Behind Closed Doors E-Book

Sherri Hayes

• Herausgeber: Sherri Hayes Author
• Sprache: Englisch

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2023

Beschreibung

Falling For His New Neighbor Was Never Part of the Plan 

Chris Daniels is single, and he prefers to keep it that way. Women are trouble. One look at his new neighbor has all his warning bells going off. He needs to stay away from her for his peace of mind. 

Elizabeth Marshall is hoping for a new start where she can heal from the scars of her past and rebuild her life. That is, until she comes face-to-face with Chris. He’s all male with broad shoulders and dark brown eyes that seem to look into her soul. She needs to keep as much distance between them as possible. 

Too bad fate, and their meddling landlord have other plans. Before she knows it, Elizabeth is working at Chris’s construction company, helping him in the office. Their forced proximity means she can’t avoid him, and before too long she realizes she doesn’t want to.  

Just as Elizabeth thinks she might get her happily-ever-after, someone from her past decides they aren’t ready to let her go. Can Chris keep Elizabeth safe, or will her past end their relationship before it can begin? 

Behind Closed Doors is the steamy first novel in Sherri Hayes’s Daniels Brothers series. If you like small towns, workplace romances, and a little bit of mystery, then you’ll love Sherri Hayes’s sexy contemporary romance. 

Leseprobe

BEHIND CLOSED DOORS

A DANIELS BROTHERS ROMANCE

SHERRI HAYES

Behind Closed Doors

Daniels Brothers Series

Sherri Hayes

First published by The Writer’s Coffee Shop, 2011

Copyright © Sherri Hayes, 2011

Paperback ISBN- 978-0-9979049-9-4

E-book ISBN- 978-0-9979049-8-7

Cover Design by Get Covers

All rights reserved. No part of this book ay be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the author’s rights.

This is a work of fiction. Names, places, characters and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination and are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or establishments is solely coincidental.

CONTENTS

About This Book

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Chapter 26

Chapter 27

Chapter 28

Chapter 29

Chapter 30

Epilogue

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Also By Sherri Hayes

About the Author

ABOUT THIS BOOK

Falling For His New Neighbor Was Never Part of the Plan

Chris Daniels is single, and he prefers to keep it that way. Women are trouble. One look at his new neighbor has all his warning bells going off. He needs to stay away from her for his peace of mind. 

Elizabeth Marshall is hoping for a new start where she can heal from the scars of her past and rebuild her life. That is, until she comes face-to-face with Chris. He’s all male with broad shoulders and dark brown eyes that seem to look into her soul. She needs to keep as much distance between them as possible. 

Too bad fate, and their meddling landlord have other plans. Before she knows it, Elizabeth is working at Chris’s construction company, helping him in the office. Their forced proximity means she can’t avoid him, and before too long she realizes she doesn’t want to.  

Just as Elizabeth thinks she might get her happily-ever-after, someone from her past decides they aren’t ready to let her go. Can Chris keep Elizabeth safe, or will her past end their relationship before it can begin? 

CHAPTER1

Elizabeth Marshall drove her red Honda Civic into the little town of Springfield, Ohio. The simple name was one of the things that attracted her. It wasn’t complicated, and that was exactly what she needed in her life right now: no complications.

She wanted a fresh start, far away from all the memories of the city she’d left behind. Away from the person everyone thought she was. A person she’d really never been, before or after. At the age of twenty-seven, she would be reborn. Reborn into someone she could be proud of again. Someone who didn’t pretend to be something she wasn’t. Someone her parents could be proud of.

Springfield was big enough to have all the basic necessities without any of the flashy extras you’d find in larger cities. It was just over an hour away from the place she’d called home for the last ten years. Far enough away that she didn’t think anyone here would recognize her, but near enough that she could visit her parents’ graves whenever she wanted. In some ways she was glad they couldn’t see her now. Yes, she missed them, but they’d also missed the mess her life had become. She felt moisture pool in her eyes as she thought of them, and knew that if she didn’t redirect her thoughts soon she’d be a bawling mess by the time she arrived at her destination.

