Page 56 of Lost on Ice
I bend down to hug her back. “I missed you too, baby.”
Dad comes in and shuts the door behind him.
“Lilah, sweetie,” he says with a warm smile. “Why don’t you go to your room for a minute and find your favorite toys? Grandpa needs to talk with Mommy.”
Lilah blinks up at him and I can tell she doesn’t want to let me go. She can’t understand what’s going on, but she knows something isn’t right.
“It’s okay, sweety,” I tell her in a gentle tone. “Go play for a bit and we’ll come get you soon.”
She sticks out her bottom lip but mutters, “Otay.”
Reluctantly, she turns and makes her way down the hall toward her room.
Once she’s out of earshot, Dad asks in a low voice, “All right, what’s going on? When you told me about the first break-in, you assured me you’d be okay here and I didn’t pry, but this is too much, Abbie. You need to tell me everything.”
He’s right. I’ve been holding back the details so he wouldn’t worry, but I don’t have a choice anymore.
“So…” I begin in a shaky tone. “Back in Harrisburg, I had this… problem.”
“What kind of problem?”
I nervously clasp my hands together. “In Harrisburg, about six months ago, I started getting really weird messages. Someone was stalking me, but it never went past random texts and notes. When I moved here, I thought I left them behind, but I was wrong. They’ve followed me here and have gotten more aggressive. I think Jake being around has made them mad.”
Dad stares at me, shocked. It takes him several moments to find his words.
“Why didn’t you tell me this before?”
I drop my gaze from his. “I didn’t want to make you worry, and like I said, I thought moving here would make this all stop…”
To my surprise, Dad wraps his arms around me and pulls me into a tight hug.
“Oh, sweetheart, I’m so sorry,” he whispers. Then he pulls back and stares at me, a look of conviction crossing his face. “Seriously, you and Lilah need to come back to my house. I’ll keep you safe. If anybody even tries getting at you and I catch them…” Anger flares in his eyes.
Warmth spreads through me and I feel genuinely comforted by his offer. Part of me wants to jump on it, but I stop myself. Instead, I look up at him and reply, “I don’t want to put you and Vivianne in harm’s way … but maybe it’s a good idea for Lilah to stay with you for the time being. Detective Peterson has taken the case on and he believes I’m the stalker’s sole focus.”
She’ll be comfortable there. She has her bedroom and I know Dad and Vivianne will take every precaution necessary to keep her safe.
“You need to come with me,” he says. “If anything happens?—”
“I don’tneedto do anything, Dad,” I say as gently as possible, giving him another squeeze. “I’m an adult woman, and I am choosing not to put you in danger with my presence. But Idowant you to take Lilah and keep her safe. I’ll have Jake and the cops here. I promise I’ll be fine.”
He frowns and shakes his head. “I don’t want to leave you here alone.”
“I’m sure.”
At that moment, the front door opens and Jake comes strolling inside holding a plastic bag. He stops when he spots me and Dad.
“Oh! Hi, Mr. Wixx,” he exclaims.
“Jake.” Dad nods, eyeing him up and down. He’s got that look of a father sizing up his teenage daughter’s new boyfriend… is he actually thinking about Jake back in high school?
Ooph, for Jake’s sake, I hope not. I also hope Dad doesn’t notice how much Lilah looks like Jake. He’s not the most observant when it comes to that stuff, but if he’s this focused on Jake, he might start to pick up on their similarities.
Jake clears his throat and holds up his bag. “I got the new locks. I’ll get them installed quick…”
“I’ll help,” Dad says in a commanding note that makes it clear he’s not taking no for an answer. “That way I can make sure nobody’s busting down my daughter’s door.”
Jake’s eyes widen slightly. “Uh, sure. I’d appreciate that, sir.”
