Chapter 1 #2
A grin tugged at the corners of her mouth as she pulled out the pint of Ben & Jerry’s she’d been saving. Cherry Garcia, her favorite. She grabbed a spoon from the drawer, not even bothering with a bowl. This was a straight-from-the-carton kind of night.
She kicked off her leggings and slipped into her favorite pajamas set, a loose cotton tank and soft plaid shorts, and padded to her bed.
She flipped on the small TV perched on top of the dresser and scrolled through her streaming options until she found a classic comedy show.
Something light. Something that didn’t ask much of her emotionally.
She curled up with the pint in her lap, the laughter from the screen blending with the faint hum of the fridge and the rhythmic creak of the ceiling fan. For the first time all day, she let her body relax fully, and she sunk into the mattress.
Eventually, the spoon slipped from her hand and clattered gently against the empty carton. The screen faded to the next episode, then another. Her eyelids grew heavier with each passing minute until sleep finally wrapped around her, quiet and warm.
She didn’t wake until the sun had crept well into the sky, the morning light filtering through her gauzy curtains.
Blinking slowly, she stretched and sat up with a yawn.
It was rare that she got to sleep in, but she had the whole day off.
That meant no phones, no spreadsheets, no customers, and no sitting behind the front desk all day.
She had lunch plans she was looking forward to, but had a bit of breathing time this morning.
After a long shower, she pulled on a sundress and her favorite sandals, tossed her long dark hair into a loose bun, and grabbed a tote bag.
She threw in the small toys she’d purchased for her friend Julie’s oldest, Malia.
She’d picked out a coloring book, some fun stickers that she knew the three-year-old would love, and a glittery plush pony that she’d picked up at the drugstore earlier in the week.
The café she was meeting them at was just a few blocks away. It was a cozy spot tucked between a surf shop and a boutique selling beach candles and overpriced linen cover-ups. The outdoor seating area overlooked the marina on the bay side of town, where boats bobbed gently in the early summer sun.
Julie was already seated at a shaded table near the edge, bouncing her newborn, Kalea, in a wrap against her chest while Malia scribbled furiously on a placemat with a purple crayon.
“Hey, you!” Julie called with a tired but genuine smile. “You look like you actually got sleep last night.” She sighed. “I’m so jealous.”
Beth grinned as she slid into the chair across from her. “I did. For once.”
Julie had the kind of beauty most women envied without even meaning to.
Her straight, dark hair, currently pulled into a loose braid, brushed her cheeks as the breeze lifted a few strands free.
Her blue eyes sparkled beneath long dark lashes, and her skin glowed with a sun-kissed warmth that spoke of her Hawaiian heritage.
She was slightly taller than Beth’s own five-foot-two frame, but would still be considered petite.
Julie carried herself with the confident ease of someone who always knew what needed to be done, and usually did it before anyone thought to ask.
Her sunny personality and effortless organization made her the kind of person everyone wanted on their side.
“Miracles happen,” Julie said with a wink, then reached down to nudge Malia’s sippy cup closer to her. “Say hi to Auntie Beth, Malia.”
Malia looked up, gave a big toothy grin, and waved her crayon in the air like a wand. “Hi! I’m making a castle with a dragon and cupcakes.”
Beth laughed. “Sounds like my kind of fairy tale.” She pulled out the items she’d brought for the girl. “I got these for you.” Malia laughed and clapped when she saw the stickers.
They ordered lunch—turkey paninis, iced tea, and a side of sweet potato fries that Malia promptly commandeered half of.
The conversation drifted easily between them like it always did.
Julie talked about Kalea’s unpredictable sleep schedule and how Damion was adjusting to having two girls.
Well, three if you counted Julie, which he did.
Beth filled her in on the auction numbers and how the new online booking system was glitching less than usual. Julie had taken over the website design and marketing for the camp almost two years before.
It was funny, they had both started out working behind the front desk and now had moved on to bigger jobs. Careers, really. All thanks to being trusted and encouraged by the Wildflowers.
Over the next hour, they talked about everything and nothing, the kind of easy comfort that only came from people who knew what it meant to hold each other’s secrets.
As Kalea finally dozed against her mother’s chest and Malia switched to drawing a unicorn with sparkly wings, Beth glanced at her watch.
“I should let you get some rest,” she said, gathering her things. “Thank you for lunch. This was just what I needed.”
“Me too. I’m sort of going stir crazy. I have three more weeks left of maternity leave. Don’t get me wrong, I’m enjoying it, but…” Julie sighed. “I miss the camp and everyone there.”
“I know what you mean.” She laughed. “It’s my day off and I’m thinking of heading over there now to just, I don’t know, jump in a pool or see if anyone has a spot open for a massage.”
“Do it. You’ve earned it, you know.”
Beth chuckled. “I’m tempted.”
She gave Malia a high five and bent to kiss Kalea’s forehead and then walked the two blocks to the parking lot behind her apartment building.
The midday heat was heavy, thick with humidity, and her sandals clicked softly against the pavement as she made her way to her car parked beneath a palm tree.
She opened the driver’s side door and had just buckled in when something tugged at her attention.
A car. Black. Older model sedan with tinted windows. It had been parked across the street when she’d left for the café, and it was still there now. That wasn’t that odd, but it was odd that the engine was still running.
Beth stared at it through the side mirror, heart rate ticking up as a slow prickle ran across her skin. There was nothing overtly suspicious. No movement. No flashing lights. No one stepping out. Just… stillness.
Ian drove a big truck, or at least he had the last time she’d seen him outside of his patrol car. It was the kind that ate up gas and could plow over a row of cars like her own smaller sedan. His tires were practically taller than her car.
She doubted that he’d be caught dead in a small sedan like this, so she looked away and tried to shake off the feeling. She told herself it was probably someone waiting for takeout. Or texting. Or killing time between errands.
But when she pulled out of the lot and turned towards the grocery store, the black car pulled out behind her.
She didn’t speed. Didn’t swerve. Just drove like it was any other normal afternoon. Her fingers tightened slightly on the wheel as her mouth went dry. Two blocks later, it was still behind her. Three. Four.
She took a random left, nowhere near her destination.
The car followed and her heart skipped several beats.