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“Sounds like you can relate.”
“No.” His voice grew soft. “But I knew a girl just like him once. She succeeded in pushing me away. Sometimes I wish…”
Olivia’s heart broke at the regret in his voice. “You wish that you’d fought harder.”
He nodded. “We were young. Maybe it still wouldn’t have worked out, but at least I would’ve tried.”
She considered the warning coated in Jackson’s message. Fear could be an insidious thing. Cole was courageous enough to tackle a killer, but dealing with his own past… that terrified him. She’d seen it in the way he did everything possible to keep up a wall between them. Olivia couldn’t change him. If Cole ultimately decided to walk away, then that was his decision. But had she been brave? Had she told him exactly what he was walking away from?
No. She hadn’t shared her true feelings with Cole. Olivia wasn’t even sure she’d had time to suss out her own emotions with everything going on. What she did know was that she wanted to explore whatever was happening between them.
Maybe when this was all said and done, she’d walk away with a broken heart. But so what? She’d had one before. She’d lost Aaron, her fiancé, the man she was going to spend the rest of her life with. That hadn’t destroyed her.
Love required risk. It would take courage to put herself out there and admit she was developing powerful feelings for Cole, but there was no other way. The question was when? This situation was already stressful enough as it was. She didn’t want to make things worse by pouring her heart out.
Later. Once the stalker was caught, and she’d had a moment to breathe, then they could have a serious conversation about what they both wanted.
Jackson’s posture straightened. “Cole’s coming up the sidewalk.”
Moments later, he walked in the front door. He wasn’t bleeding. No bullet holes or other injuries. Relief washed over Olivia. Before she could think it through, she crossed the room and hugged him. The fabric of his jacket was cold against her bare skin, but when Cole’s arms encircled her waist, she felt the warmth of his touch all the way to her core.
She reluctantly pulled back. “What happened? Did you catch the stalker?”
“No.” Cole shed his jacket and tossed it on the coat rack next to the door. “The man approaching your house was a neighbor. Danny Myers. He’s the fifteen-year-old grandson of Dr. Kenneth Myers.”
“I know Dr. Ken. He hosts a block party every year.” Olivia frowned. “His grandson lives in West Virginia.”
“Yep. Danny is visiting for the weekend. Apparently, Dr. Ken received a delivery sometime this afternoon from a florist. It sat on his porch for hours until Danny came home from running errands and noticed it. Dr. Ken was busy making dinner, so he asked Danny to bring it inside.”
Olivia had a sinking feeling she knew where this story was going. “The flowers were meant for me, weren’t they?”
He nodded, his expression grave. “Your name was on the card. They figured the delivery guy had accidentally brought them to the wrong house. Danny was delivering them to you when he was ambushed by three Texas Rangers.”
“Poor kid.”
Cole’s mouth quirked. “He actually took it in stride. Apparently, his maternal grandfather is a retired police officer.” He pulled out his cell phone and opened the photos app. A vase of black roses rested on Olivia’s front stoop. Tucked inside the blooms was a card addressed to her.
“Black roses. He’s not being subtle.”
“No, he isn’t. Nor is he being careless. Dr. Ken doesn’t have security cameras. I believe that’s why the stalker dropped the flowers off at his house instead of yours. Eli and Felicity are canvassing the street to see if anyone noticed the delivery man. Or his car. Anything that might provide us with a lead.”
Olivia wasn’t hopeful. The stalker had proven to be cautious. “He did the same trick with the envelope a few days ago.” Her nose wrinkled, thinking of her hand brushing against the dead mouse’s fur. Disgusting. “He took it to the barber shop to avoid being seen on the cameras.”
Jackson rocked back on his heels. “It’s simple and effective. You said Dr. Ken hosts the block parties? He’s familiar with the neighbors. Once he saw the name on the card, Dr. Ken knew immediately who to bring it to.”
She nodded. “It worked exactly as he intended it to.” Olivia’s insides crimped with anxiety, but she refused to let it get the best of her. She straightened her shoulders. “What does the note say?”
Cole glanced quickly at Jackson before focusing back on her. “Olivia…”
“No. I want to know. Show it to me, please.”
With a sigh, he flipped to a new photograph. Olivia read the message scrawled in block lettering on the note.
Dearest Olivia,
These flowers are a symbol of my feelings for you now—darkened by your betrayal. You chose to run away from our love and hide behind someone unworthy of you. How disappointing. That man can’t protect you. He’s nothing more than an obstacle, and I’ve shown you how easily obstacles can be removed. He’s still breathing, yes, but that speaks more to my restraint than to his strength.
You must realize by now there’s no escape. Every attempt you make to distance yourself from me only makes things worse. You belong to me, Olivia, and no one can change that destiny.
