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“How on earth would we ever find someone like that in my life?” Mia marveled. “Where would we even begin?”
“I’d have you walk through a typical day in your life. Follow you around. See who you come into contact with. It might be the person you would never have thought of like a neighbor who returns misdelivered mail or the dog groomer you only see once every few months.”
“I don’t have a dog.”
“I know, but you get the idea. You have more people in your life than you think you do.”
This was all moving far too fast. She needed to rein it in. She wasn’t prepared for this. Not today.
“I think this might all be getting blown out of proportion,” Mia finally replied. “It was just a weird feeling and a few texts. Let’s take a step back and think about things. I know that you’re a cop, so your instinct is to take action. But it might be nothing. I don’t want to make a fuss if it’s truly not a big deal. Maybe we can wait and see if I get anymore texts?”
“Fine,” Grant agreed, but his expression was still unhappy. “But if you get any more texts or have those feelings of being watched again, we’ll need to reassess.”
“Deal. I just think we should be sure.”
“In the meantime, can I still reach out to the warden?” Grant asked. “Just to be sure about your ex?”
She wasn’t about to argue. Kevin was out of her life, and she wanted him to stay that way.
And if he had any ideas about trying to wriggle and dig his way past her boundaries and into her life, he’d better think again. She wasn’t the scared woman who had run that stormy night.
This time, she’d face him head on. Failure wasn’t an option.
14
When they returned home on Tuesday, Grant tried hard to cover his worry. He’d dropped the subject with Mia when she’d pushed back on investigating the texts she’d received. He could easily admit that they might just be a strange coincidence and a silly wrong number. People did dial the phone incorrectly from time to time. That was true. But the tone of the texts…
That was what was bothering him. They’d been ominous, almost threatening. They weren’t funny or casual. They had a dark edge that he didn’t like a bit. Paired with her declaration that she’d felt like she was being watched, Grant’s instincts were screaming.
Was he simply being a paranoid, asshole cop who only focused on the negative? He couldn’t deny that he’d seen some awful shit, and he was more than a little jaded. Mia had seen the worst of humanity at times, as well, but she’d managed to stay far more optimistic. He desperately wanted to believe that nothing was actually going on, and he was overreacting to the situation.
“I don’t like the idea of you being alone,” he admitted as they stood next to her vehicle. After spending the night at his place, she was ready to get back on the road and drive back home. He had to work today, and she also had a few meetings. The real world wasn’t going to allow them to stay in their romantic little bubble forever. “I’d feel better if you stayed here.”
“I can work remotely at times, but I really do need to get back,” Mia said with a firm shake of her head. She’d dug her heels in, and clearly, nothing was going to persuade her differently. “Besides, I have an alarm system, a security camera, pepper spray, and a stun gun. I’ve taken several self-defense classes, too. I live three doors down from my best friends. I’ll be okay. No one has even tried to get near me. If this is actually true, then all they’ve done is watch and send a few texts.”
Escalation. That’s what Grant worried about. If Mia had a stalker, at some point watching and texting might not be enough. And the escalation wasn’t always nice and gradual. Sometimes, it came out of nowhere, taking people by surprise. He didn’t want to be on his back foot if something happened to her.
But she was a grown woman. While he might be the man in her life, she wasn’t taking orders from him. He wasn’t the type to give them either.
“I know you’re worried,” Mia went on, sliding her arms around his middle and smiling up at him. His heart lurched in his chest, reminding him just how important this woman was. “I promise I’ll keep in touch, and if anything even slightly strange happens I’ll let you know. I know you think I’m not, but I am taking this seriously. And I am glad that you’re reaching out to the warden in Kevin’s prison.”
Grant had already made a few discreet inquiries, even while they were on vacation. He’d also called his cousin Jason who was ex-DEA. He had a million connections in law enforcement all over the country and beyond. If Fuller was up to something, they’d surely find out.
“Just remember, if you get more calls, don’t delete them. We might need them for evidence for a restraining order.”
Not that Grant thought that ROs were all that effective. They were a piece of paper, not a bulletproof vest.
Their kiss was bittersweet, both of them hating not being together. Life called, however, and he watched as Mia drove away, leaving him standing in his driveway. He needed to get his head in the game and get to work. He was positive there would be a mound of phone messages and paperwork waiting on his desk.
He stopped for a coffee before heading to the station. Jill was sitting at the reception desk, giving him a big smile and wave when he walked in. She hopped up from her desk and followed him into his office.
“Hey, Sheriff. I was wanting to talk about me taking a few days off. Would it be okay if I took Thursday and Friday? I’ll be sure to get all of my work done.”
He didn’t have any doubt of that. Jill was nothing if not efficient. She also had vacation days she hadn’t used. He and the guys could answer the phones for a couple of days or get in a temp from a local agency who could at least write down messages.
“Of course, just write it on the calendar, okay? That will remind me.”
“I’m going to South Beach,” Jill said with a sly smile. “I bought a brand-new bikini for this trip. It’s me and three of my girlfriends. We’re going to see what trouble we can find.”
