Running Into the Past

Chapter 2

As she drove away with this stranger on the country road, Kara began to think back to where her life had been....

Kara was extraordinarily great at her job despite being one of the youngest real estate agents at her firm. She had drive and ambition and never settled for the word no. Even though she was only thirty, she had established herself in her field and was quite successful and she was proud. Her dad taught her to set her sights on something and work hard to obtain it. He raised her as a single dad since she was three. She really didn't remember her mom, but her dad always tried to keep her memory alive. He never remarried and yet he never seemed to feel alone. Well, he didn't show it. It was him and Kara through thick and thin. He was her biggest fan.

There are some days that put a mark on your soul. The day Slate walked into her open house and the day she lost her father were two that she could never forget. Now she feared they were connected.

She faded back in her mind to the day she met him. She had just lit a candle warmer with her favorite lemon vanilla scent and laid out her business cards on the counter of the sleek modern granite top when he walked in. She was showing a top of the line home that would leave her with a handsome commission check if she found the right buyer. As he walked in, she flashed her real estate smile and that moment started a series of events she could never get back.

They weren't all bad. Not at first. He was striking with is glossy brown hair, bright white smile, olive skin, and a jaw line to die for. Smooth didn't nearly describe how he moved with such ease and grace, yet a masculinity that made a woman's chest tighten. There was something about him that was inviting, yet something that was mysterious at the same time and it had intrigued her.

She had walked him through the home. He seemed to soak in her every word. She felt drawn to him. He was a neurologist, he said, and he was new to the area. He was single and liked to entertain on occasion. This home seemed perfect for him. Even with the chemistry she had felt, she kept it professional, of course, until the documents were complete. She wasn't sure if she was reading into him or if he seemed to be attracted to her as well. Then he laid down the pen and said, "Now that this is done, can I celebrate my new home ownership by taking you out properly? Not as my real estate agent, but as maybe something more?" Kara still remembered feeling her cheeks flush and saying "I've been waiting for you to ask."

He was brilliant, charming, and a sensuous lover. It wasn't until a few months in did she begin to notice something. It started small. At first, his jealousy seemed kind of sweet. He would always make up for the little moments by dropping her love notes, flowers, or treating her to special dates. She remembers the moment he had stopped by her office and accused her boss, Jeffrey, of hitting on her. She then realized she was in over her head.

The scene he made was more than just embarrassing. She felt ashamed. She attempted to patch up the mess he made by saying he was stressed at work. He wasn't normally like that. Really, he is a great guy....

He began to call her multiple times a day and if she didn't answer he would just show up. She had become pretty decent at smoothing over his unannounced visits to her office. He would always apologize and say he just couldn't bear the thought of losing her. She finally realized how he was pulling her away from her friends and family. She didn't go out anymore because she knew if he wasn't with her, it was just more to deal with when she got him that she wanted. It wasn't worth it.

Dad saw right through him. She even let Slate pull her away from him. How could she not have seen the signs?

Slate began to take her keys. He would make remarks about how she dressed. She lost herself. She wasn't Kara anymore. She tried to get him to leave. He was so apologetic. He would change, he said. Then he said that if he couldn't have her he would make sure no one else could. And he made the mistake one night of calling her by the name Emily. Kara had demanded, "Who the hell is Emily?" He had denied it. But she knew she heard him say it. Her fears, her mind, her emotions had spiraled and she had to know.

By this time, Slate and Kara had been together about seven months. In just seven months, her life had been a whirlwind of falling deeply for this man and she had feared who she exactly was falling for. Kara had known one person that could find out. If something was in Slate's past, then she knew her dad could find it. He had been a lead detective in major crimes for 29 years before he retired. Her stomach gets in knots when she thinks about that day. She climbed into her silver Nissan Sedan and headed to her childhood home to find out what she needed to know.

Gary Thompson had been working on his 65' for f100 when he heard the engine and tires on the drive. He knew that engine sound and smiled at the unexpected visit from Kara. He had been worried about her but knew he had to keep his distance. She would always come to him when she needed him, and he would be there. He watched his daughter open her car door and could tell she hadn't slept well, and something had been wrong, bad badly wrong. "Kara, chipmunk, what brings my favorite daughter to come see her old dad?"

"Dad, as always, I am your only daughter....she sighed and said...I need your help."

"Well, it's about time."

She knew he would be ready when she had come to the realization something was off, but he would always let her figure it out for herself first, because he had faith in her.

"Dad it's Slate. I can't do it anymore. But, there is something else. I need to know if he has something in his past that I should be aware of. Something isn't right. I don't have much, but maybe something about someone named Emily." She shook her head and realized how scattered she sounded. "It's probably nothing and there isn't much to go on."

He could see she was beginning to be embarrassed and thought she was overthinking. "Hun, I got this" "Let me do what I do best."

They went in to have some tea and catch up. Oh, how she had missed this, she thought as they laughed at the kitchen table. He always knew how to make her forget her worries.

She hadn't known just how precious that moment was as her life was really just beginning to unfold.