Chapter 51

Three days before Christmas found Tori running some last minute errands. Stevie insisted that he wanted to pick out a present for Zachary himself, and there were always a few groceries to pick up. She took Zachary with her, but left Lauren at home with Richie – three were just too much for her to juggle unless she wanted to put Rob, the bodyguard, to work – and Lauren would rather be with her Daddy anyway.

They were in the baby section of the toy store wandering the aisles – the third such store – in search of something that Stevie thought his baby brother would like. Tori had originally tried to steer him towards clothes, but he insisted on a toy.

“Look Peanut, how about this?” She held up a lullaby gloworm that had pre-programmed lullabies or you could record your own.

“Nuh uh.” Stevie shook his head.

Tori actually thought it was great, so she held onto it and made a mental note to get Richie to provide the lullabies. “Do you see anything you like?”  She hoped so because at the rate they were going they wouldn’t get home in time for Christmas let alone dinner. He couldn’t tell her what he wanted, but he sure knew what he didn’t want. She blamed that trait on his father.

“Fishies!” Stevie blurted out.

“Fish? Where?”

“Der!” He pointed.

Tori lifted down the object he indicated. It looked like a small aquarium with the fish moving around. It could be attached to the side of a crib or the handle of his carrier or anywhere within the baby’s sight. “You think Zachary would like this?”

“Uh huh.” Stevie nodded decisively. “I can get for Zacky? For Mismas?”

 “Yes you can.”

The next stop – and thankfully the last on her list – was the grocery store.  As they passed the cookies, Tori noticed Stevie scanning the shelves. “Do you want some cookies?”

Stevie nodded. “Pease.”

“What kind do you want?”

“Mama’s cookies.”

Tori chuckled. “You mean you want me to make some when we get home?”

“Uh huh. Pease. Daddy ate dem all.”

“He does that a lot doesn’t he?”

“Uh huh. He like Cookie Monster, but he not blue.”

Hearing a muffled snicker, Tori glanced at Rob, who just grinned and winked at her. She smiled. “Richie likes homemade cookies.”

“So I gather.  Like father like son?”

Tori nodded. “Very much so. In a lot of ways.”

“Your daughter’s  more like you?”

“Unfortunately, yes....but if you tell anyone I admitted that, I’ll deny it.”

Rob laughed. “She sure is something. Maybe she’ll out grow out of it?”

Tori groaned at his hopeful, but not convinced tone. “I’m already dreading the teenage years.”

“Oh, it probably won’t be that bad.  You’re mother survived it didn’t she?”

“Yeah, but her natural hair colour didn’t.”

“From what my wife tells me, they can do wonders with hair dye these days.”

“Gee, thanks.”

Shopping done, they headed back to the car. Tori fastened Zachary’s carrier into its base while Rob helped Stevie into his booster seat. Her hands full of bags, she rounded the end of the SUV to load them into the back. As she stepped back to open the door, she heard the squeal of tires on pavement from down the row of vehicles to her right. A second later she found herself lying in the cargo area, Rob on top of her. The grind of metal on metal gave her some idea of what had happened.

Rob sprang up, looking in the direction the speeding car had taken after bouncing off the van parked beside them. Fishing his phone out of his pocket, he started dialling.

“Who are you calling?” Tori asked as she regained her feet, her heart pounding.

“Mike. Yeah, it’s Rob. I’ve got a plate for you to check out.” While he recited plate and vehicle information to Mike he crouched to examine the damage done to the van beside them. “The driver just tried to take out Tori in a parking lot.”

“Is she okay?”

Rob glanced at Tori. “I think I probably scared the crap out of her, and she might have a couple bruises from her landing, but otherwise she’s fine.”

“Was it Jasmine?” Mike asked his operative.

“I can’t say for sure, I didn’t get a good look at the driver.”

“What’s your gut say?”  They’d both been in the business long enough to have developed sharp instincts.

“That it was either her or someone she got to do it for her.”

“I agree. That makes the most sense. I’ll check this out and let you know what I find.”

“Right. Later.” Hanging up, he studied Tori’s face. “You are alright aren’t you?”

“Yeah I’m fine.”

“Mama! What happened?”

“Somebody was driving too fast.  They lost control and hit the van beside us.  We’re okay.” Tori assured her son.

On the way back to the house, Tori glanced at Rob. “My husband doesn’t need to know about this. It will only upset him.”

“But it will be even worse if he finds out about it from someone else. And he’s bound to find out about it sooner or later.”

“Later works for me.”

“It’s your call, but do you really want to do that....to him?”

Tori sighed and grimaced out the window. She knew what he meant....and she also knew he was right. Still didn’t mean she had to like it.

Back at the house, Tori was in the kitchen putting away the groceries when Richie came in. The look on his face warned her he already knew.

“What’s Peanut talking about somebody side swiping the van next to you at the grocery store?”

“I was putting the bags in the back of the SUV when I heard squealing tires. Rob knocked me out of the way and an out of control car hit the van next to us.”  She hoped that by keeping her tone matter of fact it would help keep him calm. “I wasn’t hurt. Everything is fine.”

His grunt spoke volumes about his opinion of that platitude.  Rob’s entrance redirected his attention. “Was it her?”

“I can’t be sure, I didn’t get a good look at the driver, but....”

“But you think it was.”

“Yeah, I do. It makes the most sense.”

“Why do you say that?” Tori asked.

“Partly because the odds of it being a random occurrence when the woman who’s trying to tear your family apart is on the loose are so huge even Vegas wouldn’t touch it, and partly because you are her most likely target.” Rob shifted his gaze back and forth between the couple standing opposite him. “Her goal is to marry Richie and create a family with him. In her delusional mind, you are the only thing standing in the way of that.”

Richie paced a few steps and raked a hand through is hair. “So what do we do now?”

“Same as we’ve been doing. You guys don’t go anywhere without a guard and we keep vigilant. Sooner or later she’s going to make a mistake and we’ll get her.”

Tori hoped he was right and it couldn’t happen soon enough for her.  She hated feeling like a prisoner.