Smoldering Sunsets: Pelican Lake, #2

By Melissa Stevens

Stephanie went home to visit her parents place at Pelican Lake in hopes that the boy she'd dated twice would leave her alone. When he shows up, and the harassment continues, she's at her wits end. How can she get him to just leave her alone. 
Noah saw the fear in the girls face and try as he might he couldn't walk away. He didn't expect to find the beautiful girl to be funny and amazing, much less that she is from the same town he is. Can they have more than just a summer fling?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Melissa Stevens
• Release date: Sep 18, 2018
• ISBN: 9781386555131

Melissa Stevens

Melissa was born and raised in Arizona, she’s spent her entire life living across the southern half of the state. She’s found that, along with her husband and three children, she prefers the small towns and rural life to feeling packed into a city. She started reading at a very young age, and her love for series started early, as the first real books she remembers reading is the Boxcar Children series by Gertrude Chandler Warner. Through the years she’s found that there’s little she won’t read, and her tastes vary from westerns, to romance, to sci-fi / fantasy and Horror.

Book preview

Chapter 1

Dread filled Stephanie’s chest as she spotted the paper tucked under the wiper on her car. Maybe it's just a coupon she told herself, somehow knowing it wasn't. She slowed her approach as she scanned the area for him. There were a couple of guys nearby, but neither was Erick. Not seeing him didn't mean he wasn't here somewhere. Wary, she walked past her car, not stopping but looking inside, making sure he hadn't somehow gotten inside and was hiding behind the seat. Finding the rear seat empty she took a relieved breath, turned around and went back. This time she stopped and took the paper from the windshield. She opened it and almost fell to the pavement.

You can run but you can't hide.

The words were neatly printed on the scrap of paper. There was no signature, but she had no doubt who left it.

You all right? a voice startled her.

Stephanie looked up and found the two men she'd noticed before standing a few steps away. The closest one caught her attention. He appeared a few years older than her twenty-one, with dark hair and the start of a thick beard but it was the genuine concern in his eyes that made her stop.

Yeah, I'm okay. She glanced back down at the note in her hand and noticed it was shaking.

What is that? He stepped closer and pulled the paper from her fingers before she thought about stopping him.

Where did you get this? Did someone leave it for you? The man scowled, but something in Steph told her it was at what the note said, not her.

It was on my windshield.

It doesn't have a name. You know who left it? He looked back down at the scrap.

Not one hundred percent but I have a good idea.

Is it a joke? He gazed back at her with narrowed eyes.

She looked at him and blinked, not sure what to say.

Obviously not.

She blinked again wondering how he'd come to that conclusion. Not that it was wrong. She was just too shaken to figure out how to answer. She'd left her stalker in Tucson and hoped that coming up to Pelican Lake, where her family lived, would be enough to get him to move on.

We should call someone.

That pulled her out of her stupor. No, it will be okay. I just need to go home.

I'm not sure that's the best idea, the stranger said. You shouldn't be alone. He stuck the note in his pocket. You're white as a sheet and still shaking. Trying to drive might not be the best idea. Come inside the cafe right here, let me buy you a cup of coffee or a soda. You can calm down a bit before you get behind the wheel.

I don't know. She hesitated. How did she know this guy was any better than Erick? Sure, he seemed nice, but Erick had seemed nice at first, too. It wasn't until she'd refused to go on a third date, even though she'd kissed him once and never gone any further, that he'd turned weird. I don't even know your name.

I can fix that. He gave her a friendly smile that reached his eyes and made him look at least five years younger. I'm Noah Mitchell and this is my friend Tate Copeland. He motioned to the other man. Come on inside. It's a public place and nothing will happen to you.

Steph nodded, he was right, and followed him as he and the other man led her into the nearby cafe. She'd really hoped that coming this far would keep Erick from following her, since it obviously hadn't, she didn't know what to do.

The blast of air in her face as she stepped in the door brought her back to the moment and she realized there were several little groups in the little restaurant. Each clustered together talking. None seemed to notice her moment of panic or that she’d not even unlocked her car before turning around and coming in here.

What would you like?

Um. She blinked and tried to remember why she'd come in. The note that's right. Coffee. The man who'd taken the note turned to his friend for a moment then led her to a table. He eased her down into a chair and sat across from her.

Do you want to talk about it? he prompted.

Steph was still a little stunned and after a moment she found herself telling this total stranger things she hadn't even told her family.

He's been bothering me for a while. I don't know why. I thought getting away, coming up here, would give him a chance to move on, maybe find someone else but it doesn't seem to have worked.

How did you meet this guy? Noah asked.

Steph sighed. We had a class together last semester. A few weeks before finals he asked me out. He seemed nice enough, so I said yes, but it didn't last. He wasn’t as nice as he seemed.

What did he do?

It wasn't something he did, not at first. The first date was fine, enough for me to agree to a second. We went out, had a good time, he took me home. That’s where it turned weird.

What do you mean? Did he do something?

It wasn't anything big, but it was our second date and he was talking about the wedding and our kids and buying a house and living happily ever after, as if it was a done deal not something he wanted, maybe, eventually.

What then?

At the end of the night I made an excuse to get out of a kiss and went inside. The next day when he called to ask me out, I said no. Things weren't going to work between us. I didn't want to waste his time. He seemed okay at the time, said okay and hung up, then he called again the next day and asked me out again, as if I hadn't told him no the day before.

