Safe at Home (Warm Springs Trilogy Book 1) (22 page)

Sam stayed late each night in hopes her presence would help distract Betsy from her worries. Sam understood what a powerful tool the imagination could be. Ever since Betsy found out the fire might have been set intentionally, she was high strung and restless. She and Spencer tried to reassure Betsy that even though it was suspected arson, the fire was most likely an accident or stupid prank started by some local teenagers.

The hotel looked great. Sam couldn’t believe how much progress they’d made in a week. Spencer was determined to finish in time for the Christmas rush, so Earl and Betsy wouldn’t miss out on potential guests. The man worked endlessly. Sam watched Spencer as he hauled another board around the backside of the building from her place at the front window of the shop and sighed audibly.

“So, what’re you going to get him for Christmas?”

Sam’s heart leapt into her throat. “Mary, you scared me.” Sam turned to look at her friend while she waited for her heart to settle down.

“Good view of the hotel from this side of the street, don’t you think?” Mary’s eyes twinkled wickedly.

“Yes, indeed.” Sam laughed and stepped back from the window.

“Well, what are you going to get that boy for Christmas?”

“I don’t know. I haven’t really had a chance to think about it.” Sam stepped away from the window. “Any ideas?”

“Oh child, I don’t know anything about what a young man like that wants except for the obvious.” With a wink, Mary headed to the back to go over inventory.

Sam couldn’t contain her giggle. Even though they were both exhausted at the end of each day, she and Spencer always seemed to manage a second wind when it came to each other.

Spencer stayed at her house almost every night that week and she didn’t mind one bit. She was enjoying his company, amongst other things. Mary did present a good question though. What was she going to get Spencer?
What do you get for the man who doesn’t seem to need anything?
Her mind was still in the clouds when a hand landed on her shoulder.

“Hi,” cried a bubbly voice.

“Jeez, Jenny, you scared the crap out of me. I need eyes in the back of my head around here.”

“Sorry about that. I was in the neighborhood doing some shopping for my folks and thought I’d drop in. You were in the zone, huh? You didn’t even turn around at the sound of the door chime.” Jenny crossed her arms in front of her and cocked her head to one side. “So, who were you thinking about?”

“Who says I was thinking about someone?” Sam rearranged a porcelain doll and kept her face hidden.

“Oh, you were thinking about someone all right. And I bet I know who,” Jenny added in a singsong voice.

“There are worse ways to pass the time.”

“You got that right.” Jenny followed Sam and bounced on her toes. “So, what’re you getting Spencer for Christmas?”

“That’s exactly what I was trying to figure out. Any ideas?”

Jenny straightened a red and green velvet doll dress and then turned and leaned against a marble-topped buffet table. “Um . . . well there’s always fishing gear. Or a manly tool. But, that’s not what I’d give the guy who’s totally in love with me.”

Sam’s face ignited in flames. “Oh, Jenny, come on. Let’s not get ahead of ourselves.”

“Please, I’ve known that boy my entire life and he’s never looked at another woman the way he looks at you. I can’t wait for a man to feel that way about me.” Jenny placed a hand over her heart and sighed.

Sam shook her head, but couldn’t erase her smile.

“Well, I was just popping in to say hi. I’m off to finish some more shopping. Then, I have a showing this afternoon.”

“Good luck with your showing.”

“Thanks.” Jenny picked her bags up off the floor and moved to the door. “We should get Ann and grab lunch later this week.”

“Sounds good.”

“Okay, bye.” With a wave Jenny was out the door.

Spencer nailed another board into place as he thought through possible gifts for Sam. Nothing seemed to hit the mark. The last week had been the best of his life. Sam seemed more open than ever, not to mention she was sexy as hell.

He knew what he wanted to get her, but he didn’t want to scare her. The velvet box his mother gave him after his father’s death still sat waiting in his top drawer. He reached in his tool belt for another nail and paused when he saw his brother smirking at him. “What?”

Jake chuckled. “Nothing, Spence. How’s Sam?”

“She’s fine. Watch what you’re doing with that hammer. You don’t want to smash a finger.”

“Quit changing the subject. She’s a good match for you, Mr. Bachelor of the family.”