Her destination. As she wove through the side streets, she focused on her surroundings. Springfield felt like a completely different world. No longer would she have to attend cocktail parties or ladies’ teas. Her hair and makeup didn’t have to be perfect before going outside to retrieve the morning paper. Here she could just be herself.

In her search for the perfect place to start this new chapter in her life, she’d stumbled upon an old home that had been turned into apartments. When she’d received the e-mail back from Mrs. Weaver, her new landlady, she knew this was the place for her. The three-story building had been around for over one hundred years, but it looked to be in good repair. She loved old buildings. It was one of the few things she’d enjoyed about where she’d called home for the past five years. In her new home, Mrs. Weaver occupied the bottom level, and Elizabeth would be on the second floor. The third floor had an occupant as well, although she hadn’t thought to ask for details.

She felt good about having her own space. I need my independence, she reminded herself.

Even with that mantra, it was hard to block out what had led her to this small town surrounded by corn and soybean fields, but there was a new life waiting for her in Springfield, she just knew it.

With a few more turns, she found the road she was looking for and followed it, as the houses once again became farther and farther apart. There was a line of trees to her right and a soybean field on her left when a mailbox came into view. Sitting back off the road, the large Victorian house was tucked between two soybean fields and surrounded by a small grove of trees.

As she drove up the long gravel driveway, she noticed someone looking out the first-story window.

“You can do this,” she said to herself, figuring if she said it enough she could make it true.

Pulling her loose button-down shirt tighter around her, she got out of the car and went to the trunk. There wasn’t much to retrieve, just two bags. That was all her life consisted of now. All she had chosen to bring with her. The rest of her old life was either in storage or had been donated to Goodwill. She didn’t need reminders. She had enough of those all on her own.

A woman with salt-and-pepper hair met her at the door and opened it wide. She looked to be in her mid to late sixties, old enough to be Elizabeth’s mother if she were still alive.

“Hello, my dear. You must be Elizabeth,” she said, reaching out to take one of her bags.

“It’s okay, I’ve got it. They’re not that heavy.” You could also use the exercise, her inner voice chastised.

The woman waved her concerns away and took the bag. “Nonsense. I may be old, but I’m not completely useless. Not yet anyway.” Extending her hand, she introduced herself. “I’m Janice Weaver, but you can call me Jan. Everybody does.”

Taking the offered hand, Elizabeth said, “It’s nice to meet you.”

She took a quick survey of her surroundings, noting that the pictures online hadn’t done the place justice, and followed Jan into a foyer decorated in cream and soft blue. The ceiling soared high above her, creating an open and inviting space. She loved it already, and she wasn’t even in her apartment yet.

“Over there is my apartment should you ever need anything,” Jan said, pointing to a door just to the right. Elizabeth nodded. “And you’re up here.” She continued up the stairs as Elizabeth followed, eager to see her new place.

At the top of the stairs were two more doors: one to the right and one to the left. Jan stopped at the door on the right and retrieved a single key from her pocket.

As Jan put the key into the door, curiosity got the better Elizabeth. Looking over her shoulder she asked, “What is the other door for?”

Jan turned slightly to see what she was talking about. “That’s the staircase leading to the third-floor apartment.”

Then, as if the brief conversation hadn’t occurred, Jan opened the door, motioning for Elizabeth to go inside.

Elizabeth looked around, very pleased. While there was a certain modern flair to the place, it was like stepping back in time. The architecture was beautiful, with a vast wooden arch separating her living room from her new kitchen.

“Do you like it?” Jan asked from behind her.

She’d been so caught up she hadn’t even heard Jan approach. That hadn’t happened in a long time. She was usually overly aware of her surroundings. It just reaffirmed her decision. “I love it.”

Jan smiled and Elizabeth relaxed a little, but old habits were hard to break. While it might be true the danger was gone, one didn’t just forget being afraid.

