Trying to Survive (The Kiser #1) (10 page)

    
“Yes, I would.”
 
Ellis and my
parents hated each other. My father had once tried to destroy everything Ellis
had built.
 
He didn’t succeed and had
made a lifetime enemy of my family.
 
Now
he was the only one that could compete with them, and the only one that could
help me retain my business if they tried to break me.

    
“And the woman?”

    
“I’m not doing anything with that woman.
 
Hell, even I won’t fuck her.
 
I
may have to make an appearance with her from time to time but that’s just to
fool mother.”

    
“You’re a fucking genius!”
 
Matt
said with a grin.
 
“I can’t wait until
your mother finds out you outsmarted her.”
 
He laughed.
 

    
I was laughing with him now.
 
“By
the way, I hired a bodyguard.
 
His name
is Gino.
 
He’s twenty-three and just got
out of the marines.”

    
“Good.
 
Where is he?”
 
Matt looked around but I just shook my head.

    
“He starts tomorrow.
 
He’ll go
everywhere I go.
 
I rented a condo in my
building for him so he would be close by if I decided to go out.”

    
“That’s smart.”
 
Matt continued
eating.

    
With the pancakes gone and my coffee refilled, “I’m going to the clinic
tomorrow to see if I can find out anything about the mystery woman.”
 
Matt looked at me in stunned silence before a
happy grin split his face.

    
“Good.”
 
He sipped his coffee, but
his grin remained.

****

    
Walking in to the 24-hour clinic, I found the receptionist staring at me
with lust-filled eyes.
 
“Mr. Withers,
what can I do for you?”
 
I heard the
double meaning but ignored it.
 
She
ignored Gino, who stood slightly behind me watching the waiting room.
 
She leaned a little closer effectively
showing off her cleavage and giving me a good look down her shirt.
 
Knowing how to play the situation to get what
I want, I let her catch me looking and then smiled back.
 

    
“I need some information about a patient that was here.”
 
My eyes locked with hers and I knew the way
it appeared.
 

    
“Sure, what’s the name?”
 
That was
the thing about being a single millionaire; everyone would bend over backwards
for you.

    
“Jake Smith.”
 
She started typing
and I could see her reading the information.

    
“Jake Smith.
 
He was here Dec. 30
^th
and after some x-rays, he was sent home.”
 
She smiled up at me.

    
“Who brought him in?”
 
She looked
back to the computer.

    
“It looks like
Carlana
Kiser brought him.”
 
Carlana
, I let the
word roll around in my mouth for a second.

    
“And the bill?”
 
Now I was just
plain curious.

    
“It’s paid in full.
 
Mrs. Kiser
used her credit card.”
 
I stared at her
with disbelief.
 
Why would someone pay my
bill?
 
I couldn’t even fathom the idea.

    
“Can I have a copy of Mrs. Kiser’s information?”

    
“Well, we’re really not supposed to give it out.”
 
She discreetly looked around for any other
employees.
  
”Sure you can.”
 
She looked seductively at me and batted her
eyes.
 
“Anything for you Mr. Withers.”

    
“Thank you so much.”

    
Sitting on my couch at home, I looked over the information from the
clinic.
 
I asked Gino to run a background
check on Mrs. Kiser, and was waiting for his report.
 
I still couldn’t wrap my mind around someone
taking care of me and paying my bill.
 
I
still hadn’t heard anything from her.
 
Looking at her phone number, I pulled my own phone out and sent her a text.
 
I don’t know why I did that, but I couldn’t
help myself.
 
I had images of deep green
eyes staring into mine.
 
Good morning
Carlana
.
 
I sat there staring at my phone, and when
I received the
Good morning,
I let
out the breath I didn’t realize I was holding.

Who
Keeps Texting Me?

    
“Hey Megan, how’s your mom?”
 
I
asked as I picked her up.
 
We had a day
of shopping planned while the kids were in school, not that I needed to be
home.
 
However, Austin still liked to be
there with me of evenings, probably more for my benefit.

    
“She’s good.
 
You can’t even tell she
had a heart attack.”

    
“That’s good.”
 
Pulling out from
her drive, I felt my phone vibrate.
 
Glancing down, I saw the unfamiliar number and my breath caught.
 
It had been a month since the last text, well
the only text.
  
