Suzie’s House 21: Well? What Did You Decide, Drew?

The world returned to normal as Miranda looked up from her Jimmy Choo shoes. She stood in Drew’s bedroom watching Drew and Suzie stare at one another with their hearts in their eyes. Left to their own devices they would give each other up and destroy Miranda’s happy home out of noble self-sacrifice.

“Oh come on, Drew,” Miranda said with as much bravado as she could muster. “You don’t really think the guy who tried to kill Vin followed you here, do you? How would he know it was YOUR car parked out front? It isn’t like a Lamborghini, or a T-bird or anything. There must be a million blue sedans like yours out there.”

“Not in this neighborhood,” Drew insisted stubbornly. He released Suzie’s shoulders with such slow reluctance that envy stabbed Miranda.

She had made her choice. She would not interfere with her best friend’s heart. Drew would never ever look at Miranda the way he looked at Suzie. Miranda accepted it, but that didn’t mean she had to enjoy it. She shifted weight from one foot to the other and stifled a groan. Finally Drew moved away from Suzie, but only to go to the suitcase.

“How would he know to look for it here?” Miranda went around him, trying to get between him and his open suitcase.

“He must have taken down my license number when I caught him right after he shot Vin.” He stopped packing, a pair of pants dangling forgotten from his hands as he considered something. “Everything happened so fast. I was barreling down on the man and Vin’s taxi. He was running to his Jeep. He did look at me. I didn’t think he would recognize me again, let alone get my license number. But maybe.” Drew dropped the pants in the suitcase then headed for the dresser.

Oh for crying out loud. Miranda sighed in exasperation. “Even if you did lead him here, and I’m not saying you did,” Miranda held a hand up and tilted her head to the side, thought Drew didn’t bother to look at her. “There’s nothing to say they wouldn’t have followed Vin here just as easily.”

At least Miranda knew Vin would be reasonable. He wouldn’t run off and leave her and Suzie on their own just because some big, bad, nasty from his day job had dropped by..Drew hesitated with an armload of clothes from his dresser.

“Vin is coming back here,” he said flatly.

“Of course. In fact the doctor said they’d be sending him home tomorrow or the next day. This IS his home now. I’m sure Suzie will do a good job of taking care of him.”

Suzie’s head came up and round fast. Apparently she hadn’t realized Vin’s care would naturally fall to her, as the only one of them who didn’t work outside the house. And not necessarily because Miranda though of her as a mommy typed. Though she did.

“No matter how it happened, the damage is done,” Miranda said. “The red headed man knows who we are and where we live. He could come in here at any time and take us hostage to control you.”

Drew gave her an arch look. Well, maybe he was right. Maybe she was stretching it a bit.

“It could happen. Well, maybe not to me, but to Suzie.”

Suzie gave her a withering look.

“I don’t know,” Drew said speculatively, looking at Miranda through eyes narrowed in thought. “She did manage to arm herself with a hefty knife.”

Miranda could hardly argue about that. Suzie had looked impressive standing in the front hall with a butcher’s knife in her hand.

“The point is, Drew, if you leave, Suzie and I will be unprotected. You don’t want us to have to face the guy alone, do you?”

Suzie brightened. “That’s right. Just because you aren’t here anymore doesn’t mean the guy will leave us alone. By now he must realize we suspect him. If he’s as bad as all that, he’ll want to get rid of us too.” Suzie was laying it on thick, but Drew seemed to eat it up, watching her with a sharp attention that pained Miranda.

Drew shook his head. “It isn’t like that. I doubt he’s such a blood thirsty killer that he’d come in and kill everyone simply because you might suspect something.” He sounded confident enough, but his brow furrowed with worry.

All he needed was a little push to tip him onto Miranda’s side of the argument. Miranda hoped Suzie appreciated the sacrifices she was making to keep Drew here. This constant little pricking to her ego was only going to get worse.

“Please, Drew.” Suzie held her hand out to him. “You wouldn’t leave me when I need you, would you?”

Drew dropped the ties in his hand onto the bed, missing the suitcase by several inches. He drifted toward Suzie, looking torn between desire and duty. He took Suzie’s fingers in his hand. Miranda watched them exchange a little squeeze. She looked away, blinking hard. She couldn’t let either of them see how much she hurt over the loss of her hopes and dreams.

“All right. I’ll stay,” Drew said. “But we’re going to have to make a few changes around here.”