Natalie placed a brown cardboard box on the table. “You aren’t the only ones who did a little snooping. These arrived a few days ago.” She took four copies of each of Gabe’s books out of the box. “I bought one copy for me, one for mom, and the other two for friends.” She handed Caleb and Gabe a copy of each book. “I was hoping Gabe would sign them, but this is more important. We can use them to work out what your stalker might do next.”

Caleb looked at the cover of Taken, then stared at Gabe. “You wrote this?”

Gabe nodded. “My last name isn’t Langley. It’s Lanigan.”

“This book has been on the New York Times bestseller list for weeks. I read it in one night and bought the second book the next day.”

“Don’t give anything away,” Natalie said quickly. “I’m only up to chapter five.”

“You’ll know a lot more about Zac Connelly in the next few days,” Caleb’s face was alive with excitement. “Wait until you get to the end. You won’t believe what happens.”

She picked up her copy and held it close to her chest. “Don’t say another word. I’ll read it tonight.”

Gabe looked at Natalie, then Caleb. “You know this isn’t a game, don’t you? The stalker isn’t a fictional character I created to make my life interesting. He’s a real, live, human with serious mental health issues.”

The excitement on Caleb’s face disappeared. “We know. That’s why we want to help.” He pulled a notebook out of his jacket pocket. “And to start the ball rolling, I’ll design a template we can use for our timeline. I should be able to come up with a simple algorithm that compares your stories with what’s happened in real life.”

Natalie watched Caleb write something in the notebook. “Do you always carry a pen and paper with you?”

“I never know when inspiration will hit. Computer code waits for no man.”

Natalie didn’t know if that was a techie joke or if he were being serious. When he didn’t smile, she assumed he was serious.

Caleb clicked the button on the top of his pen. “We’ll need columns for what happened, where it happened, when it took place, and who was involved. Do you want to document the character’s motivation?”

Gabe wiped his fingers on a paper napkin. “I’ve got a lot of that information already. I’ll email you my plot outline and print two copies of the police report. We’ll need to include some of the columns the police used. I’ll be back soon.”

While Gabe was gone, Natalie scratched Sherlock’s head. It amazed her how quickly they’d moved from talking about their dinner to designing a template that could predict the stalker’s next move.

Caleb watched her. “Are you worried about what could happen if the stalker comes here?”

“I’m hoping the police will catch him before that happens. It’s just as well Gabe has Sherlock. This big guy isn’t going to let anything happen to him.”

Sherlock licked her hand.

“Are you enjoying living here?” Caleb asked.

“It’s different than what I thought it would be like. Nine years ago, there were a lot fewer tourists visiting Sapphire Bay. I could walk to town and only see a few vehicles on the road. I went into town yesterday and there was a traffic jam on Main Street.”

“It doesn’t take long for people to discover how special a place is.”

“How did you hear about Sapphire Bay?”

“A friend used to come here to fish. After hearing about how great Flathead Lake was, I decided to see it for myself. I ended up living here for a year before I started a new job in Washington D.C. When my contract ended, I came back and opened my own consultancy company.”

“You’re not being stalked as well, are you?”

Caleb shook his head. “Not at the moment.”

Sherlock’s head swiveled toward the front door.

Gabe held a folder in his hand. “I didn’t photocopy the entire file, but if there’s anything else you want, let me know.” He handed Natalie and Caleb a copy of the paperwork. “This is what the police came up with.”

Natalie let her gaze slide down the first sheet of paper. “You weren’t kidding when you said the stalker has been harassing you. This is crazy.” Line after line detailed each incident. It was a wonder Gabe hadn’t left Brooklyn a lot sooner than he had.

Caleb folded his copy of the report in half and placed it under his notebook. “I’ll work on this tonight. But for now, we’ve got a barbecue to enjoy and a story to dissect.”

Natalie opened her copy of Taken. She had a feeling it would be a long night.

“Arms up!”

Natalie groaned but lifted her arms in front of her.

Gabe moved fast, stepping into her body like a force four hurricane.

She deflected his punch, twisted to the right and kicked her foot toward his kneecap.

He spun away and finally stood still. “You’re learning.”

Natalie dropped to the ground. Sweat dripped down her face and splattered against her arm. “This isn’t what I imagined when you offered to show me how to defend myself.”

“You’re on a fast-track program.” Gabe grinned.

“My mother always said I was an overachiever.” Natalie rolled over and groaned. She’d landed butt first on the ground so many times that she was sure she’d have a permanently bruised bottom. “I thought you might have been a little rusty after leaving the police force.”

