Chapter 4

He ducked her swing then spun and headed for his vehicle. The crazy stalker pounded her fist on the hood as he pulled away.

Through his rearview mirror, he watched the furious woman scramble to her car and tear out of his driveway. Was she going to follow him back to work? He hoped not. Two blocks later, she flipped on her blinker and turned off. He blew out a sigh of relief.

Why in the heck did she bring up Markie? Why not Lori? The woman he'd actually hung around with sometimes. And Tiana knew about her as they'd crossed paths while at the brewpub recently. He and Lori weren't out on a date, but out as friends. He could see how someone could mistake him and her as having a romantic relationship. Yet, her name didn't come up just now.

Bryce slipped into his office and yanked a granola bar from his desk drawer. It certainly wouldn't fill him up, but it would take the edge off.

Now, what to do about Tiana. If he went across the hall to the Police Department and reported her as a stalker, he'd be the laughing stock of City Hall. Big Bad Ex-girlfriend stalks wimpy City Planner and Zoning/Property Maintenance Administrator.

Yeah, he would become a joke all right. The crazy lady weighed one hundred and ten pounds soaking wet, yet she scared the crap out of him. Still, what if she came into City Hall and raised hell? He wouldn't put it past her. The Police Department should be prepared.

He tossed the granola wrapper into the wastebasket and rose from his chair for the walk of indignity across the lobby. He made it as far as the reception desk on that side of the building before he saw Markie through the glass barrier. He did an about-face hoping she wouldn't see him. There was no way he could let her know he feared a tiny woman.

Glancing over his shoulder, he caught Markie's gaze. He quickly averted his and continued on his way only to have Tiana's shrill voice call out his name.

Bryce halted dead in his tracks and drew in a deep breath before turning to face her.

The crazy lady's bright, sky-blue eyes sparkled. Her soft smile stretched. "I think we just had a misunderstanding earlier. I apologize for that and hope we can get past it." The woman's voice was sweet as honey, unlike earlier in his driveway.

How was she able to pour on the charm so quickly after as angry as she'd been twenty minutes ago?

Good Lord - it was like she was a classic abuser. Abuse. Apologize. Repeat.

* * *

Through the protective glass, Markie watched Bryce as he spoke with Tiana Bennett in the lobby of City Hall. The lady was bat-shit crazy. She was in their system - had garnered some restraining orders against her in the past, even from some family members. Go figure, the womanizing city planner was involved with someone like her.

The woman looked to be quickly transitioning from happy to angry. Her voice grew louder with each passing moment. She took a step toward Bryce. He stepped back. She took another step forward and he again stepped back, but this time, he lifted his hands into the air in a submissive manner.

This isn't going well.

She bolted out of the Police Department and into the City Hall lobby just as the blonde bombshell's arm swung back.

"Tiana," Markie called out.

The woman froze in place, then turned her head to look at her.

"Is there a problem here?" Markie asked.

Tiana pulled in her outstretched arm to her head and tucked her hair behind her ear as if that was what she planned to do all along, rather than slap Bryce. Her tense facial muscles softened, and she lowered her arm.

"No problem. Just talking to Bryce."

Interestingly, the woman's tone was normal, as if she hadn't been in a total irate state moments earlier.

Markie glanced at Bryce who looked like he'd rather be anywhere but where he was at the moment. Embarrassment, shame, and relief passed through his gaze.

"Everything okay here, Bryce?" she asked.

"Yeah, no worries." He fixed his gaze on the crazy blonde. "Tiana was just leaving."

"Great, 'cause I need to see you for a minute." Markie swung her gaze to Tiana. "Have a nice day."

The woman stared at her for a moment before she whirled around on her heel and headed for the door.

Markie cast her gaze back to Bryce. "You should keep better company."

His jaw knotted. The hint of hurt mixed in his angry glare sent a tinge of shame to sift through her veins. Drilling down, she had no reason to lash out at him. He'd never done anything to hurt her but remind her of her cheating ex-fiancé. Yet, she pushed his buttons every chance she got. Treating him like shit was akin to getting back at her ex she supposed. Not really fair if she had to admit it.

"She's not my company. Never really was. The rumor mill in this town is second to none. Don't people have better things to do with their time?" His dark gaze bore into her. "You included."

Ouch.

Bryce threw his hands in the air. "Whatever. What do you need?"

"Huh?"

"You said you needed to talk to me about something. What is it?"

"Oh, that." She didn't really have anything to talk to him about. She had just wanted to get the unstable woman away from him and out of City Hall. "Nothing, never mind."

"As long as you're here. Did you get a preliminary report on Sister Ann yet?" he asked. At her silence, he continued. "Well?"

His persistence flustered her. Or, maybe it was because she still dwelled on judging him in regard to the company he kept. Truthfully, it was none of her business.

"Sorry, we haven't heard anything yet."

"All right. Well, I have work to do," Bryce said and then spun away from her.

Adrenaline pumped through her veins. She didn't want him to leave angry. "Bryce," she called out.

He looked at her over his shoulder.

"Sorry about the accusation."

His glare intensified. "Which one. The one where I killed Sister Ann or the one about me sleeping with every Tiana, Teri, and Tammy?"

He held onto his anger and didn't let her off the hook. She lowered her gaze to the tile floor. "Both."

Bryce shrugged as if her apology meant nothing to him, then he disappeared through the door to his department. Heading to his office she presumed.

The need to chase after him and make him accept her apology was overwhelming. Why did she feel like such a heel? She took two steps toward his office area before she froze in place.

Why was it important to her he accept her apology? What did it matter?

Markie sighed. She knew why, but the shards of fear that stabbed at her heart every time she looked at him kept her from admitting she liked him - really liked him.

He wasn't at all the jackass she tried to paint him to be, and the story she'd heard about him this morning proved it yet again - about his volunteer efforts at the Boys and Girls Club. He'd spent hours upon hours helping to remodel the facility at their new location, thereby, leaving his own house remodeling project at a near standstill in order to get the new building ready for the club so they could accommodate more kids. Jerks don't do that kind of stuff - put others before themselves.

But, viewing Bryce as a jerk helped her keep him at a distance, and distance was good - helped protect her heart from another heartbreak.

The thrill zipping through her body at present indicated she'd have to dig deeper - work harder to find a way to keep him in the jerk - safe zone.