Chapter One Hundred Five

Lena sat dangling her legs over the edge of the pool in the backyard of the new house as Kenzie splashed around in swimmies and a life vest a few feet away.

Lena knew she was being overprotective. Kenzie could swim like a fish, and she knew not to go any deeper than chest-height. Still, it wasn’t the fear of drowning that caused Lena to hover close to her daughter every minute of the day.

She hoped it would get easier. It had to. Soon. She was starting a new job next week and would have to leave her daughter for nine hours a day. Fortunately, Denise and Alan would be watching Kenzie and had promised to text her regular updates throughout the day.

“Come on. It’s time for lunch,” Lena announced and got up to get a towel. They’d only moved into their new home last week. There were still boxes everywhere, but unpacking the swim stuff and towels had been a priority.

Kenzie didn’t complain or whine about having to get out of the pool. She was always on her best behavior these days, which broke Lena’s heart. Kenzie’s therapist said it was to be expected, considering what she’d gone through.

No matter how many times Lena told her daughter she hadn’t done anything wrong, and that Lena hadn’t left her behind on purpose, Kenzie was still suffering some abandonment issues. The things Brandon had said to her when he took her from the daycare didn’t help, the bastard.

At least with his death, Brandon had provided for his daughter—if unknowingly. Their new home was bigger than what they probably needed. And the pool was a luxury they definitely didn’t need. But the house was in a safe neighborhood, and Lena had wanted Kenzie to have the nicest home possible.

The therapist had identified that behavior as a manifestation of Lena’s guilt over not protecting her daughter better.

Obviously, both she and Kenzie had some things to work out. But they were together again, and that was all that mattered.

Well, almost.

Lena’s heart pulled uncomfortably as she thought about the one thing that was missing from the happy scenario.

Dane.

She tried not to think of him. She’d start to get weepy again and didn’t want Kenzie to misinterpret.

“You’re dry enough to go inside,” Lena said cheerfully, ruffling her daughter’s hair with the towel. “Do you want PB&J for lunch?”

“Yeah! And can I have a popsicle, too?”

Lena put on her mother face. “After you eat the real food. What color do you want?”

Kenzie jumped up and down. “Red!”

“Red, it is.” Lena hung the towels on the back of a chair and followed her daughter inside. She stayed back as Kenzie scrambled up onto the tall stool and took a sip of the water that had been in her cup since that morning.

Making their sandwiches, Lena took care in making sure the peanut butter reached out to every corner. She used to just smear it around the center without a thought. But everything was important now. She cut the sandwich into four neat squares and pushed it across the island to her child. “There you go, kiddo.”

“Thank you, Mama.”

The doorbell rang as Lena put the jelly back in the refrigerator. “I’ll be right back. Stay here.”

Lena’s pulse took off. They hadn’t been living in Charleston long enough to expect visitors. The Scotts always called first, and the cable guy had already been there.

She stopped briefly in her bedroom and pulled her new gun from its safe before going to the door.

Her heart pounded in her ears as she checked the peephole.

And froze in shock.