

### UNDER THE ASPENS

Copyright © 2012 by Elizabeth Sherry

All rights reserved. Except for the use in review, the reproduction or utilization of this work in whole or in part in any form by electronic, mechanical or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including xerography, photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, is forbidden without the written permission of the author.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to the actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events or locales is entirely coincidental.
Books by Elizabeth Sherry:

Under the Aspens (The Aspen Series #1)  
The Aspens Fall (The Aspen Series #2)  
Remember the Aspens (The Aspen Series #3)

The Aspens End (The Aspen Series #4)  
The Aspens Collection (The Aspen Series Box Set)  
Crime at Cripple Creek (The Sisters Week Series #1)  
Murder at Myrtle Beach (The Sisters Week Series #2)  
Trapped In Tunica (The Sisters Week Series #3)  
The Sister's Week Series: Volumes 1-3 (Box Set)  
Alone and Afraid (Rocky Mountain Home Series #1)  
On the Run (Rocky Mountain Home Series #2)  
Not Her Baby (rocky Mountain Home Series #3)  
Rocky Mountain Home Series Collection (Vol 1-3)  
Deadly White Christmas (Angel Mountain scents Series #1)

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# Under the Aspens

### Elizabeth Sherry

# Chapter 1

She was being followed. Sher Mason felt her hair prickle on the back of her neck as it stood straight up. What she didn't understand was why anyone wanted to follow her. She ran a deli in the north suburbs of Northglenn, Colorado. Although her deli was popular, it wasn't a high-profile business.

As she drove north on Interstate 25, returning from a shopping trip in Denver, she knew her old Toyota could act up at any time. Should she have avoided going downtown today? No, she had to start work on her fall display window and needed some supplies. Still . . . what reason did anyone have to follow her?

She couldn't actually see who followed her; it was after two in the afternoon, and there was lots of traffic on the road. She looked again in the rearview mirror, and she saw a black SUV changed lanes, maneuvering closer to her. As she looked back to the road, she realized her exit came next, so she jerked the wheel to the right—and as she did, the black SUV exited also. What should she do now?

She remembered a police station was only two blocks up the road on the left. Stomping on the gas pedal, she hoped the light stayed green at the next intersection and that no one was passing through it—other than herself. As luck had it, the light turned yellow as she sped through and made a quick left turn into the parking lot of the police station. She glanced back and her breath caught when she saw the SUV had slowed down. _Please keep going_ , she prayed. A scream rose in her throat . . . but the black SUV kept going.

She couldn't believe how her whole body shook. The occupants of the other car were probably just going in the same direction—not following her specifically. Probably a mother going to pick up her children from the middle school five blocks from here. Since the windows on the SUV were so darkly tinted, there was no way she could tell who was inside. Sher let out a nervous laugh.

She usually never got so spooked. But with no sleep in two days and living on caffeine, she wasn't surprised she overreacted. She needed to get some sleep soon. She really shouldn't be overreacting at every little thing—this was not normal for her. She usually was level-headed and calm. Still, she felt certain the driver of the black car had acted suspiciously.

***

"Oh, you're finally back," Cathy yelled, from across the store.

Sher walked through the door of her deli and spotted her assistant cleaning the slicers. Cathy had been with her since she opened two years ago. She couldn't imagine doing without Cathy now. Although she attended college, studying criminology, she still had the energy to work at least thirty hours for Sher. And Sher loved her fun-loving personality. Cathy was always upbeat and sang throughout her shift. Sher counted her blessings she had found such a dedicated employee who also had common sense.

"Mr. Blackwheel ordered three sandwich platters and two cheese trays for tomorrow at noon. He wants you to deliver them to his real estate office, just like last month," Cathy said, giggling. Mr. Blackwheel was a loyal customer and had been since she opened the deli. Sher guessed he was in his mid-fifties . . . and knew _exactly_ what he liked and didn't like. They both worked hard to please him, which was the least she could do since he sent a lot of business her way.

As Cathy rattled on, Sher felt her nerves calming. Cathy always had that effect on her due to her sweet, quiet voice and blue eyes that smiled brightly.

"Oh, Brad stopped in. Says to remind you he will be leaving in three days for Estes Park, camping. He and Todd will not be able to make dinner Saturday night," Cathy continued with her daily update. Brad, Sher's older brother by two years, was the adventurous one in the family. _Family_ ...their family consisted now of just her and Brad. Their parents died in a car accident five years ago, Saturday. Sher still got teary-eyed whenever she thought of her parents. They'd always encouraged, and supported her and Brad in whatever adventure they tried. She remembered with fondness how the four of them always played board games on holidays. She wished she had the past five years back. Sometimes she felt so alone.

After her parents' passing, she and Brad went their own ways, for the most part. They planned a dinner once a month and spoke on the phone, but no more board games, and the laughter was less and less over the years. She was disappointed, as she looked forward to monthly dinners when they caught up on life's events. She still hadn't met Brad's girlfriend, Alice.

Brad's partner in the construction company, Todd, introduced Brad to Alice. Because Todd described the relationship as serious, Sher truly wanted to meet her brother's "love of a lifetime." She made a mental reminder to ask Brad when the three of them could get together.

Sher walked to the back office, regretting all the invoices she had to go through. She loved working out on the floor, where she met the customers and stocked the supplies. But the paperwork was not her favorite part of the business.

She only got partway to the office door, when she heard the bell on the front door ring. A loud voice said, "Why haven't you returned my calls?'.

Sher almost knocked over the kosher pickle barrel as she stumbled.

_William._ Her ex-husband...just what she needed now.

"What do we owe the honor of this visit, William?"Sher said.

William was her big mistake. They were only married for less than a year. She had believed him to be stable and hard working. He had believed her to be his financial backing. After she caught him trying to access her trust account to finance his next big adventure, she realized her marriage was over. She cringed as she remembered the fight that followed. Sher had believed all the ugliness was behind her, yet here he stood.

"You still have some of my things in your garage, and I need to get them," he gruffly told her.

William walked toward her; at the same time, she backed up as she remembered how he slapped her after she'd told him to pack up and get out of her house a few years ago.

"I can't recall much in the garage. It's been over five years. But I will look when I have the time, and call you if I find anything." Sher hoped this would get him to go.

"Not good enough. I need them NOW," he sneered. William had a mean streak that she cared not to experience again.

"I cannot leave right now. I will look tonight. And if I find anything of yours, or if I don't find anything of yours, this will be the last time you show up here." she said, trying hard to hold back her temper. As he turned toward the front door, he swung his arm out and knocked the crackers off the top shelf. Staring at her with hatred in his eyes, he stomped the crackers and said, "You better find my things, or you will not like it when you _do_ see me again."

The door shut, as Cathy came around the counter. "Are you all right? I can't believe you were once married to that guy."

"I'll be fine. He can't hurt me now," Although Sher was shaking, she assured Cathy that she was not going to let any man hurt her again. She decided long ago . . . if she didn't let a man into her life, she would never be hurt again. But what she forgot was, if she didn't let someone in her life, she wouldn't truly be happy. She shook her head, regaining her composure. "I'm fine now. Why don't you head to class, and I'll see you tomorrow?"

Cathy frowned. "Okay, but call me if you need to talk."

Cathy was a great listener, but Sher wanted to leave her dirty laundry out of the work place. She needed to leave it in the past, where it belonged.

After she went through most of the invoices, she decided to take a short break and made some coffee. It was going to be another long night. Sher loved the smell of freshly brewed coffee. She closed her eyes as she held her cup to her nose and enjoyed the fragrance. She took her first sip, when she heard a squeaking noise. It sounded like it came from the storage room.

The storage room was across the hallway from her office and the back door to the store was in that room. She was sure she had checked the back door locks before she settled down at her desk. As she listened for a few seconds, she convinced herself it was just her imagination. But then a loud crash sounded, along with running footsteps, as a door slammed shut. Her coffee spilled in her lap as her hands shook.

Should she look in the storage room first, or call the police? She'd heard of women who panicked over a little noise, then felt stupid when it was nothing. The police had more important things to do than come to the aid of a hysterical female, who was stressed from the day's events.

So she rose from her chair and picked up the metal pole she used to reach the products on the top shelves. As nothing moved in the hallway, she continued to the storage room door. Cautiously, she pushed the door open and peered around the door frame, ready to run at the sign of the least bit of trouble. A crate of Biscoff cookies lay open on the floor where it fell. She saw a sliver of light shining at the back door, which stood partially open. Because she saw nothing, she pushed the back door open all the way. There, toward the end of the alleyway, appeared a slight shadow. _It's probably just trash next to the dumpster,_ she told herself, and nervously laughed.

Thankful she hadn't dialed 911 just to look like an idiot, she turned to go back inside when the shadow moved. She heard the words, "I'll be back." Slamming the back door shut, she made sure the deadbolt was secured then leaned against the wall. For the third time today, she shook like a leaf. She kept hearing the creepy voice in her mind: "I'll be back."

# Chapter 2

The drive home relaxed her some. She loved driving down Riverdale Road. Although it was almost dark, she still could make out the aspens in all their glory. She loved the beautiful reds, oranges, and yellows. When the aspens changed colors, she always thought back to the painting that used to hang above her parent's fireplace. Now the painting hung above her own.

She lived in a small subdivision off Riverdale Road. She reminded herself how lucky she was to find the perfect home. It only had two bedrooms, but the modern kitchen, with all its workspace, was where she spent most of her time while home.

She rubbed the back of her neck and wasn't surprised at the tightness of her muscles. _What a day._ She couldn't wait to slip into a bubble bath, with a small glass of white wine, and let some of the tension of the day disappear. Then, if she could get at least five hours of restful sleep, she knew she would feel so much better tomorrow.

As she neared her driveway, she saw lights on inside her kitchen window. She never left lights on when she left the house. When she pulled up in the driveway, she also saw the front door was partially opened. She sat in the car and debated whether to get out or call 911. This time, she decided to call 911.

Sher heard the police car that pulled up behind her Toyota and watched the officers exit their vehicle. She'd had a police car in her driveway before: one officer, in particular, looked familiar. As he walked up the drive, and the light from the streetlamp landed on his face, she gasped. It was Glen. This day just kept getting worse by the hour.

_Glen Sanders..._ the one man, who actually made her heart race every time she thought of him. How he probably hated her. She had ended their relationship without ever explaining why. She'd just stopped taking his calls. He hadn't deserved that. But, at the time, she was separated, not divorced, and with William's threats and constant interference in her life, she decided not to bring all the baggage she carried into another relationship, especially to a man like Glen. He'd showed her such kindness...and love. It scared her, that someone was _that_ perfect.

_Might as well face the music_ , she told herself as she got out of her car and walked over to the officers.

"What seems to be the problem?"Asked the other officer, whom she did not know. Good, so far Glen was too busy at the front door, but she knew she had to eventually forget her pride and speak to him. It was only a matter of time.

"I didn't leave any lights on this morning, and now there are lights on and the front door is open," she said, not taking her eyes off her front door.

"Stay here while my partner and I check it out inside. Hey, Sanders, the owner says someone is in her house. I'll check the back," Officer David, as his name badge, hollered to his partner, then walked around the side of the house as Glen went in the front door.

It seemed like twenty minutes, although it probably had been only five, when Officer David showed up on her front porch and said, "You can come in now."

She was surprised to see everything looked as she had left it, at least in her living room.

"I thought I recognized the address when the call came in." Of course, that smooth voice came from Glen.

Sher turned toward the voice and knew what she would see in his eyes. His eyes were one of the things she loved about him. He had beautiful, green eyes that sparkled every time he looked at her.

They weren't sparkling now. In fact, they were far from sparkling.

Glen realized his fists were clinched at his side. As many times in the past few years he allowed himself to think of her, he never imagined they would meet again, especially like this. He realized he had never gotten over her.

He studied her. From the curve of her face, and lips, and her eyes...those beautiful eyes. They always told on her. They were so honest and clear. He realized she was still the one woman who could make him forget what he was doing, every time he looked into those eyes.

"Hello, Glen. I suppose this is the last place you want to be right now." Sher tucked her shoulder length hair behind one ear as she spoke.

Her hair used to be longer when they were together. . But he found that he liked this cut too. It brought out her blue eyes with the long lashes. He'd almost forgotten how long her lashes were.

"I'm a police officer. I go where I'm needed. See if anything is missing, then you and I need to talk," he said as he stepped aside to let her enter.

Talking was the last thing she wanted to do. All she wanted to do was go back to yesterday, before all the craziness started. Her life had been so normal lately, to the point of being boring. She wanted that mundane life back.

Sher walked through her cozy home. Everything looked in order till she reached her bedroom, where drawers had been opened. Her underwear was piled on the floor. Her closet doors stood open, and dresses were scattered about the room. She didn't remember sitting down but found herself on the foot of her bed. Who would do this? She had no enemies, unless you considered William. Most people she came across liked her.

As the tears welled up in her eyes, she barely made out something on her dresser mirror. She stood up to get a better look. It said, "I'll be back," written in her favorite shade of mauve lipstick.

Her knees gave way, and she fell to the floor as deep sobs escaped her.

Familiar arms came round her shoulders, but she wasn't focused through the tears as she looked up.

He saw the fear and hurt in her eyes, as she gazed up at him. He wanted to wipe the fear away. He wanted to see that sexy smile of hers again, not the tears.

He let her cry, knowing he needed to keep his distance. He found it almost unbearable as he watched her sitting there in so much pain. Toward the end of their relationship, he had seen the hurt and uncertainty in her eyes then too. His one regret was that he hadn't forced her to talk about what was bothering her.

He had to forget the past and focus on now, "Can you tell if anything is missing?"

"I 'm not sure, and I can't check everything right now. It will take me a few days to look through all the rooms and the garage."She tried to get the words out through her sobs.

As she said "garage," she remembered William. Well, too bad. He had to wait. There was no way she would go through the garage tonight.

"Honey, come into the living room so we can talk." Glen realized the slip of his tongue too late.

"Do you really think now is the time to talk about us?"She had fire, and right now, she was letting know she was not in the mood.

"I mean, we need to talk about your break-in," If Sher looked his way, she would see the hurt in his own eyes.

