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Sighing, I doubled back to my place.
“Come on, pup,” I muttered, tugging the leash. “You’ve sniffed the power pole enough for one day.”
I walked as quickly as I could, and it only took a few minutes to reach my driveway. I slipped Duke’s leash over a post near the gate and hurried up the path. As I reached the door, I noticed a sound around the side of the house. I froze, my instincts blaring at me that something was wrong.
I dithered, unsure whether to investigate or back away. In the end, I reached into my pocket for my phone and edged toward the source of the noise as quietly as possible. I found Nate’s number in my contacts and was just about to hit Call as Ezra came into view. He was standing beside the office window, and his expression looked guilty. I frowned. What reason would he have for being there? It was at least a couple of dozen yards from the path that led from the road to the cottages.
“Grace?”
I plastered a phony smile on and slowly backed away. “E-Ezra,” I stuttered, glancing from him to the office window. “What are you doing?”
He smiled, but it didn’t reach his eyes. “I was looking for you. The door was locked, so I thought I’d see if you were in your office.” His forehead creased with concern. “Are you okay? You’re a bit pale.”
“I’m fine,” I snapped, cringing as I jerked backward. “I’m going to brunch, but I forgot something, so I had to come back. You hadn’t come over for breakfast yet, so I thought you must not want it.” We’d shared one breakfast together, but it had been tense and awkward. He’d asked too many questions and yet, hardly told me anything about himself. I’d been relieved when he failed to show up today.
Somewhere behind me, Duke whined, seeming to sense my distress. Why hadn’t I brought him with me instead of leaving him at the gate?
“I was running late.” He moved closer, but when I backed away again, he stopped and held his hands palms out in a gesture of peace. “I really was just looking for you. Where are you going for brunch?”
I wondered if he was angling for an invitation. “To a friend’s.”
He nodded. “All right. Um, hey, you mentioned your aunt owns a shop. Which one is it? I’d like to have a look.”
I hesitated, reluctant to tell him because of his odd behavior, but if he wanted to, he’d be able to find out just by walking into the café and asking. Any local there would know.
You’re being paranoid again, I told myself.He’s a little overeager, that’s all.
“Destiny Fibers,” I said. “It’s on Centennial Street.”
“Great.” He smiled. “I’ll go and check it out.”
“Okay, you do that. I’m going to leave now.” I jerked a thumb toward the road.
He frowned. “Didn’t you say you needed something from the house?”
“I got it already.” I grimaced, knowing the lie would probably be obvious. But I needed to escape—the sooner the better.
“Right.” He looked at me like I was crazy. “I guess I’ll see you for breakfast tomorrow.”
I nodded briskly and left. Duke lunged toward me as I approached, as if sensing I needed him, but then he settled for the rest of our walk, perhaps noticing how withdrawn I’d become. Unfortunately, no matter how much I told myself I was overreacting, my paranoid brain wouldn’t accept it.
I forced myself to smile as I strode up the Braddock’s drive and paused outside the house to unclip Duke’s leash. He ran a few steps away from me, then seemed to notice I wasn’t following and came back. I scratched the top of his head and told him he was a good boy.
As I let myself into the house, Heather greeted me with a welcoming smile. “Hello, Grace. I’m so glad you came.”
Her words warmed me. Sometimes I wished Heather had been my mother, but if she was, then that would make my feelings for Nate even more awkward.
She glanced at my empty hands. “No granola?”
Kennedy entered the kitchen, coming from the direction of the living area. Her face fell. “There’s no granola? But I bought yogurt and fruit I thought would go with it perfectly.”
“They’ll still be delicious on their own,” I assured her. “I forgot the granola this morning, and I had a little trouble when I went back, so I decided to leave it behind.”
Heather’s eyebrows knitted in an expression of maternal concern. “What kind of trouble?”
I told the two women about my run-in with Ezra and how shaken I’d been. “I might be making something out of nothing,” I concluded. “But he makes me nervous.”
“Oh, Grace.” Kennedy pulled me into a hug. “I’m sorry this is happening. Especially so soon after Tyler kidnapped me there. It must be stressful for you.”