Looking at the screen, I
read
Good morning
Carlana
.

    
“What’s
wrong?”
 
Megan asked while trying to look
at my phone.

    
“Nothing, I just received an odd text.”

    
“Let me see.”
 
She grabbed it away
from me.
 
“Hmm.”

    
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
 
I
noticed her typing back.
 
“What are you
doing?”
 
I reached for the phone, but she
moved it out of arm’s length.

    
“Someone has an admirer!”
 
She
laughed.

    
“I do not!”

    
“Okay, then a stalker?”
 
She
suddenly looked serious.
 
“You think it’s
a stalker?
 
Maybe you shouldn’t text
back.
 
People are crazy these days.”

    
“No, it’s not a stalker.
 
I don’t
know who it is, but they texted me about a month ago and it said the same
thing.”
 
She started typing again.
 
“What are you doing?”
 
I squealed.

    
“Answering him.
 
He must be
harmless if he texted a month ago and that was it.”

    
“Give me that!
 
And how do you
know it’s a he?”
 
I looked down and she
had replied,
Good morning.
 
How are you and who is this?

 
   
“I just assume it’s a
he
.
 
Why would a woman be so mysterious?”
 
That was a good question, however, I didn’t
know anyone with that area code, not that I had met any new people.
 
I know I hadn’t gave my phone number to
anyone.

    
“Good point.”
 
Driving down the
highway I heard my phone ding, announcing a new text message.
 
I’m
fine, and I’m someone who owes you a debt.
 
What on earth does that mean?
 
I pondered his statement until we made it to the mall.

    
Finally deciding on my reply, I typed
Nobody owes me a debt.
 
Have a
nice day.
 
There we go, polite and I
ended the conversation.
 
“Where to
first?”
 
Megan asked.

    
“I don’t know.
 
It’s up to
you.”
 
What are you doing?
 
What is
up with this person!

    
“Let’s go to Macy’s.
 
I want to
look at their dresses.”
 
Trying to shop, but
someone
keeps distracting me.

    
“Sounds good to me.”
 
We made our
way to Macy’s but I couldn’t stop thinking about the text.
 
Who was sending them?
 
I switched my phone to vibrate as we
shopped.
 
Feeling the vibration, I looked
at my phone to find another message.
 
So you’re a shopper are you?

    
“He is still texting you?”
 
Looking up, I found Megan watching me.

    
“Yes, and it may not be a
he
.”

    
“What’s he saying?”

    
“He or she is asking what I’m doing and if I like to shop.
 
Weird huh?”

    
“I don’t know, it seems harmless enough.
 
What could it hurt to talk to him?”

    
“Why would I do that?
 
This is
just very strange.”

    
“Oh come on Lana, have fun with it.
 
It’s just texting.”
 
She started
looking at more dresses, and then other clothes.
 
She was right, why wouldn’t I text whoever it
was.
 
If someone came up to me and
started talking, I would be friendly.

    
Looking down at my phone, I typed,
No,
I’m not really a shopper.
 
My friend and
I go out once every couple of months.

    
Really?
 
Seams
strange for a woman.
 
Who’s the friend?

    
Maybe the women you know, but not us, and
it’s none of your business who the friend is.

    
How do you know the women I know?
 
Are you out with a man?
 
I
wanted to laugh at that.
 
I’ve only been
with one man my entire life, and there hasn’t been anyone since his death.

    
I don’t.
 
Who is this?

    
You didn’t answer my other question.

    
You didn’t answer mine either.
 
I waited, but never received anything else.
 
Shrugging, I found a dress along with a nice
pair of boots that would complement it.
 
I loved wearing dresses with boots, it was very comfortable.

    
“So how did the texting go?”
 
Megan
asked as we made our way to the food court.

    
“When I asked his name and wouldn’t tell him who I was with, he
stopped.”
 
I might sound nonchalant, but
I couldn’t get the text messages off of my mind.
 
Who could it possibly be? Who could be
texting me and how did he get my number.
 
As reluctant as I was, I’ll admit that it was very exciting.
 

    
“Huh.”
 
That was all she
said.
 
We shopped for a couple more hours
after lunch and then decided to head home.

****

    
“Mom, where are you?”
 
Austin yelled, coming in the front door.

    
“In the kitchen.”
 
Walking in, he
took a seat at the bar.
 
