the guy disappeared? He tried to sound nonchalant. “Really? What made him think of putting up a memorial after all this time?”
She shrugged. “I’m not sure, I asked him that, too, and he told me he’d always planned on doing it, but just hadn’t had made the time. I thought it was a really nice gesture.”
Rafe wished he could be so sure. He wanted to ask more, but knew that if he persisted in asking questions, Kayla would grow suspicious. “A very nice gesture,” he agreed lightly.
Brianna chose that moment to skip back to their table, so he carefully changed the subject. When they’d finished their meal, he boxed up the leftovers and paid the bill.
“Thanks for dinner, Rafe.” Kayla’s smile was lopsided and didn’t quite reach her eyes.
“Yeah, thanks for dinner, Mr. Rafe. That was the bestest pizza ever!”
Brianna’s exuberance made him grin. “You’re welcome, mi nina.”
Outside, he slid the leftover pizza box in the front seat of Kayla’s car while she buckled Brianna in the back.
“I’ll follow you home,” he said when Kayla climbed behind the wheel.
“That’s not necessary, Rafe. I appreciate everything you’ve done, but you’ve already gone out of your way for us.”
Her sincere gratitude warmed his heart. Startled by the abrupt stab of longing, he took a step back. “Humor me, okay? It’s on the way home.”
Kayla rolled her eyes. It wasn’t on the way, seven miles in the opposite direction to be exact, but she nodded before closing the door.
Kayla’s bed-and-breakfast was located just a few miles west of town. Her home was nestled deep in the north woods, far from the bright lights of the city. Total darkness surrounded them as they drove down her long, winding driveway.
There was a light on in the kitchen, but the rest of the house was dark. He got out of his jeep and came up beside her as she helped Brianna jump down from her perch in the backseat. “Did you set the security system?” he asked.
“Yes.”
“Good.” He took the pizza box from her hands and led the way up to the front door. Her dog, Clyde, must have heard them because he started barking.
The white panel of the security system was easy to see against the dark exterior. But the green light that normally showed the system was turned on wasn’t lit. He frowned. “Are you sure?” he asked sharply. “Because it’s not on now.”
Kayla stared uncertainly at the security panel, searching back through her memory. “I’m almost sure I set the alarm.”
“Okay, take Brianna and go back inside the car and lock the doors,” Rafe commanded. “Give me your keys. I’ll go through the house.”
After everything that had happened, she could only nod, fiercely glad that Rafe had insisted on following her home. “Come on, sweetie,” she said, tugging Brianna close. “Let’s wait for a bit in the car.”
“Why, Mommy? What’s wrong?” Brianna’s green eyes were wide with fear as she sensed the tension between the adults.
“Nothing is wrong,” she reassured her daughter, not wanting Brianna to be afraid in her own home. “Mr. Rafe just wants to make sure everything is fine before we go in.”
“I want Clyde,” Brianna said plaintively.
The sounds of the dog barking actually reassured her. She couldn’t believe someone was hiding inside with Clyde home. The one thing their puppy was really good at was creating a ruckus. “He’s with Mr. Rafe and I’m sure they’ll be out soon.” Kayla watched through the windshield as Rafe flipped on the rest of the lights, making his way through the inside of her spacious home.
She bit her lip, trying to remember. She had set the security system, hadn’t she? She was almost certain she had, but couldn’t be absolutely positive. She’d resented her brother and Rafe for insisting on installing the alarm system nine months ago, but lately she’d been glad to have the extra protection. She’d fallen into the habit of using the security system on those days and nights that she and Brianna were home alone. On the nights they had guests, there was no point in using it because her guests could obviously come and go as they pleased.
The elderly couple who’d been her last guests had left this morning, and she and Brianna had left shortly thereafter. It was possible she’d forgotten to set the security system.
Besides, if someone had breached the system, wouldn’t the police have been notified?
Rafe returned a few minutes later with Clyde, their clumsy puppy, at his heels. She opened the car door when he approached and climbed out.
“I didn’t find any—ah—anything,” he said, with a quick glance at Brianna. She was grateful he hadn’t blurted out how he’d been searching for an intruder. “But you might want to check things out for yourself to make sure nothing has been disturbed.”
“I’m sorry, I must have forgotten to set the alarm,” she said softly.
“Probably,” Rafe agreed. “The system is set up so that it sends an alarm if the wiring is cut.”
That’s what she’d thought. “So the only way someone could get past my system is if they somehow figured out my code.”
Rafe scowled. “Yes. Do you change it every few weeks like I told you to?”
“I’ve changed it,” she said a little defensively, brushing past him to head up to the door. “Maybe not every few weeks, but I have changed it.”
“Check things out. I’ll be in shortly,” he said, heading over to rummage in the back of his jeep.
“Brianna, bring Clyde inside,” she said. Kayla kept Brianna close as she did a quick walk-through. The house was eerily silent. Normally she loved being out in the middle of the woods, far away from civilization, but for some reason the silence bothered her now. Maybe she was still unnerved by finding a dead body in the lake. She glanced around, looking at her things. From what she could tell, everything was exactly the way she’d left it.
Her apprehension drained away. Rafe hadn’t found anyone. Everything was fine. She was silly to be so anxious. Obviously she’d forgotten to set the alarm.
“Brianna, it’s time to brush your teeth and get ready for bed.”
Her daughter groaned, but headed toward their private rooms off the back of the kitchen.
She took the leftover box of pizza and shoved it into her empty fridge. The night out had been an extravagance she really couldn’t afford. It was very nice that Rafe had offered to pay. And now she and Brianna would have leftovers tomorrow night, which was a good thing, considering her cash reserves were pitifully low.
She tried to shrug off the gnawing concern. She’d figure out something. She always did.
“Kayla?”
Rafe’s husky voice sent her pulse skyrocketing into triple digits. She took
