Page 57 of Sudden Summer

“Birdie thinks she saw the guy who attacked her outside, looking in the kitchen window at her when she came down to get a drink. That’s how she ended up with broken glass in her foot. I’m not leaving her fucking side, so your ass needs to go look around.”

Hayes’s eyes softened as he looked at me. Great. Another Ford who didn’t believe me.

“I know what I saw. He was looking in at me. He tried to come through the kitchen door. The handle was rattling!”

Beau crouched down in front of me. “No one is saying⁠—”

“I mean,” Hayes interrupted, “did you see his face? When he attacked you earlier?”

“No. He was wearing a mask.”

“And tonight?” I knew what Hayes was doing. He thought it was all in my head. And what I was about to tell him started to break through the confidence I had in my own experience.

“Another mask.”

He sighed. “Look, when you go through something traumatic⁠—”

“No!” I jumped up from the sofa, hissing as my cut foot pressed against the floor. Beau was standing up next to me before I could blink, and then I was being lifted, set back on the couch. Only this time, Beau was under me as I sat on his lap. He kept his arms wrapped around my hips and my shoulders, cradling me like he did Juniper.

“Don’t try that again, Chickadee. I haven’t finished cleaning your foot, and I’m not inclined to see you in more pain right now.”

“Sorry,” I mumbled, my head falling into my hands. “I know what I saw.”

“I don’t doubt that you saw it,” Hayes said as he rubbed his hand over the back of his neck. “I’m just wondering if what you saw was physically here, or only in your mind.”

“He said that was just the beginning…” I whispered, turning to look at Beau.

The color drained out of his face as he cupped my cheek. The warmth from his touch seeped so deep, I felt the safety of the gesture down deep in my bones. “What?”

“Your truck pulled in the driveway, and he heard you coming. I…I closed my eyes, thinking maybe he’d finally leave me alone, but he leaned down and told me what he had done was just the beginning. I…I thought maybe he meant he’d be back to my house for whatever he wanted to take? But what if it wasn’t random? What if he’s targeting me?”

“Fuck,” Hayes hissed, his fingers dropping back to the weapon on his belt.

“It’s okay,” Beau whispered as his arms tightened back around me. “It’s going to be okay. He won’t come near you again. I’ll fucking shoot anyone who tries, no questions asked.”

“Beau…”

“No. I’m not playing around when it comes to your safety. That’s my job. And I won’t let anyone hurt you ever again.”

My eyes were glued to the spot on the kitchen floor where I’d dropped the glass just a few hours before. There was no trace of broken glass. No moisture left from the water. No lingering eyes.

So why did it feel like I still wanted to scream? Like my body knew the truth, even if nothing pointed to a person being out back last night…

My brain was desperately trying to convince me that I hadn’t been sleepwalking, or in some sort of post-traumatic episode. That it had been too long since I’d taken pain medication for that to mess with my head. I saw the same eyes that were staring down at me while he wrapped his hand around my neck and almost squeezed the life right out of me. I know I had.

My phone buzzed in my pocket, and I nearly fell to the floor again. God, I couldn’t wait for the jumpiness to go away. This wasn’t who I was. This wasn’t who I wanted to become.

“Hello?” I answered as my heart still tried to beat out of my chest.

“Is this Bernadette Calloway?” a woman’s voice filled the line.

“Speaking. Who is this?”

“Ms. Calloway, this is Janice Wittaker. I’m an administrator at St. Clare’s.” I instantly went on high alert. Had there been an issue with my sick leave request? I wracked my brain, thinking over what I’d said when I’d called in to report my absence for the next few days while my wrist and ankle healed.

“Ms. Wittaker, what can I do for you?” I asked.

“Actually, I’m calling to let you know that your sick leave has been transitioned to administrative leave.”