Shoved (Moonlit Lake Matchmaker #4)

Chapter 17

STORM

Nothing relaxed me like some late night online research. Yes, I was a geek. Sue me. And as my siblings loved to remind me, that’s why I was still single. One of the reasons, anyway.

I had just settled down with my laptop and a drink on the couch, and Lulu curled up right next to me, when I got a text from Serena.

Serena

Hi Storm. Are you awake?

My spidey senses were pinging. Serena had never texted me before. Something had to be wrong. I typed and deleted my reply several times. Did I pretend to be casual? Or come right out and ask what was wrong? While I was being an idiot, she was waiting for my reply. What was wrong with me?

Of course. What can I do for you?

Serena

I might be crazy, or paranoid, but I think someone’s been watching us.

My gut clenched and a chill moved down my spine. I set my computer aside and began pacing as I typed into my phone.

What do you mean? Did you see someone?

Serena

No. I didn’t see anyone, but I keep getting the feeling that we’re being watched.

I’d been involved in many dangerous cases, with clients who were at risk for testifying or threatened to back down. Any threat, or perceived threat, needed to be taken seriously. But hearing Serena and Sadie might be in danger hit me like a wrecking ball to the chest. A protective surge welled. I had to keep them safe.

I’ll be right there. Lock your doors until I get there.

Serena

Ok. Thanks.

Lulu was right on my heels, not about to get left behind. Once I was a in my car, I called my friend, Evan Albright, the deputy sheriff. “Hey, Evan. Are you on duty?”

“Yeah. I’m on my way to a call. What do you need?”

“Serena Reed is in a custody battle with her child’s grandparents and feels like she’s being watched. It might be nothing, but could you keep an eye out for anything suspicious?”

“Yeah. I’ll check it out and keep patrols driving through her neighborhood.”

“I’m headed to her place now. Let me know if you see anything.”

“Will do.”

“Thanks, Evan.”

I kept watch as I drove, looking for any strange cars. Slowing way down when I reached her block, I scanned the yards for footprints in the snow in places they shouldn’t be. Nothing looked out of the ordinary.

Lulu and I went to her door. Serena must have been watching for us, because she opened the door before we even reached the first step.

“Thanks so much for coming over. I really didn’t expect you to do that. But I appreciate it.” Her hands visibly shook as she peeked outside before locking the door.

Without thinking, I pulled her to me and wrapped my arms around her. As much for my comfort as for hers. When I heard they might be in danger, I swear it took ten years off my life. I took a deep breath to calm myself down, breathing in her floral and pine scent. Having her this close to me wasn’t helping my heart rate settle down, though. Her trembling seemed to subside, and her breathing slowed. I finally released her and stepped back, not wanting to let go but needing to hear more about what she experienced.

Awkwardness descended between us like a re-gifted fruitcake. We stood there, not knowing what to do or say.

“Why don’t you have a seat, Storm.” Serena gestured toward the living room. “Sadie’s in bed, already sound asleep. That girl is out like a light most nights. Goes strong all day and then, boom, she’s done. Wish I had that ability. Can I get you something to drink?”

“No, thanks. I’m fine.” I moved to the couch and sat down. Lulu sniffed around, looking for a comfy place to lie down, and ended up beside me. “So tell me everything you’ve noticed.”

Serena sat in the chair perpendicular to the couch. “Well, it’s happened a couple of times when I’ve been outside with Sadie. The first time was after that big snowstorm. I got this strange feeling that we were being watched, but when I looked around, I didn’t see anything. Didn’t think much of it, at first, because why would someone be watching us? But tonight, when we were walking from the fire station to the store, the feeling was even stronger. I made Sadie run with me into the store.” She hugged her arms across her chest to keep from shaking. “We did our shopping and stayed in the store twice as long as we needed to, because I was afraid to leave. Finally, Lanie came into the store, and I talked her into walking us to our car with the promise of a plate of Christmas cookies. I’d planned to give that plate to my mom, but this was worth the sacrifice.”

“I’m glad you found someone to walk with you. Was Sadie scared?”

“No. She was chattering the whole way.” She shook her head and sighed. “Maybe I’m just paranoid now that I know someone wants to take my child away from me. It could all be in my head, I realize that. But what if it’s not?”

“I called the police on my way here and asked them to keep an eye out. They’ll be making more patrols through your neighborhood, watching for anything suspicious.”

