Ben bent to rest his cheek atop her head. “I’m afraid, Mom. I want to tell her, but the words won’t come.”
“Give it a little time then.”
“She won’t wait.”
Nan sighed. “Then tell her just enough to satisfy her for now while you work your way up to confessing the rest.”
Chapter Nineteen
Suffering from an incurable case of depression, Chloe was relieved to finally get Jeremy and Rowdy tucked in for the night and have a blessed quiet settle over the house. Determined not to think about Ben, she snuggled on the sofa with a glass of iced tea on the end table and an issue of her favorite magazine opened over her bent knees. She leafed back to the recipes.
She saw a broccoli and cauliflower au gratin recipe that sounded good, and then a vegetarian burrito recipe that made her think of Ben. She glanced at the clock, wondering what he was doing right now. Working, she decided resentfully. He always did “this and that” until the wee hours of the morning.
Her heart twisted painfully as a picture of him formed in her mind. She’d tried her best not to fall in love with him, knowing that the last thing she needed was to complicate her life with relationship problems. Now look at her. An aching lump was lodged at the back of her throat, and she felt all-over miserable. It was highly tempting to wallow in her misery and go on a good old-fashioned crying jag.
The harsh peal of the phone startled Chloe so badly she jumped. Tossing aside the magazine, she swung off the sofa. In four easy strides, she reached the wall phone. “Hello?”
“Hi.”
It was Ben. She squeezed her eyes closed, loving the sound of his deep voice. How was it that she could feel so completely certain she needed more from him than he was willing to give, yet still find it so difficult to cling to her resolve? “Hi,” she managed to push out.
“I, um—” She heard him release a weary sigh. After a long moment, he said, “I’m not very good at this. Bear with me, all right?”
“Not very good at what?”
“Apologizing and asking for another chance.”
She rested her shoulder against the wall. The lump in her throat grew larger. “Oh, Ben.”
“When you walked out the door tonight, I felt as though I’d just lost everything that’s important to me.”
Stinging moisture washed over Chloe’s eyes. “Are we important to you, Ben?”
He expelled another breath, the sound of it huffing over the line. “More important than I can convey with words.” Silence again. Then, “I miss you, the animals miss you. Even the walls miss you. I tried to work. I can’t. My mind won’t stay focused. When I tried to eat dinner, I damned near choked, trying to swallow. I thought about getting drunk, but that didn’t strike me as being a grand idea, so I decided to call you instead.”
Chloe couldn’t think what to say. She closed her eyes and rested her cheek against the textured paint.
“Can I come over later?” he asked. “There are things I have to tell you. I’ve thought about it all evening, and you’re right. Without trust, we have nothing.”
Chloe smiled tremulously. “I don’t want you to feel pressured into it.”
“Don’t even go there. There are things you don’t know, Chloe. Serious things. When I’ve talked to you, maybe you’ll understand why it’s been so hard for me, why I can’t think how to start.”
He sounded as if he were coming over to have a wisdom tooth extracted without novocaine. She stared at a spot of dirt on the wall. “What can possibly be that bad?”
“You’ll understand when we talk.” She heard him sigh. “For now, just know one thing. I do trust you, Chloe.” His voice rang with sincerity. “I trust you more than I’ve ever trusted anyone.”
Tears did come to her eyes then. “When will you be here?”
“I’ve got to make sure my mom’s tucked in for the night. I worry about leaving until she’s sound asleep. Can we keep the time open? It may be less than an hour, or as long as two, depending.”
“Sure,” she said softly. “I’ll be waiting.”
She expected him to end the conversation then. Instead, he said, “Chloe?”
“Yes?”
She could almost feel the warmth of his grin radiating through the phone line. “I feel better already.”
She felt as if a thousand pounds of sadness had just been lifted from her chest. “Me, too, Ben. Me, too.”
