CHAPTER TEN
Holly blinked. Of course her father’s jailbird status had come out. She figured it would have sooner or later. She’d just been banking on later. “I don’t tell anyone about that,” she said. “I’m sure you can understand why.”
“I get it, but you should have told us.”
“Does it really matter? I didn’t do anything wrong.” Even so, she’d been the only one left to handle the fallout after he went away. Her dad’s scandal had rocked their close-knit town. Holly had been away at college, but there were still folks who held a grudge and refused to talk to her. Still the embarrassment and guilt. He’d kept most of his business out of town, and the few victims from Green Valley Falls had been reimbursed financially. But there were other kinds of wounds that a fat check couldn’t heal.
“What about your mom?” Cole asked.
Holly started the car and eased onto the road. Driving gave her an excuse not to look at him.
“What about her?” she snipped. “She couldn’t handle all the gossip and back-biting, so she divorced my dad and bailed. Moved cross-country to Washington State while I was away at school.”
“That must have been tough on your relationship.”
Holly sighed. “It’s complicated.” That was the polite way of saying, “I don’t want to talk about it,” right?
“Why’d you come back? And stay?”
“Like I said, I didn’t do anything wrong. All my friends are here. I already had a job lined up with the parks department.” She shrugged. “I wasn’t planning to live at home after graduation anyway, so I got myself a place and stayed.”
“That’s what you meant by people you loved leaving you?”
His intuitiveness was annoying. She kept her eyes glued to the road. “Maybe.”
“I’m sure the DA can work around it. Any other secrets though?”
“No. I’m a jilted bride with a jailbird dad. That’s the extent of my embarrassing baggage.”
“Believe me, I’ve heard worse.”
“What’s your family like?” Time to turn the tables.
“You don’t want to know.”
“Why not?” Her juicy-secret-’bout-to-come-out meter pinged.
“My folks have been married over thirty years, sickeningly in love, and more so every day. I have two sisters. They all live in Brooklyn. We’re pretty close.”
That wasn’t juicy at all. Her meter must need calibrating.
“What about you? Wife? Girlfriend?” Not that it mattered. Just a friendly get-to-know-you question.
“Neither.”
“So, no scurrilous family secrets?” Was that even possible? Everyone had something .
“Well, it’s not a scandal, but I had a sister who was killed when she was sixteen.”
Holly slammed on the brakes and gasped. So, not juicy, just horrifying. “Killed? That’s terrible.” She looked over at him, dying for details but not wanting to pry.
“She went into the city with some friends. They were held up at gunpoint, and for some reason, one of the robbers shot off a round for fun as they fled. It struck my sister in the throat, and she died within seconds.”
“I’m so sorry, Cole. How old were you?”
“Ten. It’s what made me want to be a cop actually.”
Another call came over the radio, and she’d been so engrossed in the conversation that she jumped at the sound. “Bennett? You clear for a lockout at Parking Lot Two?”
“On my way,” Holly said.
“Keys locked in the car,” Cole said. “Now you’re talkin’ my language. Maybe there’s a kid or a dog inside, and we’ll get to bust out the windows.”
“Easy, boy,” she said but couldn’t help but smile.
They ran from call to call, grabbing lunch at a BBQ shack near the park, and finally quit at seven. She stopped by the office to turn in her radio and switch out her keys.
“I’m beat,” she said as they got into her truck. “We can go to town for dinner or grab a pizza and take it back to Jen’s.”
“We should stop by your place again,” Cole said. “Just a quick look around. Then pizza sounds good.”
“That’s fine. I need more clothes anyway.”
Holly called in a pizza order and texted Jen to say they’d bring dinner. She pulled into her driveway and immediately felt something was off. Cole must have sensed it too because he unholstered his gun before opening the truck’s door.
“Stay put. Lock the doors when I get out. And lay on the horn if you see or hear anything.”
She thought about going with him but decided she’d be more trouble than help. The minutes he was out of sight were agonizing. He’d circled the house, then pushed the door open and entered. Which was a bad sign, considering she was sure she’d locked it on the way out this morning.
Finally, he jogged back to the car. She got out. “How bad?”
His grim smile said it all. “Pretty bad.”
He wasn’t kidding. The house was ravaged. Furniture overturned, books ripped from the bookcase, pictures turned upside down. All the kitchen cabinets were open and empty, the floor a sea of broken dishes. And that’s just what she could see from the entryway.
“Bears hunting for food do less damage,” she said. “Is the whole house like this?”
“Afraid so.”
“I’m not hiding anything,” she said, fury building. “He did this just for spite.”
“This is a warning, Holly. Thank God you weren’t here.”
His cell phone rang. He pulled it out and answered it. “Sheriff.”
He listened for a minute. “Yeah. We’re here now. Someone broke in and tossed the place good.”
Another pause. “All right. Thanks.”
“Was that Sheriff Hayes?”
“Yeah. Gave him my card last night at the bar.”
“What’d he say?”
“Well, you were right about word spreading quickly. A guy fitting Cruz’s description asked about you at the coffee shop. A barista told him you’d moved to Ireland.” He scratched his head. “Not sure where that came from.”
