CHAPTER TWENTY
Being with Mac felt amazing. They were both back at work and felt good. Mac’s bio-aunt wouldn’t get out of jail anytime soon, and they were safe. The prickle of fear still toyed with her, making her fear what could be around the corner, but she’d been here in Fallport for over a month, and nothing had happened.
The camera showed that no one had even tried to enter the house. She had no clue who had left the door unlocked when they’d been at Brock’s, but she no longer feared it had been about her. It had to have been one of the neighbors coming to take a look and make sure everything was okay.
She had the day off and planned on working in the yard, but a huge storm rolled through, sending her running inside. Instead of weeding and picking up the yard, she spent the day inside cleaning. The rain pitter-patting on the roof of the house felt calming.
After starting a load of laundry, she settled on the back porch with a mug of hot cocoa and a good book.
Gray clouds hung low over Fallport, but they didn’t look as threatening as the earlier black boiling clouds that had dropped inches of rain.
She had read a few pages when she heard someone calling her. At first, shock filled her then she recognized Bristol’s voice.
“I’m in the back,” April called out.
Bristol laughed as she came around the side of the house. “Wow, you look comfortable.”
April smiled and nodded. It had been a few days since she’d seen Bristol or any other women she knew in town. None of them had stopped by Grinders, and she and Mac had been staying at the house in the evenings, enjoying alone time.
“Hey, how are you?” April asked as she closed the book and sat up.
Bristol opened the screened door and stepped onto the porch. “Good. I came by to invite you to the picnic we’re having. It’s on the fourth. Should be fun.”
“Sure, that would be great. We’d love to come.”
Bristol’s lips spread into a wide smile. “So things with you and Mac are progressing?”
Heat rose on April’s face. “We are.”
Bristol chuckled. “Well, I’m happy about it. You two deserve some good stuff happening. You seem more relaxed now.”
April nodded. “It’s weird. That woman came after Mac, and it was so awful, my problems just seemed trivial.”
Bristol narrowed her gaze. “So no one has been messing with this place or you?”
April shook her head. “No. Everything is quiet. Plus, having the cameras installed has helped. I don’t have to worry about someone coming in while I’m at work or sitting outside the house because I’ll get a notification.”
“That’s awesome. Just be careful.”
“Thank you. I will be. And thank you for inviting us. We’ll be there.”
“Awesome. It starts at around three in the afternoon. We’ll have hot dogs and buns. Just bring something to snack on.”
“Sure. Though we might just make it chips.”
“Chips are great. I love chips.”
April hugged Bristol before she took off, happy she had friends here in Fallport. Life was good now. She needed to talk to Mac about where they wanted to live. Hopefully, she could get a job allowing her to move anywhere in the country. She had some idea where she wanted to work, but she hadn’t been sure exactly where she would go before meeting Mac. Now she just wanted to be close to him.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
On the third, April said she would stay late and close the shop so Steph could head home. They didn’t have many customers, and she was almost finished cleaning everything. The door opened, and a guy stepped in.
“Welcome to Grinders. What can I get for you?” April asked, wishing this man hadn’t come in. She really wanted to close the shop and head home to Mac. It was later than she would usually stay, and though the sun was still up, she wanted to be home where she knew she would be safe.
After her chat with Bristol, she’d begun worrying that maybe she’d dismissed her stalker too easily. Someone could be watching her, but too much time had passed, and no one had shown up at her aunt’s place or come by her work to harass her.
“I think it’s you who would benefit from what I can do for you.”
The weird feeling brewing under her skin was back. There was something about this guy that made her question everything.
“I’m sorry, what?” Her hands started to shake as her nerves grew. She put one hand into her pocket, and disappointment flooded her. She’d placed her phone on the shelf beside her timecard.
The man approached the counter, and she took a step back, needing to put space between them. It would take too long to get hot coffee into a cup, so she couldn’t splash some in his face and run. She had a long-handled metal spoon and a few ceramic mugs but no real weapons. If this guy attacked, she would be helpless against him.
The man’s lips twitched up on one side, and she felt like she was looking at evil. Her breath caught, and she knew it was time to get out of there.
April turned to run, but the man jumped over the counter and grabbed her hair. Pain blasted through her head. She cried out and tried to get away. He didn’t let go.
“Why are you doing this?” Tears burned April’s eyes.
“Why did you leave? We would have been good together.”
She tried to shake her head, but his fingers were woven too tightly with her hair.
His words slowly filtered through her mind. He’d asked why she’d left. This was her stalker. He’d admitted as much.
Her tongue felt like lead, and her mouth a dry wasteland. She couldn’t speak even if she wanted to. This guy had tracked her down, and now he was going to do what? She needed to get away, but he had her locked down.
The man pulled her closer. His lips were at her ear. The sound of his breathing grated on her nerves. The scent of greasy burgers and fries lingered. How long had he been around here, watching her?
“We’re going to take a little walk. My car is parked right outside. You’re not going to draw any attention to yourself. You understand?”
April whimpered as he pushed her around the counter to the exit. She wanted to be brave and escape his grasp, but he pressed something cold and hard against her side.
“If you so much as flinch, I’m going to make it hurt.”
Tears threatened to fall. She wanted to run and escape this madman, but she knew he would hurt her if she tried to run. Maybe she would be able to figure out an escape eventually. Right now, there was no way she could get free.
He paused to take a look around before pushing open the door. The sidewalks were clear, and few cars were parked around the square. For once, she wished she had picked a crowded city to run to. There just weren’t enough people in Fallport to save her.
“That’s it, keep walking, and everything will be okay.”
The man didn’t lock up the shop, and she hoped Steph didn’t get too angry at her. It wasn’t like she could insist they stick around and take care of closing the shop properly. She’d told Mac she would be fine working this late. Why hadn’t she been more careful?
She wanted to call Mac and tell him what was going on, but her phone had been left in the coffee shop. If she knew him, he would be waiting for her. He would know something was wrong if she didn’t phone him the second Grinders closed.