Night Visions (Night Series) (3 page)

"I'm sorry," Sam whispered shaking her head. "I've really made a fool of myself this morning and it's not even eight yet."

Bryan reached for her hand, his touch comforting. "Listen, you didn't make a fool of yourself. Not many women would want to run back onto that trail knowing that something was out there." His smile widened. "Your bravery impressed me."

Sam's cheeks warmed at the unexpected compliment.

"Why don't you let me make you a cup of coffee," Bryan asked, angling his head toward his house. "Then I can drive you home."

The temptation to say yes
wriggled inside her. He'd been nothing but nice to her. The total package any girl would die to get her hands on. But all she really wanted was to go home, lock the door and take a long, hot shower.

Knowing she would regret it later, her eyes darted to Bryan's house, then back to his. "Can I take a rain check?"

"At least let me give you a ride."

Yep. She would definitely regret this later. "The lazy part of me would love a ride, but Ginger would never forgive me if we didn't get to finish our run."

Bryan looked from Sam to Ginger, his worry for her safety obvious. How could this guy still be single?

"Okay. But promise me one thing. If you need anything, you'll call me."

Now it was Sam's turn to reach for his hand. "Thanks, Bryan."

Offering him a reass
uring smile, she spun on her heel, continuing her run with Ginger keeping pace at her side. She glanced over her shoulder to see Bryan watching her retreating form, his arms crossed over his chest. Maybe she should take him up on his offer for coffee or, what the hell, invite him to dinner. Would it kill her to do something spontaneous for once?

The remaining houses passed in a blur, her mind
returning to what might be in the woods. Maybe she should call animal control. Have them come out and check to be safe. With so many kids in her community, it would put her conscience at ease knowing they were safe.

Ginger woofed, signaling they were almost home. Sam could see the white two-story colonial with green shutters in the distance. The promise of a hot shower just moments away. She glanced at Ginger in time to see her taking off at a full run, challenging Sam to keep up.

Adrenaline took over, making Sam's muscles scream from the exertion. Ginger waited at the bottom of the steps preening when she arrived a minute behind her.

“Why do you look so smug? You have an unfair advantage,” she panted, bending over until her hands braced her knees.

“Thanks for the run, girl. I got a date with a hot shower." The closest she would get to having a good time. "Are you comin…” her voice trailed off when she found, Ginger already waiting at the door.

Climbing the steps, Sam wiped the sweat out of her eyes. A blast of cool air greeted her as she opened the door, soothing her sweat soaked skin.

Ginger turned in a circle before plopping on the floor with a gusty sigh. Sam grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge. Opening it, she guzzled half, swiping the back of her hand across her mouth. It wasn't the French Vanilla Latte she craved, but it helped soothe her parched throat. Maybe she could drive into town after her shower and get—

Out of the corner of her eye she saw movement at the window. She barely had time to react when Ginger scrambled to her feet, snarling at the door. Each cautious step brought Sam closer to the window. Nothing looked out of place, but Ginger continued to growl, scratching at the door.

Another flash of movement brought a gasp to Sam's lips, causing her to spill water down the front of her t-shirt. She angled her head to get a better view of the yard, her pulse pounding in her ears.

Each passing second she searched the yard
, and each scratch from Ginger elevated her fear. She couldn't shake this feeling that someone was watching her. Waiting for the moment she let her guard down.

A Golden Retriever crossed
her line of vision, sending a last jolt of fear through her body.

“Ginger hush,” Sam scolded. “It's just Callie. You wanna go play?" She pulled the door open, to find a dark silhouette framed in the entryway.

Sam choked back a scream as she jumped away. "Scott, you scared the crap out of me! Seriously, my heart can't take much more of this."

Stepping forward
, Scott's brows drew together. "Sorry Sam. I was about to knock when you threw the door open and looked like you saw the devil."

She opened her arms for Scott's welcoming hug. Her senses filled with the smell of summer rain and, could it be, coffee?

"No, I should be the one who's sorry. I'm a mess today. What are you doing here so early?"

Scott handed Sam a paper cup with Java Jive scrolled across the side, steam wafting out of the top. "I figured Ginger wouldn't let you run into town, so thought I would bring you your morning coffee." He pushed a paper bag toward her with his other hand. "And your favorite apple cinnamon danish."

Sam leaned forward, her lips grazing Scott's cheek. "I knew there was a reason why I loved you!" What did she do to deserve a friend like Scott? He always knew just what she needed.

Walking into the kitchen
, Sam took a seat on a stool at the island. She faced two large windows with a clear view of the lake. Scott dropped onto the vacant stool next to her.

"So are you going to tell me what has you so jumpy?" he asked, pulling two danishes out of the bag.

Hot liquid teased her lips as she sipped her coffee. Would he realize she was stalling? Doing her best to avoid his question, she took her chances, allowing the sweet taste of vanilla and cream to glide down her throat. Being in the safety of her home made the whole morning seem like the product of an overactive imagination. Between the nightmares, voices and now the unsettling feeling of being followed, Scott would think she'd turned certifiable.

Warm fingers cupped her chin, turning her face until their eyes met. Scott's shade of blue slightly darker than Bryan's. Her hand itched to smooth his windblown hair.

"I can tell something is bothering you." His voice softened. "Is it Jason?"

Sam blinked back the tears threatening to spill over. W
hy did he have to bring up her brother? He knew how much she hated when he was on assignment. The weeks without contact sucked. But that was just another penalty of his job. Unease twisted her belly. She should have had at least a quick text by now.

