Shadows at Sunset: Sunset Trilogy ~ Book 1 (21 page)

I met his gaze and suddenly got a sinking feeling that whatever my father was telling him, it wasn’t good. I raised my eyebrows as I took a sip of my Diet Coke, waiting for the drama to end.

“Okay, sir. I’ll see you there soon.” Noah returned his phone to his back pocket. “You both are coming down to the station with me. The sheriff is out on another call right now, and he’ll meet us there later.”

As my heart sank, Noah mouthed, “I’m sorry” across the room to me. His eyes shone with sincere disappointment, and I smiled weakly in understanding.

“Need some help getting these kids out of here?” the man still holding Eric asked.

Noah’s attention shifted from me to the man. “Yes, thanks. I’m not sure how this would have ended if you hadn’t stepped in.” He nodded toward the door. “Let’s go.”

Noah gripped Mark’s upper arm and led him out of sight. The other man followed closely behind with a firm hold on Eric’s arm as the boy stumbled along beside him.

Just before they disappeared around the corner, the stranger holding Eric glanced my way. His black eyes sent a chill down my spine. I had no idea why since he had saved Noah from a punch, but something in their depths unnerved me. In a split second, I averted my eyes as they walked out of the restaurant.

As silence filled the room again, I stared down at the clean white tablecloth with utter disappointment. I didn’t know what to do, but I couldn’t just sit here, stranded. I had no way of knowing if Noah was coming back. And if he wasn’t, I would have to find a ride home. The thought of calling anyone for a ride made me feel like crying. Just as I was about to jump up and run outside to find him, he emerged in the entryway. He hurried around the couch on his way back to the table.

“Hey,” he said softly when he reached the table. I rose to my feet beside him as he gently touched my hand. “I’m so sorry about this, but I have to go. That guy who helped is waiting with the kids out there so that I could come back in to talk to you for a minute.”

I nodded as I choked back tears. Ironically, had he just ignored the drunk boys, I would have been disappointed in him. I knew this was his job, but it didn’t make it any less heartbreaking to have to end our date early. I had looked forward to this night all week, and now it was ruined. Despite feeling sorry for myself, I mustered up a smile. “I know. You have to do what you have to do.”

“I don’t know how long this is going to take. You should probably get a ride home. Do you think you’ll be able to find one?”

“Yeah. I’ll call my mom. I’m sure she can come get me.”

“Okay. I’m going to make it up to you, I promise.”

Hope filled my heart. “That would be nice,” I said with a faint smile.

He nodded as he let go of my hand. “I have to run. I’ll call you as soon as this is over. Bye.” With that, he grabbed his jacket before turning and hurrying out of the restaurant.

I sank back into my seat and reached into my purse for my phone. As I browsed my contacts, I decided not to call my mother. I didn’t know what I would tell her and I didn’t want her pity. Instead, I called Brooke and relayed the night’s events to her.

“Wow,” she finally said after a long pause. “What a let-down.”

“You’re telling me. So do you have a car available tonight to come get me?”

“No. My sister had to work and my parents are out. But you sit tight. I’ll find you a ride,” she promised earnestly.

I was too tired to ask her what that meant. “Thanks, Brooke.” She hung up so quickly, I wasn’t sure that she heard me. Before I could put my phone down, she was probably on another call to find someone who had nothing better to do on a Saturday night than to give a girl a ride home.

The next few minutes seemed to pass like hours. The stranger who had helped Noah returned to his drink at the bar. Thankfully, he didn’t look my way. The last thing I wanted right now was the pity of a stranger. I drummed my fingers against the white table cloth as five minutes passed, and then another ten. I called Brooke again, but she didn’t answer. Then I sent her a text message, hoping she would tell me if someone, anyone, was on their way.

Just when I thought I would be stuck at the restaurant all night, I noticed a movement at the front entryway. A tall dark figure entered the room and I found myself staring into the hauntingly familiar blue eyes I had tried to forget all week. I groaned inwardly, cursing Brooke. Xander Payne was the last person I wanted to come to my rescue, but it appeared as though I didn’t have a choice.

Chapter 12

Xander scanned the restaurant, a sympathetic smile crossing his handsome face when our eyes met. He shoved his hands into his jeans pockets under his dark green shirttails as he walked across the room. His eyes never left mine.

“Hey,” he said softly when he reached my table. “Brooke called. Sorry to hear about your night.”

“Thanks. But Noah couldn’t let those boys drive home.”

“He did the right thing.” Xander sat down in the chair Noah had been sitting in before he had to leave. “Did you at least get to eat your dinner?”

