THE NEXT DAY Sarah packed cookies and sandwiches from the shop to take home as a meal. She already had a green salad in her refrigerator but figured Tyler probably would prefer something more substantial.
She’d barely had a chance to say hello to Theo when she heard a car pull up outside. He went racing up the stairs to hide. “Nobody is going to hurt you,” she called after him.
She opened the front door and found a gift bag hanging off the knob.
“What’s that?” Tyler asked as he came up the walk.
“I don’t know.” She looked inside and found a box of baby shower invitations, along with a pacifier. A creepy sensation crept across her shoulders.
“That’s an odd present,” he said. “Are you throwing a baby shower?”
“Hardly. I don’t know anyone who’s pregnant.”
“Do you think it’s connected to the other harassment?”
“Got me.” Sarah looked in the bag again and on the tag. “There’s no note and my name isn’t on it. Maybe they got the wrong house.”
“Is that what you really think?”
Sarah wasn’t sure. With all the hours she worked, she didn’t hear most of the news in town.
“Uh, sorry, come in,” she said belatedly, stepping aside for Tyler. “I’ll call my grandmother and see if she knows about any upcoming baby showers.”
She dialed Grandma Margaret, who hemmed and hawed around before finally admitting that she knew of six women expecting a baby and that four of the pregnancies weren’t public knowledge yet. “It’ll be a few months before baby showers are planned. Why?” asked her grandmother.
“Just wondering,” Sarah said vaguely. “I keep hoping to hear Carlie is expecting.”
“Oh, I...well...that is...” her grandmother stuttered and Sarah grinned, despite her nervous tension.
“Carlie is one of the six, isn’t she?”
“I can neither confirm nor deny that.”
“You don’t need to. I’ve got to go—someone is here. But thanks for the good news.”
It was good news, but it also sent a pang through Sarah. While she didn’t begrudge her cousin’s happiness, a part of her longed for love and babies of her own.
“What did she say?” Tyler asked as she stood still holding the receiver.
Sarah jumped. “Um, at least six women in Glimmer Creek are pregnant, but it’ll be months before we have any baby showers.”
“That’s interesting.”
Though Sarah was stressed, she laughed. “I find it hard to believe that babies and baby showers hold the slightest interest for you.”
A sheepish look crossed his face. “True. Changing the subject, I called my lawyer today and told him to file the slander suit against Milo Corbin.”
Sarah watched his face. “How do you feel about that?”
“Feel?” Tyler looked at her blankly.
“Yes, feel. Angry, relieved...what?”
“It was just something that had to be done.”
Jeez. Sarah wanted to shake him. She still thought the “ice man” moniker was cruel, but in some ways it fit. On the outside, at least.
“Fine. Since we appear to be exchanging confidences, I talked to Zach this morning about the harassment. But only as my cousin, not to make an official police report.”
“What did he say?”
“About what you’d expect.” Sarah carried the gift bag into the kitchen and set it next to the pile of odd mailings she’d been getting. “The motorcycle incident concerns him since it goes beyond harassment. He agrees that someone unplugging the catering vehicles might be considered vandalism. And he isn’t happy about the rest of this. But there isn’t enough evidence to get a handle on, so we’ll need to wait and see if anything else happens.”
Sarah was glad Zach had been relatively low-key. She didn’t want to read something significant into every little incident and start jumping at shadows. Usually there was a perfectly good explanation, and she’d spent too much time afraid and paranoid during her marriage.
“I’ve got sandwiches and salad,” she said brightly. “I hope you’re hungry.”
* * *
TYLER WISHED SARAH’S COUSIN could have told her something more definitive, but he was glad someone in law enforcement knew what was happening.
The meal was tasty and he ate too much, something he suspected was a common problem when Sarah fed people. She mostly ate green salad and the chicken out of her sandwich, leaving the crusty French bread behind.
“Do you have any idea if the remodeling is possible?” she asked as she put a plate of cookies on the table.
“I’m working on some thoughts, including ways to make the second floor useful. For one, the front section of the roof could be turned into a rooftop garden and seating area for customers.”
