Anonymous(14)

My phone rings and Jake’s name pops up. “Hey, babe. How’s it going out there?” I answer.

He sounds relieved to hear my voice. “Good. I’ve been worried about you.”

“Jake, I’m fine. I’m at my parents’ house, getting ready to watch a movie with my mom.”

“Any other texts come in?” he asks, his voice clipped.

“No, thank God. I’m hoping Owen will call with some kind of news soon.”

He sighs. “Call me as soon as you find out something. I’m busting my ass to get done as early as I can. I’m going to try to get a flight out of here tomorrow night, and hopefully, take Monday off.”

“Even better,” I say excitedly. The bakery is closed on Mondays. “We can spend the day together.”

“That’s what I’m hoping.” He takes a big breath and his voice lowers. “Hey, there’s something I want to tell you and I don’t want to do it until I see you. I think it’s what we need.”

I look back out the window and smile. “I think there’s something else we need too. Remember when my parents offered to sell us their house? With us trying to start a family, I think it’s what we need.”

He bursts out laughing. “You might want to wait and hear what I have to say before we do that.”

“I’m intrigued. Why can’t you tell me now?”

He laughs again and it’s so good to hear it. “Because it’s a surprise. I’m hoping you’ll agree to it.”

My curiosity piques, but I’m a sucker for surprises, so I’ll deal with the torment. “Fine. I can’t wait to hear what it’s about.”

I can hear a male voice in the background, and then Jake huffs. “All right, cupcake, I have to go. I’ll call you tonight. It doesn’t look like I’m leaving this office until late.”

“Okay,” I say. “I love you.”

“I love you too.”

We hang up and I move away from the window to join my mother downstairs, when my phone rings again. It’s Owen. Hurrying to the door, I shut it lightly. My heart races out of control.

“Owen,” I say, sounding like I ran ten miles.

“Hey, Ells. Got a minute?”

“I have tons. What’s going on?” I pace the room.

“I spent all day yesterday and all morning searching for clues. I really need to see you. Are you at your parents’ house?”

“Yes.”

He breathes a sigh of relief. “Can I come over?”

“Definitely. I’ll be waiting for you.”

“On my way.” He hangs up and I hurry downstairs. From the sound of his voice, I don’t know if it’s good news or bad. Either way, I feel like I’m about to find out something I really don’t want to know.



* * *



By the time Owen arrives at my parents’ house, I’ve bitten down pretty much all my fingernails. Rushing out to meet him on the front porch, I hold my breath. There’s a folder in his hand and I can only imagine what’s inside. He’s dressed in jeans, boots, and a blue and white plaid shirt, covered by his favorite brown jacket. He always reminded me of what a cowboy out west might look like. Shivering, I zip up my jacket, but it does nothing to warm me up.

I nod toward the back yard. “I know it’s chilly, but we’ll have more privacy if we talk out here.”

Owen nods and follows me to the gazebo in my parents’ garden. It’s winter, so nothing is in bloom, making it look homely and sad. Although, in the spring, it’s magnificent. I sit down on the bench and Owen does the same, only opposite me. I’m anxious to see what’s in the folder, but it scares me more than anything.

“What do you have there?” I ask him.

Owen looks into my eyes and sighs before focusing on the folder. “Something you’re not going to like. But I can honestly say it’s a start.”

He opens the folder and the first thing I see is a picture of Travis Parker, my stalker boyfriend who had to be with me every minute of every day. Clearing his throat, Owen hands me the picture. “That is a current picture of him.”

My eyes widen at the sight before me. His hair is still bright blonde and he’s standing next to a cherry red Chevy Corvette . . . but he’s gained about a hundred pounds. “Wow, he’s changed. He obviously still likes his sports cars though.”

Owen nods. “He’s married and has two small children. On Halloween, he was trick-or-treating in New Bern with his family. That’s where he’s lived for the past five years. It’s five and a half hours away from here. Besides, I’m sure you can tell from the photo that he’s not the same guy from the party.”

“Clearly.” I look down at the next photo and it’s of Tripp Arnold, my ex who’d threatened to commit suicide if I didn’t stay with him. But with some forceful persuasion from Owen, it hadn’t taken long for Tripp to leave me alone. I look down at his picture, and deep in my gut, I don’t feel like it’s him stalking me. He looks basically the same, except now he has a beard. The picture was taken at a fire station and he’s dressed in a fireman’s uniform.

“I guess he’s a fireman?” I inquire.

Owen sighs. “Yep. Full time for the city of Hendersonville. He’s getting married in February. On Halloween, he was at the station working.”