seriously, and yet she couldn’t help how much it had unsettled her.

  Finally exhausted, she flopped down on the sofa. Her thoughts continued to fly through her head as if a tornado had lodged there.

  Who had written the hateful note? Other than Ben Wilkins, whom had she offended so badly? As much as she wanted to believe it had been written for spite by Ben, she found it hard to believe that he’d actually carry a grudge through his alcoholic haze to write it.

  If not him, then who?

  Or was it possible this had little to do with her and more to do with Hunter? Did the secret Juanita had hinted about have to do with another woman? A woman now displaying an ugly jealousy toward Ainsley?

  She mentally picked through everything that had ever happened between her and Hunter, and a new question popped into her head. What was behind the closed door in his house?

  Both times she’d been there, all the doors in his house had been wide-open except one. He’d indicated it was just an empty room, but was it? And if it was, then why not keep the door open?

  Knowing her thoughts were going way left field, she got up and headed to bed. She’d just changed into her nightgown when her phone rang.

  She sat on the edge of the bed and answered. “Hi, Hunter. I hope you have some information for me.”

  “I wish I had some information for you, but I don’t. I caught up with Ben Wilkins and questioned him. He was drunk, but he said he didn’t write the note, and unfortunately I believed him.”

  “So, we’re back to square one.” Disappointment swept through her.

  “I’m going to keep questioning people, but I’m inclined to chalk this up to a juvenile, disgruntled diner and nothing more.”

  “I’ve been thinking, and I was wondering if maybe that note wasn’t so much about me, but maybe about a woman you dated who sees me as a threat...a woman you haven’t told me about.”

  There was a long moment of silence. “Ainsley, I haven’t dated anyone since my divorce. There are no women I’m keeping secret from you.”

  “I just know Juanita mentioned to me there were things in your past, things that I don’t know about and she wouldn’t tell me.”

  Again there was a long pause. “There are some things I still need to share with you, but they aren’t things I want to tell you over a phone call. Is it possible for Juanita to watch Melinda tomorrow evening so you could come over here and we can talk?”

  “I can probably arrange that. What time is good for you?” A touch of anxiety replaced the disappointment that had filled her when he’d told her Ben wasn’t the note writer.

  “I’m working tomorrow, so why don’t we say around six thirty,” he said.

  “That should work. Instead of you coming here to pick me up, I’ll just drive over to your place.” She’d prefer to have her own car to escape in if things somehow went south between them.

  “Okay, I’ll see you then.”

  Ainsley hung up and frowned. Whatever he was going to tell her, it must be serious, and that filled her with even more anxiety.

  Things had been going so well with Hunter. She should have known there would be a glitch. Right now she just didn’t know if the glitch was a deal breaker or not.

  Yes, she should have known something would happen to screw up the happiness she’d been living. It was as if the fates refused to allow her to live happily.

  The next day she and Melinda headed out for a day of fun, and Ainsley refused to allow thoughts of nasty notes, the mysterious roses and Hunter’s secrets to ruin the day.

  They took a drive around town, exploring areas they hadn’t yet seen. It was a beautiful day, but rain was supposed to move in later in the evening.

  At lunchtime they went into one of the two drive-through hamburger places in town. Once again that morning Melinda hadn’t mentioned her father “talking” to her.

  Ainsley certainly didn’t intend to bring it up, but she and Melinda hadn’t had a chance to talk about Hunter. “I asked you yesterday about you giving Hunter another chance,” Ainsley said. “Have you thought about it?”

  Melinda dragged one of her fries through a puddle of ketchup and then popped it into her mouth. At the same time she nodded and chewed.

  “So, you have thought about it?” Ainsley pressed.

  “Yeah. I guess I could give him a chance. Even though Daddy doesn’t like him, I know he makes you happy, and I did like the unicorn he bought for me.”

  “So, if we all went out for pizza this Thursday night, you could be nice to him?”

  “I could be nice,” Melinda agreed. “But if Daddy comes for me, I want to go with him for a while. I’d come back to be with you again after I’m with Daddy for a little while. That’s only fair.”

  Ainsley bit her tongue, not wanting to ruin the day by arguing with her daughter. What Melinda didn’t know was if Peter ever got hold of her, he would never let her go.

  Peter didn’t want a daughter. He wanted a possession he could control. He wanted Melinda solely to hurt Ainsley, and she would die before she allowed Peter anywhere near Melinda. The scar on her stomach suddenly burned, reminding her that she’d nearly died at Peter’s hands before.

