Falling in Love (Secrets of Savannah Book 5) Read online

  She pulled out her cellphone, letting out an annoyed groan when she saw it was dying. Who would she call anyway? Her AAA membership had expired last month.

  Why hadn’t she remembered to renew it? Probably because she’d never had a car emergency until this very moment. She’d been riding on good luck all these years.

  She turned on the flashlight app on her phone and hopped out of the driver’s seat. In order to move around she hiked her dress up a bit so she didn’t fall on her face. A quick look at her tires told the tale. Her left rear tire looked as flat as could be. Hmm. She did have a spare in the back. But she didn’t know how to change a tire. It was one of the many things she’d never learned to do.

  Charlotte dialed Case’s number. She knew her brother would come pick her up immediately. He’d probably break some speed records to get here. She didn’t want to admit it, but she was afraid. Not a single car had passed by as of yet. And even if it did, would she accept help from a stranger? The world was such a twisted place these days. A person never knew who they were dealing with—a good Samaritan or a lunatic?

  Why wasn’t she one of those can-do females who knew how to repair a flat tire? There was no sense in beating herself up about it. She didn’t want to let fear consume her.

  All of sudden her screen went dark. Her phone had died. Fear crept along her spine at the reality of her situation. Her only choice now was to walk back toward the main road which was a few miles. She looked down at her high heeled shoes. How could she walk in them? And what if someone attacked her?

  The sudden appearance of an oncoming car got Charlotte’s attentions. The blinding high beams caused her to shelter her eyes from the light. The car slowed down. Charlotte tried to see who was at the wheel but the dark glass prevented her from seeing the driver. The passenger side window slowly rolled down then stopped. Fear grabbed Charlotte by the throat.

  “You need some help?” a man’s voice called out. Charlotte still couldn’t see the driver’s face. He’d only rolled the window down partially.

  Pure instinct kicked in. “No. My husband should be here in a few minutes. Thank goodness for my knight in shining armor.” Charlotte’s voice quivered and her legs were knocking together. Something seemed amiss with this man and she was all alone and vulnerable on this dark, desolate road. A chill swept over her.

  “Why don’t you get in and we can meet him? It’s cold out here.” The man’s voice was insistent.

  “No. No thank you,” she said, retreating a few steps toward her car. She heard a clicking sound. He was opening his door to get out. Charlotte turned toward her car and ran, grabbing ahold of the driver’s seat door and wrenching it open. She immediately closed the door behind her and locked it. She was acting on pure adrenaline and instinct. The man came toward her car and motioned for her to put the window down. She shook her head, letting him know she wasn’t going to open up. He was wearing a dark hoodie and sunglasses, which she knew was a way of disguising himself. No one wore sunglasses to drive at night. He had a devilish grin on his face that spread fear through Charlotte’s heart.

  Gathering her courage, she turned toward the window and shouted, “Leave. Before I call the police.”

  “Open up.” He began to pull at her door handle.

  Charlotte felt panic rise up in her throat. She was helpless. She couldn’t even move to reach for her phone. Even though it was dead, she could pretend to make a phone call in an effort to scare him off. Think, Charlotte. Think!

  She took both hands and pressed them against the horn on the steering wheel. The noise was deafening as she beeped the horn with all of her might. She shut her eyes and began to pray. She refused to be a victim once again.

  Please, Lord. Send this man away from me. Keep me safe from harm.

  After a few moments she looked up and saw another car traveling toward her down the road. The man in black jogged back to his car and slid in to the driver’s seat. He drove off with a roar. Charlotte finally let up her pressure on the horn.

  “Thank you, Lord. Thank you,” she whispered in the stillness of her car. She was shaking like a leaf. Her gut told her the stranger had meant her harm. It was a shattering realization. Safety could never be taken for granted. She’d learned that lesson several years ago, and she’d gotten a refresher course tonight.

  A soft rapping on her window caused her to freeze. Even though she hadn’t seen the stranger’s car come back, she panicked. She refused to even look over and see who was at her door. No doubt it was the occupant of the other car, but fear was holding her hostage.

