I Know You Love Me (23 page)

"Why, you... I've never...this isn't...I'm not leaving this house, Drew. Ever!"

Drew laughed and tugged on Allison's hand, pulling her out of the room before answering that. “You asked what I meant by being thrown out the window to join your things. Well, let me inform you. Your bags, your clothing, and your personal toiletries are sitting outside in a puddle under the master bedroom's window. If you want to salvage anything, I suggest you move fast. The wind is picking up out there, and some of the...lighter items may blow away."

The screech that came out of Sam's throat hurt his ears and pushed him faster out the door. “Baby, would you mind terribly buying a whole new wardrobe?"

Peeking back into the room, Allison shivered. “No, I never want to see any of those things again. You can take me back to my place for a week or two to replenish my wardrobe while we finish selling the house and hiring the movers. I still can't believe you insisted on bringing the bed now."

Grinning, he shooed her down the stairs and into the living room. If he knew Sam, she'd be tearing down those stairs any second now to salvage what was left of her things. “Yes you can, we both know my bed wasn't going to be good enough after our week in paradise. It was too damn small. Go call Jimmy and Gordon Isaacs and tell them both to get over here on the double."

"But what about...you know, her."

No sooner had she mentioned Sam than the woman in question came tearing down the stairs. “You are so going to pay for this, Drew. I don't care how much money you offer me. I am never signing those papers."

"Lucky for me, then, that I don't need your signature if I'm suing for divorce. All I need is the Judge's signature on the divorce decree.” Looking out the window, he watched a pink silk thong fly by. “Aren't those your underwear? Thongs...you're wearing less and less these days, I see."

"You're a bastard, Drew. You haven't gotten rid of me yet. I'll be back as soon as I collect my things."

He refrained from commenting, and watched her slam the door shut behind her. Getting up, he calmly walked over and shot the deadbolt home and put on the chain, then walked over to the back door and repeated the process.

"Drew? Where are you, honey?"

Honey? This should be good.
Turning back toward the living room he flashed Allison a grin when she came into view. “How may I help you?"

"Jimmy is on his way, the locksmith says he refuses to come over unless you give him your word that his son won't go to jail, and Eric said he'd be here in fifteen minutes."

"Wow. You have been busy. Guess I'll have to call Gordon myself. I think he's forgotten that his son broke the law."

"Where's Sam?"

Sitting on the sofa, he pulled her down into his lap before picking up the phone to dial. “Outside chasing her things around the neighborhood; it seems her thongs were flying away. I locked the deadbolt and chains on both doors. Do not let that woman back in here."

Laughing, she kissed his lips, then his neck, moving down to his throat and back up the other side. Drew was ready to hang up the phone and take her right there in the living room. Unfortunately, George answered just as someone knocked at the door. “This isn't over, woman; that was playing dirty!"

"All's fair in love and war, Sheriff. Now talk to the man on the phone while I let Jimmy in. I'd recognize that knock anywhere."

Groaning at being thwarted once again, he turned his attention to George. “I hear you told my fiancee that you wouldn't come over here to fix the fuck-up your son made."

"I...I...Sheriff, he didn't mean any harm. The woman told him she was your wife, she even showed him some ID that had your address on it."

Drew sat back thoughtfully. “Did he take a photocopy of the ID as per city laws?” George must have muffled the receiver while he spoke to his son.

"Yes, Sheriff, he did."

"Good, bring me that copy and bring all the equipment necessary to change all my locks and add new locks to the windows. I want three sets of keys for each lock, one for myself, one for Jimmy in case or emergencies and the last for my fiancee.
No one
—I repeat, no one—is ever to get another set made. Are we understood?"

"Yes, Sheriff, and what about Junior?"

Drew watched Allison giggle at something Jimmy said and felt annoyance. “I won't arrest him if he does me a little favor."

"I'll be right over, Sheriff, and Junior will do anything you ask as long as it isn't illegal."

Drew laughed. “Nothing illegal, George. I'll see you in ten minutes. I need those locks changed immediately. Sam's used her set once to break in and destroy my fiancee's personal property.” All he heard before George hung up was a slap across the back of the head and foreign-sounding cursing. Sounded like Junior would learn a lesson his father would never let him forget.

