Page 39 of Simon Says

“No.”

“Then maybe—”

“Good-bye, Barnaby. I’d prefer that you not bother me again.”

The line went dead. Barnaby’s arm dropped to his side and he looked around at the destruction in his home. All because ofher.

“You’ll care,” he predicted in a whisper. “Trust me, Simon, before it’s all said and done, you most definitely will care.”

Knowing what would likely happen next, Barnaby went into the kitchen to get a broom and dustpan. He needed to restore order to his new, tidy life. He wanted to keep everything perfect…for as long as he could.

EVENthe bright sun couldn’t remove the chill from the morning air. Dakota shivered inside her layers of clothing and coat, and still, the last thing she wanted to do was go into the gym. She hovered at the entrance, trying to give herself a pep talk, trying to work up some courage.

But really, what choice did she have?

None.

She straightened her shoulders and had started to push the entry door open when an odd sensation skated up her spine. Someone was watching her.

As she glanced over her shoulder, she didn’t give it much thought—until she saw the black SUV just cruising by.

Slowly.

An eerie sense of déjà vu made her skin prickle. The darkened windows of the vehicle kept Dakota from seeing anyone inside.

But she knew without a doubt that someone saw her.

And she knew that someone was smiling at her obvious alarm.

She stiffened and stared harder, determined not to turn tail and run. The car stopped. The tension built. Unsure what she’d do, but knowing she had to do something, Dakota took a step toward the vehicle.

And finally, it rolled away.

Heart pounding hard, Dakota shoved the gym door open, stormed angrily inside, and ran headlong into Mallet Manchester. It was like barreling into a brick wall.

“Oompff.”He caught her to him as they both stumbled back.

“Mallet!” Together, they barely regained their balance. “Sorry about that.”

His big hands opened over her back and he smiled with awareness. “No harm, honey. I don’t mind at all.”

Oh, good grief. Dakota gave him a droll look. “You just refuse to learn, don’t you?”

He laughed—but released her and held up both hands. “Ah, come on now. You’re not still holding a grudge, are you? Especially after you laid me low?” His smile widened. “It wasn’t my fault really. It’s just that you’re irresistible.”

“Uh-huh. And you want to sell me a bridge, right?”

That made him laugh again. “This time I’m innocent. You ran into me, not the other way around.” He tipped his head. “Any reason you came charging in here?”

Recalling the car she’d seen, Dakota frowned. “Yeah, I was distracted.”

“With what?”

She shook her head and said without thinking, “I thought someone was following me.”

“Following you?” Mallet’s attention went to the glass doors and he looked toward the street. “Who?”

“Well, not really following me, I guess. Just…” How could she explain the inexplicable alarm she’d felt? “Look, it’s nothing. Just a car that went by and it seemed like someone was looking at me—”

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