Page 28 of Heart Strings

My heart sinks. There’s never been any break-ins in this town, so I never felt the need for surveillance or even an alarm system. “Thank you, Sheriff,” I manage to say, my voice soft.

Once the sheriff leaves, Connor turns to me, his expression serious. “You’re coming to stay with me tonight, okay? I don’t want you being alone after this.”

The concern in his voice warms me, but also reinforces the gravity of what’s happened. “Okay,” I whisper, grateful for his support but heartbroken at the sight of my beloved store in shambles. “But I need to tell Soph what happened first. She’s close by and would hate for something like this to happen to her.”

“That’s a good idea. She’ll have to keep her eyes open after what happened,” he says, then he takes my hand and leads me up the road.

Sophie’s café is warmly lit and inviting as always, a stark contrast to the day’s earlier darkness. The soft chime of the bell announces our entry, and Sophie looks up from behind the counter, her usual bright smile fading into concern when she sees our expressions.

“Hey, you two,” she greets, wiping her hands on a cloth as she comes around to meet us. “What’s wrong? You both look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

Connor glances at me, giving me a small nod to go ahead. Taking a deep breath, I start, “Sophie, something happened at Chapter One. It was vandalized—completely trashed.”

Sophie’s eyes widen, her hand flying to her mouth. “Oh my God, Gracie, that’s terrible! Are you okay? Was anyone hurt?”

I shake my head, trying to muster a reassuring smile. “I’m okay, no one was there and everything was still locked up when I opened this morning. But it’s a mess, and I’m just... really shaken up. We thought you should know, given how close your café is.”

Her concern morphs into protective anger on my behalf. “Who would do such a thing? Have the police got any leads?”

“Not yet,” Connor interjects. “They’re doing what they can, looking at security footage outside the store and all that. But it might take a while to find anything concrete.”

Sophie’s gaze flits between us, and then, ever the hostess, she gestures to a table. “Sit down, you two. I’ll get you something on the house. You look like you could use something warm and sweet.”

“Thanks, Soph,” I say and we settle into the offered chairs, and Sophie quickly brings over two steaming mugs of hot chocolate and blueberry muffins as she joins us.

“This is just awful, Gracie. If there’s anything I can do, anything at all, just say the word,” she says, after pulling me into a hug.

“I appreciate that, but keep an eye out around here, okay?” I say, sipping my hot chocolate. “And maybe check your security cameras, see if they caught anything unusual.”

“I will, I definitely will,” Sophie assures, her brow furrowed with worry. “This kind of thing shakes the whole community. We look out for each other here.”

The warmth of the hot chocolate and the familiarity of The Sugar Drop help steady my nerves. Connor reaches under the table to squeeze my hand, giving me a silent message of support.

Sophie and Connor slip into conversation, something that would probably have distracted me a few weeks ago. But my mind is working overtime. No money was taken from the cash register; it wasn’t even pried open, not was there an attempt to.

Not only that, but they didn’t even bother to go into the back where my safe is kept. That leads me to believe that this was targeted at me for some reason. I have no enemies, as far as I know, and the town is small. Everyone knows everyone.

So, that begs the question: who could have done this and why?

Chapter 21

Connor

After leaving Sophie’s place, the drive back to my cabin was quiet. Gracie looks out the window, lost in thought, and I can tell she’s mentally bracing herself for the days ahead. I know her well enough to realize she might skip meals when stressed, so I decided to make sure she eats something hearty and comforting tonight.

“Why don’t you come sit by the fireplace after I get it started? I’ll whip us up something quick to eat,” I suggest as I unlock the door and usher her inside.

Gracie gives me her signature pout, her eyes filled with that familiar mix of gratitude and stubborn independence. “You don’t have to cook, Connor. I can just—“

“You need to eat, Tink,” I interrupt, gently but firmly. “And you need to take a moment just to breathe. Let me do this for you.”

She sighs but doesn’t argue further, just nods and shuffles toward the living room, where I get the fire going and the flames add a comforting glow to the cabin. Afterward, I head to the kitchen and quickly start on something simple yet nourishing—chicken soup from scratch, something I know she loves.

It’s not long before the cabin is filled with the savory aroma of cooking, a small comfort amid the chaos.

As the soup simmers, I make some grilled cheese sandwiches to go with it, hoping the familiar comfort food will help soothe some of her stress. I bring the food to the living room, setting it down on the coffee table.

She’s curled up under a blanket, staring into the flames when I approach. “Here you go, something to warm you up,” I say as I hand her a soup mug, making sure she starts eating before I sit down beside her, taking my own.

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