Page 7 of Chance

As she began walking down the street, she noted a man getting out of an Uber. Wait, wasn’t that the same guy she’d seen yesterday? She’d first spotted him last night on the pier and then today on a passing speedboat out to the shoals.

Panic froze her to the spot. Had Brian sent someone to find her? Should she be running or hiding?

After the guy shut the door from the Uber, he walked to the sidewalk and then stared up at the church. As if he could sense her attention, he turned to face her. Between his blond hair, his hat, and the sunglasses, she didn’t recognize this man.

He quickly pulled off his sunglasses and asked, “Kelly?”

Then it hit her, and she couldn’t help but ask, “Chance?”

Chapter 5

Chance wouldn’t have been more surprised if an earthquake suddenly engulfed the whole town of Wilmington. “Kelly?” he asked again. He quickly crossed the street so he could speak without raising his voice.

She looked dazed. “That can’t be you. You look so different.”

Reflexively, he touched his hair. He hadn’t even recognized himself this morning. “Uh, yeah.”

She frowned. “Why do you look so different?”

He ignored her question. “What are you doing here?” His mind raced, and he thought about how he’d seen someone last night walking the beach, then earlier today on the speedboat. He spotted a large hat tucked behind her backpack. “That was you today? On the speedboat, coming back from the shoals?”

None of this made sense.

She took a step back and put her hand on her heart. “Oh my gosh. I think I’m having a heart attack.”

Chance reflexively stepped forward. She’d been like this growing up; anxiety would hit her and she’d pass out. Not that she was a frail person, but he’d had to keep her from falling when they’d been exploring or when she’d gotten really bad news. He put his hands on her shoulders. “You okay?”

She sucked in a long breath, then blew it out slowly. “No. I’m not okay. Why do you look like that?” She shook her head, as if coming back to herself. Then she pulled her sunglasses off and shrugged out of his grasp. “What is going on? Why do you look that way, and why are you here? Did he send you? Are you a private eye for him or something?”

Chance shook his head, even more confused now. “I’m not a private eye. You know that. I’m a sheriff. And who would send me? What are you talking about?”

She put a hand to her head and sucked in a long breath. “Nothing.”

“Why would you think someone is after you?” Alarm bells rang in his head. Maybe he wasn’t a sheriff in this town, and maybe he was even on a super-secret undercover mission where he didn’t want anyone to know him, but his first love had dropped into his lap, and the way she was looking at him right now… well, needed answers. “What’s going on?” He crossed his arms and leaned back. Blaze would often tease that this was his sheriff position.

For a long time, she didn’t say anything, and then she pulled a water bottle from her backpack’s side pocket and took a sip. “I just need to get my bearings.”

He gestured to a little table and chairs a nearby coffee shop. “Should we sit down? When did you eat last?”

She didn’t move, her gaze still locked with his. “What are you doing here?”

Lightly, he touched her shoulder and gestured to the chair. “Let’s sit first, and then we’ll give each other some answers.”

Honestly, he wasn’t sure what to tell her. The truth? Oh no. The Stone family would hogtie him if he did that. He didn’t need a complication from Cross Creek.

She let him guide her to the seat, and he helped her take her backpack off. Her face was pale, and she put a hand to her stomach. “I’m going to be sick.”

Concerned, Chance gestured to a server who had just come out. “Can I get some water and maybe some crackers or a piece of bread?”

The server looked between them. “I’ll be back.”

Kelly squeezed her eyes shut. “Chance, I know you haven’t seen me in a long time, but I’m going to lose it.”

“What do you mean?”

She bolted out of her seat and toward a trashcan, then heaved into it.

Was it disgusting? Heck yeah. Had he seen worse? Yes. He hurried over to pull her hair back. It was longer than he’d ever seen it. It had been in a scrunchie, but it’d come loose when she had started throwing up. Now she was dry heaving.

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