Spencer threw a dirty rag at his brother.

Jake caught it with one hand. “All kidding aside, Ann’s crazy about her, you know? And obviously, you are too.”

Spencer rubbed his arm across his forehead. His brother could be a real pain in the ass, but for once, he wasn’t wrong.

“Spencer, honey, can you come down for a minute and help me with something.” Betsy stood on the ground looking up at them while shielding her eyes from the sun.

“Sure thing.” Spencer climbed down his ladder. “What can I do for you?”

“Listen, I know I’ve have been a little unlike myself lately.” She wrung her hands together as she seemed to search for the right words.

“Betsy anyone would after being through what you and Earl have been through.” He placed consoling hand on her shoulder.

“Well, it’s just that I thought of something last night. The night you came over for dinner, I tried to tell Sam something, but then we got distracted and there was the fire and Earl and I forgot. And now with everything… Anyway, I don’t want to put it off any longer so I thought I’d tell you and let you make sense of it.”

“Okay, tell me what you’ve remembered.” He did his best to remain expressionless even though his insides were churning.

“A man stopped by and asked Earl and me if we could help him find his cousin. He said he had reason to believe she was here, but he didn’t know exactly where.” Betsy fiddled with her apron. “The picture he showed us was of Sam.”

“I see,” was all Spencer could manage. “Do you think it was her cousin?”

“Well, that’s the problem, there was something about him. He wasn’t impolite, but he was a little standoffish. Earl and I decided the best thing was to say we couldn’t help him and then ask Sam about it, but when the fire happened I forgot about him completely.”

“It’s okay, Betsy. You and Earl did the right thing. You never know what kind of person you’re dealing with.”

Betsy glanced behind her. “One other thing. The guy, he seemed to get mad when we told him we couldn’t help him. Why would her cousin get mad? He balled his hand into a fist until his knuckles turned white. He probably thought I couldn’t see him because of the counter, but I could. And his teeth were clenched together when he said thanks and turned for the door. There was something about him,” she repeated.

“I’ll talk to Sam. If he is her cousin, she can just call him and apologize for the mix up. It won’t be a big deal. It was kind of you and Earl to look out for her that way.”

Betsy smiled and her shoulders relaxed. “She feels like part of our own family. We used to worry about her, but she seems happy now. I think you might have something to do with that.”

One side of Spencer’s mouth raised in a smile. “I’m lucky she puts up with me. Betsy, rest easy. I think it’s all going to be fine. Did you tell Chase about the guy for investigation purposes?”

“I called him this morning. Gave him the best description I could. They’re still waiting on the DNA results to come in.” Betsy lowered her voice. “This is all so scary.”

“I know it is, but you’ll be up and running again soon.”

“You boys have been wonderful. As soon as the kitchen’s in working order I promise to make a dinner you won’t soon forget.”

“Then I’ll work twice as fast.” He winked at her and kept his smile plastered on his face until Betsy was back inside.

Eric watched as she pulled up to the curb in front of the townhomes. The new, empty development would make the perfect backdrop for their introduction. He could see her move around in her car. First, she touched up her makeup and brushed her blond hair. She leaned back in her seat and read over some papers in her hands. A squirrel bolted up the trunk beside him, its eyes wide with fear. Eric ran a hand through his greasy hair, and with the trees at his back, stepped out into the sun.

He tapped on her window and made her jump. “Sorry to scare you.” He smiled. “You must be, Jenny.”

“Yes, I am.” Her voice was muted behind the glass and then she opened her door and got out of the car. “I didn’t hear you pull up.”

He looked her up and down, his gaze resting on her exposed legs. Blood filled her cheeks and then she pulled at her skirt self-consciously.

She straightened and scanned the area. “Where did you park?”

“I’m staying close to here, so it made sense to walk.”

She turned on a sales smile and gestured to the door. “Would you like to take a look inside? These townhomes are brand new, as I’m sure you can tell. You’d be the first tenant.”

He remained quiet and walked to the door. “After you.” He said it politely, but didn’t allow her enough room to pass without brushing against him.

The same flush colored her cheeks. “Thank you.”

