Healing Her Spirit (Serenity Springs Book 2) (3 page)

Lost in her thoughts, Lacey jumped when the back door of her vehicle opened and Ethan slipped inside, slamming the door behind him.  Glancing at her son through the rearview mirror, Lacey chuckled as he shook the rain from his wet hair.  His normal short, light brown strands were matted down on his forehead, and his eyes were full of laughter. “Hi, honey.  How was school today?”  As Ethan chatted excitedly about playing kickball on the playground with his buddies, Lacey pulled her car out of the pickup lane and headed home to their small two bedroom house she rented, her mind wandering to a certain blond-haired, blue-eyed male who had a tight hold on her heart…even if he didn’t know it.

He watched as a petite woman with long, dark hair exited her vehicle and walked with confidence into the restaurant.  Through the large, front window, he could see her approach a table where a group of females sat talking and laughing with each other.  They all greeted her as she reached them.  She tossed her hair back as she grinned and responded to something the blonde one said.  As she took a seat and the waitress approached, he chuckled softly to himself.  She would be busy for a while.  He knew her routine.  He had followed her for the past three weeks.  She wasn’t the one he wanted…no, he was saving her for last.  Until he was ready for the woman he really wanted, he would play with others first. 

Putting his car in gear, he backed out of his parking space and started to make his way to the woman’s neighborhood.  The late evening light was beginning to fade, but he would still need to wait another hour or so before entering her house.  That was fine.  She would not be home at least until 9pm.  She was out with friends right now and she never missed a night at the gym.  She would come home after she worked out, and he would be waiting. 

Deciding to make a short detour on his way to the woman’s house, he turned left onto State Street and then took a right on Williams Street.  When the town park came into view, he slowed down before turning into a parking lot and parking in the far corner under a tree.  Shutting off the car, he gazed around the area searching for her…the one he really wanted.  She spent most of her afternoons at the park, normally sitting alone on a bench while she watched her son play.  She had missed the day before because of the rain, but he knew she would be there today. 

He did not see her at first, but decided to wait a little while longer.  Time and patience were on his side, when just fifteen minutes later he saw her walking toward the swings with her son.  After holding one so he could hop on, she pushed him as high as he could go, and then rushed around to watch him from the front.  Taking out her phone, she took some pictures of him, laughing in delight as he giggled and cried for more.  She pushed him for several more minutes before he finally decided he was done.  As the boy ran to the slide, she made her way over to one of the benches and sat down to watch him.

She was so damn beautiful it made his dick grow hard as he sat there.  He wanted to do things with her that he had not wanted to do with another woman in a long time.  Slowly undoing his belt buckle, he licked his lips at the thought of the first slice he would make into her as he fucked her.  He would start with her stunning cheekbones and make his way down her body.  Glancing quickly around the parking lot, he became even more excited at the thought of getting caught doing what he was about to do as his thoughts turned to how his final moments with her would be.  Unzipping his pants, he took out his dick and wrapped his hand around its length, clutching it tightly in his fist.  Stroking it slowly, he moaned as he thought about the second cut that would slice into her perfect, cream-colored breast he could just barely see peeking out of the top of her dress.  The bright red blood would look so good against her pale skin.  Breathing heavily, he began to stroke faster, tightening his grip even more.  He needed that bite, that pain, to finish this. 

Leaning his head back against the seat, he found her with his gaze once again.  Her full attention was on her son as the boy ran from the slide to the monkey bars. 

He gripped the edge of the seat as he imagined his knife making several shallow cuts in her delicate skin.  At the thought of a final cut across her throat, ending her life after everything she had done to him, he groaned as he came, spurting all over the steering wheel.  He grimaced when some of it got on his black slacks and neatly pressed black shirt. 

Reaching over, he retrieved some napkins from the glove compartment and quickly cleaned himself up.  After one final look in her direction, he started his car and put it into gear.  It would not do him any good to get caught now.  He had big plans for the woman in front of him.  But first he would play with the dark haired beauty at the restaurant.

