Page 113 of Day Break

While Lane paid our bill, I thought about what Melissa had said about Sherry’s death. How Lane had been accused of her murder.

He’d hinted that some of his family members had believed he was guilty. How did someone get over that?

Elliott had hurt me in the past, but now he was out of my life forever. Lane still had to deal with his family on a weekly basis.

As we drove back to town in silence, I played over each interaction he’d had with his family in my head. He didn’t seem to be ruled by bitterness. Not with his parents, at any rate. Then again, he’d had years to get over their betrayal.

We parked in front of the store again and met Melissa out front. She had unlocked the glass door.

When I stepped inside, something just clicked. I’d never felt surer of anything in my entire life. Except from the moment that I’d seen George’s house. Here, I was home, too.

This was the place I’d been looking for all my life.

The warm hardwood floors glistened in the sunlight. The cream-colored walls appeared to be freshly painted.

There was a full wall across the back separating the front dining area from the kitchen.

“I’m sure this wall could be opened up,” Melissa said, “if you wanted to create a bar type atmosphere.”

I instantly saw that and nodded. “Yes, that would be perfect.”

“The kitchen needs some work. We had a bakery in here a few years back. They did most of the upgrades from when it used to be the comic book place.” She turned to Lane. “Remember how much time we spent in here?”

“I do,” he said with a chuckle.

I continued to walk around while they chatted about the past.

The walk-in freezer was perfect for what I would need. There was a back door that led to an alleyway where all my deliveries could be handled.

There were two smaller bathrooms off the back hallway.

Honestly, I doubted there was any other space in town more perfect for a restaurant than this was.

“It’s perfect,” I told Lane as we drove home. We’d spent almost an hour in the building, chatting with Melissa. Now, it was full dark outside.

Lane had been letting me drive during the daylight. I was still afraid of oncoming cars and couldn’t imagine driving at night with the visibility so low. I’d only ridden in a car at night a handful of times. Even that scared me still.

“I know.” He took my hand. “I’ll draw up an offer when we get home.”

“I’m tired,” I said with a sigh. “It’s been a rollercoaster day.” My emotions had drained me to the point that I had a headache. “What do you think he buried?” I asked, suddenly.

“I guess we’ll find out when we get home.” He glanced over at me.

Just then we both heard a loud engine roar behind us, and bright lights flooded the car. Then we were both jerked forward as the sound of metal scraping metal split the silence.

I think I screamed as the car jerked forward as we were pushed faster down the road.

Lane jerked the wheel and tried to apply the brakes, but the car was rammed even harder from behind. The tires hit the gravel on the side of the road, tossing rocks and dirt up every which way.

I closed my eyes as my entire world spun several times. I heard glass break, felt it raining over me, tasted blood, heard tires squeal, and smelled fresh grass just before a large splash of water had me holding my breath.

When I opened my eyes, everything was pitch black and there was a loud ringing in my ears. My face was under water, and I gulped in a swallow of pond water. Coughing, I desperately tried to free myself from my seatbelt.

Strong hands covered mine, and suddenly I was released from the restraint and pulled upward until my head was above water. I coughed, spit up, and sucked in a deep breath.

“Lane?” I cried.

“Easy, I’ve got you,” he said, holding me. “Think you can swim to shore?”