Falling For You (Sapphire Bay Book 1) Read online

  Moving to Caleb’s home solved one problem, but it didn’t remove their biggest hurdle. “When do we leave?”

  Caleb closed his laptop. “My house is ready whenever you are.”

  Gabe stared at Natalie.

  “A local television station already knows about the burglary,” Caleb said. “We should move fairly quickly. What about seven o’clock tomorrow morning?”

  “What about now?” Gabe replied.

  Natalie checked her watch. “It’s nearly eleven o’clock.”

  “We’ll be at Caleb’s home before midnight.”

  “What am I going to tell mom?” Natalie groaned.

  Gabe thought that was obvious, but she knew her mom better than he did. “The truth?”

  “I can’t wake her and say, ‘Mom, a crazy stalker is recreating the scenes in Gabe’s books and we think he broke into the cottage.’ She won’t go back to Indiana without me.”

  At the risk of being raked over hot coals, Gabe said, “That’s not a bad idea.”

  Natalie’s eyes narrowed. “I’m not leaving Sapphire Bay.”

  Caleb snorted. “You won’t win that argument, Gabe.”

  He sent Caleb the kind of glare he reserved for psychotic criminals.

  Caleb raised his hands. “I get the message. We’re in a stressful situation and we’re doing the best we can. Do you want me to take Sherlock back to my place?”

  Gabe glanced at the furry black shadow sound asleep on the sofa. “I’ll take him. Can you take some of Natalie’s art supplies in your truck?”

  “Sure.”

  Natalie stood. “I might as well show you what I need.” Her blue eyes focused on Gabe. “I hope we’re doing the right thing.”

  “Staying here would be worse.” And for the first time, he was one hundred percent sure they were doing the right thing.

  Kathleen folded her clothes and placed them in her suitcase. “I don’t understand why someone would be stalking Gabe.”

  “Neither do I, but Gabe and Caleb think it’s best if we leave the cottage.” Natalie hadn’t told her mom the whole truth about why they were leaving. She didn’t need to know about the warehouse or that the chance of something else happening was extremely high.

  “How long are you staying with Caleb?”

  “No more than a few days.”

  Kathleen stopped packing. “How will you know it’s safe to return to the cottage?”

  Natalie had been wondering the same thing. “When the police arrest the stalker or at least identify him.”

  Kathleen pursed her lips. “That doesn’t give me much comfort. Come home with me to Indianapolis. We have to pack your paintings and art supplies, anyway. We could leave them in their boxes and ship them to my house.”

  “I want to stay in Sapphire Bay,” Natalie said.

  “Why?”

  “I belong here. I love everything about living in a small town.”

  “Including the person who posted the article on social media?”

  Natalie handed her mom a jacket. “It was Mabel. She didn’t know I wanted to stay out of the spotlight.”

  Kathleen frowned. “I’ve known Mabel for years. She should have asked if it was all right. How would she feel if someone broke into the general store and posted information all over the Internet? And what about Gabe? He doesn’t need any distractions and neither do you.”

  “Have you read his stories?”

  Kathleen picked up a book from beside the bed. “I’m reading the first one now. I can hardly put it down.” She added it to her suitcase, then looked around the room. “I think that’s everything. Do you need a hand with your art supplies?”

  “Caleb and I have packed most of what I need. I just need to take my photographs with me.”

  “Let’s do that now.” Kathleen closed her suitcase and extended the handle.

  They left the bag by the door and walked into Natalie’s studio. Without the canvas on the easel or the paints spread across her work table, the room looked bare.

  “How’s Gabe?” her mom asked.

  Natalie took the pins out of the photos on the board. “He’s good at hiding how he’s feeling, but he’s worried.”

  “I don’t blame him. You hear horror stories about what some stalkers do to their victims.”

  Natalie bit her bottom lip. She’d seen the same TV shows as her mom and it scared her, too. “The police know what they’re doing.”

  Kathleen placed the photos in an envelope. “I hope so.”

