Still total silence. Although, her grandmother had always been a stubborn mule, and she wouldn’t put it past her to give Courtney the silent treatment if her feelings had been hurt, this was too much.
Listen to your heart, it will guide your mind.
“Crazy, old woman,” she whispered.
“Ms. Nash, everything okay?” the woman on the other end of the phone questioned.
“Yeah, I’m fine.”
“Chief McNally is pulling into your driveway. You can hang up as soon as you let him in.”
Courtney didn’t feel like waiting. She flipped closed her phone and made a beeline for the garage door. She hit the button, hugging her middle.
“Courtney?” Owen questioned when he stepped into the garage, his arms open as if he expected her to run to them.
“Thank God.” The moment she laid eyes on him, her body started to tremble. It hadn’t hit her until that moment she could have been in real danger. The possibility that someone other than her grandmother had turned over her furniture, scared the life out of her. She flung herself at him, wrapping her arms around his strong shoulders.
“What’s this?” he whispered, pressing his lips against her temple. “You okay?”
She felt him try to pry himself from her death grip, but she wouldn’t let go. “No,” she said, tightening her muscles.
“Courtney.”
He brushed her hair from her face. It almost felt like she mattered to him in the most primal way.
“I need to check things out. Let go,” he said with a firm tone.
“Oh.” She backed away, feeling like a fool. The only reason he would set foot in her house again was because he had to. “Someone was in my house.”
“Anything missing?” He pushed her aside and drew his weapon.
Briefly, she thought about stuffing his weapon up his butt, the insensitive oaf. “Not that I can tell, but the front door was open a tad.”
“Did you lock the doors before you left?” he asked. Slowly he made his way down the hallway.
She followed closely behind, but not too close, in fear of kicking him in his adorable tight ass. “I know I locked the garage door.”
He glanced over his shoulder with a raised brow. “And the front door?”
“Shit happened this morning that threw me for a loop. Can’t be sure.” She gave him her best snarky smile.
“You don’t say.” He stepped over her grandmother’s old rocker and peered into the kitchen. “Have you been upstairs?”
“No.”
“Hear anything?”
“No.”
“You’re real talkative tonight,” he said.
“It was a simple yes or no question.”
“I see.” He reached out to her, pressing his large hand against her back. “Stay close to me.”
Be careful, she heard her grandmother whisper. Others.
“What about others?” he questioned.
“You heard that?” She scooted closer, wrapping her arms around his solid middle.
“You said it in my ear.”
“No, I didn’t.” She squelched a smile. She knew he’d come around eventually. He had to. With renewed hope, she held him tighter.
“I can’t breathe.”
“Oh.” She loosened her grip and waited for him to take another step before following him to the top of the staircase.
“Stay tucked in behind me, just in case.”
She followed him from room to room. He didn’t say anything, just directed her by hand motions as he examined each room. He certainly had been thorough, which she should see as a good thing since her grandmother kept chanting others in her head.
Every once in a while, Owen would stop as if he had heard the same thing. Her grandmother had told her when hearts connected, completely connected, the two minds would be able to communicate.
“Are you sure nothing is missing?” he questioned again as they made their way down the stairs. With ease, he raised her grandmother’s rocker to its original upright position in the family room.
“Not that I can tell.” She scanned the room, noting that only the rocker had been disturbed. “I called because the front door was ajar and…the chair.”
She watched him examine the main door. He opened and closed it a few times, then turned to look at her. “Well, it wasn’t forced open.”
“Like I said. My morning hadn’t gone as planned.”
“It’s been really windy today.” He let out a long breath and scratched his head. “This has got to stop,” he said.
“Excuse me?”
He shook his head. “No one is here, and I don’t appreciate your little jokes. I know its Halloween, but you know how I feel about all this.”
“I can’t believe you’re such a jerk,” she said with venom. Her temperature rose to new heights. “This isn’t a joke. I wouldn’t have called 9-1-1 if I just wanted to get you over here. I would have called you. Like the last time.”
“All the little whispers you keep hearing, the raccoons last night, and now this—I’m too old for games. I’m supposed to be working, not playing ghosts with you.”
“Who are you, and what have you done with my friend Owen?”
Sure, it looked bizarre and considering her stunt last night, she shouldn’t be surprised he questioned her integrity. But he should know she did understand the job factor.
The doorbell rang with the promise of trick-or-treaters. “I better get that,” she mumbled, too annoyed to deal with Mr. Cop staring at her with an incredulous look on his face. Grabbing her candy, she marched to the door and swung it open.
Damn you, Owen. I didn’t do this.
Okay.
Did she just hear Owen say ‘okay’?
“Trick or Treat!” a few youngsters yelled.
“I’ll take a trick!” one boy said with excitement dancing in his eyes, the only thing she could see behind his white mask and black hood. She really needed to catch up on the movie characters.
“For now, take a nice treat.” She felt Owen hovering over her, and what she was about to say was going to set him off, big time. What the hell, he’s already pissed off, she thought to herself.
Then why make it worse. You don’t want him to leave now, do you? she heard her grandmother’s voice echo between her ears.
“Around eight, if it’s okay with your folks, I’m going to serve hot cider and homemade
