Texas Stranger (5 page)

“I don’t like the idea of leaving you here by yourself. Why don’t you just come along with us?”

“I’ll be fine.” January answered back. “Now go and enjoy yourself.”

“Okay, but be careful and remember don’t stay in there to long.” Mary warned.

January locked the door firmly behind them as she shut the main lights off in the workout area. Just the light from the locker room was left on. Leaving the club look a little scary and deserted. As she entered the sauna and felt the warm steam on her tender skin. She positioned herself on the hard redwood bench, leaving herself to just relax. Moments later she fell softly asleep.

She could almost smell the cologne he wore as he strolled toward her on the soft sand. His chest lightly covered with dark hair tapered down to a trim waist and slim hips. His bikini brief bathing suit showed the perfection of his lean muscular body. His tanned shin gleamed a dark bronze against the white sand. January reached out her hand to him. But for some unknown reason she couldn’t reach him. She stretched even further but the more she tried the further apart they became.

“Crash!”

January woke with a start slipping off the redwood bench onto the floor of the sauna. “Even in my dreams he causes a disaster!” she cursed, trying to gain control of her slippery body.

Gathering her strength and wrapping the towel tighter around her, she opened the door of the sauna. The coolness of
the air conditioned room was almost too much for her as she staggered backward against the cool wall.

“Let’s get out of here.”

January was stunned for a second realizing there was someone in the next room.

“Hey look, someone left their purse. Let’s get it and get out of here. I’ve got the money bag.”

“Okay, okay, I just want to see what this room in here looks like.” The strange voice said.

January backed up slowly into the sauna closing the door and holding her breath as she saw the man’s shadow through the filmy glass.

“Hey man, someone is pulling in, let’s get out of here.” The other intruder shouted.

After unbearable minutes went by, January breathed with caution as she heard voices coming from the other room. She opened the door again hoping to get out and to her clothes before someone came through the shower area door.

“January are you in there?” Mary called out, cautiously opening the locker room door.

“Oh Mary!” January went limp. “I’m so glad you’re here.” January cried holding now onto Mary for dear life.

“January are you alright?” We were so worried about you. Your car was still here, and the window was broken.” Mary comforted her. “I thought you were dead.”

“They ran out when they saw you pull in. They took all the money and my purse. I was so scared. I hid in the sauna and one of them almost opened the door.” January cried harder.

“January how awful, how many were there? Did you get a look at them?”

“No, I was afraid to come out. But I think there were only two, but I’m not sure.”

“Well BJ and I are here now everything will be alright, just try to calm down, I think BJ is calling the police.” Mary comforted her.

After a few minutes BJ knocked on the door of the locker room. “The police are here.” BJ said, standing in the door way watching them.

January looked up trying to regain some control of herself when the locker doors burst open again.

“What the hell is going on in here?”

January sprang to her feet. “What are you doing here?”

“I could ask you the same thing.” Carl said coldly. “What is all the commotion about?”

“There was an apparent break in.” BJ said, turning to stare at Carl.

“Figures,” Carl said. Taking in the barely covered body, of January standing there staring at him.

“Get dressed the police will want to talk with you.”

January quickly looked down at her all but covered body and stomped her foot in frustration, realizing she had been standing there with only a towel wrapped around her.

Mary in the mean time was standing there with her mouth gaping open, totally confused at the display of words, between them. January ignored her dismay and cursed under her breath, grabbing her clothes and trying to stuff her arms through the
allotted holes. Mary stayed quiet, as January finished dressing, and was trying to run the brush through her matted hair, mumbling to herself the whole time.

Entering the workout area, January gasped as she saw the large window broken into small pieces laying on the floor. “That must have been what woke me from my dream.” She cursed out loud, remembering the dream had been about Carl.

“Has anything been stolen, Miss Manson?” The officer asked her as she surveyed the damage.

