My car was parked on the least sketchy side street I could find, but as I approached my car, I sensed eyes on me. I peeked over one shoulder, and my heart took off at a gallop. Shit. I was being followed by two men.
The man closest to me was short, with a protruding belly, and wore a baseball cap pulled low so his features were hard to make out.
I reached my car and opened the hatch, looking for some kind of weapon. I settled on a long plastic ice scraper. It was early September, so it was sheer luck that the rental company had left it there.
Hands shaking, I wheeled around, brandishing it. “Can I help you?”
The short man smirked while the other one sauntered over. He was tall and thin and wore sunglasses and a surgical mask. Interesting.
He held up his hands. His fingers were long and elegant, but his hands were wrinkled, like that of an older man. “You’re not in danger. I’m so sorry we startled you.”
Gripping the ice scraper tighter, I braced myself. I didn’t buy it. Every instinct in me was screaming that these guys were bad news.
“Just wanted to say hello.”
My entire body trembled, and I itched to run back to the main road, where I’d hopefully encounter other people. Instead, I stayed where I was, inspecting both men as closely as I could.
The shorter one had a ruddy face and a tattoo that peeked out of the sleeve of his shirt. It looked like some kind of evergreen branch. Holly, maybe?
The older man was impeccably dressed, his loafers freshly polished and his pants sharply pressed. He looked like one of my father’s friends from his country club. Except for the sunglasses at dusk and mask. That just made him look like he was about to rob a bank.
“I’ve been meaning to say hello since you came to town.”
Gut sinking, I said, “I’m afraid I don’t know you.”
He took a step back and raised his hands. “I just wanted to introduce myself to the famous Chloe LeBlanc.” The malice in his tone as he said my name caused a wave of nausea to wash over me.
“I’m a local businessman. I make it a point to know all the people in my town. I know everything about you, Chloe LeBlanc. The degrees you hold, your professional experience, that you purchased Hebert Timber—for far too much, I might add—to satisfy a personal vendetta against your ex-husband.”
I looked around. The sun was almost fully set, and while a few of the shops were open, there wasn’t anyone walking down this street. I didn’t sense danger, but rather unease.
“I’m afraid I’m in a rush,” I said, stepping backward toward the driver’s side door.
Arms crossed, he moved closer. His gait was a little stiff and slow, like he was older, which fit with his aged hands. “I hope we can be allies.”
I tightened my grip on my ice scraper.
“But I see you’re busy. Perhaps we can meet another time and catch up properly. Get to know one another.”
He turned quickly and walked away, and the other man followed without saying a word, leaving me confused and scared. What had just happened?
Was I overreacting? How did he know me?
My stomach churned as I drove, sucking on my ginger lollipops. He hadn’t seemed dangerous, more like a strange old man. But the way he spoke, overly formal, was odd as well. And why cover his face?
I cranked up the radio and tried to push down my anxiety as I drove.
It was only as I entered Lovewell that I realized I hadn’t even gotten his name.
Chapter 30Gus
Chloe was coming over. And I was ready. I had a session with my therapist, cleaned the house, took Clem on a long hike to tire her out, and bought some very nice pregnancy-safe cheese.
It was time to lay it all out and take the next steps, regardless of how terrifying they were.
We’d been running around all week, ordering new equipment, heading out to camp, and interviewing applicants for the seasonal positions we’d recently posted. As summer slipped away, the nights got cooler, and we got closer to implementing the new plans. JJ was in her element, meeting with a sustainability consultant and talking Sam’s ear off about transitioning some of our trucks to electric.
Every day, I knew with more certainty that I was in love with Chloe. If she’d have me, I would do anything to make her and the baby happy. But first, I had to convince her to give me a real shot.
The years and the distance and all the misunderstandings were irrelevant. Unimportant.
She was back.
She’d come back.
This was my chance.
I’d been patient, and I’d played the long game, but now it was all coming together.
More and more, I’d seen her smile, heard her laughter. The feel of her hair between my fingers sent bolts of affection straight to my heart, and the way she squeezed my hand when she got nervous bolstered my confidence in the connection between us.
She’d been here less than two months, and already, I’d fallen wildly in love with her again. This time, the love was deeper, more mature.
As Clem greeted her with a wagging tail, I pulled her into my arms and kissed the top of her head.
“You okay?”