Her shoulders relaxed, and she seemed to breathe easier knowing that someone was looking out for them. “Thanks for doing that. I thought about calling them, but I didn’t see anything, and I didn’t think they’d do anything based on my niggling feeling.”

“It’s actually smart to keep your eyes open and aware of what is happening around you. As you said, it might be nothing, but you can’t be too careful.” I wanted to reassure her, but also didn’t want to discount what she felt. I’d had plenty of experience in and out of the courtroom, that proved to me intuition was real. Even if it didn’t make sense. “Gut feelings shouldn’t be ignored.”

She leaned forward, wringing her hands together. Full of nervous energy. “Want some coffee or tea? I need some tea to calm me down.” She stood and walked to the kitchen.

“Sure, tea would be great.”

As she was filling the teapot with water, she suddenly set the pot down and looked at me. Her face had drained of color. “You don’t think they’d try to kidnap Sadie, do you?”

I shook my head, even though I wasn’t ready to rule it out. “I don’t think they would. They’ve already filed the petitions, and they have a very expensive high-powered legal team on it. Trying something like that would ruin their chances, and just wouldn’t make sense. But I’d like you to take some precautions, anyway.”

She nodded slowly as she took in my words. “What can I do?” She put the pot on the stove and returned to the couch.

“I’ll order you a GPS bracelet for Sadie to wear. It has an app for your phone, so you can track Sadie wherever she is.” I pulled it up on my phone and showed it to her. “They even have a pastel rainbow stripe one. She’ll love it. And with overnight shipping, it should be here tomorrow.”

“That’s great. What else?”

We talked about making sure anyone taking care of Sadie knows about the possible threat, and the need to be vigilant about safety.

“I don’t think there is anything to be concerned about, Serena. But I would never discount your feelings or take risks with the safety of you or Sadie. How are you feeling now?”

“I feel better now that we have a plan. You’ve given me some tangible things that I can do to keep Sadie safe, and that makes me breathe a little easier.”

We both stood up at the same time, bumping into each other. I reached out to steady her, placing my hands on her hips. The energy between us crackled like logs on the fire. As her eyes met mine, the warmth of her gaze felt more like an inferno. Her pink lips beckoned to me, and she licked them, kicking my desire up another notch. Irresistible. I leaned in, desperately wanting a taste. She was so close I felt her breath tickling my whiskers.

My sense of integrity won out, and I took a step back. I couldn’t take advantage of her in her traumatized state. Besides that, she was my client. I mentally slapped myself across the face to regain my composure.

“Will you be able to sleep tonight? Or do you want me and Lulu to stay?” As soon as the words were out of my mouth, I realized what that sounded like. “We could, uh, sleep out here on the couch.”

“Thanks, Storm, but that won’t be necessary. I’ve always felt safe here at home.” She covered a yawn with a hand to her mouth. “Sorry, speaking of sleeping. It’s about that time.”

“Yeah, we’ll be going.” I called to my dog, who was curled up on one of Sadie’s soft blankets. “Lu, let’s go. Time to go home.”

She looked up at me like I must be joking. She was comfortable where she was. At the door, I slapped my hand against my thigh to call her again. “Come on Lu. Let’s go home.” This time she slowly got up, stretched, and then meandered toward the door.

“Thanks again, Storm. This is above the call of duty for a lawyer.”

“No problem. Glad I could help. Call or text me if anything else happens.” I stopped right before shutting the door, still wishing I could kiss her goodnight, but knowing that would be a bad idea. “Sleep well, Serena.”

“I will. Good night.” She shut the door, and I listened for the lock to turn before getting into my car.

Above the call of duty for a lawyer. She was right. I’d never gone to a client’s house before, especially not after hours. I’d met plenty at restaurants or bars, or even their workplaces, though. It wasn’t out of the question for a lawyer to do whatever necessary to keep their clients safe, especially if it seemed like they were in danger. That’s all I was doing.

Besides, small town law practices were different from big city firms. It was okay to offer a more personalized approach here. Expected even. Now that I wasn’t working a hundred hours a week, I could do that. Taking care of my neighbors and going the extra mile for my clients—it was good business. Right?

Then why was I sitting in my car, watching her house and obsessively scanning for any movement in the neighborhood?

Come on, Storm. The only freak watching her tonight is you. Go home and leave the patrolling to Evan.

I forced myself to put the car in gear and head home. She was just my client, after all.