to leave
now?"
"Yes, please. I need to get to bed, I think. It was
good to see you Frank."
"Same here."
When they had gotten into the Corvette and started out, Cody
said, "Okay, why were you so easily persuaded this time to let me drive
you home?"
"Damn. You picked up on that?"
"Yeah. What's up?"
"I almost ran off the road on the way here. I got this
wave of exhaustion and--"
"Julia, if you were that tired, why did you still come
over? We could have brought dinner out to you."
She blinked. "I didn't even think of that."
"Sometimes, I almost think you have a blind spot when
it comes to taking care of yourself."
"It hasn't been a big priority in my life for a
while."
"Well...make it a priority, okay?"
"Yes, sir! Seriously, I'm trying."
"I know you are."
They drove in silence the rest of the way to the beach
house. It was a comfortable quiet between them. As they approached the house,
Julia got her keys out of her purse. Cody's phone rang as they pulled into the
driveway.
"Yeah, hi Dad...What news? Can you tell me...okay, I'll
head back right now...all right, bye."
He frowned at the phone and looked at her. "Something's
got my father upset. I need to get back. You'll be okay?"
"Yes, I'll be fine. You go. I hope everything is all
right."
"Me, too. Okay, see you later."
Julia got out of the car and ran up to the door as Cody
drove off. Right as she unlocked the door, she realized she'd left her handbag
in his car. She turned to call to him, but he was already gone. Shrugging, she
opened the door and walked inside.
* * * *
"What do you mean Patrice has escaped?" Cody asked
his father in bewilderment.
Frank sat in the big chair in the living room, where he
rested after a long day. Cody knew Frank was worried, because he didn't even
ask why Cody was carrying Julia's purse with him. She'd left it in his car and
he planned to return it to her tomorrow.
"You know Patrice was in that mental institution for
the criminally insane."
Cody nodded quickly.
"Someone got careless because she'd been acting normal,
being on her best behavior. She escaped. The hospital called to warn Sam and
Anna. She might try to go after them again."
Cody said, "So the crazy stalker ex is back? I thought
after she ended up shooting Sam, we'd heard the last of her."
"At least Sam and Anna are safe in Italy. Nobody over
here knows he bought the villa there."
"Yeah, they should be okay but--hold on a minute. She
wouldn't know about Italy. So, where would she think Sam and Anna were staying?"
"The beach house!" Frank leaped to his feet.
Cody ran for the door, still holding Julia's bag. "Call
Sheriff Jones! She'll go for the beach house--Julia--"
Frank turned pale, and had his phone out, even as Cody was
out the door and running to the car. Damn, damn, damn, why didn't I see her
into the house? I just drove off and left her there. Cody was alternately
scared to death for Julia and angry with himself. He peeled out of the driveway
and sped down the street. He hoped he was wrong, but it felt right that Patrice
would go to the beach house. He worried frantically about what she would do,
when she realized Julia was the only one there.
* * * *
Julia walked into the darkness and fumbled for a light
switch. The lights flicked on right as someone tackled her and brought her to
the ground. For a moment she was stunned. She tried to remember her
self-defense classes but shock had her frozen.
A woman climbed off her and stood up. Julia looked up, and
saw a blond, holding a knife from the kitchen. She had a sharp lean look, and
she appeared to be startled.
"Who the hell are you?"
Julia started to get up, but the woman motioned with the
knife, so she stayed still. "I'm Julia Tremaine. A friend of Holly
Grainger."
"A friend of Holly Grainger--wait a minute. That was
Anna's name before she married Sam. Where is she? Why aren't they here?"
"They don't live here during this time of year. They
travel." It seemed best to Julia not to mention just
now?"
"Yes, please. I need to get to bed, I think. It was
good to see you Frank."
"Same here."
When they had gotten into the Corvette and started out, Cody
said, "Okay, why were you so easily persuaded this time to let me drive
you home?"
"Damn. You picked up on that?"
"Yeah. What's up?"
"I almost ran off the road on the way here. I got this
wave of exhaustion and--"
"Julia, if you were that tired, why did you still come
over? We could have brought dinner out to you."
She blinked. "I didn't even think of that."
"Sometimes, I almost think you have a blind spot when
it comes to taking care of yourself."
"It hasn't been a big priority in my life for a
while."
"Well...make it a priority, okay?"
"Yes, sir! Seriously, I'm trying."
"I know you are."
They drove in silence the rest of the way to the beach
house. It was a comfortable quiet between them. As they approached the house,
Julia got her keys out of her purse. Cody's phone rang as they pulled into the
driveway.
"Yeah, hi Dad...What news? Can you tell me...okay, I'll
head back right now...all right, bye."
He frowned at the phone and looked at her. "Something's
got my father upset. I need to get back. You'll be okay?"
"Yes, I'll be fine. You go. I hope everything is all
right."
"Me, too. Okay, see you later."
Julia got out of the car and ran up to the door as Cody
drove off. Right as she unlocked the door, she realized she'd left her handbag
in his car. She turned to call to him, but he was already gone. Shrugging, she
opened the door and walked inside.
* * * *
"What do you mean Patrice has escaped?" Cody asked
his father in bewilderment.
Frank sat in the big chair in the living room, where he
rested after a long day. Cody knew Frank was worried, because he didn't even
ask why Cody was carrying Julia's purse with him. She'd left it in his car and
he planned to return it to her tomorrow.
"You know Patrice was in that mental institution for
the criminally insane."
Cody nodded quickly.
"Someone got careless because she'd been acting normal,
being on her best behavior. She escaped. The hospital called to warn Sam and
Anna. She might try to go after them again."
Cody said, "So the crazy stalker ex is back? I thought
after she ended up shooting Sam, we'd heard the last of her."
"At least Sam and Anna are safe in Italy. Nobody over
here knows he bought the villa there."
"Yeah, they should be okay but--hold on a minute. She
wouldn't know about Italy. So, where would she think Sam and Anna were staying?"
"The beach house!" Frank leaped to his feet.
Cody ran for the door, still holding Julia's bag. "Call
Sheriff Jones! She'll go for the beach house--Julia--"
Frank turned pale, and had his phone out, even as Cody was
out the door and running to the car. Damn, damn, damn, why didn't I see her
into the house? I just drove off and left her there. Cody was alternately
scared to death for Julia and angry with himself. He peeled out of the driveway
and sped down the street. He hoped he was wrong, but it felt right that Patrice
would go to the beach house. He worried frantically about what she would do,
when she realized Julia was the only one there.
* * * *
Julia walked into the darkness and fumbled for a light
switch. The lights flicked on right as someone tackled her and brought her to
the ground. For a moment she was stunned. She tried to remember her
self-defense classes but shock had her frozen.
A woman climbed off her and stood up. Julia looked up, and
saw a blond, holding a knife from the kitchen. She had a sharp lean look, and
she appeared to be startled.
"Who the hell are you?"
Julia started to get up, but the woman motioned with the
knife, so she stayed still. "I'm Julia Tremaine. A friend of Holly
Grainger."
"A friend of Holly Grainger--wait a minute. That was
Anna's name before she married Sam. Where is she? Why aren't they here?"
"They don't live here during this time of year. They
travel." It seemed best to Julia not to mention just
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