“We’ll argue about it later.”
Daisy shakes her head as I set her back on her stool.
I take our empty plates and load them into the dishwasher.
“I should be back soon,” I say, kissing her forehead.
“I’ll be fine here.”She grins.“I’m going to spy and poke around.”
I chuckle.“Let me know if you find anything interesting.”
Dropping a quick kiss on the tip of her nose, I turn and head out.
SIX
Daisy
I can’t stop thinkingabout what Knox said about me being a free woman soon.Could it really be true?The police could arrest me.I could go to jail.Or if I stay, I could be trapped here forever.Knox has already made it clear he’s not letting me go.
Have I traded one stalker for another?
No.Knox is different.He would never hurt me.I’m sure of that.He wants the best for me.He’s the opposite of Joe in every way.
In my heart, I know that’s true, but in my head, I wonder if this is just infatuation.I mean, I always hated feeling Joe’s eyes on me, but with Knox, I love it.
I need to get it together.I’ve always prided myself on being able to judge people correctly, but this mess with Joe has shaken that confidence.Sometimes, when I was with Joe, I would get a bad feeling about him, but I was so desperate for a friend, for someone to be nice to me, that I pushed those feelings aside.I convinced myself I was being paranoid.I wish I hadn’t now, but it’s too late for that.
What if that’s what I’m doing here?What if I’m wrong about Knox too?
My stomach twists uncomfortably at the thought.I don’t want to believe it.I like Knox.A lot.I want him to be a good guy.I want him to be my soulmate.
A knock sounds on the front door.I whip around in my chair, my heart beating out of control in my chest.I freeze in place as fear threatens to choke me.
Is it the police?Has Joe found me?
I’m breathing fast, tears stinging my eyes, as I sit there uselessly.
What do I do?What will Knox think when he comes home and I’m missing?
“Daisy?”a woman’s voice calls out.
I blink.
Sliding off my stool, I creep closer to the front door.
“It is Daisy, right?”another woman asks.
“That’s what Christian said.”
I peek out the front window and see four women standing on the front porch.I don’t see any police cars or signs of danger.
Taking a deep breath, I get myself under control, then go to open the front door.
“Uh, hi,” I say shyly as they all turn and smile at me.
“Hey!”one of the women says.“I’m Fern, and this is Roxie, Quinn, and Vivian.”
“Hi.”