“Oh, no,” I gasped, rubbing my hands against my forehead as I stared at the white tablecloth. “I completely forgot about the food. It’s going to be here any minute. What am I going to do with all of it? I’m not even hungry now.”

“No problem. I’ll take care of it.”

By the time I lifted my head, Xander was halfway across the room. I watched curiously as he disappeared around the corner for a minute and then returned to the table. “It’s all set,” he informed me as he sat back down.

“What is?”

“The food. They’re going to bring it in to-go boxes and I already paid.”

I wanted to object, but the last thing I wanted to worry about right now was paying the bill. “Thanks.”

He grinned slyly. “Oh, I’m not as generous as you must think. I haven’t eaten yet, so I’ll take whatever he ordered.”

“What if you don’t like it?”

“If his taste in food is half as good as his taste in women, then I’m sure I’ll love it.”

I felt a blush creep over my face as a moment of silence swept between us. I looked away, not quite sure what to say.

Xander finally broke the awkward silence. “They said the food should be right out and then we can go.”

“Okay. I hope this didn’t interrupt your night.”

“Not a chance. I was just kicking around the house when Brooke called. It gave me an excuse to get out.”

“That’s right. There’s nothing to do in this town.” As soon as I said it, I was sorry. Here he was trying to help me and all I could remember was one remark he had made about our town. “I mean, don’t you have a date with Carrie Sanders?” I asked quickly, softening my tone.

“Wouldn’t you like to know?” he quipped with a devilish smile.

“Not really. I was just making conversation.” I shrugged, looking away from him and wondering where the food was.

“If you say so.”

I rolled my eyes at him, struggling to think of the perfect comeback when the waiter arrived with two large white Styrofoam boxes. Relieved that we could go now, I stood up and reached for my jacket on the back of my chair. Xander rose from his chair, taking the boxes from the waiter and thanking him. Once I had my jacket on, Xander nodded for me to follow him across the restaurant. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed that the stranger who had helped Noah was still at the bar. Thankfully, he kept his back to us, his attention focused on his drink.

At the entrance, Xander held the front door open. I breezed through it out into the darkness, stopping for him to catch up after the door fell shut behind him. The cold air ripped through my panty hose, biting at my legs. Anxious to get warm, I scanned the cars and trucks barely visible in the parking lot from the surrounding streetlamps. “Please tell me you didn’t bring your motorcycle tonight,” I said as he reached into the front pocket of his jeans for his keys.

“No, but that would have been fun.”

“It most certainly would not be fun, especially in this skirt.”

“Maybe not for you.” Xander’s subtle, sly smile sent shivers up my spine. His eyes moved up and down the length of me. “You look nice tonight, by the way. I don’t think I’ve seen you in a skirt before.”

“I don’t wear skirts to school very often. But thank you.” Now if only he would stop staring. “So do you have a car out here somewhere?”

“Not exactly. Right this way.”

I raised my eyebrows, wondering what that meant as he turned and headed across the gravel parking lot. I followed, struggling to keep up with him in my wobbly heels. The uneven gravel just made things worse.

After a minute, he circled back to me, gently grabbing my arm for support. “Here, let me help you.”

“Thanks.” He led me to a huge black pick-up with a four-door cab. Stopping beside it, I gaped at the enormous truck that towered above me. “Is this yours?”

“Yep. And it’s ready for winter with four wheel drive and snow tires.” Xander unlocked the doors with the remote before opening the passenger door for me. “Just step on the running board. It’s not as high as it looks.”

I grabbed the interior door handle as I started to lift my foot onto the running board. Before I could pull myself up, Xander wrapped his fingers around my free hand. A fire shot up my arm, nearly causing me to lose my balance. My heart raced as I gripped his hand for support, finally managing to get into the seat.

I swallowed nervously as he shut the door. Xander quickly came around the front of the truck. After dropping the to-go boxes in the back, he jumped into the driver’s seat. He turned on the engine and flipped the headlights on.

“You’re going to have to give me directions,” he said. “I’ve never been to your house.”

As he guided the truck toward the parking lot entrance, I told him to turn right. Once we were headed through the dark town lit up only by a few streetlamps, he said, “I understand you’ve lived here your whole life.”

“Yes. What’s that supposed to mean?” I asked defensively.

“It means you must know the area pretty well,” he explained, ignoring my snappy tone. “I’d like to get some hiking in before winter gets here, but I have no idea where to go. I could use a guide. Do you know some good trails around here?”

I suddenly felt a little guilty for reacting so abruptly to his question and softened my tone. “I know just about all the trails around here. Some better than others.”

“So what do you say?”

“About what?”

“Well, if you’re not busy tomorrow, how about showing me one of them? I’ll bet there are some great views.”

