It didn’t take more than a few minutes before Ryan and Logan came running into the store. Liz didn’t even have time to clean up. Her legs were still shaking and she hadn’t calmed down.
“He’s gone,” Liz told them softly, looking sadly at the mess Gary had made of her roses.
Amy burst into tears at the sight of the uniformed men. “He scared me, Sheriff, the way he yelled at Liz. I thought he was going to hit her. His face was all scrunched up and red.”
Ryan awkwardly patted her back. He was no good with crying females. “You did the right thing, Amy.” He looked at Logan as if to say, “help me.”
Logan held in his laugh as he helped his boss out. He knew Amy. He was friends with her older brother, Scott. He put his arms around the crying girl and soothed her. “You were right to call us, squirt.”
That got her to stop crying. Amy wiped her tears and glared at Logan. “I am not a squirt anymore, Logan. I’ll be eighteen in a few weeks.”
“So old,” he teased her and hugged her while Liz explained what had happened with Gary.
“Let’s go in the back. You look like you’re going to faint, Liz,” Ryan said, leading her to the break room. He made some coffee and the hot liquid settled her nerves.
“Thanks, I needed that,” Liz said. She wanted to ask why Ethan didn’t come but was too shy to ask. Ryan must have read her face because he smiled. “Gabe and Ethan are out by the park. A minor traffic accident just happened a while ago and they responded.”
Liz nodded and looked at Amy, who leaned against Logan, sniffling into a tissue. “I’m sorry this happened, honey.”
Amy shook her head. Her eyes were red but she was no longer crying. “It wasn’t your fault, Liz. Sorry for being so dramatic.”
“I was scared, too. I thought he was going to hit me, too, but he threw the flowers instead. You can go home now, Amy, and thanks for calling for help. That was smart.”
Ryan’s expression hardened. He felt sorry for the creep when Ethan got ahold of him. Ethan hated bullies, especially when they messed with women.
Logan offered to drive Amy home.
“I’m okay, Logan,” Amy answered, sniffing into a tissue and trying to be brave.
“I know, sweetheart, but Scott will kick my butt if I let you walk home while you’re so upset, so don’t argue with me. Listen to your elders,” he said in mock sternness, pointing a finger at her. “Besides, don’t you want to drive in my cool police jeep?”
Amy giggled and rolled her eyes. “Big brothers are a pain. All right, macho man, you can drive me home.”
They left, arguing about older brothers and their protective ways.
Ryan sat across from Liz and grabbed her hand. They were still cold. “Are you sure you are okay? I can call Doc. He is still at the clinic.
She shook her head but before she could answer Ethan and Gabe came running in, looking concerned. Ryan let go of her hand quickly and teased Ethan. “I’ve heard of your jealous tendencies but I’m taken.”
Liz rolled her eyes but looked at Ethan, starving for the sight of him. “Lucky for you,” Ethan told Ryan but didn’t bother to look at him. He only had eyes for Liz, looking her over. She looked classy and sexy in a green glittery sweater and short black skirt with black tights and heels. Her face was pale and she looked scared.
Ethan lifted Liz out of her chair and hugged her tightly. He could feel her shivering and it was so hard to keep his emotions in check. He wanted to go find Gary and tear him apart. “I saw the mess out there. Did he hit you?”
Liz shook her head. “He was so mad when I told him I had plans with someone else and didn’t want to go out with him. For a minute I thought he was going to hit me. I’ve never seen him act that way before, Ethan. He is always so perfect and calm. It really scared me.”
“Amy called the station in a panic. We rushed over here but he was gone,” Ryan told him. “Legally I can’t arrest him for assault since he didn’t touch them, you know that, Ethan. I want to throw his sorry ass in jail. But there’s no law saying we can’t have a talk with him.”
Ethan let go of Liz. He was angry so he took a couple of deep breaths and started pacing back and forth. Logan had called Gabe, and when Ethan heard the news, his heart had dropped out of his chest. If he needed proof that what he felt for Liz was more than physical he had it. He was scared out of his mind and he had even let Gabe drive because he was so scared. They had already been close to town, but he made Gabe speed anyway.
“I don’t blame you for wanting to kick his ass, Ethan. I want to help you but we are too close to solving this case and then we can put him in jail where he belongs,” Gabe reminded him, watching him pace back and forth.
Liz opened her mouth in shock when she realized they thought Gary was her stalker. She was having trouble processing that information. “What? Gary is my stalker? Why hasn’t anyone told me this useful information?” she said, glaring at Ethan and waiting for an answer.
Ethan loved that Liz had spirit and wasn’t afraid to confront him. So many people barely talked to him because he looked mean and no one would dare to get smart with him, but she did because she trusted him and she knew he would never lay a finger on her in anger. That touched him, knowing that despite his bad behavior Liz still had a generous, forgiving heart and put her trust in him.
Ryan answered Liz’s question since Ethan was just staring at Liz. People didn’t talk back to Ethan and it probably surprised him. “We don’t have the proof yet, Liz. We think he hired someone and we’re working on finding that person. We’re really close.”
Liz sat back down with a sigh, her anger leaving her and sadness taking over. She put her head in her hand. “All my life men have only wanted me because my dad has money. Am I that bad of a prospect that I have nothing to offer a relationship without money?” she asked out loud without thinking and looking so lonely and sad that it broke Ethan’s heart.