Blushing, she realized she'd misunderstood. Of course he meant her break-in. He probably had a wife or girlfriend by now. _They,_ as a couple, were long over.

Glen, saw confusion in her eyes. He felt like a heel, but he had to keep this on a professional level. He would not let her get under his skin again. No other woman had ever made him feel the way Sher had.

He found himself comparing every woman he dated to Sher, and they always lacked her softness, her beauty, and her sense of fun and warmth, among other things. He couldn't let himself go down that road again. He was here as a police officer, helping a citizen.

"Let me help you up," he said as he extended his hand out to help her.

She avoided his outstretched hand and pulled herself up with the help of the bed. Her legs shook as they walked down the hall to the living room—the room she had spent so much time decorating with love. She used some of her parents' pieces, along with her own touches, to make a warm, inviting retreat from the world. Now it just felt cold.

"Tell us who you think would break into your home?" Glen prompted Sher.

"Just a minute, miss." How had she forgotten Officer David was still here? "Sanders, can I talk to you outside?"

Officer David walked out, followed by Glen. Before he exited the house, Officer David looked at her as though she had two heads. She heard nothing of what they said, but she knew instinctively it was not flattering to her.

"Correct me, if I'm wrong, but isn't this Sher Mason? The woman you mourned over for the past year and a half?" Officer David frowned at Glen. .

"Yes, her name is Sher Mason. And, no, I didn't mourn her. She and I are past history. She is a victim, nothing else, right now," Glen impatiently answered his partner's question.

"Right and my uncle is the King of Siam," David snorted.

"Let's just do our job and call it a night," Glen said, as he pushed past his partner.

"Can you do your job? I see the way she looks at you, and your jaw clinches every time you look at her."

"I'm fine. Let's get this over with," Luckily for Glen his partner decided to drop the subject, although he wasn't the least bit convinced.

"Miss Mason, tell us what has been going on in your life lately. Perhaps there is a connection with the break-in," Officer David said.

She thought, briefly, of mentioning the black SUV but felt silly. She reminded herself that it could have just been someone who drove along the same route. And her altercation with William...well, that was just William throwing his weight around as usual.

"I think, earlier tonight, someone was in my storage room at my deli. But when I looked, no one was there. The backdoor was open. But my assistant or I could've forgotten to close and lock it.""You haven't made any enemies lately?" Officer David asked. "Officer, I own a deli. How many enemies do you think I can make in a deli?" Sher's voice was stronger this time. Glen studied her reactions to the questions and felt certain she wasn't being truthful with her answers. But there's nothing they could do if she wasn't willing to open up to them.

"Okay, Sher, I think we have everything. Not much to go on though. We'll have a patrol car drive by every hour for a few days just to check on you. If you think of anything useful, give us a call. This is the precinct number, and my new cell number is on the back. Don't hesitate to call, if you feel you are in danger." Glen added the last few words to let her know only to call on police matters.

"Come on, Sanders. Nothing else we can do here. Let's get back and write our report. Our shift ended twenty minutes ago," Officer David stated as he was halfway out the door.

After she made sure all the doors and windows were locked, she made the effort to fill up the tub. She really needed that bubble bath now, more than ever. But she decided against the glass of wine. With the pounding in her head, she knew alcohol wasn't the answer. What she truly needed was aspirin. Then she needed sleep, in that order. She didn't want to think about her day, or Glen.

# Chapter 3

Sher woke up the next morning to a pounding in her head. She stretched her body, and the thought hit her: she'd actually slept like a baby. She couldn't believe, after yesterday's events, that she had slept so well. But the pounding continued.

She sat up and threw her legs over the side of the bed, yawning.

More pounding.

As she stood, she realized the pounding was not in her head, but coming from the front door.

Who was here at six o'clock in the morning?

Almost forgetting to look through the peephole first, she opened the door.

"I think you can use this."Glen stood outside her door with a bag in one hand and a cup of coffee in the other.

Her mind went back in time to almost two years ago. After one of their nights out together, he dropped her at her car, which she left at the deli. Since the snow had been coming down so thick and fast, she decided to spend the night there on the sofa in her office. The next morning Glen showed up with breakfast and coffee from the only fast food place opened at six o'clock in the morning. She knew, right then, she would fall for that sweet, caring man.

She snapped back to the present and ran her fingers through her hair to tame it. Smiling, she said, "I believe we did this before. You haven't changed."

He knew exactly what she meant. She'd turned him down when he offered his guest room for her that stormy night two years ago. She was so independent and stubborn. Or maybe she had just felt differently toward him than he felt her. But she was wrong on one count—he had changed.

Taking the cup from his hand, she almost dropped it when she felt the spark from his fingers. She felt that old longing in her chest. So many memories flashed in her mind of happier times.

All of a sudden, she felt underdressed. She wore modest pajamas, black with tropical flowers printed boldly all over. Now she wished she'd taken the time to grab her robe from the foot of her bed before she answered the door.

Feeling uncomfortable, she said the first thing that popped into her mind. "The coffee's good."

"There's also sausage and hash browns in the bag, enough for two/"

She knew her nerves were not up to eating. So she just sipped the coffee. She also knew one cup was not going to clear her head this morning, so she moved around the kitchen and filled her coffeemaker. She loved her modern kitchen, with the stainless steel appliances and the long breakfast counter. This was where Glen made himself comfortable with his breakfast.

He knew she was nervous about him being there, but she had to get over it. He had a lot of questions. He knew she hid something yesterday, and he was determined to get answers.

Sher sat with her to-go cup of coffee and waited for the sounds of the coffeemaker to come, that beloved gurgling.

"Would you like a fresher on that coffee? If I remember correctly, you take it black, right?"

Glen got right to the point. "That hasn't changed, but you have. You used to be so open about yourself. I know you were not being totally honest with us yesterday, about things that have been happening in your life. Care to tell me what's going on?" He stared at her, expecting her to be as open with him as she used to be.

From the first moment she saw him at her door yesterday, she knew this moment was going to arrive faster than she wanted it to. He was the same man she remembered, and yet he wasn't. He seemed harder now somehow. The _Old Glen_ would've shown up at her door for no other reason than because he brought her coffee and breakfast...because he cared. This _New Glen_ had other motives.

She had to think. She couldn't do this now. She felt too raw with emotions, and when she glanced at the clock, she realized she needed to get down to the deli. She had trays to fix and deliver to Mr. Blackwheel, and other orders that needed to get finished. And she wanted to gather her thoughts before having any further discussion with Glen. She didn't want her heart flopping around on her sleeve. "Can we do this later? I need to get dressed and get to work. I have a long day planned," she said.

He searched her face, as he looked for a hint of the old Sher. For a moment, he saw the same longing in her eyes that he saw over a year ago, but the next instant, it disappeared and was replaced with a fiery determination.

Dumping his half-empty cup of coffee in the sink, he tossed the cup in the trashcan and said, "I'll meet you back here tonight at seven. We will have that talk you seem so determined to avoid."

"I'm not avoiding anything. I really need to get to work now." _I also need you to get out the door before I say or do something I will regret,_ she thought wryly. "See you at seven," he repeated as he walked out.

She watched him stroll to his jeep, surprised that he still had the bright-red vehicle.

Her mind went back in time. She loved the days when they'd driven to Cherry Creek and walked over the boulders down to the creek, just enjoyed each other's closeness and the beautiful scenery. And when he returned her home, they'd sat in his jeep and kissed for what seemed like hours. Those kisses had made her wish for things she couldn't have. For the man she couldn't have.

Bringing herself back to present, she shook her head. That was enough daydreaming—time she got it together and went to work. She decided on black slacks with her favorite white sweater. It would be a little cold today and windy...plus she wanted to look professional when she delivered the trays to Mr. Blackwell's real estate office.

Her mind went forty miles an hour while she drove down Riverdale, so she couldn't enjoy the scenery like she usually did this time in the morning. She caught herself glancing in the rearview mirror constantly. So far, nothing was behind her. Most people were already at work by this time.

She neared 120th Avenue, when she spotted a dark SUV behind her. She told herself to breathe, not to panic. Three more blocks and she arrived at her deli. Even though her shop was only a few minutes from home, it seemed so much longer today. She held her breath and then let it out slowly when she saw the car had changed lanes.

As it pulled up next to her, she saw the windows were so darkly tinted that she couldn't see the driver. She tried to remember if she knew anyone with a black SUV. No one came to mind.

A quick right-hand turn and she was in her parking lot. She was glad her deli was not the only shop open at this time. There was a bookstore next door, and on the other side of her was a kids' clothing store. These neighboring businesses made her feel safe. Funny, she only felt unsafe one time in her life before. That was when William had slapped her.

She looked back to see if the other vehicle pulled into the lot, but didn't see any black SUV. With a sigh of relief, she locked her car and mentally planned out her day.

After she unlocked the front door to the deli, she re-locked it—she wouldn't officially open for another half hour and needed to prepare. She spent a few minutes slicing Swiss cheese for the cheese trays and separating some for the sandwich trays. The ham and turkey slices and the provolone cheese were already done. All she had to do now was to assemble the sandwiches.

While she cubed the cheese for the trays, the bell rang above the front door. She saw Cathy walk in, which made her smile. She had given Cathy her own key to the shop, just in case she had to open early or close late. Sher trusted her to make sure the register was empty at night and the money deposited in the safe. She really needed her bubbly persona this morning, and Cathy didn't let her down, humming an Adele song as she hung up her coat. Sher smiled.

"Morning," Cathy said between song verses.

"Good morning, yourself." Sher said.

"I see you came in early to fix Mr. Blackwheel's trays. I believe he prefers you to make them. You put the parsley and cherry tomatoes in the center. I always forget those."

"You do a great job. Don't doubt yourself. Mrs. Nichols will be in today for her usual corned beef and Swiss. She says you always slice it just thin enough." It was true. Mrs. Nichols never complained when Cathy sliced her meats and cheeses.

Cathy went through her morning ritual: apron, hairnet, then checking the times on the day's order forms. Business had picked up in the past four months or so. They always had between five to eight special orders per day.

As Cathy went about her routine, she sang another tune. This one was not familiar to Sher, but it was music. And as the saying went, music relaxed the nerves.

Sher was surprised how fast the time went by. They were so busy, she didn't worry about yesterday. She delivered Mr. Blackwell's order, and as usual, he paid and included a large tip. It did her heart good as she heard his many compliments.

Nothing unusual happened when she drove back to the shop. She began to relax. She told herself the black vehicle was nothing, just her overreacting.

Entering the shop, she reminded herself she needed to take the funds from the safe and go to the bank and make a deposit. In her office, she added up the receipts and completed the bookkeeping. A few moments later, she had the deposit slip and cash in the bank bag. She let Cathy, who was cleaning the slicers again; know she was heading to the bank.

"I'll be back momentarily, Cathy," she said. "By the way, Mr. Blackwheel ordered five more trays for Saturday, but this time, we need to deliver them to the Crown Plaza in downtown Denver."

"Why the change in location?" asked Cathy.

Sher shrugged. "A convention of realtors, and as he said, he wants to put his best foot forward as one of the hosts." Since the deli was closed on Sunday, Sher considered staying downtown herself. She loved shopping along the Sixteenth Street Mall, and she felt her mouth watering to the memories of the food at Maggiano's. She eventually convinced herself that was what she would do—treat herself to a night downtown.

"I'll write up the order in a second, soon as I finish some cleaning," Cathy said.

"When I come back, maybe we can work on that window display."She always included Cathy on the building of the display for the front window. They both had talent, but together they showed amazing results. With the holidays coming, she wanted something the whole town of Northglenn would remember.

# Chapter 4

Cathy and Sher spent the rest of the day building the fall window display. The fall season was one of her favorite times of the year. As she moved back to admire the colorful leaves and gourds they strategically placed in the front window, she realized it missed something.

"Cathy, don't we have a couple of barrels we can place toward the back of the window?"

"Yes. I know we put some in the store room. I'll go check," Cathy replied.

As Cathy went to check on the barrels, Sher decided it was time for coffee and a phone call to her ex-husband. She felt her blood pressure rise at the thought of talking to him. After their divorce, she mistakenly believed she wouldn't have to deal with him any longer. They had no children. They had nothing to tie them together. So the idea of having to speak to him ruined her good mood. The last thing she wanted was drama today.

As she dialed his number, she said a small prayer that he wouldn't answer and she would have to leave a message and not have to actually speak to the man. Her luck didn't hold out this morning.

"It's about time you call. Where is my box?"He grumbled. _No hello, nice._ "I'm sorry, William. I haven't taken the time to look for your box. Like I told you before, I seriously doubt I have anything left of yours at my house," she said.

"You bitch. You either find that box, or I will be there tonight to find it myself."

Well, his meanness hadn't changed. She cringed but held her ground, "You cannot intimidate me any longer. You will not threaten me."

But she was talking to dead air—William had hung up. How was she supposed to find something that wasn't even there? In fact, she recalled, her brother Brad had taken a few boxes from the garage just last month. But weren't those some things that belonged to their parents? Brad would be home from his camping trip in two more days. She would wait and talk to him then. In the meantime, William had to wait.

Cathy returned with the barrels, and Sher occupied the next hour finishing the window display.

"I see we outdid ourselves this year. It's unbelievable," Cathy said.

They both stood outside and admired the finished window. It looked spectacular. They were sure to get many compliments this year.

The rest of the day was uneventful, which made Sher happy. They waited on customers, made orders, and cleaned. By seven, they were both ready to lock the door and call it another day. Tomorrow looked to be a hectic day—they had six trays to put together and deliver to the Crown Plaza downtown. This meant they both would be in the shop at five in the morning in order to put everything together. Then she would drive downtown and set everything up for the conference at the plaza.

Sher continually watched the traffic in the rearview mirror that evening on her way home. No one suspicious followed. An Adele song came on the radio, and she sang along. She avoided thoughts of the past few days, of William, the black SUV, or Glen. She just drove and enjoyed the scenery.

Off and on all day, Sher thought about the squash soup she could heat up for her dinner tonight. And the call she needed to make to her best friend, Lynn. She and Lynn had been best friends since grade school, and she missed sharing her days with her. Lynn would be home now, unpacking from her trip to California. She worked for a major department store in Colorado Springs, traveling often to San Diego. Sher gave herself another mental reminder to set up a night when the two of them could meet for dinner and catch up on their lives. She missed the laughter they always shared when together. She could use some of that laughter now.

