Chapter 13

Nick attributed his lack of sleep to the air mattress. He would thank the powers that be when the moving truck pulled into his driveway on Monday. Shifting again on his side, he groaned when that position too was not satisfying. Then again, it wasn't as if he'd slept much in the past year. He should be used to it by now.

It'd been two hours since he took Trisha home. Two long hours. She hadn't left his mind since. Hadn't he come to Small Rapids for quiet? Instead, he brought more unwanted trouble in the form of a female. A female who, after only seeing her a couple of times, was making him feel something.

And what was it about her that did this to him? He'd seen shrinks, tried antidepressants. Hell, he'd tried everything to get back to even a semi-normal existence. But then guilt set in, and with it came the pain. In truth, he didn't deserve to be normal again.

Trisha had knocked him down a peg with that fortune cookie crap. That mouth of hers, he may have nearly taken it, but his will allowed him the ability to back off. But for a second, he wondered what it would have been like to kiss her. Would he loose himself in her, or would the pain halt any physical contact, like it had with other women after the shooting?

In the past year, there had been no sex, no touching, no kissing. He had been casually dating a woman when the shooting happened. To forget, he'd tried to bury himself in her, in the mindless act of sex, but when he'd cried out in pain, she'd abruptly left and he never saw her again. He had dared to try once more with someone else, with the same result.

After that, he'd stopped trying. There were offers, there were always offers, but no go. He'd never had trouble declining, and he surely never lost sleep over it. Especially not because of a woman who was clearly trying not to be interested.

Like Trisha Eaton.

And why was that? Trisha was different, made him different. Made him want to try. Dangerous ground. Perhaps because she wasn't clingy and demanding. She wasn't trying to "fix" him.

He had no idea what to do with her.

The phone screamed, jolting him upright in his automatic city response. Glancing briefly at his alarm clock on the floor next to him, he grunted in exasperation at the late hour. Who the hell would need him now?

"Yeah," was all the politeness he mustered.

Silence.

He was about to hang up when a drone pulsed. Humming, vibrating. Slowly growing louder until he had to pull the phone from his ear or go deaf. Goosebumps skated over his arms. The sound stopped and he put the phone back to his ear.

"Thank you for coming" A shriek. An echoing, hollow voice, like whispered through a tunnel.

His spine turned to ice. His heartbeat tripped. The voice didn't even soundhuman.

Dial tone.

He set the receiver down and stared at it, unsure why the prank jarred him so deeply. The call had come in on the house line, not his cell. Most everyone had his cell number. Could his number be in the directory already?

His cell rang. He frowned before picking up.

No one answered his greeting.

Completely pissed off now, he growled again as his temples throbbed. "Hello?"

"Stay away from her." A harsh, muffled whisper. Not the same whisper from the first call.

Who did this idiot think he was messing with? Nick didn't question who the caller meant in reference to "her." He just knew.

"Who is this?" he questioned, knowing he wouldn't get an answer, but probing for chatter. Perhaps the asshole would stumble over himself.

"Stay away from her," the voice said again.

Nick tried to make out the caller, but his limited and new involvement in the town meant the solution wasn't near. Even if the tone hadn't been muffled, he wouldn't recognize the voice. "I don't take well to threats."

"You better." Click.

Nick glared at the ID, clenching his jaw. Unknown caller.

Ten seconds later, his cell buzzed again. "Fuck." Nick ground his teeth and answered.

"It's Wayne. I need you to head over to Eaton's Orchard. Trisha just spotted an intruder on the property. She sounded scared."

Nick was already on his feet and stepping into his jeans. "On my way."