Page 16 of After We Fall

“Miss Penelope and Bianca, I’ve got your coats.” Finley’s voice travels through the house to us, but it doesn’t penetrate Bianca’s world.

“Bianca, look at me, please.” My solid voice doesn’t betray me like my shaking hands do. I place myself in her line of sight, and thank goodness, she stares back at me. “Bianca, it’s Penelope. Can you hear me?”

It’s slight, but she nods.

“We have to go.” I take her cold hand in mine.

Her body tightens and her face becomes hard. “I am not going anywhere that man tells me.”

I don’t blame her. Men have never led her to safe places. But I need her to leave.

“Bianca, Mr. Granger’s here to help us. And I will explain everything to you once we are out of the house.” I give her hand a gentle tug. “But you must come outside with me first.”

She releases a noise that can only be interpreted as a growl. “I’m not doing anything for that man.”

“Don’t do it for him.” I stare into her flat blue eyes. “Do it for me. Do it for Tanya and Finley. Do it for yourself. But whatever you do”—I move an inch closer and lower my firm voice—“do not do it for him.”

After a beat, her features soften. “Okay.” She swallows. “I’ll leave because you’re asking me to.”

I squeeze my eyes shut. “Thank you, Bianca.” Gripping her hand, I pull her through the living room, to the front door, and out to the dark gravel driveway.

Tanya and Finley wait near the entrance to the ranch, huddled under the spotlight of one of Luke’s newly installed motion-detector lights.

“What’s going on, Miss Penelope?” Finley’s breath fogs in the chilled air.

Did cold weather arrive while I was in bed all day? I catalog our surroundings. No snow, but the temperature is lower than last night. And a cool, westerly wind curls itself around the group.

Could someone be watching?

Tanya thrusts a coat at an unresponsive Bianca.

I grab the black fleece jacket, shake it out, and wrap it around her shoulders, trying to bide my time to figure out how much to tell them. I’m not exactly sure what Luke is up to in the house, but I know enough to follow his lead. “Okay, girls. We need to discuss Mr. Granger’s occupation here at Twelve Bluebells.”

“No kidding.” Tanya’s under-the-breath remark is unwelcome, and I flash her a glare to let her know.

“The night before the wedding, there was some minor vandalism in the chapel,” I say. “I apologize for not telling you all sooner. I wanted to handle this without it disrupting your lives. However, not communicating this with you was a mistake.”

I cannot believe I didn’t anticipate this kind of scenario. I may have put them in jeopardy.

Bianca opens her mouth but says nothing.

After explaining the incident and our concerns, I look them each in the eyes. “Luke installed state-of-the-art surveillance systems on both the Holcombe ranch and Twelve Bluebells Ranch and is now keeping an eye out for us.” Squeezing Bianca’s arm, I gentle my words. “He’s here for your safety.”

Finley tilts her head to the side. “And why is Mr. Granger interested in my bear?”

“For whatever reason, I think he interpreted it as a possible threat,” I say.

“But how . . .” Finley’s eyes grow big. “A clock. He thinks it’s a bomb?”

I stare back at the house, my brain finally calculating the scenario. My stomach drops. Surely he’s not checking out a possible explosive by himself. There’s a difference between someone who is a loose cannon and someone who doesn’t value their life. Which one is he?

“Marcus wouldn’t have sent a bomb,” Finley says.

“Finley!” Tanya stomps, her hands fisted. “For the love of God, there wasn’t a name on the card. The bear might not have been meant for you.”

“But it might still be from Marcus. He still loves me.” A breeze carries Finley’s hushed words away. I wish the wind would take her expectations with it.

Tanya groans. “You have got to be kidding me.” She leans in to hand me my trench coat.