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“I just can’t justify the cost. If I could find a baker, maybe.” But I doubted I could afford to hire a skilled baker, either.
“You don’t think your safety is important?” Mark’s tone was serious.
He’d always been the protective type. Something my father had loved about him.
“Of course, I do.” The ridiculous part was—Iwas scared for my safety. I didn’t relax until the door was safely locked behind me with the security alarm engaged. Even then, I worried someone would break the glass windows, and the cops wouldn’t get there in time.
I stifled the full-body shiver at the thought.
Mark raised a brow, and I wondered if he’d seen it.
Colton never questioned me. He didn’t see the deep-rooted fear. For some reason, I felt the need to be strong in front of others, to pretend like I had everything handled.
“What can I get you?” Max asked Colton.
Mark sidled up next to me. “Are you okay with everything going on?”
“Of course. Why wouldn’t I be?” Why had I asked that question? I’d opened myself up for him to me give me his opinion, which I didn’t need. Not anymore. I quickly changed the subject to ask, “What are you doing out?”
Mark nodded toward where Colton leaned on the bar, talking to Max. “Colton said he’d be here tonight and asked if I wanted to grab a drink.”
“What about your daughter?” I knew her name was Kendall. I was still friends with his parents. I just couldn’t bring myself to say it.
“Kendall’s with my parents. My mom loves having her around.”
“And your dad?” I knew how hard he’d tried to please his dad when we were younger.
Mark averted his gaze and finally said, “I think he’s pleased we moved back.”
I sensed there was something there, but it wasn’t my concern. Not anymore. “I’m glad to hear that.”
“Did you want a drink?” Mark asked me as Colton handed him a beer.
I shook my head and smiled, hoping Colton wouldn’t question my leaving early. “I should head out. I have an early morning.”
“You usually stick around for at least one,” Brooke said from my side.
“I couldn’t sleep last night.” Ever since the burglary at her place, I hadn’t been able to sleep through the night. I’d wake up in a cold sweat with the old nightmare of someone breaking into my house.
Brooke’s concerned gaze flicked from me to Colton and then widened when she saw Mark. She wrapped an arm around my shoulders. “I’ll walk out with you.”
She’d recently started dating Ben, the owner of the new coffee shop, Bean Rush. I assumed he was at home with his daughter since it was late.
“Thank you,” I said when we were outside on the sidewalk.
She moved her arm to link with my elbow, and we walked away from the bar. “You talked to Mark?”
My friends knew that we’d had a relationship before, but not all the details. Just that he’d left after graduation and about his attempts at communicating via email occasionally. “Colton was just talking about the break-ins. He wants me to hire someone to go in to open.”
She stopped on the sidewalk to face me and crossed her arms over her chest. “I think that’s a good idea.”
As much as I didn’t want to talk about this, I really didn’t want to talk about Mark, or how I’d felt since he’d showed up again. “I can’t justify the cost. I don’t have any work for them to do.”
“Will you think about it? There might be something they could do to help.”
I nodded. “I will.”
She let out a breath. “Thank you.”
