Page 39 of Love Finds Home

We laugh and continue with our night. Joker and Ranger are more quiet than usual, which is scary since they don’t usually talk much, and watching me closely. I don’t know what they expect to see, but I’m not giving anything away.

At the end of the night, we get in Ginny’s car and head home. I’m tired and my brain won’t shut up. Once we’ve parked and I get out of the car, I feel a shiver up my spine. Looking across the street at my door, I already know there’s something there I don’t want to see.

“You’ll be okay tonight?” Ginny asks, referring to earlier for the first time all night.

“Yeah, I’ll be fine. Just going to go to sleep. Have an early morning tomorrow.”

“I hear you.” She yawns. “I’ll make sure you get home.”

“It’s right across the street, Gin.”

“And I’ll watch until you get inside.”

“Yeah, okay, thanks.”

I roll my shoulders back and walk across the street, turning once I’m at the steps to my porch to wave at Ginny.

“I’m here!”

She waves back and unlocks her door, disappearing behind it. In the quiet of the night, I can almost hear her lock engaging. I wait a few minutes, looking around at every shadow while digging out my keys. When I see the front light turn off at Ginny’s, I fast track it to my Jeep and slide behind the wheel.

I head to the studio. It’s my sanctuary, my safe place. It’s armed. And I hope they—whoever they are—haven’t found it yet.

Chapter 14

Ranger

I didn’t mean tofollow her home. Honest, we were just going the same way. It’s not my fault that I pulled over to check my phone and saw her doing something interesting. When her and Ginny got out of the car, I was watching her so closely I saw her freeze up for a minute before saying something to Ginny. She rushed across the street and turned to wave so Ginny would go inside. She never took a step closer to her porch. As soon as the light in Ginny’s place went out, Elle hightailed it to her Jeep and backed out of the driveway. She never went inside.

I don’t know what spooked her, but I’ll be back later to find out. I hunkered down in my seat so she wouldn’t see me and I tracked her down the street. She took a right, which is the way to the shop and her studio. I let her get a block up and follow, noting each of her turns before catching up. When I’m positive she’s going to her studio, I drive up a block and circle around,turning my lights off and parking a couple of buildings down. No, I’m not proud of it, but I’m committed now.

Elle parks behind the shop and gets out of her Jeep, looking around like she thinks someone might be watching her. If only she knew the truth. That it’s me. She books it up the stairs on the outside of the building and goes into the studio. I watch, waiting for her to turn on a light that never appears. I sit there for another ten minutes watching the dark room, but nothing. She might flip on her phone’s light once or twice, but that’s it. I don’t see any movement and she doesn’t leave.

When I’m certain she isn’t leaving again, I go back to her place and park on the street. I walk slowly up the driveway, observing anything I can. It’s dark, so I can only see so much, but her porch light is on and it doesn’t take a genius to see that something is laying on the porch. It looks like…flowers? No, flower petals, all plucked from their stems. Black? Interesting. I don’t see any notes, nothing really threatening about it, but who would leave these scattered on her porch and why would it freak her out so badly? I check her door, making sure it’s locked, and I return to my truck and drive home. I can’t get the look on her face as she practically raced for her Jeep out of my head, and my sleep is restless. Every time I close my eyes, I see a small, blonde woman running away from something, the lost look on her face changing to fear as she looks over her shoulder behind her. She reaches for me, like she’s asking me for help, but I can never quite reach her.

The next morning, I drag my ass and a big cup of coffee into the stop. Barbie is already there, checking the day’s schedule.

“Morning, boss. Wow, you look like shit.”

“Thanks, Babs. You, too.”

She laughs. “Oh, honey, I know I don’t look like shit.” She never does. “What’s going on?”

I shake my head and change the subject. “Have you seen Elle this morning?”

“Nope, but I think I heard her moving around upstairs. Why? Is everything alright?”

“I don’t know.”

“What do you mean you don’t know? What did you do?”

“I swear, I didn’t do anything, but if you see her, will you make sure she’s okay?”

“Well, if you didn’t do anything to her, who did?”

“Wish I could tell you, but I don’t know.”

“Spill it, asshole.”

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