Bad Karma (22 page)

He appeared almost instantly, looking beyond her, as though Skyler should be nearby.

Cassie took a deep breath before starting in. “First, I want to apologize for blowing up and walking off like that. And I’m sorry I wasted your omelet.”

Zach smiled down at her. “It didn’t go to waste.”

She turned and walked across the deck to the railing to gaze out on the bay. “Good. We Danforth women are very frugal about food. My grandmother always said there were starving children in China. I personally wanted to send them my peas.”

He followed her and leaned his forearms against the railing. He gazed out in the same direction and then turned to give her a long look. “You didn’t come here to talk about peas.”

Cassie bit her lower lip for a moment. “Nope. I came to talk about the man who’s been trying to kill my sister. I think he’s here.”

A look of alarm spread over his face.

She leaned back against the deck railing and told him about returning from her date to find the door unlocked. “I don’t want to leave her alone, but I need to go to work now. Do you think you could keep an eye on her?”

He nodded. “Let me get my laptop. While she’s sleeping, I’ll do some work on the article I’m writing.”

“
When Sky wakes up, could you talk her into letting the sheriff know about the stalker? She acts like it’s all her fault, but it’s not.”

He readily agreed.

Cassie waited until Zach had gone inside their house before driving away. She felt much better knowing that her sister wasn’t alone, that Sky had someone to watch over her the same way she had been protected by Javi.

Cassie smiled when she thought of him.
Not quite the same
.

~*~

Javi was waiting for her when she drove up in the delivery car. Thanks to Dave and his big mouth, they had an audience. All the guys wanted to see Javi’s hot little girlfriend.

On the one hand, he’d wanted some alone time with Cassie, but on the other hand, he was proud to show her off.

She walked into the station wearing shorts and carrying a white paper bag with handles.

She looked at him, straight-faced. “I have a delivery for a Mister Javier Rios. Do you happen to know where I might find him?”

He stared into the depths of her clear blue eyes. “Why do you want that guy?” he growled.

“
He owes me money.” She held up the bag.

Javi grinned and held out a handful of cash. “I collected your loot.”

“
Thanks.” She gave him the bag which he handed off to Dave, in hopes that the crew would be more interested in the food than his love life. He grazed the side of her face with his fingertips. “How are you doing? Is everything okay with your sister?”

“
We’re fine. She’s asleep now, but I asked Zach to take her to talk to the sheriff when she wakes up.”

“
And you? Are you still in love with me?” He felt a tightness in his chest as he asked the question.

An irrepressible grin spread across Cassie’s face. “Yes.”

Javi pulled her into his arms. “Good, because I’m crazy in love with you.” He inhaled the scent of her shampoo, smiling amidst the sound of whistles and catcalls. He picked Cassie up in both arms and swung her around in a circle. He turned to his buddies with a grin. “Don’t make me hurt you.”

Cassie giggled as he carried her to the small delivery vehicle.

Her hated to put her down, hated to have her arms slide away from his neck, hated that she would drive away from him.

For the moment, she stood trapped within the confines of the open car door and his body which provided a shield, of sorts, between her and the rowdy onlookers.

He stroked his hand over her hair. “I’m glad I got to see you, if only for a few minutes.”

“
Seventy-two hours on duty, huh?” She wrinkled her nose, looking up at him.

“
That’s the drill.”

“
But we have a date for Friday, right?”

“
I’m glad you remembered.”

She grinned up at him. “I should be rested up by then.”

Javi chuckled. “Did I wear my baby girl out?”

“
Shut up!” She looked down, a hint or color appearing on her cheeks.

He lowered his voice. “Did I please you? Did you like it?”

She didn’t answer, but pressed her face against his chest.

He wrapped both arms around her and laid his cheek against the top of her head. “When I make love to you, I want everything to be right, for both of us.”

She raised her face to his and he kissed her lips, long and slow, then released her and closed her inside the car. He watched her drive away, then turned to find his co-workers staring at him. They burst into a round of applause.

“
Javier’s made another conquest. One more love-struck girl on the streets.” Dave gave a war-whoop as the group yelled and stomped.

“
Not this girl,” Javi said. “She’s on a different planet from anyone I’ve ever known before.”

“
Javi’s in love!” Dave shouted amid a chorus of shouts and whistles.

He sighed and dug into the bag for his sandwich. It was going to be a long three days.

~*~

Sky sucked in a breath as Zach opened the door to the sheriff’s office. Fear knotted in her stomach and prevented her from moving forward. She wasn’t sure that she was ready to go public with her problems, but everyone seemed to have endless faith in this man’s abilities. A gentle hand at the back of her waist encouraged her to step over the threshold and into the bright office interior. A woman in an electric wheelchair sat behind the front desk.