After driving around for another half an hour until darkness fell completely, he knew it was time.  Making his way to the woman’s house, he parked two blocks south and one street behind it.  Not seeing anyone in the area, he slipped out of his vehicle, shutting the door quietly behind him.  Silently applauding himself for his foresight to disable the overhead light in the car and also the lights of the trunk, he swiftly opened the hatchback and retrieved his bag from where it was buried beneath some blankets.  Shouldering the bag, he grabbed black gloves and slid them on.

Taking one last look around, he ran quietly through the yard in front of him, already knowing from previous trips that there would be no fences or dogs to worry about in the back.  After glancing both ways down the alley, he turned right and made his way to her back porch.  Her security was a joke, and he was inside within sixty seconds.

He took a quick tour of the house before deciding to set up his toys in the basement.  This was only his second time doing something like this, and he wanted it to be perfect.  He needed to feel the euphoria he had felt the first time.

When everything was ready, he went back upstairs and sat in the dark living room facing the kitchen.  He did not have to wait long.  Thirty-five minutes later he heard the garage door open.  He started to get excited as the door to the mudroom leading into the garage opened and then closed.  The light in the kitchen came on and then there was the sound of water running.  He imagined her getting a glass of water and the thought of the clear liquid running down her throat, a throat that would soon carry the mark of his blade, made his dick twitch.  He grinned at the thought of getting off twice in one day, but knew it would not happen this time.  It only happened with one woman.  However, maybe if he pretended this woman was HIS woman, just maybe it would.

He grinned again when the light in the kitchen went off and the hall light came on.  Rising, he followed the unsuspecting woman down the hall and into her bedroom.  Before she could turn the light on, he swiftly closed the distance between them and covered her mouth with his gloved hand.  She dropped the glass in her hand and it hit the floor, water splattering their feet.   She struggled, grasping at his arm, trying to pull his hand away from her mouth.  Kicking back, she connected with his shin, making him swear softly.  Chuckling darkly, he sneered, “How about you take a little nap, and when you wake up, we will play?”  She shook her head violently and tried to cry out as he quickly removed a needle from his pocket and plunged it deep into her neck.  It did not take long for her body to hang limply in his arms.  “Let the games begin,” he rasped as he picked her slight frame up and headed toward the basement.  He needed to get her prepared before she woke up.  He had several hours of fun ahead of him, if she lasted that long.  Come morning, she would be no more.

After two more days of being stuck in the hospital, Clint was finally released.  He was weak, and his chest burned something fierce, but he was free.  That was all that mattered to him.  He had sat in a hospital for three full weeks, only leaving to shower and eat, just six years before as he watched his mother wither away from the disease that took over her body.  Cancer was a bitch and he prayed he never had to deal with anything like it again.

“Are you ready to break out of here?” a soft voice asked from the doorway.  His head swung around in shock and he soaked in the sight of the beauty in front of him.  Once again, Lacey Donovan was in his hospital room.  Dressed in a light yellow sundress and dark brown cowboy boots, her long dark hair hanging loose down her back, she was like a ray of sunshine.  The room seemed to brighten just with her presence.  Raising her eyebrows, she asked again, “Are you ready to go, Clint?”

Clint nodded as he slowly made his way toward her.  He had signed the release paperwork already and had just finished getting dressed in some clothes his friend, Clayton Sunderman, had dropped off that morning.  The original plan was for Clay to take Clint home and help him get settled in, but he had received a call from his office while they were waiting and needed to leave.  That happened a lot since Clay had become the town mayor.  

Clint had tried calling his father to come pick him up, but there was no answer.  He figured Cliff was out with the animals and he felt guilty that he had not been able to help his dad the past few weeks.  When his mother had passed away, Clint started to go out to the ranch at least three to four times a week to help his father feed and water the cattle.  He worried Cliff was too isolated, so he spent as much time with him as he could.  His father was in his sixties, and was pretty spry for his age, but it was still hard on him to take care of the ranch on his own.  Clint had tried to get him to move to town several times, but Cliff refused.  He and his wife had bought the ranch together, and he refused to let it go.  He had originally hoped that Clint would take over the ranching someday, but Clint’s heart was in teaching.  He loved his students and could not imagine giving up his job to work on a ranch full time. 

“What are you doing here?” Clint asked bluntly.  As much as he wanted to see Lacey, he had opened himself up to her once before and had his heart ripped out and stomped on.  He would be an idiot to allow it to happen again.