“That was probably Hope. When you meet her, you’ll understand. Keep going.”
“Hope watched him get into a red Kia Soul and drive away. She called the police, but by the time they talked to her at the coffee shop and started out here, someone else had already seen the same car on the road out of town.”
“A Kia Soul would definitely stick out around here. So, he’s gone?”
“For now. But he could be staying nearby, ready to come back tomorrow or the next day. What do you think about leaving town for a few days?”
“I can’t. I have work. And I want to be here for the Fourth.”
He ran a hand through his hair. “I gotta say. The town grapevine sure worked nicely.”
“Don’t sound so surprised. We can really close ranks when it’s important.”
“Hm. Well, get what you need and let’s go.”
“I think we should pick up Lady. She’s real good about telling me when something’s wrong.”
“Can’t hurt,” he said. “You know anyone who could come board things up here?”
“No need.” She waved a hand. “No one from here will mess with it. And it’s not like Cruz could do any more damage.”
She did her best to ignore the wreckage in her bedroom. Anger boiled at the thought of him touching her stuff, but she tamped it down. After jamming a few necessities into a duffel bag, she rejoined Cole in the living room. He had righted the couch and stood with his hands on his hips, surveying the damage.
“Sorry about this, Holly.”
His apology inexplicably caused a lump in her throat. She was in trouble. She knew that. But crying wouldn’t do any good and was probably the last thing Cole was equipped to deal with.
To buy some time, she walked to the kitchen and opened the refrigerator, giving herself a chance to swallow the emotion. “It’s not your fault. You want one?” She held up a can of flavored seltzer water.
“Sure.”
In silence, they popped the tops and drank. She took a final look around and sighed. “Let’s get out of here.”
Cole tried to lock the door, but it was broken beyond repair.
“At least it stays shut,” Holly said. “It’ll keep critters from moving in.”
Not in the mood to drive, Holly offered Cole the keys. “Kennel’s only a mile up the road. You mind?”
He shook his head and started the truck. She could only guess what he was thinking. Did he regret coming? Could just one man protect her? What if Cruz had other guys with him?
That line of thought was useless. There was no reason to stress over something she had no control over.
“Barkingham Palace?” Cole chuckled as they drove through the gates. “That’s clever.”
The truck was barely in park before Lady came barreling out from the barn. Holly’s mood lightened instantly at the sight of her joyful dog.
“How’s my baby girl?” Holly cooed as Lady galloped to greet her. Tail wagging furiously, she barked happily as Holly rubbed her head.
“You didn’t mention Lady was a badass German shepherd,” Cole said as Lady gave him a thorough sniffing. “Would she attack to protect you?”
“I’ve never been in a situation to find out.” Holly scratched Lady between the ears. “Honestly, she’s probably more bark than bite. But if you don’t know her, that bark could be pretty scary.”
Lady barked once and jogged to the pickup.
“Guess she’s excited to go home,” Holly said to Juliet, who’d followed Lady from the barn. “Nothing against your hospitality. I’m sure she means no offense.”
Juliet laughed. “None taken. She does well with the other dogs but is probably ready for some peace and quiet. I heard someone trashed your house. You okay?”
“Seriously?” Cole said under his breath, making Holly laugh.
“I’m fine,” Holly said. “My place, not so much. It’s one reason I wanted to get Lady. She’ll tell me if anyone’s around that’s not supposed to be.”
“This is so scary, Holly. What are you going to do?”
Holly shrugged. “What can I do?”
“Be careful,” Juliet said, wrapping her in a tight hug.
Cole handed Juliet his card. “You should be careful too. Call if you need anything.”
Holly opened the tailgate, and Lady leaped gracefully into the back of the pickup.
After popping into Mariani’s to pick up a large pepperoni, they returned to Farmer Jen’s.
“I heard what happened out at your place,” Jen greeted. “You okay?”
“Man, word travels fast around here,” Cole mumbled.
“We’re fine. Thanks,” Holly said. “Just hungry.”
“Survived your first day of work?” Jen asked Cole, who was digging heartily into the pizza.
“Barely,” Cole said. “Almost got eaten by a bear.”
“Pft,” Holly said. “Hardly. Come to momma, you cheesy miracle.”
They told Jen about the red Kia Soul and asked her to be extra vigilant in case Cruz figured out where they were staying.
The pizza disappeared within minutes. Holly leaned back and patted her stomach. “So satisfying. And I didn’t spill a drop.”
“Is that a big feat?” Cole asked. Holly ignored him.
“Cool if I go see the animals, Jen?”
“Lock up when you’re done.”
Holly stood. “I gotta walk off some of this pizza. You coming? Or am I safe enough?”
“You go, we go,” Cole said.
Crickets serenaded the short jaunt to the barn. Holly slid open the door and was met by a loud, high-pitched bray.
Cole jumped. “What the hell is that?”
“Never heard a donkey yell?” Holly laughed.
Cole did a double-take. “A donkey? Are you serious?”
