Wade had been in three times already — twice yesterday, and again this morning just before opening. He’d told me that Redhawk had sent him the footage of Derek at my house, and next time they wouldn’t be waiting the five minutes to dispatch someone. Derek wasn’t flagged as suspicious anymore, but as an imminent threat.
Each time Wade came, he asked the same question:Have you seen him again?I knew that the questions weren’t just about Derek. The question was a generalized one. He wanted to know if I’d seen anything suspicious. We were all waiting for the other shoe to drop.
Each time, I’d given the same answer.No.
But that didn’t mean I didn’t feel him. Derek had a way of always showing up again like a cockroach. Even now, I caught myself glancing toward the windows, checking the reflection in the glass for a shadow that didn’t belong. I wouldn’t lie to Wade. If he showed up again, I would definitely be saying something.
“Did you stay at Sage’s again last night?” Mia asked, pulling me back. When I nodded, she continued, “That’s good.” She pulled at her apron before looking over the edge of the counter and into the book stacks. “Look, are you sure you’re alright?”
Mr. Jenkins was loitering over in the thriller section, but it was quiet right now. I had rolls proofing and a batch of tester scones chilling, so I had no choice but to have this conversation.
“As good as I can be.” I opted for a safe smile, pasting it on my face, hoping it would stay there. Mia didn’t look convinced.
“Are you sure you should be pushing Easton away?”
No, I wasn’t. I’d seen the hurt on his face when I had, and I knew exactly what it meant. Still, I knew that my baggage could end up hurting him, and I wasn’t sure that I could even live with myself if that happened. My conscience squirmed at me, telling me that was only part of the issue. I wasn’t worried so much about East getting physically hurt. He was a big boy. It was trusting someone again. Seeing Derek brought up all that shit for me.
“Maybe the best place for him is right next to you.” She toyed with the edge of her apron a little more. “I wasn’t here for the whole thing between you and Derek, but …” She looked again over at the stacks. “You know that things haven’t been good between me and Roy.”
We had talked just around the edges about me and Derek. I’d opened up a little because I had caught just glimpses of things that made me suspect that Mia’s relationship with Roy was full of red flags. It made me concerned for her, so if sharing a few details could help her see things differently, I was willing to do so.
“Anyway,” she soldiered on. “Easton is agoodguy. Maybe he’s who you should be hanging on to.”
“That’s the point. He is a good man.” I leaned a hipagainst the counter, my throat tightening at the thought of him. “Maybe he shouldn’t be hanging around me. It isn’t good for his health. There is trouble all around me right now.” The idea was depressing. “And trusting is hard.”
“I get that.” Her eyes were sad. “You heard from him?”
My heart squeezed. “A few times.”
That wasn’t the full truth. He’d texted. Called. Stopped by the shop, but I couldn’t bring myself to face him yet, not after the way I’d told him I’d needed space, the way I’d made everything worse. If only we’d talked it out. Instead of being mad, he was being sweet. Coming by and leaning into me, putting his hands on me.
She sighed. “You’re going to lose a good man doing that. He won’t wait.”
“Probably,” I murmured, turning back to wipe the counter even though it was already clean. My reflection stared back at me, those tired eyes and faint circles telling the story of a woman who was stubborn right down to the tilt of her chin.
The bell over the door jingled again, and for half a heartbeat, panic surged. It wasn’t Derek. Just Wade, stepping inside with his usual quiet authority, his jacket dripping from the rain.
He nodded toward Mia before making a beeline for me. “Morning, Lila.”
I swallowed. “Twice in one day? You’re going to scare the customers.”
He didn’t smile. “Looking a little empty in here right now. Afternoon, Earl.” He gave Mr. Jenkins a wave. “Just making sure you’re holding up. I swung by your placeagain last night. It looks like East has it almost finished up.”
“He doesn’t stop.” The words slipped out before I could catch them, threaded with too much feeling.
East had continued working at my place. If anything, he’d kicked it into another gear. In the evening, the lights were on across the street, and I could hear him working over there all the way until nine or ten o’clock. I kept wondering if my neighbors would complain about the noise.
Wade’s gaze was steady, unreadable. “That’s the thing about my brother. He likes to keep himself busy when he’s worried or thinking about something. We’re all worried.”
“I know. I appreciate that. I really do.” I knew that the whole family was loving and kind. If anything, that made it worse, because I ached for a family. It was one of the things that drew me to East. “I’m ok.”
He gave me a gentle look. “We all know that you’re not. It’s okay to be scared. We’re here for you. You need to lean on us. We’re pretty tough. East is too.”
My breath caught. “You sound like Mia.”
“Good,” he said. “Maybe you’ll listen to one of us. We all care about you.”
I looked away for a second, giving myself a moment to think about East and the last time he held me. Nothing sounded better to me than to call him and ask him to come see me, wrap his arms around me, and forgive me. “If you’re here to talk about Derek, he hasn’t been here.” Bitterly, I wish that he were. Then we could have just gotten it over with. “I don’t know anything else.”