After hanging up the phone, Chloe hugged herself and twirled until she was dizzy. It had been hours since Ben had kissed her, but her lips still tingled as if it had happened only minutes ago. Recalling the radiant warmth of his hands moving over her skin, she yearned to be in his arms again. She honestly didn’t care what he might tell her when he finally arrived. What mattered—what really, really mattered—was that he cared enough to finally confide in her. She wasn’t worried in the least that he’d tell her something appalling. Ben was—well, Ben was just Ben, one of the kindest, gentlest men she’d ever known. She didn’t believe—couldn’t believe—that anything he revealed could change how she had come to feel about him.
Chloe had just stopped twirling when she heard the back door rattle. Her skin prickled. She stepped cautiously into the kitchen to peer into the laundry room. The worn linoleum felt cold and rough under her bare feet. The light was out in the other room. She wasn’t able to see the back door clearly, but she thought she saw the knob turn.
Her heart jumped into her throat. Had she remembered to lock it? Because of Bobby Lee, she’d been pretty paranoid lately about securing the house at night, but, oh, God, what if she’d forgotten?
The door rattled again, and this time, Chloe was certain she saw the knob turn. Her pulse pounded so loudly in her temples that she could scarcely hear. Someone was trying to come in. Footsteps. She turned, following the sounds around the side of the house. Then they suddenly stopped, and a scratching sound came at the window over the sink. A sharp rap against the glass followed.
Chloe whirled and grabbed the phone. With wildly shaking hands, she started to dial the sheriff’s department. Then she changed her mind and dialed 911 instead. The last thing she needed was for Bobby Lee to show up on her doorstep.
When the dispatcher answered, Chloe said in a loud voice, “I need to report a break-in in progress!” She hoped the intruder would hear her and run. “Someone is trying to enter my house.”
“What’s your name, ma’am?” the man asked.
Chloe started to reply, but just then, she heard another loud crack against the glass. “Oh, God. He’s trying to break the window. Chloe Evans. My name’s Chloe Evans.”
The dispatcher asked for her address. Chloe was so frightened she blanked out for a moment. She thought she heard running footsteps, but her heart was pounding so hard, she couldn’t be sure.
“Please, Ms. Evans, just stay calm. I’ll remain on the phone with you until an officer arrives. Where are you located?”
“Ponderosa Lane.” She listened again but heard nothing. Whoever had been at the window had apparently left. She wanted to believe the would-be burglar had heard her calling the police and run. Only what if he hadn’t? “I’m in the Whispering Pines subdivision out by Shoshone Reservoir.” She hurriedly recited the address. “How long will it take to get a car clear out here?”
“I’m dispatching the call right now.”
Chloe thought she heard voices out in the front yard. She turned, straining to hear. “There’s two of them,” she told the dispatcher. “I think I hear them talking.”
“Help will be on the way shortly. Where are you in the house, Ms. Evans?”
“On the kitchen phone. I’m only a few feet from the window.”
“Do you have another phone?”
“Yes, in my bedroom.”
“Can you lock that door?”
“Yes.”
“Leave this phone off the hook and go to the bedroom. Lock the door, and then get on the other line. I’ll wait until you pick up.”
Jus
t then another loud bang rattled the front window in the dining nook. Chloe dropped the phone, raced to her bedroom, and unplugged the telephone from the wall. She dashed back out into the hall, barged into Jeremy’s room, and slammed the door with a loud thwack.
“Oh, God, oh, God.” After turning the lock, she grabbed the toy box, dragged it over the worn carpet, and shoved it hard against the portal. Only then did she retrieve the phone from where she’d dropped it on the floor.
“Damn it, damn it,” she whispered shakily as she stabbed the cord connection at the phone jack. “Go in, damn you, go in.”
Finally she reestablished the connection. “Hello? Are you there?”
“I’m here. Are you in the bedroom with the door locked?”
“Y-yes.” Chloe was shuddering so violently that she could barely hold the phone. “I’m frightened.”
“Of course. Help will be there soon. A car is on the way as we speak.”
“I live a long way from town.”
“We have an officer in the neighborhood. Stay calm, Ms. Evans. Even if the burglar gains entry, he’ll have to break down the bedroom door to reach you.”