She unlocked the door and the smell of fresh paint greeted them. “As you can see, this is the dining area, but it could also be used as a study. A lot of people seem to be doing that these days. This unit is a three bedroom and two bath and it has a lovely little fenced-in backyard. The kitchen is big for this kind of setup. It’s one of its best features.”

When she turned around, he was right behind her. He wasn’t looking at the house. He was memorizing her smell, studying her movements.

“D-Do you have any questions about what you’ve seen so far or the area?” she stammered.

He loved the way he was beginning to make her nervous. Her voice was audibly higher pitched than it had been outside. “Just one.” He sneered and stepped toward her. “Why would you want to be friends with a lying bitch like Samantha?”

Her eyes widened. “I’m sorry, what?” Jenny tried to step back to regain some of her personal space.

“Samantha Parker, I saw you talking to her. It’s such a pity really, you’re very pretty. Such a waste to die over one simple mistake.” He took another slow step toward her.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about. Do you know Sam?” She took a few more backward steps and smacked into the wall.

Eric slammed his hand against the wall beside her head. “Do I know her?” He turned his head to the side and spit on the fresh carpet. “You could say that.” His slow deliberate movements stopped then and his hand flew up and closed around her throat.

“Please,” Jenny gasped. “What do you want from me?”

He slung her to the ground by the neck and knelt over her while she continued to try to catch her breath. She kicked at him and tried to claw her way toward the front door. Pain shot through his ribs from the blow, but there wasn’t enough power behind her kick to stop him for long. He grabbed her by the ankles and dragged her away from the door. The back of his hand cracked across her face. Tears sprang into her eyes.

Pleasure pulsed through him. In prison it had been blind hate driving him when he slit the throat of the little punk who killed his brother. He’d never killed anyone before and he decided he liked the way it made him feel. Powerful, better than any high he’d ever had. Though he enjoyed the feel of the knife as it slid across his victim’s throat, it hadn’t lasted long enough.

With Denise he’d been able to take his time. The memory of watching her suffer excited him. If he really concentrated he could remember the smell of her burning hair and flesh. The act satiated his rage temporarily, but no one was an ample substitute for Samantha.

His mother would be proud of him. Her little boy was all grown up and taking care of the family. He was the man of the house now. He wondered for a second what she’d say about his time with Jenny, but a man had needs. Needs he intended to take care of with the sweet little blond who whimpered beneath him.

He stood and drug her across the hall to the front door, pausing to look out the window. The area was still clear. His eyes fell on Jenny who lay curled in a ball at his feet. She really was pretty. The purple beginning to show around her right eye didn’t hide the fact that she looked like a prom queen. He’d never had a girl like her before. He was going to enjoy this.

Her keys lay on the floor, glinting in the afternoon sun. He grabbed them and stuffed them into his pocket. She took the opportunity to crawl down the front steps and she’d nearly made it to the sidewalk, when he yanked her back by the hair.

When he pulled her to her feet and pressed his lips against her ear, he inhaled deeply. “Time to go for a little ride.”

Chapter 28

“I’m glad you’re getting out of my hair tonight. I had some reading I wanted to do anyway,” Sam teased. “Maybe a warm bath.”

“Reading? You’re choosing reading over…” He kissed her neck.

“Don’t start that, you’ll be late for dinner.” She giggled.

“What dinner?”

She shoved at his chest. “Spencer.”

“I’m going. I’m going. I know when I’m not wanted.” He pinched her backside making her jump. “See you tomorrow?”

“Of course. Have fun and tell Jake and Ann I say hello.”

“Will do.” He opened her car door and waited while she climbed inside before jogging back across the street to meet up with Jake. At least he’d been able to act like there wasn’t anything bothering him long enough to say goodnight to her. He glanced back over his shoulder at her car as she pulled out into traffic. Letting her go had never been so hard.

“You ready to go?” he called to Jake.

“Just got to grab my bag. Meet you at the truck,” Jake hollered.

Spencer took his time and thought about what Betsy said on their drive. He agreed with her, something wasn’t adding up. He didn’t want to overreact, but the sickening twist in his gut proved it might be impossible. He didn’t want to freak Sam out if there wasn’t a reason to.