Seducing Lauren
Page 48
Then I walk back toward the office, and the door is ajar.
I always shut that door.
Always.
Without taking another step forward, I turn toward the front door, grab my purse and keys, and pull my phone out of my pocket as I lock myself inside my car.
My hands are shaking, my breath is coming in petrified pants as I dial Brad’s number first.
“Hull,” he answers.
“It’s Lo. Are you working?” I hate how unsteady my voice sounds.
“Yes, what’s wrong, Lo?”
“Someone has been in my house.”
“Where are you?”
“I’m sitting in the car in my driveway.”
“Stay there, I’m on my way.” He hangs up, and I immediately call Ty.
“Turner and Sullivan,” the receptionist answers. Ty’s cell phone must be forwarded to the office.
“This is Lauren. Is Ty in court today?”
“Yes, he is, but he should be here in about ten minutes. Do you want me to have him call you?”
“Yes, please.”
“Is everything okay?”
“I don’t know. I just need him. Please tell him as soon as you see him.”
“Of course.”
I hang up and throw my phone in the passenger seat, waiting for Brad to arrive. I swear, time has never moved slower than it is right now.
Where is he?
Finally, Brad’s car pulls into my driveway, but I stay where I am, even when he climbs from his car and walks to mine.
“You can get out now, Lo.”
“How do you know? You haven’t looked inside the house yet.”
Just then, Ty’s Jeep comes screaming into my driveway. He comes to an abrupt stop and throws it out of gear, then jogs to my side, opens the car door, and pulls me out of the car and into his arms.
“What’s wrong?” He’s breathing hard and his heart is beating a staccato against my cheek.
“Someone has been in the house.”
“What?” Ty pulls me away from him and shoots a look at Brad. “Have you checked it out?”
“I just got here. I haven’t gone inside yet. I want to hear the story first.”
“What happened, baby?”
Brad’s eyebrow rises at Ty’s term of endearment, but we both ignore him as I begin the story of going to the café to write, my impromptu coffee date with Jill, and coming home.
“So, nothing has been touched inside?” Brad asks when I’m finished.
“Not that I can see, but I swear I locked that door, and my office door was ajar.”
“You said yourself that you were preoccupied with work before you left, right? And that the crew was distracting you?”
“Yes, but I always, always close the door to my office, Brad. I never forget.”
“Okay, I’ll go inside and take a look around.” Brad leaves us, his hand on his firearm as he enters the house.
“I’m not crazy, Ty.”
“No one is calling you crazy, beautiful.”
“Someone who shouldn’t be has been inside my house.”
After five long minutes, Brad returns, shaking his head. “There’s no one in there now. The crew locked the back mudroom door. Maybe one of them came through the house on his way out?”
I’m shaking my head no before he even gets through the first sentence.
“If Lo says someone has been here, someone was here, Brad. She’s never cried wolf before.”
Brad sighs and pushes his hand through his hair. “I know. I believe that you feel that something is off here, Lo. But there’s no sign of forced entry, and you had a work crew here all day who had access to the house.”
I sigh in frustration and glance back at the house. “Did you go in my office?”
“You didn’t?” Ty asks me, surprised.
“No. When I saw the door ajar, it scared me and I came outside and called you guys.”
“I did go in the office, but only you can know if something in there has been messed with.”
“Come on.” Ty grips my hand firmly in his own and leads me to the porch. “Let’s go check it out.”
The door to the office is closed now, thanks to Brad. When we walk inside, goose bumps break out on my skin.
“Is anything different in here?” Brad asks, and stands back as Ty and I walk in, looking around.
“It looks the same as it did this morning,” Ty murmurs.
“It does,” I confirm, but my voice is hesitant.
“But?” Ty asks.
“But I feel it. Someone has been in here.”
Both men look at me dubiously, and I’m mortified to feel tears form in my eyes. Am I going crazy? Has Jack finally pushed me over the edge?
“Hey, don’t cry.” Ty kisses my forehead before he turns to Brad. “What do we do now?”
“The same that you’ve already been doing, unfortunately.” Brad glances around the room, and his eyes stop on the large book covers hanging on the wall. “Hey, I recognize those.”
I stiffen, but before I can say anything, Ty responds, “Those are Lo’s favorite books, so I had them framed for her.”
“Cool.” Brad seems to accept the explanation and turns for the door. “I’m sorry I can’t be more help, Lo. There’s just no evidence. But if you do find that something is missing, let me know right away.”
