“He let her pat him.”
“There you go. Sherlock’s a good judge of character. If she passed his personality test, you’re safe.”
Gabe’s eyebrows rose. “He did the same thing with you and I’m still worried.”
“Very funny. Why is Natalie here? Sapphire Bay isn’t one of Trip Advisor’s top ten towns to visit.”
“I don’t know why she came here.”
“How long is she staying?”
“Three months, maybe less.”
“Do you know anything else about her?”
He smiled at the interest on Caleb’s face. “She was living in Italy. You can always stop by and meet her.”
“It’s quicker to ask you for information. Why would anyone move here after living in Europe?”
“Probably for the same reason we’re here.”
“I doubt it,” Caleb muttered.
Gabe frowned. “You’re not on the run from the mob, are you?”
“You’ve been writing too many thrillers. Not everyone has a dark side.”
“Only people who have something to hide don’t answer direct questions.”
Caleb picked up his coffee mug and rinsed it under the faucet. “My life isn’t as interesting as yours. I bury myself in computer networks and program code. Until I met you, visiting the general store was about as exciting as my life got.” His mouth dropped open. “Mabel has rubbed off on me. I’m turning into the town busybody.”
Gabe laughed. “You’ve got a long way to go before that happens. And for what it’s worth, your social life is ten times more exciting than mine.”
“Except for tomorrow night. I’ll pick you up at six o’clock. The concert starts at seven.”
Gabe followed Caleb to his truck. “Do you want to come here for dinner?”
“It will have to be another night. I need to do a final sound check before the band arrives. Mabel is paranoid about something going wrong.”
“I don’t blame her. How many people will be at the concert?”
“About three thousand.”
Gabe glanced at the light coming from Natalie’s side of the cottage. No wonder all the accommodation was booked. Sapphire Bay had a population of about eight hundred people. If Natalie hadn’t moved into the cottage, she wouldn’t have been the only person sleeping in a vehicle.
Caleb slid into his truck and rolled down the window. “I’ll see you tomorrow night. And even if it kills you, try to be nice to your neighbor.”
As Caleb drove away, Gabe’s phone beeped. He read the text.
Cold dread crept along his spine. His publisher had received another letter from the person stalking Gabe, and the message was getting worse.
* * *
The next morning,Natalie stepped off the veranda and smiled. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d slept so soundly.
She took a deep breath, relaxing her shoulders and enjoying the clean, fresh scent of pine and spruce trees. In all her travels, Sapphire Bay was the only place where she felt truly at home. She could hike in the mountains, swim in the clear blue water, or walk around the edge of Flathead Lake, skipping stones across the gently lapping water.
This morning, she was heading toward the lake. With her backpack sitting snugly against her shoulders, she strode away from her grandparents’ cottage and into the woods.