  After eating lunch they went into a clothing store that sold children’s fashions as well as women’s. Even though it was Sunday, the stores along Main Street were all open for business. They bought Melinda two new sweaters and a cute pair of jeans, and Ainsley bought herself a lightweight turquoise sweater to wear later that evening with Hunter.

  She’d already talked to Juanita about babysitting for a couple of hours, and Melinda was looking forward to spending some time
with her friends.

  They ate an early dinner at the Red Wok and then topped off the day with a stop at the ice cream parlor. It was after five when they got home, and Ainsley immediately began to get ready to go to Hunter’s house.

  She’d managed to stay out of her own head for most of the day, but now her anxiety returned. What did Hunter have to share with her and how might whatever he told her affect their relationship? First the roses, then the ugly note and now this. What was going on in her world?

  An hour later as she was on her way to his house, the level of love she had for Hunter slammed into her and nearly brought tears to her eyes.

  He was the man she’d been waiting for...a man who treated her with respect, a man who made her feel protected and loved. She’d fantasized about a man like him, had spent many nights dreaming that a man like Hunter would appear in her life.

  She’d believed she was marrying a good man who loved her when she’d married Peter. She’d had no idea what kind of a monster he was. Her dream of happily-ever-after had quickly become a horrendous nightmare.

  She believed Hunter was the real deal. Looking back, there had been a lot of red flags where Peter was concerned, but she’d seen no such red flags with Hunter. Now that he was in her life and her heart was so involved, she feared something was going to happen to spoil it all.

  And she had a terrible feeling that tonight might be the night it all fell apart.

  Chapter Eight

  Hunter paced the length of his living room as he waited for Ainsley to arrive. He probably should have told her more about his past before now, but he hadn’t really spoken about the loss of his baby boy to anyone.

  He wasn’t ashamed of his grief—he’d just held it tightly inside him. But now it was time for him to share. Part of that sharing meant not only allowing himself to be more vulnerable than he’d ever been, but also showing himself as being stupid and incredibly naive.

  It was time. It was past time. He wanted to be one hundred percent open and honest with her. Tonight he was putting it all on the line for her. He was going to share his sorrow with her and hope she didn’t see him as a weak man.

  At exactly six thirty, his doorbell rang. He opened the door, and as always his breath caught at the sight of her. She was absolutely stunning in a pair of jeans and a turquoise sweater that enhanced the bright blue of her eyes.

  “Come on in.” He stepped aside so she could step into the entry. “Why don’t you have a seat on the sofa.”

  “Thanks,” she replied.

  “Want something to drink? I have wine and soda.”

  “No, thanks, I’m good.” She settled in on the sofa, and he sank down next to her.

  “Is it raining yet?”

  She shook her head, her beautiful long hair rippling with the movement. “The skies are definitely clouding up, but so far no rain. Hunter, I don’t want to talk about the weather. I’ve been worried all day that you have secrets that are going to tear us apart. I really care about you.”

  “Ainsley, I don’t have any deep, dark secrets. I know what Juanita was probably referring to, and it’s time I share it with you so you know all the pieces of me and my past.” He rose and held out his hand to her. “Come with me.”

  He took her down the hallway to the bedroom that held his tears. He drew a deep breath and then opened the door and turned on the light.

  She pulled her hand from his and looked around the room and then up at him in obvious confusion. “What is this, Hunter? Do...do you have a child?”

  “I used to.” He waited for the soul-wrenching sorrow to overtake him, but the ragged, rough edges of grief had finally softened.

  “Did your wife get custody of him?” she asked.

  “No, God got custody.”

  She stared at him for several long moments and then took a step toward him. “Oh Hunter, what happened?”

  “Let’s go back to the living room to talk.” He didn’t want to talk about Danny here in the room where the little boy had spent part of his short life.

  They returned to the sofa, and this time she sat close to his side, her warmth and familiar scent a balm to him as he dived into the pain of his past.

  “We didn’t plan for Emily to get pregnant so quickly after we got married, but despite our precautions, it happened. I was thrilled. All I’d ever wanted was to be a deputy and to have a family.” He paused a moment, trying to swallow against the emotion that rose up inside him.

  As if she sensed his sudden struggle, she reached out and took one of his hands in hers. Her gaze was soft and gave him the strength to continue.

  “I was thrilled when Danny was born. He was the most perfect little boy. He was such a happy baby. He rarely fussed, and I would have given my life for him.” Hunter’s chest tightened.

