Page 41 of Sheltered By Love

After almost an hour of sitting in the dark with Felicity, I catch movement from down the street.

Felicity decides to add her commentary as I watch a plump woman, wearing a blonde wig, totter towards her car in a dress that’s too small, too tight, and heels that are hazardous.

“That’s Pearl Baker. She’s been going on blind dates outside of the Bay for the last few months.”

I snort a laugh and make a note so I can tell the others the self-righteous woman who put the frighteners up us at Sunday School is a giant hypocrite. “Did she tell you that?”

Felicity shakes her head. “I saw her sneak a flyer from the community notice board on how to use dating apps. She’s come home alone around the same time every night for nearly seven Saturday nights now. Sometimes her clothing is crumpled, and she seems a little drunk.”

I gape at her. Not many people would have noticed that amount of detail.

I scrawl that down. Any and all information might be relevant. “Anything else you know about the neighbors they don’t think you know?”

Her voice turns sheepish. “Well, I think Mr. Harley is either having an affair, or his secretary is obsessed with him. She drives past every night around the same time. Pulls over out the front of your place and just stares across the road at the house.”

I turn to look at her. Marlene Constance has been Carl Harley’s secretary since before I was born. “Are you serious?”

She rolls her shoulders back. “I’ve seen the way she looks at him, and I know her car. Plus, Viola let slip Marlene never married because she was waiting for Carl.”

I’m not sure why, but I stifle a laugh as I scrawl that down. Never thought gossip might actually help us with this.

Not that it’s really relevant. With a state-of-the-art alarm system and Carl being about as careful about security as Dad was, Harley’s place was low risk for a break-in.

Even if it is confusing being back here, I definitely got the better end of this gig.

“This isn’t the first time you’ve spied on your neighbors, is it?”

“Are you judging me?”

“Nope. Just making an observation,” I say with a smile.

Felicity

Somewhere around midnight, I’m falling out of a fitful sleep when I hear Zane walking down the hallway.

I don’t know why, but after eating dinner with him, and knowing he’s up half the night, I’m feeling less unhappy about his intrusion.

I throw back the covers and tiptoe across the floor so I can see what he’s up to.

Still trying to rouse myself, I’m vaguely aware of the toilet flushing and then the creak of the floorboards as his weight displaces them.

I’m dying to know if he saw anything or if the others did, so I open my door and creep out at the same time he walks past.

Too late I regret not putting a robe on. I crash into him, and he grabs me roughly, too roughly, as he presses my spine against the wall.

His breath is pepperminty as he speaks. “What are you doing sneaking up on me?”

With his hands still pinning me in place, my voice comes out shaky. “I wasn’t sneaking up on you. I just wanted an update.”

He doesn’t move. “Have you been awake all this time waiting for me to go to bed?”

“No,” I lie.

For whatever reason, he sighs. “I can’t work you out,” he says.

Now fully awake, my breathing is starting to get rapid as his hands slide down my arms, gently caressing my skin.

For the dumbest reason, maybe just to connect with him, I press my body against his.

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