As she got within three blocks from her home, she saw flashing blue lights. Her stomach turned over. They couldn't be at her house. This wasn't happening, again. But she was wrong. Something was wrong. She pulled up in front of her home and saw the garage doors were opened. Three officers stood in the garage...one of them, Glen.

As she got out of the car, her legs felt like lead weights. Officer David turned to Glen and motioned toward her.

"I'm sorry, Sher. During the hourly patrol of the neighborhood, the officer noticed your garage was open. Someone had been searching through your boxes, and they weren't careful while doing it. There's a lot of damage," Glen said sadly.

Sher barely understood what Glen said. All she saw was the mess in her garage. She bent down and picked up the wedding picture of her parents. The glass and frame were broken. Then the tears fell. It seemed everything she treasured had been destroyed.

Glen had witnessed Sher crying only one time before—their last date two years ago. Right now she resembled a lost little girl as the tears slid down both cheeks. He refused to hold back. He quickly gathered her in his arms, as he felt this was the only natural thing for the moment.

She didn't resist. She not only looked lost, she felt lost. Being held in Glen's embrace made her feel safe if only for a few moments.

"Why? Why would he do this? I told him nothing of his is here," she said between clinched teeth.

"Who, Sher? You know who did this?" Glen asked.

"William. He's been calling me. And he came to the shop. He seems to think I have a box of his. I tried to tell him nothing of his is at this house, but he won't listen. He is determined to check himself. But...even William wouldn't do all this. I know he can be mean, but he knows my parents belongings mean so much to me. It's all I have left of them besides the memories," she said, as she held the broken picture frame close to her chest.

"Stay here. I'll be right back," Glen told her.

She watched as Glen walked over to Officer David, but could not hear what he said. Right now, it took all her strength not to crumble. The idea of cleaning up the mess and having to throw away some of her parents' cherished memories made her nauseous.

While he spoke to his partner, Glen observed Sher. Although she'd broken his heart years ago, no one deserved to go through this. He still thought of her as one of the sweetest, kindest people he knew. He recalled some of the hassle her ex had caused when they were dating. Back then, Glen had wanted to confront the jerk. Now, he wanted to beat him to within an inch of his life for what he was putting Sher through. She looked so alone and hurt at this moment, and he felt helpless. He was determined to not let her go through this alone. She could not stay at her house alone. Something was going on, and he was determined to get to the bottom of it. He would not let her get hurt again, if he could help it. He would protect her.

"Give me your keys. I need to check everything in the house to make sure nothing is touched inside," he told her.

Sher checked her coat pockets but found no keys. She didn't remember turning her car off and removing them from the ignition. "They must still be in the car," her voice came out in a slight whisper.

Glen retrieved her keys, and before he unlocked the door leading into her kitchen, he unsnapped his holster and removed his gun. He was not taking any chances of an intruder being inside and armed.

Glass crunched under Sher's feet. She bent down again and picked up a remnant of glass that she recognized as one of her mother's crystal bells. Her mother had loved her bell collection.

Sher had left the bells and Hummel collection packed while she refinished the curio cabinet she'd picked up at an estate sale a few months ago. She was almost finished with restoring the cabinet. Why hadn't she worked faster on it? Then her mother's treasures would be inside, instead of in pieces on the garage floor.

Glen returned to her side, gun re-holstered. "No one is inside. But you can't stay here. It's not safe," Glen said.

"This is my home. I won't let William, or anyone else, chase me from my home." The fight had returned to her.

But Glen wouldn't have it. "Be reasonable. Someone broke into your home and now ransacked your garage. If they haven't found what they are looking for, they will be back. I cannot let you stay here alone," he said firmly.

"It's not up to you to let me stay here. It is my decision. I will not leave my home," Sher told him stubbornly.

"Then I will be a fixture on your sofa. I'm not trying to curb your independence. I'm trying to keep you safe. I'll have the patrol officer stay with you while I run and pack a bag. No arguments, please. If you won't leave, then I have no choice but to stay with you." He could be just as stubborn as Sher.

"You cannot be with me twenty-four hours a day. We both have lives. And it's not fair for you to put yours on hold to babysit me," she said the words, but secretly hoped he would stay.

As he pulled her into his arms, he said, "I start my week-long vacation tomorrow. I have no immediate plans, just yard work and movie watching. So, yes, I can be with you twenty-four hours a day. Besides, it will finally give us time for that long-overdue talk."

With that, Glen left her standing there, while he spoke to the patrol officer. She vaguely heard his car drive away.

Entering the kitchen gave her a strange feeling of violation. She recalled all the many times she entered her home and the peace she always felt. Will she ever feel that peace again?

# Chapter 5

How could she survive with Glen in her life every moment, when she found it so hard to keep her feelings hidden? All these deep feelings crept up on her every time she gazed into his eyes. Could she hide them for much longer? She didn't even know if he had someone important in his life now. She felt so secure in his arms for those few minutes in the garage...but did she have the right to feel like she did?

_Enough of these thoughts, they aren't getting you anywhere._ She knew that while she wished for things to be different, that didn't mean they would be.

Remembering she had left her purse in her car, she went outside. The patrol officer greeted her as she closed her car door. She felt, again, the hair on the back of her neck as it stood on end. This was the second time in a few days she had felt this. Someone was watching her. Now. She glanced around but saw nothing out of the ordinary. No strangers lurked in the bushes. No cars that didn't belong were parked on the street...well, except for the police car. Her neighbors must be curious as to what she was doing lately with so much police activity at her home.

As she dropped her purse on the bar, she noticed the light blinked on her answering machine. Remembering the call she planned to making to her best friend, she thought perhaps it was Lynn. They often shared that kind of mental connection. "Sis. Are you there? Pick up. Something is going on. Are you okay? Please pick up. I will be returning earlier than— _Noooo_!"There was the sound of something breaking—glass?—then nothing.

Brad was in trouble. Again, she felt sick to her stomach. He could be hurt, lying out there somewhere, and she wasn't even sure exactly where he was.

She jumped and screamed when someone grabbed her arm.

"It's me. I didn't mean to scare you. Isn't that Brad on the machine?" Glen asked as he let her go.

She hadn't heard Glen come back in, she was so lost in thought.

"Yes and something's wrong. He was cut off. I need to call him back," Sher said in a panicked voice.

Fumbling in her purse, she found her cell phone. The call went directly to voicemail. She tried again. Again, it went to voicemail. She tried hard to remember if Brad had given her the location of the campsite.

"He's camping outside Estes Park. But I'm not sure exactly where," she said.

"You know reception is scratchy in the mountains. We can try again later. I'm sure it's nothing. Brad probably tripped over something. He'll call you back later and tell you all about it," Glen said, trying to calm her.

"You're probably right. Brad does his own thing all the time, and nothing bad has happened yet," Sher said.

He wouldn't let on that he too is worried. He'd heard the whole message from Brad. Something definitely had happened. It didn't sound good. But right now, Sher had enough to worry about. He'd find out what he could regarding Brad in the morning. His first priority was Sher tonight.

"I brought Chinese. I know you haven't eaten, and Mongolian Beef used to be your favorite, and before you say anything, it is gluten-free," he said with a smile.

Sher couldn't believe he remembered. Mongolian beef and chicken fried rice was her favorite.

She had been gluten-free for three years. When she was diagnosed with celiac disease, she thought she would have to do without many of her favorite foods, but so many restaurants had gluten-free menus now. Every once in a while, she ate something outside of her diet accidentally and became sick, but this happened less and less the past two years.

"I'll get the plates. And thank you for being you. You always are so thoughtful and seem to know what I need." She wanted so badly to wrap her arms around his neck and kiss him. His thoughtfulness meant so much right now.

"Not always, or you would have kept taking my calls, and we would still be together."His tone was somber.

"Do we have to do this now? I'm hungry and worn out. I want to get some food in my body, then a long hot bath. Then some sleep. I have to be up very early," she said wearily. "No we can do this later. But mark my words...we will do this later," he told her firmly.

While they ate, there was silence. Glen remembered back to the last time they'd shared an Oriental meal. He'd asked her to go away with him for the weekend, wanting to take her to a romantic cabin in the mountains. He knew right after he asked that he'd said the wrong thing. And that's when it ended.

Looking at her now, he realized he still wanted her. He hadn't wanted a woman as much as this. Although they had yet to be intimate, the desire was there years ago, and was still there now. He had hoped the weekend at a cabin would show her how good they could be together, and how much he loved her, but it never came to be.

They finished the meal in silence, and Sher took their dishes to the sink to wash. Her nerves were shot. How would she go through the night, knowing her body reacted so strongly toward him? She ran from him years ago. Did she want to keep running? How could she keep her distance while he looked at her with such longing?

She was so deep in thought it took a moment before she realized he stood right behind her.

"I'll finish these. You go take your long bath. I want to check around outside. Then I'll make sure everything is locked down for the night," he suggested.

She practically ran from the kitchen. She couldn't be this close to him, for she knew she'd give herself away.

Lying in the bubbles in the tub was one of her favorite things. She felt her muscles relax. Maybe she would stay here all night. The idea of sleeping in her bed, with Glen in the next room, unsettled her. She dried off, and dressed in her most modest pajamas. She even threw on a robe, and she still felt under-dressed. Since she wasn't sleepy, she decided a cup of hot chocolate might do the trick. Stepping out of her bedroom, she came to a sudden halt. There was Glen, as he came from the hallway bathroom, dressed only in a pair of jeans, rubbing a towel through his hair. She kept her eyes on his chest—a beautiful, smooth chest. Finally, she moved her eyes from his chest up to his face. The desire she saw there made her weak. She wanted this man, and she knew, he wanted her just as much.

No words were spoken, as he stepped closer. He cupped her face and leaned down to claim her lips. It was a kiss she never felt from him before. It took her breath and senses away. She thought for a brief second that she should stop the kiss, but all she cared about was what she was feeling—spectacular, lost in the moment. She wanted to feel him kissing her, touching her...being inside of her.

He pulled back, and ended the kiss. Searching her face for any sign of regret, he saw none.

"Please don't stop. I need you. I want you." She wasn't sure if those words were spoken out loud, and she didn't care. All she wanted was him.

"I'm not stopping, just getting started," he breathed softly, as he led her back to her room.

His arms held her close, rubbing her silky back under her night shirt. He knew her skin would feel so soft. She smelled of peaches and citrus. He couldn't get enough of her smell. For two years, he'd tried to forget the smell of her. He dreamed of making love to her. Not wanting to scare her, he was anxious now. She had been through so much... he needed to take his time. To love her the way she wanted to be loved.

She wrapped her arms around his neck, and her lips touched his softly. He deepened the kiss; his tongue touched hers till he believed he would explode.

Not taking his eyes off her face, he pulled aside her robe slightly and began to unbutton her pajama top. She was as beautiful as he'd dreamed she might be. Her breasts were round, nipples erect. Her small waist and narrow hips pressed tightly against his manhood, which convinced him that they were made to be together in this way. She looked almost fragile, so delicate was every inch of her. He had to taste her, feel every inch of her, or die trying. Trailing kisses down her ribcage, he took his time savoring her body, especially her luscious nipples. Moaning, she arched her back and pulled his head closer.

She reached between them and found his zipper. Her body burned with passion. She had never felt this heat before in her life, and she wanted more. She wanted it all. As his jeans fell to the floor, she ran her fingers over his hardness. It became all too much. The heat in her body consumed her.

"Now, please. I want to feel you inside me," she whispered as she lay down on the bed.

He didn't argue. As he entered her hot, moist body, he shuddered. He almost finished too soon as she thrust up and met him. His mind went to another place, so he could slow things down. This felt so right and, he wanted to make it last. He wanted to kiss her until she was breathless, which was exactly what he did.

She flew...never in her wildest dreams, did she imagine making love would be so fantastic and all consuming. She couldn't hold on much longer. As she reached the ultimate height of ecstasy, she called his name. He wasn't far behind. "My love", he spoke softly as he came inside her.

He wasn't sure how long he'd lain there with thoughts of how perfect they were together. He needed to find some way to make her see; they should be together. The idea of going their separate way was beyond thought now. She controlled his heart and soul.

As she snuggled close to his side, she admitted to herself how much she loved this man. How could she refuse this love they shared? It was beyond incredible. They fit perfectly, in mind and body. But would he trust her after the way she treated him in the past? She thought of what she could do to make up for how she'd treated him before. She wanted another chance. One final chance. What they shared tonight would last a lifetime.

# Chapter 6

Waking up the next morning, she felt so free. She smiled as thoughts of the night before came to mind. If she'd known making love with Glen would be so mind-blowing, life-altering, she would've done it years ago. But so much had been going on back then—she always put the brakes on when the heavy breathing started. Things could've happened differently if she'd known then what she knew now—how well they fit together.

Glen watched her as she woke, unsure of what to expect. He was pleasantly surprised when she smiled. He reached over and pulled her closer. Now he smiled too. In a perfect world, he wished to wake up this way every morning.

"I think it's time to get up, but I don't want to move," he said to the top of her head.

"I agree about the time and not wanting to move," she said, laughing. "But I have a lot of work to do. I have tons of trays to make for the realtors convention, to be delivered by four this afternoon. In fact, I made up my mind yesterday to spend the night downtown myself and enjoy an evening of shopping and dinner. Care to join me?"

"I'm all yours," he said through his smiling lips.

After a quick shower, each in different bathrooms since they were in a rush, Sher dressed in her only business suit. It was grey, and with a white blouse and her hair pulled back into a loose bun, she was satisfied that she passed inspection. She preferred casual clothes, but for today, she'd dress the part of a business woman.

They decided Glen would drive her to work and then to the Crown Plaza, since he had more room in his jeep. Sitting in the jeep, her mind went flew back in time again. She felt at home in this vehicle, like she belonged here, sitting next to this man.

Before she knew it, they stopped in front of the deli. Again she'd taken no time to enjoy the scenery, lost in her thoughts. She unmistakably enjoyed the company though.

"I'll be back to pick you and your cargo up at three. I have a few errands to run in the meantime." He leaned over and brushed his lips on hers.