  Natalie picked up a bag of old fabric she used as rags. If staying with Caleb didn’t work, she had no idea what they’d do next.

  As she came downstairs the next morning, Natalie ran her hand along the banister. For some reason, she’d thought Caleb’s home would be a small cabin in the middle of a forest. The only thing she was right about was the forest.

  When they’d arrived, she’d stared at the exterior of his home. It was too dark to see much, but she knew from the pitch of the roof and the wide veranda, that the house was much larger than she’d imagined.

  Once they were inside, she was blown away by the rustic grandeur of the design. With its sweeping staircase, moose antler chandelier, and polished wooden floors, the house wrapped you in its warmth and made you feel at home.

  Caleb walked out of the living room and smiled. “How did you sleep?”

  “Better than I thought. Your home is amazing.”

  “The original cabin was an eighteen-foot by twelve-foot room. I barely survived my first winter.”

  “When did you build this house?”

  “Last summer. It was a logistical nightmare. We needed to make sure the house was watertight before winter hit. We were lucky that a forecasted storm never made it as far as Sapphire Bay. After everything was enclosed, we had to make sure we could get the building supplies on site when we needed them. We had so many delays because of the weather that I never thought we’d finish.”

  “I’m glad you kept going. Everything is perfect.”

  “You’re more than welcome to explore the rest of the house. And when you’re ready for breakfast, the kitchen is that way.” He pointed to a wide doorway at the end of the hallway. “There’s cereal, toast, and pancakes waiting for you.”

  “Pancakes?”

  “Your mom has been busy. She was telling me about Sapphire Bay when she was younger. It was completely different.”

  Natalie remembered the stories about covered wagon trips, rodeos, and playing music around campfires with granddad and grandma. “It was a much simpler life. No computers, no Internet, and no social media.”

  “There goes my job,” Caleb said, although he didn’t look too upset. “I’m heading outside. If you’re looking for Gabe, he’s in the garage.”

  “Thanks.” Instead of heading toward the kitchen, she opened a door a few steps away. The garage was big enough to hold four vehicles. Having extra room during winter would come in handy, especially if the house was surrounded by six feet of snow.

  Gabe’s head was under the raised hood of a vintage truck. Its shiny red paint and chrome grill gleamed under the fluorescent lights.

  “The engine looks great,” he said. “I can’t believe you found a 1948 Chevy in Billings.”

  When she didn’t reply, Gabe looked over his shoulder. Their eyes connected and a tingle of awareness shot through her body.

  “Sorry. I thought you were Caleb.”

  She smiled and moved closer to the truck. Some days she felt as though she was walking on an emotional tightrope. One slip and she’d fall into the beginning of a relationship that wouldn’t be good for either of them.

  “I didn’t want to surprise you in case you bumped your head on the hood.” The thick sheet of metal would have been okay, but Gabe would have had a headache for a few hours.

  He picked up a rag and wiped his hands. His eyes skimmed over her sundress, then returned to her face. “You look summery.”

  Warmth filled Natalie’s cheeks. “It’s going to
be a hot day. What are you doing?”

  “Caleb bought this truck a few weeks ago, but I haven’t had a chance to see it. I didn’t want to wake you, so I decided to take a look after breakfast.”

  “I don’t usually sleep for so long.”

  “With all that’s happened, you would have been exhausted.”

  Natalie nodded. “Where’s Sherlock?”

  “In the kitchen with your mom. There must be something about the Armstrong genes that makes him happy. I had to bribe him to go for a walk with me.”

  “Mom and I are a novelty. Once this is over, he’ll be happy to go anywhere with you.”

  Gabe’s smile disappeared. “Only if you leave.”

  Natalie looked at the truck’s engine. She’d never promised him she’d stay, in fact she’d told him the opposite. His life was in Brooklyn and she didn’t want to live anywhere near a big city.

  She lifted her eyes to Gabe’s serious face. “I haven’t told mom what the stalker has been doing.”

  “I guessed as much. I half expected her to take you back to Indianapolis with her.”

