Lock’s chest heaved, air rushing in and out of his lungs. He wanted to keep going. To scour the streets, searching every car and business to find the asshole.
But he also didn’t want to be away from Callie for too long.
Gritting his teeth, Lock jogged down the street, going the same way the guy did, circling back to Callie’s studio.
Still nothing. He was gone.
There was a chance the guy had nothing to do with Callie or the notes she was receiving. That he was just a lurker who’d run scared at the sight of Lock.
But the guy hadn’t moved like some random person who’d run scared. He was too fast. Too agile. And no part of Lock wanted a guy like that close to Callie.
Callie laughedat something her father said.
It felt good to spend time with her dad and think of something other than Lock.
He’d spent the last week sleeping on her couch while she pretended to be unaffected by the sight of his muscled chest. By the day-old stubble on his face each morning that she itched to run her fingers over. Hell, even the scent of him in her house was driving her wild.
She was pretty sure she’d done a terrible job at the pretending-to-be-unaffected part. He might even have caught her staring once or twice.
Great. It was just great.
“She told you she was going to put a camera on your house?” Callie asked. Her dad had a wacky neighbor. It wasn’t the normal level of crazy. It was the door-knocking-at-six-a.m., daily-empty-threats, and death-stares-from-the-living-room-window kind of crazy.
“Not on my house,” her dad pressed, “inmy house.”
“What?”
Her father nodded. “Apparently, I would never find it, but she’d always be watching just to make sure I wasn’t plotting to take one of her ten cats.”
“What did you say?”
“I told her she’d never find the devious plans that I’d printed and hidden in the house.”
Callie threw back her head and laughed. A big belly laugh. She could just imagine the older woman’s reaction. Not only was she unhinged but she couldn’t take a joke to save her life. “Maybe you need to move. I’m a bit worried about your safety.”
“That woman’s all empty threats.”
It was true. She was about ninety years old and probably going senile.
Her father leaned back. “I’m full. Ordering pizza was a great idea.”
“Well, I’m on strict instructions from Lock to stay here until he comes to get me, and I couldn’t think of a better way to spend my time than eating pizza with my favorite person.”
The second she brought up her safety, she regretted it. She’d told her father about the notes and the person in her yard, and of course he was worried.
The laughter cleared from his face, replaced with concern. “Are you safe?”
“Lock’s been sleeping on my couch. I couldn’t be safer.”
“Good. You tell me if that changes.”
She’d actually do everything she couldnotto, but she nodded anyway.
Her father cleared his throat. “I’m actually glad you called. There’s something I’ve been meaning to talk to you about.”
Callie’s belly gave a little dip, even though she wasn’t sure why. “What about?”
“I want to sign my properties over to you.”
