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The happy couple moved in that direction, Rosie’s giggles traveling as Vincent tickled her waist before they entered the back room.
David shook his head. “They’re funny.”
Olivia agreed. She liked the couple and thought they were a good balance for each other. Different didn’t always mean bad. “Speaking of couples, how are you and Angie?” David had quit his job and moved to Houston in order to be closer to his fiancé. “Have you set a date for the wedding yet?” She grinned. “I know a good wedding planner.”
David’s expression faltered as his gaze skittered from hers. “Angie and I are going through a rough patch. I don’t really want to talk about it.” He shifted in his high-top sneakers. “The move to Houston was supposed to help our relationship. I think it just made the cracks bigger.”
“I’m sorry to hear that.” Olivia kicked herself for asking in front of Cole. He’d drifted away and was engrossed in a text message on his phone, but she sensed it was all for show. He was hanging on every word. And David was a private person.
She placed a hand on his arm. “If you ever want to talk, I’m a phone call away.”
“Thanks.” David smiled and then gave her a bear hug, nearly lifting Olivia off her feet.
The unexpected embrace caught her off-guard. They’d hugged in the past, but the affection had been sibling-like. This was far more intimate. His arm was like a vise around her waist, her chest pushed against his. His other hand played with the long strands of her hair. It made her uncomfortable, and she pushed against his chest to wriggle free. David immediately released her.
Cole appeared at her side. She stepped back, putting some distance between herself and David, nearly tripping on her high heels in the process. Nerves gathered in her stomach. She had the urge to flee. Her mind flashed back to the night of the attack. The assailant’s arm around her waist, holding her in place. A sour taste filled her mouth.
Cole put himself between Olivia and David. Either he’d sensed her distress or he hadn’t liked the hug. She couldn’t tell, but was grateful for the protective move.
David extended a hand toward Cole. “Nice to meet you, man. Make sure you take care of Olivia. She pours a lot of herself into her clients and is a perfectionist, which can make her demanding to work for.” David’s gaze drifted toward Olivia. Warmth and affection shone in his expression. “But there’s no one better.”
She blinked. The flashback faded, leaving her weak-kneed. She was being ridiculous. David was her friend. Still, Olivia couldn’t shake the need to put some distance between them. “We should go, Cole. Vincent and Rosie are waiting for us.” She nodded toward David, forcing a smile on her lips. “It was nice to see you. All the best to your mom.”
“Thanks.”
Olivia turned and headed for the tasting room.
Cole caught up to her with long strides. “You okay?”
His voice was pitched low enough only she could hear it. Olivia nodded slightly in response. She was fine. Or as fine as she could be. Cole didn’t say anything more, but she knew he’d observed the entire interaction with a lawman’s perspective. Doubts caused her to second-guess her initial rejection of David as a suspect. But that was silly, right? He had an alibi for the night she was attacked.
Still, no amount of mental reassurance removed the knot in the center of her stomach.
That hug had been… wrong somehow.
Olivia glanced over her shoulder. David stood in the center of the bakery, hands in his pockets, watching her.
Their gazes met.
And something in his expression made her blood run cold.
ELEVEN
The interaction with David at the bakery haunted Olivia. She tried to put it out of her mind during dinner with her grandparents, but it was a struggle. Every interaction between her and David over the last year replayed like a movie. She analyzed them with a new perspective, wondering if she’d been ignorant to her assistant’s hidden feelings and motives.
“Are you okay, dear?”
An age-spotted hand covered Olivia’s. She glanced up to find her grandmother gazing at her, worry pinching her mouth and deepening the wrinkles along her forehead. Alyssa Leighton was nearly eighty-six, and while time had softened the stunning good looks of her youth, it hadn’t robbed her of the innate kindness that was the hallmark of her personality. Everyone in town knew that if you had a problem, Alyssa was the person to talk to. Wise, affectionate, and trustworthy, she’d been one of the most celebrated teachers in Serenity before her retirement.
Olivia forced a smile to ease her grandmother’s concern. “I’m alright, Granny. Just lost in thought.”
“And it’s not a wonder with what you’ve been dealing with.” Willie Leighton, Olivia’s grandfather, slammed his water glass down on the table. Indignation heated his ruddy cheeks. His close-cropped hair was thinning, leaving him with a high forehead that accented his sky-blue eyes. They were the same shade as Olivia’s. She’d inherited her grandfather’s coloring, along with his strong will. Willie was a fighter. Literally. He’d been a prize-winning boxer. Right now, he looked angry enough to punch someone. “I’m gonna have a word with Chief Sims first thing in the morning. This stalker nonsense has to stop.”
“Grandpa, the police are doing everything they can. Yelling at Chief Sims won’t help. It’ll only raise your blood pressure and the doctor specifically said you need to stay calm.”
He glowered. “Calm, my foot. How on earth can I stay calm when my only grandchild is attacked while walking to her car?” Willie turned his dark gaze on her. “And when this is all said and done, you and I are going to have a talk, young lady. You should’ve called us right after the incident happened.”
“Willie Gene Leighton, don’t you dare lecture Olivia.” Alyssa’s tone brooked no argument. “She’s a grown woman and can share what she wants with us.”