  “Charlotte. It’s me, Marc. Open the door.” She heard Marc’s voice through a fog. She couldn’t even look up at him. All she could see was the stranger’s terrifying face.

  “You’re all right. I’m here. I won’t let anyone hurt you.” Marc’s voice was warm and reassuring. He was saying exactly what she needed to hear. With trembling fingers, she pressed the button to unlock the car door. Within seconds Marc had opened it. She felt a blast of cold air on her face. She wrapped her arms around her chest. Why couldn’t she stop shaking?

  Marc leaned in and turned her face toward him. “You’re okay, Charlotte. Can you tell me what happened?”

  Charlotte nodded but no words came out.

  Marc gently took her by the arm and said, “Come sit in my car. It’s nice and toasty and we can talk in there more comfortably.”

  Charlotte stood up on shaky legs. Marc placed his arm around her and guided her over to his car. As soon as she settled in, she began to softly cry. Marc got in on the driver’s side and she felt his arm around her shoulder. “Let it out. Just cry it out. I know you’re scared. But it’s over now. I need to find out what happened so we can call the police if need be. Take your time, but I need to know.”

  Charlotte took several breaths and tried to compose herself. “I heard a sound in my car and when I pulled over I realized I had a flat. My cell phone died so I couldn’t call anyone. Then this car pulled up with dark windows and he was almost hiding himself so I couldn’t see his face. I got scared.” She let out a sob. “Really, really scared. He wanted me to get in the car but I told him my husband was coming to pick me up. And then things got even scarier. He was insistent, so creepy. I ran for the car and he followed me, then tried to get in the car. So I pressed on the horn and prayed. I prayed like I’ve never prayed before. And then you drove up. I think between your arrival and the horn, he fled.”

  Charlotte’s breathing felt labored. Marc was patting her arm in a soothing manner. She just wanted to close her eyes and rest her head against his chest. She fought the urge to lean on him. He’d saved her. She knew the stranger had most likely left due to his car pulling up.

  “You saved me,” she blurted out. “I can’t begin to thank you for it.”

  Marc looked into her eyes. “You saved yourself by heading back to your car and locking it up. And then you blew the horn. Pretty brilliant thinking.”

  “I-I was so frightened. I froze up at first. And my cell phone died. I felt so helpless.”

  “I think we should call the police. I can go fix your flat and maybe they can send a squad car out here.”

  “I-Is that necessary?” Charlotte asked. She winced as she flashed back to another time she’d been forced to contact the police and file a police report. It hadn’t been pretty. In the end nothing had arisen from her report. Nothing more than a dead end.

  Marc nodded. “I think it is. If this guy is out there hoping to lure women into his car or take them by force, the authorities need to know. This could very well happen to someone else if we don’t report it. They may ask you to come down to the station tomorrow to look at mug shots, but…I think you can handle that, Charlotte.

  Charlotte bobbed her head. She certainly didn’t want anyone else to feel the anxiety and fear she’d experienced. “Yes, I’ll do it.”

  Marc picked up his phone and began to dial 911. He began to have a dialogue with the dispatcher. “I’m with a friend who
just had a scary experience on Tea Tree Road.” He listened for a few moments, then continued. “She had a flat tire and a man tried to lure her into his car. Seems he wouldn’t take no for an answer and then tried to forcibly enter her car.” Another pause ensued. “Yes, we’re still at the location. Sure thing. Thanks.”

  “What did they say?” Charlotte asked. Her nerves were still rattled.

  “They’re sending a car out here asap.”

  Charlotte let out a sigh. It felt as if she might still be in shock. Everything had happened so fast. The Belles of the Ball event seemed almost like a lifetime ago. In a matter of an hour her entire life had turned upside down.

  Marc leaned in and suddenly she could smell the spicy scent of his cologne. It was light without being overpowering. Up close his eyes were almost espresso colored, like her favorite coffee drink. A slight stubble graced his cheeks. It did absolutely nothing to mar his devastating appeal.

