A single light illuminated the porch of the old Victorian home when Johnny dropped Ellie off. Slowly, she climbed out of Johnny’s car, wishing she could go with him. She wanted to confront Tony herself. Give him a piece of her mind. But she realized personal satisfaction wasn’t worth risking the investigation or her well-being.
“Call me after you’ve found Tony,” she said, bending to look at him before closing her door.
Johnny nodded then turned to climb out his side of the car.
“You don’t have to walk me to the door.”
“What kind of gentleman would I be if I didn’t walk you to the door?”
A warm tingling raced through her as they met at the front of his vehicle. He pressed his solid hand against the small of her back. She could get used to this. But did she want to? She had vowed to be independent. Not rely on a man.
But she hadn’t intended to meet this man. Why couldn’t Johnny Rock have come along a year or so from now, once she had her shop firmly established and her feet back on the ground? An uncomfortable foreboding started working on her. Would she be on solid ground with Gifts and More? Ever?
Johnny opened the front door and they stepped into his grandfather’s foyer.
The sound of the clock ticking filled the space, so different from her childhood home where the sound of laugh tracks and obnoxiously loud commercials filled the home 24/7 so that sometimes she couldn’t think.
“Thank you for taking me to church this morning,” Ellie said, not quite ready to see him leave.
“No problem.” Johnny palmed the cap of the newel post. “I haven’t seen the inside of a church in a long time.”
“Maybe you’ll go with me again?” She raised her eyebrows.
Johnny lifted a shoulder noncommittally and changed the subject. “I need to find Tony. While I’m gone—”
“I promise I won’t go to the shop or anywhere else someone could find me.” Just saying the words out loud made her insides freeze with icy dread.
Then, trying to shake the feeling, she added, “I’ll get lost in a book.” She nodded toward the library off the foyer. “I’m sure I can find something in there to hold my interest.”
Johnny tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “When this is all over...”
“You’ll be back in Buffalo and I’ll be struggling to make ends meet in my gift shop.” She smiled, but the effort felt strained.
He dragged a thumb across her cheek, leaving tingles in its wake. “I see things going in a different direction.”
Ellie wanted to say something cute or sarcastic about how things that were good for her didn’t usually work out. But something in his warm gaze kept her quiet, made her think, Maybe, just maybe.
A tense charge settled between them. The tick-tock-tick of the grandfather clock grew hushed. The movement of his thumb across her cheek stopped and a tenderness coiled around her heart. He leaned in and brushed a kiss across her lips. She pressed into him and he wrapped his arms around her. His strength, his warmth, his solidness transferred to her, making her feel safe, protected, yet not smothered as she had felt in other relationships.
Maybe, just maybe rang in her head once again.
Johnny kissed her forehead and stepped away. “I’ll be back soon.” His voice was raspy, husky. A spark lit his eyes. “Don’t go anywhere.”
Ellie nodded, unable to find the words. What had just happened here?
Johnny slipped out the front door and she closed it behind him, bolting it. Hugging her arms to herself, she turned around and froze. Johnny’s grandfather stood at the end of the hallway, Duke at his feet.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you,” the older gentleman said.
“It’s okay,” Ellie said, her hand still pressed to her chest.
“Johnny headed back out?”
“Yeah, he has a lead in the case.”
Buddy shook his head and turned toward the kitchen. Ellie followed him. He filled Duke’s food and water bowls while she watched him from a stool at the island. His grandfather started talking without looking at her, something she realized Johnny did sometimes. “Don’t hurt him.”
Ellie had to strain to hear him. “Excuse me?” Johnny, the tough FBI agent, hardly seemed like a man who could be hurt, by her at least.
Buddy straightened and squared his shoulders. “Johnny hasn’t had a lot of people he could trust in his life, including me. His grandmother and I let him down when he needed us most.”
Ellie folded her hands in front of her to avoid fidgeting, which she tended to do when she was nervous.
“Did he tell you his mother died of a drug overdose when he was twelve?”
Sadness, empathy, regret swept over her. She indicated yes with a slight tilt of her head.
“His grandmother had never forgiven our daughter for getting into drugs and she took that out on Johnny by extension.” He shook his head. The overhead kitchen lights caught the glimmer of unshed tears. “It was wrong, but some people can’t see past their hurt.”
“I’m sorry.”
Buddy nodded. “Me, too.”
Duke hung by his master’s side as if he sensed his sadness. His bowl of food sat untouched.
