24. Harley

TWENTY-FOUR

HARLEY

Even after Tate had explained that he didn't trust Emily, I still had a hard time not thinking of her as a friend. A friend who was acting weird as hell, but a friend, nonetheless. I wasn't concerned exactly, but I needed to know what was going on. It had been over a week since I'd heard from her, and despite everything, I was worried about her. She said she'd see me again before she left, so I knew she hadn't left town.

It was early September, and a beautiful day, so I decided to see if she was home. I knew it shouldn't have bothered me, but the curiosity was almost overwhelming. One way or another, I had to figure out what the hell was going on.

Emily had told me where her grandmother's house was. I'd always meant to go out and see it, but life had kept me occupied. I got into my car and headed out. The chance of her being there was pretty small, but I had nothing better to do, and there was still a chance. She would probably be there, doing some gardening to spruce it up before it got listed. Improving the curb appeal or whatever.

I turned the radio up and rolled the windows down, enjoying the cool late-summer air. One thing about Colorado: it was a much different climate compared to New York. It was warmer but less humid. It felt cooler than it should, and I loved it. My body was already going through hot flashes with the pregnancy, so any respite was welcome.

Finding the street Emily had mentioned was easy, but I had no idea which house was the one she'd talked about. When I turned onto the street, the choices were pretty simple. It wasn't really a neighborhood per se. It was just a dead-end street with three houses and an empty lot where an old house had once stood. All that was left there was a crumbling chimney.

Frowning, I cruised down the street, checking each house to see which one was correct. The first house was a small one-story ranch-style. A middle-aged man was out mowing the lawn, and there were toys scattered around the porch. That couldn't be it. The second house was similar to the first but a little bigger. There was a small car and a minivan sitting in the driveway, neither of which was Emily's car. Sitting on a porch swing was a younger couple having a conversation. It had to be the third house. When I pulled up to it, confusion swept over me.

It was abandoned––not just that it was obvious that no one lived there. The yard was overgrown, the windows were dusty and dirty, and the paint around the windows was peeling and faded. This didn't look like a house someone had spent weeks getting ready to sell. It also didn't look like a home that had been lived in. Not for a very long time.

I sat there trying to figure out what was going on. Was Emily having financial trouble? Maybe she didn't have the money to fix the place up on the outside. Was that it? Had she used what money she had to fix up the inside instead? Doubtful, but wanting to know for sure, I pulled into the driveway. A quick walk up to the first window and a peek in told me that was not what was going on. The inside was caked in dust. Cobwebs hung freely from the ceiling, and it looked like some type of black mold was growing on a wall in the living room.

What the hell? I was positive this was the road she'd mentioned. The other houses didn't look like they'd been newly bought. Even if Emily had listed it and sold it on the same day I'd seen her last, it would have taken at least two weeks for all the paperwork and stuff to clear. No one could have bought and moved into a new house that fast. It didn't make sense.

I walked slowly back to my car, wondering how I'd find Emily. As I got back in the car, a lightbulb went off in my mind. Her grandma. She said she was in a home, and there was only one nursing home in the whole county. Emily had said she was there. If I could find her anywhere, I'd find her there.

Fifteen minutes later, I walked into Harmony Grace nursing home. A small part of me hoped to see her car in the parking lot. I hadn't. I thought she might be inside in a waiting room of some sort. Again, no luck. The nurse at the reception desk smiled at me as I walked up.

"How can I help you, ma'am?" she asked.

"Yes, I'm here to visit Ms. Heath?" I said, using Emily's last name. There was a fifty percent chance her grandmother shared it with her.

The nurse frowned but tapped at the keyboard for a moment. "That's what I thought," she said to herself before looking back up at me. "Yes, ma'am, I'm afraid we don't have a patient by that name here."

Well, that hadn't worked. I smiled back at her apologetically. "I'm sorry. I assumed they shared a last name. I'm friends with her granddaughter, she's her caretaker. It's her only family. Can you find her by the guardian's name? Emily Heath?"

The nurse typed at her workstation again and shook her head again. "We don't have any guardians by that name. We don't have anyone with the first name Emily."

What the hell was going on?

The nurse looked at me, concerned, and said, "Are you okay, miss?"

Snapping out of my daze, I said, "Oh, I'm sorry to have bothered you. I must have… I guess I was misinformed."

"No problem at all, ma'am. Have a good day."

This time, the walk back to my car was filled with swirling thoughts and questions. Emily had lied about this? Why? Tate said he didn't trust her, and I'd been hesitant to believe him. Was he right after all? I refused to believe that she was working with Luis. It made my skin crawl to even think about it. But if not, what was she doing?

I drove around town, stewing on all the questions, for thirty minutes. My stomach growled, and since I was already out and Tate was working, I decided to treat myself to lunch. Giving it one last shot, I dialed Emily again as I waited for my food. Still no answer. An uneasy feeling had filled my chest as the day drew on, as more things started to not add up. After my food came, my next call was to Tate.

"Hello, beautiful," he answered.

Despite my misgivings about Emily, I blushed, and said, "Hello, handsome. How's your day?"

"It's fine. Just going over some contracts for jobs later this year. What are you up to?"

I hesitated. I still wasn't a hundred percent sure Emily was sketchy, but something was going on, and I needed his opinion. In the end, I decided to be honest.

"Well, here's the thing. I haven't heard from Emily since she gave me that jewelry. She hasn't answered her phone or responded to texts. I decided to stop by her grandma's house, the one she's been fixing up to sell."

"Yeah?" Tate said, his voice wary.

"So, I found the house, but it's a dump. Looks like it hasn't been lived in for at least thirty years. The yard isn't even mowed. So, then I went to see if she was visiting her grandma, but there is no grandma at the nursing home. Emily's name isn't on the register as a guardian. It's… it's like she's lied about everything. Maybe you were right."

