Toby cleared his throat. “No pressure, but I’m in the process of setting up an office here in Amber Ridge. You’ve got my name and number. Feel free to reach out.” He smiled before heading off.
Noah scrubbed a hand over his face, not sure what the hell to do with that information. He wanted to be okay. Heneededto be okay. He couldn’t let either of the incidents with Addie happen again. Because next time, she might not come out of it unscathed.
CHAPTER 8
Not. Enough. Sleep. Notnearlyenough sleep.
Addie pulled the sheets over her head to prevent the sun that was already poking through the curtains from hitting her in the eyes.
The house was old and it groaned and creakedallthe time. Add the wind and the animals outside and there were no peaceful, quiet nights. Heck, she might even have a racoon or something living in her attic, there was so much noise.
Of course, it probably didn’t help that she’d been on the phone to her mom until far too late, and the woman had asked her three times—three—whether she was ready to come home.
Her mother meant well. But she didn’t understand that Addieneededto do this. She needed to live somewhere different and have a bit of separation from her parents.
With a deep sigh, she crawled out of bed before stepping into the shower. It was a quick shower because she wanted to go for a run. She needed to do something to clear her head. And not just a run around the block. She needed trees and mountains. She needed open Montana air.
All of which she could get at work. The mountain bike trail was perfect for running, she just had to get there before theplace opened. She didn’t usually work up too much of a sweat, especially with the cold air, but if she did, she could just sneak home and take a shower at lunch while Cass covered for her.
Back in the bedroom, she pulled on some leggings, a sports crop, and a sweatshirt. She’d just stepped back into the bathroom to pull her hair up when her gaze caught on something in the sink. She frowned.
What was that?
Slowly, she lowered her head to look closer. Were they…hairs? Short, black hairs…
No. That wasn’t possible.
She had blond hair, and she was the only person who used this bathroom. Hell, apart from Noah, she was the only one who’d spent any time in this house.
Wait, no—a plumber had come yesterday while she’d been at work. It was from him. It had to be him.
Air rushed from her chest.
She was so shaken by that text and the feeling of being watched that she was scaring herself.
Quickly, she turned on the tap and washed them down the drain.
She hadn’t received another text since the bar. And she was praying it stayed that way. Because shewas notrunning home to her parents scared.
She’d considered going to the sheriff’s station about it, but it was probably just some prank texter. At least, that’s what she was trying to convince herself.
Quickly, she pulled up her hair in an elastic band, then grabbed her work clothes and shoved them into a bag before leaving. When she reached the park, the sun was only just rising. It almost looked amber and was beautiful. But then, all of Amber Ridge was beautiful.
The second she climbed out of the car, her first real smile of the morning stretched her lips. At the sound of the birds—maybe mountain bluebirds—in the forest. At the cool morning air on her skin.
In her office, she dropped her bag onto her desk before stepping outside again and going straight to the mountain bike path. Then she started running, her feet hitting the ground.
God, it felt good.
Why didn’t she run more? She should. That, combined with the fresh air in her lungs, just made every heavy thought inside her feel lighter. Every worry about Noah, every fear about the person who sent the text… it suddenly felt like she could carry the load and not crumble.
She wasn’t sure how long she ran—it had to be close to half an hour. It was enough time to let the endorphins kick in and her mind get lost in nature. It wasn’t until she neared the end of the loop that the familiar crunching sounded behind her. The first time since the text.
She glanced behind her but continued to move.
No one was there.
She looked back ahead, a strange feeling now in her belly. A ripple that made her uneasy and even a bit sick.