“I’m not one to speak, but if you can, don’t hurt Johnny. He could use something good in his life. Something like you.” The old man smiled, but the sadness in his eyes tore at her heart. “I see the way he looks at you.”
Something unexplainable coiled around her heart. Johnny had a way of looking at her? She glanced down, feeling a warm blush heat her face. Hadn’t she seen it herself? It was more than just a stolen kiss.
Johnny really did care about her.
She wanted to tell Buddy she had no intentions of leading Johnny on, or of getting involved in a serious relationship, that her focus was on being independent, not relying on anyone. She had been burned before.
But so had Johnny. Her heart broke for the twelve-year-old boy who had lost his mother to drugs and an overwhelming sadness swept over her. No wonder the man was relentless in his pursuit of drug dealers. It was more than a job for him. She had no idea what the future held for her and Johnny, but she had no plans to hurt him.
“I’ll do my best.” Ellie squeaked the words out.
“That’s all that any of us can do.” Buddy patted Duke’s head and smiled at Ellie. “That’s all we can do.”
* * *
Johnny decided to run by Tony’s house after learning he wasn’t at the bakery. Johnny parked on the street in front of Tony’s modest ranch-style home on the outskirts of Williamstown. He stepped out of the car and scanned the neighborhood. He had seen many well-kept neighborhoods where people took pride in their lawns and flowerbeds, but neither seemed to be the case here. Off in the distance, a dog barked.
Johnny strode up to the front stoop. Crickets chirped. He swatted at a mosquito buzzing around his face. The sense someone was watching him made his scalp prickle. He glanced over his shoulder, but couldn’t see beyond the dim light flowing out from the house.
He extended his arm to ring the bell when the door flew open. He expected to see Tony and was surprised to find Ashley standing in the doorway.
Concern flashed in her eyes, but her mouth held a curious smile. “Special Agent Johnny Rock, to what do I owe the pleasure?”
“Hello, Ashley.” Johnny looked past her and down a narrow hall. “Tony home?”
The forced smile slipped from Ashley’s face. “No, I was hoping he was. We were supposed to go to the movies tonight. He hasn’t been answering his cell phone, so I came over and let myself in. Sometimes he crashes in front of the TV and doesn’t hear a thing. But he’s not here.” She shrugged. “We’ve been dating awhile and I have a key.” She held it up, as if to prove to him she did, indeed, have a key.
“Mind if I come in and look around?” He held the screen door open with his shoulder.
Ashley angled her head and narrowed her eyes. “I told you he’s not here. Why would you want to look around?”
“Something came up and I need to talk to Tony.” Johnny was purposely vague. Ashley was a chatterbox and even though she knew about the investigation, Johnny didn’t want her to know they were focusing on Tony.
She pressed her hand to her chest and batted her blue eyes. This young woman was an experienced flirt, far different than her best friend, Ellie. What had kept these women friends after all these years?
“Is my Tony in trouble?”
Johnny made a noncommittal sound. “I need to talk to him.”
Ashley flung her hair over her shoulder and shrugged. “I wish I knew where he was myself.” A brisk breeze ruffled her hair. “Oh, come in. I’m cold,” she said, raising her shoulders in an exaggerated shudder.
Without waiting to be escorted beyond the front hall, Johnny strode toward the kitchen and scanned the countertops. The place was free of clutter, hardly looked lived in, and seemed too neat for a single guy.
Apparently reading his expression Ashley said, “I hired a cleaning lady for this place when we started dating.” She screwed up her face. “I couldn’t stand coming over here with his piles of stuff and carpets that hadn’t been vacuumed in forever. It was kinda gross.” Ashley winced and shook her head slightly. “I have no idea where he is tonight.”
She reached into her oversize purse sitting on the kitchen table. She pulled out her cell phone and Johnny worried that she’d reach Tony before he did. “Don’t tell him I’m looking for him.”
Ashley stopped and planted a fisted hand on her hip. “Tell me what’s going on.”
“Who does Tony hang out with, besides you?”
She dropped her arms to her sides. “I haven’t known him that long. But we’ve been spending most of our time together. The only time we’re not together is when he’s working.” She scrunched up her nose. “He works a lot.”
“He’s not at the bakery now. I checked.”
“Me, too.” Ashley frowned.
“What does he do when you’re working and he’s not?”
“Lately that hasn’t been that much, right? With all the craziness that’s been going on.” She didn’t seem too sorry.