“Oh, ha...yes, I believe my purse and the bank roll, but I better check first,” she said walking into the office.

Sure enough the money had been taken along with her purse. She just stared into the empty drawer as though somehow it would all reappear.

“How much money was taken?” The officer asked, making notations on a pad of paper.

“I had $800.00 in the bank bag to be deposited in the bank tomorrow. I had about $30.00 in cash in my purse, but I had all my credit cards and bank card I guess I need to cancel them. But I guess everything else is still here,” she said looking around at the computer and adding machine.

“How many were there? Did you see any of them?”

“I think there were only two, young boys. But I can’t be sure. I didn’t see them at all. I was hiding in the sauna. But I could hear them talking to each other.”

“January, Carl wants you in the other room when your finished with the officer.” Mary said softly.

January left Mary with the officer and strolled up to the men standing by the large broken window. She noticed Carl had taken off his jacket and was stooping down by the broken pieces of glass when she came up to him.

He slowly turned around, dark eyes followed the length of her until finally settling on her oval face. He then slowly and gracefully stood, keeping his eyes transfixed on her silvery blue eyes. As he stood up slowly, his large frame towered over her as neither one spoke for a few seconds.

“The men are here, Carl.” BJ said, breaking the spell between them.

Carl slightly shook his head and looked in the direction of the door. Not moving but looking back down again at January.

“I’ve called to have this window boarded up tonight, tomorrow I’ll have that window replaced.” He said, still watching her, taking in the disarray of her attire.

“Why would you do that? I’m sure the insurance company will take care of it.” January stood unable to take her eyes from his.

“I’m also sure, but the window must be at least covered with a board or you may come into an empty club tomorrow. If there is anything else stolen then the insurance will take care of it. If the window stays uncovered the insurance won’t touch it.”

“Thank you for your trouble, the owner will appreciate your concern.”

“I am the owner, January.” Carl replied flatly.

“You? You own this building?”

“I do, along with several others.” Carl frowned down at her.

“Terrific!” January said, turning toward the office area. Numbly she sat down on the tall stool at the reception desk.

“January, there doesn’t seem to be anything else stolen, and the officer wants to know if there is anything else you’ll be needing this evening?” Mary asked.

“Don’t ask me, I’ve never been robbed before, ask Carl, he’s the expert.” January said irritability.

January sat trying to decide what to do about the money when it finally crossed her mind about her purse.

“Mary do you have your car?” January jumped out of her chair crossing the room where she and BJ stood. “They have my key’s to the apartment. I need your key to get in.” January said, following Mary across the room, to get her purse.

“The only key I have is your apartment key, BJ drove me in and I loaned my car to my cousin.” Mary apologized.

“Officer would you drive me home? The men that broke in also have the key’s to my apartment, and my address is on my drivers license.”

“Mr. Richards has already thought of that Miss.” The officer said strolling indifferently, toward the door.

“Mr. Richards?” January stood looking after him. “Who is Mr. Richards?”

“Me,” Carl said strolling over to her. “I figured your address was also in your purse so now someone is waiting at your house in case they try to break in there also.”

“Do you really think they will break in my house?”

“Maybe,” he said walking toward the men again.

“Do you want to come home with me until you can call the office and have your locks changed?” Mary offered.

“No, I’ll have one of the officers to take me home. I’ll be alright.” January assured her.

“You’re not going home alone.” Carl over heard the conversation.

“Don’t tell me what I’m going to do, Mr. Richards!” January said mocking his name.

“It’s to dangerous, I’ll stay there tonight and tomorrow you can have the locks changed, but tonight you’d better stay with Mary.”

“I’m going home,” January said, walking toward the officer standing in the door watching the commotion.

“Then you’ll have to stay there with me because I’m going with you. Miss Manson.” Carl said, mocking her name as well.

“Don’t trouble yourself Mr. Richards, you’ve done enough already.”

“You’ve got that right, but I would feel guilty if anything happened to you. So don’t argue with me.”

