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They walked into the kitchen glancing at the clock on the stove—five o’clock a.m. They were used to getting up this early. Today was Saturday, and they would normally have gotten a cup of coffee and made love before getting up for the day. Having these guys in the house put a damper on that. He poured them all coffee while Sam pulled creamer and sugar from the cupboard. She set them on the kitchen table and sat in one of the wooden chairs. He brought the coffee and sat next to her casually laying an arm on the chair back behind her shoulders.
“What have you guys found out?”
David looked at Tank and back to him.
“It appears that Amanda and Cheryl have known each other for years. They worked together years ago at a bank, and they’ve been friends all along. Cheryl asked Amanda to apply for the job with you so she could keep her eye on you and report back to Cheryl. It seems as soon as you met Sam, Cheryl came back to town. She would have known that through Amanda.”
“That is both disturbing and mind boggling! She’s been spying on me all this time?”
Gray fell back against his chair like the breath had been knocked from his lungs. He felt betrayed and creeped out.
“The police visited Amanda this morning when they were able to get Cheryl’s phone records. She’d been stabbed in the stomach, but she was alive. They’d been arguing, Cheryl said she had to do everything herself since she couldn’t count on anyone else to do what they were told. Apparently, Amanda was supposed to bring her some information that would help her break you two up. Cheryl’s been hanging out at the office, in the parking lot, watching when you come and go, following you. That’s how she was at the restaurant last night.”
“Oh. My. God. You’ve got to be kidding me!” Sam gasped.
Gray ran a hand through his hair. “How long has she been hanging out in the parking lot watching? I don’t remember seeing any strange cars there. I would have noticed that. I know everyone’s car.”
Tank set his coffee cup down. “Since the night of Sam’s accident.”
Gray repeatedly shook his head back and forth in disbelief. He quickly stood and paced the kitchen.
“Where did they find Amanda?”
“At her apartment. Police went there to interview her, but when they arrived, they heard Amanda crying for help. When they busted in, she was lying on the kitchen floor in a pool of blood,” Tank supplied.
David added, “Apparently, Amanda has been talking to the police. When Cheryl got married, she thought you would break up her wedding when you realized you didn’t want her to be married to someone else. That’s why she let you know when the wedding was.”
Gray caught Sam’s eyes with his; they locked for long moments. He hurried to her and put his hands on her shoulders.
“You guys have to keep her safe. Above all else,shehas to be safe.”
“Gray, we’re doing everything we can, and we’ll continue to do so. We’ll keep both of you safe.”
Her soft, sweet voice soothed his raw nerves. “Thank you. We know you’re doing everything you can.”
She reached up and placed her hand on top of his, still resting on her shoulders. She squeezed it, and he slowly released the breath he’d been holding in.
She stood. “Are you guys hungry? I could whip up some pancakes, sausage, and more coffee.”
David grinned. “That sounds great, Sam, but we can eat later.”
“Don’t be ridiculous. We aren’t going to cook and eat in front of you. Besides, I need something to do.”
She busied herself in the kitchen pulling things from the pantry and fridge. He watched her graceful movements for a time, then padded to her, kissed the back of her head, and wrapped his arms around her.
“I love you.”
She looked back at him, her shining green eyes a sight to behold, the fine lines at the corners defined a face that laughed often. “I love you, too.” He could feel her take a deep breath and release it slowly. He kissed the top of her head and turned to grab the coffeepot, refilled everyone’s mugs, and started making another pot. They worked in unison. Sam made the pancakes and he cooked sausage. They brought the food to the table along with plates and silverware, the butter, syrup, and whipped cream. The filled their plates and started eating.
David was the first to speak. “This is delicious. Thank you.”
They both smiled. Tank nodded while shoveling more food into his mouth.
“You know, Gray, I have to say, watching you and Sam in the kitchen and over the past couple of days, you look peaceful and content. I’m happy for you.”
He swallowed the bite of food in his mouth.
“I am content—beyond belief—except for this. The moment I saw Sam, I knew she was the one I was waiting for. You’ll have to ask Jax about it; he just loves telling the story of when we met.”
