Page 56 of Gentle Fox

With a shake of my head, I went back to work at my desk.

Fifteen minutes later I was knee-deep in Walter’s financials, or lack thereof, when Lex called me again. I smiled thinkingDennis was going to be out of Annalee’s hair for good in just a matter of minutes.

“Are they on the flight?” I didn’t bother with a hello, and went straight to business.

“We have a problem.”

CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

Annalee

The smell of fresh-baked goods assaulted my senses as soon as I walked through the bakery door. It was one of those rare times where the place was empty and Maisie was busy restocking the glass cases.

“Did they finally let you out on your own?”

“Yes!” I dramatically answered. It was obvious to everyone in town that I’d spent the last two days with a shadow every time I moved around. “My problems are on their way out of Texas and I can once again roam the streets of Willow Creek without an escort. Well, Main Street anyway.”

Maisie chuckled. “I can see how happy that makes you, and I’m honored this was the first place you wanted to stop.”

“Always. I won’t be satisfied until I’ve tasted everything. That way I can be honest when I tell people what my favorite treat is.”

I added “working out” to my ever-growing mental list. If I planned to keep my word with the bakery owner, I was going to have to add a decent workout regimen to my daily life.

“Hold that thought.” I heard the door open behind me just seconds before Maisie greeted her next customer. “Welcome to Wickedly Delicious. I’ll be with you in just a moment.”

“Take your time. I already know what I came in for.”

The happy smile I wore for Maisie fell away and dread consumed me. My body froze. I knew that voice. I’d heard that voice for years, but it couldn’t be. He was supposed to be on a plane out of Texas with Dennis.

“Annalee? Is everything okay?” Maisie was looking at me with concern in her eyes.

“Yeah, Annalee. Is everything okay?” Walter mocked.

Maisie looked back and forth between the two of us a few times before realization set in. Then her normally cheery demeanor for her customers slipped away, and anger took its place.

“I’m going to have to ask you to leave.” Her request was strong and confident. The opposite of what I was feeling at the moment. I wanted to curl up in the fetal position and here was a woman who barely knew me, ready to do battle on my behalf.

“See, I’m afraid I can’t do that. Annalee and I have some unfinished business to take care of. Now why don’t you be a good girl and come join your friend out here.”

I didn’t think it was possible for Maisie to get any angrier than she already was, but I was wrong. The look on her face was straight-up fury; she was practically vibrating with it. I slowly turned to see what Walter did to earn that look and that’s when I saw it: the gun in his hand pointed straight at me. Suddenly, Maisie wasn’t the only one who was pissed off.

How dare he come here and wave a gun around? This was supposed to be my fresh start, and each time I thought I was finally getting it, someone came along to throw a wrench in my plan. Fury didn’t even begin to describe how I was feeling. Iwanted to kick Walter’s ass for messing with not only me but my newfound friend as well.

Maisie came around from the back of the counter and stood by my side.

“Good, now go change the sign from open to closed. I don’t need anyone disturbing us for what I have planned.”

“Why are you even here?” I kept Walter’s focus on me while Maisie did as he asked.

“I told you, I have some unfinished business with you.”

I rolled my eyes. Not my finest moment but I was sick of these games already, and most days my eyes had a mind of their own. “Yes, I know what you said, but I don’t understand why you’re even here in Texas to begin with. Why travel with Dennis? I didn’t realize the two of you were friends.”

Walter scoffed. “Friends? I could never be friends with such an incompetent idiot. Dennis was a means to an end. Just like his ditzy mother. I needed them for my plan to work.”

“And what plan was that?” I asked sarcastically. I needed to keep him talking. Lex would figure out eventually that Walter wasn’t boarding the plane and then he would call Owen.

From the corner of my eye I could see Maisie circling around. She wasn’t coming straight back to me, so I had to assume she had some sort of plan. I couldn’t imagine what it would be, but as long as I kept Walter focused on me, she could do what she needed, and I had to hope whatever it was would save us both.

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