_What a way to go to work,_ she thought.

"See you at three. And thank you," She smiled when she jumped down and walked to the front door of the deli.

Before she knew it, the time was almost two o'clock. She and Cathy had worked nonstop between customers and the trays. All they had left to do was pack the trays in the coolers and load them into Glen's jeep when he returned.

"Oh no, I forgot. I wanted to call Lynn last night. I'll do it now before Glen gets here," she said out loud, speaking mostly to herself as she often did. She made a quick call to her best friend, not going into details regarding her troubles. She did mention her steamy night with Glen and about their trip downtown tonight. She hung up as she promised to call Lynn tomorrow night for a longer conversation.

Glen worried about Brad. Things were not adding up. He'd been a cop for long enough and knew when something wasn't right. Glen had called his partner David, and they talked about the recent events, including Brad's phone call. Sher's ex-husband couldn't be found, and apparently, he wasn't too careful of the company he kept. William's construction company was under suspicion of illegal dealings with some shady characters. Before the conversation ended, David agreed to make a trip to Estes Park and would let Glen know what he found.

Glancing at his watch, he realized he needed to head back to pick up Sher. The thought of spending another night with her brought a big grin to his face. If someone had told him last week that he'd be with Sher again, he would've called them a liar. Yet, the impossible did happen. Now, if he could just show her how wonderful it could and would be for them to stay together this time.

It took them twenty minutes to load all six coolers into the jeep. Then they were on their way downtown. It was Saturday afternoon, and the traffic was a little heavier than during the week, but they made good time. Sher spent the next hour arranging the trays on tables in the conference room. Usually her mind stayed always on business, but not this afternoon. All she thought about now was this evening and time spent with Glen.

They'd already checked into their room so when she finished setting up, she returned to the room to freshen up for a night on the town. She felt like a teenager again.

"Give me five minutes to wash my face and change clothes," she said as she breezed into the room.

Her five minutes was actually ten. She washed her face, reapplied makeup, and changed into a pair of jeans and a lavender sweater. She also took down her hair and brushed it thoroughly, deciding to leave it loose.

When she exited the bathroom, she heard Glen whistle. "You're beautiful. Lavender is your color. It does something to your eyes. Maybe we'll stay in tonight."

"No way! I've been looking forward to this evening all day. We are going shopping then dinner. I haven't forgotten how you like me to model clothes for you," she said with a sly smile.

They held hands down the elevator and the whole time they walked, and again, she felt so safe. She forgot the past few worrisome days and enjoyed just being happy.

They passed a shop window with a beautiful green and lavender dress that hung on a mannequin.

"I can see you in that. It looks like it is made for you only."He grinned at her and waggled his eyebrows. She giggled at his antics, but truthfully, she thought the same thing about the dress. While they looked through the shop, she also found a very sexy night gown. After she paid for the dress, she told the sales clerk she also wanted the nightgown, but as a surprise for her boyfriend. It was bagged without Glen catching sight of it. _Boy, will he be surprised!_

After a delicious meal at Maggiano's, they strolled back to their hotel. Butterflies built up in her stomach with anticipation of the night ahead.

# Chapter 7

"If you don't mind, I'll take a quick shower, and then you can soak in your bubbles. While you soak, I'll try to find a good movie we can snuggle down to watch," Glen suggested. And with that, he was off to the bathroom.

"No argument from me," she said, smiling.

Sher put the nightgown in her overnight case that she planned to take into the bathroom with her. She couldn't wait to see Glen's face when he saw her in it.

True to his words, his shower was quick. He even wiped the tub dry and started her bath running. He'd placed candles along the back of the tub—so thoughtful and romantic. She'd be a fool to let him go this time.

"It's your turn. But I'll warn you. If you're not out in thirty minutes, I'm breaking the door down," he joked.

He would not have to break down the door, because it would not be locked, and she planned to be finished and standing in the doorway in that gown in a few minutes. She hung the gown on the back of the door, then she turned off the taps, and climbed into the tub. _Heaven_. Somehow he'd remembered her favorite bubble bath. She closed her eyes and enjoyed the peach fragrance.

The next instant, her eyes flew open. He leaned over the tub and kissed her. He made her feel so many things with just one simple kiss. Without breaking eye contact, he took her arm and started washing it, then the other arm. No man had ever given her a bath before. He washed her legs next, her back, then the bath got more intimate. All the while, he kept his eyes on her face. She came in long spasms. She floated on air. When she came down, he lifted her out of the tub and dried her off. She'd never felt anything that sensual before.

He carried her to the bed, where they teased and satisfied each other well into the night. Quite a while later, Sher realized she didn't get to show off her new gown. But it was insignificant now. She knew there would be other times ahead of them for that.

Morning came with the realization that they'd never watched a movie either. But she wouldn't change a thing about the night.

Looking at his face on the pillow beside her, she knew she had to tell him the truth. If he threw it back into her face, she deserved it. She hoped that wasn't what he'd do, but it was a chance she was willing to take.

"Glen, I want to tell you something. I love you. And I know you probably still resent me from long ago, but I love you. And I hope and pray we can get past the way I treated you before. I want you in my life, now and always."

It seemed like hours of silence followed her declaration, but it was only a few seconds. He searched her face, and she saw the hope in his eyes.

His voice was deep, gravelly as he said, "I love you too. I've never stopped loving you. But I have stopped resenting you. I realize now you had a lot going on in your life then. It was the wrong time. But I won't let you go again. I need you in order to breathe. You are a part of me now."

She pressed her hand against his cheek and kissed him gently. "And you are a part of me," she whispered. They stared into each other's eyes for a moment, then Sher leaned back with a sigh. "I guess we have to untangle ourselves, check out of this room, and get back to the real world," She stretched her arms above her head. Reluctantly, they got up and dressed.

After checking out, they walked into the parking garage and headed toward the jeep. It was just as they approached their car that they heard the acceleration of a car engine.

The black SUV was headed straight for them.

Glen pushed Sher between two cars and fell on top of her, "Stay down," he shouted as he pulled his gun from the waistband of his jeans. Cautiously, he peered around the bumper and looked down the blacktop. The SUV stopped about fifty yards away with the driver's side door opened. There was no movement, no sound.

Slowly Glen walked up to the vehicle and looked inside. Empty. As the significance of the empty cab registered in his brain, he heard a scream. It was Sher. His heart rate picked up even more, as he realized his mistake—he should never have left her alone. It was a trick. His line of sight swung from the empty cab to Sher. Behind her was a man with a gun in his hand, pointed directly at her temple.

"Stay back or she's dead." It was the same eerie voice Sher had heard in her sleep, the same voice from behind her deli.

The man was of medium build with longish black hair. He had a scar on his left cheek, giving him a sinister quality beyond his voice. "Let her go. You don't want to do this," Glen said as calmly as he could, praying that no one would get hurt. But if he had to shoot the guy to save Sher, he wouldn't hesitate.

"The Boss wants what your husband gave you. And he wants it now," the man said.

Glen saw Sher's face drained of most her color. She was so pale—she looked as if she could pass out at any second. He wouldn't let anything happen to her, especially now that they knew how much the other cared. He wouldn't lose her now—or ever again.

Though she felt like collapsing, her survival instincts were stronger, and she hissed, "My _ex_ -husband. And he didn't give me anything. I don't know what it is you want. How can I give you something, when I don't know what it is?" She tried to stand tall and keep her wits about her.

Glen was not one who gave up. He was ready to shoot as soon as he had a clear shot, she knew. She'd have to do something to avoid that. She had to distract this thug, but how? She'd seen on TV many times how someone got loose from an attacker. If only she could remember just what that trick was.

Glen carefully watched Sher's facial expressions. He knew she was going to act, and he'd be ready.

She dropped down, as if she fainted, and brought her elbow back at the same time. Her aim was a little off, but it was enough that her attacker pushed her forward, away from him. That's when Glen took aim, firing shots just as Sher fell to the ground. He feared for a moment that he'd shot her instead of the thug. He had definitely hit the man, as he saw him running for cover, his blood pelting the pavement. Glen ran to Sher's side. "Sher, honey, are you okay? Please open your eyes. Talk to me."

A moment later, he heard an engine start and a vehicle peeled out of the parking garage. He stood up and made sure the guy was truly gone. The abandoned vehicle was gone as well somehow—in those last few moments, someone had entered the vehicle and driven it away. He'd been so engrossed in protecting Sher, he hadn't noticed it.

He pulled his phone from his jacket pocket and dialed 911.

Glen then knelt before his beloved and begged her to wake up. He was elated when he finally saw her eyes flutter then open.

"Thank God. Are you all right? Where does it hurt?"Glen checked for wounds. "I'm fine. I think I fainted. I never faint. Did we get him?" As she spoke, she nervously glanced all around.

"He's gone, but he's injured. Stay there, the paramedics will be here in a second." He heard the sirens as they got closer.

"I don't need medical attention. I said I'm fine. I just want to go home." Her head hurt, but she didn't want to worry him. From the look on his face, he had worried enough in the last few minutes.

"They need to check you over. You hit the ground hard, and it took you awhile to respond to me. You might have a concussion. Please, to play it safe, let them check you.""Why is it you get to have all the fun?" Officer David demanded as he approached alongside a paramedic, "We haven't had this much excitement since you and I partnered up."

Glen helped Sher stand and handed her over to the medic. "She hit her head. Please make sure she is as fine as she claims," he said then turned to his partner. "I'm not sure what's going down, but that guy was after something he says William gave to Sher. But he's not working alone. He says his _Boss_ wants it back."

"Did he happen to say what _it_ is?" David had not yet seen his partner so distraught.

"No, just seems desperate to get it. Did you go to Estes Park?" Glen asked, hoping to hear some good news.

"Now, I tell you, that was a strange trip. We did find his car with four flat tires, along with his smashed cell phone. The campsite is torn apart, as if a bear had visited. And there is blood on the ground. But we can't find the Brad. The blood isn't a significant amount, but something definitely happened at that campsite," David said with a grimace. He hated adding to the tension he already felt radiating from his partner. "Damn. I keep thinking you'd find Brad with a couple of scraped knees from tripping over a log or something. This doesn't sound good. Don't mention any of this in front of Sher. I want to know more before I share this with her...don't want to unnecessarily upset her. She's gone through quite an ordeal, just today alone. I'm not sure how much more she can handle.""No problem, partner. You know me. I can keep my mouth shut. Just please promise me you'll call if you need back up. I'd like to catch the scum who's behind all this."

"You got it. Now I need to get back to Sher and see if she's up to leaving this place. Check hospitals, doctors offices, anywhere that guy can go for medical attention. I'm not sure how badly he's hurt, but he will need some kind of patching up. And follow up on William. He's up to his neck in this. Check his shady friends, his past, whatever rock you need to look under. We have to figure out who's behind this and why." Glen needed answers, now.

"Gotcha. You'll hear from me soon. Take care of her. I get the feeling she's important to you...again," With that, David walked away, and Glen headed to the ambulance, where Sher sat in the back.

"How is she, boys?""She'll be fine, a little bump on the side of the head but no concussion. She might have a bad headache for a few hours. Aspirin will help. The worse of it is a badly scraped elbow. She's all patched up and rearing to go."

"Take me home, please, Glen. I just want to go home," She knew she couldn't hold the tears back for long.

"Sure, sweetheart. Let's get out of here," he said as he guided her back to the jeep.

She held it together till they reached his jeep then she fell apart. The sobs came louder and louder. He gathered her tightly to him and held her. It tore him up as he listened to her cry. He never wanted her hurt in any way. Kissing the top of her head while he stroked her back, her sobs finally quieted down. He didn't blame her for losing it. No one should have to go through what she had today.

If he got his hands on that ex-husband of hers, he'd be surprised if he didn't choke the life out of him. It would be worth the consequences if only he knew the man couldn't hurt her ever again.

He lifted her chin and kissed the tears off her face, "Shush. We'll get through this. It will end, I promise you. Let me help you into the jeep, then we'll go back to your house, and while you rest, I'll make some calls. Someone knows something. And I'm going to find out what," he said, determination evident in his tone. When he set his mind to something, nothing could stop him from accomplishing that act.

# Chapter 8

When she woke, Sher's first thought was for aspirin. After she took a couple, she felt almost human again. She was confused about what had happened, and why. She decided, after she got some coffee into her system, to try calling Brad again, and then she would search through the garage for anything that didn't belong to her. She headed to the kitchen and coffee. If she didn't get some caffeine in her system soon, she knew the headache would return in full force.

"Hhhmmmm, something smells wonderful. What are you doing up so early?"Sher said before she kissed the back of Glen's neck.

"I decided to let you sleep while I make these delicious gluten-free crepes you love so much. I hope I remember how. It's with ham, Swiss cheese, and grape jelly, right? And I also decided to throw together some hash browns to go with them. But you can't spoil the surprise. You are going to get served in bed." He already put everything on the tray.

"Yummy. You are such a romantic, and I am so lucky. I just want to call Brad again first. He's supposed to return home today. Give me a minute, and then I will jump back in bed, and we can eat."

He hadn't told her yet about what David found at the campsite. He knew he shouldn't keep it from her, but it wasn't going to be easy telling her that her brother was missing. Brad was the only family she had. He decided he would have to tell her after breakfast. Maybe they both needed to go to Brad's apartment and look around, because it seemed like everything that happened to Sher connected to Brad and William.

"There's still no answer on Brad's phone. It keeps going straight to voicemail. I want to go to his apartment this morning and check on him. He might be sick or hurt. I am really getting worried."

"We'll get dressed and go, after you do as promised and jump back into the bed and eat," he replied.

A few minutes later, she patted her stomach and moaned, "I am so stuffed. You did a perfect job with the crepes. I can't believe I ate so much."

"You need fuel. A body can go only so long without proper nutrition. Trust me, I'm a cop." He laughed softly.

She reached for his plate, to clean up, but he stopped her, "Sit for a moment. I need to talk to you."

"You look worried. What's wrong? Has something else happened?" Her hand now shook, and her breath came in fast gasps, but she sat back down and crossed her arms in front of herself. He recognized the move as part of her defense.

