Protecting Phoebe: A Chances Are story Read online

  With her life on the line, can she protect her heart?

  A Chances Are Story

  Phoebe’s work at Second Chances, a women’s shelter, has gone a long way toward her own healing after surviving an abusive relationship in college. She’s moved on in every sense—except when it comes to dating.

  Everything changes when Craig visits the shelter. The hot, young cop sets her pulse racing in a way that makes her consider making a move—and moving him into her bed for a casual fling. The first step: ask him out. Subtly, of course.

  Craig has been attracted to Phoebe for months, so he’s more than happy for the chance to get to know her better, in bed and out. His interest goes way beyond casual, but convincing her to think long term is going to take some time.

  When it becomes clear her violent ex has come out of the woodwork, though, time is the one thing they don’t have…

  Warning: This book contains hot lovin’ between an older woman and younger man, the threat of a violent ex, and a woman learning to trust a cop whose desire to serve and protect goes way beyond the badge!

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  They cannot be sold, shared or given away as it is an infringement on the copyright of this work.

  This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the writer’s imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locale or organizations is entirely coincidental.

  Samhain Publishing, Ltd.

  577 Mulberry Street, Suite 1520

  Macon GA 31201

  Protecting Phoebe

  Copyright © 2009 by Shelli Stevens

  ISBN: 978-1-60504-688-4

  Edited by Laurie M. Rauch

  Cover by Natalie Winters

  All Rights Are Reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

  First Samhain Publishing, Ltd. electronic publication: November 2009

  www.samhainpublishing.com

  Protecting Phoebe

  Shelli Stevens

  Dedication

  Thank you to Melissa at DAWN for your help and information on domestic violence. Thanks to Craig, the waiter I met on my birthday, who wanted me to name a character after him. Thanks to my family and friends for your continued support, and thank you to my editor Laurie for making my books shine!

  Chapter One

  The thick fog that hung over the San Francisco morning made a perfect backdrop to the fear residing thick in her gut. People became indistinguishable in the reduced line of sight. All kinds of evil could hide in the thick shadows.

  And she was worried about one in particular.

  Phoebe tightened her grip on the stack of books in her arm and increased her pace to her car.

  How many times had she promised herself she’d never be afraid again? How many daily affirmations had she done to prevent the body-trembling fear from taking over?

  She reached her car, her throat dry and her hands shaking. Jamming the key into the lock, she managed to wrench it open and stumble inside. Her fist slammed down on the lock and she drew in a long, shuddering breath.

  Still think you’re seeing things, Phoebe? a bitter voice taunted in her head.

  Her hands continued to shake as she stuck the key into the ignition. The engine roared to life, screaming loudly as her foot pressed the gas peddle to the floor. Shit. Fumbling for the brake, she dropped it and put the Civic in reverse.

  Her tires squealed as she pulled out of the parking spot. She scanned the empty lot, her pulse pounding and her tongue thick against the roof of her mouth.

  A couple of rows down in the parking lot she could see the figure of the man she’d seen earlier. Even in the dense fog, she got a good impression of his physique—tall and on the skinny side. Unfortunately, his features weren’t as clear.

  She hit the gas and rounded the corner in the opposite direction, tearing her gaze from the man.

  It could be anybody.

  An unsteady laugh spilled from her throat and her fingers clenched around the steering wheel. Okay. Maybe she’d convinced herself it could be anybody a few weeks ago, when she’d had the first sighting at the sushi restaurant, but this was too much of a coincidence.

  A short while later, she turned the car onto the highway, casting one more glance into her rearview mirror. There’s nobody there. Calm your ass down, silly.

  She flipped on her stereo and willed her nerves to settle. The fear in her gut began to subside slowly. In its place began the slow simmer of anger.

  “You’re late.” Gabby greeted her the minute she walked in the door of Second Chances, the women’s shelter where they worked. Gabby’s smile faded as they walked back to their office. “What’s wrong? You look awful.”

  “Nothing’s wrong,” Phoebe muttered and strode briskly to her desk. Jeez, could her friend really read her that well?

  “Bull and shit. Something is totally wrong.” Gabby followed her, folding her arms across her chest. “Seriously, Phoebe, you’re like beyond pale and you’re already the whitest chick I know.”

  The urge to confess what had happened this morning flirted with the tip of her tongue. But Gabby didn’t need that kind of emotional dump. Not with everything in her own life going so right at the moment.

  Gabby had been all aglow for weeks now. Ever since she’d fallen in love with her old roommate and moved back in with him. Phoebe made sure to check everyday to see if a ring had popped up on her friend’s finger.

  “Tell me.” Gabby sat down on the edge of her desk. “I’m not budging—or sharing the box of chocolate Justin gave me this morning—until you tell me what the heck is going on.”

  Phoebe shoved a hand through her black curls and bit back a groan. Gabby knew her weakness for chocolate, but even for the promise of Ghirardelli’s, she couldn’t talk about this morning.

  “Okay, since you’re obviously clamming up like a virgin on prom night, I’m going to take a wild guess.”