“That’s a great idea if it can work. What about my kitchens?”
“I have some thoughts about them, too. But how about going for a drive while we talk? I think we could both use a change of scenery.”
“Or we could do something else.”
From the look in Sarah’s eyes, Tyler suspected he wasn’t going to like the “something else.”
“Such as?”
“If you recall, one of my cousins is the activities director at Poppy Gold.”
“And I explained that planned activities aren’t my thing. I’m not a group person,” he amended, recalling her exasperation the last time the subject had come up.
“This one will be fun—it’s a ghost walk of Poppy Gold and the pioneer cemetery. Your mom is going. I told her about it this afternoon and she invited Dad.”
He stared. “You want to go on a double date with our parents?”
Sarah rolled her eyes. “No one is dating. But I’d like to attend and support Carlie. It’s the first time she’s offering the tour.”
Tyler missed most of what she’d said; he was still processing his impulsive “double date” comment. The idea of dating Sarah was alluring. If they were dating, he wouldn’t need to fantasize about kissing her; they would just kiss.
“Tyler,” Sarah prompted.
“I don’t know. Ghost stories?”
“Come on—didn’t you ever do a campout in the backyard with your brother and tell each other scary tales?”
“No.”
Sarah patted his arm. “Then this will help you make up for lost time. Think of it as getting in touch with your inner child.”
Tyler wasn’t sure he had an inner child, but he nodded. The tour would probably be jammed with kids and he’d be uncomfortable, but he couldn’t turn Sarah down. And there was always a trillion to one shot she’d get scared by a ghost and jump into his arms.
* * *
SARAH SLID HER FEET into a pair of sandals. “We’ve got a few minutes, so I’m going to check on my cat. He gets freaked when someone is here that he doesn’t know.”
“Sure. I’ll put the dishes in the dishwasher. I worked at a restaurant during college. Part of the time I bused tables, but the rest of the time I loaded the dishwasher, scrubbed pots and pans and mopped the floors.”
“Really? I started at a caterer doing cleanup. It was one of the really big guys in Los Angeles—very posh and snooty—but I learned a lot from him.”
“How long was it before you got promoted?”
Sarah laughed. “A week. But that was pure luck. A major client came in when everyone was out on a catering job. I’d brought the ingredients for my chocolate hazelnut torte, hoping to make it and impress the owner. Instead I made it for her. I could have lost my job, but she was thrilled and her guests raved. Frederick liked my initiative and made me a trainee pastry chef.”
A smile spread across Tyler’s face. “That wasn’t luck—that was talent.”
Yikes.
It was the same smile that made her weak in the knees—made her want to do her darnedest to seduce him.
Breathless, Sarah started for the steps, only to find a grumpy-looking Theo sitting halfway down. “Hey, buddy. I thought you were hiding.”
He deigned to accept a few caresses, only to leave in a huff when he heard footsteps approaching.
“He’s okay,” Sarah said, meeting Tyler in the living room.
“Good. I’ll drive. About the gift bag,” he said, seeming to pick his words carefully. “Isn’t it something your cousin should know about?”
“I’ll tell him tomorrow, but you’re sworn to secrecy for tonight. I don’t want Dad to hear about it from anyone else.”
* * *
TYLER COULDN’T BELIEVE he was going on a ghost walk.
“Is this for serious ghost hunters or just for fun?” he asked as they drove the short distance to Poppy Gold.
“Entertainment only,” Sarah explained, getting out.
Sarah hadn’t needed to worry about the success of her cousin’s ghost walk. A huge crowd had gathered to hear stories from Glimmer Creek’s haunted history. His mother and Kurt Fullerton waved from the other side of the gathering, yet a tight expression crossed Kurt’s face when he saw Tyler with Sarah.
“I don’t think your father likes me,” Tyler said softly. “Not that I’m complaining. I’m sure he’s the one who convinced Nathan to keep his therapy appointment today.”
“Rosemary mentioned that Nathan has been surly lately.”
“Yeah. I’m afraid temper runs in the family,” Tyler confessed. “I, uh, about earlier—you asked how I felt about going forward with the slander suit...”