Pain and uncertainty filled her gaze as she responded lightly, “Clayton called and told me you were getting released today and needed a ride home.  He said he was going to take you but something came up.”  Looking at her watch, she continued, “I only have a couple of hours before I need to get Ethan from school, so we should get going.  I want to make sure you have everything you need before I have to leave.”

“Thank you, Lacey, but I will be fine.  I planned on walking home,” Clint told her as he gazed into her beautiful, captivating green eyes.  No, dammit, he groused to himself.  He would not do this again.  Stepping around her and through the open doorway, he looked back.  “I’ll see you around, Lace.”  He ignored her soft gasp as he turned and shuffled painfully down the hall, waving off the nurse who tried to get him to sit in a wheelchair.  He didn’t care what they required, he was not a damn invalid and he would walk out of that hospital on his own two feet. 

When he stepped outside into the sunlight, Clint paused to get his bearings.  The pain in his chest had him wishing he’d accepted the prescription his doctor had written for him.  Looking around, he sighed as he raked a hand through his hair.  This had to be one of the stupidest ideas he had come up with in a long time.  How was he going to walk all of the way to the other side of town in his condition?

At the sound of a throat clearing, Clint turned to see Lacey standing behind him.  With a small smile, she nodded toward her car.  “Stop being so stubborn,” she ordered softly as she stepped closer to him.  “Let me take you home.  Then I will get you some groceries and make sure you have everything you need before I go get Ethan.”

Sighing in defeat, Clint made his way to her car and slid into the front passenger seat.  Leaning his head back, he closed his eyes as he waited for Lacey.  Wondering what was taking her so long, he turned his head to see her smiling up at Carl, her hand resting lightly on his arm.  Where the hell had he come from?  Swearing softly, Clint closed his eyes and refused to look in Lacey’s direction again. 

After a moment, the driver’s side door opened and Lacey slipped in.  “Let’s get you home,” she said as she pulled out of the parking lot.  Clint did not bother answering.  He had almost forgotten she had a new man in her life.  The reminder was like a stab to the heart.  Keeping his eyes closed, he fought to ignore the woman beside him.

Lacey glanced over at Clint in concern as she pulled into his driveway moments later.  He lived just over a mile from the hospital, and she knew there was no way he would have been able to walk that distance today, no matter how bullheaded the man was.  He was hurting, and she hated to see him in so much pain. 

Unable to stop herself, Lacey trailed a hand lightly over Clint’s soft hair and down the stubble on his cheek.  Her heart skipped a beat when Clint reached up and grabbed her wrist.  His eyes opened and she stared transfixed into his deep blue gaze.  “Don’t start something you aren’t prepared to finish,” he warned as he returned her intense gaze.

Lacey’s mouth opened slightly as she began to pant softly.  The tip of her tongue darted out, wetting her bottom lip.  Before she knew what was happening, Clint’s mouth was covering hers as he groaned deeply.  Lacey shuddered at the feeling of his lips on hers, his tongue slipping inside, and she cried out when Clint fisted her hair in his hand and repositioned her head.  Lacey wrapped her arms around Clint’s neck and pushed as close to him as possible.  She had missed this man so much.  She needed to feel him against her, touching her, loving her. 

Lacey cried out in protest when Clint tightened his hand in her hair and tugged, pulling her back away from him, but froze when she saw him grimace in pain. “Oh, God,” she whispered as she ran a hand down his arm, “I am so sorry, Clint!  I didn’t mean to hurt you.”  When Clint didn’t respond, she quickly got out of the car and ran around the front to open the passenger door.  “Come on,” she urged as Clint just sat there, his face an unnatural shade of white, “we need to get you inside.”

After a moment, Clint finally got out of the car and slowly made his way up the sidewalk to the front door.  Not looking at her, he removed his keys from his pocket and unlocked it, stepping inside.  When she would have followed, Clint held up a hand.  “I think you have done enough, Lacey,” he said gruffly before shutting the door on her. 

Staring in shocked surprise at the closed door, Lacey fought the tears that threatened to escape.  What had just happened?  Just two minutes before Clint had been kissing her, now he slammed the door in her face? 