  “Are you okay? Really?” he asked, his voice full of a tenderness that yanked at her heart strings. She wasn’t sure if it was the shock or his nearness or the fact that he’d rescued her from danger, but all Charlotte could focus on was the nearness of his lips to hers.

  “I’ll be fine,” she said in a low voice, trying to keep her gaze focused on his face rather than his perfectly shaped lips.

  He reached out and grasped her hand, squeezing it lightly. “You’re a brave woman.”

  “I don’t feel brave. I’m very thankful you were here.”

  Marc nodded. “I am too. I hate the thought of you being in danger.”

  The tension hovering in the air between them was thick. Charlotte knew Marc felt it too, but perhaps much like herself, he didn’t quite know what to make of it. Perhaps everything just felt heightened due to the crisis.

  “I’m going to go take a look at that tire and hopefully patch it up for you. The police should be here shortly I imagine.”

  Marc got out of the car and strode toward her vehicle. Within a matter of minutes, he was on the ground working on her tire.

  Although tonight’s incident had been terrifying, Charlotte felt blessed as she looked out of Marc’s car window at the sight of him fixing her tire. She had felt so terribly alone during the ordeal with the stranger. But God had sent Marc as living proof that no one is ever truly alone. She had terribly misjudged this man based on her own bias against him. How in the world could she ever thank Marc for coming to her rescue?

  * * *

  When the police arrived, Marc had just finished replacing Charlotte’s tire with the sturdy spare in her trunk. He walked over and greeted the officer, briefly explaining what had transpired. Charlotte stepped out of the car and began describing the terrifying events of her evening. Marc opened the back door of his car then dug around for a bit before pulling out a wool blanket he’d stashed in the back. He walked behind Charlotte and draped it over her shoulders. She hadn’t stopped shivering since he’d arrived on the scene.

  She sent him a look full of gratitude. Marc didn’t want to stop to examine why his heart was thrumming wildly inside his chest. Charlotte brought out his protective side. She put on such a brave face all the time, yet she radiated a vulnerability that touched him deeply. Regardless of how she felt about him, Marc liked her. A lot. Way more than he should.

  He kept a discreet distance while Charlotte was interviewed by the police officers. After agreeing to meet them at the station in the morning, the officers went on their way. Marc has assured them he would see to it that Charlotte made it back home safely.

  “Thanks for fixing my tire,” Charlotte said. “I’m suddenly feeling inspired to take tire changing lessons.”

  “It wasn’t a problem. It’s way easier than it looks.”

  “I should be getting home. I was heading toward Tybee Island. I was going to stay in one of the rooms tonight so I didn’t have to make the trek in the morning, but after what happened tonight, I think I’ll head home.”

  Home. He knew she lived with her family at the Duvall estate. Everyone in Savannah knew the place. It was big and ornate and fit for royalty. Marc had never stepped foot inside, but he imagined it was fancier than anything he’d ever experienced in his life.

  “Well, I could follow behind you in my car or we could get a bite to eat at Sam’s Diner.” Marc threw the suggestion out there. “I was on my way to get something to eat when I came across you. I haven’t eaten since lunchtime.” He patted his stomach.

  Charlotte seemed to be considering his offer. She bit her lip. If she felt a smidgeon of what he did she was probably thinking that spending time alone with him might be dangerous. There was an obvious attraction flaring between them, even though neither one of them seemed inclined to address it. The fact remained—this attraction wasn’t going away. If anything, it was intensifying.

  Marc held a hand to his chest. “I’m a little wounded here. I thought Sam’s Diner would be an easy sell.”

  Charlotte’s face lit up. Some of the tightness in his chest eased up. He’d been so worried about her state of mind. It was great to see her coming back to life.

  “I love Sam’s Diner. They have the best French fries in Savannah. Maybe in the whole state of Georgia.”

  “That sounds like a yes,” Marc said, triumph rising up inside of him.

  Marc could see the beginnings of a smile breaking out across her face. “Sounds like a plan,” she said. “I can follow you in my car.”