I nod and try to offer Brad a smile as he turns and leaves out the front door.
I always shut that door.
Always.
Without taking another step forward, I turn toward the front door, grab my purse and keys, and pull my phone out of my pocket as I lock myself inside my car.
My hands are shaking, my breath is coming in petrified pants as I dial Brad’s number first.
“Hull,” he answers.
“It’s Lo. Are you working?” I hate how unsteady my voice sounds.
“Yes, what’s wrong, Lo?”
“Someone has been in my house.”
“Where are you?”
“I’m sitting in the car in my driveway.”
“Stay there, I’m on my way.” He hangs up, and I immediately call Ty.
“Turner and Sullivan,” the receptionist answers. Ty’s cell phone must be forwarded to the office.
“This is Lauren. Is Ty in court today?”
“Yes, he is, but he should be here in about ten minutes. Do you want me to have him call you?”
“Yes, please.”
“Is everything okay?”
“I don’t know. I just need him. Please tell him as soon as you see him.”
“Of course.”
I hang up and throw my phone in the passenger seat, waiting for Brad to arrive. I swear, time has never moved slower than it is right now.
Where is he?
Finally, Brad’s car pulls into my driveway, but I stay where I am, even when he climbs from his car and walks to mine.
“You can get out now, Lo.”
“How do you know? You haven’t looked inside the house yet.”
Just then, Ty’s Jeep comes screaming into my driveway. He comes to an abrupt stop and throws it out of gear, then jogs to my side, opens the car door, and pulls me out of the car and into his arms.
“What’s wrong?” He’s breathing hard and his heart is beating a staccato against my cheek.
“Someone has been in the house.”
“What?” Ty pulls me away from him and shoots a look at Brad. “Have you checked it out?”
“I just got here. I haven’t gone inside yet. I want to hear the story first.”
“What happened, baby?”
Brad’s eyebrow rises at Ty’s term of endearment, but we both ignore him as I begin the story of going to the café to write, my impromptu coffee date with Jill, and coming home.
“So, nothing has been touched inside?” Brad asks when I’m finished.
“Not that I can see, but I swear I locked that door, and my office door was ajar.”
“You said yourself that you were preoccupied with work before you left, right? And that the crew was distracting you?”
“Yes, but I always, always close the door to my office, Brad. I never forget.”
“Okay, I’ll go inside and take a look around.” Brad leaves us, his hand on his firearm as he enters the house.
“I’m not crazy, Ty.”
“No one is calling you crazy, beautiful.”
“Someone who shouldn’t be has been inside my house.”
After five long minutes, Brad returns, shaking his head. “There’s no one in there now. The crew locked the back mudroom door. Maybe one of them came through the house on his way out?”
I’m shaking my head no before he even gets through the first sentence.
“If Lo says someone has been here, someone was here, Brad. She’s never cried wolf before.”
Brad sighs and pushes his hand through his hair. “I know. I believe that you feel that something is off here, Lo. But there’s no sign of forced entry, and you had a work crew here all day who had access to the house.”
I sigh in frustration and glance back at the house. “Did you go in my office?”
“You didn’t?” Ty asks me, surprised.
“No. When I saw the door ajar, it scared me and I came outside and called you guys.”
“I did go in the office, but only you can know if something in there has been messed with.”
“Come on.” Ty grips my hand firmly in his own and leads me to the porch. “Let’s go check it out.”
The door to the office is closed now, thanks to Brad. When we walk inside, goose bumps break out on my skin.
“Is anything different in here?” Brad asks, and stands back as Ty and I walk in, looking around.
“It looks the same as it did this morning,” Ty murmurs.
“It does,” I confirm, but my voice is hesitant.
“But?” Ty asks.
“But I feel it. Someone has been in here.”
Both men look at me dubiously, and I’m mortified to feel tears form in my eyes. Am I going crazy? Has Jack finally pushed me over the edge?
“Hey, don’t cry.” Ty kisses my forehead before he turns to Brad. “What do we do now?”
“The same that you’ve already been doing, unfortunately.” Brad glances around the room, and his eyes stop on the large book covers hanging on the wall. “Hey, I recognize those.”
I stiffen, but before I can say anything, Ty responds, “Those are Lo’s favorite books, so I had them framed for her.”
“Cool.” Brad seems to accept the explanation and turns for the door. “I’m sorry I can’t be more help, Lo. There’s just no evidence. But if you do find that something is missing, let me know right away.”
I nod and try to offer Brad a smile as he turns and leaves out the front door.
