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Paul frowned. “Do you have a security system installed in your house? I’ve seen situations like this before, and they haven’t played out well.”
“I got one of those doorbell cameras if that’s what you mean. Granted, it hasn’t worked in weeks. I’ve been meaning to get it looked at but haven’t gotten around to it yet.”
“I could come and check it out for you if that would help,” Paul offered.
“That would be nice,” Emma said.
One less thing to worry about.
Margie brought over their check and two to-go coffee cups.
“We can go right now if you want to,” Paul said, laying a few bills on the table.
Emma shrugged. “Sure. If you insist.”
They got up from the table and headed outside. Emma walked toward her car, while Paul got in his police cruiser. Her phone vibrated again, but she ignored it.
Gathering her thoughts, Emma’s gaze drifted to the window of Cove Corner Crafts next door. The storefront was filled with a colorful display of handcrafted items, yet a small, distinct section captured her attention, stopping her in her tracks.
Her steps involuntarily drew her closer to the window, and there it was—a small, carefully arranged section showcasing little bone-shaped biscuits, distinctly labeled Riley’s Recipe.
A part of her wanted to step inside to ask Susan, the store owner, how she got them, but she refrained. She knew the answer.
As Emma turned away from the window of Cove Corner Crafts, her phone buzzed in her pocket. Pulling it out, she saw Lisa’s name flash across the screen.
“Hey, Lisa. What’s up?”
“Hey, Em! Guess what I just saw.”
“What?”
Lisa’s words came rushing out. “I just saw Riley’s Recipe in the window at the Bark & Brew. Congrats! You should’ve told me.”
As Emma listened to Lisa’s bubbling excitement over the phone, her mind struggled to process the information. Her treats in the Bark & Brew, on the other side of town—a fact as startling as it was unexpected.
“Lisa, I...I didn’t know they were there. I have to go.”
“Everything okay, Em?”
“Yeah, just something I need to handle. I’ll text you later,” Emma said, ending the call.
Standing motionless, Emma’s thoughts instantly darted to Luke. Only he could have thought to do something like this. He had always believed in her, even when she doubted herself.
Luke had remembered her dream. He still cared.
Releasing a soft sigh, Emma forced herself to turn away from the window and continue toward her car. Every step felt heavy. With an aching heart, she wished they were still together.
After the short drive to her cottage, she let Paul inside. Riley immediately took to him, wagging his tail and attempting to give him a faceful of licks as he knelt to inspect the doorbell camera.
“Riley, get down!” Emma said, grabbing his collar. “Sorry, he has terrible manners.”
Paul chuckled, scratching behind Riley’s ears. “That’s okay. Riley’s a nice guy, aren’t ya?”
Riley let out a bark, then ran into the front yard, sniffing at the tall beach grass.
“Is the camera synced to an app on your phone?” Paul asked.
Emma pulled it out. “Yeah, it’s on here somewhere.”
