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Authors: Rita Garcia
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out , along with his message. “ Need to talk. I’m out front .” I gulped a deep breath —this couldn’t be good.
Melancholy lingered as I rushed outside . I squinted against the glare of the headlights from his truck.
He motioned toward the windows. You’re not wanted here. Leave NOW. S landerous remarks shouted from the glass . I jumped the fast track back to reality. “Okay, this is starting to scare me.” I fold ed my arms across my c he st. “Maybe I should just go home.”
He place d a hand on each of my shoulders and looked into my face . “You don’t need to ru n . I’ll find this jerk and put a stop to it . ” He paused . “ We should talk .”
W hat more could he possibly have to tell me ? “ Come upstairs .”
I brought another cup from the kitchen and poured us a both a cup of the chamomile tea from earlier. I scooped Anne’s card off the couch and pushed it into my pocket , inviting him to have a seat.
“ There’s something you don’t know.” He studied the delicate cup lost in his man-sized hands.
My brain wanted to shut d own and refuse to listen, but I had to know. “Okay… ”
“ Anne grew up here in Serenity Cove.”
“She lived here when she got p regnant? I assumed she’d given me away and moved somepl ace new . ”
“ T here’s more . ” Logan ran a hand over his jaw, fingers grazing his lips as if wishing he could keep the information locked inside. “ Anne’s parents still live here. ”
“ I have grandparents here in Serenity Cove? Why— ” My sudden intake of air stole my words. I had family? Ne arby? My heart raced . “Do you think it has any thing to do with the vandalism?”
“No. They’re both over eighty .” Logan winced. “ Sam—t hey refuse to see you. ”
My thoughts spun . Would this nightmare never end? How could this be true? “ I have to change their minds. With Anne gone, I’m the only grandchild they’ll ever have. ”
He reached out and drew me close to him. My traitorous heart wanted to connect with his. If only . I want ed to remain protected in the strength of his arms . But right now I had to find c ourage within myself . “I need t o absorb all of this—the windows and now suddenly finding out I have grandparents .” I pulled a key from my pocket and handed it to him. “Lock the front door of the shop as you leave. Tak e the key with you so if there are any more problems you can get back inside. I don’t want to end up lock ed inside with a madman.”
“ I ’ll sack out on the couch. I won’t leave y ou alone with some lunatic on the lo o se.”
“I have Goldie and— ”
“Not doable. Leaving you unaided and unprotected isn’t an option. ”
“Don’t you have to be on duty? ”
“ Alec has it covered . ”
“Y ou do n’t need to sleep on the sofa. T h ere’s another bedroom. I guess you’re going to insist on going with me to take Goldie out ? ”
My furry friend skipped ahead of us down the stairs and tapped her paw against the door . Outside , my eyes wandered across t he star - swept sky. Logan’s touch interrupted my thoughts. I looked up at him. “ Alec is driving my truck to the station. D on’t want you to worry about the gossip hour in the morning. ”
“You’ re robbing them of gossip fodder—I ’m already the ir favorite hot t opic .”
A refreshing smile settled on his face. “They’re never short on tales to carry.”
Goldie finished her nighttime rounds an d ran up the stairs in front of us . “S ee you in the morning.” I sc urried down the hall before he had a chance to suggest a movie or a late snack . I trusted him—I wasn’t so sure about me.
I fixed Goldie a spot at the foot of the bed , a lthough she always ended up snuggled in beside me. I tucked into bed, reached for the tiny knob and quieted the light , glad Logan had stayed—I felt safe . I thought about our earlier conversation, and fell asleep wondering why my grandparents had chosen to reject m e. T hey’d
Melancholy lingered as I rushed outside . I squinted against the glare of the headlights from his truck.
He motioned toward the windows. You’re not wanted here. Leave NOW. S landerous remarks shouted from the glass . I jumped the fast track back to reality. “Okay, this is starting to scare me.” I fold ed my arms across my c he st. “Maybe I should just go home.”
He place d a hand on each of my shoulders and looked into my face . “You don’t need to ru n . I’ll find this jerk and put a stop to it . ” He paused . “ We should talk .”
W hat more could he possibly have to tell me ? “ Come upstairs .”
I brought another cup from the kitchen and poured us a both a cup of the chamomile tea from earlier. I scooped Anne’s card off the couch and pushed it into my pocket , inviting him to have a seat.
“ There’s something you don’t know.” He studied the delicate cup lost in his man-sized hands.
My brain wanted to shut d own and refuse to listen, but I had to know. “Okay… ”
“ Anne grew up here in Serenity Cove.”
“She lived here when she got p regnant? I assumed she’d given me away and moved somepl ace new . ”
“ T here’s more . ” Logan ran a hand over his jaw, fingers grazing his lips as if wishing he could keep the information locked inside. “ Anne’s parents still live here. ”
“ I have grandparents here in Serenity Cove? Why— ” My sudden intake of air stole my words. I had family? Ne arby? My heart raced . “Do you think it has any thing to do with the vandalism?”
“No. They’re both over eighty .” Logan winced. “ Sam—t hey refuse to see you. ”
My thoughts spun . Would this nightmare never end? How could this be true? “ I have to change their minds. With Anne gone, I’m the only grandchild they’ll ever have. ”
He reached out and drew me close to him. My traitorous heart wanted to connect with his. If only . I want ed to remain protected in the strength of his arms . But right now I had to find c ourage within myself . “I need t o absorb all of this—the windows and now suddenly finding out I have grandparents .” I pulled a key from my pocket and handed it to him. “Lock the front door of the shop as you leave. Tak e the key with you so if there are any more problems you can get back inside. I don’t want to end up lock ed inside with a madman.”
“ I ’ll sack out on the couch. I won’t leave y ou alone with some lunatic on the lo o se.”
“I have Goldie and— ”
“Not doable. Leaving you unaided and unprotected isn’t an option. ”
“Don’t you have to be on duty? ”
“ Alec has it covered . ”
“Y ou do n’t need to sleep on the sofa. T h ere’s another bedroom. I guess you’re going to insist on going with me to take Goldie out ? ”
My furry friend skipped ahead of us down the stairs and tapped her paw against the door . Outside , my eyes wandered across t he star - swept sky. Logan’s touch interrupted my thoughts. I looked up at him. “ Alec is driving my truck to the station. D on’t want you to worry about the gossip hour in the morning. ”
“You’ re robbing them of gossip fodder—I ’m already the ir favorite hot t opic .”
A refreshing smile settled on his face. “They’re never short on tales to carry.”
Goldie finished her nighttime rounds an d ran up the stairs in front of us . “S ee you in the morning.” I sc urried down the hall before he had a chance to suggest a movie or a late snack . I trusted him—I wasn’t so sure about me.
I fixed Goldie a spot at the foot of the bed , a lthough she always ended up snuggled in beside me. I tucked into bed, reached for the tiny knob and quieted the light , glad Logan had stayed—I felt safe . I thought about our earlier conversation, and fell asleep wondering why my grandparents had chosen to reject m e. T hey’d
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