The Apple Tree (2 page)

His boots crunched over the dead leaves and sticks littering the path. Otherwise, he remained silent, glancing at her only occasionally. She studied his features, telling herself it was in case she needed to recall anything in a police interview later. But if she was being honest, she couldn’t stop checking him out. His sturdy figure moved through the woods easily and when his eyes flicked toward her, there was something there, written in the gray depths— sadness, worry, fear? What could he possibly have to fear from her?

After a few minutes, the woods opened to a clearing where there was a tidy, one story log cabin with navy blue curtains hanging in the windows and a swinging wooden bench on the porch. On the side of the house, a fence surrounded a large garden with neat rows of vegetables. An older, blue Toyota pickup truck was parked in front.

She smiled at the homestead. It looked similar to what she envisioned herself having one day. A perfect fit for the Oregon landscape surrounding it.

“
Follow the driveway about a mile and you’ll reach the main road.” He pointed toward the gravel path, which curved and disappeared into the trees.

“
Thank you.” She headed down the long driveway, her sandals crunching on the tiny stones as she walked.

“
Wait,” he called.

Turning, she found him standing on the porch with what looked like a forced smile on his face.

“
Do you need a drink or something?”

A drink sounded nice, but she wanted to get home. Despite the man’s attractiveness, she got some really creepy vibes from this whole situation. “I have, um… water in my bag. So, I’m fine, thanks.”

He nodded, opened the door and walked inside.

Did he live way out here by himself? There weren’t any signs of female influence on the little house, but he seemed too young and gorgeous not to have a companion.

She continued down the long driveway for at least a mile. Her leg muscles burned and wobbled like noodles from the all the walking. The road appeared ahead and about a hundred feet away, her bike lay against a tree where she’d left it two hours ago.

Thank God. There’s no way she could afford another bike, not to mention, it would have been a very long walk home.

She climbed on the seat and started toward town. The sun fell lower in the sky, casting long shadows from the trees onto the road. A shiver tore through her and she wished she’d brought a sweater. But, seriously, how could she have guessed that she’d be out so long?

For once, her irresponsible mother had been right— she’d have been better off just staying home. Even though she loved riding her bike along the quiet roads south of Corvallis, as she’d done for years, she’d never been tempted to venture off in the forest before. What had she been thinking? What if she hadn’t found the road? She shuddered and pedaled faster at the thought.

Levi stood in the window and watched the thin-framed woman disappear down the driveway. His fingers played with the coins in his jeans pocket as he considered what to do.

No one had ever come this close to the apples before.

He walked across the room, footsteps echoing on the wooden boards, turned and walked back to the window. Aldo lay across the floor watching him pace. Levi bent to give the dog a scratch behind the ears. “What do we do, Al?”

The chocolate Labrador lifted his head, huffed and relaxed back on his paws.

“
Yeah, I can tell you’re worried.”

The woman’s guilty expression flashed in Levi’s mind. He straightened and clenched his fists by his side. She had to have eaten an apple before he got there.

“
Dammit!” His fist slammed against the window frame and he winced as pain shot through his arm. He grabbed his keys off the kitchen table and stomped out to his truck. With his hand on the wheel, he hesitated again.

Normally, he went to town and didn’t worry too much about the tree since he lived so far out, but the woman finding it that evening made him think twice about leaving. What if someone else came along? But even with city limits expanding, that was highly unlikely. He sighed and turned the ignition. There was no choice, he had to follow her.

He crept down the country road behind the wheel of his Toyota. Where was she?

A bike appeared in the distance and her ponytail swung as she pedaled. He smiled as he remembered the freckles sprinkled across her cheeks and the striking combination of red hair and brown eyes.

Shifting in his seat, he glanced in the rearview mirror. This whole situation made him uncomfortable. She seemed like a nice person and didn’t deserve the invasion of her privacy. But, he had to know if she ate one of the red apples. Once he discovered where she lived, he'd be able to keep watch for any changes in her or her loved ones.

His grip on the steering wheel loosened as they neared the edge of town. With all the other cars to serve as distractions, he followed at a closer distance.

The bike swerved slightly as she glanced over her shoulder.

Did she see him? The woman continued straight ahead. No, she hadn’t noticed.

The novels he read made trailing someone sound easy. He’d once read a story about a detective who’d followed a woman home, because she was the next target of a serial killer. The detective hid behind a dumpster outside her apartment. At least he wasn’t that bad.