  “That’ll work,” Marc said as he headed toward his car. He felt almost light and airy. Pretty amazing considering how he had been operating on pure adrenaline ever since he’d heard the loud horn blast and seen a man scampering away on the darkened road. He’d had no idea at first who he was helping out by his presence. He was firm on the idea that Charlotte had rescued herself. He’d just given her a boost.

  Marc led the way to Sam’s Diner. Once he turned off Tea Tree Road, they were on a well-lit main drag. By car it wasn’t far, but it would have taken an eternity for Charlotte to walk the distance. Thank the dear Lord she hadn’t been walking down the deserted road when the man with the tinted windows had driven by. Lord knows what might have transpired. God had been with Charlotte tonight in her time of need. The thought gave Marc comfort. It would have been devastating if anything had happened to Charlotte. Not only for her family and friends, but for him as well. He allowed the thought to marinate in his mind as he pulled into the parking lot for Sam’s Diner.

  Sam’s Diner had been a favorite dining destination for Marc ever since he was a teenager. All these years later and he still craved their chili fries and cheeseburgers. Marc opened Charlotte’s door for her and they walked side-by-side toward the entrance. Marc pulled the door open for Charlotte and led her to a booth by a window. The diner had a funky vibe with jukeboxes at every table.

  The waitress—Kelly according to her name tag—came and presented them with menus then left to bring them waters.

  Marc touched the jukebox. “My dad used to take me here on Sundays after church. Just the two of us. He wanted to do something special as a father-son bond. My sisters used to get upset about it, but he never budged an inch. He would always hand me a bunch of quarters and let me pick the music.” Marc let out a beleaguered sigh.

  Charlotte met his gaze. He saw sympathy etched on her face. “How is your dad doing?”

  Marc didn’t know how to even begin to answer the question. His father was fighting a battle he wasn’t going to win. Under the circumstances, he was doing okay, but on a grander scale Marc knew he was facing down his mortality. Every time Marc visited, his father would take him on a trip down memory lane. It was as if Lucien was trying to sear the memories to his son’s heart like a tattoo. Although Marc understood, it didn’t make it easy on any of them. Watching his father die was gut wrenching.

  “He’s doing okay. It’s not easy to watch him slip away from us. Sometimes I feel so helpless. It’s the irony of life, I suppose. When we’re little our fathers do everything for us. Th
ey seem invincible. But now the roles are reversed. I’m the one who’s caring for him.” Marc crossed his hands in front of him. “I consider it an honor, but it breaks my heart.”

  “It must be agonizing. I know it’s not the same thing at all, but my family dealt with grief when my cousin Rachel died. She was only five years old, so it was absolutely devastating for all of us.”

  Marc felt shock ripple through him. “I don’t remember that at all. I’m sorry. If you don’t mind my asking, how did she die? An illness?”

  “No,” Charlotte said. She took a deep breath. “She drowned while on vacation with my aunt and uncle and Luke. It was a tragic accident. The only good thing that emerged from it was Callie’s adoption.” She breathed in deeply. “Rachel was my best friend so the loss of her felt as if my heart had been ripped out of my chest. I vividly remember feeling threatened by the very idea of this new little girl coming into the Duvall family to replace Rachel, but in the end, Callie helped us all heal. And she had been very broken by her own losses, so she fit in quite well. It’s amazing how God puts people in our lives at the right time and season.”

  “I’m sure your family made all the difference to Callie,” Marc said, feeling grateful for Charlotte sharing such personal information with him. “You changed her life just as much as she altered yours. All for the better.”

  The waitress returned to their table with their drinks. Pencil in hand, she inquired as to whether they were ready to order.

  “I always get the same thing,” Marc said. “I’ll have a double cheeseburger with a side of chili fries. And a cherry chocolate shake.”

  Kelly wrote it down on her pad, then turned to Charlotte who was studiously regarding the menu. She bit her lip. “Mmm. I can’t decide between the bacon burger and the chicken Caesar wrap.” She closed her eyes and pointed her finger toward the menu. She opened her eyes and let out a laugh. “I guess it’ll be the bacon burger with a side of spicy fries.” She handed the menu back to Kelly. “And a cherry chocolate shake for me too. I haven’t had one in years.”