"Drew, honey, Jimmy and Eric are here. We'll be in the kitchen when you're ready."

His girl was alone in the kitchen with two men who loved her. He'd better get his ass in there pronto to make sure they didn't charm her away from him. “On my way, baby.” He stopped long enough to make sure the front door's chain was locked, and then headed straight for the kitchen.

"So, how do we handle this Sam situation?"

Allison slipped her arms around his waist and kissed him deeply. “Are you hungry? I was just about to make something to eat for everyone?"

"Starving, actually. How about you cook that lasagna you made this morning?"

"Only if you make the garlic bread."

"Deal."

"Good. Have a seat at the table, and I'll bring you the stuff you need for the bread. I hope you boys are hungry, cause there's a lot of food. Jimmy, will you chop the vegetables for the salad?"

"Definitely, just hand me that knife and those pesky vegetables."

Laughing, she placed a cutting board before him, and handed him a knife. Drew watched her, pull out the vegetables and throw them over her shoulder. They all landed right in Eric's hands, the next piece not flying over the table until he'd set the first one down. She grabbed the butter, garlic and bread and set them before him with a kiss.

Drew watched with a grin as she conscripted the men one by one to do simple chores for their meals. He much preferred this Allison to the one upstairs who was ready to fall to pieces, but he loved them both. She wouldn't be Allison if he removed any part of her.

"What should I do?” Eric asked.

"You, I need to follow me; I want to show you what Sam did to my things so you know exactly what we're up against. Drew, do you have a camera I can borrow?"

"In the bedroom. It should be in the night stand. But Allison..."

Wrapping her arms around his neck, she kissed his cheeks. “I promise not to let him into the bedroom. Trust me, Sheriff. Oh, and call Jeremy. He's invited to supper tonight, too."

"I trust you. It's him I don't trust. Hurry back; you know I miss you when you're away from me."

Laughing, she followed Eric out of the room. “Call Jeremy!"

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"Wow. She did all this while you were at the court house?"

Allison rubbed at her arms to ward off the chill, looking at her clothing like this left her feeling sick. “Yeah. Now we know why she didn't show up for the court date. She was too busy conning a key out of the locksmith's son and breaking into my house. She ruined my Ralph Lauren original, Eric...how am I going to explain to him that some crazy woman shredded his gift to me?"

"We'll figure it out. First, I need to know if you want to go ahead with this."

"Yes, I want to sue her and take her to court for damages. Uhm Eric, I threw all her things out the window when I saw that she'd taken my things out of my bedroom and put her stuff in."

Eric laughed, and sifted through a few more garments before picking three, draping them over his arm, and turning back to face her. “I'll take these as evidence. Add those photos, and we can get started on the paperwork after super. If I'm not mistaken, that smells heavenly and very familiar. Besides, if I know the Sheriff as well as I'd like to think, he'll be ready to come tearing up here any second now if we don't get back to the kitchen soon."

Grinning to hide the blush she knew was creeping up her cheeks, she turned toward the bedroom door. “I know. Isn't he amazing? I've never been loved the way he loves me before. He accepts me for who I am, without ever trying to change me. How could I not fall in love with a man like that?"

"We—Jimmy and myself—never stood a chance, did we?"

Cupping his cheek, she looked him in the eyes. “He's the one I've been waiting for, Eric, the one I've known existed since I was a little girl. He's my dream guy."

"Damn. And I was so hoping he was just a phase you'd outgrow."

Laughing, she opened the back of the camera and took the film out. “Here. Let me know how much it costs to develop it and get duplicate prints."

"Will do."

"Eric...” He stopped walking and turned back to face her. “How much longer do you think Sam can drag this divorce thing out?"

Taking her hand, he pulled her down onto the step beside him. “Sam is determined to make as much trouble as possible because her pride's been hurt. She's never met a man who couldn't be charmed into doing what she's wanted before. That was before she met you, and saw what true affection looked like, and she doesn't like it."

"But that doesn't answer my question, Eric."

