The Other Twin

She jammed her key into the lock, pushed open the door and held out her hand for the box. “Thank you.”

He leaned close. Too close. He was big. Almost as big as her brother-in-law, Levi.

She shuddered. When Brad had died two years ago, Levi had invited her and Josh to live with him. Moving in with Levi had been a big mistake.

“How ’bout I come in?” His words were slurred.

The odor of cigarettes and booze threw her back to her childhood. The lead weight of memories pinned her in place. She was afraid to move. Afraid to push past him for fear he’d hit her like Mama used to.

“Mom!” Josh yanked on her hand.

“Kid, go inside,” the guy said. “I wanna talk to your mom.”

She inched back, bumping into the wall. No escape. She wanted to duck and curl into a ball. Then when the blows came, they wouldn’t hurt as much as a punch in the belly.

“What’s your name?” He caged her to the wall with his arms.

“Leave.” Her voice was a whisper.

Josh kicked the man’s shin. “Get away from my mom.”

“Cut it out.” The guy pushed Josh into the door.

“Don’t touch my son.” She tried to shout, but the words were as weak as her knees.

“What’ssss your name?” His slur grew.

“Move.” She couldn’t get past him to the apartment.

He sniffed her neck. “You smell like cookies.”

Her skin crawled. Why couldn’t she move? Shout? Save her son?

A door at the end of the hallway opened with a metallic clang.

“Go away,” she said a little more loudly.

“I jus’ want your name.” The man thrust out a finger. “Ya don’t hafta be a bitch about it.”

Josh came at him with a flurry of tiny fists. “Don’t call my mom names.”

“What’s going on?” a deep voice called.

“Help.” She shoved at the drunk’s chest but he was too big for her to move. “Help.”

He shoved her shoulder. Hard.

She smacked into the wall, crumpling to her knees.

Josh kicked and punched. “Leave her alone!”

“Hey!” Boots thumped on the tile floor.

The drunk stumbled away.

Josh’s arms wrapped around her neck and she clung to him. “Mommy.”

“Are you okay?” her rescuer asked.

She stared at work boots and then up a pair of long legs.

Nathan Forester gazed down at her. He was the twin brother of Bess Fitzgerald’s fiancé and Bess was one of her bosses. Nathan had worked in this building off and on since last fall. Cheryl tried to avoid him as much as possible. He was so...large. But since they were connected through the Fitzgeralds, avoidance was impossible.

“We’re...fine.” A lie. Both she and Josh shook like they were standing in a walk-in freezer.

“Who was he?” Nathan peered down the hall.

“Some drunk.” Her voice squeaked.

Nathan held out his hand. His usual cocky grin was missing. A dirty white T-shirt tightened against the muscles in his chest and arms. Sheetrock dust covered his jeans. His ball cap was on backward, but thick blond hair curled on his neck. He was a modern-day James Dean without the cigarette. “Does that guy live here?”

“I don’t think so.” She put her hand in his and let him pull her to her feet. “He followed me.”

Nathan’s eyebrows arched. “You shouldn’t let strangers into the building.”

Had she? “Oh, God. I forgot to pull the door closed.”

A door clanged again and Gray Smythe, the building owner, came down the hall. “Something wrong?”

“Some creep hassled Cheryl. I yelled and he hatted.”

Gray studied Cheryl. “You okay?”

She nodded, afraid any words she spoke would come out a muddled mess.

“Mr. Gray.” Josh threw himself at Gray. “I kicked the guy and he ran away.”

Cheryl backed into the apartment. She’d almost mastered not cowering around Gray. She shouldn’t be afraid of him. He was very kind and married to her boss, Abby Fitzgerald.

“I don’t like this.” Gray carried Josh into the apartment and set him down. Nathan followed and shut the door. With two men filling the entryway, she couldn’t breathe.

“He was mean. He pushed me.” Josh hung his backpack on the hook. “Can I have a cupcake?”

She looked around. “I dropped the box in the hall.”

“I’ll get it.” Gray headed for the door.

“What if the man’s still in the building?” Cheryl wrapped her arms around her waist as she headed to her small kitchen.