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“Yeah, my folks are thrilled. Four down, four to go,” he said with a chuckle.
“You’re giving me family envy. It sounds so wonderful to have this big, bustling family.” The dinging of the buzzer alerted Lorelei to the fish in the oven. She jumped up and went over to the stove. She let out a sigh as she pulled the pan out of the oven and saw a perfectly cooked salmon dish. Daniel’s stomach rumbled at the sight of the delectable dish. He couldn’t wait to taste the meal Lorelei had worked so hard to make for him.
Lorelei placed the fish on the stove and turned toward Daniel with a light hearted smile. “I hope you’re hungry because dinner is served!”
**
Daniel couldn’t stop raving about Lorelei’s dinner. Considering she had told him she wasn’t very experienced at cooking, he appreciated her rising to the occasion to make him a delicious meal. After dinner, Daniel suggested they drive to the pier and walk around the harbor.
The pier was lit up with twinkling lights and a brilliant moon hung in the velvety night sky. A cool breeze settled over them as they walked around the marina.
“Some of the boats are pretty magnificent,” Daniel said, a trace of admiration in his voice.
“Are you thinking of buying one?” she asked in a playful tone.
Daniel laughed. “I’m no sailor, although I wouldn’t mind chartering a yacht one day for my employees. I’ve been trying to think of some way to thank them for their tireless hours and dedication.”
“That’s a wonderful idea,” Lorelei said. “Working with them for these past few weeks has been incredible. They’ve been so supportive and helpful.”
“DD Studios wouldn’t be half as successful without my team. They’ve been such assets to the company. I can’t say it enough. I’ve been incredibly blessed.”
As they walked away from the pier Lorelei suddenly stopped and began looking over her shoulder. She raised her hand to her throat and looked at him with wide eyes.
“Lorelei. What is it? Is something wrong?” Daniel asked.
“I can’t breathe. My heart is pounding like crazy.” Lorelei bent over at the waist. Her face was flushed.
Fear skittered through Daniel. Lorelei looked really pale and sick. “Lorelei, do you need medicine? Do you have a heart condition?” He felt utterly helpless. He had no idea what was going on. One moment she’d been fine and the next she looked as if she was going to pass out. Should he call 911?
“I-I’m having a panic attack.” The words came out of her mouth with difficulty.
Panic attacks. He knew a little something about them. After his brother Heath had come back from serving in the military he’d had a few of them due to his PTSD. He knew from Heath it felt as if you were dying when in the midst of a panic attack. All he could do was to try and talk her through it in his most calm voice.
“Try to think of something that makes you smile. How about a place? Somewhere soothing. Maybe the beach in Barbados. Close your eyes and just breathe. I’m with you, Lorelei. There’s no place I’d rather be.”
**
She let out a sigh. Her eyes were tightly closed and she was picturing walking along Pelican Bay Beach with Daniel. The sky was the shade of a robin’s egg and the ocean was foamy and a beautiful shade of navy. He reached for her hand and they both dipped their feet in the water. She could feel her chest loosening up and her breathing becoming less ragged.
When she opened her eyes Daniel was standing there, his handsome features creased in concern. He was staring at her with a steady gaze.
“Feeling better?” he asked.
“Yes, thanks to you,” she said in a soft voice.
“Do you want to tell me what brought it on? I know sometimes panic attacks just happen, but was there a trigger?”
Lorelei knew exactly what had brought it on. Her fears regarding the parole hearing and the torment she’d endured as the result of James Ellis. All the letters she was receiving were making her a nervous wreck. But how could she tell Daniel about her past? She was certain Micah wouldn’t have brought
it up to him, so he had no clue. Micah knew all about it, but he also knew that as a victim, she had the right to tell her story on her own terms.
But Lorelei trusted Daniel and what they were building together. She took a deep breath and began telling him the whole story about being stalked by James Ellis.
It had started innocently enough. As a model on the rise, Lorelei had received many fan letters. They usually came via her agency and Olga would look at them first before handing them over to Lorelei. If anything offensive or vaguely threatening came in, Olga wouldn’t show it to Lorelei. Thankfully, nothing ever came that was onimous. At the most were some creepy letters from men. Everything changed when Lorelei began receiving letters sent directly to her condo. From the beginning Lorelei had been creeped out. How had this person found out where she lived? Her agency had never revealed that type of information and neither had she.
Lorelei had shrugged it off until more letters came, followed by calls to her landline phone, then her cell phone. She had ended up changing both those numbers. All she had known at first was his name. James. He told her how much he loved her and how she was sinful for posing in swimsuits. He would vaguely threaten her even after she’d moved and changed her phone numbers. She was being stalked. And it was terrifying.
One night Lorelei had come home to her darkened apartment and discovered a fuse had blown. The only light was the glow from her cell phone. Suddenly, she’d been grabbed from behind with gloved hands over her mouth. At that moment she had fought as hard as she’d fought in her entire life. But he had been strong and determined. Lorelei had been tied up, at which time she’d come face to face with James Ellis, her stalker.
