Chapter 43

RILEY

I pulled another handful of weeds out of the garden, my mind spinning. The last layer of paint on my canvas had to dry, and I needed something to do. Keeping busy was the best way to stop my imagination from working overtime—especially where Eric's stalker was concerned. Thinking about Leith Chapman would only give me ulcers.

Alex had offered to drive to Sunrise Bay and collect another canvas, but I was reluctant to say yes. There was only one other painting I wanted to finish, but I didn't want anyone to see it.

I stood and stretched my back. At some point, the garden had been well looked after. The shrubs weren't too overgrown, and a good prune would make all the difference. Three pale pink daisy bushes gave the yard a little color, and some pansies peeked through the weeds. I wasn't much of a gardener, but anything had to be better than letting the dandelions and grass take over completely.

"Riley?"

"Over here." I smiled as Eric came around the corner of the house. After nearly giving me a heart attack the other night, he'd switched tactics, making lots of noise whenever he came near. "I heard Sherlock barking. He sounds happy."

The early morning sunlight gleamed off Eric's wet hair. I hadn't been awake when he came outside, so I guessed he must have had a shower before letting Sherlock out.

Eric looked around the yard. "You've done a lot of weeding."

I threw another clump of weeds onto the pile beside me. "I thought I'd get an early start. In another couple of hours, it'll be too hot to be out here. Did you have a good night's sleep?"

"About average."

He didn't have to tell me ‘about average' wasn't enough. The black rings under his eyes were getting darker. We were both worried about Chapman, and right now, there wasn't a lot we could do about it.

I wiped a trickle of sweat off my face. "I haven't seen Alex since breakfast. Has he heard anything from the police or Bryant Security?"

"The police have found Chapman."

It took a few seconds for his words to sink in. "They have? When?"

"Earlier this morning. Detective Jameson called Alex a few minutes ago."

"Has he been charged with anything?"

Eric sighed. "As far as I'm aware, he's only been charged with running a red light and breaking and entering. The police are searching his apartment and his stepbrother's. Hopefully, they'll find enough evidence to charge him with stalking and whatever else they can throw at him."

"So, Leith won't be coming back to Sunrise Bay?"

"Not if the police can help it. It all depends on what they find in the Chapman brothers' apartments."

The bubble of excitement that had been growing inside me popped. "I was hoping it was over."

"So was I," Eric said quietly. "I'm tired of looking over my shoulder every time I go somewhere."

I touched his arm. I could only imagine what the last six months had been like for him. "Would you like a hug?"

The frown on his face turned into a slow smile. "I won't say no. But don't tell Sherlock you offered to hug me. He likes his hugs, too. It'd be just like him to abandon me and live with you."

I wrapped my arms around his waist. "You won't have to worry about that. He loves you too much to stay with someone else. Besides, I've run out of doggie treats."

Laughter rumbled through his chest. "I'll have to visit the general store. They sell the peanut butter cookies Sherlock loves."

I relaxed against him. It felt so right to be close to him, to know we were there for each other. Over the last few weeks, we'd learned a lot about each other. At each step of the way, I'd fallen even more in love with him.

"Everything will get better," I said as I stepped away.

"That's what my agent said five months ago."

"His timing was off, that's all." I wiped my hands on my jeans and looked around the yard. "I'll miss Alex's home when we leave."

Eric seemed surprised. "I thought you'd be looking forward to seeing your cottage again."

"It's so peaceful here."

"And safe."

I nodded and wondered if he knew how close he was to understanding the real reason I liked being here. After two of my homes had been broken into, I'd given up thinking anywhere was safe. "When do you want to return to Sunrise Bay?"

"Whenever you're ready is fine by me. Alex will probably appreciate having his house to himself again."

"He's a good person. There aren't many people who would share their home with us."

Eric nodded. "I don't know what we would have done without him."

The back door opened, and Alex stepped onto the deck. "We were just talking about you," I yelled.

"I hope you were saying nice things."

"Of course." I smiled as Sherlock ran toward us.

I'd miss Sherlock when he returned to Brooklyn with Eric. The big dog watched over me as I painted, walked with me in the forest, and used his big brown eyes to plead for food as I cooked dinner.

"Has Eric told you about Chapman?" Alex asked.

I pulled my gaze away from Sherlock and nodded. "It's good news."

Alex sighed. "You sound as excited as Eric. Does this mean you aren't ready to celebrate his arrest?"

I forced a smile. "I'll make you a promise. When Leith Chapman's found guilty of breaking and entering and stalking, I'll buy you and Eric dinner. Until then, I think we should wait and see what happens."

Alex's cell phone beeped. He read the message and frowned. "Detective Jameson wants to meet with Eric and me in Broomfield. They've found some photos of us in Chapman's motel room. He wants us to look at them and give him an idea of when and where they were taken."

Eric looked at me. "You should come, too."

Alex shook his head. "Jameson said Riley will be safer here. A couple of reporters have been asking questions about him."

"It's okay," I said. "Sherlock and I can look after each other."

Eric still looked worried. He turned to Alex and asked, "Are you sure Leith Chapman is at the police station?"

"They've already charged him with breaking and entering. I guess that's why they want us to look at the photos. If there's enough evidence to charge him with stalking, they'll do that, too."

Eric frowned. "I don't like leaving Riley here, even with Sherlock."

I knelt in front of the big German Shepherd. "We'll be fine, won't we, boy?" I had a strong suspicion that Sherlock's goofy grin had more to do with having his ears rubbed than looking after each other. "See…he agrees with me."

Eric scowled. "If anything happens, we're at least thirty minutes away."

I scrambled to my feet. "I won't leave the house. I'll keep the satellite phone with me at all times and I'll bake Alex a chocolate cake as a thank you for looking after us."

"Sounds good to me," Alex said. When Eric remained silent, he pointed to his house. "I agree with Detective Jameson. Riley's safer here than in town. Look at my home. It looks as though Ma and Pa Kettle live here and not an international bestselling author and a world-renowned artist. Chapman's at the police station and Riley's mom and your agent are the only people who know you're here. Nothing will happen."

"I want your security system activated. If anyone arrives or leaves, we need to know about it."

I looked at Alex.

"The security system hasn't been off since you arrived. My phone will send me an alert if anyone breaks the infrared beams."

I looked at Eric. "Does that make you feel better?"

"Not much."

"Well, it will have to do. Russell Jameson's waiting for you."

After more grumbles, Eric finally left with Alex.

I kept my gaze on the plume of dust long after the truck was out of sight. Apart from Sherlock, I was on my own. And despite what I said to Eric, I was just as worried as he was.