"I'm a little worried about your brother too. Yesterday, while you were being checked by the medics, David informed me of something I think you should know. I asked him Saturday to go to Estes Park and find Brad. He found Brad's car, phone, campsite, but no Brad. There are signs of a struggle and some blood by your brother's car. Not a lot of blood, but enough to worry me."He waited for the tears to start.

She seemed to be in shock. No words, no movement, she just stared at him. Then he saw the tears fill her eyes. He moved then, just as the first tear spilled and rolled down her check. Lifting her onto his lap, he held her tight. She didn't sob, just cried silently, which scared him more than the sobbing she had done before. He vowed, when all this was done, she would never cry again. It hurt too much to see her hurt.

Sitting up now, she searched Glen's face for some sign that he hadn't told her everything. All she saw was love and worry.

"What do you think could have happened to Brad?" she asked Glen.

"We can't go there. We can't think of all the worst scenarios. We have to believe he is all right. Maybe we can get some answers at his place. Feel like getting dressed and taking a drive?"

"Yes. And if I haven't told you today how wonderful you are, I'm saying it now. You didn't have to stand by me through all this, but you have. I don't know what I would've done without you these past few days. And I don't want to do without you anymore."

Leaning forward, she touched her lips to his in a soft peck and then left the bed. Deciding on jeans and a t-shirt, she was dressed and ready in five minutes. She almost forgot to brush her teeth, she was so anxious to go. "I need to call Cathy. I don't think I should go to the shop for a few days, and I need her to call Robin to work part-time this week." Funny, Sher only now thought about the deli. Too many awful things had happened, pulling her mind away from her business. The deli was her whole life, or used to be.

Robin had worked on and off part time for the deli since its opening. She filled in when needed. Hopefully she was available now. Sher didn't want to involve anyone else in this mess. Things were too dangerous. The drive to Brad's apartment in Aurora, close to his construction office, took almost an hour. Funny how Brad and William, owned the same type of business, yet they were such different businessmen. William built businesses for the highest bidder, while Brad built homes for families.

When they arrived in front of Brad's apartment building, Glen reached over and retrieved his gun from the glove box. He had his secondary gun in his ankle holster. He knew there was no such thing as being overly prepared. Anything could happen, and usually did.

As Sher reached up to knock on the door, they heard noises from inside. Not normal, everyday noises, but like a tornado was inside the apartment. Glen pulled her away from the door and said, "Stay behind me. If I say run, you run and lock yourself in the jeep and call 911."

She nodded her head. Glen tried the door handle and wasn't surprised that he found the door unlocked. Slowly he pushed the door open then aimed his gun straight ahead, left, then right. No one was in the living room. But there were signs that someone was here not too long ago. The sofa was ripped apart, book shelves upturned. Even the computer was in pieces on the floor.

The noise now came from Brad's bedroom. Glen slowly walked down the hall with Sher close behind. Looking in the bedroom, Glen saw the back of a man. He recognized him as same man from the parking garage. The guy didn't know he had company yet. He made too much noise to have heard them behind him.

Glen motioned for Sher to stay put, then got close enough to put his gun to the back of the guy's head. "Down on the floor. NOW! And don't move."

Surprised, the guy dropped to the floor. He turned his head to the side and saw Sher in the doorway."You better give the Boss what he's looking for, or you won't be so pretty when he gets done with you," he growled.

"Shut up. No one told you to talk," Glen said, as he tied the guy's hands behind his back with an extension cord he'd found next to the bed. He then ripped some cord from the window shade and tied the man's feet together. Pulling his phone from his coat pocket, he dialed his partner, giving him the address. He hung up the phone and searched the man's pockets while he still sat on the guy's back. Finding a wallet, he saw the man's name was Sam Bellows of Denver. Also in the wallet was a release form from a California prison. He was released two months ago. Glen wondered about the charges that had landed this guy in prison. Glen busied himself going through the wallet, and barely noticed Sher when she sat on the floor next to them.

She leaned toward the man's face. "Where's my brother? What did you do to him?"Knowing this was probably useless, she still had to try.

"I didn't touch your brother. I don't know anything about your brother. I was told to go to this address and do a search. I don't even know who lives here. It's you I'm after. You have what the Boss wants. If your crazy husband had kept his word, none of this would've happened."

"What do you mean? And he's my _ex_ -husband," she said, exasperated. Why couldn't people get the point? William was no longer her husband.

"He took care of some _clean-up_ for the Boss. Everything would've been fine if he hadn't taken pictures and recorded a very private conversation. It's his own bad luck he got drunk and spilled the beans. The Boss wants those pictures and the recording. You may have caught me, but the boss has others who are not particular in what methods they use to get what they need."

His words made Sher's blood went cold. The idea of someone worse than this guy coming after her or Brad, or Glen, or her, was beyond comprehension. Her nerves were shot now. She always considered herself a strong person, but after the past few days, she had little strength left. They had to find those pictures and recording. Enough was enough...this had to end soon.

# Chapter 9

Looking at the man tied up on the floor, Sher realized she still had no information about Brad's whereabouts. No one had seen or heard from him in two days. He was supposed to be home by now. She imagined all sorts of things. What if he was hurt? What if someone had kidnapped him? What if he was wandering through the mountains hurt and bleeding? They needed to find him. And they had to find whoever this _Boss_ person was.

She decided to give Todd a call again. Todd was not only Brad's business partner, but also his best friend. He knew where Brad had camped. He would also have some idea where Brad could go if he needed help. Todd knew the camping area well—it the same place they always camped. He could also tell Sher how to contact Alice, Brad's girlfriend.

The phone call went directly to voicemail. Frustrated, Sher decided she and Glen needed to visit the B&T Construction office. Two officers Sher didn't know arrived. Glen took charge, "He's all yours, boys. Charge him with breaking and entering, assault, and also breaking and entering Sher Mason's residence on more than three occasions."

Sher heard Sam Bellows' threats as the officer took him away. "I'll be back. They won't hold me for long. Watch your back, little lady."

Glen put his arm around her shoulders, turning her away from the intruder. "Don't let him get to you. He won't see the light of day for a long time. Besides, I'm here for you. I won't let anything happen to you. You have my promise," He just hoped he could keep that promise.

"Can we go now? I want to go to Brad's office. I need to speak to Todd, Brad's partner and friend. I am so worried about my brother. We have to find him." She was also afraid of what they would find.

"Sure. Let's go. We're not needed here anymore." Leading Sher toward the door, he too was worried.

"Wait, I have to check Brad's apartment and attic. He did take a couple of boxes from my garage recently. Maybe in one of them is the stuff those guys are looking for. It can tell us who the Boss is." Sher's voice sounded a bit hopeful now.

"This is a crime scene. I'll ask if we can look around, but there is no guarantee on that. Let me ask the officer in charge." With those words, Glen headed toward the officer in charge.

A few minutes later, he returned to her side, "He says as long as we don't take anything that can be evidence, we can look. Let's start with the attic."

"The attic entrance is in the master bedroom closet," Sher said, leading the way.

"Okay, let's go." He was proud at how well she was holding up.

The master bedroom was a mess. Clothes were thrown all over, books torn and on the floor, Brad's trophies from high school knocked off the dresser. Brad was so proud of the trophies he won for track. He'd made a new record his senior year. Her brother's mattress was even sliced open. How could this be happening to them? Why?

Glen broke into her thoughts. "I'll go up first."

She realized he already had the attic ladder down. Stepping over shoes on the floor, she followed him up the ladder. There were only four boxes in the attic, and two of those were Christmas decorations. In the third box were pictures and knickknacks from her parents' home.

Sitting down, Sher picked up a picture of all four of them. Her parents smiling faces brought tears to her eyes. The was a picture of Brad and her, standing in front of her parents, each holding a pole with a fish dangling from it, high above their heads. She forgot how much they'd all enjoyed fishing. She set aside the picture, deciding she would ask the officer downstairs if she could take it. Surely it was not part of the crime scene, as the man named Sam had not gone into the attic.

When they'd finished going through the boxes, they were still without any new information that might help them. There was nothing that indicated who was behind the break-ins and attacks.

After some convincing, the officer gave Sher permission to take the picture. And she knew Brad wouldn't mind. She would hang it in her hallway. That thought made her smile. Looking at the picture everyday would make her smile more. She needed something to smile about.

She and Glen talked little on the drive to the construction office. They both needed to mentally wind down from the activity earlier.

As they pulled up to the office, Todd was coming out the door. He looked distracted and didn't notice them as they got out of the jeep.

"Todd, wait up, please," Sher hollered as she ran to catch up to him.

Todd jumped, as if someone had taken a shot at him. Glen saw Todd's body relax when he saw Sher. "Hi. What brings you out here? Brad's not here today."

Something wasn't right. Glen saw Todd's eyes as they darted around the parking lot as he spoke. He was afraid of something, or someone.

"Why don't we step back into the office? We need to ask you some questions, Todd. And we will have more privacy inside," Glen said. He knew they would get more answers if Todd wasn't out in the open, afraid of someone overhearing their conversation.

"Sure, but I don't know what I can help you with. Brad probably can answer anything you need to know."

"That's the problem. Brad is missing. We thought maybe you can help us find him," Sher said. Nothing like the direct approach. "Brad's missing? I thought he just decided to take an extra few days off. He's had some things on his mind lately. I figured the break would do him good." Now Todd sweated.

"Do you know what those things on his mind are?" Sher asked. She knew Brad liked being alone when he wanted to solve a problem, or come to some kind of decision.

Todd became nervous and started twitching. She had never seen him act this way. Todd was always so friendly and fun-loving. Even after he got married, he always had laughter in his eyes. That was one of the reasons he and Brad made such good friends. They complemented each other. Brad was more serious and quiet, while Todd was outgoing and fun. This was not the Todd she had known for years. Something was very wrong, and they needed Todd to tell them what it was.

"Todd, please help us. I am worried sick about my brother. Some bad things have been happening. He could be in serious trouble. He's your best friend. Help us, please." As desperate as Sher's voice sounded, Todd's voice sounded more desperate.

"I wish I could. But I can't. I have to think of Carla and the baby. They are my life. If anything happens to them, I don't know what I would do."

"Has someone threatened you and your family?" Glen asked. Todd hesitated slightly, looking around nervously, even though they were inside the building. He sighed and said, "Just a phone call and I know someone is following me sometimes. And while in the hospital, after my son was born two days ago, a strange man walked up to me, while I was looking in the nursery window at Harper, and said "your son is healthy. Let's hope he stays that way."

"Wait a minute. You say a couple of days ago. Carla delivered? So you were at the hospital the last few days and not camping with Brad?" Confusion filled Sher's brain.

"No, Carla's water broke the night before we were supposed to leave. Brad went by himself. "

"Can you describe the man who spoke to you at the nursery?" Glen finally entered the conversation. They needed to hurry this along.

"He was big with dark hair and a little scar on his check. His eyes were the worst part of him, though—cold and menacing." Todd shivered as he remembered those eyes.

Glen knew that description. It was Sam Bellows. That guy got around. "Listen, Todd. We can protect you and your family. But you'll have to tell us what's going on."

Todd hung his head. He wasn't sure what road he should take. If he said nothing, something could still happen to this family. And if he told all he knew, he would lose his best friend when Brad found out. He probably would lose the respect of Carla, and others. But the guilt tore him apart. He couldn't go on knowing he played a part in Brad being missing and Sher getting attacked. If he spoke up and that ended all the bad things that were happening, then that was the right thing to do.

"Okay. I'll tell you all I know, but you have to protect my family. They are innocent. Nothing can happen to them, please," Todd said as tears overflowed from his eyes.

Before he answered, Glen gave Sher an encouraging look. "I promise. We can move you and your family to safety till this whole mess is over."

"Okay. But first let me call Carla. I need to let her know, so she can pack. I don't want her any more upset than necessary," Todd begged.

Glen agreed, and while Todd made his phone call, Glen made a couple of his own.

The first call went to his partner David. He explained the situation and asked David to find a safe place for Todd and his family. The second call went to his boss. He needed more time off to finish what he started. Finding out who was behind all of this.

"Carla is packing up some things. I told her we're taking a surprise vacation and we're leaving tonight." Then he took a deep breath and gave them his story.

"Everything started last week. It didn't seem at first like any big deal, but I know now it was a big deal. Your ex-husband paid me a visit here at the office. Brad was out on the site supervising the crew. William had some extra steel beams, and he offered them to us at a great price. I thought he was doing us a favor. The cost of the beams saved us thousands. And, at first, I thought, what will it hurt? I know William was a slug when he was married to you. But I thought maybe he's trying in some small way to make up to you by helping Brad. So I accepted the delivery."

_William, again._ Why didn't that man stay out of her life? Sher cursed the day she ever met him.

"Go on. Finish the story, Todd." Glen was still confused as to how this fit into the picture.

"After the delivery, I inspected the beams. They were not up to standard code. We wouldn't be able to use them. Brad was going to have a heart attack when I told him how much I'd paid for the useless beams—it could put us out of business. But I didn't get a chance to tell Brad. Instead, I got a phone call, telling me to keep my mouth shut if I know what's good for me. The voice on the phone also told me to use the beams on the housing project we're getting ready to start, and that this was only the first delivery."

"Did you recognize the voice? Was it William?"

"No. I don't know who it was, but he also said he will be watching. I didn't get a chance to tell Brad, but I think he did find out. I saw him checking the beams in the yard. He could probably tell right away they were faulty. He didn't say anything, but he left early that day. And then that night, Carla's water broke, and Brad went camping alone. I haven't seen or heard from him since."

Glen's phone rang. He stepped away to take his partner's call. Without preamble, David said, "It's taken care of. I remembered my sister's cabin up towards Cripple Creek was empty. She's gone with her new husband to Oregon for three weeks. It's the perfect place for Todd and his family to hide out. No one will associate it with them, and it's roomy enough. It even has a hot tub, so they can pretend to be on a second honeymoon," he added with a chuckle. "It sounds right. Give me the address. They will be driving there tonight. Can you meet at Todd's home to make sure everything's clear? But don't go in uniform. We don't want the wife to get upset, and know something is wrong," Glen said.

"Sure, I'll be there at seven. I'll say I'm a friend who works for Todd, and help them load up," David replied.

"Thanks. And if I forget to mention it, thanks for all the other stuff you've helped with the past few days." David could hear relief in his partner's voice.

