Page 56 of Fire Harbor

She felt her heart swell at his words. Leaning in, she captured his lips in a sweet and tender kiss. “No need. Greta won’t post that video anywhere. I possess equally embarrassing footage of her falling off the stage into the minister’s lap, trying to sing an Abba song at Bodie Jardine’s bachelorette party.”

“Really? I wouldn’t mind seeing that.”

She swatted his arm and rolled her eyes. They both stood up from the couch. When the dogs bounded up, full of energy, a rumble of laughter bubbled between them. “We should probably get some sleep in an actual bed tonight. Remind me again how we ended up down here.”

Linus chuckled, his hand finding hers, intertwining their fingers together as he leaned in to press his lips to hers. “We exhausted ourselves for a couple of hours and ended up eating a late supper. We didn’t even bother taking the dogs for their nightly walk. We just collapsed on the sofa and fell asleep. As makeup sex goes, I’d say we hit a home run in that department. Why don’t you take your shower while I run home and grab some clean clothes? I’ll drop by the diner on my way back and grab breakfast. How does that sound?”

A grin tugged at her lips. “Like I don’t have to cook. While you’re gone, I’ll put out fresh water and food for the dogs. But hurry. Okay? I’m starving.”

“You got it. Be right back.”

After feeding the dogs, she took a hot shower. She fiddled with her hair, then picked out an outfit for work, settling on a flowery cotton midi dress with pockets that she could wear with her ankle boots.

Downstairs, Lake made a fresh pot of coffee and waited for Linus to return with the food. But he was taking a long time coming back. Instead of walking in the door, her cell phone alerted her to a text message from him.

Waiting for the cops to get here. Someone broke into my house.

Oh no. Are you okay?

Yeah.

Stay put. I’ll pick up breakfast and be right there.

She didn’t waste time gathering her keys, bag, and phone before rushing out the door. Lake’s heart raced as she got behind the wheel of her Beetle and backed out of the garage. She forgot about breakfast as she flew through the neighborhood streets to Linus’s house, fear gnawing at her insides. The drive seemed to take forever.

By the time she made the turn into Windemere Circle, she spotted the flashing lights of a patrol car and swerved to the curb, parking behind the vehicle.

Linus stood on the porch, his eyes reflecting a mix of frustration and anger. He thumbed a fist behind him. “They trashed the place. Somebody went to a lot of trouble to make sure I knew they broke in.”

Rushing up the steps, she hugged him tight, relief flooding through her at the sight of him unharmed. “When do you think it happened?”

“I have no idea. I’ve been spending a lot of time at your place. Colt Del Rio got here fast, though. He’s been assessing the damage, taking photos, and writing his report.”

“How did they get in?” Lake asked, her voice laced with concern.

Linus sighed, running a hand through his tousled hair. “They smashed the back door in. They took some food from the pantry and fridge. Not a big deal, but Colt thinks they hung around for at least twelve hours.”

“Wow. They were in your house for that long?” Lake felt a shiver run down her spine at the thought of someone invading his safe space. But she also felt grateful that Linus and Farley hadn’t been home.

“Did you get anything to eat?”

“No. But I’m taking you to breakfast as soon as Colt finishes up. No need to argue. You need to de-stress before you start cleaning up the mess. Glynnis will be fine opening up until I get there.”

Colt appeared in the doorway, holding a clipboard. “If you find anything else missing, give me a call. In the meantime, Theo will be by later to dust for fingerprints. Don’t move a thing. But you’ll likely need to replace that back door and the frame.”

“Luckily, today’s my day off,” Linus said with another sigh.

“Be that as it may, you need to leave it until Theo arrives and finishes processing the scene.”

“Okay. Is there anything else I need to do after getting hit like this?”

“Shore up your security,” Colt suggested. “We’ve had a rash of break-ins like this all over town. Someone even broke into the Promise Cove B&B while Jordan and Nick were at the church back in March.”

“With guests still there?” Lake asked. “That’s bold. What about the children?”

“The guests were out on a hike. Hutton and Scottie were staying with friends. We have the unsub on CCTV. But the man hid his face away from the camera.” Colt ripped off a copy of the police report for insurance purposes and handed it to Linus. “This guy is on our radar now. We just need to find out who he is. I know Eastlyn plans to put up sketches of the guy this morning along Main Street. Make sure you pick up a flyer. Let us know if you recognize him. If not, keep an eye out, keep your guard up.”

After Colt had gone, Lake stepped into the house to assess the damage. Chairs were overturned in the living room and the couch cushions had been dumped on the floor. She scanned the open layout of the eating area where the intruder had left a plate and glass on the table. “I’m assuming Theo will need those for fingerprints.”

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