An hour later, Elizabeth stepped back to admire the small air mattress she’d just blown up in the middle of her new bedroom. It was only big enough for one person, but it would do until she could get a bed delivered. She needed to pick up some sheets and blankets. Sleeping directly on the vinyl didn’t hold great appeal. Not even for one night.

Next she went to the kitchen. It was a nice size and had everything she needed, including a dishwasher, and there were plenty of cabinets lining the walls, waiting to be filled with food and dishes, both of which she currently lacked.

There’s no time like the present.

Jan had given her directions to the nearest market, so she grabbed her purse and started to leave, but just as she was about to descend the stairs, she heard an angry male voice say, “I don’t care what you have to do, Terry, just get it done.” Every word was punctuated by heavy footfalls coming up the stairs, closer to her apartment.

Elizabeth’s breathing quickened as her chest tightened, and she automatically huddled in on herself. The man’s voice changed in her mind. It wasn’t some stranger anymore; it was Jared, her husband.

She leaned her forehead against the wall next to the door, trying to push the memories away. He’s not here. He’s not here, she kept repeating to herself.

Just as she was starting to calm, the door only a few feet away was wrenched opened and then slammed shut. It didn’t take much to put together that the man must be her new neighbor or one of them at least. She hadn’t thought to question Jan about the third-floor residents and felt stupid for not asking more questions.

It was too late now. She was here, and she wasn’t going to let something like a disagreeable man chase her out of her new home. She would deal with her neighbor even if he didn’t seem like a nice man. Maybe she could avoid him altogether. It wasn’t as if they really had to cross paths, right? She’d learn his schedule and then avoid him. That would work.

With renewed determination, she opened her door and ran down the stairs and out to her car, her speed of flight having nothing to do with the man upstairs. At least, that’s what she kept telling herself.

* * *

This day had to be one of the worst of Christopher Daniels’ life. His assistant had just up and quit without notice, and then his foreman, Terry, had failed to order enough materials to finish the interior drywall for the house they were in the process of building. On top of all that, he’d managed to run over a nail somewhere and had to change a flat halfway home.

It was two o’clock, and he had more work than he wanted to contemplate waiting on his desk for him, but for just a few minutes he was going to try and not think about it. Yeah, right, he thought as he pulled out the lunchmeat, cheese, and mayo from his refrigerator. He took the bread out of the cabinet, hurriedly made a sandwich, and took a huge bite.

Leaning back against the counter, he forced his mind to think of something else, anything else but work, and settled on the new neighbor Jan had told him about. She’d said the woman seemed nice enough and had moved down from Columbus, but that was all Jan knew. He really wished she had gotten more information so he could have had his brother Paul run a background check or something. But that wasn’t Jan Weaver. She was a great woman, just too trusting.

Chris had known Jan and her husband, Charles, since he was a kid. They’d lived across the street from his parents until they’d bought this house fifteen years ago. Fate had brought them together again when Chris’ short-lived marriage had come to an end right around the same time Charles’ health had taken a turn for the worse. In exchange for decreased rent, Chris helped out with minor repairs when needed. Living there was beneficial for both of them.

He hadn’t had a downstairs neighbor for three months, and it was going to take some getting used to. No more running out in just my boxers, he thought, laughing to himself.

It had happened years ago, but Jan never let him forget it. He’d been living there only a few months when, on his way in, he’d dropped some papers. Later that night he was getting ready to climb into bed with his usual mound of paperwork, when he’d realized something was missing. Instead of putting his clothes back on, he decided to duck out into the hallway and check.

Unfortunately, the papers were just out of reach and as he stretched to pick them up, he heard his door click shut, locking him out of his apartment. He’d had to run down the stairs in nothing but his boxers to retrieve the spare key from Jan. It was embarrassing enough, but at least there hadn’t been anyone else living there at the time to add to his humiliation.

That was three years ago. In that time he’d separated himself from all distractions. All he had left was his work, Terry being the only one he’d become friendly with, and his family, of which he considered Jan a part.

He looked at the clock. Only twenty minutes had passed since he’d walked in the door, but it was all he could afford.

