Random Acts (4 page)

“Did she leave a number?” Danielle tapped her fingers on the arm of the swing and shifted in her seat. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed something moving. The tiny hairs on the back of her neck stood up. Snapping her head around, she pushed off the swing. She grabbed the chain to stop it from clattering against the railing. Narrowing her gaze, she scanned the dark edge of trees and bushes lining the property. A splash of orange caught her eye then vanished. Her pulse roared in her ears. The digits her assistant rattled off barely registered. It didn’t matter. The number was undoubtedly on her list of missed calls.

“Okay, thanks.” Distracted, Danielle ended the call. Wrapping her fingers around the sleek plastic of her cell phone, she pressed it to her chest. Was someone out there? Watching her?

The distinct sound of a twig snapping sent a surge of cold fear racing through her veins. Leaning on the wood railing, a white chip of paint dug into her palm. She cleared her throat. “Hello, is someone there?”

“Is everything okay?”

Danielle spun around, surprise and something akin to fear lighting her crystal-clear blue eyes. Patrick planted a foot on the bottom step of the porch and leaned on the railing with crossed arms. “
Is
everything okay?”

Danielle shook her head, her golden-auburn locks flowing freely over her shoulders. “I heard something over there.” She pointed toward the trees. “Probably an animal.”

“I’ll check it out.” He strolled toward the tree line and glanced over his shoulder at her. Something in Danielle’s body language and intense gaze spoke of her genuine concern. He stepped carefully into the wooded area. A thick blanket of decaying leaves crunched under his feet. The tree branches above blocked the remaining light of the overcast afternoon, and a chill cut through the thin fabric of his uniform shirt as he scanned the deep shadows. He could barely make out the shapes of the trees, but nothing seemed out of the ordinary.

After listening in silence for a few moments, he returned to Danielle. “Must have been an animal. I’ve seen a few deer recently.”

Briefly closing her eyes, she nodded. “I’m just jittery. Caffeine and lack of sleep. Not a good combination.” She ran a hand through the loose strands of her hair.

“It’s nice.”

The corners of Danielle’s delicate mouth turned down in confusion.

He jerked his chin toward her. “Your hair. It looks nice down.”

She shrugged, seemingly self-conscious. “It’s a mess.”

Sensing he had said too much, Patrick lifted his hand, jangling a set of keys. “Left my vehicle in your driveway. Can’t very well get back to work without it.”

“Of course.” She glanced at the police cruiser sitting in the driveway. “I’ll have to rent a car. I hadn’t expected to be in Mayport for more than a day or two.”

“We can take care of that later. I’ll bring you and Gram up to the hospital this afternoon.”

“We’ve already taken too much of your time.” She crossed to the top of the steps and tapped her fingers on the rail. “I’m sure you have
other
work to do.”

“No rest for the weary.”

“Right.” The smile slipped from her face.

Had he said something to offend her?

Danielle pressed her lips together and bowed her head, seemingly studying the pile of leaves trapped at the bottom of the porch steps. After a beat of silence, she lifted her face, her expressive eyes radiating a deep hurt.

What was going on in her pretty little head? He mentally shook away the thought.
Never mind
. It was too easy to get emotionally caught up with Danielle considering their shared past.

“I’m sorry about your wife,” Danielle said, her words jarring him. “I should have sent a card, but then too much time had passed…” The words trailed off and she looked down, her lashes sweeping her smooth cheeks.

“Thanks.” He let out a long breath. “It’s been a tough go.”

“Gram told me you moved back last year.” Lacing her fingers in front of her, she came down the porch steps, closing the distance between them, her soft floral fragrance awakening his senses.

“Ava and I tried to make a go of it on the base, but in the end we decided to move home. I needed Bunny’s help.” He stuffed his hands in his pockets and shrugged. “Not easy for a single dad to raise a daughter.”