The redhead rode down the center of the bike lane, pausing and looking both ways before crossing any intersections. She seemed like such a cautious person. How had she let herself get lost in the woods?

When the distance closed between them, he pulled over into a store parking lot while she rode further down the road. He tapped the gear stick with his thumb as he waited. Maybe he should’ve built a better fence around the apples. But that might draw Peter’s curiosity. He wanted the tree to look like a normal part of his garden. How could he have known a hungry woman would come stumbling through the woods?

Minutes later, he pulled back onto the road, scanning the bike lane. Where did she go? Did he lose her?

Her red hair flashed from a side street, behind the drive-through coffee shop. Swerving the truck just in time, he followed her onto Lilly Avenue, a quiet residential road filled with apartments and duplexes. On the far end sat a playground with a colorful plastic climbing structure. Nice neighborhood, although a little crowded and low on the economic scale. She hopped off her bike in front of a white, colonial-style townhouse apartment building.

He parked the pickup along the curb, a building down from her.

Pulling a chain out of her backpack, she locked her bike to the support beam on the porch of apartment B.

He dug through his glove box, pulled out a little notepad and pen then wrote: 2809 SE Lilly Ave, Apt. B.

Peter sped down the highway in his silver Ferrari. A familiar, blue truck caught his attention and he slowed. Something about the way Levi lurked in the far corner of the parking lot, watching down the road, didn’t seem right. He sighed and pulled a U-turn. They’d been watching Levi for almost a year and hadn’t found anything helpful yet. But his father had been clear: report all suspicious activity.

Shame he’d be late meeting the sexy brunette at the sports bar, but she’d wait. And if she didn’t, there were others. He tapped his fingers on the steering wheel as rock music blared from his speakers. That had to be one of his favorite things about this century: music anytime you wanted.

He parked a few buildings down from Levi’s truck and for the first time regretted driving such an ostentatious car. If Levi looked in his direction, he’d notice him in a heartbeat. Luckily, he seemed too focused to pay much attention to anything else.

When Levi pulled onto the four lane highway, Peter followed a short distance behind, lowering the music so he could concentrate. They turned onto Lilly Avenue and it became apparent what Levi was so focused on: a stunning twenty-something woman on a bicycle. Tight jeans accentuated her delicious form along with a floral blouse and delicate summer sandals. Smears of dirt dotted her clothes as if she’d been working outside.

Peter snorted with amusement. He’d told Levi he needed to find the company of a woman, or several. Living in that cabin so long by himself, he’d been reduced to spying on pretty girls. A deep laugh filled the car’s interior. It was amusing watching Levi turn into a super creep. Peter briefly debated getting out and flirting with her. It would drive Levi crazy to watch him hit on the woman he wanted and she would certainly agree to a date. She might even invite him inside. The thought tempted him, but somehow it was more fun watching Levi’s pathetic actions from the sidelines, unnoticed.

The woman walked across the porch and her movements sent a jolt of recognition through him. He rolled down the window and leaned forward for a better look. Her hair was red, not blonde, and she was shorter. It couldn’t be her. It wasn’t her. It wasn’t possible.

He pushed the thought away and concentrated on the task at hand. Should he report this to his father? The old man was desperate to figure out why they were all immortal. Apparently, Levi knew why and how to make it happen again. He was just too selfish to share the information with anyone else. But perhaps if he cared about this woman, she could be a bargaining chip.

The situation would need to be monitored to be sure.

Peter glanced in the rearview and ran a hand through his shaggy, black hair. Maybe it’d be better if the brunette had given up waiting for him. She was hot, but he was more in the mood for a blonde. He took one last look at the woman in the porch. Or a redhead.

B
ianca secured her bike to the pouch and then leaned against the support beam. The sun dipped below the horizon and she breathed a sigh of relief that she’d made it home before dark. Not really in the mood to be cougar chow or even mosquito bait.

She bent to examine her potted vegetable garden growing across the porch. Several hefty fruits hung from the tomato vines, but the lettuce looked a little wilted. The weather channel said temperatures would reach freezing in the next few nights so she’d have to harvest soon. She sighed, too tired to do it tonight.

Stepping inside her apartment, she slipped off her sandals and threw them into the wicker basket by the door. Owen sat on the futon, his eyes glued to the TV watching Thomas the Tank Engine.

She ruffled his curly blond hair. “Hey bud.”