Page 5

"The woman Ozella is referring to is his campaign PR manager, Griselda Westing, who is now wanted by authorities in connection with the arson."

The news broadcast continues, but I can't hear anything over the rush of blood in my ears.

Holy crap. This is huge.

I dial Dottie’s number. It rings and rings before eventually going to her voicemail.

"It's Dottie. You know what to do."

I hang up and try again, but the same thing happens.

Ten missed calls and seven messages. Something must be wrong. Maybe she's with Granger, but why wouldn't she answer? I should head over to her brothers' place to see if they know anything.

Besides, I'm not ashamed to admit to myself that I enjoy their attention.

Granger is a small-crop farmer now, and I buy all my produce from him, although I've given him far less business lately. Nick makes furniture, and Leo is an inventor. I don't see any of the guys as often as I did when Dottie lived here, but when I do, it's the highlight of my week. They remain my secret fantasy all these years later. But they’re still Dottie's brothers.

I glance down at my phone to see the little voicemail alert. Why was she trying to get hold of me? She couldn't have known about this—it just happened. Feeling increasingly uneasy, I navigate to my voicemail and press play.

My blood runs cold as Dottie's frantic voice spills from my car's speakers.

"Toto, call me the second you get this. Let me know you're okay."

Gillikin bumps break out on my skin, and my stomach feels like I’ve swallowed a brick. I try calling her, but it goes straight to voicemail again.

I keep going as I approach my turn toward home, continuing on to Dottie's brothers' house. Usually, the farther I get from Emerald City, the more I can relax, but not today.

It's been ten years since we graduated, and Dottie came back to Oz solely to help me out of a bind. She's the best friend I've ever had. I would do anything for her, but I selfishly dragged her back when things are not good in Oz. I thought it would also give the guys a chance to tell her about the farm and how they could lose it if the rezoning project goes ahead.

But now...

I shake my head. One thing at a time.

The guys will help me figure out what to do.

Chapter two

Toto

Darkness has settled by the time I turn onto the dirt driveway. Relief washes over me when headlights appear from the direction of the fields.

Granger’s truck.

Perfect timing.

Granger is a gentle giant, with a calm, soothing nature. At six-five, he's more than a foot taller than me, and every time I'm around him, I wonder what it would be like to climb him like a tree. Not that I can climb trees, but still.

I'm worried about Dottie, but that doesn't stop my traitorous heart from fluttering with delight when Granger calls out to me as we get out of our vehicles.

"Hey, gorgeous. Did I miss an order from you?" The way Granger's dark brown eyes linger on me is unnerving. I almost convince myself he's looking at me with more than the playful curiosity he shows everyone.

One glance, and my panties are soaked. What I wouldn't give for his flirting to be genuine, but Granger is naturally friendly with everyone. I'm not about to fool myself into thinking I'm special.

"No." I toss my long, dark hair over my shoulder as I look around. "Is Dottie home?"

He grins. "Her car is gone, so I'm guessing not."

I chew my lip. I don’t want to cause a panic if she's okay, but if she's not, they need to know. "I had a voicemail from her, and she sounded completely freaked out. Like something was really wrong. Have you heard from her?"