Under the Aspens (The Aspen Series) (2 page)

Thankful she
hadn’t dialed 911 just to look like an idiot.  As she turned to go back inside, the shadow moved. She heard the words, "I'll be back."  Sher slammed the back door, and made sure the deadbolt was secured, and leaned against it. She, for the third time today, shook like a leaf. She kept hearing the creepy voice that said "I'll be back."

The drive home
relaxed her some.  She loved driving down Riverdale Road, toward home. Although was almost dark, she still made out the Aspens in all their glory.  She loved the beautiful reds, oranges, and yellows. She always thought back to the painting that used to hang above her parent’s fireplace, when the Aspens changed colors. Now the painting hung above her fireplace.

She live
d in a small sub-division off Riverdale Road. She reminded herself, how lucky she was to find the perfect home for herself. It only had two bedrooms, but the modern kitchen, with all its work space was where she spent most of her time while home.

She rubbed
the back of her neck and wasn’t surprised at the tightness of her neck muscles.  What a day. ..She couldn’t wait to slip into a bubble bath, with a small glass of white wine, and let some of the tension of the day disappear. Then, if she got at least five hours of restful sleep, she knew she would feel so much better tomorrow.

As she near
ed her driveway, she saw lights on inside her kitchen window.  She never left lights on when she left the house. When she pulled up in the driveway, she also saw the front door was partially opened. She sat in the car and debated whether to get out or call 911.  This time, she decided to call 911.

Sher heard the
police car that pulled up behind her Toyota, and watched the officers exited their vehicle. She knew this scene had happened in the past. One officer, in particular, looked familiar.  As he walked up the drive, and the street light landed on his face, she gasped.  It's Glen... This day just got worse every hour.

Glen Sander
s…
the one man, who actually made her heart race every time she thought of him.  How he probably hated her. She ended their relationship without ever talking to him to explain why. She just stopped taking his calls. He hadn’t deserved that. But, at the time, she was separated, not divorced, and with William’s threats, and constant interfering in her life, she decided not to bring all the baggage she carried into another relationship, especially to a man like Glen.  He showed her such kindness, and love. It scared her, that someone was that perfect.

Well, she might as well face the music
she told herself as she got out of her car and she walked over to the officers. 

“What seems to be the problem?" The one that stood by the patrol car asked.

Good, so far Glen
was too busy at the front doo, but she knew she had to eventually forget her pride, and speak to him. It's only a matter of time. 

"I d
idn’t leave any lights on this morning, and now there are lights on and the front door is open," Sher said, not taking her eyes off her front door as she spoke.

"Stay here while my partner and I check it out inside.
Hey, Sanders, the owner says someone is in her house. I'll check the back,” Officer David, as his name badge said, walked around the side of the house, as Glen went in the front door.

It seem
ed like twenty minutes, although it probably had been only five, when Officer David showed up on her front porch and said, "You can come in now."

She
was surprised to see everything looked as she left it this morning, at least in her living room.

“
I thought I recognized the address, when the call came," Of course that smooth voice came from Glen.

Sher turn
ed towards the voice, and knew what she would see in his eyes.  His eyes were one of the things she loved about him. He had beautiful green eyes that sparkled every time he looked at her.

They
weren’t sparkling now. In fact, they were far from sparkling.

Glen realize
d his fists were clinched at his side. As many times, in the past few years he allowed himself to think of her, he never imagined they would meet again, especially like this. He realized he had never gotten over her.

He studie
d her. From the curve of her face, and lips, and her eyes… those beautiful eyes, they always told on her. Why were they so honest and clear? He saw she was still the one woman who made him forget what he’s doing, every time he looked into those eyes.

"Hello, Glen. I suppose this is the last place you want to be right now
," Sher tucked her shoulder length hair behind one ear as she spoke.

Her hair used to be longer, when they were together
, he thought to himself. This cut looked good on her. It brought out her blue eyes, with the long lashes. He almost forgot how long her lashes were.

"I'm a police officer.  I go where I'm needed.
See if anything is missing, then you and I need to talk," He said as he stepped aside to let her enter.

Talking
was the last thing she wanted to do. All she wanted to do was go back to yesterday, before all the craziness started, she told herself. Her life had been so normal lately, to the point of being boring. She wanted that life back.

Sher walk
ed through her cozy, warm home.  Everything looked in order till she reached her bedroom where drawers had been opened. Her underwear was piled on the floor. Her closet doors stood open, and dresses flung out on the floor.

She d
idn’t remember sitting down, but found herself on the foot of her bed.  Who would do this? She had no enemies, unless you considered William. Most people she came across liked her.

As the tears well
ed up in her eyes, she barely made out something on her dresser mirror. She stood up to get a better look. It said, "I'll be back", written in her favorite shade of mauve lipstick.

Her knees g
ave way, and she fell to the floor, as deep sobs escaped her.

F
amiliar arms came round her shoulders, but she wasn’t focused through the tears, as she looked up.

He
saw the fear and hurt in her eyes, as she gazed up at him. He wanted to wipe the fear away.  He wanted to see that sexy smile of hers again, not the tears.

He le
t her cry, knowing he needed to keep his distance.  He found it almost unbearable as he watched her sitting there in so much pain. He remembered, towards the end of their relationship, he saw the hurt and uncertainty in her eyes then too.  His one regret was that he didn't force her to talk about what was bothering her then.

