Losing an Edge (Portland Storm Book 13) (24 page)

“All right,” I said as Connor dug his toes into my ribs and flung himself across my shoulders. “Venue for both the service and the reception are taken care of. Officiant has been arranged. What’s next on the agenda?” I did my best to hold on to my pen and note pad, despite Connor’s efforts to get all my attention on him.

Three voices answered at once, each with a different response.

“Flowers and photographer,” Sara said.

“Wardrobe,” Anthony insisted.

“Cake,” Jesse said with way too much enthusiasm.

“Flowers and photographer are two separate items,” I replied.

“Not necessarily.” Sara tossed a platter of fruits, veggies, meats, and cheeses on the coffee table between us. “Mia Quincey offered to shoot the wedding for you at a very fair price. And she’s got a friend she works with sometimes who’s a florist. They’ll give you a package deal. She gave me a quote, based on everything you’ve already decided.” She dug a couple of flyers and a price list out of her purse and passed it over to the guys.

“Not bad,” Anthony said a moment later.

“Not bad at all,” Jesse put in. “In fact, it’s good enough that we can splurge a bit on the cake.”

I held up a hand. “Hold on. One thing at a time. Are you two happy with using Mia and her friend for photography and flowers? Or at least happy enough to set up a meeting to talk with them?” There were only a couple of weeks left before their date, so we didn’t have any time to waste on jumping from one thing to the next without settling on anything.

They looked at each other for a moment, then turned back to me and nodded. “Yes,” they said simultaneously.

“Done.” I marked a few things down on my note pad before looking up at Jesse again. “The cake? What are you thinking? Did you go sample—”

“I didn’t. Because I have a better idea.”

“This sounds like trouble,” Sara said.

“This sounds
expensive
,” Anthony corrected her.

I waved a hand at the two of them to be quiet. “Go on,” I said to Jesse. “What’s your idea?”

“Well, you two remember the chocolatier from ChocolateFest, the one who made the chocolate-covered bacon?” He ignored his fiancé’s groan and kept going. “I grabbed her business card while we were there, and I gave her a call. She said she can make chocolate-covered-bacon roses to use as decorations on an ice cream cake. All of our favorite things! All together!”

“I’m not quite sure chocolate, bacon, and ice cream were meant to go together,” Anthony said warily.

“Honey.” The single word came out as a whine. “Please. Do it for me.”

“What’s she going to charge?” Sara asked, bringing us back to the details.

“I’m glad you asked,” Jesse said, whipping out a scribbled note on a used napkin covered with coffee stains. He passed it over to Anthony, who made some faces. After some hemming and hawing, he gave in so we could move on to the next item on the agenda.

Half an hour later, all the details for the wedding had been settled upon. Everyone knew who was responsible for arranging which services. Sara excused herself to take the kids up to bed, thankfully relieving me of my small-but-deadly-to-my-kidneys burden.

“So what are you doing this weekend while we’re gone?” Jesse asked me once Connor’s bedroom door thumped closed upstairs. He had a skating competition in Cleveland, and even though Anthony and I weren’t ready to start competing yet, Anthony was traveling with him for moral support.

“I’ve got lessons with Sophie and a couple of other students, and Krav Maga classes. Katie invited me over to her place with a few of the girls to watch the Saturday afternoon game.”

“Keeping busy,” Anthony said.

“As busy as I can.” It was the only thing that kept my mind off of the two men who otherwise consumed it. Levi would be back in town on Monday, at least. That would help. Or at least it would mean I could see him. Maybe kiss him some more.

A lot more.

And, maybe, we could do a lot more than just kiss.

I understood why he wanted to take things slowly—he was trying to be sure we followed through with what I’d said I needed—but something had clicked for me. Levi was funny and patient, humble and outrageously kind. He was everything that Guy could never be, and he’d shown me time and again exactly how right for me he was. I didn’t have to trust Cam’s and Sara’s judgment any longer. I saw it for myself.

Once all that was clear to me, I didn’t see any more need to keep putting Levi off.

Now I just needed to convince him of that.

Jesse picked up an apple slice and dunked it in caramel dip. “You could come with us,” he said, crunching. “Your man’s not here. It might be good to get away for a while.”

“Tempting as that may be, I think you two will be better off without a third wheel.” Besides, I wasn’t convinced that Guy had given up. If he tried something while I was away from home and all the safeguards we’d put in place so far… That wasn’t something I wanted to think about. “I think I’ll pass.”

Jesse pouted. “No midnight pizza-and-PJ parties?”

I tossed a throw pillow in his direction, laughing. “Not this time.”

He knocked the pillow aside, his eyes crackling to life. “Ooh. Next time you come, we’re doing a pizza-PJ-and-pillow-fight party.”

“I’LL SEE YOU
two next weekend,” I said to Devyn and Kaetlyn Griggs, sisters who’d just completed their third skating lesson with me. They giggled and waved as they rushed out of the rink with their mother.

Usually, I left with my students, but they were in a big hurry to get to their older brother’s basketball tournament, which was all the way across the city and due to start in ten minutes, and I wasn’t quite done sorting myself out.

I finished putting all my gear in my gym bag. Then I slipped my feet into my boots and tugged on my coat. I took my phone out of my pocket before heading out into the cold. There was a text message from Levi. Simply the thought that he was messaging me before his game sent warmth spreading through all my limbs. I slid the bar to read it.

I think about you nonstop. Can’t wait until I can see you again. In person, not only on Skype. I’m falling hard for you, Cadence.

He was falling for me. That was probably a good thing, since I was almost positive I’d already fallen for him, whether I’d been intending to do that or not. I jotted off a quick response, trying to keep my thoughts to myself for the time being—telling him something like that would be much better done in person—and then headed out myself.