I stared out the front window, searching for an excuse to turn him down. But the truth was I hadn’t been out for a hike in over a week. I missed the woods, and if I went with him, I would be safe from the wolf. Maybe I could even take my camera and get a few shots now that the leaves were starting to turn. Not to mention that my day was wide open since my shift at the pizza shop had been canceled.
No, it won’t be a good day to get any pictures,
I told myself.
I won’t be able to get any wildlife shots with Xander and still life just bores me.
However, I had a feeling I would be anything but bored if I was with him.

“Well?” he asked again.

“I’m thinking about it.” As we reached the edge of town, I directed him to turn onto another road. The town lights disappeared behind us as we drove through the dark forest. I stared out at the black night, still trying to find a good reason to decline his offer. Coming up empty, I finally answered him. “Okay.”

He glanced over at me as if he couldn’t believe I had agreed. “Really?”

“Yes.”

Without another word, Xander eased the truck to a stop as we approached an intersection.

“Turn right. My house is a few miles down this road.” We rode in silence as he carefully navigated the dark twisting road, passing an occasional driveway and mailbox. After a few minutes, house lights flickered beyond the scattered trees. We passed the Thompson’s white cottage, barely visible from the road with only a single light on downstairs. I thought of Ryder and the baby they were expecting and wondered if someday that would be me in a cozy little house around here. But my thoughts of the distant future didn’t last long. We soon approached my driveway, and I warned Xander to slow down just in time for him to make the turn. As soon as the truck stopped in the driveway, he shifted into park and shut off the rumbling engine.

I turned to him, studying his dark hair and blue eyes in the dim light. “Thank you for bringing me home.”

“No problem. So what about tomorrow?”

“Pick me up at nine o’clock. The trail I have in mind is about fifteen minutes from here and it’ll take about two hours to reach the top of the mountain. Wear loose fitting layers. It’ll be cold in the morning, but you’ll get hot fast. And I hope you have some comfortable, worn-in hiking boots.”

“I do. You know, we have mountains bigger than these in California.”

“I know. I just want to make sure you’re prepared. I don’t want you getting any blisters. Once we head out, we’re not turning back.” I met his gaze, looking for any sign of hesitation. But he stared back at me with nothing but confidence.

“I wouldn’t dream of it. You’ve met your match.”

“We’ll see,” I replied slowly, my eyebrows raised. Then I turned to open the side door.

“Hey, wait a minute. I’ll get that for you.” Xander opened his door and jumped down from his seat. Then he rushed around the front of the truck to meet me on the other side.

I reached for the hand he held up to me. With his support, I carefully climbed out of the truck. Another fire from his touch raced through me, and I whipped my hand away from him as soon as both of my feet were planted on the pavement. “Thanks. I can barely walk in these shoes,” I muttered, darting a smile at him before I started walking toward the house.

“Laken, wait.”

I stopped and turned, wondering what he wanted now.

“You forgot your dinner. Which one was yours?”

“Oh, yeah, I did forget. I ordered the pasta.”

“I’ll get it for you.” Xander disappeared around the front of the truck. After few seconds, he returned with one of the white Styrofoam boxes. “Here you go.” He handed it to me.

“Thanks.” I chuckled softly. “I seem to be saying that a lot tonight.”

“Yeah, well, I bet this isn’t exactly how you thought your night would end.”

“Not in a million years.”

“Maybe now you can see I’m not such a bad guy after all. Can I walk you to the door?”

I looked at him, debating my answer. His dark hair and blue eyes shone in the moonlight, and as tempted as I was to accept his offer, I decided against it. “That won’t be necessary. I think I can actually manage the sidewalk in these heels on my own.”

“Okay. Good night, then. I’ll see you in the morning.”

“Nine o’clock,” I reminded him. “Don’t be late.”

He responded with a silent mocking salute and a satisfied grin. I nodded before turning away to head toward the house. As I let myself in the front door, I heard Xander’s truck pull out of the driveway. My thoughts quickly shifted back to Noah and my disappointment returned as the rumbling motor faded in the distance. But I held my head up high, hopeful that I would see him again soon. I would just have to be patient.

***

Sometime later that night, as I leaned against the pillows on my bed and read a book by the soft glow of the lamp on my nightstand, my phone buzzed. I reached for it beside me on the comforter, wondering who could be trying to reach me at this hour. My heart skipped a beat when I saw Noah’s name next to a text message on the screen.
R U still up?

With a smile, I eagerly typed a one-word response.
Yes.

Within seconds, my phone rang. I answered it after one ring. “Hi, Noah.”

“Hey. Did you make it home okay?”