and finding out what he could.
Chapter 13
Carrie stared at the flowers, not daring to touch them. Daisies. Yellow daisies!
How? How could he have found her again? She’d been so careful! So damned careful! And how in the world had the damned flowers gotten here? She’d been working in the upstairs bedroom all day. Painting! Not even using power tools! So, she should have heard the sound of a delivery person coming down the street and she definitely would have noticed if one had stopped at her house!
So how? How had the daisies appeared on her doorstep?
She didn’t bother to ask why. Carrie knew why! It was John’s way of letting her know that he’d found her again. That he was spying on her. Even as she thought it, the hairs on the back of her neck tightened and she looked around. But she didn’t see anything. There was no movement in the trees or bushes to the right or left of her house.
No birds singing either.
That should have been a hint. But she’d been humming as she painted, eager to see Derick. She’d grown complacent.
And foolish!
The car engine roaring down the street made her flinch, terrified that John was coming.
It took her several moments to realize that the car wasn’t a green SUV, but a big, black pickup truck. Derick!
He was out of his truck and heading towards her before she could process his return. But when it clicked, she ran to him and threw herself into his arms.
“What’s wrong?” he demanded, holding her close. She could barely breathe, let alone speak, but Derick seemed to realize her fear.
He didn’t say another word. Instead, he scooped her up into his arms and carried her to his truck. Then, he drove away. Away from the danger and those damned flowers!
She stayed in his lap as he drove a few miles down the road. When he pulled over and shut off the engine, Carrie still had her arms wrapped around his neck. Since she still had a death grip on him, he didn’t say anything. He simply held her, sharing his strength with her.
When the trembling finally subsided, she pulled back and wiped her cheeks. Carrie hadn’t realized that she’d started crying, but the evidence was there.
“Talk to me, honey. What happened? Did he come back? Did he find you?”
“He?” she asked, eyes wide.
His hands came up, cupping her cheek and she leaned into the callused palm. “The man who beat you.”
For a long moment, she didn’t speak. But slowly, she nodded her head. “Yes. I think so.”
“Did you see him?”
“No,” she whispered. “But he put yellow daisies on my front porch.”
There was a moment of silence, those words hanging between them. Finally, Derick asked, “What’s the significance of yellow daisies?”
She shifted, leaning into him so that her head nestled into the curve of his shoulder. “He used to bring me daisies when we were dating. It was sort of his thing.”
Derick listened, his hand stroking her back reassuringly. For a long time, she just enjoyed his touch and his strength. But slowly, she explained.
“He was nice at first.” She blinked, staring out the window. “His name was John and he was so charming. A lot of fun. Jealous, but not in a crazy way. At least, not at first. But slowly, he just…I worked in an accounting office.” She lifted her head and looked at him. “I’m a certified public accountant. I used to work long hours during tax season, working on corporate tax filings and personal taxes. I loved it,” she sighed. “I loved the details and the intricacies of applying the tax code.” She laid her head back down on his shoulder. “I was good too. Really good. But John didn’t like the long hours I had to work during tax season. He thought I was cheating on him. There were nights I’d work until midnight or later. Plus weekends. He’d wait outside my office for me, then he’d yell at me, demanding to know who I’d had sex with.”
Derick’s arms tightened around her and she felt him press a kiss to the top of her head.
“He finally stormed into the office with a golf club and smashed up my boss’s office, screaming at him that he couldn’t have sex with me. John threatened to tell each and every one of my boss’s clients about the affair if he didn’t stop having sex with me.” She inhaled deeply. “After that, my boss told me that it would be better