“I’m sure Bunny loves having her granddaughter to dote on”

Patrick laughed. “After raising two boys, she’s in her glory. But you know Bunny. She loves Ava to pieces, but she refuses to be called Grandma. Kinda like how she never liked to be called Mom.” He leaned back on the railing and let his eyes take in her delicate features. “It’s great to see you.” He reached out and brushed away a strand of hair caught on the corner of her mouth. He sensed a subtle flinch, but she didn’t back away. “I wish it had been under different circumstances.”

“Me too.” Pink colored her cheeks.

“You haven’t been home in a while.”

“Work keeps me busy.” A far-away look descended into her eyes. “And you were right earlier. It’s more than that. This town doesn’t exactly conjure up the best memories.”

“I hope that doesn’t include me.”

She glared down her nose at him before a playful smile brightened her face. “I see your ego’s intact.”

“I never had a big ego.” He furrowed his brow and jerked his head back in mock indignation.

Leaning in, her breath whispered across his cheek, taunting him. “Give me a break. The hot-shot high school quarterback. Didn’t you date the prom queen?”

Patrick ran a hand across his chin. “I wonder what happened to what’s-her-name?”

She swatted at him. “I have a feeling you left a lot of girls in your wake.” A serious expression darkened her eyes.

He dared to trace a finger down her smooth cheek, his eyes drifting to her soft, warm lips. Her features stilled. “You were so young,” he said, his voice husky. “Had just graduated from high school. And my mother…” How could he put into words the confused emotions of a man barely out of his teens?

Shaking her head, Danielle took a few steps. The dead leaves crunched under her feet. “I’m glad you figured it out for the both of us.”

He scrubbed a hand across his face. “Man, we
both
were young.”

“You’re right.” She lifted her palms, her expression growing hard. “No harm. No foul. It was just a summer fling, right? You already had Lisa back at college.”

“Lisa and I weren’t dating that summer. I wouldn’t have kissed you if I’d had a girlfriend.” He reached out for her hand, but she stepped out of his grasp. “Is that what you thought?”

“Does it really matter?” She waved him away. “It was a lifetime ago.”

It
did
seem like a lifetime ago. He and Danielle had been strictly friends for almost four years. Then he came home the summer after she graduated from high school and realized his tomboy neighbor had grown into a beautiful young woman. His heart tightened at the memory.

“I met Lisa the fall of my senior year in college,” he explained. “We had one of those whirlwind romances. It made sense to get married when I graduated because I was being deployed.”

Danielle nodded, her lips pressing into a thin line. A sheen of something he couldn’t quite identify shone in her eyes.

“It
is
nice to see you.” He reached out. This time he was able to squeeze her forearm. Had he sensed a quiet trembling?

“Nice to see you too.” Danielle slipped past him. “It’s chilly out here.” She rubbed her hands down her arms. “I need to see if Gram is ready to go to the hospital.” She disappeared into the house, leaving him standing in the cold.

Chapter Four

Danielle climbed into her childhood bed and pulled the covers to her chin, relieved to be alone. The trip to the hospital had left her exhausted and emotionally spent. Gram had nearly fainted when she had seen Jenny’s bruised face and battered body. The fleeting nature of life was never more evident than when Danielle stood by her sister’s hospital bed with her grandmother who suddenly seemed older than her years.

Danielle hated to admit it, but Patrick had been a huge comfort since this ordeal had begun. He had shown such warmth and compassion to both her and her grandmother. The familiar pangs of guilt twisted her insides. How had she moved away without a second thought, abandoning the only woman who had shown her love? The reality of the situation had become clear. Jenny needed her. Gram needed her.

But she had responsibilities in Atlanta.

Danielle flipped over her pillow and punched it. She curled up on her side and pressed her eyes closed. Sleep eluded her.

She wasn’t sure how long she had been lying there dozing when suddenly she opened her eyes. Adrenaline surged through her veins. The blood in her ears roared, deafening her. Sucking in deep breaths, she struggled to shake the nauseating mix of panic and confusion. The obscure outlines in the darkened room were as disorienting as the jolt of emotions swirling through her system. Where was she? And what had startled her out of a fitful sleep?

