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“They were high school sweethearts,” Mom said with a smile.
I stiffened. Why was she giving more information than I wanted to reveal?
Kendall’s eyes widened. “Why did you break up?”
“I enlisted.” There was more to it than that. But what could I say to a nine-year-old? I asked Sophie to be my wife, and she said no. The familiar rejection flitted around the edges of my consciousness.
“You didn’t try to make it work?” Kendall asked.
“She didn’t want to.” My jaw ached with the force I used to keep my mouth shut.
“Are you sure—” Mom started.
I held my hand up. “That chapter in my life is over.”
I didn’t have time for dating or revisiting an old love. Sophie hadn’t wanted me back then, and I wouldn’t get my hopes up that anything had changed.
ChapterThree
SOPHIE
The monthly Shops on Main meetings were held in the spare room at Max’s Bar & Grill. We used the time to talk about town events or issues and discuss marketing and business strategies with each other.
I’d started the group for the shops located on Main Street, but it had grown to include the new Harbor Garage & Service Repair Center and a few restaurants, including Max’s Bar & Grill.
Today, I asked Officer Colton Castle to stop by at the end of the meeting to talk about the recent burglaries. There were break-ins last year at Max’s Bar & Grill, Remi’s Juice Shop, and the Spice & Tea Shoppe, but then they’d stopped. I’d hoped whoever was responsible had moved on to another town, but then they’d broken into Brooke’s Market Tavern this past spring.
Shortly after my mother died, our house was broken into. It happened when we were at school, but seeing my room turned upside down, drawers and my things on the floor, was unsettling. I had trouble falling asleep and nightmares for a long time after that.
I held up my hand to halt the conversation so we could start the meeting and then introduced Colton to the group.
Colton stood at the head of the table, and I took a seat. “This is just as frustrating for the department as it is for you. We want to find this guy and restore trust in the community.”
There had been talk around town that the police had dropped the ball. How could this keep happening without any leads? Surely, something had been missed.
“Brooke’s store had recently undergone a renovation, and the security system wasn’t working,” Colton added.
“What about fingerprints?” Easton, the owner of ReSails, asked.
“Most burglars know enough to wear gloves, and it’s harder than they show on TV to find a good print on a crime scene,” Colton said.
“So, you have nothing to go on?” Easton crossed his arms over his chest.
“As you know, we had a juvenile admit to the damage at Hailey’s and Remi’s shops, but he wasn’t responsible for the break-ins at Max’s and Brooke’s. Those two incidents were different. The kid wanted to cause trouble, but whoever’s responsible for the others is looking for cash.”
I rubbed the goose bumps on my arms.
He was talking about Corey, Ryan’s son, who’d recently come to live with him at the time. He’d gotten into some trouble but had completed his community service and seemed to be doing well in school now.
Colton braced his hands on the back of the chair in front of him. “If you haven’t updated your security systems or added cameras, I highly suggest you do so.”
I’d already updated the security system at the bakery and added cameras at the front door and even at the counter so I could see what was going on out front when I was in my office.
“Is there anything else we can do?” Max leaned a shoulder against the doorway. He usually popped in and out of the meetings so he could check on the restaurant and bar on the first floor.
“Keep doing what you’re doing. Be vigilant. Call if you spot anything unusual.”
I shivered. It was possible that the bakery could be this guy’s next target. I couldn’t seem to shake the pit of fear in my stomach.