He ha
d to forget the past, and focus on now, “Can you tell if anything is missing?"

"I
‘m not sure, and I can't check everything right now. It will take me a few days to look through all the rooms and the garage," She tried to get the words out through her sobs.

As she sa
id "garage", she remembered William.  Well, too bad.  He had to wait.  There was no way she would go through the garage tonight.

"
Honey, come into the living room so we can talk," Glen realized the slip of his tongue to late.

"Do you really think now is the time to talk about us?"
She had fire, and right now she let him know she was not in the mood.

"I mean
, we need to talk about your break-in," If Sher looked his way, she would see the hurt in his own eyes.

Blushing, she realize
d she misunderstood.  Of course he meant her break-in.  He probably had a wife or girlfriend by now.
They..,
as a couple, were long over.

Glen, s
aw confusion in her eyes.  He felt like a heel, but he had to keep this on a professional level. He would not let her get under his skin again. No other woman had ever made him feel the way Sher had. 

He f
ound himself comparing every woman he dated to Sher, and they always lacked her softness, her beauty, and her sense of fun, and warmth, among other things.  He couldn’t let his self go down that road again. He was here as a police officer, helping a citizen.

"Let me help you up
,” He spoke as he extended his hand out to help her.

She avoid
ed his outstretch hands and pulled herself up with the help of the bed.  Her legs shook as they walked down the hall to the living room. The living room, which she spent so much time decorating with love only to have it violated by strangers.  She used some of her parent’s pieces, along with her own touches, to make a warm, inviting place for her to come home to. Now it just felt cold.

"Tell us who you think would break into your home?” Glen instructed Sher.

"Just a minute, miss
,” How had she forgotten Officer David was still here? “Sanders, can I talk to you outside?"

Officer David walk
ed out, followed by Glen.  She saw Officer David looked at her as though she had two heads, and then he turned and spoke to Glen.  She heard nothing of what they said, but she knew it not flattering to her.

"Correct me, if I'm wrong
, but isn't this the Sher Mason?  The woman you practically mourned over for the past year and a half?" Officer David frowned big time now.

"
Yes, her name is Sher Mason.  And, no, I didn't mourn her. She and I are past history.  She is a victim, nothing else right now," Glen impatiently answered his partner’s question.

"Right
, And my Uncle is the King of Siam," David snorted.

"Let's just do our job and call it a night
,” Glen said, as he pushed past his partner.

"Can you do your job?  I see the way she looks at you and your jaw clinch
es every time you look at her."

"I'm fine.  Let's get this over with
," Luckily for Glen his partner decided to drop the subject, although he wasn’t the least bit convinced.

"Miss Mason, tell us what has been going on in your life lately.  Something has
, no one breaks into someone’s home for no reason," Officer David asked.

She t
hought, briefly, of mentioning the black SUV, but felt silly.  She was still sure it had to be just someone who drove along the same street.  And her altercation with William...  well, that was just William who threw his weight around.

"I think, earlier tonight, someone was in my storage room at my deli.  But when I looked, no one was there.  The backdoor was open.  But my assistant or I could've forgotten to lock it." Sher finally answered.

"You haven't made any enemies lately?” Officer David again asked the questions.

"Officer, I own a deli.  How many enemies do you think I c
an make in a deli?" Sher’s voice was stronger as she answered.

Glen studie
d her reactions to the questions.  He saw she wasn’t being truthful with her answers.  But there’s nothing they could do, if she wasn’t willing to open up to them.

"Ok, Sher
, I think we have everything. Not much to go on though. We’ll have a patrol car drive by every hour just to check on you. If you think of anything useful, give us a call. This is the precinct number, and my new cell number is on the back.  Don't hesitate to call, if you feel in danger." Glen added the last few words to let her know only to call on police matters.

"Come on Sanders. Nothing else we can do here. Let's get back and write our report. Our shift ended twenty minutes ago
," Officer David stated, as he was halfway out the door.

After
she made sure the doors were all locked, she made the effort to fill up the tub.  She really needed that bubble bath now, more than ever. But she decided against the glass of wine.  With the pounding in her head she knew alcohol wasn’t the answer. What she truly needed was aspirin. Then she needed sleep, in that order.  She didn’t want to think about her day, or Glen.

Sher w
oke up the next morning to a pounding in her head.  She stretched her arms over her head.  The thought hit her; she actually slept like a baby. She can’t believe, after yesterday’s events, that she slept so well.  But the pounding continued.

She sat up and threw
her legs over the side of the bed, as she yawned. Then immediately realized the pounding came from the front door. 

Who
could that be at six o’clock in the morning?

Almost forgetting
to look through the peep hole first, she opened the door.

"I th
ink you can use this," Glen stood outside her door with a bag in one hand, and a cup of coffee in the other.

Her mind
went back in time, to almost two years ago.  After one of their nights out together, he dropped her at her car, which she left at the Deli.  And since the snow came down so thick and fast, she decided to spend the night there, on her sofa in her office.  The next morning Glen showed up with breakfast and coffee from the only fast food place opened at six o’clock in the morning.  She knew, right then, that she would fall for that sweet, caring man.