Obsession Falls by Claire Kingsley
To the real-life Max, who is the goodest good boy.
And to everyone who doubted I could make you love the Haven brothers. Hold my beer.
About This Book
He’ll risk it all to protect her.
Someone is stalking Audrey Young. And she has no idea why.
It’s bad enough that she’s back in Tilikum. But Audrey’s good at making the best of things and her new job at the small-town newspaper is just a way to get back on her feet.
Complicating matters is her landlord and new neighbor, Josiah Haven.
She doesn’t usually go for the big, surly lumberjack type. But there’s something about that broody man. He intimidates her a little, but she kind of likes it.
She could totally handle the mess that is her life, except the strange feeling of being watched is just the beginning. Next thing Audrey knows, she’s a target, and she doesn’t know who’s behind it, or why.
For Josiah Haven, none of that makes her his problem.
She’s just the girl next door. Fine, the frustratingly hot girl next door. But Audrey is all sunshine and her goofy dog isn’t any better. Josiah is too stoic. Too solitary. Too guarded. He doesn’t need a woman in his life, especially one who threatens to crack his heart wide open.
But Josiah is a protector and he can’t let Audrey’s troubles go unanswered, even if he has to risk everything—his life and his heart—to keep her safe.
Author’s note: a grumpy loner meets his match in a sunshiney dog lover who’s a little down on her luck. And once he falls, he falls HARD. It’s small-town romantic suspense with CK’s signature humor, endearing characters, and heartwarming happily ever after.
Obsession Falls can be read as a stand-alone.
CHAPTER 1
Josiah
FIVE YEARS AGO
The ring in my pocket felt like it weighed a million pounds.
I had no idea what a guy like me was doing in this position. I was basically the least romantic man ever. But there I was, at Salt and Iron, one of the nicest restaurants in Tilikum, sitting across from my girlfriend of two years with a ring in my pocket.
The ambiance was right. Crisp white tablecloths, candlelight, wine. A menu sat next to my place setting; I’d already decided on a steak. I unfolded the cloth napkin and laid it in my lap while Cassandra put her menu aside.
She seemed distracted. She’d checked her phone half a dozen times since we’d taken our seats, which wasn’t totally unusual for her, but it did make me wonder what was going on. Probably something with work. She was an ad account manager for a large social media company and although she usually worked remotely, she’d been stuck going to corporate several times in the last few months.
She frowned at her phone. Maybe now wasn’t the time. I slipped my hand in my pocket and fingered the diamond and smooth gold band. I’d kind of thought if I ever proposed to a woman, she’d be in a better mood when I did it.
“Is everything okay?” I asked.
“What?” She glanced up as if she were surprised to see me sitting across from her. “Sorry. I’m fine. Just work.”
But she didn’t put her phone away. She set it on the table next to her and brushed her blond hair over her shoulder.
“Do you need to go?” I asked. We’d only ordered drinks. “We can grab takeout somewhere if that’s easier. Take it to your place.”
“No, this is fine.” She shifted and adjusted her black dress.
Something was off. She didn’t usually fidget so much.
And then it hit me. She knew.
The corners of my mouth turned up ever so slightly. She was onto me. I wondered how she’d figured it out. I hadn’t mentioned anything that should have tipped her off. No slip ups. And I’d only picked up the ring that morning. There was no way she’d seen it. I’d even taken it out of the box, leaving it loose in my pocket, so she wouldn’t suspect anything.
Maybe she simply knew me too well. I couldn’t keep a secret this big.
That meant it was time. I put my hand in my pocket and for half a second, I wondered if she’d want me to do the whole get down on one knee thing, or if I could just put the ring on her finger without making a big scene. I hesitated and the server came back to our table. I took my hand out of my pocket, careful to make sure the ring stayed inside.
“Can I get an appetizer started for you?”
“I’d like the calamari,” Cassandra said. “Do you want anything?”
“No thanks.”
“Perfect,” the server said with a smile. He was a slim guy with dark hair, probably a college student. “Do you want to order dinner as well, or do you need a little more time?”
“I need more time,” she said. “Thanks.”
The server left. I put my hand back in my pocket to take out the ring but Cassandra picked up her phone again.
This was proving to be more complicated than I’d thought. I’d figured all I had to do was get a ring, take her to dinner, and give it to her. But now that we were here, everything seemed slightly off.
She set her phone down and took a drink of her wine. I decided it was go time, but instead of worrying about the ring, I just opened my mouth to get her attention before she could get distracted by work again.
But right as I started to say her name, she spoke.
“Josiah, I think we should talk.”
I was not known for being in touch with my feelings—or having feelings—but that was a phrase that could make any man’s stomach clench with an icy spasm of dread.
“About what?”
She took a deep breath. “I got a job offer. It’s a promotion. A big one.”
“That’s great.” It was good news. So why did I still feel so tense?
“Thanks.” She smiled. “I didn’t even tell you I was applying because I assumed I didn’t have a chance.”
“Why would you assume that? You’re amazing.”
“I don’t know. It just seemed like such a long shot. There had to have been so many applicants.”
I reached across the table and took her hand. “Then they made the right choice.”
Her smile grew but just as quickly, it faded. She pulled her hand away. “The thing is, it’s outside San Francisco.”
It took a second for the implications to register. “So it’s not remote? You have to move?”
She nodded.
My problem-solving brain kicked in, a list of options with pros and cons already forming. “Okay. When?”
“They want me there as soon as possible. I’ll stay in corporate housing until I find a place. So, next week.”
I leaned back. “That fast?”
She nodded again.
“Okay.” I tapped a finger on the table. The server came back but I gave him a hard glare and he backed away. “San Francisco isn’t Mars. We can make it work.”
“Oh, Josiah.”
“What? It’s not ideal but we can figure it out.”
She pressed her lips together but didn’t say anything.
The icy dread settled over me, like a chill freezing me from the inside. “You don’t want to figure it out, do you?”
“I just don’t see how. Your whole life is here. Your work and your family. Could you really see yourself relocating to a different state?”
“Were you going to give me the chance to answer that question for myself?”
“I know you. You wouldn’t be happy in San Francisco.”
I stared at her for a moment. “So you didn’t think we should talk about it? You already accepted the position.”
“Of course I did. I couldn’t pass this up.”
I nodded slowly. I supported her career—always had. It made her happy and that was great.
But I’d kind of thought I made her happy, too.
My hand skimmed over the outside of my pants pocket, the outline of the ring indistinct through the fabric. Maybe I shouldn’t have thought she’d choose me over a promotion. But I realized as I looked at her that I had. I’d thought we would be in this together.
Apparently I’d been wrong.