"Hey, don't mention it. I might call you for help someday. That's what partners are for. See you later." David silently said a prayer as he hung the phone up. He finally had a partner he liked and respected. He hoped he still had him when this was over.

Glen explained the plan to Todd. He saw the relief on Todd's face immediately. He wrote down the address to the cabin and gave a brief description of how to find it. Todd gratefully took the information, but guilt still weighed on his heart. He hadn't told them everything. The voice had forced him to do something else he wasn't proud of—introducing Alice to Brad. And since the two met, they seemed to both be happy with the relationship. So Todd saw no harm done there, though he never really understood the reason for bringing Alice into the situation. Regardless, she seemed to love Brad, and Brad liked her. So he kept his mouth shut.

As Todd fumbled with the paper and his thoughts, Sher's wheels were also turning. "We have to find William. He's the key to all of this." She knew if they found William, they could find out who the _Boss_ was.

Glen stifled a yawn and said, "Agreed, but it's getting late and neither one of us has eaten yet today. I say we get some food in us and a good night's sleep, in that order. Then we find William in the morning. We'll go to his office first thing tomorrow."

She agreed. It sounded like the best thing to do. William's office was probably closed by now anyway. It was late, and she was hungry.

"Can we go to that little Mexican place near your apartment? I remember they have the best enchiladas I have ever tasted," she said, with pleading eyes.

"You're in luck. It's still there. And it sounds like you and I are of the same mind regarding Mexican tonight."

An hour later, they sat in a booth in the restaurant, Sher ordered the enchilada supreme. This consisted of three enchiladas: one beef, one chicken, and one cheese, along with refried beans and Spanish rice. A lot of food, but they had no doubt it would all be eaten; they were both famished.

"We'll both have your margarita special," Glen told the waitress, then looked at Sher. "I think after the last few days, we can use a drink. I hope margaritas are still your favorite."

"Yes, and I am impressed that you remembered. Remember the time we went out with Lynn and her friend, and I drank too many margaritas? And we all took turns singing? I sang way too loud, and you laughed and laughed. I told myself then, no more margaritas for me. But it was such a fun night. We always had such a good time together. I'm sorry for leaving you. And I'm sorry for the way I did it," Sher said sadly.

"That's all in the past. Let's not think of that, or anything else but the good times now. Let's enjoy this evening, and try to relax and have some laughs, okay?" Glen's words betrayed his sense of foreboding. He trusted his instincts, and right now they told him to be on guard.

"I agree," Sher said, while she raised her glass to her lips, "They make the best margaritas in Colorado."

After they practically licked their plates clean and paid the bill, Sher said, "I'd love to come here at least once a month. Is that possible?"

He wondered if this was this her way of finding out if they would be together in the near future. "We can do anything you want. I'm all for coming back every month."

On the drive back to her house, Sher found herself having a hard time keeping her eyes open. By the time Glen pulled into her driveway, she was asleep.

He wished he didn't have to wake her up, but if he carried her, he couldn't check out the house at the same time. And he wasn't about to leave her asleep in the jeep. Although he didn't see anything suspicious outside, he wasn't taking a chance that the coast was clear. "Sweetheart, you have to wake up. We're home," he said, shaking her gently.

Stretching her arms out, she opened her eyes. "I'm sorry. Guess I'm more tired than I realized."

"No problem. Keys?" She dug in her purse and produced the keys. As she got out of the jeep, she suddenly remembered the picture the officer let her take from Brad's home. She wasn't about to leave it behind. Grabbing the picture, she met Glen at the front door.

They entered her home, shut the door behind them, and locked it.

"Stay here while I check all the rooms." Gun in hand, he moved from room to room.

He returned in a few seconds. "All is clear. No one hiding under the beds, or in the closets."

Sher sat the picture down in the kitchen and prepared the coffeemaker for the morning java. She was so exhausted and wanted a quick shower then sleep.

"I'm going to rinse off. Care to join me?" she sleepily asked.

"It might not be quick, if I join you." She barely heard his answer, as she walked to her bedroom. Opening a drawer, she took out the nightgown she'd bought in Denver and entered the bathroom. Turning on the shower, she smiled to herself. He was right—it wouldn't be quick if they showered together. But it would be fabulous.

She stripped down, pulled the shower curtain away, and stepped in the tub. She'd just begun washing her hair when she felt a draft and saw the curtain being pulled back. Opening her eyes more, she smiled as Glen stepped into the shower.

He stood there, looking at her beautiful body, and thought, _she is all mine_.

Tipping her head back to rinse the shampoo from her hair, her back arched, which gave him an instant erection. He reached for the shower gel bottle with its peach fragrance and squeezed some into his palm. While her head was still tipped back, he began to wash her chest. He circled each breast with his fingers, stopping to give each erect nipple a tiny squeeze. He paused just long enough to kiss her neck. Then he moved lower. Kneeling down, he washed her abdomen and hips. As he trailed kisses down her abdomen, he wondered how long he could hold back. The sounds that came from deep in her throat drove him mad.

He heard her moan, but he wasn't through. Her hands held onto his shoulders, fingernails biting into his flesh. He found her core—she was wet with desire. He knew her most intimate button and rubbed his fingers back and forth. She came in waves, uttering his name. He held her up, so she wouldn't fall. Holding her close, he rubbed his erection against her. Her breathing was still rapid.

He lifted her and carried her to the bedroom, laying her across the bed. She still hung onto him, kissing his neck and chest. He claimed her lips as he entered her soft flesh. He was not surprised when she met him thrust for thrust. As she went over the edge, he gave one last thrust. They came together, exploding. Long moments passed before the waves slowed down.

She was beyond dazed. How could anything feel so good, so complete? She never knew her body capable of melting the way it did with Glen. They came together as one—each taking and giving, and each completely satisfied.

Glen was also dazed. He felt such love for this woman. It was even better than he'd ever dreamed. He used to daydream of making love to Sher years ago, when they were together, but they'd never made it to first base before she stopped seeing him. It was worth the wait though. Every time he touched her, his heart skipped several beats. He wanted this woman next to him till the day he left this earth. And hopefully, that would not be for at least another seventy years.

He cradled her in his arms as they both fell sound asleep.

# Chapter 10

The next morning, Sher woke feeling happy and satisfied. She glanced over at Glen. He had such a look of serenity and peace. On impulse, she leaned over and lightly kissed his shoulder, then, carefully, she climbed out of bed, trying not to wake him. Heading for the kitchen, she was glad she'd thought to start the timer on the coffeemaker the night before. The aroma was wonderful. Grabbing a cup from the cabinet, she poured herself a cup and sat down at the kitchen counter. She savored her first sip when she remembered the picture. Pulling the picture close, she stared at the four of them standing before the camera, so happy. Her father had set up his tripod to take the picture. She really missed those days. She missed her parents.

Picking up the frame, it felt bulky. So she turned the picture over, and saw a lump under the cardboard. Taking the frame apart, she discovered some smaller pictures, three of them. Now she was confused. These were not pictures of her family. They were pictures of men talking to each other—one man was the same in all three shots. And all three shots were taken outside of the courthouse.

She examined the pictures closely. The man who was in all three looked familiar, but she couldn't place where she'd seen him before. She knew she would remember sometime. But she didn't understand how these photos had ended up behind her family picture. Could these be the pictures the _Boss_ wanted?

She took no chances. She replaced them back where she found them and tucked the picture in the pantry, way back behind the other pictures she hadn't hung yet. She figured they would be safe there, for now, since her kitchen had already been searched by Sam Bellows.

She'd tell Glen about the pictures when he woke up.

Glen awakened to his phone ringing on the night stand. He reached over to pick it up so not to wake Sher, but he noticed she had already left the bed.

He glanced at the caller ID before he answered, "Hello, David. What's up?""You and Sher need to get down to her ex-husband's office...now," David said unhappily.

"We were going down there this morning to see what we can find out regarding William's whereabouts," Glen said. He should've known what came next, but his groggy mind didn't piece it together fast enough.

"We know his whereabouts. He's here with a bullet hole in his chest," David said.

That got Glen up in a hurry."Be there in forty five minutes."

Hanging up his phone, he wondered how much more bad news Sher could handle.

He was pulling on his jeans when she entered the room. "Get dressed. David just called. We're needed down at William's office."

"What's wrong? What's happening?"She almost spilled the coffee she'd brought to him.

"William's been shot. That's all I know. We need to hurry," Glen said.

She shook as she dressed her mind racing. She would tell Glen about the pictures on the way.

Except she didn't. In the whirlwind of William's death, and what that might mean for Brad, she completely forgot to share her discovery. They made the drive in thirty minutes. Pulling up to the building, they saw three patrol cars, the coroner's van, and a dark sedan parked in the lot.

Two men talked to an officer by one of the patrol cars.

Sher's light went back on.

"Oh! That's him! That's one of the men in the pictures. Actually, he's in all three pictures. The other man is in only one," Sher blurted out.

"What are you talking about? Sher, do you know these men?" Now Glen was really worried.

"This morning I found three pictures stuck behind the glass of the family picture we took from Brad's. Those men are in the pictures, but I can't remember where I've seen the one guy, the older one with the grey hair," she said, a puzzled look on her face.

Glen frowned then instructed her in a low voice, "Don't say anything. If those are the pictures someone's looking for, we can't let on that we have them. Act natural and don't give anything away. Okay?"

"Okay." But as she said the words, she fought the urge to confront the men about her brother.

As they got out of the jeep, David met them."I'm sorry to have to do this, but I need you to identify the body."

Body? Sher reeled. Glen had said William was shot, not that he was dead. She knew someday the possibility of William ending up in big trouble was a likelihood, but to be killed?

"What happened, David?"

"Apparently, those two men," he pointed at the men near the patrol car, "came to meet with William, and found him shot. They say he was dead when they found him."

"I want to talk to them, David," Glen demanded.

"Go for it. I'll take Sher to the van so she can identify the body."

Glen didn't want her to be alone for that unpleasant duty, so he said, "I'll take Sher to the van, and then we can both be present when I talk to those two." The color left Sher's face when the coroner pulled back the sheet. She started shaking uncontrollably, "That's him. That's William, my ex-husband."

The coroner pulled the sheet back up and then rolled the gurney into the van.

Glen hugged her for a few moments until she calmed down a bit. "Are you up to our questioning of those two over there?"

"Let's get this over with. I want to know who they are, and what's going," she answered.

When they walked over to the patrol car, Sher noticed Officer David was there now with the two men. They looked very unhappy, all of them.

"Sher, Glen, this is Mr. Bellows and Mr. Gilliam," David said with a note of disgust.

The older man, Mr. Gilliam, stuck his hand out, which both Glen and Sher ignored. They saw this didn't set well with Mr. Gilliam. He had the air about him of someone who usually got his way. He didn't like being snubbed.

"Bellows? Any relationship to Sam Bellows?" Glen didn't believe in beating around the bush.

"Sam's my cousin. I'm Steven Bellows," the younger of the two men replied.

"I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but your cousin is in jail, facing multiple charges." Glen relished telling this to both men.

Sher literally felt the tension in the air.

Steven Bellows said smugly, "I believe he's out on bail. It was all a misunderstanding."

_Oh no, Sam Bellows is out of jail._ She thought she was safe, but not as long as Sam Bellows was loose.

Glancing at Sher, Glen saw her face had turned grey and knew her knees were wobbling. Before he reached for her, Robert Gilliam grabbed her arm.

"Hey, little lady, you look like you saw a ghost," he said with humor in his voice.

"Get your hands off of me. Don't ever touch me again," Sher yelled, while she slapped his hand away.

If looks could kill, the look Robert Gilliam gave her would strike her dead. She sensed the evil in the man. She knew he was behind William's death, and everything else that had been going on, and she would prove it somehow.

"So tell us again how you came to be here." Glen tried to get back on subject, before Sher did or said something to put them in more danger.

Gilliam said, "We have an appointment with William. He does all the work on my buildings." This time, he smiled, although the smile didn't reach his eyes.

David interrupted the questioning. "Glen, Mr. Gilliam here owns _all the buildings_ William has put up. He even owns some of the land your brother is building homes on, Sher." David was letting them know Mr. Gilliam had money. Apparently, lots and lots of money, enough to hire slugs like Sam and his cousin.

"And what part do you play in all this, Mr. Bellows?"

Gilliam answered with a smirk, "Steven's been with me for years. You could say he's my right-hand man. He knows what needs to be done before I do, if you get my drift." Glen wasn't sure if Mr. Gilliam was merely mentioned a fact or hinting at something darker. He'd bet money it was the later. He didn't like the way Gilliam looked at Sher either—with the eyes of a snake ready to strike its prey.

"David, I'm taking Sher home. I think she's been through enough today. Call me when you're through here. We need to talk."

Mr. Gilliam stepped up to Sher, saying, "Sorry for your loss. Your ex-husband must have been into something bad for him to come to such a final ending. I'd hate to see you come to the same ending, having been married to him and all."

Glen didn't hold back. He punched the slime ball right in the nose, "Stay away from her, or you'll deal with me."

"I 'm just offered some friendly advice. You didn't have to hit me. I should press charges, but under the circumstances, with Mrs. Mason's loss, I'll forgive it...this time," he said, as he turned to confer with Bellows.

Glen and Sher drove off, leaving David to finish asking the questions. David would update them later. Right now, he just wanted to get Sher out of there.

When they got back to Sher's house, Glen asked to see the pictures she found that morning. She went to the pantry and got the picture frame and brought it to the kitchen counter. As she took the frame apart, the pictures fell out. Glen picked up one.

"I know this guy. Not personally, but I know who he is. He's on the building committee. He's been missing for over a month." Glen recalled seeing a bulletin about the man.

As Glen held up the picture, Sher saw some writing on the back, "Turn it over, there's something written on the back"

It said: _buried beneath building on corner of 64_ th _Ave. and Ward Rd._

Turning the other pictures over, they saw more writings. The picture of Mr. Gilliam and Steven together said _guilty._ On the back of the one with Gilliam standing in the forefront, it said _murderer_ on the back.

"We have a big piece of the puzzle here. We'll get these to David for processing in the morning. But we still haven't found any recording."

