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Chapter Nineteen

As AJ walked to the front door, she rolled her shoulders. Hopefully, it wasn’t too soon after her concussion for a run, but she needed it. She’d let herself sleep until eight, but thirty minutes later she was feeling completely restless. She would work her first full twenty-four-hour shift starting tomorrow morning. And she was ready, even if it was likely that Ty wouldn’t let her go out on calls.

She opened the front door. A card-sized envelope and tiny, stuffed dalmatian dressed up as a firefighter with a sign around his neck that said “Hero” sat on the wooden railing. Backing up, she let the screen door slam.

“Zara? Zara!” AJ stared at the items.

“What’s wrong?” Zara came out of her bedroom, pulling her hair back in a ponytail.

AJ pointed at the items.

“Oh, dear. Call Adam.”

AJ nodded and dialed the number.

“Jamison.”

“It’s AJ. The stalker is back. It’s an envelope and little stuffed toy. I can throw them in a Ziplock and bring them by later.”

“Not ideal, but we’re on another call right now. Is Zara there?”

“Yes. I’ll put you on speaker.” She clicked the button on her phone.

Adam said, “Take pictures and bag it without touching it. AJ, any chance you have a doorbell camera or such?”

“No. I’ve thought about it but never got one.”

“That’s all right. Call me immediately if there is anything else.”

“Thanks, Adam.”

They hung up, and Zara took care of photographing and bagging the items.

AJ wanted to know what the card said, but she knew better than to touch it without gloves. It would have to wait.

Zara set the bagged items on the kitchen table.

“Now I want to run five miles instead of two.”

“Oh no, you don’t. You aren’t leaving here by yourself. He may be a romantic stalker, but that doesn’t mean he won’t turn violent. No way I’m letting you go on your own.”

“Then lace up, because we’re going running.”

Zara shot her a fine-but-I’m-not-happy look. “Give me five.”

Seven minutes later, their feet were hitting pavement as they ran down the street toward the walking path. Having been married to a cop, AJ knew to vary her path, but she’d only ended up with five different routes she cycled through. Zara followed AJ’s lead.

The women didn’t talk—just ran, easily keeping pace with one another.

AJ was able to direct her thoughts to prayer and processing life. She ended up praying for Logan for nearly five minutes straight. The more she prayed for him, the more her heart yearned for him. She missed him in her life. Missed his hugs. Missed laughing with him. She even missed fighting with him. They were supposed to be living their happily ever after, but it was so far from that. She’d take ever after with him even if they couldn’t have the happy, because life without him was lonelier than she could have fathomed.

AJ was deep in her head when Zara grabbed her arm and yanked her to a stop.

“What?”

Zara pointed at the ground.

There on the asphalt, in sidewalk chalk, her name was written in three-foot letters.

“What on earth?”

Zara didn’t let go of her arm but led her to follow chalk arrows pointing away from her name. Down the path a little farther, they found a second message, also in sidewalk chalk.

Come away with me and let’s have the adventure you’ve always dreamed of.

Next to the message he’d drawn a heart with a good-sized rock set in the center. Under the rock was a couple of brochures. The top one was for whitewater rafting.

AJ pulled out her phone and instinctively stepped closer to Zara, who had her right hand under her t-shirt, no doubt on her concealed firearm. Her left hand let go of AJ’s arm and rested on her back. “Call A—”

“Already on it.”

He answered. “Jamison. This is too soon.”

“I know you are on another call, but we can’t bag and tag this. I need you guys.”

“We’ll be there. Want me to call Logan?”

“Not yet. Zara’s still with me.”

She gave Adam her location and hung up.

Zara said, “Are you sure you don’t want Logan here?”

AJ dropped her shoulders. “Of course I want him here, but we aren’t there … yet.”

“Exactly. Yet.” Zara pulled AJ into a hug.

AJ received the comfort from her friend while keeping her eyes peeled for anyone suspicious.

When they let go, they both continued to search the area.

Adam and Amelia showed up in less than ten minutes.

“He knew exactly where I run.”

Adam scrunched his face as he stared at the chalk message. “I would have thought you knew to vary your path.”

