Kate started the coffeemakers and began wrapping utensils for the tables in the Shelter Café. She could hear Bella in the kitchen, belting out “Bringing in the Sheaves” while she plopped dough into hot grease. The smell of fresh doughnuts filled the small restaurant. Another day had dawned in Shelter Cove, Arkansas. Usually Kate felt a sense of relief—and thankfulness for the life she’d found in the small town. Here she wasn’t Kate O’Brien. She was Emily Lockhart. The horrible trail of death and destruction left behind by Alan Gerard seemed far away. Or had until recently, anyway.
Without meaning to, Kate slammed the utensils down on the table harder than she should, causing Bella to pause in her enthusiastic but off-key version of the old gospel favorite. It was clear that thinking about the past could still trigger Kate’s anger. She took a few deep breaths to calm herself and waited until her cook began her spirited caterwauling once again. Bella loved her Lord and didn’t care who knew about it. As awful as her tone-deaf renditions were, Kate enjoyed listening to her in the mornings. It stirred something in her soul and helped to get her day going in the right direction. And today she needed all the help she could get.
Hearing from the U.S. Marshals Service last week had dredged up old memories, forgotten and buried. She had no desire to revisit the horror. Why couldn’t they just leave her alone? She’d sent the local Marshals packing, but she knew they’d be back. They had a subpoena. Not something she could ignore. She’d worked so hard to get her life back to normal, and now once again, someone had messed up—and they wanted her to pay the price for their incompetence. She couldn’t believe they were asking her to testify a third time. How many trials would it take before Gerard was locked away for good?
The news that he was out of jail had hit her hard. The first night after the Marshals left, fear and panic had overwhelmed her. She’d prayed for hours, crouching in a corner of the bedroom, jumping over every noise, every movement outside. Springtime was noisy in Shelter Cove. The wind whipped around and through the town as if trying to prepare everyone for the rain and storms that would inevitably come. It had shown no mercy that night—every sigh, every breath of wind taking Kate back to that horrible night, Gerard panting in excitement as he’d carried out his evil intent. Kate’s hand went automatically to the scars on her chest. The reminder of his act of terror. If the knife had gone a little deeper, she would have joined Kelly that night. She’d wondered many times if that outcome wouldn’t have been better, but now, when the thoughts came, she pushed them away. She didn’t want to go back to the dark place she’d fallen into after she’d first come to Shelter Cove. For some reason, she was still alive, and she intended to live not only for herself, but also for the sister who’d had her future so cruelly ripped away.
When Kate was younger, she’d searched for her calling, but she’d never found it. Enrolling in college had been a confusing exercise. She’d finally decided to be an English major because she loved to read. It was her passion. She’d considered sharing her love of reading as a teacher. She really liked spending time with children, and even though the idea of a teaching career didn’t appeal to Kelly, who was driven by a yearning to make her mark on the world, eventually it began to feel right to Kate. However, after Kelly died, she lost all interest in college. For now she was satisfied running the café.
Kelly had known what she wanted to be since she was five years old. She’d started building things with blocks and construction sets when she was three. Her favorite word was architect. As she got older, her plan never changed. She wanted to design buildings. All kinds of buildings. Kate still had the plans she’d drawn up for an incredible house—the house Kelly had planned to live in someday after she got married. But that would never happen. Kate wondered what her architect sister would think of the Shelter Café.
A smile tickled Kate’s lips as she gazed around the cozy restaurant. Blue checkered tablecloths, white tables, and chairs with small blue flowers hand-painted on the backs. The polished wooden floors gleamed, and the bright white walls, decorated with old-fashioned kitchen utensils and ceramic plates, gave the room a feeling of home. The large white ceiling fans clicked as they whirled. Kate walked over to the jukebox in the corner and selected the songs for today. Her customers weren’t interested in rock music. John Denver, The Carpenters, Johnny Cash, and some mellow Elvis were favorites. Kate started the song “Superstar,” and Karen Carpenter’s honeyed tones oozed out into the room. Kate loved this song. Boy, Kelly would laugh if she saw her sister enjoying these old tunes. Music had been important to them. In Shelter Cove, Kate had discovered a whole new world of music that she not only enjoyed but that didn’t remind her of the past. Well, her past anyway. Songs she’d shared with Kelly brought back too many memories. Too much pain.