“
Hi Ida,” Zach said. “We have an appointment with Rafael.”

She greeted Zach and looked Sky over with interest. “He’s expecting you.” She pointed them into a large glassed-in office to one side of the main reception area. Zach thanked the woman and ushered Sky into the sheriff’s private office.

The sheriff, the same man she had met at the hospital emergency room, put down the sheaf of papers he had been reading and gazed at her intently. He pushed back from his desk and came around to offer his hand.

Although she’d never thought of herself as being short, she found herself standing between the two men who towered over her and felt suddenly dwarfed.

Zach closed the door and the sheriff motioned them to take a seat.

A grinding sensation in her stomach confirmed that this was a bad idea. She swallowed and wrapped her arms tight around herself. She felt ridiculous even being here.

Dark eyes penetrated her wall of defenses as Rafael Solis leaned toward her. “I remember you from the hospital the other day. Zach tells me that you’ve been having some trouble with a stalker?”

Sky nodded.

“
When did the first incident occur?” He began making notes on a legal pad and looked up at her encouragingly.

Sky glanced at Zach and found the strength in his eyes to pour out the story. She skimmed over the details of the accident, but told him about the two attempts on her life and how her dog had been killed in a hit-and-run meant for her.

Rafael’s brow furrowed. “So, you moved here right after the last incident.”

Sky nodded. “My younger sister has accepted a teaching contract at the high school and so I’m living with her. All the utilities are in her name. I’m hoping maybe the stalker won’t find me.”

Rafael and Zach exchanged a glance.

“
I wouldn’t count on that, Miss Danforth,” Rafael said. “It sounds like this man is obsessed with killing you.”

An icy shiver visibly shook her. Sky bit her lip and looked down, not wanting them to know how scared she was.

“
Tell him about the open door,” Zach urged.

“
I was working the graveyard shift last night, but when my sister came in from a date, she found the sliding glass door unlocked. We’re always very careful to lock the doors.”

Rafael ran his fingers through his thick, dark hair. “I’ll have someone patrol regularly and if you even think you might be in danger call here immediately.”

Zach and Rafael shook hands and Rafael held his hand out to shake with Sky. “Would the two of you like to come to the condo and have dinner with my family tomorrow night? I’m sure my wife, Chloe, would love to meet you.”

Zach grinned and accepted for the two of them.

“
Dinner with the sheriff?” Sky asked when they were in his car.

“
You’ll love Chloe and her daughter.” Zach gave her a squeeze on the shoulder.

Sky nodded. “I’m sure I will.” Something about the way Zach said her name gave Sky a strange feeling.

~*~

Zach thought about Rafael’s invitation. It wasn’t unusual for him to receive an invitation to dinner with the Solis family, but the request was typically made by Chloe. Perhaps, seeing him with Skyler had given Rafael confidence that Zach wasn’t still in love with his wife.

Not that there had been anything to it on her part. Chloe had always been in love with Rafael. She’d told Zach, right up front, when he’d first started mooning around after her. He’d never stood a chance.

And yet, she’d always befriended him. It could have to do with the summers he’d spent shrimping on her father’s boat after she’d left town. Or it could have to do with the fact that he’d saved her life. He suspected that act alone kept him in the sheriff’s good graces.

He wondered how it would feel to go to Chloe’s place with his new girlfriend. He smiled at Sky. She looked worried after their talk with Rafael. He reached across to stroke her arm. “Don’t worry. Rafael will catch this guy.”

She managed a feeble smile. “I hope you’re right. I don’t want to endanger you or Cassie. I’m so afraid.”

“
The stalker won’t get to you, Sky. He’ll have to go through me first. Keep your chin up.”

Sky interlaced her fingers with his and gave a little sigh. “I’m trying.”

~*~

Sky answered the phone when Javier called the house that evening. His voice sounded deep and masculine. An involuntary shiver teased her spine when she thought of her little sister with this man. “You’re Javier aren’t you?” she asked.

“
Yes, you’re her sister?”

She swallowed the things she wanted to say. “I’m Skyler. Call me Sky.”

When Cassie came to the phone, Sky noted that her face took on a different look. She fairly glowed from within. Her tone of voice was low, yet bubbly and she carried the phone into her bedroom.

Sky felt a little twinge of remorse for butting into Cassie’s life. If she’d stayed in Springhill or returned to her parent’s home in Austin as they had wanted, she wouldn’t be dampening Cassie’s fun now. She wouldn’t be here to pass judgment on her sister’s first real boyfriend.

Sky chuckled when she thought of the string of nerds who had come to the house to take Cassie on study dates to the library or to work on science projects in the garage.