Page 23 of Valentines In The Presidential Suite

CHAPTER NINE

Morgan was unsure what time it was when she was jarred awake by Caesar’s barking. Heart pounding, she got out of bed and went to see what was troubling him. The apartment was small enough that it took very few steps to reach the kitchen and the entrance. On tiptoes, she faced the door and waited for any noise.

The dog raced to the front door and stood there, sniffing and barking.

Silently, Morgan picked up the dog and listened.

She heard footsteps descending the stairs.

Quietly, she moved to the kitchen window overlooking the drive. Standing away from it, she peered through the glass to see someone running up the driveway toward the street.

Mark and Ashley had begun to leave backyard spotlights on, so Morgan was pretty sure the figure was that of a man.

Wrapping her arms around herself, she took calming breaths and let them out slowly. Her fingers had gone cold when she went to pick up Caesar’s warm body.

“Good dog, Caesar,” she murmured, rocking him in her arms.

For whatever reason, someone was after her. She knew she’d have to do something more than get a dog. Perhaps she should stay somewhere else. She didn’t want to bring any harm to Ashley, Mark, and their kids.

Morgan checked the time. Two o’clock.

She went back to bed, but there was no way she could go back to sleep. Caesar finally nestled up against her and softly snored.

###

The next morning, she called Brad to tell him that she was returning Caesar and why.

He listened quietly and then said, “I think you’d better stay here. The farmhouse has an adequate security system, which is one of the reasons I bought it. And with Sid and Caesar on alert, I believe you’ll be very safe. As you know, I have an upstairs guest room, and you’re welcome to use it.”

Morgan sighed with both relief and disappointment. She hated losing her independence.

“Think about it,” said Brad. “No matter where you end up, I think it’s wise to leave your apartment until we find out what’s going on.”

“Okay, you’re right. Caesar, bless his heart, did an excellent job of alerting me. But I realize that he needs to be at home with Sid. I’ll bring him to your house as soon as I get ready for work.”

“I’ll have the coffee pot on,” said Brad. “Then I think we’d better write down all that’s happened to you. Keep a timeline of it.”

“You’re right. I can’t really go to anyone without details worth following up on. I know that it was a man running away. I could tell from his build and the way he ran. But I didn’t see a vehicle.”

“That’s a start,” said Brad.

“Thanks for being so sympathetic and not brushing away my concern,” Morgan said. In the past, whenever Morgan had tried to speak to Dale about any concerns, he’d waved them away, making her wonder if she was overreacting.

Morgan quickly packed an overnight bag with a few things she knew she’d need for the next day or two. Then she packed up the bag of Caesar’s things and took both to her car, which was parked inside the garage as Mark had suggested.

She returned to get Caesar and carried him down the stairs, along with her purse, phone, and laptop.

###

A short time later, she pulled into the driveway of Brad’s house.

Caesar began to bark and scratch at the back door to get out as Sid bounded toward them.

Morgan climbed out and lifted Caesar from the backseat of the car, laughing when he and Sid touched noses in a greeting before running off together.

Brad came out of the house, stopping to pet Caesar before coming to her and retrieving the suitcase from her hand. “Welcome.”

“Thanks, but I promise I won’t be a guest here. I intend to pay you rent or do something in return for your hospitality.”