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49
Will sat at his desk Monday morning, drumming his fingers impatiently while he waited for Maggie Harper to take his call. If anyone would know what to do about Collins, it would be Maggie.
It had been difficult for him to watch Elizabeth leave for work this morning. He’d tried repeatedly, but without success, to talk her into taking the day off, as the weight of his anxiety and frustration had morphed into near panic.
What if, what if... It's all he kept thinking.What if Collins goes to her building? What if he approaches her? What if he's angry she hasn't responded? What if he's armed?
“I'm going to be fine,” she’d assured him softly. “I don't think he has the nerve to show up at the reserve. I'll go to work, and it will just be another day.”
He’d walked her out to her Jeep, and briefly entertained the idea of grabbing her, throwing her over his shoulder, and running back into the house to hold her hostage for the day. She must have seen it in his eyes.
“If anything happens, if there are more flowers—anything—I’ll call you right away, I promise.”
“Text me every hour,” he requested.
“Every hour,” she agreed. “And I'll call you when I'm on my lunch break too.”
He was a little embarrassed; she was appeasing him. “I'm sorry, Lizzy. I'm sorry you have to put up with this. Withme. I'm being overbearing.”
She held his face and kissed him. “You’re being loving and protective. Don't apologize for that. Butpleasedon't ask me to stop going to work or doing things I want to do, all right? That won't be good for either one of us.”
He nodded. “You're still going to stay here, right? Until we get this restraining order, or whatever—you'll stay with me, however long it takes?”
She rolled her eyes and sighed loudly. “Yes, if Ihaveto, IsupposeI can survive that. That's a tough one, you're asking an awful lot—”
He growled and pulled her into his arms and they stood nose to nose. “Why do you always tease me?”
She grinned. “I've told you before, you're an easy target.”
Despite the banter, he knew she understood. It was excruciating for him, letting her go off for the day. And he'd have to do it over and over again.
“I would love nothing more than to stay here with you every night,” she told him seriously. “It's where I want to be. Wherever you are is where I want to be.”
Now, as he waited for Maggie, his thoughts were wandering in a million different directions. She'd only been gone for three hours, and had sent a text when she arrived at work, just as she promised, but still, he was nervous as hell.
He heard a click, and then Maggie's voice on the line. “Good morning, Mr. Darcy.”
“Good morning, Maggie.”
“This is a pleasant surprise. I hope everything is well?”
“I think I may need your help with something.”
* * *
Willand Elizabeth left the office of Michael Caldwell, a lawyer Maggie had recommended who had an office on Main Street in Falmouth, and headed out into the late afternoon sun. He’d agreed to make time to meet with them as a favor to Maggie, and Elizabeth met Will there when she got out of work. Unfortunately, the attorney didn’t have good news.
“In the courts eyes, Collins has done nothing wrong. He hasn't followed you, contacted you directly, or threatened you in any way.” Michael shrugged. “He sent you flowers. Granted, his attentions aren't welcomed, but he hasn't done anything that would deem him guilty of harassment in the eyes of the law. Despite that, I think it would be worth it for you to notify the police of what's happening. Go in and talk to someone, and let them know what's going on. You can certainly file a no-trespass order. That way, if he ever comes onto your property again, he can be arrested.”
Will huffed. “You see how ridiculous that is, right? If he comes onto her property and she's there, won't the damage already be done?”
“I hear what you're saying, Mr. Darcy, but sadly, the same is true for a restraining order. They're issued more times than you can imagine, and are just as frequently ignored. This whole area of the law is pretty much like shutting the barn door after the horse has escaped, if you know what I mean. It's as close to imperfect as you can get.”
“So how do I stop this from happening?” Elizabeth asked, feeling slightly confounded.
“Call him and tell him to knock it off.”
Elizabeth's eyes widened. “Callhim?”
