Page 4 of Forever Country (Forever Bluegrass #24)

H olt wiped the sweat from his brow as he looked over his new living room. The movers had brought things in and set them up. However, Holt was moving them around now that he’d seen them in his space.

A ringing echoed through the house that Holt was quickly growing tired of. It was the gate. While he appreciated the added security, the nonstop ringing today from movers was enough to make him hate it.

Holt walked over to the intercom and glanced at the video feed. “Sarah Marie?” he said, trying to see into the vehicle.

“Hi, Holt. I was stopping by to see how the movers did and to see how you’re settling in,” his realtor told him as she turned to the camera and smiled. Sure, that was the reason. Holt knew better than that. He’d grown up seeing men and women flirting with his famous parents.

Holt let out a sigh. The quicker he could get her in and out, the better. She’d been a great real estate agent, but he wasn’t interested in anything more than property transactions. “Sure, but just for a minute. I’m really busy.”

Holt pressed the gate button and moved to wash his hands from the dirt and sweat of the day.

It didn’t take long for Sarah Marie to ring the doorbell.

Something else he’d tinker with when he got a moment.

Right now, it sounded as if it belonged in a cathedral with its deep tones of bells chiming. It screamed stuffy and snooty.

Holt opened the door and gave a tight smile as Sarah Marie smiled brightly at him.

She batted her lashes and ran her tongue over her plump lower lip.

Tonight, she was wearing one of those sundresses all the twenty-something girls on Broadway wore that was super feminine, yet showed off her figure to full advantage.

Make no mistake about it, Sarah Marie was a beautiful woman.

However, Holt wasn’t interested. He’d taken a break from dating after his last date sold a story about their evening to the tabloids.

“Oh, Holt, it’s looking beautiful,” Sarah Marie cooed as she walked by him and into the house. Then she frowned as she looked at the living room layout. “The movers didn’t put the couch in the right place. I’ll call them to come back and fix it. That’s just unacceptable.”

Holt shook his head and stifled another sigh. “It’s fine. I’m the one who moved it. I like it better there.”

“My, aren’t you a man of many talents?” She as back to cooing and smiling as she looked at his arms. Holt wanted to roll his eyes. “I brought this for you.”

Holt took the paper she pulled from her purse. “What’s this?” he asked of the list of names and numbers.

“Names of staff, silly.”

“Staff?”

Sarah Marie nodded as she took in the house. “Lawn companies, maid services, chefs, and even a company that hires personal assistants and house managers.”

Holt shook his head and handed the paper back to her. “I don’t need all of that. I already have someone who will come clean once a week and check on things when I’m out of town. That’s all I need.”

Sarah Marie laughed again as if Holt was hilarious. “You have all this land now, Holt. Someone has to mow it, plant flowers, and take care of it. And you need a cook, and—”

“Sarah Marie, I mowed the yard today when they were moving in the furniture. The back acreage will be for hay and the front I’ll put cows on it.

I’ll only need the two acres around the house mowed, which I can do, or if I’m out of town, my housekeeper’s teenage son can do it to earn some extra cash.

I can cook for myself. I can do my own laundry.

And I can put in the pool chemicals myself.

I don’t need a staff. But,” Holt said, trying to force another smile, “thanks for thinking of me. It was kind of you to stop by. However, I really need to get back to unpacking.” Holt hoped she’d take the hint.

“Oh, a man who can cook!” Sarah Marie put her hand on his arm and giggled. “My, you are quite the catch. Okay, I’ll let you get back to it and stop by to see how you’re settling in next week. Call me if you need anything .”

Holt walked to the door and opened it. “I will. Thanks, and goodnight.”

Holt closed the door and turned back to his house. Finally, he could get back to work.

Annaleigh stretched her arms up above her head and looked away from her computer.

The clock in her office told her it was almost eight at night, but then it would take her an additional hour to get home if traffic wasn’t too bad.

Traffic in Nashville was out of control.

Oh darn, she’d be too late to get ready for whatever event her parents had wanted her to attend tonight.

Annaleigh closed her laptop and put it in her satchel before turning off the lights and locking her office. The lights outside the office cast a warm glow on the sidewalk as the sun began its descent for the night. She felt the warmth of the breeze ruffle her hair as she locked the front door.

She was enjoying the evening before a shiver ran down her back, making her turn to look over her shoulder.

Music Row was popular but not crowded like Broadway would be at this hour.

There were people walking down the street, but they weren’t looking at her.

However, the tingling at the back of her neck made her heart speed up with fear.

Suddenly she couldn’t get the key in the lock to turn.

Her palms began to sweat as she kept glancing around.

Yet, nothing stood out. There was no masked man approaching her.

There was no danger she could see. But everything in her told her to get to safety.

The lock finally tumbled into place and Annaleigh hurried down the street to where her car was parked.

Their agency had a parking lot behind it for their clients, her parents, Benton, and her brother.

The rest of the employees, including her, were told to park on the street or in a lot a block down.

Annaleigh kept her eyes moving from side to side expecting to see danger at every glance.

She took in every person around her, but once again, they didn’t appear to be paying her any attention.

There was no man waiting to attack her by her car or on the sidewalk as she rushed to unlock her car.

She felt silly, but it wasn’t until she was in her car and driving out of downtown that Annaleigh finally took a full breath and felt her shoulders relax.

These feelings were becoming more and more frequent, almost like panic attacks.

These panic attacks started shortly after the flowers started to arrive.

Bouquets had arrived every week for the past two months.