After popping the last of his sandwich into his mouth, he took a glass from the cabinet, quickly filled it with water, and downed it in one gulp. He placed it in the sink, retrieved his cell phone from off his belt, and dialed as he walked out the door.

* * *

By the time Elizabeth made it back, it was almost seven. It had taken her a lot longer to find everything she needed because she’d had to go to three places before finally finding the bedding she was looking for. What she’d found was perfect. It was mostly white, but with red and gray clovers all over it, a far cry from the browns and creams Jared had insisted upon.

Thankfully, the rest of her trip had gone smoother. She’d found a nice little restaurant and had dinner there. Then she went to the grocery store and filled her cart, anxious to get home, put everything away, and make her house feel like a home.

With her arms full, she managed to get the front door open and the first load up the stairs. It was the first time Elizabeth was thankful for all those years Jared had made her go to the gym. No. She was having such a good day she would not let her thoughts wander down that path. Resolute, she marched back down the stairs and was just reaching for the doorknob when Jan came out. “Did you need some help, dear?”

“Uh, no. I—”

She was almost knocked over when a large man came barreling through the door. He didn’t seem to notice Elizabeth at all, as he focused on Jan. “You can’t leave the front door unlocked like this. It just isn’t safe.”

His voice was gruff, and she instantly recognized it as the one she’d heard this afternoon. It was not as angry as it has been before, but still intimidating. She backed toward the stairs without thinking. It was then that he noticed her, appraising her from head to foot, and his scrutiny made her uncomfortable. Even though she was completely clothed, she felt the need to cover herself.

He was huge, taller than Jared or her father. His hair was a dark brown, only a shade darker than his eyes, and he looked dangerous, more dangerous than her husband. Her frightened expression must have been apparent. She closed her eyes tight, willing everything to go away: her memories, her fear, this man before her.

“Chris, you have perfect timing.” Jan walked over to the man and placed her hand on his arm. “Elizabeth,” she said, motioning in her direction, “just went shopping and needs some help getting everything up to her apartment. You’ll be a good neighbor and help her now, won’t you?”

The man looked down at Jan with an expression she didn’t understand. Then he sighed, turned to her, and in that same gruff voice said, “Come on. Let’s get your stuff inside. I’ve got work to do.”

Before she could say anything, he was back out the door and halfway to her car. She looked over at Jan. “Go on,” she said. “He won’t bite.”

Cautiously, she followed him outside where he was already unloading what was left and had most of it in his arms before she reached his side. “I . . . I’m sorry. You don’t . . . have to help me,” she said, almost hoping he’d drop everything and leave her alone.

“I said I’d help and I’ll help,” he replied curtly. “I think I got everything. You might want to check.”

He stood, waiting, so she glanced in quickly. “Yes. That’s looks like everything,” she said, and he gave her a firm nod before marching back into the house.

By the time she caught up with him, he was waiting impatiently outside her apartment door, and she fumbled with the key several times before finally managing to get it into the lock and open the door.

As soon as she stepped over the threshold, he brushed past her as if he owned the place and went straight to her kitchen. She stood stunned for a few seconds. How did he know her place so well? Elizabeth fought with her nerves once again before following him. Of course he knows the layout of your apartment, she told herself. He lives upstairs. It’s probably the same. That’s all.

He turned, catching her off guard, and she stumbled backward, but he managed to catch her in time. As soon as she was upright, however, he released her as if she were poison, and shoved his hands roughly into his pockets.

“If you don’t need anything else, then,” he said, already walking to the door.

She watched his retreating back, not understanding what had happened. When he’d touched her it had felt, well, odd. Not unpleasant, just strange. But he’d acted like she’d hurt him. His eyes had held a pain that she didn’t understand. It didn’t make any sense.

She had no idea how long she stood there just looking at the closed door before making herself move. She put all the groceries away and made her air mattress look as inviting as possible before deciding to go ahead and get ready for bed. It was early, but she had nothing else to do. She didn’t have a television and she had no friends there.