"I never did get around to looking through everything in the garage here. Let's do that now," Although Sher had experienced enough stress and excitement for the day, she wanted to find the recording before something else happened.

"Are you sure you're up to that? It's been a hard day. You identified your dead ex-husband and you faced the possible murderers. I'd say you have done enough for one day." Glen was trying to protect her, but he suspected she had her mind set. "No, please, we need to find that recording. If we don't, this won't stop," she pleaded.

Glen held his hands up. "Okay. But if I see you're about to faint, we stop, understood?'

She nodded as she got up from the barstool and headed to the kitchen door, which led to the garage. Things were still a disaster—no one had cleaned up yet. Now was as good a time as any.

Sher and Glen spent over an hour picking up broken memories and dumping them in the trash, all the while vigilant for the mysterious "recording."They found glassware, books, games, dishes, childhood toys, but no recording.

Finally they decide to break. The garage and mementos were dusty—they needed something to drink. "How does lemonade sound to you?"

"Sounds like that will hit the spot. I didn't realize you kept so much of your parents' things. Do you keep all of it in the garage?" he asked.

"I think there are a few boxes in the attic. Brad first started storing them up there until he got tired of carrying them up the stairs. Then he just stacked them in the garage." She felt the tears coming and fought to keep them at bay.

"After we drink this and rest a bit, why don't we try the attic? I don't remember anyone searching there. We might find something up there.""You're right. I don't think that Bellows character got that far. Let me rest first, and then we'll climb upstairs."

After they quenched their thirst in silence, both having two glasses of lemonade, they mentally prepared for the next dusty search. The liquid had washed down some of the dust they breathed in the garage, but the attic would provide an even worse working environment. Finally, they stood and stretched—time to get busy again. Glen pulled the attic steps down and they climbed up.

There were four boxes off to the side, separate from her own stored items. They each picked a box and proceeded to look through it. Finally, Glen shouted, "Eureka. I believe I have it."

He held up a small tape. "I don't suppose you own a pocket recorder?" he asked hopefully.

"No. I've never had use for one."

"That's okay. We have one at the station. Tomorrow morning, we'll take it there, and finally see what this whole thing has been about." He couldn't help but smile. The danger was over now.

They'd only just stepped off the ladder when they heard the sound of glass breaking. Glen was sure that is was the window above the back door.

"Go in your room and lock the door. Don't come out till you I tell you," he said as he pulled his gun from the waistband of his jeans.

"No. I'm staying with you," she argued.

"Honey, I'm a cop. I know what to do, and I can't do it _and_ worry about you being out there with me. Please, go to your room. Make sure you lock the door."With that, he was gone.

Sher did as Glen asked, but she was sick with worry. She decided to pray. "Please, God, don't let anything happen to him. He's a good man, and I love him dearly." She then sat in the far corner of her room next to the nightstand and waited

She didn't have to wait long. Someone pounded on her bedroom door. She almost stood up and opened it, but something held her back. Glen had said to wait till she heard his voice. She had not heard any voice. Now the knock sounded more like someone was using a battering ram—someone determined to get in. She looked around for anything that could be used as a weapon. All she found was a sterling silver candlestick holder. With a tight grip on it, she stood to the side of the door. If anyone stepped inside, she would crack their head open, and run.

The door shattered. Sher waited. It was several seconds before she saw a hand come through the door, holding a gun. She struck, knocking the gun out of the hand.

"You bitch, you're going to pay for that, and I'm going to enjoy watching you squirm." She knew that voice.

She couldn't get through the door while that man stood there, so she turned to run toward the bathroom on the other side of the room. She didn't get far. He grabbed a handful of her hair and pulled. It felt like her scalp was being ripped off. She screamed, and kicked, and cried through the pain, but nothing helped.

Where was Glen? _He should be back by now_ , she thought. Angry tears ran down her face.

"Give me what your husband left with you. Oh, excuse me... _your ex-husband,_ " the man said. She saw him in her mirror. Robert Gilliam.

They both heard the shots then—gunshots coming from the back of the house. "Good, now that your lover-boy cop is taken care of by my assistant, we can have some fun. Get on your knees. Do it or I'll shoot your foot off. First one foot, then the next, then we might start on your knees. Get down now."

Tears fell down her cheeks like a waterfall. She wasn't crying for herself. She cried for the man she loved. He might be dead. They had their whole lives ahead of them to make each other happy. She refused to believe he lay dead in her backyard.

"You might as well start shooting. I will not get on my knees for you, of all people. And I'd think twice before you pull the trigger because I'm what the doctors call a "bleeder," and if I bleed to death, you'll never get what you've been looking for," she said with all the firmness she could muster.

She lifted her chin up for effect. She really didn't have a bleeding problem, but he didn't need to know that. She needed to stall him, so she could come up with some kind of plan to get away and find Glen. He might be hurt and bleeding, or worse. The thought made her sick.

"You just bought yourself a reprieve. But we're going into the other room. No sudden moves or you'll regret it." He then called out, "Steven, I've got the wife. We are coming out, so don't get trigger happy now."

No one answered. Not even a creak sounded through the house.

He marched her toward the bedroom door. The silence seemed to make him nervous, probably wondering where his assistant was. As Sher stepped into the hall with Gilliam close behind, she saw a flash of blue that ducked into the hallway bathroom. _Glen_. He wore a blue shirt today. Her prayers were answered; he's all right. She tried to think what to do next when Gilliam called out, "Halt, lady. Halt! Don't move."

Gilliam was not happy. He loosened his grip on her hair, and that was when she acted. She brought her fist up over her shoulder and hit him in the nose. Then she elbowed him in the ribs with her other arm. The gun in his hand went off. Sher hit the floor, face down. She heard two more shots, then nothing.

# Chapter 11

Glen sat by her hospital bed with his head down. He didn't think he'd ever prayed so much in his whole life. The doctors removed the bullet from her back, but she still hadn't moved—two days had passed. Tears rolled down his face. He wouldn't lose her. He couldn't lose her now.

"Sweetheart, please wake up. I know you're strong. You can wake up. I love you so much, and need you even more. Please wake up." He was about at the end of his rope. What would he do without her in his life?

There was pain, lots of pain, and she felt something wet fall on her face. It hurt to open her eyes. The light was too bright. Had she died? She tried to open her eyes a little wider. Such bright light...and someone cried quietly next to her. Her vision was blurred, but the longer she kept her eyes open, the better it got.

She saw she was in a white room, a hospital room. Someone held her hand. She turned her head slightly to the left and saw Glen. He had his head bent down and didn't see her as she watched him.

"What happened?" She barely croaked the words out, her throat was so dry.

Glen's head jerked up, "Oh, honey, don't talk. I'm so glad you're finally awake. I thought I lost you. You'll be all right now. I know you are strong."

"Water, please," she whispered.

He raised her bed just enough so she could take a sip. He held the cup and straw for her. "Take it slow. Just a little at a time."

"What happened?" She repeated. Then she saw that his arm was bandaged. "You're hurt. Is it bad?"

"I'll tell you everything; you just lie back and rest while I tell the story."

He told her how when he' left her, he'd gone out the front door so he could sneak around to the back of the house but was ambushed by Steven Bellows. He felt the bullet graze his arm, then he took one shot and Steven Bellows was dead.

He paused a second and looked into Sher's eyes. "I thought you were dead too. I saw Gilliam shoot you. I...I have been so worried." He rubbed his eyelids then continued with the story. "I was coming back in to make sure you were safe when I heard you scream. I looked through your bedroom window, where the curtains don't quite meet. I saw Gilliam holding you by your hair. I wanted to kill him right then and there, but I was afraid of hurting you."

He took a deep breath and looked pointedly into her eyes. "You did a very dangerous thing, hitting him like you did. Where did you learn that? Don't answer, save your strength. You'll have years and years to answer that question," he said, stroking her hand. "I bolted back inside the house. After you hit the floor, I shot Gilliam, twice. I couldn't take the chance that he'd shoot you again. It's over. They're both gone. You're safe now. And David has the pictures and the recording. It seems William had recorded a conversation where Gilliam threatened William. He forced him to pour cement over a body and then build his building on top of that. The body belongs to the guy in the picture, the one who has been missing for the past month."

Sher closed her eyes. It was over. It was finally over. She could go back to her life, and back to her deli, and of course, start a life with the man she loved with all her heart. But first...

"Where's Brad?"She asked.

"Honey, there's no word on your brother's whereabouts yet. But we'll find him. I promise you, we'll find him. You need to rest now, gain some strength. As soon as you get well and can leave this hospital, we'll both look for Brad. In the meantime, I have people looking and asking questions. We'll find him. Rest now."

She felt her lids get heavy. She had no choice but to sleep. Her last thought was of her brother. Lord, let him be safe.

# Don't forget the second book of the Aspens Series

# The Aspens Fall

Epilogue

Brad awakened slowly, seeing stars. His eyes couldn't adjust at first. He saw double of everything and his head hurt like nothing he had ever felt before. When he tried to move, he felt close to vomiting. Everything around him started going in circles, so he focused on one object...a tree directly across from him. He lay there for a long time, until everything stopped spinning. Slowly, he rolled onto his side. Again, things went into a spinning frenzy. Waiting until it subsided, he then sat up cautiously. He didn't recognize where he was. The last thing he remembered was bending down to look at his flat tires. He remembered hearing someone come up behind him and felt something hit his head...but, that was the last thing he remembered. How did he get here? He didn't recognize this area. He and his partner, Todd, had camped outside of Estes Park every year for the past nine years. They would walk all over the place, but this area didn't look like any place he'd ever been to before. Todd was supposed to have joined him on this trip, but his wife went into labor with their first child, so Brad had to enjoy the adventure alone. Now this.

Boy, his head hurt. He reached up and touched the back of his head and felt something sticky. Dropping his hand back down, he saw blood and wondered how much he'd lost.

He carefully stood up and immediately felt nauseous again, to the point of vomiting. He'd have to take it slowly, but he knew he needed to find help quickly. He took a couple of steps and, just before he passed out, he sat down to shorten the fall. He wasn't sure how long he'd been unconsciousness...he never wore a watch nor did he have any firm concept of time at the moment. He checked his pockets, but did not find his cell phone. He remembered that he'd been talking on the phone just before he was attacked. Yes, he'd been talking to Sher, his sister. No, that's not right. He wasn't talking to her; he was talking to her voicemail.

He stood up again. This time he was able to manage a few shaky steps. It was getting dark, and he could barely make out some lights to the left. He headed in that direction. The lights got closer, so he walked faster. His last conscious thought was that he was going to black out again.

### If you liked this book, check out "The Aspens Fall", the second book in the Aspens Series

 Or, get "The Aspens Collection (Box Set) by clicking here.

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### As the Snow Falls  
Volumes 1

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### M.D. James

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### Chapter 1

"Naw. She's okay." I half managed to get out as my friends were teasing me about having a crush on April Powders.

"Yeah, you do! Ohhhh, yeah, you do! Jimmy likes April. Jimmy likes April," Mikey sang out loud while dancing around our lunch table. I'm not sure how, exactly, I became friends with Mikey. I suppose it was because we had homeroom together since I could remember. He was very tall for a thirteen year old and built like a lumber-jack. And, like you'd assume from looking at his unkempt hair and dirt-stained face, he had absolutely no manners. He didn't even care if there were girls around when he needed to pass gas, or shoot a booger out of his nose. And, he certainly didn't mind embarrassing me in front of April Powders.

I was quickly turning beet red, and wanted to die.

April was a girl who I sat next to each day in my English literature and biology classes. She had curly, brown hair that always smelled like roses. She was our class president, and my lab partner in biology. The truth was, I did have a bit of a crush on her, but I'd never tell Mikey that. No need to give him more ammunition to use on me later. It was always so hard to concentrate on the biology lesson when I was sitting next to April. I was magically transported into the wishful thinking of my mind by the lovely, clean scent of April's hair. I would get so nervous, though, that I had to constantly wipe the palms of my hands on my pants in class. They would sweat so much when I was around her. I mean, they would sweat a lot...so much so, that I felt like a sweat factory in biology! I probably left class everyday with pit stains under my arms too. I'm sure she thought I was a complete and utter idiot.

Being thirteen and in high school was hard to figure out. As a teen and high-schooler, I was supposed to hit on girls every chance I got and try to get dates or more from them...but, just last year I was made fun of if I even had a crush on a girl, or a girl had a crush on me. I never really knew what to do, and Mikey seemed to know that and pounced on me every chance he got. Unfortunately, for me, he got a lot of chances. I mean A LOT!

"Aww...leave him alone, Mike," my best friend, Connor, interjected. "Can't you see he's embarrassed?"

Connor was everything I wished I was. He was taller than me...standing at five foot nine inches. He was athletic and toned. He had brown hair and hazel eyes like me, but also kind-of a crooked smile that seemed to make girls swoon. He was the kind of guy who was smart, funny, witty, goofy, and outgoing. I felt very lucky to have him as my best friend. I could tell Connor anything and know my secrets were safe with him. He was completely trust-worthy, and we had been friends since I was nine years old. That's when he stopped a bully from beating my face to a bloody stump. I know he was just trying to protect me this time too, but Mikey was hard to reel in when he knew he was getting under a person's skin.

Just as Mikey was about to start in again, and likely embarrass me to even greater depths than before, the school bell loudly rang.

RRIIIINNNNNGGGGGG....

Saved by the bell, lunch was over.

I exhaled a huge sigh of relief, as I picked up my trash and partially eaten sandwich and tossed them in the fly ridden trash can. I missed while trying to shoot the balled up wrapper into the can, as if it was a basketball. I quickly looked around to make sure Mikey didn't see my failure, and it seemed that I was in the clear for once. Now, I just had to make it through the rest of the day.

Connor and I told Mikey we would see him later since he had Algebra class on the other end of campus. As we walked away, Mikey yelled at the top of his lungs, "Jimmy! See ya later, Lover boy!" and cracked up laughing to himself as he blew a kiss in my direction. About thirty kids stopped and started looking at me and laughed...some hysterically.

"Don't mind him, dude," Connor offered, and playfully tussled my hair as he broke away to his locker. He always knew how to make me feel better.

