Chapter 21
As he watchedPiper walk up the steps to her home, Ian cursed silently. These few days back in town had shown he he'd never gotten over her. As if he needed proof of that. The women he'd been with in these past ten years were nothing compared to her. They'd been kids when they parted. Not smart enough to realize they had something worth fighting for. But she didn't trust him at this point. And he could hardly blame her.
He glanced in the rearview mirror, hoping to catch a final glimpse of her before she went into the house. A shadow moved along the front garden. A tree shifting in the moonlight? Or something else.
He pulled the car to the curb just around the corner, reached up and flicked the switch to turn off the interior light. If this was an intruder, he didn’t want to advertise his presence. Opening the door, he slid quietly out, leaving it open rather than risking the sound of it clicking shut.
Crouching low, quiet as a mouse, he moved from bush, to tree, to picket fence line cursing the moonlight he'd been thankful for earlier this evening. But, on the other hand, had it not been so bright, he might have missed seeing the intruder in the MacKenzie. And intruder it was. Not a shifting tree or bush. The man shaped shadow moved closer to the house, outlined in moonlight for a brief moment.
Ian strained to make out features. Height, build, hair color. Anything. But whoever it was had on shapeless clothing and some sort of hooded shirt. He sprinted forward, tackling the shadow to the ground.
The intruder yelped in surprise and Ian heard frantic barking from inside the MacKenzie house. Ham had heard.
Ian got the intruder in a choke-hold, trying hold him to the ground. But the man fought like a maniac. Slipping around inside the loose fitting clothes so that he couldn't get a good grip. It was like trying to hold on to a sawdust scarecrow. The man bent and heaved, throwing his arms and legs around. Trying to head butt.
Ian struggled to get a firm grip somewhere.
At last, the man reached backward with both hands, clapping them over Ian ears. Hard. Momentarily stunned, Ian eased his grip as his ears rang. The intruder rolled free and then ran like a scalded cat just as the front door opened and Ham bounded down the steps, teeth bared to the full extent.
Ian dropped flat to the ground, face down and covered his head. He didn't want to tangle with a freaked out guard dog.
"Ham!Anhalten!" He heard Piper shout.
The dog went silent immediately and he risked a peek. Ham still had a gimlet eye on him, but wasn't baring his teeth.
"Komm!" Piper said.
The dog turned and trotted to her side.
Ian rolled to his side, and seeing that Ham stayed by Piper, got to his feet.
"What're you doing out here, Ian?" Piper asked.
He glanced over her head to Matt MacKenzie who stood watching in silence. Matt shook his head very slightly.
With an inward sigh, Ian improvised. "I was going to leave you a note on the porch but I tripped over something in the yard. I guess Ham heard me fall.
"A note?" she asked in an incredulous voice?
"Uh. Yeah." He shuffled his feet a bit. "I enjoyed your company tonight and wanted to say thank you."
Piper glanced around. "So. Where's the note, then?"
Crap. This just kept getting deeper. He made a pretense of looking around the immediate area and shrugged. "It must have blown away in the breeze."
Piper narrowed her eyes. "Really."
"Yes. Really."
She put her hands on her hips. "Where's your car?"
He glances at Matt again, who shakes his head once more.
"And why do you keep looking at my daddy? Is he feeding you answers from back there?"
Matt stepped forward, putting his arm around Piper. "Now, baby girl, you're acting like this is some kind of inquisition. Let poor, Ian go on home and let's go back in."
Piper gives a low scream, setting Ham to barking. She puts her hand on his head to calm him. "You two are up to something and it's driving me crazy."
