She shivered against the cold air and breathed deeply. Turning back toward her front door, she caught a flicker at the corner of her eye. Staring hard into the woods, she frowned. For a moment, she could have sworn she’d seen a light glinting through the tree line. A prickle of unease skittered down her spine, making her shiver once again. Walking back toward her front door, she passed by the porch swing, still swaying slightly in the breeze, but as her gaze fell upon the seat, she froze.
A small rag doll was propped upright on the wooden bench, its button eyes creepy as hell as the swing rocked innocuously back and forth. Adrenaline surged through her veins, her breathing shallow and erratic as she reached out with trembling hands. Her fingers closed around the soft body of the doll, and she lifted it up into the light spilling from her front door.
Although it had been twenty years, she recognized it. Her head snapped up, and her gaze darted out into the darkness beyond her property. Clutching the doll as if her life depended on it, she ran back through her front door and slammed it behind her, shooting the deadbolt and hooking the chain.
Her back pressed against the door, and she looked down at her hand. The doll was handstitched with dark hair and wore a red dress over black-and-white striped socks. It was shabby and stained. Part of its hair and face were singed, the material now ridged and blackened. Its body marred by an ominous dark-brown stain of dried blood, and it still, after all these years, retained the acrid scent of smoke.
Her body stiffened at the sudden memories that overwhelmed her. It had been over twenty years since the Christmas she had been given the doll. She hadn’t seen it since the night her mother died, but she could remember clearly creeping down the stairs in her nightgown, clutching the doll, when she heard raised voices. Forcing down the wave of nausea she took deep measured breaths.
She didn’t want to think about that night.
Taking another deep breath, she moved through the house, double-checking all the locks and windows. There was no doubt in her mind who’d left the doll for her to find, and she was not going to give him the satisfaction. Whatever her father’s game was, she was not going to play; she was not a scared eight-year-old kid this time.
Making her way back into the library, she stuffed the doll into the top drawer of her desk and slammed it shut. Knowing she should probably call Jake, she couldn’t bring herself to do it, she’d caused him too much trouble. No, she wasn’t going to tell him about this. He was already worried about her being out here on her own. If he knew her father had left her a sadistic little memento of her childhood, he’d physically haul her ass out of the house.
Grabbing the soft chenille throw from the couch she curled up on the old, faded rug in front of the fireplace. She wrapped it tightly around her body to ward off the chill that had already seeped deep into her bones. The fire burst into flame at her presence and crackled merrily as she stared into the flames. Unable to find the peace of mind required for sleep, she contemplated the fiery threads of gold, yellow, orange, and red until the first pale rays of dawn began to creep through the crack in the drapes.
By the time the sun had fully risen, she was already showered and dressed. Jake was on an early shift this week, so she wouldn’t run into him, but she needed to see Theo. They’d spent the last several days together at Jake’s when she wasn’t working, as she tried to help him assimilate three hundred years of a changing world.
To her surprise and pleasure, he was doing extremely well. He was able to precisely recall dates and events as he plowed his way through book after book. Given the level of knowledge he was able to retain after only a few days, Olivia had a sneaking suspicion that he had some sort of photographic memory and was also highly intelligent. He seemed to understand complex ideas that were well beyond his time and education level. Everything about him was intriguing. He was quiet and unassuming, but she could tell by the look in his eyes that he missed nothing. Even when she wasn’t sure he was listening, he took everything in. That level of intensity should have worried her, or at the very least made her wary, but instead it only made her more curious.
Swallowing down one last mouthful of coffee, she glanced down at her watch. It was still a little early, but then again, Theo’s body clock was naturally set to rise with the dawn, so it was a good bet that he’d already be up. After rinsing out her cup and placing it in the sink, she tucked the new pile of books she’d put together for him into a bag and picked up her purse. Heading out of the door, she double-checked the locks behind her and jogged down the steps from the porch to where she’d parked her car.
She drove a few yards down the road from her property before stopping and stepping out of the car. Leaving the door open and the engine running, she swiftly kneeled at the side of the road and held her hand out over the ground. A silvery light appeared and rose up from the ground before disappearing into a fine mist. She stood, chewing her lower lip thoughtfully. Her protective wards still held strong, so how the hell had her father managed to cross the line to leave the doll? It just didn’t make sense.
Frustrated, she climbed back into the car and headed into town. A few miles down the road, she noticed the telltale shadow following behind her and fought down a fresh rush of annoyance. Stupid cops, didn’t they have anything better to do?
Parking at the curb outside Jake’s, she picked up the books and headed toward the door, pulling out the spare set of keys he’d given her.
Not wanting to hang around outside any longer than necessary, she opened the door and let herself in. She dropped the books and her purse on the couch, and called out to Theo, curious when he didn’t appear. She called out again, but when he didn’t answer, she shrugged. Maybe he’d slept in after all. Needing to use the bathroom before getting the coffee started, she stepped into the hall and froze.
The door to the bathroom opened, and Theo stepped out from a cloud of steam, wearing nothing but a towel and drying his hair with another. He stopped when he realized she was there, but he didn’t say anything, just regarded her silently.
Olivia nearly swallowed her tongue.
Her gaze inadvertently followed the small rivulets of water as they slid slowly down his chest and abdomen. Unable to help herself, her appreciative gaze traveled the length of his body, then back up to meet his curious eyes.
“Uh, I...”
Crap, what was she trying to say? Her brain must have temporarily switched off. “Um, sorry, I’ll just...” She turned back to the living room and smacked her head on the wall corner with a resounding crack. “Ow,” she mumbled, holding her forehead. Too mortified to turn back and look at him, she hurried into the kitchen to get some ice.
She was just pressing a bag of frozen peas to her forehead when Theo wandered in, jeans slung low on his hips. Trying not to notice the delicious trail of dark hair that ran from his belly button and disappeared into his jeans.
“Are you injured?” His brow creased in concern.
“I’m fine,” she mumbled from behind the bag of peas.
“Let me see.” He stepped closer.
“No.” Her voice was muffled as she pressed the bag closer to her face. “I said I’m fine.”
“And I said let me see.” She could hear the amusement in his voice.
His fingers gripped hers to pull the bag away from her face. He stepped in closer, brushing her body with his own larger, harder frame. With gentle hands he cupped the sides of her face, tilting it into the light so he could examine the welt forming at her hairline.
“The skin did not break,” he murmured. “It will fade quickly.”
Stepping back, her cheeks flushed with a fresh wave of embarrassment, she shook her head.