There was a long pause before Tate said, "I'll look into it. I can have the guys check the nursing home admittance. There's always a chance that maybe grandma died. Could also be that Emily put her on a secure list, and no one is allowed to visit or ask about her. If that's the case, it could be why the nursing home said they had no one registered by that name. That's all pretty unlikely. For now, I'd prefer it if you didn't reach out to her anymore. It sounds like it's really possible she's involved in something and tried to wedge herself into your life for some reason."

My worries had become much more pronounced after talking to Tate.

"Yeah, you're right. No more calls, no more texts."

"Good. Where are you right now?"

"Um, out to eat. This little boy is gonna cause me to gain a hundred pounds."

His chuckle sent a thrill down my spine. "Okay, but I'd like you to head straight home after. Set the alarms and stuff."

"Got it, captain. See you tonight."

"See you, be careful."

My food didn't look as appetizing as it had when it came out. The conversation about Emily had robbed me of most of my hunger, but I still managed to eat half of my meal. The other half went into a box, and I left, doing exactly what Tate told me to. The drive back home seemed longer than usual. Every time a car passed, I glanced at it to see if it was Emily. Before, I'd wanted to know she was safe. Now? I wanted to know if she was following me. Or stalking me.

My arrival back home was not a relief. As I put the car into park, I glanced up and saw my mailbox was hanging open with envelopes and packages. I parked and went to the box to retrieve all my items. Most of it looked like junk. Three different credit card offers, a catalogue that I had no memory of signing up for, a science magazine Jordyn had won a subscription to at school last year, a couple small boxes from Amazon.

There was one thick envelope that felt like there was something soft inside. It was a padded manila envelope. Frowning, I flipped it over and froze. The return address was from New York. I recognized the handwriting, or at least I thought I did. I scanned the area around my house and up and down the neighborhood. Was he here now? Could that even be possible?

I hustled up to the house and got inside, making sure to lock up as soon as I was inside. The whole time, I had the disturbing feeling that eyes were on me. I leaned against the door, and glanced at my watch. The girls would be home soon. There was no way I could let them see me like this. I was freaking out, there was no reason to scare them too.

There was only one thing to do. Tate needed to hear about this. I called him again.

After three rings, he answered. "Yes?"

I flinched at his voice. He sounded irritated and short. It was probably my fault. I was putting too much on him, asking too much of him. Guilt spilled over me, and I wanted to crawl into a hole.

"Uh… sorry, I'm bothering you. I'll talk to you later."

"Harley, wait, no." He sighed tiredly. "I'm not frustrated with you . I've got a client being a dick. They already signed the contract, but now they're adding all kinds of crazy stuff. I've been dealing with it all day."

"I don't want to be the one piling more on your plate."

"I sat myself at your table. I expect to be well fed, so pile that baby full. What's wrong?"

Another part of me fell for him, then. He was so genuine when he said it. He truly did want to take on whatever I was willing to give him. It wouldn't help my guilt, but it was nice to know that he was there.

"I think Luis mailed me a package."

"What?" he nearly shouted.

"It's in a package with a New York return address. I'm pretty sure it's his handwriting too. It's got to be from him."

"Do not open it."

"You don't have to tell me that."

"Okay, good. I want you to make sure the coast is clear, and then bring that package to me at the office."

"But the girls will be home soon. School lets out in about forty-five minutes."

"I'll text Mariah and tell her to take Jordyn to the little ice cream joint instead of getting on the bus. Shawn's watching them today. I'll let him know there's been a change of plan. I'll even send her some money in a cash app or something. That way, they won't be home alone."

"I can text her and let her know," I said.

"No, I'll take care of it. I just need you to get your fine ass down here as soon as possible."

I hung up and did exactly what he said. I made sure the coast was clear. No sign of Luis or his car. Then I got my fine ass into my car, locked the doors, and pulled out of the driveway. That feeling of being watched swept over me again, making my blood run cold. Once I was out of the driveway, I hit the gas a little harder than usual, the tires squealing as I went.

I pulled up to Tate's office not long after. He was already standing in the lot, waiting for me. I got out of the car and was in his arms within seconds. He cupped my face and looked into my eyes, then kissed me hard. For a few seconds, I forgot about the day. He pulled away and swept me into the office. Terry stood at the door, staring daggers out through the window, scanning the surrounding area. It looked like Tate had already informed his team about what was going down. I liked knowing we weren't alone in this.

Tate took my hand and led me to the conference room where Blayne, Miles, and Steffen were waiting for us.

"Give me a second, guys. Don't open it until I'm back." Tate guided me down the hall and into his office.

I gasped slightly as we entered the room. It was different. Instead of the stark spartan furnishing, there was decoration. There was a picture of me with Jordyn and Mariah on his filing cabinet. We were sitting on the couch laughing—I remembered the night well. On his desk stood a framed picture of one of my ultrasounds. The gray blob that was our baby sitting right where he could see it anytime he wanted. I looked at Tate, who was staring back at me. I knew what it meant for him to have these pictures in here. The man who'd had no one but his friends until now. My eyes welled with tears as I looked back at him.

Tate pressed his hand to my belly, and we both felt the baby kick. I was six months along, and though I'd felt him shifting in there, it was the first real kick I'd noticed. I gasped and laughed.

"Did you feel that?" I asked.

Tate's eyes were wide and beginning to tear up, too. "Holy shit. I did." He kissed my forehead. "I'll be right back. Okay?"

I nodded and watched him go. Placing my hands on my belly, I felt the baby kick again. It was the best thing that had happened all day. It was a reminder that even on bad days, good things could happen. I took a seat at Tate's desk to wait for him to get back.