The next few classes went well. I didn't have any classes the second half of the day with either Mikey or April, so I could just focus on my schoolwork. I was always a teacher's pet type of guy. I naturally got good grades, and was always polite and attentive to my teachers. I didn't brown-nose or anything, but I still got singled out as the example to follow in quite a few of my classes.

Finally, the last bell of the day rang and I couldn't wait to get home. Mom said that if I got my homework done early enough, we could go look at Christmas lights around town. I've always loved Christmas. Living in Washington State, I was fortunate enough to get a white Christmas every year. It just seemed to make everything so much more magical. The lights seemed to twinkle more, as they reflected off the snow and ice...and the people became just a tiny bit happier, in spite of having to drive in a foot of snow. The cold temperatures made me want to get a fire going in the fireplace, and drink hot cocoa while watching my favorite Christmas television special. I had to imagine the fire since we never had a fireplace in our house.

Connor and I lived right next door to each other, so we always walked home together and talked about our day. It was actually the part of my day I normally looked forward to most.

"Want to have a snowball fight throw-down?" Connor challenged as we passed the park near our houses. A snowball fight throw-down is like the ultimate snowball fight....winner takes all. The last three years Connor has held the championship, but I was determined to beat him one day. It would have to wait until some other day though.

"Can't today, bud. We're going to go look at Christmas lights tonight, so I got to get my homework for Mrs. Schiltz's class done ASAP!" I answered. "Maybe tomorrow."

"Deal." Connor said with one of his patented winks as we each crossed our front yards.

As soon as I opened the worn and squeaky door, I threw off my snow covered shoes and ran straight to the fridge. I was fortunate enough to have a very good metabolism. Though, sometimes, I wondered if I was too thin. I weighed just less than one hundred and thirty pounds. I felt like that was a good weight for my age and height. I grabbed some whole wheat bread, three or four ham slices, Colby-jack cheese, and some Cheek-It's and headed to my room. I put a sandwich together quickly, and got my books out of my hand-me-down book bag.

"Is that you, Honey?" I heard Mom yell from down the hall. My Mom was a very pretty lady, who had to raise two kids all alone. She worked hard as a deli manager in our local super-market, and always seemed to have a smile on her face. Sometimes, I worried that she worked too hard. She was older than most of my friends' moms, and shouldn't have been doing as much manual labor as she did. My friends used to tease me when I was little about my Mom being the same age as their grandmas, but I still thought she was the best Mom around. When I would see laundry detergent commercials on television, I remembered my childhood being just like what was portrayed in them. The rays of sun would be coming in the windows, with a gentle spring breeze. Mom would always have everything smelling so great, and welcome me home from school with a perfect smile on her loving face.

"Yeah. I'm starting on my homework now. Are we still going to look at lights tonight?" I asked her.

"As long as you and your sister get your homework done in time," she hollered back from down the hall.

My sister's name was Sarah. Don't let the angelic sounding name fool you. She was pretty...she definitely got Mom's looks. She had the same long, wavy, blonde hair that shimmered, and eyes that changed between blue and green depending upon which type of a mood she was in. Her skin was very pale, almost porcelain-like. But, my sister could be mean....to me, at least. I guess that was to be expected from an older sister. She just turned sixteen, and thought she was too cool to hang around her dorky, younger brother. Even as kids, she seemed to find ways to torment me while we played together. When I was barely eight, she would only play with me if I would pet and talk to her feet. She would pretend they were turtles, and if I didn't pet them, and snuggle with them, their feelings would get hurt. On _several_ occasions, she made me eat the dead skin from her feet...telling me it tasted like bacon, and that the turtles made it for me. And, of course, she always got her way. Anytime we had to pick a game to play or decide on what to watch on TV, it was always what she wanted. I always figured my mom loved her more, but it could've just been that she was mom's first-born, or because they were both girls. Maybe it was just because my sister threw the biggest fit if she didn't get her way. One time, we were having an argument at _Wendy's_ about something and she took her packet of black pepper and blew the pepper right into my eyes. Boy, did it burn! Of course, she claimed it was an accident, but, I knew better. I told myself that I hoped she wasn't planning on coming home late and messing up our trip to go see the Christmas lights.

BANG, BANG, BANG!

I sprung up from my history homework, as my sister barged into my room and collapsed onto my bed, scattering my homework all over the place.

"What's wrong with you?" I asked a bit too rudely when I heard my sister's sobbing.

"I don't want to talk about it!" she replied. I moved my homework out of the way, because I thought her nose was running and I definitely didn't need snot all over my report when I turned it in. "You wouldn't even understand," she continued in between sobs.

"How do you know what I'd understand?" I asked, defensively.

"Men!" she exclaimed. Before I could figure out what she meant, she rambled on like I wasn't even there. "They will tell you they love you, and that you mean the world to them...but, don't you believe them. Oh no! Don't you believe them?"

I don't really expect to ever be in that position with a man, but okay.....

"They're all the same and only after one thing. Why can't Andrew understand that I want to take it slower than that? He tried to get me to hook-up last night, you know?" she asked rhetorically to no one in particular, as if I weren't really even there. "And, then, when I said I just wanted to kiss...he said he was fine with it. But, today he gives me the silent treatment all day, and at lunch I see him flirting with Angela 'the slut' Morgan!"

"Should I be hearing this?" I asked, but she continued as if not even hearing me.

"If he wants Angela 'the slut' Morgan, well, he can have her! I've got lots of guys wanting to date me. That's what I'll do! I'll go out with another guy tonight. See how he likes it!" Before she could ramble more, I stopped her and reminded her that we were all going to look at Christmas lights. "Grow up, Jimmy! How can you think of Christmas lights at a time like this???" And, with that, she stormed out of my room, likely to go repeat the entire thing to Mom.

Even if she decided she didn't want to go look at the lights with me and Mom, I was still excited. I spent the next two hours doing my report until I smelled dinner. As I was packing my books back into my book bag, Mom yelled out, "Dinner time!"

I raced to the dining room, and saw we were having a "taco night." Not very Christmassy, but I loved Mexican food. Laid out on the table were hard, corn tortillas as well as soft, flour tortillas. There was ground, seasoned beef, refried beans, two kinds of shredded cheese, black olive slices, lettuce, onions, diced tomatoes, salsa and sour cream. My sister was already seated at the table and seemed to be in better spirits. As always, I started loading up my plate first.

"Hungry much?" my sister asked in a sarcastic tone.

"You bet..." I replied with my mouth full as I continued shoving the first bite in my mouth. The taco broke and all its fillings dropped out onto my plate. Mom and Sarah laughed contagiously.

After dinner, Sarah and I cleaned the table and dishes. She made me wash because she said her hands were too delicate for dish-water. _Oh, brother!_ I didn't mind though because I never liked drying dishes anyways. I always thought I was going to drop and break them because they were so slippery. Once the left-overs were put up and the kitchen was sparkling clean again, Mom told us to get our coats and shoes on so we could get on the road for some good ole Christmas light lookin'.

"You don't have to tell me twice...." I hollered as I raced to find my shoes.

"Jimmy! I've told you not to get snow all over the place when you come in from school," Mom complained when she saw the mess the snow from my shoes made. "Go get a towel and mop up the puddles, please." I hurried and cleaned up the mess, and we all hopped in the car.

Brrrr, rrrr, rrrr, rrrrrr....cachuk!

Mom's car was an older, powder-blue, Chrysler station-wagon that never seemed to want to start when it was cold outside. Mom tried again, and it finally cranked. "Oh my God...it's sooooo c-c-coooollllddddd in here," Sarah complained. She always seemed to be complaining about something. Mom turned on the Christmas carols to take our minds off of the frigid car while it slowly warmed up. Then, she stepped outside to scrape the ice from the windshield. Meanwhile, I bundled up in the blanket I kept on the back seat for long trips. I got car sick very easily, so if we were going to be in the car long, I always had to nap to prevent myself from getting too nauseous. There was always a blanket and pillow waiting for me, just in case.

"Jingle Bells! Jingle Bells! Jingle all the waaaayyyy..." I sang as we backed out of the driveway. The car began to heat up and we started out to the first neighborhood. The first few houses didn't have any lights on, even though their yards were decorated. We did manage to find enough houses that had their lights on to make it worth it, though. We sang along to the carols on the radio, in between our trio of "ooohhhhs" and "aaahhhs" as we saw bigger and bigger displays of lights. One house even had wooden cut outs of cartoon characters, and had re-enacted a scene from my favorite Christmas special, involving a lonely Christmas tree.

Once we left a few of the smaller neighborhoods, we made our way to the King of Neighborhoods, as I nick-named the sub-division due to the enormous sizes of the houses. I don't know if you'd call the houses in _Ashton Woods Estate_ mansions, but they are certainly the biggest houses I had ever seen. Each house was covered in stone, and even had a smaller attached home for their housekeepers or cooks. We weren't what I would call poor, but we rented our home...and had an older car. Mom provided for my sister and I alright and we haven't been on welfare. Even so, money was tight. I could never imagine living in a house as large and luxurious as the ones I was looking at. There must have been at least seven or eight bedrooms in each main house...and probably just as many bathrooms. _Imagine that....not having to share a bathroom with Sarah anymore._ It brought a smile to my face.

The lights and decorations on the mansions looked so elegant. It was my absolute favorite stop every year. My mom always worried that we would get arrested, because of the looks of our car. "Surely, they'll think we're casing the joint," she always joked. One of the houses had a huge tree in the middle of the spacious, front yard, and they always decorated it to look like a Christmas tree, complete with the tree skirt and larger than life presents underneath. It was so big, it reminded me of the tree at the end of the _How the Grinch Stole_ Christmas cartoon special. If I would ever become rich, I'd want to give my Mom a Christmas tree like that...with just as many presents.

We continued looking at more houses and more pretty lights, but I must have fallen asleep because I awoke to my Mom tucking me in to bed.

"Sweet dreams, Jimmy," she said as she kissed my forehead.

"Goodnight, Mom," I lazily muttered back.

BBBBBZZZZZ. BBBBBZZZZZ. BBBBBZZZZZ. BBBBBZZZZZ.

I hated my alarm clock. Connor had an iPod dock that would wake him to his favorite music. I didn't have an iPod or cell phone...hell; we didn't even have enough money for a generic mp3 player. I tossed my simple but effective alarm clock across the room and slowly got out of bed.

I had to bang on the bathroom door, repeatedly. "Hurry up!" As usual, Sarah was in there doing her makeup. "You can do that in your room," I suggested for about the millionth time.

"I have to look extra, _extra_ hot today, you know...so I can make Andrew jealous," she explained as she exited our only bathroom, "...so, chill out, dweeb."

"Whatever..." I mumbled as I closed the door and started the shower. I wasn't really a vain guy. I didn't get haircuts every two weeks like Connor, or workout religiously like Mikey. Most days I barely ran a comb through my hair. But, I thought I was an attractive enough guy, in an average sort of way.

After getting ready and grabbing my book bag, I made my way next door to Connor's so we could head to the bus stop. We always rode the bus on cold mornings, because it was just too cold and early to make a hike to school in the snow and ice. Most of our friends got rides to school from their parents, but Connor's parents and my Mom were already at work by the time school started.

As we pulled up to the school, Mikey was there waiting. "What took ya'll so long?" he asked with a fake, southern drawl.

"We're here at the same time as always, Mikey," I replied. He just punched my shoulder and started telling us about the cool, new tablet computer he got last night for Hanukkah. Mikey lived on the wealthier side of town. His parents were both doctors, so he tended to always have the best of everything. I liked living vicariously through him, especially when he would tell us about all the new gadgets he got as presents. But, after 10 minutes of him rambling on about this new $700 tablet computer, even I was jealous and ready to change the subject. "So....how did you guys think you did on yesterday's English Lit test?" I offered to steer the subject in a different direction.

"I aced that biotch!" exclaimed Mikey, even though he rarely got anything above a "C."

"I think I did pretty well, too," I stated.

Of course, Mikey had to start in on me, again. "I'm surprised you could concentrate on the test, what, with you drooling over April all day."

"I think that was you, Mike!" Connor interjected, coming to my rescue yet again. "We'd better get to homeroom, though, before the bell rings." We took our seats just as the second bell rang.

The rest of the day went by without incident. In Biology, April even gave me a note that of course smelled of roses. I waited until last period, though, to read it:

Jimmy,

I think you're really cute. I hope you think I'm pretty, also.

I was hoping you'd ask me to the Winter Dance, if you don't already have a date.

Let me know...okay?

  * April

It was a short note, but one that made me very happy. It got me equally as nervous, though. I had never even held a girl's hand...so how was I going to take one to the dance? I had nothing to wear, and I'd have to get a corsage. At the end of the night, she'd probably expect me to kiss her. It's not that I didn't want to, but what if I was bad at it and she told everyone at school? I definitely didn't want Mikey to know about this note, but I'd probably tell Connor about it on the way home from school.

"Hey, Connor," I started as we made our way home, "April gave me a note today in Biology."

"No way, dude! That's great....what'd it say?"

"She wants to go to the Winter Dance with me." I explained. Connor thought that was great. "But, I'm scared. I have never been that close to a girl. How will I know if I should kiss her?"

"You'll just know," he offered with confidence. Connor had kissed a few girls over the last year, even though he never really dated any of them.

"How will I know how to kiss," I asked, "...so I don't gross her out?"

My best friend just started cracking up laughing. "You know I'm your best friend and would do anything for you, dude....but, I'm not kissing you!" he teased. Hearing that made me laugh and lightened my mood.

That is, until we rounded the next corner. Blue and red lights were flashing near my house. I could see a portly police officer putting my Mom in the back of a squad car. She was handcuffed!

I forgot about Connor and the note from April, and sprinted to my house as the police car containing my Mom drove off. I don't know when I started crying, but tears were streaming down my face. At first, I figured it was just snowflakes that landed on me, melting. I was screaming, trying to catch my mother. I didn't know what was going on. As I reached my house, a tall, middle-aged, uniformed officer asked if I was James Nelson.

"Where did you take my Mom?" I screamed, through my sobbing and tears.

"It'll be alright, son," the officer told me. "Are you James Nelson?"

"YES! YES! Why did you take my Mom away?" I demanded.

"Because she isn't your Mom," the tall officer answered.

That's all I remember before I fainted.

