Tilly: Sorry. There weren’t any parking spots close by, so I ended up parking near the grocery store. Almost there.
She’d already messaged him that she was running late, the parking situation had just made hermorelate.
Her phone dinged with a text.
Jake: That’s okay. I’m just out here losing my mind over all the delicious-smelling food. I’m very tempted by the strawberries with melted chocolate in cups.
She grinned. One of the local strawberry growers sold them. They were delicious, not only because the strawberries were super fresh but because the chocolate was such good quality. It made them as addictive as they sounded.
Tilly: Get a cup. They’re amazing. I won’t be long.
Well, she hoped she wouldn’t be long. The market got busy early, so when she’d realized she wouldn’t get there on time, she knew her only choice would be to park a bit farther away and walk.
Luckily, she had experience being late to this market because her mother had seldom been on time. But that meant they’d found a hidden parking spot years ago. It was a couple streets away in an alley near the grocery store.
She was about to round a corner when something rustled in the thick hedges beside her. What was that? Slowing her steps, she shifted her gaze to the bush, but there were no more sounds. Not only that, but she didn’t see anything either.
Maybe it was the rustle of wind in the leaves.
She sped up her pace. She got about five steps away when it sounded again.
This time she stopped. “Hello? Is someone there?”
Even though silence followed, the fine hairs on her arms stood on end…because she didn’tfeelalone. Was that crazy?
Her gaze moved over not only the hedges but the trees behind them. Her heart had just started to pick up its rhythm when the phone in her hand rang, causing her to jump. She looked down to see a private number.
She touched the cell to her ear. “Hello?”
A buzzing sounded over the line, like there wasn’t much signal.
She frowned. “Hello? Is anyone there?”
A deep voice sounded, but the static was so loud and repetitive, she couldn’t make out a word they said.
“I’m sorry, I can’t…it’s a bad line. Maybe call back when it’s better.”
She hung up and turned—only to screech at the big body in front of her.
She pressed a hand to her chest. “Jake…oh, God, you scared me.”
“Sorry. I came to look for you. Are you okay?”
“Yeah, I…” Her gaze lowered to her phone, then the hedges beside her. “I’m okay, just jumpy.”
Jake lifted a cup of strawberries and chocolate. “Maybe these will help. I got two forks.”
Her mouth watered at the sight of the chocolate-coated fruit. “Oh my gosh, you may have just turned my morning around.”
She took a fork and dug it into a strawberry. One bite, and she had to hold in the groan. Christ, it was amazing. Anyone who didn’t love chocolate-covered strawberries was crazy. They had to be, right?
“You didn’t sound too happy on the phone when you called,” Jake said softly as they started walking toward the market. “Everything okay?”
She cringed. She’d called and basically word vomited that she’d be late getting to the market. When he’d asked if everything was all right, she’d given him a firm no without actually telling him why.
“Not really. An hour ago, I was in the middle of a pretty epic breakdown.” When he just frowned at her, she lifted a shoulder. “Someone egged my house.”
“What the hell?”
