Nothing.
“Molls,” I said, getting in her line of view this time. As soon as I called out her nickname, she snapped out of her daze and let go of the knife. It fell with a loud clank against the tile floor.
She crawled out from under the table in a frenzy, throwing herself at me and wrapping her arms tightly around me.
“It’s okay, Molls. Everything is okay,” I said, rubbing her back to reassure her. “Are you okay? Is the baby okay?”
“I’m fine—we’re fine,” she said, clutching her chest as she tried to catch her breath.
“In through your nose, out through your mouth,” I said, coaching her. She did as I said, doing it a few more times as she sat down on the floor.
“That’s it, Molls. You’ve got it.”
Colt walked into the kitchen, followed by Jace, Cassie, and Maggie, the owner of the diner just down the road.
Cassie knelt down next to Molly and me.
“Molly, honey, what happened?” she asked, keeping her voice calm.
I could tell Molly was trying not to cry.
“I was just back here organizing inventory when I noticed this strange guy lingering by the front door. At first, I thought maybe he was lost or something. He didn’t really look like he was from around here. But after a few minutes, he tried turning the knob. When he realized it was locked, he tried even harder to open it. Then he found a rock and threw it through the window, but he backed up when the glass cut his hand pretty bad. That’s when I called 911.”
I frowned. “Why do you think he wasn’t from around here?”
“He was in a suit. Nothing super fancy, but just enough to be out of place in Silver Creek.”
“Dispatch said you thought he was armed?” Colt added, stepping closer.
“When he reached back to throw the rock, I was almost sure I saw a gun on his hip. But I couldn’t be positive.”
“What kind of idiot breaks into a business in broad daylight?” Maggie asked.
“I’m not sure. This kind of thing hasn’t happened in Silver Creek in years,” I said. “I’m going to get some blood samples from the busted glass. If he has a history of breaking and entering, maybe he’ll be in the system. But it could be weeks before forensics comes back on that. We have to send that kind of stuff off to Great Falls.”
Molly looked around at everyone standing in the room. “How did you guys get here so fast, anyway?”
“Colt called and let us know what was happening. And Cassie called Maggie while we were driving, because she thought she might be at the diner this morning—and she was,” Jace explained.
“I missed their call, but as soon as I saw Cassie’s text, I ran over here. Colt and Liam beat me here though,” Maggie said, motioning toward both of us.
“How did you hear what dispatch said?” Molly asked Colt.
“I was with Liam.”
She looked confused. “Why?”
“I just happened to run into him,” Colt said quickly, not revealing the surprise I had planned for Molly or the real reason we’d been together.
“Oh.”
“Molls,” I said gently, “I’m in no position to tell you what to do, but I don’t think you should open back up until we can get the door and the glass fixed. And maybe get better locks than those old, rickety ones. Ikicked that front door in on the first try. You need something stronger. I want you and the baby to be safe at all times.”
She nodded slowly. “As much as it pains me to admit it, I think you’re right. Maybe it was just a fluke, but I don’t want to take any chances. I’ll close for the rest of the week until I can figure something out.”
“Do you think you should go to the doctor? Maybe check on the baby?” I asked, trying not to sound too pushy.
“I’m fine, Liam. Just shook up, that’s all, I promise,” she said, holding onto my arm, trying to reassure me the same way I tried to reassure her that nothing bad would happen again.