Sarah focused on him. “You said it was just something that had to be done.”
“That’s because I didn’t want to admit how much I hate being forced into this position. It really makes me angry.”
“I’d feel that way, too. Why not say it?”
Tyler’s embarrassment grew, but he’d started the conversation and might as well finish it. “The only time you’ve seen me lose control is the day I got to Glimmer Creek. I didn’t want you thinking I was nothing but a jerk with a short fuse.”
Sarah started laughing. “You call that losing control?”
“It was for me.”
“I suppose it was. Well, don’t worry about it.” She slid her arm into his, and every inch of his body went on alert. “There may be ways you could lose control that wouldn’t bother me in the least.”
Just then a woman called everyone to attention and started talking.
Tyler didn’t hear a word. He was too busy wondering what Sarah had meant.
* * *
ROSEMARY WAS PLEASED to see her eldest son and Sarah doing something together that wasn’t connected to the remodeling. It would be lovely if they got together, she mused. Sarah would be the best daughter-in-law in the world. At the same time, she knew their temperaments weren’t a good match.
“What are you smirking about?” Kurt whispered in her ear.
“I’m not smirking, I’m thinking about Sarah. You mentioned she takes after her mother. Is it difficult being reminded of your ex-wife?”
“Naw. Lizzie and I were never right for each other,” Kurt admitted. “We met when I was stationed in Texas. We were moved around often by the army, which she hated, and she finally packed her things and left. She didn’t even ask for custody.”
“What about visitation rights?”
“No visitation, either. She walked out the day I was due back from an assignment. I think that’s what made me hate her the most—she left our daughter alone in the apartment, divorce papers on the kitchen table. I was late, and Sarah was hungry and terrified. She clung to me and cried for hours.”
“How awful,” Rosemary breathed, horrified.
“That kid is my life. Even if Lizzie had asked for visitation, I would have fought it tooth and nail. No way was she getting near my little girl again.”
“I would have felt the same.”
But Rosemary wondered about what he’d said...that kid is my life. It was something most parents might say, but Sarah seemed to worry her father was too involved with her life and business.
The activities director was breaking the crowd into smaller groups, apparently having planned for a big turnout.
“Didn’t Nathan want to come?” Kurt asked as the groups went in different directions, each led by a Poppy Gold employee.
“I invited him, but he’s taking care of some homework the doctor had asked him to do.”
Nathan’s mood had greatly improved after spending the day with Kurt; he’d even called Vickie. They hadn’t made plans, but had talked for nearly an hour. Yet once again Rosemary felt as if other people were taking care of problems for her.
She frowned.
Her son’s recovery was too important to worry about who did what to help him. And if she wanted more control over her life, she could start by having Tyler explain the finances and hand them over for her to handle.
“What’s wrong?” Kurt muttered.
“Nothing. Be quiet. I’m sure these ghost stories are old stuff to you, but I’ve never heard them before.”
He grinned and let her be drawn into Glimmer Creek’s spectral past. The tales were entertaining, spooky enough to give shivers, but not so terrible they were likely to keep anyone awake.
Of course, it might have been nice to blame her insomnia on a ghost.
* * *
IT WAS DARK by the time Tyler parked in front of the house.
Sarah had seriously considered throwing caution to the wind and trying to seduce him, but her brain was too tired to cooperate, even though her body was still in favor.
“That was fun,” she said. “Thanks for going with me.”
“Are any of those ghost stories true?”
“I haven’t experienced any spirits personally, but the historical figures were real. And Tessa’s mother once claimed she would have fallen down a flight of stairs, but something pulled her upright.”
“Must have been Casper.”
“Must have been,” she agreed with a smile. “I’d love to, um, talk more, but I’m dead on my feet. No ghostly jokes intended. Four o’clock comes awfully early.”
Tyler promptly got out and was at the passenger door before she could move. It was a gentlemanly thing to do, but she was less thrilled when he insisted on going inside to be sure everything was okay.
“I locked up when we left. I’m sure everything is fine,” Sarah protested.
“Indulge me.”
