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Zane had tried his best to mask his concern but obviously, she knew him too well. “We need to talk, Maggie.” He glanced at Sofia. “Somewhere private.”
Maggie shot Sofia a look and the other woman immediately took the hint. “I’ll take a look at these and let you know what I think later,” Sofia volunteered. “I need to get the tables set up for tomorrow morning anyway.” She smiled brightly at them and gathered up the materials they had been reviewing before heading off toward the bakery counter.
Maggie went to sit at the now private table but Zane shook his head. “Let’s go to your office, sweetheart.”
Maggie’s eyes widened in concern but she nodded and led the way to her office in the back. Once they were seated on the loveseat, she turned to him with concern. “Now, what’s going on, Zane. You’re scaring me.”
He took her hands in his, stroking his thumb over the tops of her knuckles rythmically. “I’m sorry, baby. I don’t mean to scare you, but something has happened that you need to know about.”
“Okay, I’m listening,” she said with a slight tremor in her voice.
He took back one of his hands and massaged the bridge of his nose. “Shawna showed up at my office again today,” he started. “She went through my desk and pushed poor Carol to the ground when she tried to stop her from leaving.”
Maggie sucked in a breath. “Oh no! Is Carol ok?”
Zane nodded. “She’s shaken up but not really hurt. I sent her home after she spoke to the police.”
“That’s so awful, Zane. What could she have been looking for if you weren’t there?”
Zane heaved out a large breath. “I don’t know exactly what she came there looking for, but she left with your name and address.”
Maggie’s hand flew to her mouth. “My address? You don’t think she’d actually come looking for me do you? I know she obviously doesn’t like me but...”
“Honestly, I don’t know what her intentions are but I do know they can’t be good,” Zane admitted. “I called a buddy of mine on the force on the way here and had him run her name. The detectives they assigned told me that she can still be arrested for on the stalking charges from when she was stalking me and I wanted to see if she had any priors. She’s apparently had several stalking charges filed against her in the past.” Maggie’s eyes grew as wide as saucers. “None of them have stuck. Her parents are wealthy so they must have good lawyers. It’s got me concerned, though.”
Maggie nodded distractedly. She didn’t know what to say to this possible threat. “Until the police find her, I don’t want you being alone, even for a little while.” She started to protest but Zane cut her off. “No, Maggie, I mean it. I have no idea what she is capable of. That means no late nights in here working on the books alone. No going to events without JT or Sophia with you. We really don’t know what might be going on in her head. All I know for sure is that she has your name and knows where you live and work. If you even think you see her, you need to call 911.”
“I can’t believe she’d trek all the way out to Gladewater just to harass me,” Maggie said, astonished at the turn of events.
“Why would your letter be the only thing she took if she didn’t have a reason?” Zane argued. “Please, Maggie. I’m serious. I couldn’t bear it if something happened to you. Promise me you’ll be careful and let JT and Dani know as well. Dani knows her and can help be your eyes and ears and I can show JT a picture.”
“I promise to take extra precautions, but we can’t tell JT, “ she stated, in a tone that brooked no argument. “He’s already overprotective. He’d never let me leave the house if he knew about this."
She hated that Shawna was still harassing Zane but had a hard time believing the woman would come all the way out to Gladewater to cause a woman she'd barely met problems. She was much more concerned about Zane and Carol's safety than her own. She lived two hours away and couldn't possibly be that important to the woman. And telling her brother about Zane's crazy ex-girlfriend would only make him less likely to trust Zane. She wanted the two most important men in her life to get along more than anything.
"I’m sure the authorities will find her soon and this will all blow over,” she told him. "She only every saw me the one time. She's obsessed with you, not me. You're the one we should be worried about."
“We don't know that. She's obviously not quite sane. Sweetheart, if there was ever a time you wanted to have an overprotective brother, it’s now,” Zane argued. “We have to tell him to watch out for her.”
“I’m sorry, but no,” Maggie answered, resolutely. “I’m not involving him in something that’s not even likely to happen. I’ll let Dani know because she knows about her already, but not JT. I need you to respect my wishes on this one, Zane.”
Zane jumped up from the couch and started to pace the small room in frustration. He thought of a hundred different arguments to try to change her mind, but one look at the determination in her face had him discarding them all. He didn't want to keep arguing with her. “Fine,” he finally capitulated, “for now. But promise me you’ll never be alone anywhere until she’s tracked down. I need that promise from you.”
“I promise,” she said, grabbing his hand on another pass in front of the love seat. She drew him down next to her again. “I’m not taking it lightly and I’ll be aware of my surroundings at all times. Okay?”
“Not really,” Zane admitted. His free hand fisted the hair at the nape of her neck and pulled her toward him for a quick, searing kiss before resting his forehead to hers. “I don’t know what I’d do if something happened to you, baby. I couldn’t take it.”
Maggie brushed her hand against his stubbled cheek. “I won’t let anything happen to me.” She smiled at him. “Now tell me how long you can stay.”
Zane forced himself to smile back at her. “You’re stuck with me until Sunday night. Hope JT has gotten over my last overnight visit.”
Maggie giggled. “Well, he might not make you waffles again, but I think he’ll be okay. Come on, let’s go home.”
Zane was floored at how good that sounded coming from Maggie’s lips.
