A Love for all Ages (Crockett County Trilogy Book 1) (9 page)

Walking with Stephanie to her rental car Chase notifies her
he is going to the junk yard to retrieve her phone.
He will be back
in about an hour.
Stephanie nods her head in agreement than
informs him she is going to go pick up a few more groceries however
if he isn’t back she can drive home since she remembers the way.
Sitting in the driver’s seat Stephanie glances at Chase then puts the
car in gear leaving him standing in the parking lot as she drives
away.

Hearing a noise at the back door Archibald materializes in
the kitchen; thinking Stephanie hadn’t been gone long, she must
have forgotten something.
Wondering how he missed the sound
of the vehicle he sees the outline of a man at the back door.
The
man tries turning the door knob but finds it’s locked.
Archibald
actually jumps at the sound of the window pane in the door
breaking.
When a man’s arm comes through the opening he
knows it is not Chase.
Frustrated Archibald watches as someone
breaks into the house again.
Turning he tells the kitten to go hide;
he turns back to the door just as it opens allowing the man to enter
the kitchen.

The man is wearing a hood over his head and dressed all in
black clothing.
Archibald knows by his body shape and the way he
walks this is the same man that had been here before.
It was just a
few months before Della had passed away; they had been talking
down by the pond.
Upon their arrival back to the house Della had
heard a noise as they moved through to the kitchen a man, this
man, had pushed passed Della knocking her to the floor as he ran
out the back door.
Unable to help Archibald had just stood there
watching as his Della had struggled to her feet.

She had been mad but thankfully not hurt; his Della had a
temper.
She had wanted to go after the man but hadn’t when
Archibald asked her not to.
Instead she had called the police,
while waiting for Sheriff White they had walked through the house
checking to see if anything was missing.
When the Sheriff arrived
Della told him nothing was missing but the window in the mudroom
had been broken.
He had gone to check then after he filled out
the report he told Della it was probably some kid wanting to see her
ghost.

Archibald focuses on the man now in the kitchen, as he
watches the man walks to the table glancing at the items laying
there.
He picks up Della’s journals; he flips through them than
tosses them back down.
Archibald follows the man as he walks
upstairs heading straight for the attic.
The man moves to the open
trunk looking inside then moves to a stack of boxes, lifting the top
one he places it on the floor.
Looking inside the man sees it is only
some old clothes so he throws it across the room.
Getting the next
box he checks the contents; this one has old house documents so he
sits the box on the floor, kneeling beside it he begins removing the
ledgers, he looks through each one carefully.
As he starts reading
the last one, he laughs loudly causing Archibald to jump.
The
burglar rises to his feet sliding the ledger in his jacket.
He leaves
the attic, walking down the stairs he continues moving through the
house then out the back door.

Archibald stands in the attic staring at the mess the man left.
Wishing he was able to touch humans or move heavy objects;
however, the most he can do is a feather light touch, more like a
faint breeze.
Archibald admits to himself he wishes he could have
picked up that man throwing him down the stairs.
This man had
hurt his Della and now has stolen from Miss Stephanie.

Aggravation fills him at his inability to stop that man.
Feeling useless he paces the attic wondering why the man has taken
that ledger, it was from the year he had died.
The ledgers only
contain numbers with a few handwritten notes.
Nothing had
seemed valuable when he and Della had read through them.

Giving a sigh of relief he is thankfully Miss Stephanie hadn’t
been home.
Cursing his situation he floats downstairs to wait for
the Sheriff and Miss Stephanie to return.

As Stephanie pushes the cart with the purchased groceries to
her car she notices Chase’s car parked beside her rental.
Smiling
she continues to her car watching as Chase climbs out of his car to
wait by her trunk.
Stephanie presses the button to open the trunk
and hears the pop of the lease switch.
Chase raises the trunk the
rest of the way up then helps Stephanie put the grocery bags inside.

When they finish loading the trunk Stephanie pushes the cart
to the cart rack then moves back to her car.
Approaching the
rental car she considers buying one like this when her insurance
company gets done with the paperwork from her accident.
The
light blue Focus is actually fun to drive.
It handles good and the
take-offisnice.

