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Authors: Rosemarie Naramore
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with a wince. “We’ve had a rash of burglaries lately. Many vacant homes have taken hits in recent months.”
Ethan nodded. “Yeah, that’s why I decided to live here during the remodel of the place.”
The officer acknowledged his words. “Well, there’s not much more I can do here. If you have anymore trouble, give us a call.” With a crisp nod, he turned toward Marcia. “If you do happen to see someone suspicious again, call us right away.”
“Will do,” she said, and he strode down the porch. She gave Ethan a hesitant smile. “Sorry for waking you. I’ll … uh … let you get back to sleep.” She turned to go, but he called her back.
“Marcia, would you come in for a minute?”
She turned, gave him a questioning glance, but entered the house. He noted she was dressed in a thick, purple robe that left everything to the imagination. As she stepped past him, he reached out to touch the fluffy fabric. “What is that?” he asked with interest.
“What’s what?”
“What’s that robe made out of? It’s really … uh, soft.”
She shrugged. “Don’t know. But it’s purple,” she said, as if that fact said it all.
He gave a slight smile, but sobered. “So you spotted the guy trying to get into the basement window?”
She nodded. “Yeah, I think he was about to kick it in. Obviously, he didn’t realize someone is living here.”
He sighed and shook his head, and then fixed her with a gaze. “Hey, uh, if it happens again, please don’t call out to the intruder next time.”
She nodded regretfully. “I know. I wasn’t thinking. If I had just called the police, they probably would have been able to catch him in the act.” She gave an embarrassed smile. “I’m really sorry.”
“That’s not what I meant,” he said with a vigorous and dismissive shake of his head. “What I meant to say is, what if the guy had turned on you? You just never know what kind of mindset these criminals have. If he was hopped up on drugs, or scared, or whatever, he could have come after you and no one would have been the wiser.” He gave a shudder. “He could have pulled you into your house and…” He left the words hanging in the air, as if he couldn’t give voice to them.
Marcia watched his face, her eyes meeting his. His concern for her felt genuine, and … unexpected. She wasn’t used to it. And why was that? she wondered.
She knew the answer. Jay had never treated her with that kind of care. If they had been home together and heard an intruder, he would have sent her out to investigate, while he took refuge under the covers. Perhaps that was an exaggeration, she mused, but she knew better. He had never , ever put her needs before his own.
Had he ever really loved her ?
Suddenly, she turned away from Ethan, desperately hoping he wouldn’t see the tears pooling in her eyes. “Well, I should go,” she said too brightly, and hurried to the door.
To her surprise, he stopped her with a gentle hand on her arm. “Hey,” he said softly, the deep timbre of his voice filling the small space around him, “are you all right?”
“I’m fine,” she said, still unwilling to look at him. “I’ll see you … tomorrow, I guess.”
She tried to leave, but he turned her around. He immediately saw her eyes were glistening with unshed tears. He didn’t speak, but only stared at her. When a single tear dropped onto her cheek, he wiped it away with a gentle hand. “What’s this?” he asked.
“Nothing,” she said, attempting to smile. “I’m fine. You should get back to sleep. Again, I’m sorry I disturbed you.”
He didn’t release her, but continued to watch her through heavily lidded eyes. When he suddenly pulled her into an embrace, she gasped. She hadn’t expected it. Never, in a million years, had she expected to have his arms around her.
Chapter Seven
“I really should
Ethan nodded. “Yeah, that’s why I decided to live here during the remodel of the place.”
The officer acknowledged his words. “Well, there’s not much more I can do here. If you have anymore trouble, give us a call.” With a crisp nod, he turned toward Marcia. “If you do happen to see someone suspicious again, call us right away.”
“Will do,” she said, and he strode down the porch. She gave Ethan a hesitant smile. “Sorry for waking you. I’ll … uh … let you get back to sleep.” She turned to go, but he called her back.
“Marcia, would you come in for a minute?”
She turned, gave him a questioning glance, but entered the house. He noted she was dressed in a thick, purple robe that left everything to the imagination. As she stepped past him, he reached out to touch the fluffy fabric. “What is that?” he asked with interest.
“What’s what?”
“What’s that robe made out of? It’s really … uh, soft.”
She shrugged. “Don’t know. But it’s purple,” she said, as if that fact said it all.
He gave a slight smile, but sobered. “So you spotted the guy trying to get into the basement window?”
She nodded. “Yeah, I think he was about to kick it in. Obviously, he didn’t realize someone is living here.”
He sighed and shook his head, and then fixed her with a gaze. “Hey, uh, if it happens again, please don’t call out to the intruder next time.”
She nodded regretfully. “I know. I wasn’t thinking. If I had just called the police, they probably would have been able to catch him in the act.” She gave an embarrassed smile. “I’m really sorry.”
“That’s not what I meant,” he said with a vigorous and dismissive shake of his head. “What I meant to say is, what if the guy had turned on you? You just never know what kind of mindset these criminals have. If he was hopped up on drugs, or scared, or whatever, he could have come after you and no one would have been the wiser.” He gave a shudder. “He could have pulled you into your house and…” He left the words hanging in the air, as if he couldn’t give voice to them.
Marcia watched his face, her eyes meeting his. His concern for her felt genuine, and … unexpected. She wasn’t used to it. And why was that? she wondered.
She knew the answer. Jay had never treated her with that kind of care. If they had been home together and heard an intruder, he would have sent her out to investigate, while he took refuge under the covers. Perhaps that was an exaggeration, she mused, but she knew better. He had never , ever put her needs before his own.
Had he ever really loved her ?
Suddenly, she turned away from Ethan, desperately hoping he wouldn’t see the tears pooling in her eyes. “Well, I should go,” she said too brightly, and hurried to the door.
To her surprise, he stopped her with a gentle hand on her arm. “Hey,” he said softly, the deep timbre of his voice filling the small space around him, “are you all right?”
“I’m fine,” she said, still unwilling to look at him. “I’ll see you … tomorrow, I guess.”
She tried to leave, but he turned her around. He immediately saw her eyes were glistening with unshed tears. He didn’t speak, but only stared at her. When a single tear dropped onto her cheek, he wiped it away with a gentle hand. “What’s this?” he asked.
“Nothing,” she said, attempting to smile. “I’m fine. You should get back to sleep. Again, I’m sorry I disturbed you.”
He didn’t release her, but continued to watch her through heavily lidded eyes. When he suddenly pulled her into an embrace, she gasped. She hadn’t expected it. Never, in a million years, had she expected to have his arms around her.
Chapter Seven
“I really should
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