Sinking down into her makeshift bed under her new sheets, she rolled over to watch the last of the sun fall below the horizon outside her bedroom window. She could see the tops of a few trees, but not much else. The view was so different from out her old bedroom window where she could see nothing much more than the house next door. One day was behind her. Tomorrow she would find some furniture and, after that, look for a job. Even though she didn’t need one thanks to Jared’s careful planning and his life insurance settlement, it was something she needed for herself.

This would work—her new apartment, her new life. All she had to do was avoid her new neighbor and pray no one figured out who she was. She could do that.

She hoped.

CHAPTER2

Chris sat in his office two days later, more frustrated than he thought possible. He couldn’t seem to find anything.

Tara, his assistant—former assistant—was always able to find whatever he needed quickly, but for some reason nothing was where he thought it should be. He had to get payroll done today, and it took him three hours before he finally found it.

He’d offered to get a babysitter for Terry’s wife if she could come in for a few days, but their kids were sick, and she didn’t feel comfortable leaving them. Chris understood, but it didn’t help his situation. There was filing to be done, mail to sort through, messages to return, and the list was growing.

Terry did manage to get the drywall delivered this morning, so that was a move in the right direction. His foreman had even offered to stay late tonight and help him, but he’d turned him down. If the kids were sick, Jessica would need him at home.

No, it was up to him to figure out this—whatever this was—by himself.

By eight o’clock, he’d reached his limit. He was hungry and tired, and the rest would just have to wait until tomorrow. Besides, he had to finish a bid waiting for him at home.

After locking up, he drove home.

He should have known he’d never make it up to his apartment unnoticed. Jan was waiting for him as soon as he came through the front door, her arms folded with a look of disapproval on her face. “I’ll bet you haven’t had dinner yet, have you?”

“No. I haven’t,” he admitted.

Jan shook her head. “I won’t take no for an answer, young man. You look dead on your feet.” She ushered him into her apartment and pointed at her table. “Sit. I’ll bring you some food.” Chris was too tired to argue. He might be thirty-two years old, but Jan, much like his mother, had a way of making him feel like a naughty child, so he did as he was told.

It wasn’t until he got a whiff of what she pulled out of the microwave that he realized he’d missed lunch, too. As soon as the plate was put in front of him, he ate with gusto. Jan was a great cook, even better than his mom, if he was being honest, and she just watched him eat while shaking her head and clicking her tongue.

When he finished, he pushed the plate away. “Thank you, Jan. That was delicious.”

She came over and sat across from him, still not looking all that pleased. “You’re welcome. I promised your mom I’d look after you, but what am I supposed to tell her when you aren’t even eating?”

In truth, Chris felt a little guilty. After his divorce, his mother had been beside herself with worry, begging him to move down to Cincinnati to be closer to them, but his business had just started gaining momentum. Moving in with Jan and Charles had not only worked for him, but eased his mom’s mind as well.

He gave Jan a grateful smile. “I’m sure you’ll think of something.”

Chris had meant to lighten the mood, and thankfully it did. A slow smile spread across Jan’s face, and she shook her head in amusement before getting up to put his empty plate into the sink. “You’re not too big for me to turn you over my knee, Christopher Daniels.”

He laughed deeply and soon Jan was laughing just as hard.

As she wiped tears from her cheeks, she said, “Okay. Maybe you are, but you do need to take care of yourself.”

“I know.”

For the next twenty minutes, he talked about his day and his business, and Jan shared the latest gossip from her bridge club. After the week he’d had, he was enjoying the downtime, but unfortunately he couldn’t put off work forever. When he noticed it was nine o’clock, he knew he had to excuse himself.

“Thanks for the dinner, Jan, but I really have to be going.”

“Do you think you could find the time this weekend to look at the kitchen sink on the second floor? Elizabeth said the water is slow going down.”

At the mention of the new tenant’s name, Chris felt a lead weight in his stomach. He’d been doing his best to forget about her with the chestnut brown hair and curves that made his fingers itch no matter how much she’d tried to cover them. Why did it have to be her apartment and why so soon? She’d just moved in.