“I do. But most of my routes come through this way.”

He walked over to the heart. With gloves on, he moved the rock and picked up the brochures. The second one was for a bed-and-breakfast. “This tells me he doesn’t know you very well, or is incredibly insensitive.”

“When I was in high school and college, I dreamed of going on a whitewater rafting trip. It was a bucket list item before Bree died.”

Adam nodded. “That’s interesting.”

Zara flung her hand into the air. “Wouldn’t Daryl know you erased that one from your list?”

“You would think, but he’s not the most sensitive man. And like Adam said …”

They all stared at each other. Regardless of insensitivities or not, her stalker knew she loved adventure and had once upon a time had grand dreams of whitewater rafting.

Was he watching her now? He’d obviously been watching her, following her. How did she not know? Not sense that someone was keeping an eye on her?

It unnerved her. She thought she was good at having situational awareness. If so, why didn’t she realize someone was keeping tabs on her?

She hugged herself.

Amelia came up beside her. “Are you okay?”

“A little shaken up at the realization that I really do have a stalker. It was one thing for him to know I went to church and which service. That’s not too hard to figure out, but this is too much. I don’t want anything to do with him, so why won’t he go away? I mean, I know the answer; he’s delusional and a stalker, but …” She shivered despite the warmth of the September morning.

“I’m sure your adrenaline is screaming to run, but let us take you home.”

AJ nodded. CSU had arrived and was processing the evidence, so AJ and Zara left with the detectives.

Back at the apartment, all four of them went up so AJ could show the detectives the gift left that morning. On the landing in front of the door lay a bouquet of carnations. Her stomach flipped.

Adam stopped her and picked them up with a gloved hand. A card stuck out of the top.

Please consider my offer. You and me. Together. We’d be great.

AJ snatched the flowers from Adam’s hand. “Want the card for evidence?”

“Yes.” He snatched it out. “What are you doing?”

“Sending a message.” She chucked the flowers over the side of the railing, and they dispersed across the driveway. She shouted, “Get the hint and leave me alone.”

Running down the stairs, she skirted Amelia and Zara. AJ went to the flowers and stomped on them, grinding several into the ground.

She looked around, watching to see if anyone was there. Was he watching her even now? She kind of hoped so.

Spinning, she bounded back up the stairs and through the door Zara held open for her.

Once inside AJ had to work to calm herself. The adrenaline and frustration coursed through her like a semi with broken brakes headed down a mountain pass. With a shaky hand, she gave Amelia the bag of evidence. “I’d love to know what the card says, if possible.”

“Let’s find out.” Amelia snapped on a pair of gloves from her pocket. She removed the envelope from the bag and carefully extracted out the card. She held it so everyone else, especially AJ, could see it.

The front was a painting of a dalmatian, no words. Apparently he had a theme for this gift. On the inside was a typed note.

You and I would make a great couple. I’m not sure why you keep ignoring my messages. Text me back or better yet, call me. Let’s meet up and spend some time together. You are a hero. Be my hero and save my aching heart.

“Blech. He’s so creepy.” AJ shuddered.

Zara said, “Never heard of a not-creepy stalker.”

AJ laughed, a smidge of tension releasing from her body.

Amelia closed the card and slid it all back into the plastic bag.

“What do I do?” The next steps were lost on AJ. “How crazy is this guy? Is it Daryl? Is it someone else? He obviously knows where I live, but who doesn’t? Am I safe here?”

Amelia took AJ’s shoulders. “Hey, first breathe, second pray, third we’ll figure it out. One step at a time.” She took a chair from the table and with a motherly glare told AJ to sit.

All four of them sat.

AJ set her phone—which she’d been gripping—on the table.

It buzzed.

AJ jumped. She felt like a fool. It’s not like this guy had threatened her, but still …

She looked at the text message. “It’s him.”

Amelia squeezed AJ’s forearm. “What does it say?”

She read it aloud:

Why would you smash such beautiful flowers? I thought you would love them. And what’s with the cops? Don’t you want to go rafting? We would have so much fun. Please choose to give me a chance.