Lucifer stuck his head out of the stall, baring his teeth in a treat-seeking smile. “This is Lucifer,” Holly said, grabbing a carrot from the treat bin. “Use this, and make friends.” She handed Cole the carrot, which he took, but stared at with a blank look.
“Feed it to the donkey,” Holly instructed. “Here, like this.” She reclaimed the carrot and broke it in half, put it on her open palm, and let Lucifer take it from her. The mule chomped greedily, swallowed, and aggressively sniffed around for more. “Your turn.”
Cole gingerly approached the stable door and copied Holly, holding his palm flat. The donkey gobbled up the carrot, and Cole stepped back, wiping his hand on his leg. Holly bit her lip to keep from laughing.
“You’re a natural. He loves you.”
“The feeling is not mutual.”
“Let’s try a horse next.” Holly selected two apples from the bin and handed one to Cole. She led him farther down the stalls and opened one containing a beautiful chestnut brown mare. “This is Buttercup.”
Buttercup flicked her tail, swatting at a fly on her flank, then lifted her chin as if giving a head nod greeting.
Cole approached cautiously. “Hello, Buttercup,” he said, tone as stiff as his back. He held out the apple at arm’s length and watched with wide eyes as Buttercup used her big lips to lap up the treat.
“Good job, city slicker. Wanna pet her?”
“You don’t have to patronize me,” Cole said. “Just give me a minute to adjust. I’m used to subway cars, taxis, and bikes. Nothing with legs.”
Cole eased up next to the mare and laid a hand on her neck, petting gently. Buttercup turned and nibbled Cole’s ear, taking him by surprise. “What the…?” He jumped back and grabbed his ear.
“She’s giving kisses,” Holly said. “Means she likes you.”
Buttercup had pushed him up against the stall wall and was nibbling at anything close—his shoulder, the front of his shirt, his hair.
“Kisses?” He put up both hands to block his face. “She’s trying to make out with me! Against my will. No means no, you perv.”
Holly laughed. “Hey, girl,” she said, drawing the horse’s attention to give Cole room to escape. At the first opportunity, he peeled out of the stall and stood behind Holly.
“Okay. Good first try.”
“Any other creatures I should worry about?” His head swiveled around to the other stalls, hackles up, looking for danger.
“Um. We’ll save the goats and chickens for another time.”
“What’s with the hodgepodge of pets?”
“Jen’s a retired vet. Now she collects animals that would otherwise be homeless or put down.”
“Oh. Well. That sounds nice.”
They locked up the barn and returned to the house.
“I got another bedroom fixed up for you, Cole. You can move off the couch tonight,” Jen said.
“Great, thanks.”
“Jen, we really appreciate you putting us up. We’ll get out of your hair after the Fourth.”
“It’s no problem. Fun to have the company,” she said. “If y’all are good, I’m heading up to read before bed.”
They said their good nights.
“I’m gonna sit on the porch for a bit,” Holly said. “I’ll take Lady and be real careful.”
Cole had some kind of internal debate before saying, “Okay. I’ll be right here.”
Outside, she beelined to the porch swing and flopped. It was her favorite part of Jen’s farm. Covered in flower-patterned pillows and big enough to sleep on if she were so inclined. Lady made a circle and plopped down at her feet.
Holly used her toe to push off, setting the swing in motion, and laid her head back. It was hard to believe so much had happened in only a day. Facing Rick for the first time since the breakup, working with Cole by her side all day, then seeing her life’s belongings upended.
She knew she was in danger. Knew she should be more worried, but for some reason, it just all seemed too surreal to be real. As long as she didn’t sit around at home, Edwardo would have a hard time finding her. The townspeople had her back and would help keep her safe. Then there was her hunky sidekick, who was never far away. She’d be fine.
After a few deep breaths to clear her mind, she pulled out her phone. There were several missed messages from her friends about the break-in.
What the hell, Holly? Someone broke into your house? Alex had texted.
I heard some guy was asking about you at the Rise and Grind? came from Faith.
And that the sheriff ran him out of town? Tess added.
Are you okay???? This was from Juliet from before they had talked.
Holly typed out a quick note to put out the fire. Yes. Yes. Not really. I’m fine!
Soooo, how’s Officer Hottie? Faith replied right away. Everyone sent a wide-eyed emoji at once, meaning they also wanted an answer.
How was Officer Hottie? She smiled, thinking of his various reactions to the day. Angry when she and Tess tricked him into hunting garb. Apprehensive when confronted with the bear. Take charge when searching her place. And terrified at meeting Jen’s menagerie of beasts. He was definitely out of his comfort zone but seemed to be taking it in stride.
She texted a thumbs-up and an eye roll emoji. This was not a conversation she planned to have over text. Or at all, if she could help it.
Cole came out to do a perimeter check. When he finished, they went back in together, and he locked the door and turned the deadbolt.
“Reveille at oh seven hundred,” she said.
“Copy that.” He gave a smart salute. “Night, Bennett.”
“Night, Robinson.”
She snuggled into bed with a smile on her face. He was only here to protect her. Neither of them loved the situation. But damned if she didn’t find herself enjoying his company.