  “She wants to, but I’m staying in Sapphire Bay.”

  Gabe crossed his arms. “I don’t want you to get hurt. The stalker is looking for me, not you.”

  “We’re living on opposite sides of the same house. If the stalker did break into the cottage, he’s already found both of us. Have you called your agent to let him know we’re here?”

  “Not yet. I called Kevin from the NYPD and Russell Jameson in Polson. The rest of the world still thinks we’re at the cottage. As of seven o’clock this morning, no one had posted anything on social media about either of us.”

  “I guess that’s a good thing.”

  Gabe ran his hand around the back of his neck. “I really am sorry about everything. I didn’t think any of this would happen.”

  “I know you didn’t.”

  The garage door opened and Sherlock pushed his way around Natalie’s mom.

  “There you are,” Kathleen said. “I thought I heard voices coming from the garage. Are you ready for breakfast, Natalie?”

  “I am.” She sniffed the air and sighed. “Did you make apple pie pancakes?”

  “How did you guess?”

  “I can smell the cinnamon and mixed spice. It’s making my tummy rumble.”

  “You’d better come through to the kitchen, then. What about you, Gabe? The coffee pot’s still hot.”

  “Sounds good,” Gabe said from behind them. “We can work out what we’re doing today while Natalie’s eating breakfast.”

  Natalie patted Sherlock’s head, trying to get the sense of impending danger out of her system. She was overreacting to what happened yesterday, that’s all. But somewhere, deep inside, she knew something was about to happen. It was just a pity she didn’t know who would be involved.

  Chapter 10

  “Take care of my little girl.” Kathleen hugged Gabe, then turned to Natalie. “Don’t do anything foolish. The media can be pure misery. They’ll twist any piece of information they find to make a headline.”

  Natalie wrapped her arms around her mom. “I know. I’ll be careful. Thank you for coming to see me.”

  “If I didn’t have to go home, I’d stay for longer. If you need somewhere to stay, come to Indianapolis. It’s not Montana, but it has its own charm.” Kathleen linked her arm under her daughter’s. “Call me each day. I want to make sure you’re okay.”

  “I will.”

  Kathleen led her toward Caleb’s truck. They’d decided it would be safer if he took her mom to the airport. “Gabe is a nice man,” her mom whispered. “Don’t discount him just because he’s a writer.”

  “What’s wrong with writers?” Natalie whispered back. She couldn’t wait to hear why her mom thought she should be wary of him.

  “Your dad wrote articles for magazines and you know how that ended.”

  Natalie bit her bottom lip to stop herself from smiling. “Dad had other issues. Gabe’s not like him.”

  Kathleen glanced over her shoulder at the man in question. “No, he’s not. He likes you.”

  “He thinks I’m stubborn.”

  “There’s nothing wrong with a person who knows their own mind.”

  “I hope you haven’t discussed any of this with Gabe?” Natalie opened the door of Caleb’s truck.

  “Of course not. But let me know if I need to plan a wedding. I still know a few people in Polson and Sapphire Bay.”

  Natalie sighed. Her mom never missed an opportunity to tell her how much she was looking forward to her wedding and holding her first grandbaby. “It’s not going to happen, mom.”

  Kathleen hugged her. “We’ll see. I’ll call you when I arrive home.”

  “That would be great.”

  Kathleen sent Gabe another wave before sliding into the truck.

  Caleb leaned forward. “I’ll be back in a couple of hours.”

  “Drive safely.” As the truck disappeared down the gravel driveway, Natalie sighed.

  “She’ll be okay.”

  She turned to Gabe. “I hope so.” The warmth in his eyes made her breath catch. “Oh, no. You heard what mom said, didn’t you?”

  Gabe’s smile widened. “Most of it. What happened to your dad?”

  “He ran off with the editor of the magazine he was writing for. They’re happily married and living in Arizona.”

  “How often do you see him?”

  “Once or twice a year. Apart from that, we call each other at Christmas and for our birthdays, but that’s about it.” Natalie pushed away the sadness that settled in her heart. “Everything seemed normal until one day, dad told us he was leaving. Mom fell apart. That’s when we moved into the cottage.”