She slammed her fist down on the table. Then typed a reply.

I’m married. I choose my husband. Please leave me alone.

She hit send before anyone could tell her not to. But they didn’t. “I’m so over this. Should I ask him who he is? I shouldn’t have typed that. We could have lured him in or something, couldn’t we have? But now he’d know it’s a trap. I didn’t think.”

Adam rested his arms on the table, leaning forward. “No. Telling him to leave you alone is totally legit. The fact that you’ve made it so clear makes it that much worse for him if he continues.”

“But if we can’t figure out who it is, what difference does it make?”

“Two things are going to happen now: he will either make himself known eventually, or he will actually get a clue and leave you alone. If he really wants to win you over, he’s got to realize he can’t do that without revealing himself. Has Daryl made any more advances?”

“No, I haven’t seen him.”

Adam nodded.

AJ slouched onto the table. God, reveal who this is so I know if I should be really concerned or not. I don’t feel like I’m in danger as much as I’m angry and feel like my space has been violated. Please help.

Five Years Ago—October

Logan was fuming while doing the dishes. He almost wished AJ hadn’t told him about Daryl. Because now the very thought of touching his own wife repulsed him. The ultimate betrayal.

The last year had been absolute torture after losing Bree. He was finally figuring out how to breathe without his little girl. But this was the kick in the stomach he couldn’t take.

When AJ had turned off the TV earlier, he could tell she had something on her mind. Then she’d said those dreadful words: “We need to talk.”

He thought it’d be something like she wanted to move or wanted to see a counselor or something. He’d never anticipated she’d had sex with another man. She’d been vague about it initially, but he asked her straight out. At least she didn’t lie.

Dishes clanged against the sink and each other. He didn’t even try to control himself. He was livid.

They had sat on the couch after she said the words. And he bled out. What little life he had left in him was now gone.

He had the mind to go march right to Daryl’s door and … and … he didn’t actually want to think about what he wanted to do to the man. He’d thought for a split second that maybe Daryl had raped her, and then Logan would do something. But she went back. Did it again. Nope, she was to blame.

After ten minutes of silence, he told her she needed to leave. Pack up all her stuff and leave. Move out. It was over.

Occasionally, over the din of his dishwashing, he could hear her sobbing down the hall as she packed.

It killed him. He hated it. He didn’t want her to leave. But he couldn’t have her stay either. He could never trust her again. He could never be intimate with her again. She was the only one he had ever shared himself with.

Once the dishwasher was loaded, he moved on to the counters and table. By the time she came down the hall with her suitcase, he had shifted to scrubbing the outside of the cabinets. By the time she’d filled her car, he’d cleaned the oven and the floor too.

On her final trip, she stopped by the front door, hugging her pillow. “Logan?”

He stood and crossed the room. “Goodbye, AJ. Come back and get anything else while I’m at work.”

The twenty-some years flashed before his eyes. From the little girl he’d been enamored with when she dressed as Robin Hood, and he was Little John, and they rid Sherwood Forest—aka Will’s backyard—of thieving squirrels. To that first kiss in the asylum. To the first time they’d made love. To on and off again. To finding out Bree was coming. To marrying the girl of his dreams. To having the family he could only hope for.

It all crashed to the floor. They’d lost it all. Their little girl. Trust. Love. It was all dead and gone.

AJ’s eyes pleaded with him. “If you decide to talk it out and work through this, call me. I love you. Forever and always.”

He stared at her, unable to say anything.

Tears streaming down her face, she turned and walked out of the house. Their house. The one they were supposed to grow old together in. But that would never happen now.

Logan walked to the door, closed it, and locked it.

He stalked across to the kitchen and pulled out the whiskey and a glass. He’d been doing better, not drinking nearly as often as he had last winter. But he needed it tonight.

He downed one glass, then another. Then a third.

The love of his life was gone. Chose to betray him. And now she was out. It was over.

Logan couldn’t breathe. The anger surging through his veins felt like fire.

He chucked the glass across the room. It slammed into the wall and shattered. Like his heart and his life.