It was Friday
night and he should be going out.
 
I
needed to start spending more time alone so when he left for college it
wouldn’t be such a shock.
 
I would never
tell him but I dreaded it so bad, him leaving.
 
However, there is no way I’d ever ask him to stay.
 
I want him to go.

    
“What are you doing tonight?”
 
He
asked as he grabbed a cookie and stuffed it in his mouth.

    
“I have plans to take a hot bath and then curl up on the couch and
finish reading my book.”
 
I wiggled my
eyebrows at him.
 
“What about you?”

    
“I thought I would see if Kaitlyn wanted to catch a movie later.”

    
“That sounds good.
 
You should
give her a call.”
 
He sat there in
silence for a few minutes, and I tried to act as if I didn’t mind him leaving,
because I didn’t.
 
I just knew he was
trying to read my body language for any clues to see if I was telling him the
truth.

    
“Are you sure you don’t mind?”
 
He
asked as he grabbed another cookie.

    
“Of course not.
 
I wouldn’t be
much company anyway.
 
I’m half way
through my book and I hope to finish it tonight.
 
It’s just getting to the good part.”
 
I said, smiling.

    
“Okay, I’ll go call her.
 
Thanks
mom.”
 
He pulled out his cell and headed
down the hallway.

    
Lying in a hot bath later that evening, I had my kindle in one hand and
a glass of wine in the other.
 
This has
always been my favorite pastime, even when Graysen was alive.
 
The book was getting interesting when I heard
my cell chirp.
 
I tried to ignore it, but
with Austin out on a date, I couldn’t.
 
What if it was him and something had happened?
 
Getting out, I dried off and found my
nightgown, not caring that it was only 8:30 pm.
 
Grabbing my phone, I swiped the screen as I made my way to the kitchen
to refill my wine.

    
I’m Colin, who were you shopping
with today?
 
Him again?
 
I thought about ignoring the text but I’ll
admit, I felt a tingle of excitement seeing it.

    
I was out with my friend Megan.
 
I hit the send button, smiling to
myself.
 
I now have a name to go with the
number, and it was Colin.

    
Awe, I see.
 
Your husband at work?
 
I
felt a pang in my chest.
 
I wish he were.
 
Not sure if I wanted to continue this
conversation, I made my way to the couch and had another drink of wine.
 
You
still there?

    
Sorry, no husband.
 
I
reluctantly replied.

    
Boyfriend?
 
Boyfriend!
HA!
 
If he only knew.
 
Okay, I may feel excited by his text, but
he’s certainly being bold for someone I’ve never met before.

    
Why are you asking me all these
questions?
 
I don’t know you and you
obviously don’t know me.
 
What do you
want?
 
If he wants to be bold, then I can be bold.
 
I’ve never been known as a pushover, that’s
for sure.

    
Just to talk.
 
I told you who I am.
 
I
snorted at that.
 
How many Colin’s are in
the world?

    
Just your first name.
 
Like that means anything to me.

    
Right, like you don’t know who I am.
 
What?!
 
What an asshole!
 
This was fun in the beginning, but I don’t
have to take shit from an unknown jerk!

    
Sure, I know you.
 
You’re the cocky jackass that text random
women.
 
 

    
Whatever sweetheart.
 
Seriously?
 
The nerve of that jerk!
 
I could almost laugh at the thought of
getting into an argument with someone I don’t know, someone I’ve never met
before.
 
This is stupid!

    
Bye asshole.
 
I
hit send and threw my phone down on the couch.

    
The
nerve of that man!
 
I couldn’t help
pacing back and forth.
 
Who does he think
he is? Texting me, and then acting as if I knew him.
 
Ass!
 
My relaxing night was over!
 
I drunk
the rest of my wine, and then decided to have a rum and coke.
 
I alternated from being mad, and then
laughing at the foolishness of the situation for about fifteen minutes before I
heard my phone ring.
 
Grabbing it and
smashing the talk button, “Hello?”
 
I
said in an irritated voice.

    
“Sorry.”
 
The male voice coming
through the phone sent deep tendrils of anxiety with a hefty dose of lust
through my body.
 
His deep baritone just
oozed sex appeal, and he had only muttered one word.
 
Trying to calm my racing heart and slow my
breathing, I finally cleared my head.