In the last couple of years, Kate had been content in Shelter Cove, and she’d finally begun to feel safe. But that was only because Gerard was locked up in prison. Now that he was out, she couldn’t stop looking around every corner. Checking out anyone new in town. Afraid every unidentified noise in her house was Gerard coming for her. She knew it was silly, that he had no idea where she was. And even if he did he’d never risk approaching her again. But fear was usually devoid of common sense. And it was more powerful than she liked to admit.
She’d just placed the last wrapped utensils on the final table when a knock came at the front door. Kate peered down at her watch. Five-thirty. The diner didn’t open until six. She decided to ignore it, but the knocking came again. This time more insistent.
“You gonna get that, honey?” Bella called out.
Kate sighed deeply. Everyone in town knew when they opened. Must be a tourist staying at the resort. Couldn’t they see the Closed sign on the door?
“I’m getting it, Bella,” she yelled. Kate hurried over to the door and pulled up the shade that covered the glass on the upper portion. She gasped at the face staring back at her. Dark sandy hair, too long for the job he had, and deep green eyes that seemed to look right through her. Even though she’d been expecting him, seeing his face again sent something like a shock of electricity through her. She slowly unlocked the door.
“I wasn’t sure you’d come,” she said, her voice higher than normal.
“You didn’t leave us much choice. Dragging you out in handcuffs might make your friends and neighbors wonder.”
She stared past him for several seconds, her mind trying to process what was happening. In the end, she couldn’t. She’d wanted to see him again, prayed he’d come, but now that he stood in front of her, her thoughts were jumping around like sausages on a hot griddle. She’d spent a lot of time lying in bed at night, trying to picture his face. Now he was here. Her imagination had been spot-on. He was just as handsome as she remembered.
She swung the door open. “You might as well come in.”
Tony chuckled. “Hey, I’m thrilled to see you, too.”
He ambled into the Shelter Café, wearing the same smile on his face that would jump into her mind at the strangest moments. She’d forgotten, however, how tall he was, and that he had a presence you could feel. His expression made you suspect he was just one step away from pulling off the greatest practical joke ever conceived. He never actually did anything, he just made you think he could if he wanted to.
“Nice place,” he said, looking around the small diner.
“I can’t talk to you now,” Kate said quickly. She didn’t want to be rude, but seeing him again had shaken her to the core. She needed time to regroup. “I’m getting ready to open. Lots to do still.”
“Can’t I get some breakfast?” he said with a crooked smile. “I’m starving.”
“How could you get here so early? It’s at least a seven-hour drive.”
Tony shrugged. “I couldn’t sleep last night. Decided I might as well hit the road. Less traffic.”
“You must be tired.”
“A nap wouldn’t hurt.”
Kate pointed at a table. “Sit down. I’ll order something for you. Then you can get some rest. Where are you staying?”
Tony slid into a chair at the table Kate indicated. “Nowhere yet. Figured I’d check out the cabins at the resort.”
Kate nodded. “Tell Bobby I sent you. He’ll give you a good deal.”
“And when can we get together?”
Kate crossed her arms over her chest and stared at him. “I’ve got a gal who can cover for me this evening. I’ll call her. Why don’t you come to my place around six? I’ll make supper.”
Tony cocked his head to the side and grinned at her. “You cook, too? Is there anything you can’t do?”
Yeah, save my sister. Kate gulped at the words that slid into her head. She shoved them away. “I run a café. Kind of a clue, isn’t it?”
“Not necessarily. I have a friend in St. Louis who owns a successful restaurant. Can’t boil water for an egg, but he knows how to hire people who can do what he can’t.”
Kate managed a small smile. “Well, I can boil water, but I don’t actually do the cooking. I’ve hired an exceptional cook.”
“I hope she’s better at cooking than she is at singing,” Tony said with a grin.