Chloe huddled on the floor beside Jeremy’s bed. Rowdy stirred and crawled across the mattress to poke his cold nose in her ear. She almost jumped out of her skin.
“The officer just radioed back. He’s in front of your house, and he’s checking your yard with a spotlight. Do you see the light?”
Chloe saw something flash through Jeremy’s drawn curtains. “Yes. Yes, I see it.”
“He’ll check outside first and try all your doors to make sure the house is secure. When he has established that no one has gained entry, he’ll knock at your front door. It will be safe then for you to leave the bedroom. If he doesn’t knock, it means he’s found a door or window that’s been forced open. In that event, remain in the bedroom until he gives you an all clear.”
“I’m in a nightshirt. I’m in my son’s room. I have nothing in here to put on.”
The dispatcher spoke to someone else. When he came back, he said, “Do you have a bedspread or something to wrap up in?”
“Oh. Yes. I, um, yes.”
“Do that. He’ll be knocking in a moment. That’ll be your all clear. He’ll want to ask you some questions, but I’m sure he’ll give you a moment to get dressed first.”
Chloe nodded. She was about to say something more when she heard someone knock at the front of the house. Then the doorbell pealed. “He’s at the door. I hear him. Thank you so much.”
“You’re more than welcome. That’s what I’m here for.”
Chloe hung up, wrapped Jeremy’s Winnie-the-Pooh bedspread around her waist, and shoved the toy box out of the way to enter the hall. She eased the door closed behind her. Why she bothered, she didn’t know. If her son could sleep through the racket she’d just made, she doubted the sound of voices in the living room would wake him.
She hurried through the house, threw on the porch light, and then fought with the dead bolt and chain guard to get the front door open. As it swung wide, she just stood there, frozen in disbelief.
Bobby Lee Schuck stood on her porch.
Bobby Lee’s smile was like oil sliding over glass. “Good evening, Ms. Evans. I understand you’ve had some trouble here?”
Chloe locked her knees. The door was open, the deputy stood two feet from her, and she wasn’t wearing any underwear. “Bobby Lee, you’re—what are you doing here?” Her brain clicked, lagged, and lost the connection. She struggled to hold on to a thought. Finally, she blurted, “I called the state police, not the sheriff’s department.”
“I monitor the police channel. I was in the area, so I took the call.”
Chloe couldn’t feel anything from the waist down. She’d been neatly maneuvered. It had been Bobby Lee who had rattled her doorknob, Bobby Lee who had rapped something against her window. She knew it as surely as she breathed.
Without invitation, he stepped inside. “I need to ask you a few questions, Ms. Evans. Would you like me to wait while you go to the bedroom and dress?”
Chloe was afraid he might follow her to Jeremy’s room. How long would it take for a tall, well-muscled man to kick in a door and move a toy chest? She could try to phone for help, but chances were that Bobby Lee would anticipate that and prevent her from dialing out. No matter what, she had to keep her son safe, and that meant keeping this man as far away from him as possible.
She clutched the bedspread so it wouldn’t accidentally slip. “No, no. I’ve got the blanket. This will take only a couple of minutes, right?”
He pulled out a pad, plucked a pen from his pocket. “At what time did the attempted burglary occur, ma’am?”
He was speaking to her as if they were complete strangers. This was a wicked game, and he was playing a role, silently laughing as he said his lines. Her blood ran icy. He’d staged a break-in, knowing she would panic and call the police. He’d wanted her to let him inside the house, whether to simply frighten her, or for other, more nefarious reasons, she didn’t know.
Chloe couldn’t think what to do except play out the scene, doing her best not to enrage him in the process. All her feminine instincts told her that this man was dangerous, extremely dangerous. “It was ten after eleven,” she replied. “I’d just looked at the clock shortly before I heard someone try the back door.”
She wished Ben were already on his way over. An hour, maybe two. Oh, God. She needed him right now.
Bobby Lee jotted down the time she’d given him. “I checked for footprints outside. You say you heard noises at the back door and one of the windows. Which window was it?”