Gord, one of the guys who worked at the front desk, smiled when I got to the entry hall. “Why don’t I walk you out?” he suggested.

“Oh, I…” This wasn’t normal, but then again, I wasn’t often all alone when I left. I smiled at him and nodded. “That would be really nice of you, Gord. Thanks.”

“Just making sure you’re all right,” he said, taking my gym bag from me and holding the door open. He was an older man, probably past retirement age, and always behaved like a true gentleman, even though they were rare in today’s world. “Gotta jump-start that Zamboni, now that you and those girls are gone. There’s a midget hockey game in a few hours.”

“Jump-start it?” I laughed, fishing for the sunglasses buried in my purse.

Gord winked at me. “It’s almost as old as I am. Needs a good jump to start up in the morning.” He glanced out into the parking lot and slowed his pace enough to catch my notice.

“What is it?” I followed his gaze. Guy’s car was parked in the same spot it had been before, but I didn’t see him in it or anywhere else.

“That the car of the man who’s bothering you?” He inched closer to me and put a knobby hand on my elbow.

I nodded.

“Thought so. You get in your car. Lock your doors and go. I’ll call the police as soon as I get back inside. Tell them he’s here.”

“Not yet,” I said. I wanted evidence this time. “Come with me. I want to take a picture of his plates with the building in the background as proof that he’s here and shouldn’t be.” I shifted the keys in my hand until my pepper spray was in position and ready to be fired.

“I could do that,” Gord argued. “You just go on home and let me—”

“Not this time.”

He stayed with me as I took pictures and emailed them from my phone to the officer in charge of my case. The whole time, he kept scanning the lot, looking for Guy to return. Thank goodness that didn’t happen. Then I dutifully walked beside Gord back to my car and got in as directed.

I locked the doors and started the engine, waving Gord back into the building so he’d be aware I was fine.

I wasn’t fine, but I didn’t need him to worry. That wouldn’t help anything.

He turned and headed back into the building, and I put my car in gear.

But then I froze.

There was a piece of paper shoved underneath the wiper blade, fluttering in the light wind.

I climbed out and ripped it free, getting back into the car and locking the doors again before I did anything else. My pulse battered its way through my veins and my hands shook as I unfolded it.

Guy’s familiar scrawl covered the sheet from a hotel note pad. At first, I couldn’t read it. Then I realized I was crying, and my tears had obscured my vision. I brushed the tears away with the sleeve of my coat and tried again.

I saw your boy toy kiss you outside the diner. I saw you making out with him that night at your brother’s house. I’ve seen you with your fag friends, too. Not to mention all those bitches and the kids. I’ve seen you trying to learn how to fight. I’ve seen you with your fucking pepper spray. Like any of that will help you. But you know what else I see, Cadence? I see when they’re all gone. When it’s only you.

Like now.

When I finally looked up from the note, Guy was standing halfway across the lot, directly in front of me. He waved and blew me another kiss, exactly like last time.

Without another thought, I picked up my phone and blindly dialed, then put the car into gear and hit the gas, heading straight for him. He jumped out of the way right before I would have otherwise hit him, falling to the ground and rolling.

“Hello? Cadence?” It was Levi’s voice on the other end of the line, which instantly helped to calm me.

“Hi.” My voice cracked.

“What’s wrong?”

Everything. Everything was wrong, because I was alone, and this bastard wouldn’t leave me be, and the thing I wanted most in the world right at this moment was to fall into Levi’s arms, for him to hold me until I stopped shaking, but he was all the way across the country. “I’m going to the police,” I forced out, turning my car in that direction, clutching the note between my hand and the steering wheel so I couldn’t possibly lose it.

I didn’t look in my rearview mirror. Couldn’t stand the thought of seeing Guy any more than was absolutely necessary.

“Okay,” Levi said. “Good. Why? What’d he do this time? And are you all right? He didn’t touch you, did he?”

“No. I’m fine.” I wasn’t. That was about as far from the truth as possible. “He was at the rink again. Left a note on my car.”

“A note? What kind of note?” His voice was clipped. Angry. But not at me.

“Threats. More threats.” A tear fell down my cheek.

“Take it to the police. You’ve got evidence this time. Maybe now they can do something about the son of a bitch.”

“I am.” Despite my better intentions, I sniffled. “Driving there now.”

“You’re crying. Try not to cry while you’re driving. That’s never good.”

I knew that all too well. “Trying.” Then I sniffled again.

There was a sound like he’d slammed a door or punched a wall. “Fuck, I wish I was there.”

“I do, too.”

“A couple more days. Two more days, and then we’ll be home. When do Anthony and Jesse get back?”

“Monday. Same as you.” Too long. I was starting to think maybe I shouldn’t go back to the house. Was it safe for Sara and the kids if I was there? Wouldn’t Guy leave them alone if I wasn’t with them? I wasn’t so sure.

“Cadence?” Levi’s voice was rough and strained.

“Yeah?”

“Promise me you won’t go anywhere alone once you’re done at the police station.”

How could I promise him that when I’d just been thinking the best way to protect the people I loved was to stay as far away from them as I could?

“Promise me,” he repeated. “Don’t go doing something stupid. I need to know you’re not alone.”

I turned in at the parking lot across from the station. “I’m here,” I said. “I have to go take this in.”

“Don’t be stupid,” he repeated as we hung up.

I hadn’t made him any sort of promise, but his words echoed in my head the whole way into the building.
Don’t go doing something stupid.
Wasn’t that exactly what I’d been saying to myself? If I were alone, that would be the easiest way for Guy to get to me. He wasn’t making himself known when I was surrounded by people. Usually only when it was just me, or if I only had one other person with me.

Alone, I was an easy target. Surrounded, I wasn’t.

Truth and fear didn’t mesh well in my head.