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A couple of hours later, I’d showered and was making a hot drink when there was a knock at the door. My adrenaline spiked and I tiptoed over and peered through the newly installed peep hole. When I saw Grace standing on the other side, I relaxed and disarmed the alarm.
“Morning,” I said as the door swung open.
“Hi.” She scanned me. “Been up for a while?”
I made a face. “Got woken early by someone back in L.A. who didn’t think to check what time it was here.”
“That’s no good.” She shifted her weight from one foot to the other. “Would you like to come up for breakfast? We’ve got fresh fruit, yogurt, and pastries.”
I smiled. “Sounds great. Is this your way of checking up on me?”
“Maybe.” She looked embarrassed. “I promised Nate I’d report back about how you are.”
Sweet that he’d care. “I’ll be there in a moment. I just need to turn off my laptop. I was editing some photos and doing a little research on the couple who started the commitment tradition up at the falls.”
“Oh, really?” Her eyebrows rose. “Have you found anything interesting?”
“Not yet, but I’m hoping to. It’s caught my attention, and it’s not as though I have a job to distract me, so I may as well indulge myself.”
“I’d love to hear about whatever you find.” Grace tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. “I’m a closet romantic.”
I grinned. “I totally could have guessed that. Yeah, I’ll pass on whatever I find. Why don’t you come in? I’ll be back in two minutes.”
She followed me inside and stopped in the living area. I headed to the bedroom, smiling at the prospect of spending more time rebuilding my friendship with Grace. Everything was coming together. If not for the pesky issue of the stalker, I’d be utterly content.
ChapterThirty-Seven
LIAM
I tooka date to the midsummer dip at Destiny Tarn. She thought the whole thing was provincial and stupid, which made me think of you and wonder whether you might have secretly agreed with her. - Unsent text message from Liam to Kennedy.
Over the nextweek and a half, I spent most of my free time with Kennedy, getting to know her all over again. There weren’t any more stolen kisses, but there were plenty of moments when our lips could have connected if either of us had been willing to close an inch-wide gap. It seemed we were both reluctant to move too fast.
On a Saturday in the middle of January, I collected Kennedy from her cottage in the morning, ready for our walk to Destiny Tarn for the annual midsummer dip. Everyone in town who wasn’t working and had the physical ability to make the hike would be on their way to the trail for the traditional swim. I’d packed a towel, a change of clothes, sunscreen, and snacks. I already had my swimming trunks on, since they’d be perfectly fine for hiking in.
“Hey,” Kennedy puffed as she jogged toward me. “Thanks for waiting. Blair and Tyler are planning to come, but they only just got up. I told them if they weren’t here by the time we buckled in, we’d go without them.” She yanked the passenger door open and hurled herself—pack and all—into the seat. “Come on. I want you to myself. Let’s get out of here.”
My eyebrows shot upward. “You want to leave them behind?”
She waved a hand, mischief in her eyes. “They’ll catch up. They’ve got a car and they know where they’re going. Quickly!”
“Yes, ma’am.” I jumped behind the steering wheel, checked the road, and pulled out just as Blair came belting down the path.
“Go, go, go!” Kennedy cried, laughing in a way that made me wonder about her state of mind.
I side-eyed her. “He’s going to be pissed at you later.”
“He’ll get over it. I’ve been trying to convince him to leave, since the stalker has been keeping his distance, but he needs a nudge. He can’t put his life on hold forever just because somethingmighthappen.”
I reached across the console and took her hand, keeping the other firmly on the steering wheel. “He wants to keep you safe. There’s nothing wrong with that.”
“There is if he’s missing out on his own life,” she grumbled.
I sent her a look of disbelief. “Says the woman who put everything on hold to raise her family.”
“They were kids, and I was an adult. It’s not the same. Blair and I are both adults now. He doesn’t have to take care of me, and I feel guilty knowing that he might be missing out on career opportunities because of me.”
I wanted to argue, knowing Blair would disagree with her interpretation of the situation, but I kept my mouth shut, not wanting the day to get off to a bad start. I knew Kennedy didn’t like other people being put out because of her. After all, wasn’t that the whole reason we’d broken up for eleven years?
