Someone had forced their way in. And before she even pushed the door open, she knew what she’d find.
The place was ransacked, yet nothing had been taken.
Still, the quiet of the apartment when she stepped inside made her stomach drop. So did the sight of the drawer in the small entry table hanging open, the contents dumped on the floor like they were looking for something.
Her little jewelry case was there, along with the spare cash she kept tucked in a mug in the kitchen cabinet. She didn’t own a television, but the laptop she’d been using to apply for jobs was untouched.
Whoever broke in hadn’t stolen a thing. Well, nothing but her ability to sleep.
Of course she’d called the police. They’d come eventually, taken a report and left with her knowing that nothing would come of it. Not that she’d expected anything else.
This wasn’t her first rodeo, as people said.
Zee took another sip of the tea and glanced down at the danish Church brought her. She couldn’t eat thanks to the knot in her stomach, but she broke off a piece to keep her hands busy.
The sugar hit her tongue and made her realize she actually was hungry. After she took two more bites, a shadow crossed the ground in front of her and she looked up.
A young man stopped, a heavy cable looped over his shoulder and his cowboy hat tipped low over his eyes. “Ma’am.”
She smiled. “Hello.”
“Let me get you something. Be right back.”
Before she could guess what that was, he hurried away. A minute later, he returned without the cable but he carried a small table. He set it beside her chair and straightened with a crooked smile.
“Now you can set down your food and drink.”
“Thank you. That was really sweet of you.”
He grinned. “I’m a grip. It’s part of my job to anticipate what people need on the set.”
She pushed her glasses back on her head. For some reason that made his smile widen. “It sounds like you’re pretty important around here.”
“I don’t know about important, but it’s nice to travel and meet the actors and producers.”
“I bet that’s exciting.”
“Are you from around here?”
She paused, then realized that—now—she was. She’d agreed to stay in Willowbrook for six months. As long as nobody broke in and drove her off.
“Yes,” she told him.
“The town’s quaint. And that view.” He pivoted toward the mountains and let out a low whistle.
She shaded her eyes to take in the sight as well. “It sure is stunning.”
He turned back and smiled at her. She smiled back.
“Well, I’d better get moving. It was nice talking to you.”
“Thanks again for the table.”
As he strode away, she watched him for a beat, aware in some distant portion of her mind that he might have been flirting with her. But she was so far removed from that sort of thing. The last person she’d flirted with had been Matt, and he married her.
The young man disappeared around the corner of the trailer. When she looked up, she saw Church standing a few yards away, his stare locked on her.
Her stomach gave a small flutter for reasons she couldn’t begin to understand. All she knew was it wasn’t the same knot that sat in her stomach when she thought of the break-in.