“The gift shop really isn’t your thing, is it?”
Ashley twirled a strand of hair around her finger and took a step back, resting her hip on the counter. “Not really. It’s boring. I thought it would be fun, but it’s...boring,” she repeated, as if finding another word was too much effort. “I didn’t mind investing the money initially, but I’m not really into it anymore. And the way things are going, I can’t afford to keep investing in it.”
“That’s unfortunate.” For both Ellie and Ashley.
Ashley traced a line on the worn linoleum with the toe of her chic shoe. “You know...Ellie’s a lot tougher than you think.”
Johnny arched an eyebrow. “I wouldn’t presume otherwise.”
“It’s just...” Ashley dragged her hand through her long blond hair in a practiced move. “She likes to pretend she’s the victim and get people to do things for her.” She took a step closer to him and he stepped back.
“I don’t get that vibe from her.” Johnny glanced toward the front door, willing Tony to appear so he could end this awkward conversation. The last thing he wanted to do was to alienate Ashley. It was better to have as many people as he could on his side. Working to find the truth.
A niggling started at the base of his brain.
Maybe Ashley and Tony were closer than she let on. Maybe Ashley knew...
“How come you went into business with Ellie?”
Ashley spun around and waved her hand, whatever had drawn her to him now forgotten. “She needed financial backing.”
“And you have money?”
She glanced back at him. Her perfectly groomed eyebrow twitched as if that were a stupid question. “My father has money.” She shrugged. “He makes sure I have what I need.”
The way she said it made him think money wasn’t everything.
“Will your father always provide for you?”
“I thought you came here to talk to Tony. What’s with the interrogation?”
Johnny smiled, trying to lighten the mood. “Just making small talk until Tony comes home.”
Ashley gathered her hair up into a ponytail in jerky motions and fastened it. Then, with a hand pressed to his back, she pushed him toward the front door. “I’m sorry, Johnny. I don’t think Tony’s coming home anytime soon.” They both stepped out onto the front porch. She locked the dead bolt with the key and dropped it into her purse.
“Call his cell phone. Maybe you’ll have better luck than me.”
Johnny got back into his car and watched as Ashley crossed the yard and climbed into hers. Something he said to her had obviously set her off.
He thrummed his fingers on the steering wheel. Perhaps money and her father were sensitive subjects.
* * *
Ellie sat on the cozy brown couch while Johnny’s grandfather dozed in his recliner. He insisted she call him Buddy. The notion made her smile.
She turned her phone over in her hand, itching to receive news from Johnny. She resisted the urge to call him, fearing she’d interrupt him while he was questioning Tony. A book, a classic mystery, sat unopened on her lap. She wasn’t sure why she’d picked a mystery, considering she had enough of that in her life right now.
Tapping her fingers on her cell phone case, she glanced over her shoulder at the expanse of windows overlooking the backyard. During the day they provided a gorgeous view of the yard and all the trees changing colors. But now? Now, all she saw was the reflection of the contents in the room, including her worried eyes.
Didn’t his grandfather believe in curtains?
Ellie slouched down in the couch, trying to make herself invisible. She redirected her attention to the television, but couldn’t get into an old rerun of some detective show. She didn’t want to go to bed, either—not until Johnny got home.
Had Tony been dealing drugs and using her address to ship them? Then when that one package went missing, had he gone after her, thinking she’d stolen the package?
A knot tightened in her stomach. Was Ashley in trouble? Once again she checked the display on her cell phone. She couldn’t call her friend, either. Not yet. Johnny would be mad if Ellie tipped Ashley off, who could, in turn, tip off her boyfriend. No, she had to be patient and wait for Johnny.
Duke’s claws clacked on the floor as he moved toward the French doors. He sat and stared outside. “What’s out there, Duke?” She squinted into the darkness and her knees grew weak.
Duke stood and started whining. Then it hit her.
“Oh, you need to go out.”
Ellie bit her lip and glanced over her shoulder. She set her phone and the book aside and got up from the couch. Johnny’s grandfather was sound asleep in the recliner, his mouth gaping open. With a hand on the handle of the French door, she was about to tell the elderly man his dog needed out, but then it seemed silly. She was right here. She could let Duke out.
Ellie had never owned a pet because her mom was allergic, but surely she could handle letting the dog out. Ellie reached down to her side and petted Duke’s head. “Okay.” She unlocked the door and before she pushed it open, whispered, “Don’t go far.”