“If she wasn’t, I wouldn’t be in business for long.” She started to ask him if he wanted coffee but suddenly remembered his near addiction to caffeine. During the two trials, Tony was always looking for hot coffee. Thankfully, there’d been a shop near the courthouse. “You take your coffee black, as I remember.”
He flashed his boyish grin again, and something inside Kate’s chest lurched. She’d missed him more than she’d admitted to herself. Even though she’d only been nineteen when they first met, she’d had a huge crush on him. But she was a child then, and now she was an adult. Too old for puppy love.
“Yeah, black and strong. Thanks.”
“Do you want to see a menu?”
Tony shook his head. “Nah. I’m a bacon-and-eggs man. Over hard. Wheat bread.”
“Okay. You got it. I’ll be back.”
Kate walked toward the kitchen, taking deep breaths, trying to tamp down all the feelings that bombarded her. It was ridiculous. She hadn’t seen Tony in four years. Why was she reacting like some kind of love-sick teenager?
“I need a Sunrise Platter,” Kate called out to Bella when she walked into the kitchen. “Over hard with wheat.”
Bella, who’d been belting out “The Old Rugged Cross,” stopped and stared at her. “The sun movin’ a little faster in the sky today?” The confused look on her dark face made Kate want to giggle. Bella was the kind of person who liked everything done in order. She had a certain routine every morning, and God help anyone who interrupted her plans.
“A guy came in early, and I told him we’d serve him,” Kate said. “I can take care of him if you want.”
“Nah, honey, I’ll do it,” Bella said with a deep sigh. She immediately began to prepare Tony’s food. Although she muttered under her breath, within minutes she’d start singing again. Whenever she got upset, it never lasted long. Kate loved her to pieces. Even though Bella didn’t know the truth about Kate’s past life, she seemed to understand that there were secrets hidden behind her boss’s smile. Once Bella had discerned that the past was something Kate didn’t want to talk about, she’d dropped the subject. Somehow she always knew when to talk and when to listen. She was Kate’s best friend. In truth, a mother figure.
Kate quietly left the kitchen and went back out into the café. She got Tony’s coffee and brought it to his table. “I’ve got a few more things to do before we open,” she said.
“Go ahead,” Tony said after taking a sip of the steaming coffee. “Don’t let me disrupt your routine.” He put down the cup. “How do you plan to explain who I am?” he asked quietly.
“Well, Bella knows I don’t have any siblings. Would you like to be a distant cousin?”
Tony nodded. “Sounds good. Cousin Tony.”
She nodded. “If you say so.”
“I do, Emily.”
Kate sighed. “I don’t think I look like an Emily.”
Tony laughed. “My boss said the same thing. So what does an Emily look like?”
Kate paused and bit her lip as she thought. “I think Emily is girly and sweet. I’m not that.”
“No, you’re not that.” He stared at Kate for a moment. “I like the hair, by the way. It fits you.”
Kate had cut her vibrant red hair not long after she’d moved to Shelter Cove. Gerard had liked long hair, and she just couldn’t keep anything that reminded her of him. Her bangs were longer, but the sides were short. Easy to take care of and much more suited to her lifestyle. She reached her hand up to check her hair before she realized what she was doing. Kate felt her face flush. The last thing she needed was for Tony to think she was primping. If he ever found out about the feelings she’d had for him, he’d think her childish and silly.
“Thanks. Makes getting ready in the morning a lot easier.” She suddenly realized she hadn’t put salt and pepper shakers on his table yet. Kate walked over to a nearby table where all the shakers were lined up and grabbed two of them. Then she carried them over to Tony’s table and put them down in front of him. “I’ll have your breakfast in a little bit. Then I’ll see you tonight.”
He nodded but didn’t say anything. Kate was momentarily startled by the guarded look in his eyes. What was that about? As she went back to preparing her diner for another busy day, her heart raced with anticipation . . . and something else. Something she hadn’t felt in four years. A warning. A stirring beyond the barrier she’d created to keep out the vile whispers that waited in the dark. As if something malevolent had been awakened.