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When he mentioned Harlan’s name, the detective was suddenly all ears. “Tell me what you’ve got, now.”
After Doug’s full explanation, including his location, the officer told him to stay put; he’d head out immediately.
Thanking the man, Doug hung up.
His next call was to Pixie.
“Doug,” she said breathlessly as she answered. “I’m guessing you’re a few minutes away and wanted to give me a warning so I won’t wonder who’s at the door?”
He hated to burst her happy bubble, but…
“Actually, Pix, I’m up behind your house right now, on one of the dirt roads. I’m waiting for Detective Roper from the SPD to join me. If you see lights up the hill, don’t let them scare you.”
“What… What are you doing up there, Doug? And why is SPD coming?” she asked, with a slight tremor in her voice.
“It might be nothing, but someone has recently had a car up here.”
CHAPTER TWELVE
Pixie paced. What the hell was happening to her life? She’d spent the last sixteen years recovering from her fucked-up trauma, avoiding conflict at all cost, and playing things ridiculously safe. Then…her school had been attacked, after which she began suffering some kind of uncharacteristic fixation on Doug, and now…she was being stalked?
She shook her head. The stalking. Was that really happening? And if it was, what was going on in Harlan’s brain to make it so? Because it had to be him. Right? Based on his actions today, it looked like the man might have developed some kind of fixation on her. But why? She shivered. An explanation she didn’t like popped into her head. Had he visited Skeeter in jail, and the asshole had convinced Harlan to shadow her? If that was the game, then what was the purpose?
No. Just no.
Pixie wasn’t going to have any of that. She’d worked too hard for her peace of mind, the past wasn’t going to be allowed to derail her from enjoying whatever her future might hold.
She stiffened her backbone.
The first chance she got, she was going to corner Harlan and ask him exactly what the hell he was doing. She’d make surethere were people around when she confronted him, of course. She wasn’t an idiot. But she needed to do this. By herself. For herself. The untenable situation needed to be nipped in the bud so she could concentrate on…
Okay. It was time for some honesty.
The thing taking up the majority of her mental capacity right now, was the slow-burning, yet brain-frying attraction she seemed to have developed for the taciturn police officer from Orono. Which was stupid, because it was a dead end, wasn’t it? She’d promised Doug they’d only be friends, but…
Dammit all.
Every time he came to her rescue—like he had tonight—her feelings grew deeper, and more confusing.
Doug was, terrifyingly, everything she’d ever wanted in a man, and he’d somehow woken up a part of her that had been slumbering for so long. And why? Because he was smart, dedicated, a protector, handsome, and built like sin. How was she supposed to resist that? Now that her libido was being yanked out of its long, Snow-White-coma, she wanted nothing more than for this flawed prince of a man to sweep her off her feet. And really? As unrealistic as that seemed, didn’t she deserve a happily-ever-after?
She scoffed, playing devil’s advocate versus angel’s optimism. The darker presence reminded her how things had turned out for her, sixteen years ago. Life had, at that time, scripted her in the starring role of a badterrorflick. And now for the angel portion of her introspection? Was it possible she’d been hit by some fairy-godmother-stick, and shewanteda fairytale ending?
Too bad for her. Because as far as she could tell, Doug was still caught in some horror film of his own, and didn’t look like he was in a hurry to claw himself away from whatever was holding him back.
But still…
Hehad beenpaying a lot of attention to her again over the past couple days, and that was pretty incredible, after he’d dropped her like a hot spud.
But did it mean anything? Did it suggest he was conflicted where she was concerned, in a good way?Perhaps.Because he was definitely on board with sticking to her side instead of being the non-team-player Talia had warned her about.
Pixie gazed out the window and up the hill, seeing flashing blue lights strafing last year’s tall, dead grasses.Great.The local cops had finally shown up, and…
Pixie’s phone rang.
“Hi Julie,” Pixie answered.
“What the hell is going on up back?” Julie’s no-nonsense voice brought Pixie around, once again, to the current debacle.
