Page 66 of A Brambleberry Summer

She almost told her to be careful but caught herself. She wanted all little girls to soar as high as they dared.

“We got home about a half hour ago and haven’t even been inside yet,” Jen said with a laugh. “Addie insisted she had to swing first.”

“It is very fun,” Rosa agreed. Addie’s excitement and Jen’s good mood went a long way to cheering her up.

She might not have everything she wanted but her life could still be rich and beautiful. She had to remember that.

“I noticed the handsome detective isn’t home yet. I was going to see if he wanted to come with us to the taco truck.”

Jen spoke so casually that Rosa almost missed the mischievous look in her eyes.

Rosa avoided her gaze. “He is probably at his house making sure things are ready for him and Logan to return home tomorrow.”

“I’ll miss them.”

Rosa wasn’t sure she liked that pensive note in her friend’s voice. Was Jen interested in Wyatt, as well?

Why wouldn’t she be? He was a wonderful man and Jen was exactly the sort of woman who could make him happy. The two of them would be very good together, even though the idea of it made Rosa’s chest hurt.

“When you are ready to date again, maybe you should think about dating Wyatt. You both have a lot in common.”

Jen gave her a shocked, rather appalled look that Rosa thought was out of proportion to her mild suggestion. “Besides being single parents, I don’t think so.”

“He’s a widower, you’re a widow,” she pointed out.

“True. And that’s the only thing we have in common. Don’t get me wrong. I like Wyatt a lot. He seems very nice. But I don’t think he would be interested in me. His interests appear to lie...elsewhere.”

Jen gave her such a significant look that Rosa could feel her face heat.

I care about you, Rosa. Very much. For the first time since Tori died, I want to spend time with a woman. And I might be crazy but I suspect you wouldn’t kiss me if you didn’t have similar feelings for me.

Wyatt would soon forget her and any wild idea he had that he might have feelings for her.

Before she could answer, she heard a noise and saw someone walk around the side of the house to where they were.

For a moment, with the setting sun shining on his face, she thought it might be Wyatt. Her heart skipped a beat and she felt foolish, hoping he hadn’t heard their conversation.

Jen suddenly gasped, her features going instantly pale, and Rosa realized her mistake.

This was not Wyatt. It was a man she didn’t recognize.

This man was big, solid, with wide shoulders and a rather thick neck. He had close-cropped brown hair and blue eyes that should have been attractive but were somehow cold.

Fiona, at her feet, instantly rose and growled a little, moving protectively in front of the two of them. That didn’t seem to stop the man, who continued walking until he was only a few feet away.

“Jenna,” he said, gazing at her friend with an odd, intense, almost possessive look. “Here you are. It is you. It took me forever to track you down.”

Rosa knew instantly who this was. Who else could it be? Aaron Barker, the police officer who was stalking Jen and had driven her from her Utah home to Cannon Beach. She should have realized it the moment the color leached away from Jen’s features.

Jenna stood frozen for a moment as if she couldn’t remember how to move, then she quickly moved to the side and stopped the swing, pulling Addie off and into her arms.

“Hey!” the girl exclaimed. “I’m not done swinging.”

Addie started to complain but something of her mother’s tension seemed to trickle to the girl. She fell silent, eying the adults around her with sudden wariness.

“What do you want?” Jen asked. Her voice shook slightly.

“I’ve missed you so much, baby. Aren’t you happy to see me?” He took another step forward as if to embrace her. Jen quickly stepped back.

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