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Authors: Jill Elaine Prim
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dark. Spying a lamp near the couch he turned it on and set the beers down on the table in front of the leather couch. When some time passed and no Amanda, he decided to crack open the beers. Just as he tipped his head back to take a nice swig, he heard footsteps coming down the basement steps. A clomp then a step, another clomp then another step. It had to be Amanda cautiously making her way down the wooden basement stairs.
Setting his beer back on the table, he stood and walked into the stairwell worried that she may slip. Ryder assessed her gait as her feet touched each stair tread and immediately noticed her foot drop. Holding onto the handrail, she methodically made her way down the stairs. When she saw him waiting at the bottom of the stairs, she paused midway and a flash of pink spread across her cheeks before she walked the rest of the way down. Just as she neared the bottom tread, he stepped up and extended his hand to her. She slid her small, soft hand into his.
“Everything okay?” he asked as she stepped down from the last stair onto the floor.
“Yes,” she said quickly. “Yes, all is fine.”
He lowered his head to try and read her. She was biting her bottom lip again. Damn. Even though he just met her, he knew instinctively that she was upset about something. He didn’t want to press her to talk if she didn’t really want to, but from most the women he knew, when they said all is fine, it was really code for: No, it’s not okay. Actually that response was a blazing, screeching No, things are not good! Then he remembered when they were talking about the way the black SUV pushed her off the side of the road and she started to tell him of another incident. Damn it, why didn’t he follow through with that earlier? Well, he would find out now.
“I don’t mean to charge in Amanda, but I do have big ears if you need to unload.” He flicked his right ear. “See? They’re whoppers.”
She laughed. “Oh, no you don’t.”
At least he got a genuine smile out of her.
She licked her lips. “Well, I’m sure it isn’t anything, but Nick said that a man came to the door today.” Her expression turned serious again. “Nick said he tried to come in to our house. Said the man was from our phone company and needed to check our phone line connection into our house.”
“Did you report a problem with your telephone company?” Ryder asked, wondering why that was such a strange request.
“We don’t have any land line phones anymore. We all have our cell phones. I haven’t had a home phone for years. As soon as Nick and Sam started carrying cells, it seemed natural to cut it off.” Her green eyes met his. “I just thought it was the sensible route to save some money.”
“Yeah,” Ryder agreed. “Makes sense.”
“Anyway, the thing that gets me is that they even spooked Nick.” She pulled her brows down. “He isn’t easily spooked. He’s a belligerent fifteen-year-old, who has no fears.” She turned her attention to the room and shook her head as if trying to shake off her worrying. “Anyway.” Picking up the T.V. remote control she asked, “Would you like to watch some television?”
Ryder nodded absently at her question since his mind was elsewhere at the moment. Thinking on all the information Amanda just handed him, he formed some conclusions that nagged at him.
Okay, her car was pushed off the road. Sure that could have been a really stupid thing a teenager or older driver did while texting or talking on the phone and not realize it, but he didn’t think so. When other things were added to the mix, his instinct told him all of the incidences were connected somehow. The clincher was when they got to her house and he’d seen a dark SUV sidled up to a curb a few houses down. It could have been the one hanging out at Sophia Edgington’s house or maybe not. He needed a close up on the plate to make verification. He slid his eyes over to Amanda. She pressed the buttons on the remote
Setting his beer back on the table, he stood and walked into the stairwell worried that she may slip. Ryder assessed her gait as her feet touched each stair tread and immediately noticed her foot drop. Holding onto the handrail, she methodically made her way down the stairs. When she saw him waiting at the bottom of the stairs, she paused midway and a flash of pink spread across her cheeks before she walked the rest of the way down. Just as she neared the bottom tread, he stepped up and extended his hand to her. She slid her small, soft hand into his.
“Everything okay?” he asked as she stepped down from the last stair onto the floor.
“Yes,” she said quickly. “Yes, all is fine.”
He lowered his head to try and read her. She was biting her bottom lip again. Damn. Even though he just met her, he knew instinctively that she was upset about something. He didn’t want to press her to talk if she didn’t really want to, but from most the women he knew, when they said all is fine, it was really code for: No, it’s not okay. Actually that response was a blazing, screeching No, things are not good! Then he remembered when they were talking about the way the black SUV pushed her off the side of the road and she started to tell him of another incident. Damn it, why didn’t he follow through with that earlier? Well, he would find out now.
“I don’t mean to charge in Amanda, but I do have big ears if you need to unload.” He flicked his right ear. “See? They’re whoppers.”
She laughed. “Oh, no you don’t.”
At least he got a genuine smile out of her.
She licked her lips. “Well, I’m sure it isn’t anything, but Nick said that a man came to the door today.” Her expression turned serious again. “Nick said he tried to come in to our house. Said the man was from our phone company and needed to check our phone line connection into our house.”
“Did you report a problem with your telephone company?” Ryder asked, wondering why that was such a strange request.
“We don’t have any land line phones anymore. We all have our cell phones. I haven’t had a home phone for years. As soon as Nick and Sam started carrying cells, it seemed natural to cut it off.” Her green eyes met his. “I just thought it was the sensible route to save some money.”
“Yeah,” Ryder agreed. “Makes sense.”
“Anyway, the thing that gets me is that they even spooked Nick.” She pulled her brows down. “He isn’t easily spooked. He’s a belligerent fifteen-year-old, who has no fears.” She turned her attention to the room and shook her head as if trying to shake off her worrying. “Anyway.” Picking up the T.V. remote control she asked, “Would you like to watch some television?”
Ryder nodded absently at her question since his mind was elsewhere at the moment. Thinking on all the information Amanda just handed him, he formed some conclusions that nagged at him.
Okay, her car was pushed off the road. Sure that could have been a really stupid thing a teenager or older driver did while texting or talking on the phone and not realize it, but he didn’t think so. When other things were added to the mix, his instinct told him all of the incidences were connected somehow. The clincher was when they got to her house and he’d seen a dark SUV sidled up to a curb a few houses down. It could have been the one hanging out at Sophia Edgington’s house or maybe not. He needed a close up on the plate to make verification. He slid his eyes over to Amanda. She pressed the buttons on the remote
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