While Jake’s gone, I decide to stay with my parents. I opt not to tell them about the texts because I know they’ll freak out. My mother is a worrier like that. Jake says I get my paranoia from her, and he’s probably right, considering as a child my mother was always looking in her medical diagnosis book every time my sister and I had something wrong with us. Just a simple headache could lead you to the prognosis of a possible brain tumor. Guess you can say she was the original Web MD.

Speaking of that dreaded book, I pull it from my mother’s bookshelf and open it up. I have to say it’s probably worse than googling your symptoms. I look over at the window seat and smile. I used to love this room as a child. The book shelf is built into the wall and my parents put in an antique desk that I used to do my homework on. The smell of the books is what I love most.

“What are you reading?” my mother asks from behind. Her voice catches me off guard and I jerk around. I hold up the book, and she laughs. Everyone says our laughs are the same. “Uh-oh, are you not feeling well? Did we shop too much yesterday?”

“I’m fine, Mom.” I make sure to smile as I say it. I slide the book back on the shelf with the encyclopedias I used to use for research as a kid. Back then, we didn’t have the internet. I take a seat by the window and sigh. “Shopping yesterday was fun. It’s good to get out.”

She leans against the antique desk. “Did you shut down the bakery for the whole weekend?”

I nod. “I’m not about to make Vikki come in when I know she has family in town. Besides, I got everything done that I needed. We don’t have any new orders until next week.”

She crosses her arms over her chest. “Well, I’m glad you’re here. It feels like old times.”

A smile lights up my face. “Yes, it does. I’m not used to waking up to breakfast already on the table.” I hold up a hand. “Wait, I take that back. Jake will make his spicy eggs every now and again.”

That makes my mother cringe. When it comes to food, my parents are simple. They like salt and pepper, and occasionally, they’ll move out of their comfort zone and try some garlic and herbs. When I cook, they get a mouthful of flavors.

“Is he coming back tomorrow?” she asks.

I shake my head. “Monday afternoon. If you don’t mind, I’d like to stay here tomorrow night as well.”

“Of course. We can make spaghetti tomorrow. Your father wants to grill steaks tonight.”

My stomach growls. “Perfect. Just like old times.” I didn’t start eating steak until I was in high school. When I was in fifth grade, I choked and was so afraid to eat after that. That’s why I stayed away from heavy meats and ate things that were easy to swallow.

My mother sighs. “That’s how it was, wasn’t it? Fish on Fridays and steak on Saturdays. Except you used to have your father grill you a hamburger so you could put barbecue sauce on it. When you started eating steak, our food bill went up.” She snickers and starts for the door. “Come downstairs and we’ll watch a movie.”

“Be there in a sec.”

“All right, sweetheart.” She walks out the door and down the stairs. Turning back to the window, I peer out at the river down the hill. My parents had wanted me and Jake to buy their house, so they could move into a smaller one, but we hadn’t needed all the space. However, now that we want to start a family, it might not be a bad idea.

My phone rings and Jake’s name pops up. “Hey, babe. How’s it going out there?” I answer.

He sounds relieved to hear my voice. “Good. I’ve been worried about you.”

“Jake, I’m fine. I’m at my parents’ house, getting ready to watch a movie with my mom.”

“Any other texts come in?” he asks, his voice clipped.

“No, thank God. I’m hoping Owen will call with some kind of news soon.”

He sighs. “Call me as soon as you find out something. I’m busting my ass to get done as early as I can. I’m going to try to get a flight out of here tomorrow night, and hopefully, take Monday off.”

“Even better,” I say excitedly. The bakery is closed on Mondays. “We can spend the day together.”

“That’s what I’m hoping.” He takes a big breath and his voice lowers. “Hey, there’s something I want to tell you and I don’t want to do it until I see you. I think it’s what we need.”

I look back out the window and smile. “I think there’s something else we need too. Remember when my parents offered to sell us their house? With us trying to start a family, I think it’s what we need.”

He bursts out laughing. “You might want to wait and hear what I have to say before we do that.”

“I’m intrigued. Why can’t you tell me now?”

He laughs again and it’s so good to hear it. “Because it’s a surprise. I’m hoping you’ll agree to it.”

My curiosity piques, but I’m a sucker for surprises, so I’ll deal with the torment. “Fine. I can’t wait to hear what it’s about.”

I can hear a male voice in the background, and then Jake huffs. “All right, cupcake, I have to go. I’ll call you tonight. It doesn’t look like I’m leaving this office until late.”

“Okay,” I say. “I love you.”

“I love you too.”

We hang up and I move away from the window to join my mother downstairs, when my phone rings again. It’s Owen. Hurrying to the door, I shut it lightly. My heart races out of control.

“Owen,” I say, sounding like I ran ten miles.

“Hey, Ells. Got a minute?”

“I have tons. What’s going on?” I pace the room.

“I spent all day yesterday and all morning searching for clues. I really need to see you. Are you at your parents’ house?”

“Yes.”

He breathes a sigh of relief. “Can I come over?”

“Definitely. I’ll be waiting for you.”

“On my way.” He hangs up and I hurry downstairs. From the sound of his voice, I don’t know if it’s good news or bad. Either way, I feel like I’m about to find out something I really don’t want to know.

---

By the time Owen arrives at my parents’ house, I’ve bitten down pretty much all my fingernails. Rushing out to meet him on the front porch, I hold my breath. There’s a folder in his hand and I can only imagine what’s inside. He’s dressed in jeans, boots, and a blue and white plaid shirt, covered by his favorite brown jacket. He always reminded me of what a cowboy out west might look like. Shivering, I zip up my jacket, but it does nothing to warm me up.