“Sure. I’ll make some time tomorrow.”

They said good night, and he headed up the stairs.

As he passed Elizabeth’s door, he cursed whatever had brought her into his life. He knew what he’d felt when he’d seen her, touched her, how his body had responded, and he didn’t like it. He didn’t need the complication of a woman again. Carol had taught him that much.

He liked being single. There was no one telling him all the things he did wrong or acting as if she loved him when in reality she was screwing his best friend. He didn’t want or need a woman. She was just someone living in the same building, and she would stay that way. No matter what his body was telling him.

* * *

Elizabeth was feeling pretty pleased with herself. In the last two days, she’d filled her place with furniture. Rush delivery had cost her a little more, but it was worth it. The space was really feeling like hers now.

There were splashes of color everywhere. Her curtains were a deep red, which matched the rug she’d found for the living room. Bowls and flowers in shades of yellow and blue accented the room. The colors made her feel alive, and she never wanted to be without them again.

The only thing not yet delivered was her bed, and that was coming today. She wasn’t a vain person, but sleeping on an air mattress wasn’t something she wanted to repeat in the near future. Every time she moved, it made a squeaking noise that would wake her up.

It was Saturday, so she took her time making a big breakfast for herself. Cooking relaxed her. There was just something satisfying about it, and it reminded her of her mom.

As she washed out a dirty bowl, she remembered telling Jan about the slow drain. It wasn’t anything major yet, but it could turn into something more serious, and she wanted to catch it quickly.

There was a knock on the door. My bed! A smile lit her face. The delivery guys hadn’t called, but maybe Jan had let them in.

She rushed to the door, taking a deep breath before opening it, but it wasn’t the men with her new bed staring back at her. It was her upstairs neighbor. He was just as big as she remembered from their first encounter, but instead of the refined dress shirt and slacks, he was now dressed in faded blue jeans and a black T-shirt that pulled tight against his chest. He’d never bothered to introduce himself, but she’d heard Jan refer to him as Chris.

Without thinking, she took a step back, and he must have taken her action as an invitation because he pushed his way into her home. She stayed where she was, unsure of what to do as he walked into her kitchen, stopped, and turned to face her.

“Jan said your sink needs to be fixed.”

That was when she noticed his tool belt, and she tried to push away her fear. “Y-yes. She said she’d get someone to fix it,” she whispered feebly.

“And here I am.” He sounded impatient.

She was at a loss. When Jan had told her she’d get someone, Elizabeth had assumed a plumber would be called. Why would her upstairs neighbor be here to fix her sink? “I-I just thought—”

“Look, I don’t have all day. Do you want your sink fixed or not?”

All she could do was nod. The moment Chris turned his back, she practically ran into the living room. She didn’t feel comfortable being in the same room with him and his tools, but didn’t think it was a good idea to leave him alone either. This way she could still see him, but he was far enough away that she didn’t feel crowded. Plus, there were things she could easily use as weapons if she needed them.

She picked up a book and pretended to read. Over the top of it, she watched as he took different tools from his belt. She relaxed a little. He seemed to know what he was doing, and if he was helping her, he couldn’t be all that bad, right?

It’s not like you could stop him if he wanted to hurt you anyway.

* * *

Chris was trying very hard to keep his mind on what he was doing. What in the world had that woman been thinking opening the door looking like that? Her hair looked like she’d just taken a tumble between the sheets, and even though she’d thrown a loose-fitting shirt over her yoga pants, it didn’t lessen the effect. She still drove him crazy.

All he wanted to do was fix this drain of hers and get as far away from there as possible. He didn’t need this type of distraction, especially from his neighbor. His body was just going to have to learn to live with denial because there was no way he was getting involved with Elizabeth Marshall. Normally he would work from home on Saturday, but today he was willing to make an exception. As soon as this was done, he would grab his things and leave.

Immediately.

Just as he was finishing up, there was a knock at the door and Elizabeth padded barefoot toward the door. He noticed that she keep sneaking furtive looks at him.

