She was going to have to figure out how to keep everyone she loved safe until the trial was over. The stalker wouldn’t know if she’d heeded his warning or not until it came to the actual trial, so she still had some time to work a solution out.
She sighed and watched Dylan from the corner of her eye for a second as she took another long sip. All her other problems could wait.
CHAPTER 30
Kelsi
3 Days to Trial
When the morningof their moms’ joint birthday barbecue arrived, Kelsi’s stomach was roiling with nerves. She and Dylan had had a breakthrough—with their relationship, not the case—over the past couple of weeks. Since then, they’d been on new ground, and she was struggling to find her footing.
Kelsi put the finishing touches on her hair, letting the last strand fall free of the curling wand to join the rest of her hair in beachy waves around her face.
“Kelsi?” Abby called from outside the bathroom.
“Yeah?” Kelsi unplugged and set the curler down on the counter, heading into her room, where Abby had clothes strewn all across the comforter.
She held up two different dresses against her body, one after the other. “Which one?”
“The left,” Kelsi replied quickly. “The right one you’d be hoisting up your chest all night, and you hate having to worry about that.”
“You’re right,” Abby said resolutely, shaking her head in a mock-disappointed gesture. “I do hate having to play hall monitor to the girls.”
Kelsi laughed and moved past her friend, heading to the door, but Abby’s voice stopped her. “Will a certain cop be in attendance tonight?”
“I don’t know, I mean, I never invited him, and wouldn’t it be weird with him and Dylan both being there?”
“Weird? Why would it be weird? It would only be weird if something happened between you and Dylan,” Abby mused aloud, then froze before slowly turning to face Kelsi. “Did something happen between you and Dylan that you didn’t tell me about?”
“Umm, I mean, maybe?” Kelsi took small, cautious steps backward in escape, but Abby saw straight through her and blocked her exit.
“Uh-uh, not so fast. Sit.” She pointed at the bed and Kelsi reluctantly trudged over, moving a skirt so she could sit on the edge of the mattress. She hadn’t told Abby about what happened between her and Dylan, mainly because she had no ideawhathad happened.
“Spill,” Abby ordered, hands crossed over her chest.
So, Kelsi told her about the house, and the nickname, and how Dylan was different. Well, different from how she’d expected him to be after their less-than-enthusiastic reunion in the courthouse. Now he was back to the old Dylan,herDylan.
“Okay,” Abby said, lying down on top of the clothes littered on the bed. “I’m not going to tell you to forget the past and jump right in again with Dylan, because you were destroyed when he enlisted and by everything else that happened, but”—she twistedher head to stare at Kelsi as she lay down beside her—“I think you should give him a chance to surprise you now.”
“You think so?” Kelsi’s stomach twisted in a queasy knot.
“Yeah, I do. I thinksomepeople deserve second chances, and he barely makes the cut. Like, seriously, he scrapes by. But you also have that hunky cop as an option. So I say invite him tonight too. What will it hurt?”
Kelsi thought about it and sighed as she stood from the bed. “Fine, I’ll text Sheridan, but I don’t want to lead him on. I like him, but ...I’m just not sure yet.” He’d been texting her on and off since the night at Crow’s Nest, and she definitely got the vibe from him that he was seriously into her. With everything going on with Dylan, she didn’t know whether she’d be able to see him as anything other than a friend.
“That’s okay. You’re allowed to not be sure. Just don’t put all your eggs in one basket yet.”
“Okay,” Kelsi acquiesced, moving toward the door. “I’m gonna head out to the bakery now to pick up the cake. You sure you’re okay getting the flowers and meeting me at Mom’s?”
“Of course, girl. I got you and your mom covered.”
“Okay, but text me if you need anything at all.” Kelsi walked out of the bedroom door into the hallway before leaning her head back through the door. “Love you!”
“Love you too—now go!”
Kelsi yanked her head back in time to avoid a frilly pink projectile, cackling the whole way at Abby launching lingerie at her head.
* * *