Gabe held out his hand. “It’s like riding a bike. Once you’ve learned how you never forget.”

She wrapped her hand around his wrist. He pulled her upright, setting her on her feet as if she were as light as a feather.

For the third day in a row she’d learned two things. One, she was unfit. Two, Gabe’s smile was every bit as lethal as his self-defense moves.

“When you punch with your right arm, throw your whole shoulder into it. You’ve got more strength in the left-hand side of your body and it leaves you vulnerable.”

“Yes, sir.” If she could have lifted her incredibly strong left arm, she would have saluted him.

Gabe stuck his hands on his hips. “Caleb thinks these classes might be too much.”

“What gave him that idea?” Natalie stretched her arms in front of her. She bit her lip, determined not to groan twice in as many minutes.

“He saw the way you were hobbling around the dinner table last night.”

“I’m using muscles I didn’t know I had, that’s all. After I have a hot shower, I’ll feel much better.”

Gabe didn’t look as though he believed her. “If I’m going too fast, I can slow down.”

Natalie knelt on the ground and stretched her hamstrings. “You don’t need to do that,” she wheezed. “I’ll be okay.”

Sherlock ambled across the back yard, sitting beside her as she slowly stretched the other leg.

“You should keep this.” Gabe shoved his hand under her nose.

She stared at the small, wooden whistle. “I can’t do that. Your dad made it for you.”

“If something happens and you need help, Sherlock will find you.”

“Nothing will happen to me. Between what we’re doing and the police investigation, the stalker doesn’t stand a chance.” She closed Gabe’s hand around the whistle. “Keep it somewhere safe.”

As soon as their fingers touched, she knew she’d made a mistake. She was attracted to him and it would spoil their friendship.

Falling for her neighbor was a definite no-no. Especially when that neighbor was hiding from someone with mental health issues.

She picked up her towel and pulled herself to her feet. “Have you heard from the detective in New York City?”

“They found some fingerprints on the furniture at the warehouse. The FBI is running them through their database.”

“Do the police think they belong to the person who staged the murder scene?”

“They’re keeping an open mind. The building was abandoned and squatters have been using most of the rooms. The police have to be careful not to arrest the wrong person.”

Natalie wouldn’t have been so forgiving. “Someone has been harassing you for five months. There must be more evidence than a couple of fingerprints.”

“If there is, no one has said anything to me. He could have done this before.”

“Why do you keep saying ‘he’? Could the stalker be a woman?”

Gabe sat on the veranda. “In theory, yes. But statistically, there’s more chance the stalker is a man.”

Natalie wiped her face on the towel and carefully sat beside him. “We should add that to the spreadsheet,” she groaned.

After a few changes, Caleb had created a document they could use to compare what had happened in Gabe’s book with the stalker’s activities. They’d just started adding data but, so far, they’d come up with some disturbing similarities.

She wasn’t sure how Gabe was going to react to her next piece of news. “Mom’s coming to see me this weekend. I told her she can’t tell anyone about your real identity, but not why.”

Gabe dropped his head to his chest.

“I know it isn’t the best timing, but mom’s discreet.”

“I’m more worried about her safety.”

“I’ll be with her the whole time. Besides, I’m used to disappearing into crowds.”

Gabe’s eyes narrowed. “There aren’t many crowds in Sapphire Bay.”

“I’m meeting her in Polson. The Cherry Festival is a huge annual event. There’ll be so many people that no one will know who we are.”

“I’ll ask Caleb for the name of the security company he told us about. You should have at least one bodyguard with you.”

Natalie smiled. “Mom and I aren’t immune to the charms of big, muscly men, but we can manage on our own.”

Gabe didn’t return her smile. “It’s too dangerous.”

“If anything makes us feel uncomfortable, we’ll come home right away.”

“We’ll see.”

“Don’t get a bodyguard.”

“I bought some chicken at the general store yesterday. Do you want to have lunch with me?”

Natalie studied his face. “No bodyguard, Gabe.”

His jaw clenched tight.

“I mean it.”

“So do I.” He crossed his arms in front of his chest. “If you won’t let me hire a bodyguard, you’ll have to take the next best thing.”

“What’s that?”

“Me.”

“You?”

“You’re not the only person who can disappear into a crowd. And most importantly, I’ve got a Concealed Weapons Permit.”

“Carrying a gun doesn’t make anyone safer.”

“From where I come from it does.” Gabe stood in front of her. “Lunch?”

“You can’t come with us,” she growled. “If the stalker is in Polson, he’ll recognize you.”

