“Yeah, sorry.’ She shook her head and strolled through the door, stopping at her desk. Momma Mae disappeared and reappeared in the corner. The idea of sitting in the same chair didn’t sit well with Emma. She’d done that once, trying to prove a point by ignoring the old woman. Emma had felt like she was sitting in a tub of ice, and she’d felt the freeze all the way to her bones. She’d learned her lesson that day and tried to avoid entering Momma Mae’s personal space. She needed a distraction so she could find out what Momma Mae wanted today. Emma would be sick to her stomach if Momma Mae was here with another life or death warning, like the ones she had handed out the day before.
She pulled the requisition slips from the orders the Café had received and handed them to Jake. “Can you please take these to Helen, and tell her to place another order for anything she needs?”
“Sure.” He walked out, leaving the door open.
“Okay, old woman, what’s up?” Emma asked as she made her way around her desk to plop into her plush leather chair.
Momma Mae reappeared this time, sitting on the side of her desk. Her stern look held some concern, some kind of silent plea. “Baby girl, you need to tell him your secrets.”
“I can’t. Not until we figure out who’s trying to kill me. Then, maybe if he’s still around, I will.”
Momma Mae lifted one of her hands, and her transparent palm brushed Emma’s arm. The compassion she was trying to show was sweet, but the coldness from Momma Mae’s touch made her shiver. “He won’t disappoint you, baby girl. You need to trust your instincts.”
Momma Mae had only attempted to touch her a handful of times, twice when her parents had died and now. Emma wasn’t sure why this was so crucial to the old ghost. “I’ll think about it. What do you know about the person that’s trying to kill me?”
“I’m afraid I can’t give you the answers you’re looking for. Just keep your eyes open and trust, not only in your heart but your gifts too.” She vanished again.
Jake leaned against her doorframe before he walked in and sat down as she was going through her messages. She peeked up through her eyelashes. His fingers were laced behind his head, and he was flashing both of his dimples. He looked comfortable, and the twinkle in his eyes hinted he was up for anything. She wanted to round the desk and crawl into his arms. The thought scared her silly, but that kiss he had given her near the car had set her body on fire, and he was the only one that could extinguish the flames growing inside.
She abruptly stood. “Okay, nothing else to do here. I’m ready to head to my house.”
Jake followed her out, sticking close to her. The drive to her house was uneventful. Thank god. No cars followed them, and no one suspicious lurked outside. No internal warnings assaulted her body. Jake had her stay put in the car while he checked out the house to make sure it was safe. Reappearing a few minutes later at her car door, he escorted her inside, not leaving her side until she was safely ensconced behind the lock of her door. His persistence about sticking by her side would’ve been humorous if there hadn't already been two attempts on her life.
Emma set her keys on the table and headed to her room to pack some things. Grabbing a suitcase, she started filling it with extra clothes and toiletries and even grabbed her pretty underwear.
Just in case.
Jake stood watch from the door and smiled when she took things out of her panty drawer. She felt the heat in her cheeks under his blatant approval. Emma kept scanning her bedroom to see if anything was out of place before she turned out the light and walked back toward the kitchen.
She noticed her message light blinking and set her things down. She hit play on her way to the fridge to grab them both a drink.
There were the obvious two messages from her sisters demanding Emma call them back.
They must have met their babysitters
. She chuckled. One from her nephew, John, asking if she was all right, one from Ben saying he needed to talk, and then a voice she didn’t recognize.
“Mrs. Bennett, we need to cancel your hair appointment with Vivian. She didn’t show up today and hasn’t called in, which is unlike her. If you’d like someone else to do your hair just give us a call back, and we will fit you in. We apologize for the inconvenience.”
Click
.
Emma stood motionless and stared at the machine. After shaking her head, she spun on her heels toward Jake.
“We need to go find her.”
“What’s the big deal? Maybe she just took the day off?”
“You don’t understand. I told her to leave the slime ball she was living with, and he hit her. She had a black eye, and she was scared.”
Jake tilted his head. “Why did you tell her to leave him? Had you noticed other bruises before?”