What? Does she think I’m going to jump her or something? He quickly placed a wrench back in his belt before walking toward the door where she was standing with two men carrying what looked to be a headboard.

Great! All I need are more visuals.

He knew he had to get out of there. “Your drain’s fixed,” he snapped, and her eyes widened in response. He didn’t like it when she looked at him like that. It made her appear more vulnerable, innocent. “Just let Jan know if you have any more problems,” he said in a softer tone.

Her posture didn’t relax, and he felt his anger surge.

What is with this woman? Whatever it was, he wasn’t sticking around to find out. He wasn’t getting sucked in. As he pushed his way through the men and out the door, he got a look at the queen-size mattress propped against the stairs and cursed as he nearly ripped his door off its hinges before slamming it shut behind him.

* * *

Elizabeth was stunned when Chris stormed out of her apartment. She didn’t understand him. She wondered if he was always this angry or if it was just her. One of the deliverymen caught her attention, and she showed him where her bedroom was. It felt odd having strange men in her home. Even though she was alone with the delivery men, her nerves were more on edge with Chris gone than with him there, which made no sense at all since she was more afraid of Chris.

She went back into the living room to wait. Back near her weapons.

The men weren’t long, thankfully. They knew what they were doing and had her bed together in no time. She saw them out the door and then watched from the living room window as they walked to their delivery truck and drove away.

Her shoulders relaxed. They were gone. She could breathe. Then she heard a door open and movement on the stairs. She tensed again until she realized the sound was moving away from her. Chris must be leaving.

She stayed by the window and watched him walk out to his black pickup truck. From up here he didn’t seem so intimidating. It didn’t look like he could crush her with his little finger. Okay, maybe that was an exaggeration, but he was so much bigger than Jared.

Her fear, she decided, was a combination of the fact that he looked like he could bench-press her and his angry demeanor when he was around her. That he also lived upstairs didn’t help matters.

The thought sent a shiver down her spine. Even though Jan seemed to like him and she couldn’t see the older woman letting a violent man live there, she was still unsure. It was probably irrational, but emotions weren’t always logical.

Her reaction to him was getting to her. She didn’t want to be scared all the time.

In a split-second decision, she grabbed her keys and ran downstairs to Jan’s apartment. Maybe if she found out more about Chris, she’d feel better. Besides, she needed to thank her landlady for getting her sink fixed so quickly.

When Jan came to the door, she seemed surprised to see Elizabeth. “Well, hello, dear. Is everything all right?”

“Oh, yes.” Elizabeth quickly assured her. “I just . . .” She paused. “I just wanted to thank you for getting my sink fixed so quickly.”

“Chris stopped by, then?”

“Yes.” Although part of her reasoning for coming down there had been to learn more about Chris, she was still uncomfortable talking about him for some reason. She felt like she was snooping on her neighbor, but that was the point, wasn’t it? How was she going to find out about him if she didn’t ask?

They stood there for a few awkward seconds. Elizabeth started to rethink her plan and was just about to excuse herself when Jan said, “Would you like to come in?”

“Yes, please,” she said with a sigh of relief.

Jan’s apartment looked a lot more lived-in than hers did. It was still the same basic setup, but the furniture was older and little touches gave the place a warm, welcoming feel. She only hoped that one day her place would feel the same way.

She sat at Jan’s table with a glass of iced tea in front of her. “How are you liking your apartment? Are you getting settled in?”

“Yes, thank you. All my furniture was delivered, so it’s starting to feel like home.”

“That always helps,” Jan said, and took a sip of tea. “Hard to feel truly comfortable in an empty place.”

It was quiet as they both just sat there. It’s now or never, she thought. “Has . . . Chris”—it seems odd saying his name out loud for some reason—“lived here long?”

Jan looked up and there was an odd expression on her face. “About three years.”

She nodded when Jan didn’t go on. It didn’t seem like she was going to find out much this way.

“You’re from Columbus, aren’t you?”

“Yes.” She gulped as the cold liquid slid down her throat a little too fast.

