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Chapter Six
Cora
Even though she’donly been in Granite Valley, Cascadia, for three days, Cora was accomplishing a lot. It was astonishing what she could get done, she thought, when she wasn’t constantly looking over her shoulder or afraid that every time she opened an envelope, there would be a picture of her along with a creepy message.
She’d already looked at four apartments, and while none of them had thrilled her, she had at least five more on the schedule, and five more days before her job even started. Right now she was brushing her teeth, getting ready to go check out some of the thrift stores around town, since they were always good places to find furniture. Everything she had, she’d fit into the back of her car, so it wasn’t a lot.
But the best was that she hadn’t heard anything at all from her stalker. No notes, no mysteriously sent flowers, nothing. Cascadia was heaven on earth.
Of course, she hadn’t worked up the nerve to actually talk to Ash, the cute cop, at the pizza joint. Honestly, she’d been too embarrassed that he’d seen her take an entire pizza by herself. Part of her had wanted to go over to him and his companion and explain that she had a fridge in her motel room, and the pizza would also be breakfast.
Instead, she’d waved once and then bolted.
Sigh.
It didn’t help that the guy he was sitting with was also insanely hot, and in a completely different way than Ash. This guy looked like he was probably a snowboarding instructor or a guitarist or a river rafting guide or something. He was tan, his hair pulled back, and somehow had a sleek-but-muscled outdoor look.
She wondered again if that was Ash’s mate, and wondering that always led into wondering if Ash was a member of a triad or just a mating pair. They must be in a triad already, she told herself — what girl wouldn’t want to be in a sandwich between those two?
Cora spat into the sink, rinsed her mouth out, and rinsed her toothbrush.
Try not to think filthy thoughts before noon, she told herself, and then left her hotel room, feeling light and free in a way that she hadn’t in months.
It ended quickly.
As soon as she got down to the motel’s parking lot, she saw the window on her car.
Shattered.
Cora’s entire body went cold, and she started sweating. Her legs wanted her to run, as far and fast as she could, but she forced herself to approach the car.
Other cars were driving past on the road, and she was highly visible, in public, in bright, strong sunlight.
He’s not going to get you here, she told herself. Not with people around.
When she got up to her car, she could see the rock that had shattered the window, just lying on the passenger seat.
Carefully, her hands shaking, she reached in and picked it up and turned it over on her palm.
It was just a rock. There was no note and no picture attached.
Cora relaxed a little.
Neil, her stalker, had never done anything like this without also leaving a note. It was part of his inability to stop talking, which was most of the reason that she’d turned down a third date.
Cora tossed the rock in the air and caught it again, leaning against her car, wondering what she should do. More than anything, she just wished that this stupid thing hadn’t happened. Now she had to waste a day and a few hundred dollars getting it fixed, not to mention dealing with her insurance — which was still in Virginia. She hadn’t changed it yet, of course. She didn’t even have a permanent address in Cascadia.
You could call Officer Sexy, she thought.
She bit her lip and tossed the rock again. He probably had real work to do, like busting bad guys for drugs or saving little old ladies from murderers.
He said any time, though.
That was true.
He didn’t let you off with a warning out of mercy, she thought, unbidden. Hell, he gave you his phone number, didn’t he?
Cora gave up and reached into her glovebox for Officer Sexy — no, Ash’s — phone number.