“The chance of that happening is about a million to one.”

Natalie sighed. There was no point arguing with him. The stubborn tilt of his jaw told her he wouldn’t be changing his mind anytime soon. Her mom was looking forward to going to the festival and so was she.

Perhaps he was right. There was a slim to zero chance of the stalker being anywhere near them. If he knew Gabe was living in Sapphire Bay, he would have contacted him here, wouldn’t he?

“Okay. You can come with us.”

Gabe’s grin didn’t make her feel more confident that they were doing the right thing.

“Does this mean you’ll have lunch with me, too?”

Natalie shook her head. “I can’t. I need to paint.”

“Fair enough. But make sure you eat something.”

This time Natalie did salute him. “Aye, aye, captain.” She jumped off the edge of the veranda and winced. She was really looking forward to a hot shower. “Mom’s flight arrives in Polson at nine o’clock tomorrow morning. We’re going straight to the festival from the airport.”

“What time are you leaving the cottage?”

“Eight o’clock.”

Gabe nodded. “If I don’t see you tonight, I’ll be waiting beside your truck tomorrow morning.”

Natalie patted Sherlock’s head. “Enjoy your lunch.” And without hobbling too much, she walked to her side of the cottage. Hopefully, after a good night’s sleep, Gabe would realize he was overreacting and stay in Sapphire Bay.

Seeing him for a couple of hours each day was bad enough. Spending the whole day with him would be sheer torture.

Natalie stepped away from the cottage and sighed. Gabe stood beside her truck, looking for all the world like he belonged there. “I thought you might have changed your mind.”

Gabe grinned. “There was no chance of that. Are you ready to paint the town cherry red?”

She smiled at his early morning joke. The Cherry Festival could have used his words in their advertising. “You’re in a good mood.”

“I finished chapter eleven at three o’clock this morning.”

“Congratulations.” She looked around the yard. “Where’s Sherlock?”

“Caleb’s looking after him.”

“For the whole day?”

Gabe nodded. “Sherlock’s stayed with him before. Is there anything you need me to carry?”

Natalie unlocked her truck and left her pack on the back seat. “No. I’ve got everything I need. What about you?”

Gabe swung a small day pack off his shoulder. “I’ve got everything in here.”

“Including your gun?”

“That’s here.” Gabe turned around and lifted his shirt.

She stared at the gun he’d tucked into the back of his jeans. “I should tell you that I don’t like weapons of any kind.”

Gabe stared at her in mock horror. “Really? You could have fooled me.”

“I’m serious. Guns freak me out. I don’t care whether they’re stun guns, tasers, or guns with bullets. All of them are dangerous.”

“Only when you don’t know what you’re doing.”

“Maybe.” Natalie slid into the truck. While Gabe adjusted his seat, she checked her cell phone. “Mom’s flight must be on time. She was going to text me if her plane was delayed.”

“Where does she live?”

“Indianapolis. When my grandparents died she moved from Bozeman and bought a house around the corner from her sister.”

“Are you and your mom close?”

Natalie thought about the long phone calls and unexpected gifts they sent each other. “Yes. After my parents divorced I didn’t see dad very much. Mom means the world to me.”

“Have you thought about living in Indianapolis?”

“I have, but I’m not sure I want to live there.” She turned right and headed out of town. “When I was younger, I thought moving away from Montana sounded exciting. Going to college in New York City was a dream come true. But it didn’t take long to miss what we had in Bozeman and Sapphire Bay. Nothing beats waking up to birds singing in the trees and hiking in clean, fresh air.”

She glanced across the cab. “What about you? Before you moved here, had you ever thought about living in a small town?”

Gabe shook his head. “My job was in New York City and my family was in Brooklyn. Leaving wasn’t an option.”

“And now?”

“I’m not sure.”

Natalie thought about the person who was stalking Gabe and the constant worry about what they’d do next. She didn’t blame him for not knowing where he wanted to live.

“What’s your mom like?” Gabe asked.

She grinned. “I hate to say this, but she’s an awful lot like me.”

“There’s nothing wrong with that.”

“Wait until you see us together. Mom’s like a human dynamo. She never slows down.”

“It sounds as though we’re going to have a busy day.”

Gabe didn’t realize how right he was. The festival was one of the biggest events in Polson. There would be people, food, and cherry-themed activities everywhere. It was the perfect place for a runaway novelist, a reclusive painter, and a mom who wanted to make sure her daughter was okay.

Gabe searched the faces of the people coming through the arrivals gate. So far, he hadn’t seen anyone who looked like Natalie.