She opened the door and a rush of cool air hit Ellie’s face. Duke slipped through the gap, his tail whacking her as he passed. Ellie patted the wall, found a light switch and flipped it, washing the patio in light. Duke stopped, looked back toward her and then returned to sniffing the border of the patio before disappearing beyond the ring of light.
Maybe he needed his privacy. She smiled and found herself humming a song she had heard on the radio while in the car with Johnny.
Standing in the doorway, she searched the yard. Where was Duke?
From the road running alongside the corner property, a car honked. The noise made Buddy snore louder and then settle back into his chair.
Ellie squinted into the darkness. “Duke,” she whispered. “Come on, boy.” She crossed her arms to stave off the chill winding its way up her spine.
Tapping her fingers on her arm, she looked back at the old man. With a burst of confidence, she slipped through the opening, then closed the door quietly behind her. “Duke,” she called a little louder. “Where’d you go, boy?”
Maybe she wasn’t supposed to let him out without a leash. No, she was sure she had seen Buddy let him run free.
She ran a hand across the back of her neck. Dread knotted her stomach. She couldn’t let anything happen to the golden retriever. What if the yard wasn’t fully fenced as she had assumed?
She muttered to herself, “I should have never let Duke out. Not without checking with Buddy first.
“Duke!” she called again. Her pulse thrummed loudly in her ears. Why wasn’t he making any noise? Surely he’d come when he was called.
Unless he had taken advantage of her ignorance and bolted.
No, no, no, she reassured herself. Duke seemed like such a well-trained animal. Maybe he wasn’t coming because she wasn’t his master.
She crossed her arms tightly around her middle and moved closer to the tree line. Squinting into the darkness, she called Duke’s name again.
A hand came around the back of her and covered her mouth roughly. She tried to scream, but her attacker’s hand muffled the sound.
Icy adrenaline pumped through her veins. Panic made her nauseous. She lifted her foot, slammed it backward and her heel made contact with his shin. He cursed in a harsh whisper and grabbed her tighter so that her upper teeth jammed into the soft flesh of her mouth.
All the things she had learned about self-defense crashed and tumbled in her mind. She couldn’t think straight and she couldn’t reason with him because he had her mouth clamped shut. Then something came to her. She let all her muscles relax letting her weight fall; harder than she imagined considering her brain was screaming, “Fight, fight, fight.”
Her attacker muttered again. She couldn’t tell if it was Tony or not and she wasn’t sure what she should reveal. He released his hand from her mouth and Ellie crumpled to the ground.
“If you scream, I’ll kill you.”
Planting her hands on the cool grass, Ellie swallowed hard and gulped in a huge lungful of fresh air.
Dear Lord, please save me. Please let me think straight so I can get out of this mess.
She started to lift her head when the man hooked an arm around her neck and dragged her into the cluster of trees.
“Why are you doing this?” she asked, her voice raspy.
“You have something I want.”
She tried to shake her head, but only managed to have him tighten his hold around her neck. “I don’t have your package.”
“I’m done playing this game. You return what’s mine and I’ll leave you alone.”
“I don’t have anything.” Frustration and fear laced her voice.
“If you don’t care about your own worthless life, maybe you care about your family. Your friends...” He seemed to be trying to disguise his voice. “Your friend’s dog.”
A wave of confidence swept over her. “Tony, is that you?” She craned her neck to see, but the man tightened his hold. “I don’t have your package.”
A mirthless laugh bubbled up from his throat. “You want to play it this way?” He growled, making the fine hairs on her arms shiver.
“I’m not playing it any way. I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
The muffled sound of a dog barking seemed to attract her attacker’s attention. “Bring the package to the bakery. I’m done fooling around.” He slipped his hand from around her neck and, planting both hands on her back, shoved her hard.
Ellie flew forward and landed hard, thankfully catching herself with her hands. She spun around to face him, ready to fend the man off in her vulnerable position seated on the ground. But no one was there. She strained to see into the shadows of the trees but only caught the sounds of leaves crunching underfoot.
She stood and glanced toward the safety of the house, then toward the sound of Duke’s barking.
Her eyes scanned the yard. She noticed a metal garden tool on a small table next to the door. She ran over and picked it up, feeling the weight of it in her shaky hand. She examined its pointy tip and a sick feeling rolled through her.
Holding it tightly, she marched toward the sound of Duke’s now-whimpering cries.