The man who’d approached her, Noah she thought, frowned as she went on.

That went on for a couple weeks, it was weird but that was all. Then he started showing up wherever I was.

The other man, the one he'd called Tate arrived with steaming cups and handed them out.

It's black, you want anything in it?

Steph looked down at the cup in her hand. Just the sugar here on the table. She reached for a couple packets and doctored her drink.

You looked surprised to find the note. Were you not expecting him here for some reason?

I thought coming up here would encourage him to move on.

Where'd you come from?

I left him in Tucson.

Noah's brows lifted but he didn't say anything for a moment. How long have you been at the lake?

I got here five days ago. Steph dropped her head to stare at the dark liquid swirling in her cup. It was quiet and nice for the first four days, despite my parents putting me to work right away.

Parents? They came up with you?

No. They live here. She took a sip and found the coffee almost cool enough to drink. They run the general store on the north shore.

I know where that is. I've been there a few times over the years. Tate spoke up. Steph looked at him, paying real attention for the first time. She didn't recognize him, but she hadn't worked in the store regularly for a couple years.

Back to this guy following you, Noah drew her attention back to him. Did you tell your parents about him?

No. I hoped I wouldn't have to. I didn't think he'd come up here. I was going to stay a few weeks with my parents, help them out in the store, then go back in time for my summer class. Erick was supposed to have moved on by then, found someone else to fit his image of his forever person or whatever, so I could go on with my life. She looked up and met his gaze. I didn't have a plan for if he followed me. Honestly? It never occurred to me he would come this far.

Now you know he has and you can figure out what to do next. Are you staying on your own or with your parents?

Steph blinked. Her brain took a moment to register what he'd asked. With my folks, it wasn't worth renting a cabin for just a couple weeks, besides, it's peak season, they're too expensive for a broke college student.

That's good. It means you won't be alone at night. That should discourage your stalker from trying to break in.

I wouldn't call him a stalker. Famous people got stalkers, not plain-jane students from nowhere, Arizona.

He calls over and over. He won’t take no for an answer. He follows you around, even hours from home and he's leaving threatening notes. Do you know another name for that? Because in my book, hell, in most people’s books, that's a stalker.

Steph dropped her shoulders. Noah was right. Erick was stalking her. She closed her eyes a moment as the admission, even to herself, took her breath away. A hand covered hers and she opened her eyes to find Noah had wrapped his hand around it.

Take a deep breath. We'll figure it out and it will be okay.

How can you be so sure?

I have faith.

Steph shuddered. I don't know why, but he scares me.

That's okay. We'll get it figured out. First thing. I think you should go to the police.

And tell them what? That he keeps showing up where I am? That he came to the lake? I can't even prove he's here. Even if he is, legally he's done nothing wrong. He hasn't threatened me, just scared me. There's no crime in that.

Noah growled. Actually freaking growled. The sound was so absurd that it was all Steph could do not to laugh. Despite the situation and her fright, she felt lighter from just that.

I'll figure it out. I'll tell my dad and I'll be careful.

Do that. I wish there were more I could do. Noah squeezed her hand where he still held it.

Why? She watched him a moment. I mean I'm a stranger, I don't mean anything to you, why would you go out of your way to do more? Steph turned to look at his friend, who gave her a wide-eyed look as he shrugged. Steph took that to mean he didn't know why his friend cared so much.

I don't want to see you get hurt. Something about the stricken, terrified look in your face when you read that note struck a chord with me.

She took a long drink from the cup in her hand, noticing as she lowered the cup her tremor had passed.

Well, what do you know? She held one hand flat, fingers spread in the air to how steady she was now. It's gone.

I knew it would pass. We just needed to get you to sit down and process things a little. Are you sure you're going to be okay? Is there someone going to be where you're going?

I'll be fine. My mom should be home. As much as I don't want to, I'm gonna have to tell my parents, and possibly my brother, what's going on tonight. They're gonna treat me like I'm twelve again, wanting to know my every move and who's gonna be with me. Steph rolled her eyes and wished her friends had come back for the summer like they had last year.

Well, if you need someone to go with you when you want to do something or go somewhere, call me. Give me your phone and I'll put my number in for you.

I don't know. You don't need to waste your vacation babysitting me.

I don't mind, really. Tate's not the best tour guide I've known, but you grew up here, I bet you know all the great things to do and places to go.

Steph couldn't help but smile. She did know most of the best places.

All right. She pulled her phone from her pocket and handed it to him. He punched in his number, his phone rang in his pocket them stopped, and he finished saving his number before giving her phone back.

There, now I'll know when it's you and not let it go to voice mail.

Thanks for the coffee. Steph drained the cup and stood. I really need to get going. I'm late. I was supposed to get out of here thirty minutes ago.

Think nothing of it. Noah stood. Let us walk you out to your car, make sure this guy's not lingering in the area, waiting.

All right. Why not? She didn't think he would be, but then, she hadn't expected him to follow her to Pelican Lake either. Together, the three of them walked out to her car. Nothing there seemed to have changed. Noah and his friend watched as she unlocked it, got in and started it.

Noah held his hand like a phone and mouthed the words ‘Call Me’ she nodded and pulled out of the lot. She didn't see Erick and wondered why they hell he'd followed her all this way.

Chapter 2

Noah watched as