Page 46 of Rescued Hearts

He got out of the truck and approached the house, his footsteps quiet on the brick paver sidewalk. When he rapped on the front door, it opened immediately. Honor stood there wearing the same clothes from her day on the ranch. Her hair being tied back off her face and the strains of worry around her full lips were new, though.

A mixture of relief and unease swirled in the depths of her blue eyes.

“You okay?” His quiet question seemed to be swallowed by the evening sounds of crickets in the nearby bushes.

She stepped back to allow him inside. He entered, closing the door behind him and locking it.

Felicity gave him a nod of greeting, but she remained silent and let Honor handle things.

“Mind if I have a look around?” He shifted his stare from her to Felicity. They both shook their heads, and he set off through the space, sweeping every corner and closet. Luckily, he came up empty-handed.

“All clear,” he informed the ladies when he returned to the living room. I’m going to check the perimeter now.” He pulled a flashlight out of his pocket. “Stay inside. Lock the doors behind me.”

Honor’s eyes were wide with concern. Gray turned toward the door, but she reached out and grabbed his arm.

Gazing down at her, he saw what she needed—reassurance.

He took her hand and squeezed it lightly. Her fingers were chilled, and he chafed them briefly. “I’ll be back.”

She gave him a small nod and stepped away. Once he was outside, he listened for the click of the lock before switching onthe flashlight. With measured steps, he searched every corner of the property. It was small, the perfect size for town life, but nothing compared to the acreage he was used to living on.

In the back, he carefully checked behind every bush, shining the light through the foliage and against the foundation of the house. He continued on, searching every shadowed corner. His eyes were trained for catching any disturbance even in the dark.

In the back alley, he approached a small round object, already knowing it was a kid’s ball abandoned in some game. Then he rounded the corner and set off along the front of the house.

The low shrubs beneath one window—a bedroom from what he could tell—gave Gray pause. He crouched to examine a few snapped branches. When he straightened, he examined the window frame.

Small gouges and scrapes marked the frame.

He never doubted Honor’s claim about the window. But this was proof.

Cold fury throbbed in Gray’s temples. A chunk of steel sank to the bottom of his stomach.

Someone had tried to force the window. He leaned close to the glass pane, cupping his hand to block all light from other houses on the street, and peered inside. When his gaze washed over the small room, he spotted something familiar—a crocheted sweater that he just knew, with everything in him, belonged to Honor.

Her ex being in town, sighted by her sister and even Honor herself, wasnocoincidence.

Gray finished his sweep of the perimeter and returned to the front door. When he knocked, Honor was there to open it immediately, as if she’d been waiting just behind it.

He met Honor’s gaze. The tension thickened.

“You weren’t imagining things.”

Felicity let out a gasp, and Honor’s face drained of color. He locked up and guided the ladies to the cozy sofa. He wanted to tuck Honor close to his side but didn’t know how accepting she’d be of that, so he remained standing.

“What did you find?” Felicity asked.

“Tool marks around the window frame, indicating someone tried to force entry.”

“Someone tried to break in?” Honor’s voice wobbled as she repeated what he said.

First, he needed to calm the women down, then he’d gather more information about what was going on. He already had ten plans in place. Most of them involved getting his family’s security company involved.

“Do we call the police? What do we do?” Her eyes were familiar enough to him by now that he noted the fear in the depths that he’d seen back at the post office.

“I’ll make the calls in a minute. I’m going to stay here tonight. I’ll sleep on the couch.”

“On the couch?” Felicity echoed.

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