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She imagined that if he were injured, there would be an ambulance or a doctor. Surely he would have told his sisters.

Rissa sat at the table with several of the others, while the rest played with the kids in the living space off the foyer.

Rissa cradled a mug of chai in her hands. Frizzle had abandoned her to play with other dogs in the corner. She was currently playing with Hemsworth, trying to tug a rope from the Australian Shepherd. The larger dog could have easily yanked the rope away, but the two appeared to be having fun.

No one had all the information yet, but she now knew a box had exploded near the road. Burke had found it, but she didn’t know what had made it explode. Or why.

She’d worked with all kinds of chemical interactions that would produce minor explosions. Kids loved them. Combining ingredients to imitate lava in a homemade volcano was often their first introduction to chemistry. Mints and soda were another.

Rissa knew whatever had exploded, it was much more serious than that. Burke and the other men were former military personnel, trained to respond to and eliminate threats. They were the best people for the job of figuring out what had happened and who had done it, but she didn’t like being out of the loop, which was a new feeling. She’d rarely been in the loop with any group. Now, she was part of the Apple Gang chat and part of the team at the farm. She hoped to keep it that way, unless Burke had changed his mind.

Her nerves would settle once she saw for herself that he was safe, once she heard the entire story. Once she saw his eyes and knew he was fine.

Was there any chance Dan was involved?

It seemed impossible. She’d last seen him in Charleston many months before. After he’d been arrested, he’d spent some time in jail. Not enough, in her opinion.

After the science center had been destroyed, she’d picked up custodial work at a government building. Farther away from where she parked her RV, but accessible with a bus pass. One day, she’d finished her shift and headed for her bus stop. Dan stood there, sending her nerves into overdrive. The restraining order meant he couldn’t come near her, but he stood exactly where she needed to be.

Unwilling to put herself anywhere near him, she’d returned to the building and waited. He still stood at the stop an hour later, so she’d wasted money on a rideshare instead of using her bus pass.

He’d flipped her off as the car passed him by.

And he’d been waiting at the bus stop the next day. And the next.

That had been the final impetus to truly go on the road with her Q Lab, to leave behind her regular paycheck and take a chance on sharing her love of science full-time.

Dan hadn’t given up. According to the restraining order and the court, he wasn’t allowed to contact her through email, social media, or her phone, but Rissa continued to get texts and emails from random numbers, each threatening to hunt her down, to make her pay. She took screenshots and reported the incidents to the Charleston police, who kept the file open, then blocked each number.

It had been a few months since she’d heard from Dan, and she thought he’d finally given up. Surely this couldn’t be him. He was a physical man who’d been explosively pissed when she’d laid charges against him.

He swore he’d find her and make her pay for putting him in jail, but he hadn’t spent any time in the military. Would he know how to make an explosive device? Although he could find almost anything on the internet if he were determined enough.

Even the chai couldn’t settle her stomach or her worry.

She’d have to inform the police officer of her past and provide him with the Charleston police’s contact information. If this were Dan, she’d leave. She couldn’t put anyone else at risk.

Frizzle scratched at her leg, and Rissa lifted her into her lap. Her Yorkie immediately reached up to lick her chin, making her smile. Her intuitive friend had likely sensed Rissa’s scrambled emotions and was offering comfort.

She snuggled her close. “I’m okay.”

Frizzle licked her chin, then turned her attention to the door leading to the mudroom. Boots clomped on the floor, and voices proved there was nothing to be afraid of, but she still flinched.

Amber sighed. “Finally.”

Rissa silently echoed the sentiment. Waiting sucked.

Boomer entered first and went straight to Amber, nuzzling into her touch. Lawson and Dani entered next, followed by Nash, Knox, Gray, a police officer, and finally Burke. He locked his eyes on hers with a slight smile.

Rissa had to blink hard against the sudden emotion clogging her throat and eyes. He was upright and mobile. There were a few slashes in his jeans, and blood had seeped through in some places. She pushed to her feet. “You need to get those cuts cleaned up. You need to see a doctor. Nothing is more important than your safety. Everything else could have waited.”

When she glared at the police officer, the man grinned back at her. “We haven’t met, but I like the way you think. The doctor will be here shortly. I’m Marcus Ramirez, Phail’s police chief.”

He held out his hand, and she shook it, calmed by his manner. “Rissa Quinnell. It’s nice to meet you.”

She returned her attention to Burke. “You have a lot of cuts. Are you okay? Is anyone else hurt?”

Burke ran his finger down her jawline and then ruffled Frizzle’s head. “Just me, and it’s all minor. The device wasn’t designed to be much more than a prank.”