Danielle pushed up on her elbow and blinked. The forms in the bedroom took shape.
Ah, my childhood bedroom
. The thick branches of the oak tree outside her window swayed in the wind, a few thin branches clacking against the exterior wall. The old windows rattled in their frames.

The large red letters on the digital clock read 3:33
.
Danielle lay back down and pulled the covers up, trying to get comfortable, but she feared she’d never get back to sleep, not with the events of the past twenty-four hours crowding in on her again.

She rubbed a hand across her eyes and tossed back the scratchy sheets. Why bother pretending? Her nerves were on overdrive. She swung her legs over the side of the bed and braced herself for the inevitable chill of the cold hard wood on her bare feet. Some things you never forgot. Her townhouse had plush carpeting in the bedroom.

She glanced toward the bathroom adjoining this room with her sister’s.
Her sister…
“Jenny, where were you going? What made you run off the road?” Tears burned the back of her eyes. She took in a deep breath and exhaled slowly. Things always seemed much worse in the dark of night.

An idea struck her. One she should have considered earlier if her brain hadn’t been frazzled. Between her sister’s accident and seeing Patrick again, she hadn’t thought of her sister’s cell phone. Maybe there was a record of a phone call prior to her going out. She scratched her forehead. Did it really matter where Jenny was going? It wouldn’t change the outcome. But it was just like her to try to put everything in a neat little box.

A crash sounded through the quiet air.
She froze, still seated on the edge of the bed. Tiny pinpricks swept across her scalp. The strumming of her pulse in her ears made it impossible to hear. A thud vibrated the cold floor beneath her feet. Swallowing hard, she felt for her cell phone on the nightstand. Her clumsy movements knocked it to the wood floor with a resounding clatter. She sucked in a breath and glanced toward the door. Only shadows. And silence.

She got down on all fours and breathed a sigh of relief when her fingers brushed the hard plastic of her cell phone. After getting to her feet, she tiptoed across the frigid floor to the bathroom. Holding her breath, she paused in the doorway, straining to hear.

Another creak pierced the dead of night. Footsteps in the kitchen? She doubted Gram would venture downstairs at this hour. Panic seized her heart. No, Gram definitely wouldn’t be wandering around the kitchen. She had helped her grandmother climb the stairs to her second-floor bedroom before retiring and it wasn’t likely she’d wandered downstairs in the dark.

Heart racing, Danielle stepped back into the bathroom. She pulled the pocket door closed, cringing as the wheels scraped in their track. She slid the flimsy lock into place and raced to the adjoining door. She pulled on the handle, but it wouldn’t budge. The door was stuck in the pocket, hung up on something in the track. Her mouth dry, she crossed her sister’s darkened room, tripping on a pair of discarded shoes. Instinctively, she folded in pain, biting back a yelp. When did her sister get this messy? She limped to the bedroom door, closed it and pressed the lock, knowing full well a bobby pin or one swift kick could bust it open. But she prayed it would buy her some time. Well, praying wasn’t exactly the right word.

Grabbing her jeans from the side of the tub where she had discarded them in her exhaustion, she rifled through the pockets for Patrick’s business card. She never expected to be dialing the number. Certainly not hours after he had given it to her. But now she was grateful to have his cell-phone number in hand. She punched in the digits with shaky fingers.

He answered on the second ring. “Kingsley.” His voice was husky with sleep. Suddenly doubt crept into her mind. A buzzing filled her ears, punctuated by a drip from the sink. Maybe the sounds had been nothing more than an old house settling in the night, the tree branches scraping against the siding.

“Kingsley,” he repeated, his voice urgent this time.

“Patrick,” she whispered, her voice sounding loud to her ears, echoing in the quiet confines of the bathroom, “I think someone’s in the house.”

“Who is this?”

“Danielle. Danielle Carson.” Her heart dropped. Why had she expected him to recognize her voice?