There was never any card with the flowers nor any way to find out who’d sent them.

They were delivered by various messengers, none of whom worked for a florist or who cared to pay attention to the person asking for them to be delivered.

“I was told to deliver, so I am.” That was the comment she’d gotten when she’d tried to ask some of the messengers about who sent them.

After the first flower delivery, letters began to be delivered.

They were love letters, but they didn’t set her heart beating with romantic feelings.

They were creepy and sent shivers down her spine.

They spoke of private things about her, something someone would only know if they knew her personally.

Then, over the past two weeks, the letters became more aggressive.

“Why didn’t you smile at me when I saw you?

” But he didn’t say when or where she saw him.

Just knowing she’d been with this stalker was enough to send the panic attacks into overdrive.

That’s when she went to her parents. Her mom thought it was lovely that she was getting this type of attention.

The flowers were expensive and that somehow mattered more than the fact that someone was stalking her.

Annaleigh had wanted to go to the police, but her father refused.

He didn’t want “that kind of publicity” because he was worried it would frighten clients away.

He didn’t care Annaleigh herself was frightened.

Now, she tried to leave with Maddie every day, but today she had to get her work done.

Walking to her car alone had triggered the panic attack.

She was constantly looking around her, not knowing if he was watching her. Her only safe spot was her home.

Annaleigh drove past the neighbor’s property and noticed the gate lights were on and the For Sale sign was down.

Apparently, the house had sold and with the newly cut grass by the entrance, she guessed the new owner was now in residence.

Annaleigh pulled into her drive and entered the gate code to her house before she drove the long lane to the main house where her parents lived.

Saxton lived in the guest house just out of sight from the main house so he could maintain his active social life.

When Annaleigh had graduated, she’d wanted to move into an apartment in Nashville, but once again her parents put a stop to any attempt at independence.

She’d been given the apartment over the unused barn slightly behind her parents’ house.

It was unused because her mother thought animals were dirty and smelled bad.

Annaleigh sighed as she saw a limo pulling out from the front of her parents’ house.

She’d hoped to avoid them. The window rolled down and Annaleigh was forced to slow down and roll her window down to face the disapproving looks her parents were shooting her.

Behind the limo was Saxton’s sports car.

“You’re not even dressed!” her mother chided.

“Mom, it’s late. I’m tired. I don’t have time to get ready. I’m not going,” Annaleigh said for the hundredth time, but her parents rarely listened to her.

“There was someone there I wanted you to meet. Plus, Randy Brayton will be there and you need to get him to sign with us.” Her mother looked away as if disgusted by Annaleigh’s work attire. “I’d be embarrassed if they saw you looking like this.”

“Doesn’t Randy already have an agent?” Annaleigh asked about the singer whose song was the hit of the summer.

“So?” her father asked. “That’s the whole reason you work with us, to get talent to sign with us. We will discuss this tomorrow,” her father threatened.

“Okay, Dad,” Annaleigh said, not really caring at this point.

Maybe she would be better off being cut off financially and going out on her own.

The only problem was that her parents would totally blackball her just to prove their point.

She knew her parents loved her in their way and she loved them, but at the same time she didn’t like them and she didn’t think they liked her.

She was too different from them and they didn’t understand each other at all.

The limo took off with Saxton right behind them. At least she’d have tonight alone to decompress.

She loved her apartment even if it was closer to her parents than she wanted. It was all hers and her parents never bothered to go there. It was one giant room that took up the entire length of the barn. Only the bathroom was walled off. It felt warm and cozy even being so wide open.

Annaleigh shed the stress of the day along with her clothes. If she hurried, she could get in her nightly run before it started to rain. She ran the property boundary every night and had worn a path over the years.

Annaleigh changed clothes, grabbed the headlamp she used to see where she was going in the dark, and popped in her earbuds.

Music filled her as she took off on her run.

The stress of the day fell away with each step she took.

She ran to the gate and took in the front pasture that was perfectly manicured and lined with flowers.

Then she swung back toward her parents’ house but took the path by the far side of the property line.

Eventually, she passed her brother’s guest house and headed for the back part of the property.

There were rolling hills, thick tree lines, a lake, and wildflowers once she got to the back of the property.

An old gazebo with climbing flowers overlooked the lake.

Annaleigh felt the change in the air and groaned.

She wasn’t going to out run the rain. The clouds thickened up, choking out the moonlight, as she ran by the lake.

Annaleigh glanced across it at the gazebo.

It was her favorite place to sit and read.

Her feet slowed and her eyes narrowed as the clouds opened up and rain began to fall.

Soft at first, but in only a matter of seconds it was a downpour.

But that wasn’t what stopped her. She thought she’d seen a figure in the gazebo before the clouds turned everything dark.

Her hair stood up on her neck and arms as she stood staring at the gazebo. A bolt of lightning lit up the sky and it felt like a hit to her heart, sending it into overdrive. There, silhouetted in the split second of light, was a man.

Annaleigh’s feet began to move before her mind decided what to do. She was already sprinting away from the lake as thunder rumbled across the earth and lightning flashed across the sky. Annaleigh glanced over her shoulder. The man was running around the lake toward her.

Her mind woke up and looked in the direction of the main house.

She’d never make it before they caught up with her.

It was too far away. The neighbor’s house was closer.

She could see the four-board fence separating their property even in the dark.

She changed direction and with the wind and rain pelting her face she pushed toward the fence as fast as she could.

As her hands grasped the rough top board of the fence, she hoped her new neighbors were home.