"The woman is greedy. All she sees right now are dollar signs. Unless we get some concrete proof that she isn't serious about this reconciliation, it could take years."

Years...
her heart plummeted into her shoes when he confirmed her suspicions. “What kind of proof?"

"Another man, a recording of her admitting she's only in it for the money, or something along those lines."

An idea was percolating in the back of her mind, wondering if it could be just the thing Eric was looking for. “What if I told you she was pregnant?"

"Pregnant? How do you know she's pregnant?"

Yep, that got his attention.

"Let's go downstairs, and Jimmy can explain it to you. Besides, I think that Drew is lurking by the kitchen door trying to listen in on our conversation. I think it's time we put the poor man out of his misery, don't you?” Allison whispered with a proud grin.

"You're too good for him, but since you love him and I know he adores you, I'll support you in this decision."

"Good.” Standing up she took the stairs two at a time, jumping into Drew's arms the minute she stepped into the kitchen. “Is supper ready?"

"Almost. I think you should check the lasagna, ‘cause both Jimmy and myself are total knobs in the kitchen. Did everything go well upstairs?"

He put her back on her feet and gave her ass a swat as she made her way past him to the stove. He could be so grabby when she's spent time with another guy. Who knew that big, bad, Sheriff Drew Perry was insecure about where he stood with little ol’ her? She was actually flattered.

Opening the oven door, she pulled out the steaming lasagna and inhaled deeply. It was definitely ready. The cheese was bubbling, and the noodles were soft and pliant. It was time to eat.

"Jeremy, can you..."

"Oh shit."

Turning to face the two men who were supposed to call the boy over for supper, she crossed her arms. “Excuse me?"

"We forgot to call Jeremy."

"Forgot?"

"Baby, we got busy talking shop, and..."

Holding her hand up at him, she cut him off. “I don't want to hear another word out of you. Set the table, and don't even dream of touching the food. I'm going next door to get Jeremy for supper. You should both be ashamed of yourselves."

"Baby..."

"Not a word, Drew."

Slamming the front door behind her, she shook her head in disbelief. “I ask them to do one simple thing, and they flake out on me. Seriously, men can be so..."

"Ali, you're back."

A smile spread across her face at the sight of the sixteen-year-old boy. She'd seriously missed him. “I'm back, but that doesn't mean I'm taking my car away. I still have about six months of out-of -town work to do before I'm here for good. So we can share the car until then, okay?"

"Allison, I'd give up the car right now if that meant you'd be back full-time. Drew's miserable to be around when you're not here, and you always talk to me about the coolest things."

Now she remembered why she missed the kid; he knew how to make a girl's day. “Miserable, huh? Well, I'll have to do something about that before I leave again. Go drop off your books in the house and come on over for supper. Jimmy's already there. We're having lasagna."

"Should I bring anything over?"

"Nope, just bring me that sixteen-year-old appetite I know is hiding in there somewhere."

Jeremy flashed her a grin and started toward his house at a run. “I'll be right over. Just give me a few minutes to wash up,” he called back over his shoulder.

Turning back toward her new home, Allison stopped to take in the surroundings. Who knew when she first drove into this small town that she would feel so at home so quickly? This was where she was meant to be. This was home.

"Did you really think I'd let you win?"

"Sam?"

"You little bitch. Isn't it enough that you're rich and popular? You need to steal my man away from me too?"

The look in the other woman's eyes made Allison nervous. She needed to get back to the house where she was safe. She needed Drew.

"I didn't take anyone away from you, Sam. You left him six years ago and only came back when you got dumped by your latest conquest. If you weren't broke right now, you wouldn't be here making my life miserable."

She watched her life flash before her eyes when Sam pulled a revolver out from her purse and pointed it at her. “He's mine, bitch. If I can't have him, then neither can you."

"Don't do anything you might regret, Samantha. We both know you don't want him. All you want is what you can get from him. Even if I left him...which I could never, ever bring myself to do, and even if he took you back...which, let's face it, isn't very likely to happen...we both know you'd leave him again the next time some guy with more money came strolling through town. Drew doesn't deserve that."