  Phoebe looked up, waiting for her to continue. Apparently Gabby had been holding off until they made eye contact. Her expression gentled and she sighed.

  “Did you see him?”

  Phoebe drew in a sharp breath, surprised again at Gabby’s perceptiveness.

  “Shit.” Gabby shook her head, her expression switching from sympathy to fury. “That settles it. There’s an officer in the other room right now. He’s taking Jenny’s—the new girl who checked into the shelter last night—statement. Once he’s done, you need to talk to him.”

  Phoebe glanced out the window of her office, trying to see between the cracks in the blinds in the other room. There was an officer here? Was it him?

  Her stomach flipped and she scowled, cursing herself for having such a ridiculous juvenile reaction to the thought of the officer who sent her pulsing pounding every time he showed up.

  “Why bother? It’s not like he can do anything,” she said quietly after a moment. “I don’t have a restraining order against Rick. I never filed any charges against him in the past, so there’s no record of abuse.”

  Gabby drummed her nails on the desk, nibbling her lip. “Okay, well, has Rick approached you? What’s going on?”

  “Nothing yet. I don’t even know if it’s him,” Phoebe confessed. “I could just be paranoid—” yeah right “—it could be absolutely nothing.”

  “One too many coincidences. I think we both know that.” Gabby shook her head. “I’m worried about you, Phoebe. And Delanie is worried about you too. Before she
moved up to Washington, she made me promise I’d keep an eye on you. And I have to say, this has stalker written all over it.”

  A light tap on the door had them both glancing up.

  Phoebe’s throat went dry and warmth spread through parts of her body that had been cold with fear for the last hour.

  It was him. Officer Craig Redmond.

  His presence filled the doorframe. He was probably just under six feet, but broad-shouldered and built. His hair was short, with closely cropped black curls. His skin a soft mocha, with expressive, coffee-brown eyes that were now focused intently on her. He had great eyes.

  God in heaven, the man was sexy. She swallowed hard and averted her gaze. And young. The officer was probably just barely out of college.

  “Good morning, ladies.” His voice, deep and smooth, sent a shiver down her spine. “I just finished taking Ms. Leman’s statement.” He paused. “Thought I’d check in and make sure there’ve been no problems lately?”

  Phoebe could feel his gaze heavy on her—as she could every other time he’d come to the office when the police were called—and her breath hitched. With dismay, she felt her nipples tighten under his close scrutiny.

  She cleared her throat. “Things are pretty quiet lately—”

  “Actually, Phoebe could probably use some advice from you,” Gabby interrupted. “That is, if you have a moment.”

  Phoebe’s eyes rounded and her mouth gaped. She lowered her gaze to the desk and inwardly cursed. Gabby had not just said that.

  “Is that so?” The officer’s tone warmed. “Something I can help you with, Ms. Jeffries?”

  “Actually, she’s a Miss,” Gabby went on perkily. “She’s not married. She’s single and very much available—”

  “Gabby!” Phoebe sputtered and lifted her head to glare at her friend.

  “Right. You know? I’m going to put on a pot of coffee and give you two a moment to chat.” Gabby grinned and slid off the Phoebe’s desk. She paused in the doorway, her whisper anything but, “Ask her about the ex-boyfriend.”

  Craig Redmond stepped into the office and a moment later the door swung shut.

  Phoebe’s pulse quickened and she ran her tongue over her lips. The sudden silence in the room emphasized by the heavy ticking of the clock on the wall.

  “So I’m supposed to ask about your ex-boyfriend?” he finally said softly.

  She winced. “Yeah, I heard.”

  He gave a quiet laugh and crossed the room, pulling out Gabby’s chair and bringing it over to Phoebe’s desk.

  She watched him sit down next to her, his uniform tightening across his broad shoulders, and another wave of awareness swept through her.

  Too young, Phoebe. Not to mention the fact you’ve given up dating.

  Despite her declaration, her body still reacted when she met his dark, sensitive gaze. What was wrong with her? For years she’d avoided developing even the smidgen of interest in a man. Why was this guy so different?

  “What’s going on, Ms. Jeffries?”

  “Call me Phoebe. Please.”

  Ms. Jeffries made her feel about a decade older than him. Which, actually, probably wasn’t too off base.

  “Okay. Phoebe.” His full lips twitched into a slight smile. “What is the situation with your ex?”

  She leaned back in her chair and crossed one leg over another, drawing in a deep breath. His gaze seemed to follow the movement.

  “It’s nothing really,” she muttered. “I’m probably wasting your time, Officer.”

  “It’s not a problem. Really. Especially if there’s anyway I can help.” He cleared his throat. “Or the San Francisco P.D. in general.”

  “Of course. Well, let’s see. Back in my last couple years of college, I dated a man…”

  “How long ago was this?”

  The question was perfectly normal coming from a cop, but Phoebe pursed her lips. Well, might as well put her age on the table. Get it out there.

