Stella shook her head. “No. It’s actually quite the opposite. Everyone I know wants me to date.”
Andy nodded as if understanding. “Call me if you think of anything. I, or someone from the department, will check on you tomorrow.” Andy turned to look at Karl. “Are you staying here tonight?”
“I am.”
Stella looked at her brother and shook her head. “No. You don’t have to do that. Eden and April are at home.”
“Eden and I both insist. She wanted me to call her as soon as I checked in here. I’ll do that now, and then I’ll sleep on the couch tonight.”
Karl stepped into the kitchen to call Eden and Stella walked Andy out to his cruiser. “Do you think I’m in danger?” Stella had wanted to ask this before but didn’t want Karl to worry even more.
“I think it’s too soon to tell. It’s clear someone isn’t quite in their right mind and is very angry for some reason. Now, many of these cyber bullies never come out from behind the screen.”
“But some do,” Stella said, finishing Andy’s thought.
“Exactly. Let me investigate and then I’ll have more information for you. There’s no reason to think he’ll do anything right now, though. Usually there’s quite a buildup before in-person contact is made. At the heart of it, they’re cowards. Go about your life. Just use common sense and let me know immediately if anything unusual happens. Okay?”
“Will do. Thank you, Deputy.”
Andy waited for her to go back into her house and shut the door before he drove away. Karl was waiting for her with her phone in his hand. “I’m keeping this with me tonight. I’ll call Deputy Sharp if you get any more texts. I want you to go upstairs and try to sleep. Tomorrow is a big day for your business, and I know how important that is for you.”
Tomorrow was going to be crazy as the sun would be shining and, she thought optimistically, the place would be packed. Now that she already had some deposits for the larger commercial jobs, she could hire some help. “Thanks, Karl. You’re the best big brother ever.”
“Night, sis.”
Stella patted her leg and Jimmy was by her side in an instant. She hurried upstairs and got a pillow and blanket for Karl, then found herself lying in bed next to Jimmy and cursing Rick. Why would he do this to her? He hadn’t really cared about their relationship. He was only mad because she was the one to break it off. His texts over the past months had been a minor annoyance, but nothing that scared her. Hopefully a visit from the cops would be enough to put an end to this.
Hopefully.
8
Jace looked over at his cousin and frowned.
“Riley, I’m worried about the protein levels in your urine. They’re rising. Not much, but enough for me to notice them. Your blood pressure is also creeping up to the highest end of normal that I want it.”
Jace saw his cousin clasp her husband’s hand. Matt Walz might be the sheriff of Keeneston, but he couldn’t protect his pregnant wife from preeclampsia.
“Can I make it to full term?” Riley asked. This was their first pregnancy after a long time of trying, and it had been a rough road. Riley had stepped down from the state legislature, and Aniyah had stepped up from being Riley’s secretary to the newly elected state congresswoman. Riley had given up so much for the health and protection of her baby and never thought twice about it. Now he had to tell her she’d never reach her goal of a full-term pregnancy. She was at almost thirty-one weeks and they’d be lucky to make it to thirty-four, never mind thirty-seven.
“I doubt it. Every day we can get will be crucial. I’m starting you on one blood pressure medicine that won’t hurt the baby. I’ve been talking to your specialist, Dr. Estes in Lexington, and we’re in agreement on this. She wants to see you next week. You’re to check in every day with me until then. I want to keep things as easy as possible, and I will be doing all my exams at your house daily. How is seven-thirty in the morning?” Jace asked.
“I’ll do whatever it takes. If I have to stand on my head to keep this baby in here, I will.”
Jace smiled at Riley and shook his head. “Please don’t try that.”
Riley rolled her eyes at him in response.
“Keep meditating and also sleeping on your left side. That will help with your circulation and can help ease your high blood pressure.” Jace looked over at Matt. “I’m sorry, but I don’t carry that medication here. You’ll have to go into Lexington. I’m sending it in now to the pharmacy. It’ll be ready by the time you get there.”
“Not a problem. I’ll do anything for Riley and our baby.” Matt helped Riley up from the exam table and once she was standing, turned back to him. “Oh, and I’m sorry to hear Stella had a problem last night. It’s so strange. She’s such a nice person. I don’t know who would do that.”
Jace froze. His heart stopped beating as he processed what Matt said. “What happened to Stella last night?”
Matt bent down and picked up Riley’s purse. “She got a bunch of nasty texts. Over a hundred and sixty of them calling her a whore for having dinner with you last night.”
“What?” Jace didn’t believe what he’d heard. That couldn’t be right.
“Yeah, some unknown number texted her that they’d seen her having dinner with you and then called her a cheap whore a hundred and sixty times,” Matt explained as he wrapped his arm around Riley who was shaking her head.
“That’s so sad. It’s a horrible way to welcome someone to our town. You have to bring her over to our house so I can meet her,” Riley said.
“How is she?” Jace asked Matt, ignoring Riley’s invitation for the moment.
“Shaken up. Andy made sure she was safe and left her last night with her brother. He called Detective Braxton this morning and stayed over the end of his shift so he could drive into Lexington to talk to an ex-boyfriend of Stella’s,” Matt explained.
“Was he arrested?”
“No. He showed them his phone and there were no text messages anywhere on the phone that Andy could find. He was home alone at the time the texts were sent. There’s not enough evidence to do anything.”
There had to be something, but Matt would have done it if there were. “So we just wait for this asshole to screw up?”
“Unfortunately. Night shift will be doing a drive-by at least once a night. Andy said he’d do them at least twice for a while.”
“Thanks for telling me,” Jace said before finally remembering to breathe.
“I thought you might be interested after I heard about your date last night and the amount of bets being placed on you two right now. The sad thing is I don’t know if it’s better for you to be around her to protect her or stay away from her to protect her.”
There was no question as to which action he’d do. He’d already sent her a text that morning asking her out again. Stella was constantly on his mind. He couldn’t step away now when she was in danger any more than Matt could walk away when Riley needed him.
Matt grinned at him. “Well, I see you already came to the same conclusion I did, which is why I told you. Be safe, Jace. You’ll have a new cousin to take care of soon.”