Once Stephanie is seated in her car she gazes up at Chase.
He bends down kissing her; he pulls her bottom lips in his mouth
and gives a little nibble.
Breaking the kiss Chase straightens telling
her to follow him as he walks back to his car.

Stephanie sits waiting for Chase to motion he is ready,
thinking of the kiss she licks her lips tasting Chase.
His kisses are
always sweet, soft, caressing, however this one had been more
playful.
Was she ready for them to advance to the next phase?
He had told her he was going to court her.
Was she ready to be
courted?
Was she ready for a relationship?
Didn’t she have
enough to deal with right now, with the accident, with Archibald
and Della, with the move and the change of adjusting? Did she
really need a relationship right now?
Her mind is saying no but her
heart is screaming yes.

Stephanie notices Chase is ready to leave; she puts her car in
drive then pulls out behind Chase.
Not wanting to think, she turns
on the radio locating a county music station.
Growing up, this type
of music was Mitch’s favorite even as adults they had both
continued listening.
The rhythm of the music soothes her nerves.
Singing along with the radio Stephanie follows Chase to her house.

Parking besides Chase’s car she reaches for her purse, as she
removes the keys she pops the trunk at the same time Chase opens
her door assisting her with exiting the vehicle.
They walk to the
back of her car and begin removing the bags; he gives her two of the
lighter ones than gathers the rest for him to carry.
At the door
Stephanie sits the bags on the porch to unlock the front door,
pushing it open she turns to reach for the bags again.
Chase
stands out of her way to allow her to precede him in the foyer.
They both stop just inside the entrance staring at Archibald; he is
waiting for them and speaking too fast.
Unable to understand him
Chase tells Archibald to hold on.

Archibald huffs out a breath, or he would if he had breath, as
he follows them to the kitchen.
Seeing them putting groceries
away he stands at the kitchen door watching, waiting for them to
finish. As soon as the last item is put in the cabinet he blurts out,
“Someone broke in the house.”
He points to the broken glass by
the back door.

Chase curses as he walks to the door to inspect it, sure
enough it was broke from the outside then the lock was turned
allowing someone to enter.
“Why didn’t you say something
sooner?”
He looks over at Archibald with a frown on his brow.

Stephanie strolls over to Chase, defensibly she states, “In all
fairness Archie was trying to tell us when we came in, it was you
who told him to wait.”
Lifting her chin she dares him to deny her
words.
She looks around the kitchen spotting her laptop and the
journal laying as she had left them.

Chase now in his Sheriff mode, “Can you describe the
person?
Do you know if he took anything?
Did you see a car?”
As he rapidly asks his questions he removes his cell phone from his
pocket then begins taking pictures of the broken glass and door.

“Sheriff, Let me start at the beginning.”
At Archibald’s
words Stephanie and Chase sit down at the table, Chase takes a
small notebook and pen from his back pocket than posed to write
he waits.

“A couple of months before Della passed way a man; the
same man that came today was in the house.
We came back from
the pond and discovered he was in the house.
He ran out when
we came in the kitchen.”
Chase starts to speak, but Archibald
raises his hand signaling for him to wait, Chase snaps his month
closed, leans back on the chair crossing his arms over his chest.
Stephanie looks from one to the other, good grief; the male
testosterone in this room is high.
Putting her chin on her palm she
leans on the table.
She wants the same answers as Chase but
realizes Archie needs to tell his story.

Continuing to float by the door, Archibald explains what
happened while they were gone today.
He tells just the facts; he
explains about the ledger, the only item the burglar had taken.
When he finishes speaking Archibald crosses his arms the same as
Chase had, remaining quiet he waits.

Stephanie is the first to speak, “Why would someone wait
over three years and then just take a house ledger?”
Looking from
Chase to Archie she tries to comprehend the mind of a burglar.