  “It must have been a difficult time for everyone.”

  Natalie nodded. “It was, but we’re okay now.” She looked away from Gabe’s steady gaze. Her father’s betrayal had hurt more than she’d told anyone. And after her first real relationship ended the same way as her parents’ marriage, she’d never dared to let someone close again.

  Gabe stuck his hand in his pocket. “I know you said you don’t want this, but I’d like you to borrow it.” He placed his dad’s small wooden whistle in the palm of her hand. “Caleb’s nearest neighbor is five miles away and the cell phone coverage is hopeless. If anything happens, Sherlock might be able to find you.”

  “What about you?”

  “I’ll be okay.” Gabe called Sherlock to him. “While Caleb’s taking your mom to the airport, I’ll show you where he keeps his satellite phone and how to use it. If you need to call anyone, that’s your safest bet.”

  Natalie slipped the whistle into her pocket. “Thank you.”

  “I hope you never have to use it, but if you do, we’ll do our best to find you.”

  She followed Gabe inside. For all her adult life, she’d never relied on anyone. She was smart, independent, and able to look after herself. Accepting help was as foreign to her as eating fried grasshoppers. But relying on Gabe and Caleb was the only thing that would get her through the next few days. Or maybe weeks. And for some reason, instead of feeling trapped and powerless, it gave her more strength than she’d felt in a long time.

  Three days later, Gabe saved the scene he was writing and rubbed his eyes. Caleb’s home was growing on him. With its sprawling downstairs living area, there was more than enough room for everyone to live together and not trip over each other’s feet.

  “There you are.” Natalie stood in the doorway, her gaze skimming across the changes he’d made to the formal dining room. “This looks good.”

  “It’s only minor changes, but it makes a difference.” With Caleb’s help, he’d attached his storyboard to one wall and pushed the table underneath. A bookcase had been converted into temporary shelves. Multicolored folders held his research notes, photos, and other information that went into making his stories as authentic as possible.

  The most important addition was an old
blue blanket. Each day, Sherlock curled himself into a ball and happily snoozed while Gabe wrote.

  “You were up late last night.”

  Gabe shrugged. “The story was flowing, so I thought I might as well keep going. Are you happy with the progress you’re making on your painting?”

  A slow smiled worked its way across Natalie’s face. “I don’t know whether it’s the fresh mountain air or having a bigger work area, but I’m farther along than I thought I’d be.”

  “That’s good.” Gabe glanced at his work buddy. Sherlock was awake. His nose was still pressed to his paws, but his big brown eyes were looking at Natalie with the adoration of a dog who knew who gave him the most treats.

  Natalie knelt on the floor. “Hi, boy. Do you want to go for a walk?”

  Sherlock’s ears twitched and his jaw opened into a gigantic yawn. Within seconds he was on his feet, stretching his front paws in front of him like a yoga master.

  “Is Caleb going with you?” Gabe asked. Natalie knew how isolated they were. There was no way he’d let her go anywhere on her own.

  She nodded. “I’ve been painting for the last four hours and Caleb has been busy in his office. He thought a walk would clear our heads.”

  Gabe looked at his storyboard. The next scene would take a long time to write. If he didn’t have a break now, he’d still be here at dinner time. “Do you want some more company?”

  “Sure. I’ll pack another bottle of water and a muffin. We’ll meet you at the front door in a few minutes.”

  While Sherlock happily trotted after Natalie, Gabe closed the folders on his desk. He absently rubbed his leg as he walked upstairs to find his hiking boots. He should set the alarm on his watch for when he needed to move. Sitting at his makeshift desk for so long was asking for trouble.

  When he stepped onto the landing, Caleb was about to go downstairs. “I’m coming with you. I just need to change my shoes.”

  “Something’s come up. You need to see the email Fletcher Security sent me.”

  Gabe’s whole body tensed. “What does it say?”

  “They know the stalker’s name.”