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“Heaven. Pure heaven,” she said, and leaned back and closed her eyes, focusing only on the heat of the water and the aroma of lavender beneath her nose.
Shirley and Aaron rode in silence until they were almost home before she spoke.
“I like your girl.”
Aaron’s fingers tightened slightly around the steering wheel.
“She’s not my girl,” he said.
“She will be,” Shirley said.
Aaron glanced at her. “When did you become psychic?”
Shirley shrugged. “I said what I said. I like your girl.”
Minutes passed, and Shirley was thinking about a shower and bed when Aaron let out an audible sigh.
“So do I.”
She patted him on the knee and then pointed up the road.
“There’s our turnoff, and none too soon. I’m getting in the shower before all of you use up the hot water.”
Aaron chuckled. “I’ll warn the brothers you called dibs on the hot water tonight.”
“Thank you, darling. You’re my favorite eldest child.”
Aaron laughed again, and the sound wrapped around Shirley’s heart like a hug.
Alex Bing had driven all over Jubilee before opting for a less noticeable presence and rented one of the little cabins at Bullard Campgrounds. He was aware of the security cameras, but this was a tourist destination. They were everywhere, but nobody knew him. Nobody knew where he was, and he wouldn’t be here long enough to be remembered. He just needed to scope out Dani’s new situation. Being in a house instead of an apartment building changed the dynamic of his plans. He didn’t know what kind of security setup she had, or if there was one. He didn’t know her routine and hadno idea of what to expect. This would all take time. But Tony was doing time, and Alex had time to spend to do this right.
As soon as he was settled in at the cabin, he went back into Jubilee, got some cash at an ATM, then headed for a supermarket to stock up on some food and drinks. It was going to be tricky scoping out Dani’s location in a residential area. Likely nosy neighbors and security cameras were everywhere. He would have to wait until dark to get anywhere near her house. There were alleys behind the houses so he’d try there first and see how close he could get to her house. He needed to see the layout and the access points before he went any further.
Still, just to be on the safe side, he shopped wearing sunglasses and a hoodie pulled over his head, and didn’t meet anyone’s gaze the whole time he was there. As soon as he got back to his little cabin, he put away his food, then stretched out on the bed, turned on the TV, and promptly fell asleep.
It was after sunrise the next day before he woke, which messed up all of his plans. He decided to lay low all day and wait for sunset before venturing out. Vengeance was a strong incentive for patience, and staying inside the cabin where it was cool seemed the obvious choice. All he had to do was wait until it got dark.
Chapter 8
The newspapers had been running the composite sketch of Charlie Raines’s shooter for days, with the headline reading DO YOU KNOW THIS MAN?
The story running below it illustrated the highlights of the Charlie Raines ordeal and referred to the sketch as being of a possible suspect who was wanted for questioning.
Dani had seen the initial release and long since relaxed. The police had kept their word. No mention was made of any witness. Just that Charlie Raines had identified the man in the sketch as the one who shot him.
After finishing her errands, she stopped by Granny Annie’s Bakery for a loaf of sourdough bread. She had barely entered the store before B.J. spotted her from the kitchen and came up front.
“Hi, Dani!” he said.
“Hi, B.J. Thanks again for helping me out,” Dani said.
“No problem,” B.J. said, and then introduced her to Annie. “Hey, Auntie, this is Dani Owens. She just moved into Jubilee.”
Annie smiled. “So, you’re Aaron’s friend. Welcome to Jubilee,” she said.
“Thank you, thank you for sending those delicious cookies with B.J. last night,” she said.
Annie smiled. “It was my pleasure. How can I help you?”