Archibald shrugs his shoulders as Chase rises from the chair
to begin to pacing.
Turning to look at Archibald he states, “You
said Della called the police, Sheriff White came out?”
When
Archibald nods, he continues, “So a report was made, I need to see
that report.”
Walking to the phone he picks up the receiver ready
to push the numbers to his office; holding it in his hand he turns
back to the table inquiring, “Sheriff White said it was probably a
kid?”

Nodding his head again, Archibald once more relates that
part of the incident, “Yes, Della was upset because the Sheriff acted
as if it was not a priority; he dismissed it as a prank, just someone
trying to see me.”
Shaking his head, “I told Della she should get a
good security system or at least a big dog.
But my Della was
stubborn she said she grew up here; she was not scared and would
not start acting like an old woman.”
Smiling at these memories, he
stops speaking.

“Well I don’t like this at all.” Chase places the phone back on
the base.
“And I agree with Stephanie, why would someone wait
that long to come back?
Why the break?
Was he is jail?
Was
he gone on a job?”
Lost in thought he didn’t see Stephanie move
until she was standing right in front on him.
Looking down in her
eyes he sees she is worried.
He figures she had put the facts
together and came up with the same conclusion; this man has to be
the same man that caused her accident.
Pulling her close he rubs
his hands up and down her back.
Resting his chin on the top of her
head he looks at Archibald.

Chase is relieve Stephanie hadn’t been here.
But what if
she had been; knowing her he would bet she would have tried
fighting the man.
This man has to be the same one that had run
her off the road; the same man that had left the scene, not caring if
she was alive.
headquarters.
been planned.
investigation.
But most of all he has to keep Stephanie safe.

Clearing his throat to get their attention Archibald waits until
both Chase and Stephanie are looking at him before he states what
he feels is obvious, “Chase you need to move in here until this man
is caught.”
Crossing his arms over his chest he mimicked the stern
look Chase used on him.

With a nervous laugh, Stephanie responds, “Archie, I really
don’t think that is necessary. I am sure Chase will agree.”
Looking over at Chase she tries to read his expression.

Relieved the suggestion came from Archibald, Chase agrees
that is the only solution at this time.
“I personally think he has a
valid point.
I have to work but the man will see me come and go
during the days and I will be here at night.
I can have Deputy
Johnny come do well checks when he is doing patrol.”
Looking
over at Archibald he tells him, “You are brilliant.”
With a look of
relief on his face he turns to Stephanie.

Standing by the counter Stephanie is holding the kitten while
she gawks at the men as if they had grown horns.
“You have got
He had to call his friend at the state police
This was no longer a road rage accident.
This had
He knew he would need help with the

He has to figure out the importance of the ledger.
to be joking.
I am a grown woman.
I don’t need a babysitter.
I
most certainly don’t need a well check.
I have lived alone most of
my adult life.
I may be a woman but I can take care of myself.”
Ending on a huff she stomps over to the table then plops down on
the chair she had vacated just minutes before.

Shrugging his shoulders Archibald vanishes leaving Chase to
deal with Stephanie.
Walking to the refrigerator Chase chooses for
Stephanie a diet soda and for him a bottle of water.
Sitting across
from her at the table he slides her drink to her.
Seeing the peace
offering she smiles, “Thank you.”

Stephanie picks up the can taking a sip then sits it back
down; she traces her finger around the top.
As she watches her
finger move around the lid in a circle as if it is the most fascinating
thing in the world she tries to hide her anxiety. “I know you are
trying to help.
I just don’t want to be told what I have to do.
This
is my house and my life.
quite a few years now.”
I have been making my own decision for
Lifting her eyes she stares at Chase.

Reaching for her hand, Chase entwines their fingers, “You
know I want to protect you.
I am the Sheriff but it goes beyond
that.
I do know you’re a grown woman and most of the time can
handle situations.
But think about this; right now you have a
broken wrist, cracked ribs and you recently had a head trauma.
Why can’t you accept help for now while you recover?”
Chase
kept his voice calm.
But on the inside his nerves are tight; he
needs her to agree to this.