  “When he had just turned a year old, we discovered he had leukemia. For the next year, he was in and out of the hospital for chemo, and we’d hoped that he’d beat it. But just after his second birthday, we lost him.”

  “Oh Hunter. I’m so very sorry. I can’t even imagine the pain of losing a child.” She squeezed his hand and then leaned closer and wrapped her arms around his neck.

  He pulled her close and buried his face in her sweet-smelling hair. He found comfort in her embrace. He’d grieved so long and so hard all alone. It was oddly soothing to share this horrible event in his life with her.

  Tears burned at his eyes, but he swallowed against them. He had already shed more than enough tears over losing Danny.

  He finally released her. “I’ve heard that the loss of a child often causes a divorce,” she said. “Is that what happened to you and your wife?”

  “No, although certainly we did grieve separately, but I had every intention to try to make the marriage work after Danny was gone. Unfortunately, she didn’t. The same day we buried our son, she told me she’d been having an affair since the day we got married and she wasn’t even sure Danny was mine.”

  Ainsley gasped. “What kind of a woman was she? To do that to you? To do that to any man at a time like that.” Anger fired in her eyes.

  “It didn’t matter. That little boy was mine the moment a nurse handed him to me after his birth. She couldn’t take that away from me, no matter what she said or what she had done.”

  “Love is what makes a child yours, not genetics,” she replied fervently.

  “Another point of pain was I guess everyone in town except me knew that Emily was cheating on me. In retrospect, the signs were all there. She was often unavailable to me. She never let me see her phone. There were dozens of flags...I just didn’t want to see any of them.”

  “Hunter, I’m so very sorry for you.” Sympathy replaced the momentary anger in her gaze. “You deserved so much better than that, and I’m so sorry you had to go through so much.”

  “I have no other secrets, Ainsley. I was just afraid if I told you about all this, you would somehow see me differently.”

  “Differently how?” She looked at him curiously.

  “I don’t know...I thought you’d somehow see me as weak and stupid,” he confessed.

  “Oh Hunter. Rather than making you look weak and stupid, all this makes you look incredibly strong and compassionate and loving. It takes a strong man to shed tears, to be vulnerable with his emotions.”

  Once again he pulled her into his arms and held her close. The sound of rain began to patter at the windows as if it were his tears for Danny.

  Still, there was a new peace inside him where his past was concerned. There would always be sadness in his heart when he thought of his little boy, but he was truly ready to move on from that and seek new happiness in his life.

  He leaned back from her. “Maybe one day you could come over and help me pack away the last of the items in Danny’s room.”

  “Are you sure you’re ready to do that?” Her gaze was incr
edibly soft.

  He nodded. “Actually, it’s past time. I don’t need the things to remember him. Besides, maybe someday in the future it would make a great bedroom for a little girl.”

  “That would be nice in time,” she replied. “But of course I’ll come over and help you whenever you’re ready.”

  “Thanks, Ainsley, and I promise there are no more secrets in my life.”

  “I’m glad you shared with me.” She smiled at him. “While I waited to talk to you this evening, I’d almost convinced myself that you had an insane wife locked up in that room—although your wife had to have been insane to cheat on you.”

  He laughed. “Ainsley, you are good for my heart and soul.”

  She held his gaze for a long moment. “Hunter, I...I...” She looked down and then back up at him. “I...I probably need to get back home since I have Melinda at Juanita’s on an unexpected night.” She stood from the sofa.

  “I really appreciate you coming over tonight.” He got up as well to walk her to the door. “And I really hate to send you out in the rain.”

  “It’s not raining that hard, and I don’t melt when wet,” she replied with another one of her smiles. She stood on her tiptoes and gave him a kiss on the cheek. “Thank you for sharing with me tonight, Hunter.”

  “Thank you for your caring and support.” He opened the front door and peered out into the dark, rainy night. “Why don’t you call me so I know you got home safely?”

  “I can do that,” she replied.

  “At least let me get you an umbrella.”

  “That’s not necessary. I’ll be fine. I’ll call you when I get home.” With those words she stepped outside and hurried to her car.

  He watched until she backed out of his driveway, and then her car lights disappeared, swallowed by the darkness of the rainy night.

  He finally closed the door and with his cell phone in hand, he went back into Danny’s room. The sorrow that had lived here was now tempered by the scent of Ainsley that lingered, by the support of her caring arms around him.

  Yes, it was time to pack away the items in this room and put his past truly behind him. He no longer needed these things to remind him of what he’d gone through. Ainsley was partially responsible for him moving on and looking forward instead of backward.