January was too tired to argue as she let him lead her to the door. He stopped momentarily to issue more orders to the working crew, and to BJ.

Being lead out to Carl’s sports car.
That was just his style
, she thought miserably. But she settled down into the plush seat and tried to relax. The next thing she knew he was shaking her shoulder softly.

“January, wake up, your home.” Carl said, looking into her eyes, as his breath softly brushed her face.

“It’s best we keep the light off.” He said, helping her out of the car.

“Do you think they will show up tonight?”

He ignored her question as he took the key from her and opened the door.

The apartment was dark except for the porch light outside on the corner of the building, that was barely shining light through her window. Taking a minute to adjust to the lighting, they both entered the living room.

“So what do we do now,” January asked, walking into the middle of the room.

“Well, you...ouch! What was that?” Carl muttered, under his breath, as he ran into something sharp.

“The coffee table.” January almost laughed out loud. Serves him right, she beamed, it was about time, he felt some pain. “You were saying.” She grinned.

“Hum... I said you can go on to bed and I’ll just make myself comfortable on the sofa, in case they decide to come here tonight.”

“I’m afraid if I did go to bed, I would never be able to sleep.” January said, walking toward the kitchen. But stopped abruptly as she realized Carl was groping for some sort of direction. His long arms feeling wildly around him before he took further steps. January watched him in the dim light, for she knew where every piece of furniture was and he was having a time trying to figure out the arrangement. She became still as his arms came dangerously close. His forearms came in contact with her shoulders, and he also stopped suddenly. She was
unable to move from the contact. He was quiet for some time as he hands held her shoulders tenderly. She wished she could see his face, but it was impossible in the darkened room. She could almost feel the warmth from his body as he moved closer to her. She caught her breath as the fragrance of his cologne drifted by her nose. Her knees were getting weaker by the second as she waited for him to say something, or do something.

“I could help you sleep,” he said softly, pulling her closer, putting his hands on her back, rubbing the tense muscles.

January had trouble finding her voice as his hand slowly edged its way down her back making contact with her lower back as he gently pulled her toward him. She became powerless as she leaned against him in total surrender. January looked up to receive his kiss just as the noise at the door broke them apart. Carl had cleared the furniture and was behind the door in seconds. The door slowly opened, and the small young boy stepped through, another followed behind.

Carl waited until both boys had entered through the door way before he slammed the door shut behind them. Both scrambled to get to the closed door, but it had been blocked by Carl. January in the mean time was frozen to the spot where Carl had left her.

“January, turn the light on.” Carl ordered.

January temporarily blinded them all as Carl took both boys by the arms and led them toward the sofa. The larger of the two tried to get past Carl and nearly knocked him over in the process. But Carl was way to quick for either of them as he shoved the larger of the two on the floor.

“You make a false move and I’ll see you never walk again.” Carl threatened. It seemed to scare the boys into obedience, for they both made their way to the sofa and sat quietly.

Everything was happening so fast January hardly had time to think. The police lead the two boys off to jail, and Carl was taking care of everything else. The police gave her belongings to her that the boys had left in the car.

“I think you’ll be alright now,” Carl said, walking toward her where she had sat on the sofa.

“Yes, I suppose so.” January, looked up at him.

“You look tired, why don’t you go ahead to bed and I’ll just make myself comfortable here on the sofa if you don’t mind. I have some things to take care of tomorrow morning in town, and I would hate to drive back to the country tonight.”

“No, of course I don’t mind, your more than welcome to sleep in the guest bedroom if you wish, there’s clean sheets on the bed. I’m sure you’ll be more comfortable.” January, moved toward the guest bedroom leading the way.

“I appreciate your hospitality,” Carl followed her, grinning slightly at her apparent nervousness.

“I feel I owe you more than just a place to sleep tonight, for all you’ve done for me lately.” She said pulling the covers down on the bed.