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* * *

I almost jump out of my skin when my phone suddenly starts ringing in my pocket.

I fumble and drop the container of stew, thankful the lid doesn’t come flying off, and rush to retrieve my phone.

“Hello.”

“Dana? It’s Omar from Battaglia Security. Is something wrong?”

Confused, I look around me, until I catch sight of the small camera mounted on the inside corner of the porch. I can’t see him, but he can see me.

“Um…I think someone may have been here. They left an envelope on the mat in front of my door.”

“Looking at the logbook, one of our guys marked a FedEx courier dropping something off at your house around three twenty this afternoon. He made note of it but clearly didn’t find anything suspicious. You weren’t expecting anything?”

I close in on the envelope, feeling a little more emboldened with the security guy on the line.

“No,” I share, tilting my head a little to read the printed handwriting on the envelope.

* * *

MS. DANA ELIZABETH KERRIGAN

* * *

“It has my full name, but no address.”

“Okay, do me a favor; leave the envelope, go into the house and lock the door. I’ll head over to check it out. The house is secure, unless you’d rather wait for me in the car.”

I’m feeling pretty silly to have him drive out all the way to check out what looks to be just a simple envelope.

“You don’t have to do that,” I protest. “I’m probably overreacting anyway.”

“No problem, it’s what we’re here for,” the man says with a smile in his deep, soothing voice. “I’ll stay on the line until you’re inside.”

He ends the call once I’m in the house, and as soon as I have the container of stew tucked safely in the fridge, I put on the kettle for something warm.

It’s likely nothing, and I’m just freaking myself out, but once my mind starts spinning, I can’t seem to stop it. Even the whistle on my water kettle makes me jump out of my skin.

With a hot cup of tea, I force myself to sit down on the couch and even turn on the TV with the volume way down, hoping to distract myself. It’s not until I check my phone to see how long it’s been since I hung up with the security company, I notice the message which was indeed from Rick.

* * *

Have you eaten? I’ll probably be getting out of here in the next half hour or so and can pick something up.

* * *

I release a deep breath and quickly respond.

* * *

Yes, and I have dinner I can heat up for you when you get here.

* * *

The sense of relief is real, knowing he’s on his way.

A soft alert chimes in the house—my notification a car is coming up the driveway—and I immediately move to the window.