Shaking her head
, she knocked a single tear loose. She silently cursed her emotions. Especially when Scott's thumb reached out and brushed it away. "It's not Jason," she whispered, leaning her back against the kitchen chair.

"Then what is it? I can tell something's bothering you."

Warmth pulsed from Scott's fingertips. It radiated through her body, slowly uncurling the tension. She tugged her lip between her teeth unsure of where to begin.

"Do you think I'm crazy?"

There. She said it. The question hung in the air between them.

He released her chin, letting his hands drop to hers, pulling her closer. His brows drawn tight together. "Of course I don't. Why would you ask that?"

Sam wished she could snatch the words back. She felt stupid for even saying it out loud.

He applied pressure to her hands, offering silent encouragement.

"When I went for my run this morning, I heard something in the woods. Ginger heard it too. I've never seen her get that worked up over any of the wild animals around here." Goose bumps raced across her arms. "It felt like someone was watching me. Stalking me. This isn't the first time I had this feeling."

"What do you mean?"

"Once when I was walking in town and once when I was at the farmer's market. Each time, I searched for someone out of place but never found anyone."

"That doesn't mean you're crazy. You should trust your instincts
, Sam."

She looked out the window over his shoulder at Callie racing back and forth in her driveway. Having fun. Carefree. She wished she could feel the same, but her instincts were telling her she was losing her mind. Nothing made sense anymore.

"The voices are back too. And the nightmares."

"For how long?"

Sam mentally braced herself for Scott's reaction. He was about to go into protective mode in three, two...

"A couple of weeks."

"A couple of
weeks
?"

She flinched at the roughness in his voice. He wasn't repeating her but doubting her truthfulness.

"All right, a couple of months."

His eyes shot to the ceiling as he shook his head. Probably mentally counting to ten before he lost control.

"Why didn't you tell me?" he asked, shifting in his seat. He released her hand, threading his fingers through his hair in agitation. "First, you think that someone is following you, and now this. I would have been there for you."

"I'm not a little girl who needs coddling. What are you going to do? Stop living your life to take care of me?" She absently plucked at her danish, leaving a trail of crumbs on the counter.

Scott stilled her hand. Lifting it off the counter, he pulled it down to rest on her knees. "I'm not here to coddle you, Sam. I'm here as a friend to listen and to help you. If someone is actually following you, you can't stay here alone."

"I have Ginger."

"And you have me, too."

Her eyes fell to their joined hands. Scott's thumb caressed the back of her hand, sending a flicker of heat through her arm. She dragged her eyes to his lips, the urge to touch them pushed at her core. What would he think if she leaned in and brushed her lips against his? Would he push her away? Or wrap his arms around her for more? She moved a fraction of an inch closer
when her chair rocked out from under her.

Scott yanked her toward him. His arm snaked around her waist, knocking the breath from her. One leg draped over his thigh while the other dangled toward the floor. Clearing her throat she jumped off his lap. Flustered
, she scanned the room for Ginger. Sometimes having an enormous dog had its disadvantages. Always knocking things over. But this time, maybe she should thank her for stopping the kiss. Stopping her from making a fool of herself.

Sam advanced on Gin
ger, who was now positioned by the door with her head down. "It's alright girl. I'm fine. But next time you need to be more careful." Sam dragged her fingers through Ginger's fur, tensing when the stool behind her scraped across the floor.

"Listen, I'm going home, grabbing a change of clothes and coming back later with dinner."

"Scott, you don't have to do that."

"But I want to." He leaned down, his warm lips brushed her forehead. "I'll take care of dinner and a movie." He opened the door and stepped out onto the porch. "Thinking a horror flick may not be a good choice tonight?"

Before she could argue, he winked and closed the door behind him.

Smiling
, she took the stairs two at a time. Scott was right. She should have trusted him enough to call sooner. But a part of her wanted to handle it on her own. To prove that she was strong enough.

She made her way into her bathroom and flipped the handle on the shower. Stripping off her clothes, she tossed them in the hamper and stepped under the hot spray of water.

Once the water ran cold, Sam turned off the shower, grabbed a towel and stepped into the steam filled bathroom.

As she approached the mirror, a
new shock jolted her, forcing a scream past her lips. Where there should have been steam, a woman in a gauzy white gown stared back at her. It was like looking at her own reflection. But not. The woman had long, wavy dark brown hair, her skin a golden brown. A single factor stood them apart. Her eyes. Where Sam had dark brown eyes, the woman's were a vibrant violet.

“He's watching you and waiting. Don't make the same mistakes I made,” the woman pleaded, c
oncern evident in her gaze.

Sam stood frozen in place.
That was a first. The woman showed up to startle her often, but had never spoken before.

Not wanting her to leave without answers, she whispered, “Who is watching me?” But it was too late, the woman vanished as quickly as she appeared.

* * *

His eyes shifted to the second story window
. The steam clouding the glass masked her body as she walked by. Soon they would be together. His beautiful Samantha. His love for her tore at his soul, an ache so deep, so raw that it stole the air he breathed. He desperately wanted to share everything with her. There was so much she still needed to learn. But now wasn't the time.

W
hen it was, he would teach her how to wield her powers and reset the balance undone so long ago. After all, she was the chosen one. She would be his or she would die.

CHAPTER 3

The cursor beat impatiently on Sam's computer screen, demanding she type a sentence, a word, anything would be better than the blank page staring back at her. Her eyes dropped to what was left of the pink index card in her hand. Great. So much for her notes.