Runaway Love

Excitement filled me as we drew closer to town. My knee bounced, needing someplace to express the exciting energy. Oliver chuckled as he pulled on the main strip of town. His hand fell onto my bouncing leg and he gave a gentle squeeze. "You're not excited enough for being out and about after being at home for a few months." He joked as he pulled into a spot in front of the art supply store.

I grabbed my purse and he grabbed my hand before I could open the door.

“Josie, promise me you'll be careful. I'm going to the office just to grab a few things, I should only be like 20 minutes. That will give you time to find what you want and check out. Please stay inside until you see me." He said, his eyes looking concerned.

"I promise," I told him, leaning over the center console to give him a kiss.

I opened the door and dropped down onto my feet, smiling and waving as I shut the door and walked inside. Oliver waited until I was inside before pulling away. I glanced around the store and smiled. The smell of paper and paints filled my

nose.

I used to paint back in high school but had stopped shortly after getting married to Josh. He thought it was a waste of time and thought my time could be better spent working or cleaning, or waiting on him.

I walked to the area where they had the paints and brushes. I ran my fingers over the soft tips, a smile growing on my face. I grabbed a few of my favorites and then turned my attention to the paint. I loved oil paints, they were my favorite growing up, so I focused on them.

My eyes were drawn to the hues of pink and purple, and I decided I want to paint something for each of the girls. I rubbed my belly, getting a kick in response. I selected some pinks, purples, greens, yellows, and some blues, along with black and white. I realized I needed at least a basket, and turned to the front door to grab one.

A figure moving at the corner of my eye made me freeze. I quickly turned to get a better look when I bumped into a store associate, dropping the paints and brushes.

"I'm so sorry, ma'am. I really didn't mean to startle you so. I was just checking to see if you needed a hand. Your hands looked full, so I grabbed a basket for you." A young gentleman said as he bent to help pick up the items that I had dropped.

"No, I'm sorry, I'm just a bit jumpy lately." I brushed him off.

I bent to help pick up the paints on the floor and we stood, him handing me the basket.

"Are you new to painting?" He asked.

"No, I used to paint when I was in school, and have more time now so I wanted to pick up some supplies," I said moving to the canvases.

The employee nodded his understanding, following me to the next aisle. I ignored him as I found the canvas brand I was searching for.

"Do you know what you are going to paint yet?" He asked from behind me.

"Not exactly, I'm kind of just going with some gut choices," I said, uneasily as he hovered.

"Do you need any help?" He asked.

"No, I think I'm fine," I said, throwing him a soft smile, but hoping he would leave.

"Well, let me know if you do." He said, hovering a moment longer before leaving.

I shook off the feeling of being watched as he left. He was definitely a little unsettling. I gathered what I needed and looked at the clock on the wall. It had been 10 minutes. I found the canvas size I thought would be good and moved to grab an easel. I found the one I used in high school and moved to the counter to check out.

"Good morning, I hope you found everything all right." The cheery girl behind the counter beamed as she started ringing up my order.

"Yes, there was an overly helpful gentleman that made sure I found everything." I smiled, biting back what I truly felt.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Jared is a little over-eager. We are working on improving his customer interactions. He's always been a little socially awkward, but his mother, the owner, really felt this would be a good opportunity for him, so she lets him work here." She said, a look of empathy falling across her face.

I nodded, unsure of what to say. The cashier, however, quickly ended the awkwardness of the silence that fell over us.

"Are you new to painting?" I shook my head and she just continued on.

"Well, you picked some pretty awesome and high quality. I love this brand of paint." She gushed.

"Me too. I haven't used it in years, so it's nice to hear that it's still popular and a good choice." I smiled.

"Well, if you ever want to paint with other people, we do a paint and sip night once a week here. Painters of all levels are welcome, and it's a blast. We follow along with the paint leader, the owner has us rotate through, and we laugh and paint and drink wine. We would love to have you!" She said as she finished bagging my supplies and then told me my total.

I handed her my card and thought about it. I would love to get out of the house, and it's a chance to meet some of the locals.

"That sounds like a blast!" I said, smiling.

She nodded and handed me a flyer with the date and time on it. I placed it in the bag and placed my card back in my wallet.

"Have a good day, and hope to see you again soon." She smiled as I left the store.

I stood in the enclave of the door and waited for Oliver's SUV to come into sight. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw someone dart into an alley. Goosebumps moved across my skin. Before I could think too much about it, Oliver parked in front of me. He exited the car and grabbed my bags, loading them in the back seat while I climbed into the passenger seat. "Did you get everything you need, or do you need to stop somewhere else?" He asked.

"No, I have it all," I said, my attention drawn to the BBQ smell in the back seat.

Oliver smiled and kept driving. We drove in silence for a few minutes. I had just decided to tell him about the figure in the alley when I noticed his posture change. I held my tongue as I watched him reach for his phone as his eyes flicked from the road to the rearview mirror. I looked behind us, noticing a panel van behind us.

"I don't want you to panic, sugar, but this van followed us out to the town this morning. It could be a coincidence, but I'm taking a long way home, just in case." I nodded my understanding and watched the side mirror. "Sean, I think I'm being followed. Meet me at the warehouses by the house." Oliver said, hanging up after hearing Sean's response.

Oliver continued driving normally, turning onto a side road about two miles from the house. It didn't take long before the van was behind us again. The warehouses came into view and Oliver turned without signaling. The van slowed, and watched us, but kept moving down the road. Sean came walking into the parking lot from the ditch beside the driveway with a camera.

"I got the plates, I'll send them to Sam." He said. "Josie, ride the rest of the way back to the house with me. Oliver, do the loop and see if you see them again." Sean reached for my hand and helped me down and then into the truck. Sean and I turned and headed back to the house, but didn't see the van again. We went inside and I paced in front of the door until Oliver pulled in, nervous that something may happen to him. Sean watched me pace, a pained look on his face.

"Darling, I'm sure he's fine. If something was up he would have called." Sean said, placing a hand on my shoulder and pulling me back into his hard body.

I leaned against him and enjoyed the feeling of his strong body hugging me. I nodded but continued to look out the window. Oliver's SUV pulled into view, causing me to pull from Sean and race to the porch.

"I didn't see it again." He said pulling the supplies I bought and the food from the back seat.

Sean nodded and went to help grab bags, ushering back into the warm house. We ate lunch and then parted, Oliver pulling me to him as Sean went to the home office.

"Come lay with me? I want to hold you." He said as he kissed the top of my head.

I nodded and allowed him to pull me up the stairs to our room. Oliver pulled off his jeans and climbed into the bed, sliding to the middle to make room for me. I laid on my side, while his hand rested on my belly, getting a kick from one of the twins. He rubbed the area and chuckled when he got another kick. He snuggled closer and we allowed sleep to pull us into its warm arms.