Just a Click Away

Chapter 15

As Greg drove his old pickup out of town, he breathed a prayer of thanks to the Lord. Leslie had forgiven him, and they were in a good place now. He hoped they might be in an even better place than before considering he had been honest about his feelings for her, well mostly honest anyway. He had told her he cared to for her, which was true, but his feelings went far deeper than that. He loved Leslie; he was in love with Leslie. Fearing that the word love might have been too powerful for him to use after knowing her for such a short time, he thought it best to tell her that he cared for her and leave it at that for now. He hoped to have what remained of his life to tell her how much he loved and cherished her.

Before leaving, he had agreed to call Leslie in the evenings while he was away. Knowing that he would be able to hear her sweet voice and infectious laughter made him happier about going back to the job site than he had been in weeks. It would make the time between Sunday night and Friday night much more enjoyable, and then they had the hayride on Saturday. He couldn't help but silently thank the Lord again for blessing him far beyond what he could have imagined.

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True to his word, Greg called Leslie on Monday evening. His heart thrilled at the sound of her soft and musical voice. She told him about how her day at the hospital had been, and Greg realized what a great story teller she was. He had tears streaming down his cheeks as he laughed at her account of an elderly patient dressed in nothing but white tube socks, and a white and blue hospital gown that didn't quite come together in the back.

"He traipsed out of his room dragging his heart monitor in one hand and waving a pamphlet on prosthetic limbs with the other. Every time someone would walk past or a door would open, his hospital gown would blow open in the back, and he would complain about the draft. In the midst of one of his tirades, a wire that hooked him to his heart monitor came loose, and the screen showed that he had flat-lined. You should have seen the look on his face, Greg! He looked me dead in the eye, and shouted, 'You killed me! I came here for help, and you killed me!' It was absolutely priceless! It took two male nurses to get this little old man who couldn't weight more than ninety pounds back to his room where we all tried to convince him that he was very much alive!" Leslie erupted into laughter as she recalled the time it took them to prove to him he was still living.

Greg was doubled over with laughter on his end as well, her words painted a vivid picture in his mind of the spectacle that old man had created in the hospital that day.

Greg related some of the particulars of his day to Leslie, apologizing that he didn't have a story about a scantily clad old man to share. His day had been fairly uneventful. The only event he had really looked forward to was this conversation.

For a brief moment, there was an awkward pause before Leslie said, "Greg, there's something that I'm worried about."

"What is it? Can I help?" Greg was instantly on high alert.

Leslie paused again. "You know what, never mind. It's probably nothing. I'm just being silly, I'm sure of it."

"I really wish you'd tell me what's bothering you. You know you can tell me anything right?"

"Oh, I know, but I'm positive that I'm just being paranoid. Just pray for me if you think about it. That's the most helpful thing you could possibly do for me."

"Would you like me to pray with you right now?"

"That would be wonderful, Greg."

As Greg prayed with Leslie over the phone, he asked God to calm her nerves and ease her mind. He prayed that God would protect her, and when the prayer was finished he heard Leslie breathe a relieved sigh.

"Thank you, Greg. I feel better already."

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After hanging up the phone, Leslie took Waldo out for a walk. As soon as she made it to the parking lot, the unsettled feeling she had before her prayer time with Greg crept up on her again. Fear gripped her heart like icy fingers and they tightened with each step she took. It was as if she could feel eyes on her. She usually trusted her gut, and her gut said that someone was watching.

Every rustle of a dry leaf and every whistle the wind made brought goose bumps to Leslie's pale skin. A rustling sound split the silence, and the terrified woman swung her head around, eyes wide with fright. A pair of glowing, beady eyes could be seen to her left by the dumpster. Leslie let a shaky breath escape her lungs when she realized it was just a raccoon that had been digging through the trash. When Waldo saw the animal, he began to bark, sending the raccoon scurrying off to safety.

Unable to shake the feeling of dread, Leslie returned to her apartment earlier than she had planned. Waldo was more than happy to curl up with her on the couch as she picked up her Bible and found the passage that always brought her comfort. She read aloud to her furry friend, "From the ends of the earth will I cry unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than I." After reading and rereading the verse several times, she bowed her head and prayed that God would show her what to do.

She didn't hear an audible voice, but she was given an answer almost immediately. Getting her laptop off of the coffee table, she logged on to Christian Cupid. She still sent messages to Adam fairly regularly, and Leslie felt like she should let him know what was going on and ask for some advice. It was better than worrying Greg. Up to this point, Adam had never showed any interest in meeting her in person, so she looked at what they had as more of a friendship.

Her message read, "Hey there! It's me again...so I may need some advice. I've been having this really unsettled feeling the last day or so. It seems like every time I leave my apartment I can feel someone watching me. I don't know if you know what I'm talking about, but I get the sense that someone is following me. I'm getting a little freaked out. Do you think that I'm just being paranoid, or is there some action I should be taking? Sorry to pester you so late at night. Hope you are doing well."

As she hit the send button, she felt a little better knowing that Adam might have an answer for her. She wished she could talk to Greg about it, but that would worry him too much. He always wanted to be so helpful, but he would not be back in town until Friday anyway. It was best to just ask Adam's advice and let Greg get a good night of sleep.

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Before Greg went to bed, he noticed that he had a message from Leslie on Christian Cupid. "I wonder why she doesn't just text me. She has my number," Greg said to himself. "Maybe she figures that she has spent fifty dollars for the month, and she might as well get her money's worth." Greg chuckled as he opened the message. His smile slowly faded as he began to read Leslie's message. His heart stopped for a moment as he finished reading. What if someone was following her? What was the best advice he could give? Why did he have to be so far away when Leslie needed him?

Noticing that she had sent the message several hours ago, and figuring she would have gone to sleep by now, he resisted the urge to call her, and sent a reply to her message. "Leslie, go to the police first thing tomorrow morning, and tell them what you told me. They need to look around the area, and make sure no one has been creeping around. They may even want to station a patrol car outside. Know that I'm praying for you, and please let me know how it goes. Be safe."