She gulped her drink to buy her some time. “I had a gut feeling she needed to get away.” Emma heard her voice. It was laced with uncertainty, mostly because she wondered if he would just take it at her word.
“And she left him because of your gut feeling? Had you ever met the man before?”
Emma put her hands on her hips and lifted her chin. “No, Vivian always came to my house or met me when we got together. Come to think of it, I don’t even know where she lives.”
Some friend I am.
Emma frowned. “But I was right. He hit her when she left. She’s staying at her sister’s until he moves out.”
“Did the guy know you’re the one that told her to leave? Might explain why someone is trying to hurt you.”
“I don’t know,” she whispered as she walked to the phone and picked it up. She called the salon back, but they wouldn’t give her Vivian’s address. Jake pulled his cell phone out and hit speed dial. His conversation was short. He stopped once during mid sentence and asked her what Vivian’s last name was.
“I need a local address for Vivian Drake. Call me back when you have it.”
Jake grabbed her suitcase and hurried her out of the house and to the car.
“Wait…wait. Take me back to the café,” she demanded.
“Why? I thought you were done there.”
“Jake, please just take me back,” she pleaded.
The ride back to the café seemed to take a lot longer than it had when they first left. Jake parked the car, and Emma jumped out, leaving Jake to catch up as she made her way through the tables to the old ladies sitting in the back. She pulled up a chair just as Jake approached with his arms folded across his chest. Probably unhappy about her not waiting for the all-clear.
Mrs. Anderson was a lovely little woman and had lived in town her whole life. There hadn’t been a time Emma could remember when Mrs. Anderson wasn’t nearby in everyone’s business. It was times like this she was glad the old woman knew so much.
“Mrs. Anderson, I need your help.”
“Sure, dear, what do you need?”
“I need Vivian’s address, please.”
“Oh, dear, is that all? That’s an easy one. She lives right next to me on Cherry Street, the second to the last house on the left, although I haven’t seen her home lately. That no-good boyfriend of hers has been keeping me up at night with his loud music and no-good friends.”
“I’m sorry to hear that, Mrs. Anderson.” Emma grabbed a napkin and pen from a waitress walking by and jotted down her cell number. She handed it to the little old lady and asked her to call if she saw Vivian or her boyfriend again. Emma didn’t even know what he looked like. She turned around at the last minute and asked his description.
“Oh, dear, well, my eyesight isn’t what it used to be. But kind of reminds me of that bald cleaning guy on the commercials, except his eyes are so dark they look black.”
Jake stopped and picked up Mrs. Anderson’s hand. He introduced himself and placed a kiss on her knuckles. The old lady’s cheek turned a shade of red tomatoes. He took the napkin from her hand and wrote his cell number on it too.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mrs. A. Please call me if he shows up or gives you any more trouble.”
Emma rolled her eyes as she said her goodbye and walked out the door. Just as Jake got in the SUV and shut his door, his cell phone rang.
“You’re too late. I’ve already got it. She lives on Cherry Street.” Jake was silent listening to the person on the other end, then he finally said, “Emma got it for me. Meet me at that address. I’m going to leave her with you while I go check out the house.”
Before he could flip the phone closed, Emma had her hands on her hips glaring at him. “Who were you taking to?”
“Jacobs,” Jake said without even glancing her way.
“You don’t even know what Vivian looks like. If she’s there, you’ll scare the crap out of her.”
She sat back in her seat, staring out the window as he drove. She was silent for the five-minute drive until they parked down the block.
“Wait, isn’t Jacobs supposed to be shadowing John around?” Alarm rippled along her spine as another terrifying thought slipped into her mind. What if the psycho got a hold of her nephew? She was going to kill the bastard or die trying.
“Abby said he was going to visit some friends out of town before starting a late semester at college. She can’t reach him on his cell to find out which stop he's at this week. I think she has someone at her work looking into it” His hand reached for hers. “We’ll find him and make sure he stays safe. I want you to stay in the SUV with the doors locked while we take a look around.”
“That defeats the purpose of bringing me. If she’s in there, she won’t know who you are. She’ll probably think you’re one of his friends.”
