“Yep, so you’d better choose something. Why don’t you get a pretty dress and sing for us? You know we always love to hear you. You sing like the heavens.” Leigh patted her arm.
Lexi stood up and collected her things. “Ladies, I’ve got to go. I have to talk to the other people on the list. You know the ones that signed themselves up.” She didn’t know how to win against the Troublesome Trio, so she resigned to the fact that she was going to have to perform.
“Sweetie, I know you aren’t really mad at us. Come on, give us a hug. Be quick about it, I think the landscapers are coming back to trim more bushes.” Evelyne gestured for her to hurry up. As Lexi walked away, she heard her say, “I could use my bush trimmed.”
Lexi shook her head and went to find the other people on her list.
*
Lexi arrived back home mid-afternoon, ready to curl up with a good book for a couple of hours. Anything to escape worrying about the talent show and Noah next door. She walked up to her back porch and saw a huge bouquet of multi-colored flowers. She hesitated for a moment, heart pounding, before remembering they couldn’t be from him. She picked them up to breathe in their beautiful scent, then smiled as she read the card:
Alexia, I enjoyed meeting you this morning. I didn’t know your favorite flower so I gave you a bouquet of roses since that’s what you were taking a picture of when I saw you. Noah
She buried her nose in the blooms, feeling like a schoolgirl whom the most popular boy had said ‘hi’ to. Lexi hoped Noah had talked to Sam before he’d taken them out of the garden, though.
Laying the flowers on the counter she arranged them in three different vases since they wouldn’t fit in less. Closing her eyes, she breathed deeply.
What am I going to do? Please give me strength. I don’t know what I want. If he just wants to be friends, I can do that. Or a fling, maybe I can do that, too.
Reading obviously wasn’t going to work at this point so Lexi set out in search of some much-needed physical labor. After weeding her garden, she mowed her little portion of grass. Her mind wandered to La Jolla. She didn’t like to think about it, but there were times when she had to remember. She didn’t want to live her life in fear and she knew not every man was out to hurt women, but seeing the flowers and meeting someone she was attracted to gave her pause. She’d spent hours working with counselors and women’s groups, trying to heal. She’d picked up the pieces, moved on, and built a new life for herself.
Her mind still whirling, she decided to clean the house from top to bottom. When that didn’t work she ate a quick sandwich before heading out to the beach for a sunset run with Pepper. She really, really hated running, but she had to do something to physically knock herself out so she’d be able to sleep tonight. Running a couple of miles up and down the beach would do it.
After trying to keep herself physically and mentally exhausted all day she fell into a deep sleep, not waking even when Pepper growled deep in her throat.
*
It took little effort for him to climb silently onto her balcony where he stood on the other side of the screen door. It had been over five years since he had been this close to her and almost seven since he was last inside her.
He remembered the first time he saw her. She was working at a design firm, so fresh and innocent and she reminded him of another. He had to have her. He followed her, learning all he could. It was never enough; he had to get closer. She became his reason for living. She had to be punished.
He took a deep breath—he could smell her. He watched her roll over, completely at ease, unaware of him standing there and what he wanted to do to her. The rage built inside of him, wanting to finish what he’d started years ago. He wanted to feel her from the inside. So much planning had gone into this. He knew he couldn’t take her now, even though everything inside of him wanted to, this instant. The thought of her with anyone else made his blood boil. The rage built until it was almost choking the breath out of him. He shook, trying to keep it in. He had to touch her, just a quick touch. He put his hand to the doorknob and began to turn it.
He must have made a sound and woken up the dog. He paused when it growled low in its throat. Just as well, more time to watch and do some research. He knew it was never good to rush in. Mistakes were made that way. This time there would be no mistakes.
CHAPTE
R THREE