Willa and Declan left the Have a Nice Day Cafe and went to Ryan’s and Daleigh’s house.

Declan had called them first, making sure it was okay if he and Willa stopped by. He’d also told them about what had happened last night.

Since then, Willa had been preparing herself on how she would address her brother.

Daleigh offered a feeble smile when she answered the door. “Come in, ya’ll.”

They stepped inside, and Willa felt like a stranger in a place that was normally like a second home.

“Thanks for letting us come,” Willa said.

“Why don’t ya’ll have a seat?” Daleigh motioned to the couch. “Can I get you some coffee?”

“I’m okay,” Willa said.

She moved Winter out of the way and sat down.

Willa hated how formal this felt. But there was nothing about this conversation that would be fun.

Before she even said anything, Ryan came into the room with an envelope in his hands. He spread the contents on the coffee table. Some photos were in the pile.

Willa picked one up and sucked in a deep breath.

It was a picture of her. With her face crossed out with a red marker.

“Why did you keep this from me?” Willa shook her head in disbelief, feeling an overwhelming mixture of anger, fear, and confusion.

“We just didn’t want you to worry.” Daleigh frowned and rubbed her belly. “You have so much on you.”

“I’m not that fragile.” Maybe she’d been acting as if she was. If so, she needed to change that. There was too much at stake here for people to tiptoe around her.

“We never said you were fragile,” Ryan said. “But why add more stress?”

She crossed her arms. “Is this why you wanted Trevor to go to camp this week?”

“It certainly didn’t hurt.” Ryan rubbed his jaw, his remorse evident. “I figured that would be the safest place for him—away from here.”

She leaned back, pushing past her emotions for a minute and trying to focus on a solution. Getting angry and fussing would do no good right now. There would be time for that later, if necessary.

“Is there anything else I should know?” she asked.

“Every other question you’ve asked me about, I’ve told you the truth,” Declan said. “We’re exploring every option.”

“How about Daleigh?” Willa asked. “What if these threats are from someone connected with her?”

“We can’t rule anything out, even though the notes make it sound like Ryan is the focus here.” Declan’s face was etched with concern and apology.

Everything suddenly made a little too much sense.

“Did you tell Chief Haven all of this?” Had everyone known but Willa?

“We told him everything,” Ryan said. “He’s been sending an extra patrol past your house.”

She shook her head again, still trying to let this sink in. She’d been so concerned with everyone else, when she’d been the target. She was still concerned about Daleigh, and Ryan too, for that matter. But this went so much deeper than she thought.

“I just can’t believe this,” she muttered.

“It’s a lot,” Declan said.

Another thought hit her like a bolt of lightning. “What am I going to do? Trevor comes home in a few days. Should we go out of town?”

“It might not be a bad idea,” Declan said. “At least until this blows over.”

“Then again, what if this guy is never caught? We can’t run away or live in fear for our entire lives.” What would she do? She couldn’t put everything on hold indefinitely.

“We’ll cross those bridges as we reach them,” Declan said.

At that moment, something scratched the window.

Their heads swerved toward the noise.

Outside, branches moved.

Everyone in the room froze.

That wasn’t a normal rattle, like one caused by the wind. No, the movement was too uneven. Unnatural.

Something was in those bushes.

Or someone.

Declan jumped to his feet and raced toward the door.

He pulled it open just in time to see a man dart away from the house. Declan sprinted across the yard after him.

This guy wasn’t going to get away.

Just as the man reached the sidewalk, Declan leaped toward him. He grabbed the man’s shoulders, and they both tumbled to the ground. As they did, the man’s shirt rode up.

A gun. The man had a gun in his waistband.

Acting quickly, Declan grabbed it and tossed it out of reach.

“Let go of me,” the man yelled.

“Don’t count on it.”

Declan flipped the man on his back. He waited for recognition. But he’d never seen this man before. The guy was clean-shaven. In his thirties. Wheat-colored hair.

Ryan reached them at that moment. He shook his head, silently communicating that he’d never the seen the man before either.

“You have any zip ties?” Declan asked.

“Always have some on hand.”

Ryan returned a moment later, and Declan secured the man’s hands. As he did, Chief Haven arrived. Thankfully, the station was just down the street.

“We caught this man outside the window.” Declan jerked him to his feet. “Here’s his gun.”

“You have some explaining to do.” Chief Haven took the man and led him toward the police sedan.

The man sneered. “I don’t have to explain myself to anyone.”

“Sure you do. And you’ll have plenty of time to think about that while you’re in jail for trespassing.”

The man turned toward the house. “I love you, Daleigh,” he shouted, spit flying from his mouth. “I’d do anything for you. We’re meant to be together. Not you and that guy.”

Daleigh didn’t acknowledge him. Instead, she slipped back inside the house as if she hadn’t heard. It was the best thing she could have done—to not even pay attention to the man.

Willa followed her, casting a worried glance Declan’s way.

Hopefully, they’d have some answers soon. And hopefully this was all over.

Three hours later, Declan joined everyone back at Ryan and Daleigh’s house. He came from the police station where Chief Haven had been generous enough to let him sit in on the interrogation. Now he needed to give them the update.

Willa appeared beside herself, as did Daleigh, as they sat in the living room again. Daleigh had already looked at the man’s photo, but she hadn’t recognized his mugshot.

“This guy—his name is Terrance Wilcox—didn’t confess to everything,” he started. “But he left his home town of Joplin, Missouri, three weeks ago, and various people have spotted him in this area since then. In fact, he’s been staying at the bed and breakfast just down the street. He told the owner that he was here on business.”

“What kind of business?” Ryan asked.

“He said that he was scoping out locations for a new car dealership,” Declan said. “We also found some magazines in his room, and there had been words cut out.”

“So he was the one sending those threats,” Daleigh said before pressing her lips together in apparent agitation.

“It appears so.”

“Did he confess to breaking into my house?” Willa’s voice sounded hopeful.

“Not yet. He’s not admitting to anything, but Chief Haven thinks he has enough to keep him behind bars for a while. By all appearances, he’s the one who’s been sending these threats.”

Ryan leaned back, looking halfway relieved. “So this is finally over?”

“That’s how it looks.”

“None of this explains why he was targeting me,” Willa said. “The pictures of me, the break-ins . . . why would one of Daleigh’s crazed fans do that?”

“We’re still trying to work that out,” Declan said. “Maybe he wanted to use you to get to Daleigh.”

She nodded and released her breath. “I guess you could be right. It’s hard to explain crazy sometimes.”

“Yes, it is,” Ryan agreed.

“It looks like this is over,” Daleigh said, standing. “Let’s celebrate with some apple pie.”

Declan and Willa remained at the house for another hour, eating pie and drinking coffee and acting halfway normal for the first time since Declan had arrived in town. It was fun, and Willa looked like a weight had been taken off her shoulders.

This also meant his reason for being here was no longer valid. His work was done.

Finally, Willa stood and yawned. “I should get going.”

“I’ll walk you.” Declan stood also.

She nodded, but a strange emotion filled her gaze. He had trouble reading what it was.

She should be happy. The trouble was over. She could sleep at night.

But maybe there was something more to her melancholy. More than this case, he had a feeling.