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“Yes.”
He regarded the thing with a frown before walking it outside. She followed him as far as the door and watched as he dropped it into the pool. Her skin felt as if it was crawling with a hundred tiny insects. She shuddered and set her hand against her lips as her stomach roiled.
“I don’t know what’s going on,” he said, returning to the guesthouse. “But I don’t like it one bit. You can’t stay here a second longer.”
He had her good and spooked. Suddenly, the idea of an alarm system between her and the rest of the world sounded pretty great. She half wished Savannah and Trent had left Murphy behind. The French bulldog might not be big enough to take down the intruder, but he was fierce enough to bark and warn her if anyone was trying to get in.
The main house had an alarm system and no creepy, anonymous gifts sitting on the dining room table. “What if I go sleep in Trent’s extra bedroom? There’s an alarm system and I know no one has been inside. Let me pack a bag and you can walk me over.”
“It would be better if you didn’t stay alone.”
“I’ll be fine.”
Whatever she’d intended for the evening was now spoiled by her fear of stalkers. While Kyle stood in her living room like a guard dog on high alert, she threw stuff that she’d need into an overnight bag. Her nerves jangled as she stared around her bedroom, seeing the big windows and the drapes she never drew. What would be the point? There was an eight-foot wall around the perimeter of Trent’s large backyard. She’d never imagined a stranger would be peering in her windows.
After locking up, she and Kyle returned to the main house and he made the rounds, checking each window and door to make sure it was locked. Melody wore a frustrated frown through this process, but it was mostly to hide her anxiety. She’d planned for such a different end to the evening.
She should ask Kyle to stay, but she’d made such a big deal out of not needing him. She’d asserted that she wasn’t ready to resume their relationship so many times that she wasn’t sure how to stop pushing him away. What was it going to take for her to give up and give in? If a stalker wasn’t the perfect excuse to admit she needed and wanted to rely on Kyle once again, then what would it take?
“Everything seems to be secure,” Kyle said, standing in the middle of the great room and staring around.
Melody wrapped her fingers around his arm and nudged him toward the front door. “I’ll be fine.”
Part of her wanted to take him up to the guest room and tear off his clothes, but it was an impulse born of anxiety and fear of being alone. That wouldn’t do. It wasn’t fair to either of them. And how long before this real or imagined threat stopped being an excuse for her to turn to him?
Feeling proud of herself for being so sensible, Melody lifted onto her tiptoes, wrapped her arms around his neck and gave him a chaste kiss before sending him out the door.
Nine
As soon as Kyle heard the front door lock click into place behind him, he pulled out his phone and dialed Trent. When his friend answered, Kyle heard a shrieking baby and a barking dog in the background.
“Sounds like a party at your house,” Kyle said. Opening his car door, he slid behind the wheel, but didn’t start the engine. All at once he realized he couldn’t bring himself to leave Melody by herself. He would spend the night in his car out in front of the house. There was no way anyone was getting past him.
“Dylan stole Murphy’s favorite toy and thinks it’s funny when he gets barked at.”
Despite the concern weighing him down, Kyle couldn’t help smiling. Was that chaos going to be his life a year from now or was it different having a girl? He couldn’t wait to find out.
“So what’s up?” Trent asked. “Something going on at the club?”
“Everything is running as smoothly as it can. I’m calling about your sister.”
“I’d like to help you, but Melody’s got a mind of her own.”
“Don’t I know it.” Kyle rubbed his forehead. “But this isn’t about playing go-between in our relationship. It’s something more serious.”
“I don’t think I like the sound of that.”
Kyle suspected Melody wouldn’t be happy with him for calling her brother, but she wasn’t taking this situation seriously enough. “Some weird stuff has been happening to her.”
“Define weird.”
“I think she’s called you or Savannah about some flowers that got delivered to the studio.”
“Red roses. Yes, Savannah mentioned something about it. You didn’t send them, I take it?”
“No, and she’s convinced that Hunter didn’t, either.”
“You believe her?” Trent sounded relieved and worried at the same time.