He turned in his seat with his body facing hers and gently cupped her cheek. “You aren’t coming with me. I don’t want anything to happen to you. Jacobs will be here in a couple of minutes. If this guy is the one trying to kill you, I can’t in good conscious make you an easy target for him.”
Emma knew he was concerned. She could imagine Mike screaming if he ever found out she wasn’t just going to sit it out. But she wouldn’t. Not if her friend needed her. There wasn’t anyone that could stop her. She wasn’t stupid. She knew the necessary precautions to stay safe. Staying in the car just wasn’t one of them. She placed her hand over his resting on her face. “Do you have your gun?”
“Yeah, why?”
“Do you have an extra?” She batted her lashes, as if that would help convince him.
“I’m not giving you my gun, Emma. Just because you own one doesn’t mean you know how to shoot it. You’d end up shooting your own foot or, worse, mine.”
Emma snatched her hand off his and flipped open her cell. When Mike answered, she said, “Tell him that I can shoot a gun, and that I don’t own them because I think they’re pretty.” She hit the speaker button.
“Hello?” He gave her a sideways glance.
“Jake, she knows how to shoot. If she wants a gun, give one to her. I taught her myself, and she’s a better shot than you. She keeps a gun in her house and car for protection.”
“From what?” His ocean blue eyes turned on her.
“It’s none of your business,” she said.
“I don’t know. She’s carried it ever since she was old enough to do it legally. I think it has to do with the lunatic that shot our dad.”
Emma could see Jake weighing his options. She didn’t want him telling Mike why she needed the gun or she’d have another fight on her hands. Emma said, “Hanging up now”, and she clamped her phone shut.
“Now, do you have an extra gun or not?” She held out her hand palm up, waiting for him to fill it. Emma raised her left eyebrow. She wasn’t letting him leave the SUV without her. He was either going to give her one, or he wasn’t going anywhere.
“Look at it this way, if you don’t give me a gun, I’ll get one from Jacobs, and I’m not staying in the SUV when my friend may need me.”
He gave her a skeptical look and unlocked the glove box, took out a Glock, and checked to ensure there was a round in the chamber. He checked the clip before handing it to her with the safety on. She put it in her purse and opened the door as Jacobs pulled up behind them, still in the same black business suit.
The man was sexy. Unfortunately, he stuck out like a sore thumb in this neighborhood, wearing his black business suit. The street was peaceful with little activity except for a few kids in their yards and an older man cutting his grass. Jake grabbed Emma’s hand, crushing it in his as he pulled her down the street toward the house next to Mrs. Anderson’s. His hold was possessive as he walked in front of her, blocking her from any danger that might jump out at them.
Not many men would go up against her and try putting her in her place, but she liked it when Jake staked his claim. She glanced up at the back of his head as he dragged her behind him and then behind her as Jacobs brought up the rear. He grinned as his gaze traveled up her body, finally locking on her eyes. He raised his eyebrows in question, silently asking if she were interested. Emma shook her head and rolled her eyes before turning back toward Jake again and stepping closer to his side.
Jake’s phone rang while they were still three houses away from where she remembered Mrs. A lived.
He stopped midstride and hit the speaker. “Hello.”
“Hello, dear, this is Mrs. Anderson.”
“What can I do for you, Mrs. A? Is everything all right?”
“Oh yes, dear, but you told me to call you when I saw Vivian’s boyfriend again, and well, he’s here at the café.”
“Thank you, Mrs. A…. oh, Mrs. A?”
“Yes, dear.”
“Stay away from him. He’s a bad man.”
“Will do,” she said as she disconnected the call.
Jacobs looked from Emma to Jake. “I’ll go check out the café while you two dig around here.” He glanced back over his shoulder after he turned to leave. “Emma, keep him out of trouble.”
“I knew it. I knew from the moment I met you that you were trouble,” she said playfully as she started to walk again.
“Oh please. This is coming from the woman who was chased by a giant and almost killed in the car accident.”
“It all started when you came to town,” she said as she smiled and started up the sidewalk to ring the doorbell.