Page 41 of My Turkish Fling
“Because this is a small town and rumors will spread.”
“Because the pastor is such a gossip?”
I shook my head, letting out a sad laugh. “I don’t know! He might talk to someone, and the word will spread. Everyone will talk about me sleeping with my Turkish farmhand.”
“I object to being called a farmhand, but why is it such a big deal, otherwise?”
I weaved my fingers in tight knots, thinking about the question. Why was it such a big deal what Len said to his golf buddies or what Tabitha and the town gossip mill had to say about me? If the story got to the media, if they gave it the good old ‘scandal’ spin, did it matter? Did I truly care about the opinions of strangers? I didn’t want to be the person who did.
“I don’t know how this will play out, but I’m mad at you because that’s not how I wanted to end that date. That’s not what I wanted to say to him. I don’t need anyone to fight my battles for me. I’m not a helpless maiden who needs to be protected. Promise me you won’t do that ever again.”
He returned my intense stare with an even more intense one. “If you promise me you won’t date him.”
Only if you dated me instead, I thought. But I couldn’t say that. I’d made myself more than available. I wasn’t a masochist.
Why did I have to fall for the damaged, grumpy Turkish man when there were wonderful, socially acceptable and sensible choices like Len out there? I was only going to get hurt. That was the one thing we agreed on so far—that we’d both get hurt.
I started the engine. “I’ll make no promises.”
I drove home and parked outside my house. Still angry, I got out without a word. Not waiting for Emir, I marched to the door and took out my key to unlock it. As I turned the key, I instantly knew something was wrong. “It’s not locked. Did I not lock it? That’s odd.”
Chapter 19
Emir
Dread shot through me like a cold shower. Janie rushed in before I could stop her. I heard her voice from the living room. “Well, it doesn’t look like I’ve been robbed.”
I caught her by the kitchen counter, guided her behind it and whispered, “Stay here. I’ll check the rest of the house, okay?”
Janie smiled. “Relax. I probably just forgot to lock the door. I was so nervous about that date. Maybe I thought I didn’t need to because you were here somewhere.”
I shook my head, giving her a stern look. “Think again. You gave me a spare key. I was the last one to leave the house and I double checked that all doors were locked.” I kept my voice low. “If the front door was unlocked, it’s because someone opened it. Who else has a key?”
“My boys, but they’re in Auckland.” She checked her phone. “No messages. They wouldn’t just turn up. They’d text me to pick them up from the bus stop.”
“Listen. If someone broke in by picking the lock, and then left, wouldn’t they lock the door behind them? It locks from the outside without a key, doesn’t it?”
She looked up, her eyes now alert. “Are you seriously suggesting someone broke in, and they’re still here?”
“Where’s Gru?” Emir looked around, puzzled, and my blood chilled.
“If someone broke in, they would have been met by Gru.” She looked up at me, eyes flooding with panic. “He’s not much of a guard dog, but he’d be at the door, greeting them, getting in their way…”
I squeezed her arm. “I’m sure he’s okay. Please wait here while I check the house.”
“What if there’s more than one person? What if they’re armed?”
I grabbed the sharpest looking kitchen knife from a marble block and headed down the hallway towards Janie’s bedroom. The living room was clear. If someone was looking for valuables, they might go for the master bedroom.
When I saw the pile of dresses and handbags on Janie’s bed, I froze. Had someone been going through her stuff? Then I remembered she’d been getting ready for the date. Nothing else seemed out of the ordinary, but stepping into the room, I had a strange sensation of being watched. I raised the knife, almost as a reflex, and felt a cool breeze on my skin. The sliding door to her private patio was open. As I leapt towards it, I saw movementbehind the glass. A dark figure pushed their way through the pot plants, disappearing into the night. It was only a flash, a fraction of a second, but I knew what I saw.
I burst outside, taking off after them. But it was so dark I could only follow the fading sound of footsteps on the grass. Taking a guess, I ran around the house towards the driveway, then the road. But they must have gone into the bushes.
When I stopped to listen, I only heard the high-pitched buzz of cicadas. The outdoor lights of the house didn’t reach down the driveway. I pulled out my phone and turned on the flashlight, but it only showed a little further down the empty driveway. The intruder may have headed to the main road through the gardens rather than the driveway. There was no way I’d find him now. Or her. I couldn’t be sure of anything.
As I climbed up the slope back to the house, I wondered what I should tell Janie. I had no visual description or anything else useful. I had no evidence of anyone breaking in, other than the unlocked door. Janie hadn’t seen the burglar. Would she believe me? I’d acted like an overly protective, jealous jerk and the timing of this break-in felt suspiciously convenient. What if she thought I’d made up a burglar to justify my protectiveness? My insides tensed at the thought.
But I couldn’t hide this from her, either. I couldn’t compromise her safety, and I needed her to be on high alert.
