“I am,” I said, shaking his hand. “Declan Parker.”
His grip was firm, but mine was firmer. He smirked and let my hand go.
“Jack Grayson,” he replied. “I work at the PD.”
“So, you know Ayla?” I asked, curious to find out more about her. Magnolia Grove was a small town where everyone was sure to know everyone. Then again, I didn’t know if that was a good thing. Knowing my luck, Jack was probably an ex-boyfriend.
Jack chuckled. “Of course. I know her very well; we grew up together.” He cleared his throat, and his smile shifted slightly, almost like a warning. “I care about her, too.”
“You’re not the only one,” I said, watching his eyes widen. I wanted to test him to see if he’d get angry with my response, but he didn’t. A sense of relief washed over me and I could feel the jealousy slip away. It was clear he wasn’t interested in Ayla like that. So, I added in, “Linda’s already told me she’d kick my ass if I did anything to bother Ayla.”
Jack tilted his head back in laughter. “Ah, yes. Linda is known as the town’s mother. If she says she’ll kick your ass, she means it.”
That made me smile. “I believe it.”
Once he was done laughing, he scanned the park and then glanced down at my sweaty clothes. “I seeyou like to run in the mornings, too. I like to do the same before the heat gets out of control. It’s not so bad in the fall and winter, but the summertime?” He wiped the sweat off his brow with the back of his hand. “It’s brutal.”
“Yes, it is,” I commented.
Jack studied me. “So, are you a cop? You look like one.”
I shook my head. “No.”
He shrugged. “We could always use more guys at the station. What do you do, by the way?”
What was I supposed to say? I couldn’t tell him the truth.
“I don’t do much of anything at the moment,” I ended up saying.
Jack stared at me for a few seconds and nodded, obviously getting the hint I didn’t want to elaborate.
“Okay, well, I hope you have a nice day. I’m sure I’ll see you around.” He nodded once and took off at a sprint through the park.
In New York, I could walk down the street without worrying about small talk. I had my select group of friends, but we were all the same, including my brother. He was just like me. We didn’t have to keep secrets or hide who we were. Here, in Magnolia Grove, I was an outsider. I didn’t realize how complicatedit was going to be to keep my identity a secret without coming off as an ass.
It wouldn’t be so difficult if it weren’t for Ayla. I was fine until I met her. She didn’t seem like the type of woman who was going to back down. She was persistent with her questions last night, and I had a feeling more were going to follow. The question was . . . how would I answer them? It wouldn’t be so bad if I weren’t attracted to her. I didn’t want to push her away, but I couldn’t let her get too close.
More people started to filter into the park, and the last thing I wanted was to be stopped by someone else. However, before I could take a step, the hairs on the back of my neck stood on end. I knew that feeling well.
I scanned the park to see if there was anything amiss, but nothing strange stood out. The last time I felt this uneasy was six months ago.
Someone was out there watching me.
And it wasn’t a welcome feeling.
Chapter 7
Ayla
Ithought I’d see Declan out in his yard yesterday, but there was no sign of him. I was hoping to casually ask him if he’d go to the Fourth of July Festival with me, but in all honesty, I wasn’t going to give him a choice. It was going to be a fun day, and I wanted him to experience the joy of Magnolia Grove.
Since it was July Fourth, I dressed in my traditional tank top that was designed as the American flag, along with a pair of denim shorts. Then, to finish it all up, I put my hair into a ponytail and wrapped it with a red ribbon. I was ready to go.
I grabbed my phone off the bed just as it dinged with an incoming text.
Mom: Are you at the festival? I’ve been trying to find you. Diane has a question about a sore tooth, but your father went MIA with the other husbands. I think they’re off sneaking in some bourbon.
Shaking my head, I smiled. That was what my dad and his friends did every time there was a town festival. It was their way of getting away from the women so they could talk about manly things, which was mainly the art of cutting grass or their last score at the golf course.