“There she is.” Natalie walked toward a woman wearing a blue dress.

He wasn’t surprised he hadn’t seen a family resemblance because there wasn’t one. Natalie’s mom was a few inches shorter than her daughter. Blond hair, cropped close to her head, framed a smiling face. If Gabe had to guess her age, he’d say she was in her late fifties, but he could be wrong.

So far, she hadn’t looked away from her daughter.

Natalie wrapped her arms around her mom and gave her a hug. It was the kind of reunion that made him homesick for his own parents. It had been too long since he’d last seen them, but he wasn’t taking any chances with their safety.

After she’d finished hugging her mom, Natalie brought her across to meet him. “Gabe, this is my mom, Kathleen Armstrong. Mom, this is Gabe, the man who’s renting grandma and granddad’s cottage.”

Gabe took off his baseball cap and held out his hand. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Armstrong.”

Her grip was firm. “There’s no need to be so formal. You can call me, Kathleen. Are you enjoying living in Sapphire Bay?”

“It’s exactly what I needed.” Gabe pulled his cap onto his head. The chance of anyone recognizing him was remote, but stranger things had happened.

Natalie looked at the crowd hovering around the luggage carousel. “Did you bring any suitcases with you, mom?”

“No. This is it.”

Natalie seemed surprised. “Are you feeling all right?”

Kathleen smiled. “I’m only here for a couple of days. Besides, if I need another bag I can always buy one. Before I forget, Aunt Jennie says hello and wants to know when you’re coming to see her.”

Natalie looked at Gabe. “Aunt Jennie is mom’s sister. She makes the best lemon shortbread I’ve ever tasted.”

“It’s funny you should say that.” Kathleen opened the side zipper of her carry-on. “This is for you.”

Natalie held the cellophane-wrapped cookies in her hand and smiled. “You should come to Montana more often.”

“I will now that you’re home.” Tears filled Kathleen’s eyes. “I’ve missed you.”

“I missed you, too.” Natalie hugged her mom again, then stepped away and wiped her eyes. “We’d better go to the Cherry Festival before Gabe regrets coming with us.”

“No one regrets going to the Cherry Festival,” Kathleen said. “Even if they have two emotional females with them.”

“Don’t worry about me,” Gabe said. “As long as we find a stall that sells cherry pie, I'll be happy.”

Natalie held onto the handle of her mom’s carry-on. “You won’t need to worry about that. Last time we were here, mom bought at least a dozen pies.”

“I didn’t eat them all at once,” Kathleen said quickly. “I stored them in the freezer for the right occasion.”

Natalie grinned.

“Okay. I admit I didn’t need much of an excuse to nibble on them. Sweet cherries with a little whipped cream can become addictive.”

Gabe thought of his mom’s fruit pies and smiled. There was nothing like the taste and smell of homemade pie to make you feel good. His smile disappeared as soon as they started moving. For such a small town, Polson Airport was busy.

They eventually maneuvered their way out of the terminal building. Walking across the parking lot was like riding the bumper cars at the county fair. Everyone wanted to make a quick exit and no one wanted to wait for three pedestrians. Unless something else was happening in town, most of these people would be heading to the Cherry Festival.

Gabe searched the parking lot, looking for anyone who didn’t seem to belong.

Natalie made sure her mom was safely inside the truck before turning to him. “Is everything all right?” she whispered.

He pulled her toward the truck as another vehicle drove slowly by them. “I hope so.” His body tensed as he waited to see what the driver did next.

“Have you heard from the detectives in the NYPD?”

Gabe shook his head as the vehicle left the parking lot. “Not for a couple of days.”

“Hopefully, no news is good news.”

“I wouldn’t count on it.”

Natalie frowned. “What happened to the guy who woke up with a smile on his face?”

“He just realized how many people will be at the festival.”

“No one will recognize us. Between our baseball caps and sunglasses, we’ll look like everyone else.” Natalie tapped the end of his cap. “And just for the record, don’t pull out your gun unless it’s really necessary. Mom has an even worse phobia about them than I do.”

Gabe looked into Natalie’s smiling face and sighed. Her blue eyes sparkled. He forgot about the real-life drama the stalker was creating and the team of police who were trying to help him. All he focused on was the woman standing in front of him.

Natalie was different from most of the women he’d known. She always saw the good in a situation and didn’t have any trouble trusting people. He wished he could say the same about himself. But fourteen years in the police force had changed him—and not for the better. His only hope for today was that neither of them regretted their decision to be here.