I nod toward the back yard. “I know it’s chilly, but we’ll have more privacy if we talk out here.”

Owen nods and follows me to the gazebo in my parents’ garden. It’s winter, so nothing is in bloom, making it look homely and sad. Although, in the spring, it’s magnificent. I sit down on the bench and Owen does the same, only opposite me. I’m anxious to see what’s in the folder, but it scares me more than anything.

“What do you have there?” I ask him.

Owen looks into my eyes and sighs before focusing on the folder. “Something you’re not going to like. But I can honestly say it’s a start.”

He opens the folder and the first thing I see is a picture of Travis Parker, my stalker boyfriend who had to be with me every minute of every day. Clearing his throat, Owen hands me the picture. “That is a current picture of him.”

My eyes widen at the sight before me. His hair is still bright blonde and he’s standing next to a cherry red Chevy Corvette . . . but he’s gained about a hundred pounds. “Wow, he’s changed. He obviously still likes his sports cars though.”

Owen nods. “He’s married and has two small children. On Halloween, he was trick-or-treating in New Bern with his family. That’s where he’s lived for the past five years. It’s five and a half hours away from here. Besides, I’m sure you can tell from the photo that he’s not the same guy from the party.”

“Clearly.” I look down at the next photo and it’s of Tripp Arnold, my ex who’d threatened to commit suicide if I didn’t stay with him. But with some forceful persuasion from Owen, it hadn’t taken long for Tripp to leave me alone. I look down at his picture, and deep in my gut, I don’t feel like it’s him stalking me. He looks basically the same, except now he has a beard. The picture was taken at a fire station and he’s dressed in a fireman’s uniform.

“I guess he’s a fireman?” I inquire.

Owen sighs. “Yep. Full time for the city of Hendersonville. He’s getting married in February. On Halloween, he was at the station working.”

Nodding, I set Tripp’s picture aside and twiddle my fingers. From the look on Owen’s face, I know who’s coming up next. My chest tightens.

Owen hands me a picture of Bryan Snyder, a guy I’d dated just briefly, but had stayed friends with for years. Was there ever a time I was in love with him? Yes, but timing was never on our side. I think I fell in love with how great we meshed together. His friends had called us mac and cheese. It was silly, but that’s how it’d been. I’d met him at the community college when I was eighteen years old. We had English class together. It hadn’t taken long to realize there was a connection between us. Soon, we started dating, but then I transferred out to culinary school while he moved on to pursue a degree to be a park ranger.

It hits me that I have no clue if he ever achieved his dream or not.

In the picture, Bryan is standing in line at a coffee shop, looking down at his phone while he waits. His hair is a little longer on top, and still the same dark blond as before. The jeans he has on aren’t cheap and neither is the gray sweater. He’s obviously taken care of himself over the years. It’s not until I recognize the layout of the shop that my heart stops.

“Please tell me that’s not Tea Time Café,” I say, meeting Owen’s gaze.

He glances at the picture and then back to me. “I can’t . . . because it is. You wouldn’t believe what I found out about your friend here.”

My stomach clenches even more. “Just tell me.” Reaching behind the small stack of papers, he pulls out another photo. This one is of Bryan in a police uniform. “Holy fucking shit. He’s a police officer now?”

“Yep,” Owen replies, sliding the picture back into the pile. “For the city of Pinecrest.”

The blood rushes from my face and I know I’m probably ghostly pale. “Every morning before the bakery opens, there’s a cop who always drives by,” I whisper. I close my eyes and I can see the cop car as it slowly moves down the street.

Owen’s eyes widen. “Seriously?”

I nod. “Every morning. I never thought anything of it. I guess it made me feel safe. Now I don’t know what to think.”

“Let me help you with that.” Owen slides a paper from out of his stack and shows it to me. It’s a receipt from Walmart for an Arrow costume. Bryan’s name is on it as the purchaser.

With a loud gasp, I slap a hand over my mouth. “Oh, my God. It’s him.”

“I’m pretty sure it is,” Owen confirms. “All he had to do was look at your Facebook to see that you were going to be at my party. One of the problems I’m having is that I can’t trace the phone numbers to him. I need more time.”

“And what are the other problems?” I ask nervously.

His jaw clenches. “The main one would be that he’s gone.”

“What? What do you mean he’s gone?”

Owen closes the folder and sets it on the bench. “I went to the station to find him and found out from his supervisor that he’s working a case . . . an undercover one. They won’t tell me where he’s at or what case it is. He’s most likely using one of his alias names and that’s definitely not going to work in our favor.”

Owen has numerous alias’ he’s gone by over the years. My favorite being Jaxon Harding. I’d always thought it sounded rough and intimidating, perfect for his line of work.

My chest tightens to a level where it becomes uncomfortable, so I stand and walk around. “He could be anywhere, Owen. That doesn’t exactly make me feel warm and fuzzy.”

Owen stands and squeezes my shoulder. “I know, but at least we have a good idea of who it is. Give me some time and I’ll find him.”

“What if you get called on another case? I won’t have you here to help me.”

He turns me around. “I’m not going anywhere. Whatever happens, I won’t take another case until this one gets solved. That way, you’ll feel protected. With me and Jake around, Bryan isn’t going to do anything stupid.”

I would be lying if I didn’t say I was scared. Now that he’s a police officer, there’s no telling what he can do as far as tampering with evidence. What if he’s friends with some of the higher-ups and they cover for him? It’ll be Owen’s word against his.

Releasing a heavy sigh, I pull out my phone. “We have to tell Jake.”