“You’ll need a raincoat and boots.”
Snatching her hand back, she spun and pressed her hand to her throat. Her skin was leached of color.
“What’s wrong?”
“I heard something, so I came to investigate and saw someone out there.” She pointed to the detached garage and the profuse bushes marching behind it and linking to Kenneth the tax man’s property. “At least, I thought I did.”
“Could it have been Kenneth?” He didn’t like that the man had studied Tori’s movements. “Does he have a pet that might’ve escaped?”
He moved closer to her and looked through the screens. The view was obstructed by the relentless downpour.
“He has a cat, but I don’t think he’d be inclined to pursue her through this.”
“I’ll check it out.”
She sidestepped to block the door. “You don’t have to do that. I’m more rattled than I realized, and my mind’s probably playing tricks. It could’ve been a large dog. There’s a black lab that roams the neighborhood every time his owners forget to latch the fence.”
“Can I borrow an umbrella?”
She arched a brow. “Still stubborn, I see.”
“We’ll both feel better if I do this.”
“Fine.” She disappeared into the house and returned a minute later. He examined the oversize dog faces printed on the material.
He let out an exaggerated sigh. “Let’s hope none of my buddies happen by.”
Wind and rain battered his lower body. And it hindered his ability to look for clues. There weren’t any discernible footprints. Nor was anyone lurking behind the structure. A stand of trees separated Tori’s lot from the one behind hers. He couldn’t detect movement in that person’s yard. The garage itself was locked, the lone window intact.
Back inside, he wiped the mud from his shoes. “I didn’t see anything or anyone suspicious.”
“Good.” A furrow dug between her brows, advertising her continued disquiet.
“Has Kenneth ever done anything to make you uncomfortable?”
She shook her head. “He’s a little frazzled and absentminded, but he’s harmless.”
“You don’t find it odd that he knows your schedule?”
“Having nosy neighbors can actually be a good thing. Crime deterrents. Besides, I have an alarm system. We had one installed several years ago.”
Cade propped the umbrella in the corner. “Do you know if sensors were installed in the windows?”
“On this level, they were.”
Outside, there was a second set of stairs leading to the upper-level deck, which stretched the rear facade of the house—easy access to the entrance door and windows.
“You might want to consider installing them on the second floor, just to be safe.”
She studied his face more closely. “You’re worried. Why? Deputy Claxton wasn’t.”
“Maybe because I’ve experienced my fair share of violence.”
“That’s your world, not mine.”
“Nothing wrong with staying proactive.”
“That word again,” she groaned. “The Marines’ way of saying an ounce of caution is worth a pound of cure.”
“Served me well over the years.”
“There’s a rational explanation for the car. I’m sure of it.”
Inside the kitchen, Tori locked the door and checked it twice, a sign she wasn’t as confident as she’d like him to think.
He noticed she held her wrist flush against her middle. “Did I do that?”
He’d shoved her to the ground with scarcely a thought to where she landed. He inched closer, curved his fingers around her arm and gingerly inspected it. “Looks swollen.”
“It’s a little sore,” she murmured, easing free of his touch. “Nothing serious.”
“I’m sorry. I reacted without thinking.”
“You were trying to protect me.”
“And wound up hurting you.”
Her eyes darkened with unpleasant memories. That last scene in the local college library was seared into his mind. Cade hadn’t known he could inflict such pain.
“Tori—”
“Here’s the deposit bag,” she exclaimed, snatching it from the dining table and heading for the front. “We should get going.”
Cade followed at a more sedate pace. She wasn’t ready to hear his apology. He’d been naive, thinking that one conversation could mend the rift between them. Friendship with Tori was probably out of reach, but he’d thought they could at least put the past to rest and be friendly acquaintances.
Tori insisted on walking with him to the bank at the end of the street, a brief distance made miserable by the continuing onslaught. But by the time they’d dropped off her deposit and completed their business at the hardware store, the rain had stopped and the gray clouds were starting to disperse. Tori’s stomach growled as he was loading the new window.
“I heard that,” he told her. “Why don’t we stop at Red’s on the way?”
She placed a bag of tools in the back seat. “I don’t know.”
“Surely you can’t turn down a cheeseburger and fries.” He came around to her side. “I’ll throw in that ice cream cone I promised earlier.”
“Spending time with you...pretending we’re fine...” She bit her lip and took her time examining the parking lot.
His heart squeezed. “I get it.”
“This can’t be easy for you, either.”
“I’ve come to accept that most things worth doing aren’t easy.” He gestured to the vehicle. “It’s just a casual dinner.”
The look she gave him indicated there wasn’t anything casual about it. “We’re both reasonable adults,” she said at last. “No reason why we can’t share a meal, I suppose.”
“Exactly.”
“But no personal talk and no stealing my fries.”
“I don’t make promises I can’t keep,” he quipped, thinking of past visits to the diner.
His conscience pricked