She curled up on the couch while he searched the house. Jeez, he was even checking windows. Her eyelids drifted down as she considered the effort required to go upstairs to bed. Maybe she’d just sleep here.
“Sarah, everything is clear,” Tyler murmured.
She opened her eyes. He’d crouched next to her and looked so delicious, a renewed flicker of desire tightened her abdomen. Mmm. The cut was still healing over his eye, but most of the bruising had faded. The injury made him look rakish and just rough enough around the edges that his perfect looks weren’t as intimidating.
“I really did consider seducing you,” she said sleepily. “I wasn’t just teasing earlier. I thought we could pretend it never happened afterward, but now I’m too tired.”
He was close enough that Sarah saw his pupils dilate. “That would have been an interesting proposition. Do you have enough energy left for a kiss we can pretend didn’t happen?”
“I guess.”
Tyler kissed her gently, then more deeply, and her blood surged. His arms went around her and he deepened the caress. Her skin seemed to burn and his response was unmistakable. Yet as abruptly as the embrace had begun, it ended.
“I’d better go,” he said hoarsely. “And you need to lock the dead bolts behind me.”
With that, he lifted her to her feet.
At the door he stepped outside. “Lock the screen door, too,” he instructed.
“Uh, okay.” She started to turn on the front light, only to have her attention caught by an eerie glow. “Tyler, look.”
She pointed, and his breath hissed out in a curse.
Written on the facing board of the porch roof was the question, Why did you do it?
* * *
SARAH MARVELED AT how quickly a little glow-in-the-dark paint could wake a person up, especially someone who’d just enjoyed a pleasant ghost walk and a really hot kiss.
Tyler didn’t have to persuade her to call Zach. Her cousin insisted on coming over after he heard the story, his expression turning even grimmer than usual when he saw the message.
Why did you do it?
Do what?
Why was someone targeting her, and what could she have done to make them angry enough to write it in phosphorescent paint?
Zach took pictures and then checked the paint. “It’s dry. How long were you in the house after returning from the ghost walk?”
Sarah glanced at Tyler. She didn’t think her cousin needed to know about the kiss.
“When we got back Tyler checked both floors to be sure everything was okay. I was locking the door after him, which is when we spotted the message. But it wasn’t necessarily painted this evening. I don’t remember the last time I was on the porch after dark, and the paint would blend in during the day.”
“Show him the gift bag,” Tyler urged.
With a sigh, Sarah led the way back to her kitchen. “I found this bag hanging off the doorknob this afternoon. Inside is a box of blank invitations and a baby rattle.”
Zach put on crime scene gloves and began examining the bag and its contents, asking if she had any idea who could be responsible for leaving it.
When Sarah shook her head, Tyler stepped forward, looking impatient. “You should look into Sarah’s ex-husband. From what she’s said, he’s the kind of guy who might harass her.”
Her face went hot. Her lousy marriage wasn’t a secret, but she didn’t advertise it.
“Sarah?” It was Zach, and he was frowning. “How ugly was the divorce?”
“Pretty ugly. His name is Douglas Sheehan. The last I heard, he was a vice president at the Bly-Smythe-Weston Corporation. But he’s remarried, and I don’t know why he’d bother with an ex-wife he hasn’t seen in years.”
Zach wrote the information in his notebook. “I’ll check regardless. Also to see if he’s stayed at Poppy Gold Inns in the past few months. In the meantime, I’ll take the odd mailings you’ve received, along with the bag, and see what I can figure out.”
He left, and the silence was awkward.
“I could spend the night on the couch,” Tyler volunteered.
Some of the tightness eased in Sarah’s chest. “That’s sweet, but I’ll be fine.”
“Nobody in my entire life has called me sweet.”
“What about when you were a baby?”
“Unlikely. I can’t recall a single smile in any of my baby photos.”
That seemed unbearably sad and Sarah wanted to cry.
She told herself it was just the pressure and fear of what was going on, topped with exhaustion, but she was afraid it meant more. A part of her was growing fond of Tyler Prentiss, and that scared her as much as creepy messages on her porch.