Jan didn’t seem to notice her reaction. “It’s a nice city. I have some friends there I visit from time to time.”

Elizabeth froze. Did Jan know?

But Jan eased her worries when she went on to talk about her last visit to the capital city. “We even went to see a hockey game!” she exclaimed and laughed. “If that isn’t an excuse for grown men to fight, I don’t know what is.”

Jared hadn’t liked hockey. He’d preferred golf. Personally, she found it to be the most boring sport imaginable, but as with everything else in her past life, she hadn’t been given much of a say.

“So what did you do back home?” Jan asked.

Elizabeth didn’t answer right away. Although it wasn’t unheard of for a woman to not work outside the home, since she had no children it wasn’t common either. Most women her age held a job of some sort. She wondered how Jan would react to her lack of employment over the last five years. “Community work mostly. My husband and I were heavily involved in fundraising for the local university.”

“Are you married, then, dear?”

“No.”

Thankfully, when she didn’t elaborate, Jan didn’t press, but instead steered the conversation to some volunteer work she did at the local senior center.

As they continued talking, Elizabeth realized she was enjoying herself. The time flew by and before she knew it, it was after five. “Oh, I’m sorry,” she said. “I’m keeping you from dinner.”

“Don’t apologize. If I’d wanted to kick you out, I would have.” She winked. “Besides, I like having company. Chris is much too busy these days to come visit much.”

“Oh, sorry.” She didn’t know why she was apologizing so much, but it just felt right.

Jan laughed and shook her head. “Do you have plans for tomorrow?”

“Uh . . . no.”

“Good,” Jan said as she began taking what Elizabeth soon realized were leftovers out of the refrigerator. “You can come have dinner with us. We eat at two.” She popped the first plate into the microwave. “It’s nothing fancy. Just come hungry. I put out quite a spread on Sundays. It’s always more than Chris and I can polish off on our own.”

She didn’t know how to respond but didn’t feel like she could say no, considering how hospitable Jan had been. Plus, wasn’t learning about Chris the whole point of coming down here in the first place?

Well, she was getting her wish, one way or another. Tomorrow she would find out more about her upstairs neighbor.

CHAPTER3

Chris’ life wasn’t getting any easier. No matter if he stayed late at the office or if he brought his work home, he couldn’t seem to do anything but fall more and more behind.

There was no two ways about it; he was going to have to call a temp agency first thing Monday morning. Placing an ad and doing interviews himself would just take too long. He needed someone now.

He was sitting at his kitchen table surrounded by stacks of paperwork. To his left were three potential jobs he needed to research and decide if he was going to put in a bid. On his right sat bills that he’d discovered during one of his frantic searches for something else, which now urgently needed to be paid. Directly in front of him were three different piles with everything from accounts receivable to a message from his mother.

For the next four hours he tried to get through as much as he could and even managed to get checks written and envelopes made out for all the unpaid bills. All he had to do was take them to the post office and mail them come Monday. He’d also been able to look at two of the three jobs up for bid and dismissed one right away.

It was only his stomach’s rumbling that caused him to look up at the clock. It was Sunday and that meant dinner with Jan. She’d been feeding him every Sunday since he’d moved in, except for when he drove down to see his parents. It was a tradition they both enjoyed.

And according to the clock, he was late.

* * *

After putting the finishing touches on her pineapple upside down cake and making sure she was dressed appropriately, Elizabeth carefully walked downstairs. She was nervous, but it didn’t make a lot of sense, really. Jan was going to be there, and it wasn’t as if Chris was going to attack her or anything. With one last deep breath, she knocked on Jan’s door.

Faster than she would have thought possible, Jan opened the door and ushered her inside. “You didn’t have to bring anything, dear. I invited you.”

“I know, but it didn’t feel right coming empty-handed.”

Jan chuckled. “Why don’t you find a place to put it in the kitchen? I think there’s a little space left on the counter, although you might have to move things around a bit.”

She nodded and walked with her cake into the kitchen. Almost every surface was covered, but with a little maneuvering, she was able to find a spot big enough beside the refrigerator.