She chuckled and put her hand in his. Peace sifted through her.
His gaze fixed on her in the tiny confines, their flashlights casting a warm glow.
She swallowed. “Thankfully, you’re not Heath.”
Joel laughed. “He ain’t all bad.”
“I know. I just don’t see a nice guy like Talbot being friends with the obnoxious guy. Well, obnoxious sometimes. But it’s more...” She rubbed the back of her neck. “Heath gives me a funky vibe at work sometimes.”
Joel narrowed his eyes. “What do you mean?”
“He just hangs around in places I’ll be. It’s ... weird.”
He raked a hand through his tussled hair again.
Could he be any cuter?
“I didn’t know that. I’m sorry, Cass. You’ve had more than your share of creeps. At least your stalker is gone.”
Or so she’d thought.
“Watch your step,” Joel said, helping her down one steps. He paused at a missing one.
Her eyes widened at the gap. “What happened there?”
Joel shrugged. “Must have fallen off a while ago.”
She swished her flashlight down. It took a moment of searching, but her light found the snapped board lying against the packed dirt floor far from where it originated. “How old is this place?”
“Opened in 1921.”
“Whoa. Older than I realized.”
Creaks eked out with each step they took to the bottom of thestairwell. Though what could be considered an actual stairwell was far different in her mind.
The space held an earthy vibe, like fresh soil in a garden just before dawn—damp, rich, and something she couldn’t place. “So ... this is the cellar.” She swiped her light around, jumping at the deer head on the wall.
He rested his hand on her shoulder, and she jumped again.
“Sorry.” He retracted it and took a step back.
“No.” She shook her head, ignoring the throbbing through her wrenched knee. “It’s not you, it’s just...”
“Just?”
Pain punctuated his eyes. How could she continue to lie to him? She needed to tell him the truth. Sit him down and tell him, but with her stalker back, she feared for his life. It was a no-win situation. Tell Joel and risk his life. Don’t tell him and let him think she never loved him. She needed to tell him when they could sit and talk a minute.
Light flickered by the small window behind Joel’s shoulders, and her gaze shot to it.
“What is it?”
“A light.” She pointed at the window half sunken in one of those metal half-circle things.
He glanced back.
Her shoulders drooped. “It’s gone now.”
He shrugged. “Probably someone’s flashlight.”