  “Seven years ago. I was twenty-two the last time I saw him and just finishing up college.” She watched his face, looking for surprise or disappointment. There was neither. Maybe she’d read him wrong, maybe there was no interest on his side.

  “Okay. Go on.”

  She closed her eyes, not wanting to see the reaction on Craig’s face when she told him the next bit. And, with her eyes shut, it also helped her go back to that moment in time. To those last few days with Rick.

  “The two years I was with him, he was physically abusive. I didn’t want to leave him, though. I was convinced that I loved him. He said we were soul mates and there was no other woman he would ever love more than me.” She grimaced, wondering how she could ever have bought such bullshit. “I was young and naïve. Told myself that what was happening was normal or that I’d just pushed him too hard the days he knocked me around…”

  Images flickered behind her closed lids. Of Rick holding her in his arms, kissing her cheek in the same spot his fist had connected with moments before. He’d beg for her forgiveness, crying and confessing he didn’t know what had come over him.

  “You stayed with him for two years?”

  Officer Redmond’s gentle question prodded her from the disturbing memory.

  “Yes,” she admitted huskily. “I did. And then I left him.” Or had tried to. “I finally managed to cut him out of my life completely. Changed my number and last name. Moved.” She shrugged and opened her eyes. “After a while he seemed to get the point, and moved on. Last I heard, he’d relocated to New Jersey.”

  There was a pause, before he asked, “Have you seen him at any point in the past seven years?”

  “No, I haven’t. I did everything in my power to make sure he couldn’t find me. And then…the last few weeks, I keep thinking I see him. Various places.”

  Craig sat up straighter in the chair, his eyes narrowing. “Has he approached you? Threatened you?”

  “No, he hasn’t approached me. Which makes me wonder if it’s him.”

  “It sounds like you managed to start a new life,” Craig said. “Disappeared from his line of sight. How do you think he could have found you again?”

  Phoebe hesitated and felt some of the blood drain from her head. “A few months ago, I received an award for the work I do here at the shelter. At the ceremony, a reporter took my picture and there was a write up in one of the smaller papers.” She paused and nibbled her lip. “I honestly didn’t think he’d see it or even be looking for me anymore.”

  Craig’s gaze softened. “You never know with some of these nuts. Your co-worker seemed to think there was a possibility he was stalking you. Is that a concern of yours?”

  Her mouth hung open as she tried to figure out how to respond to that. “Maybe if I could be sure it was him I was seeing. But I’m not. If I’m just being paranoid…”

  “Have you been paranoid like this in the last seven years? Thought you’d seen him before?”

  “No, I haven’t.”

  He stared at her, and the concern in his gaze surprised her. It seemed a little more personal than just an officer’s businesslike concern.

  “And I realize there’s really nothing you can do.” Her laugh came out awkwardly.

  “Not until he makes a move, unfortunately. Stay vigilant.” He shook his head and set something on the desk. “I’m going to give you a card with a number to call. If he approaches you or threatens you, contact us again.”

  Phoebe palmed the card, curling her fingers over it and feeling like a complete idiot.

  “Thank you for your time, Officer.”

  “No problem.” He hesitated and stood. “I wish there were more I could do. But until—”

  She lifted her hand to stop him and grimaced. “I know. Trust me, I know how this works. Gabby was just worried about me.”

  “She a good friend outside work?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Good. She’ll keep an eye out for you. Stick close to you.”

  “No doubt.” Her mouth twitched. “
She’s actually convinced me to go out with her and her guy tonight. There’s a funk band playing down at The Retro, you ever been there?”

  He gave a soft laugh. “Once or twice.”

  “Was it worth the cover charge?”

  “Might be. The only times I was there I was working undercover.”

  Her mouth rounded. “Oh. I see.”

  His gaze turned considering before he stood and gave curt nod. “You ladies take care and give us a call if there’s any trouble.”

  “Will do.” She watched him turn and leave the office, her gaze shifting downward to his ass in the tight pants. Yum.

  The door closed behind him and she pressed a hand to her warm cheek.

  Gabby was right. She really did need to start dating again. Or at least get her sex life back on track.

  Though she still had no clue where she’d gotten the gonads to tell the officer about her plans tonight. It wasn’t like he’d show. Why would he?

  She was likely just part of the business he took care of during the workday. He probably went home, cracked a beer, and forgot about anything that had to do with his day job. Maybe had some hot little girlfriend waiting for him back home too.

  Gabby rushed in, her gaze bright. “How’d it go?”

  Phoebe scowled and swerved her chair back to her computer. “I just made a complete idiot of myself. You are so on my shit list, missy.”

  Chapter Two

  After five minutes of shimmying his Hyundai into the tiny parking spot, Craig climbed out and clicked on the alarm.

  He smoothed his hands down the crisp designer shirt and wondered for the tenth time since he’d left his house what the hell he was doing.

  Jogging across the street when there was a break in traffic, he drew in a deep breath and shook his head. The line outside The Retro had dwindled to only a few people.

  The man who stood outside, checking IDs and taking money, glanced up and spotted Craig. His bored expression morphed into a scowl of dismay.