She stood frozen, staring at it. Her pulse pounded in her ears, drowning out the chirp of birds in the nearby trees.
It’s not Chris’s truck. He drives a black sedan.
But that didn’t stop cold dread from seeping into her chest.
She squinted, trying to see who was behind the wheel but couldn’t make out more than a shadowy figure.
She forced herself to move, grabbing the flats of plants from her trunk. As she carried them to the side yard, she kept glancing at the truck. It didn’t move. No one got out.
She set the plants down and returned for the hostas and butterfly bushes. That was when she saw it.
A small potted succulent sat in the middle of the other plants. It wasn’t one she’d bought. She would have remembered—it was a unique variety with thick, spiky leaves edged in deep purple.
Her hand trembled as she picked it up, turning it over. No tag. No receipt tucked in the soil. Unless her boss accidentally placed the succulent on her cart, the pot had appeared out of nowhere.
Her gaze shot to the truck. The engine started, a low rumble that made her jump. She watched, rooted to the spot, as the truck pulled away from the curb and rolled down the street.
She stared at the rear, noting that it had a Utah plate.
She stared after it until it disappeared around the corner. Her breaths came fast and shallow, and she clutched the succulent to her chest.
Not Chris. Not his truck. Not his plates.
But someone had been watching her.
Someone left this plant.
She needed to get out of here. Now.
Trembling harder, she loaded everything back into her car. She didn’t want to go home. The thought of being alone in her apartment made her stomach churn.
The ranch. She could go to the ranch.
As she drove, she scrambled for an excuse. She couldn’t just show up and say she was scared, that she thought someone was following her. That sounded crazy. Chris always said she was crazy.
She’d tell Willow she needed to double-check a few things for the garden design.
By the time she pulled up to the Black Heart Ranch, her hands had stopped shaking, but the tight knot in her chest remained. She buzzed at the gate, and they admitted her.
Willow met her as she parked, a bright smile on her beautiful face. “Fern! I wasn’t expecting to see you today.”
Fern climbed out, forcing a smile that probably wobbled as much as her empty stomach. “I wanted to double-check a few measurements. Make sure I didn’t miss anything.”
Willow’s brow furrowed, her sharp gaze sweeping over Fern’s face. “You okay?”
“Yeah, I’m fine.” The lie tasted bitter.
Willow didn’t seem convinced. She glanced toward the house, then back at Fern. “Come on. Let’s get you some water.”
As they walked toward the house, Willow’s pace slowed. “Fern, what’s really going on?”
The concern in Willow’s voice cracked something inside her. Fern stopped walking and wrapped her arms around herself. “There was a truck. Outside my apartment last night and this morning too. And then at my job site.” She swallowed. “I think someone’s following me.”
Willow’s expression hardened. Just then, a guy in a Black Heart Ranch T-shirt and work pants walked out of the garage. She looked over her shoulder and called out to him. “Get Crew! Tell him to meet us in the security office.”
The guy waved a hand and took off at a jog.
Fern’s heart lurched. She opened her mouth, but what was there to say?