Shaking her head in confusion, Lacey made her way back to her car and started it.  She decided she would get a couple things finished at the office and then take the rest of the day off work.  It was the last day of school, and the children were getting out early.  She was going to spend the rest of the day with her son.

Lacey’s plans changed when she stepped into her building.  Hearing her name called, she turned to find Katy Caldwell striding in her direction.  “We have a body,” Katy told her quietly as she stopped in front of her.  “Sherry Watson was found in her basement an hour ago, and it’s not pretty.”

Her eyes widening in surprise, Lacey asked, “You mean she was murdered?”  Serenity Springs was a small town.  Things like this just did not happen.  Just weeks before there was a gunman at the elementary school, and now this?

Glancing around, Katy nodded as she whispered, “We don’t want this to get out right now.  Not until we have more of an idea what happened, so we can run interference with the town.  We don’t want a bunch of terrified people out there.  Creed’s at Sherry’s place and Ryan is meeting us there.  I came back for you.  We were unable to reach you on your phone.”  Ryan was Lacey’s part-time assistant.  She was not busy enough in the small town of Serenity Springs to warrant a full-time one, but was very grateful that she had Ryan when she needed the help.

Taking out her phone, Lacey saw she had two missed calls.  “I’m sorry,” she replied, her eyes furrowing, “I was in the hospital so I turned my phone on vibrate.  I didn’t get your messages.”  Motioning for Katy to follow, Lacey walked down the hall and out the back door of the building.  Knowing there was no way she would be able to pick up Ethan in time now, she tried to call Betty Williams to see if she was available.  Betty had been a huge help with Ethan when they moved to town the year before.  She was a sixty-five year old widow who volunteered at the local library and spent the rest of her time helping others in the community.  Many times that included watching Ethan when Lacey had to work late.  Lacey swore softly when Betty didn’t answer.  Opening the driver’s door to the coroner van, Lacey jumped in and threw her purse on the floor, setting her phone on the dash. 

“What’s wrong?” Katy asked as she opened the passenger door and slid in, buckling her seat belt.

Glancing at her watch, Lacey replied, “Ethan gets out of school soon and I won’t be able to get him.  I was hoping Betty would, but she didn’t answer.”

“She’s out of town,” Katy responded as Lacey started the van and pulled out of the parking lot.  “She went to visit her sister in Iowa.”

“What?” Lacey asked in surprise.  “She didn’t tell me she was leaving.”  Not that Betty had to check in with her, but she always told Lacey when she left to see her family. 

“It was a sudden thing,” Katy told her.  “Her nephew was in a car accident and Betty said her sister needed her.  The only reason I know is because I just moved into Sloane’s old apartment down the hall from Betty and she asked me to water her plants while she’s gone.”  Pointing ahead of them, Katy said, “Sherry lives in Worthington Acres off Carrington Street.”  After giving Lacey directions, she said, “My mom’s at the grocery store now.  I’m sure she could pick up Ethan from school and take him home with her until we are done if you are alright with that?  Ethan knows her.  He would be fine.”

Lacey stiffened at the thought of Ethan being around Justice without her.  She knew she was being irrational.  Ethan had no idea why they had moved to Serenity Springs.  He knew nothing of his uncle or that Justice and Lacey had been separated at a young age.  All her son knew was that they moved because his mother had a new job.  Ethan loved the new town they lived in and had made several friends.  He was a very happy, healthy little boy.

Lacey was unsure of her welcome with Justice, so she had concentrated on her son’s well-being and avoided the Caldwell ranch since Justice had come home.  It was not that she didn’t want to meet her brother.  She did.  She just did not want to be rejected by him.  It would break her heart.

Knowing she had no other possibilities, Lacey sighed deeply and nodded to Katy in agreement.  Katy placed a call to her mother, Cara, ending it when they pulled up to Sherry’s home.  “Mom said she will pick Ethan up from school and keep him until you are finished here.  Ryder and Justice are out riding fence and will be gone most of the day, so she was going to make cookies and brownies.  She said Ethan can help.”

“Thank you,” Lacey choked out as she thought about her son meeting Justice.  She prayed she got there before he and Ryder returned.  It was bad enough she was lying to the whole Caldwell family, she didn’t think she could keep up the lie in front of her own brother.