She pointed. “That one, above the sink. Then, a bit later, at the front window in the dining area.”
“Hmm. I didn’t see any footprints out back. That isn’t always significant, though. We’ve had no rain for a while. The earth may be packed down pretty hard.”
“I know what I heard. Someone tried to break in.”
Trying not to be obvious, Chloe inched toward the dividing wall between the living room and kitchen, where the wall phone was located. Even though she knew he would be on her before she could dial, she felt safer.
“To your knowledge, is there anyone who might want to frighten you?”
She stared incredulously into his blue eyes. He was mad, she thought. It was the only explanation. A normal adult male didn’t do things like this.
“No,” she forced out.
“Are you aware of anyone who might want to harm you?”
“No,” she said faintly, wanting him to end this pointless charade.
“Did you happen to look out either window and see anyone?”
“No. I was afraid to. I’ve always heard that’s unwise.”
He nodded. “If the burglar is a man, it tells him you’re probably home alone.” He clipped his notebook over his belt. “I know you’ve been badly frightened, but chances are it was only teenagers. Over summer vacation, they get bored and look for trouble. As we move toward August, they get more creative. We always have a rash of incidents the last month or so of summer.”
Teenagers? Chloe didn’t believe it for a minute.
“Unfortunately, it’s difficult to collar youngsters. They usually live in the neighborhood, and they strike and run, jumping fences and crossing yards to get back home. Most of the time, they’re long gone before an officer arrives on the scene.” He smiled again, his eyes gleaming at her. “Just in case it wasn’t teenagers, however, you’ll want to be extra cautious. Make sure all your doors and windows are secured before you retire tonight and that you have a phone near at hand. As an added precaution, I’ll call the department and have someone patrol the neighborhood every hour or so.”
“That will greatly reassure me,” Chloe said, barely able to keep the outrage from her voice. “Good night, Deputy Schuck.”
“Good night.” He turned and moved to the door. After opening it, he glanced back over his shoulder. “If you have any more tro
uble, please, don’t hesitate to call. To that end, you really should hang up that phone. If you should forget and go to bed with it still off the hook, your extensions won’t work.”
After he stepped outside and closed the door, Chloe just stood there for a moment, trembling so violently she couldn’t trust her legs. She braced a hand on the wall to steady herself. She was so glad he had left. So glad. Her gaze caught on the dangling phone. She grabbed the cord with a shaking hand and dropped the receiver back in its cradle. Then, locking her knees so her legs wouldn’t buckle, she started toward the door.
She’d taken only a step when it swung open again. Bobby Lee smiled as he came back inside. He pushed the portal closed behind him and drove the dead bolt home. Chloe’s whole body went rigid.
“Thank you. Conversation over, all nice and tidy.” He inclined his head at the telephone. “I asked the dispatcher to stay on the line and listen to our exchange.”
Knotting her hand over the ends of the bedspread, she asked, “What do you want, Bobby Lee?”
“Just to revisit an issue. You look scared half to death. There’s really no need to be. I’m here. No one else can bother you now. Only me.”
Chloe grabbed for the phone.
“Please, don’t,” he said. “You can’t possibly dial the number and make a connection before I stop you. All you’ll do is piss me off.”
Chloe froze with her hand clenched over the receiver. “Get out! I mean it, Bobby Lee. Get out of my house right now.”
“Shh. You don’t want to wake your little boy. He might come out to see what’s wrong. Better to leave your child out of this, don’t you think?”
Quaking with fright, Chloe drew her hand from the telephone. “Just leave, Bobby Lee. You can’t possibly believe you can get away with this. I’ll report you and file charges. Your career in law enforcement will be destroyed.”
“Nah.” He took another step toward her, his body relaxed, his smile cajoling. “I took precautions. You can file charges all you want, and no one’s going to believe you.” He gestured at the telephone. “When I asked the dispatcher to stay on the line, I explained how we dated once—and how bent out of shape you were when I didn’t want to see you again. Women can be so vindictive when they get their noses out of joint. A law officer is an easy target for false accusations. We can’t be too careful.”