Early that afternoon, I pushed through the swinging door between the fire station and the police station. Willow Brook Fire & Rescue was smack in the middle of downtown on Main Street. After my lazy morning with Ella, I’d headed into the station to respond to a local fire. In the off-season as a hotshot firefighter, we were still on duty for local fires and could still be called out to anywhere across Alaska if we were needed, but the summer season was the busiest time of year for us. My plan to talk to Rex right away had been put off while we dealt with the fire. No shock, but it was a woodstove chimney fire. Every fall, people started using their woodstoves, many not bothering to clean the stove pipe chimney. Leftover build up from the winter before, or debris left from wild animals nesting in them easily caught fire.

After a quick shower once we were done, I went over to talk with Rex. Lightly knocking the back of my knuckles on the door, I called out, “Rex, you got a few?”

Rex Masters glanced up, a smile stretching across his face. “Come on in. Good to see you, Caleb,” he said with a wave.

“Always good to see you, Rex,” I replied. As he lifted up a coffee cup and then glanced into it with a frown, I asked, “Need a fresh cup of coffee?”

“That would be great,” he replied with a wink.

I stepped out and into the small break room across from his office, finding a full pot of fresh coffee there. Maisie, the station’s dispatcher, spoiled Rex rotten.

Returning with the two cups of coffee, I glanced over. “Mind if I close the door?”

Rex’s eyes narrowed, but he shook his head. I gathered he might be wondering why we needed privacy. Handing over his coffee, I closed the door and sat down across from his desk.

“I’m guessing Ella was with you last night,” he offered by way of greeting.

I almost choked on the sip of coffee I’d just taken. It wasn’t that I would’ve hidden anything from Rex, or from anyone for that matter, but he was her father. While I knew perfectly well she was approaching twenty-seven years old, it didn’t change the fact I didn’t particularly want to chat with her father about Ella spending the night with me. Not to mention, my feelings for her were miles and miles and miles away from being platonic.

Rex chuckled and shrugged. “She’s a grown woman, and I always liked you.” Without waiting for me to reply, he continued, “Let me guess, you’re here to talk to me about that asshole who’s been stalking her online.”

“Damn good guess. She mentioned she talked to her mom about it yesterday, so I figured Georgia talked to you.”

Rex leaned back in his chair, taking a sip of his coffee, his gaze considering. “Georgia’s fit to be tied about it, and I’m furious.”

“I’m fucking furious too. I wish Ella had said something sooner.”

Rex gestured toward his computer. “I just heard back from a guy I emailed down at the Portland Police Department this morning. I’ve asked him to send up Lance Wallace’s records there and whatever police reports Ella made about him. I’ll talk to Ella later today when I get home. I’m pissed they didn’t do more to help her, but I’ll see what I can do with what they have. He might not be in my jurisdiction now, but she is. I’ve also put a call in to my buddy in the Anchorage unit who deals with online crimes across state lines. How much did she tell you?”

I pulled her phone out of my pocket. Before we went our separate ways this morning, I had her check to see if there was anything on it she didn’t want me to see. She’d laughed and said she led a rather boring life. Aside from texts with family and friends, that was it. Pulling up the texts that showed up last night from Lance, I spun the phone around on his desk and slid it across to him.

“These showed up while we were having dinner. She didn’t want to tell me about it at first, but she did. We traded phones.”

It didn’t appear Rex heard a word I said. He was scrolling through the messages, his gaze darkening with anger as he read them. He glanced up. “What the hell? I cannot believe this has been going on for almost two years.” He ran a hand through his hair with a ragged sigh. “She’s been through too much already. No one deserves this kind of bullshit.”

It went without question that I understood exactly how he was feeling. I could imagine, as her father, his concerns and worries for her had their own weight.

“Why do you have her phone?” he belatedly asked. As I’d guessed, he hadn’t heard my comment.

“My idea. I suggested we trade phones. You guys know how to reach me, so that’s how you reach her now. I figure this way she doesn’t have to see his bullshit. I don’t want her worrying about it. Any suggestions on how I should respond?”

Rex’s dark expression dissolved when he burst out laughing. “Fucking brilliant. But then you always were a smart kid,” he offered with an arch of his brow. Pausing, he took another sip of coffee. “Let me talk to my guy in Anchorage. I’d love to find a way to nail this guy with some charges. In the meantime, I’d say don’t respond at all. I know you’ll want to, but let’s not stir the pot. Make sure to save the messages and don’t respond to them. Actually, anytime he contacts that phone in any way, forward it to me.”

When he slid the phone back across the desk, I quickly forwarded the messages to him. I hadn’t discussed this with Ella—mostly because I didn’t want her to worry more than she already had—but I knew it wouldn’t be easy not to reply. I wanted to tell the guy to go to fucking hell. But, I’d do whatever Rex suggested for now.

Taking a gulp of my coffee, I set the cup down on the armrest of the chair, curling my hand around it as I looked over at him. “It won’t be easy, but I’ll do it. I don’t want her to see any more of this shit from him, so any thoughts on how to deal with her emails?”

“Yeah Georgia mentioned those too. When I see her tonight, I’ll ask if she’ll forward the emails directly to me. He won’t know they’re being forwarded, but that way they can be on the record. Usually, assholes like this don’t do anything in person. It’s all about messing with people’s heads. I’m hoping now that she’s here, we can make this stop for once and for all. I’m not going to just sit back and wait though. This guy needs to be charged and I’ll find a way to make it happen.”

“I’m so glad she finally told us what the hell was going on,” I replied, running a hand through my hair. Just talking about it sent a fresh wave of anger and frustration through me. I hated knowing this guy had been pulling this shit—leaving her scared and creeped out.

Rex nodded. “You keep me in the loop, I’ll keep you in the loop. We’ll figure this out. With her having your phone, everyone’s gonna have to know what’s going on,” he said with a chuckle.

I shrugged. “I know. She pointed that out too, but she said she didn’t care.”

Rex eyed me for a beat, his gaze considering. “I’m glad you two reconnected,” he finally said.

I didn’t want things to get awkward. I’d have bet his idea of how we reconnected and mine were probably quite different. I was saved from wondering how to navigate this topic when the station intercom went off, reporting an accident on the highway on the outskirts of town.

Rex and I both shifted gears, parting ways to respond to the call. As I drove out with a small crew, I realized I was passing through the same section where I’d seen Ella’s car turned over in the ditch. More than a week had passed since then. I couldn’t have known she’d waltz back into my world and turn it upside down.