The morning sunshimmered across the lake, the surface rippling with the breeze. Already the water birds were flying in, their wings outstretched as they glided low over the water before landing gracefully and calling to each other. Lainey balanced her coffee mug in her hand. For a moment, everything was peaceful. Still.
Saturday night had been a respite from everyday problems.
Laughing with Dani and Autumn, drinking delicious concoctions, enjoying the appetizers, the desserts—all of it was a treat. It’d been too long since she had gone out with girlfriends. Hell, it’d been too long since she had laughed and just relaxed.
On Sunday, she and Luke had a fun day at the park and made pizza for dinner.
But she should have known better than to let her guard down.
Tara arrived to bring Luke to the park, and by the time Lainey reached the site, an uneasy weight settled in her gut. Her sandals clicked across the pavement as she stepped out of her car and scanned the project.
Everything looked goo—No!
The bakery’s new railing was ripped out.
The steps to the porch were hacked apart.
And the mural—the one the high schoolers had painted just a couple of weeks ago in bright red and green, full of life, birds, rainbows, trees.
Destroyed.
Red paint was splashed across it. The paint dripped like blood.
Lainey swallowed hard. She reached for her phone, but her hands trembled too hard to take a picture.
“Not again,” she whispered.
Gravel crunched behind her. She turned to see Gus approaching, hard hat in hand, lips tight.
“I saw this when I got here,” he said, nodding to the project sign—the one they used for site updates. Sprayed across was,you’ve been warned,walk away.
Lainey’s throat tightened. “What the hell is going on?” She stared at the mural. “It’s bad enough they’re vandalizing property; now they’re defacing something the kids poured their hearts into.”
“I know,” Gus said quietly. “This isn’t random.” He shook his head. “This is a message.”
She squared her shoulders. “I’ll call the police again. Maybe they’ll take this seriously and put on extra patrols.”
“You can do that. But this isn’t just your problem anymore, Lainey.”
“Humph. Do you have any good suggestions, because”—she lifted her hands in defeat—“I’m fresh out.”
“Let me make some calls,” said Gus. “See what funds are available.”
Lainey closed her eyes and shook her head.
“It’s worth a try,” said Gus. “The project will never be completed if we don’t stop this.”
“Fine.”
“Trust me,” he said. “I’ll find a way.”
She tried to smile, but it didn’t quite make it to her face. “How does the crew feel about this?”
“They’re uneasy. I’ve tried to keep it under wraps.” Then Gus glanced toward several of the crew.
She followed his gaze. A couple were talking, but two of the men were leaning on the tailgate of a truck, watching them a little too closely. A chill danced down her spine.
Down the street,Finn was busy catching up at his building site.
