“Not that we can tell. So far, it’s just random acts of vandalism and minor burglary.”

  Edna presses her lips into a straight line. “Thanks for keeping me in the loop, Aiden.”

  “That’s my job.” I push out of the chair, but before I go, I pause, resting my hand on my gun holster. “It’s hard to imagine someone that distinct going unnoticed. My thought is he’s from out of town, or he’s a Eureka native who’s come back for some reason.”

  “Your instincts are good.” Picking up her bag, she starts for the door. “I was thinking something very similar.”

  The change in her demeanor has me suspicious. “You sure there’s nothing you need to share with me?”

  “If there is, you’ll be the first to know.” Her heels click on the linoleum as she strides through the door. “I’m glad my granddaughter is working out. Perhaps you can help me get her to stay.”

  I’m not sure what to make of those parting words, but I’m certain she doesn’t mean them in the way Bull Jones thinks she does. I’m not going anywhere, and Britt staying in Eureka doesn’t sound half as bad as it did before she arrived.

  Doug glances up from his desk when I return to the main area. “Still no luck tracking down three-wheel ATVs, Sheriff.”

  “Any amputees?”

  “I checked the clinic near Hilton Head, and they have no records of anyone being fitted with a prosthetic in the last five years.”

  “Five years?” My brow furrows.

  “It’s as long as they keep records of that sort of thing.”

  I’m distracted by my conversation with Edna. “Are you planning to go to the Founder’s Day festival next weekend?”

  Doug smiles broadly. “Wouldn’t miss it. I’m the star of the library’s annual dunking booth, so come on by and show your support.”

  Nodding, I have an idea. “I think all of us should attend as a group. Show the town we’re a unified force committed to their safety.”

  “Aw, I’m sure the town knows that. Even with all that’s happening, folks say they know we’re on the case.”

  “I’ll talk to Britt and make sure she’s going as well. Maybe I should show her around, since she’s been gone a while.”

  “Trust me, Sheriff, Britt’s familiar with Founder’s Day. She dunked me on her first throw last year.” He chuckles.

  “I see her name is on the schedule for Saturday.”

  “We switched so I could attend the festival.”

  “Right.” I nod, thinking. “She should take the afternoon off and socialize.”

  “Socializing does lead to tighter bonds.” Doug gives me a side-eye. “As a team, of course.”

  “Of course.” I pick up my keys.

  Nothing wrong with escorting her to the event. It’s part of my job to help her learn the ropes and mesh with the group. Even Doug can see that.

  The more I think about it, the better I like my plan as I head out to pick up Owen.

  CHAPTER 10

  BRITT

  Edward’s fed, watered, and curled up on the sofa when I trot downstairs to the Star Parlor to chat with my mom. Pausing at the frosted-glass door, I lean close and listen. I don’t want to walk in during the middle of a session.

  Hearing nothing, I knock lightly as I open the door and take a step inside. “Hey, Mom?” I call. “You around?”

  A shuffle of Birkenstocks, and Cass appears in the parlor dressed in a flowing wrap skirt and a white tank top with a beaded shawl tied around her shoulders. Deep red lipstick compliments her olive skin, and her dark-brown hair is behind her ears, exposing large gold hoop earrings.

  “Hey, Britt!” She hops over and gives me a hug, surrounding me in the faint scent of patchouli.

  “Somebody’s following the dress-code,” I deadpan.

  “Are you here for a reading?” Her eyes widen, and she skips over to the tarot table. “I am dying to see what the cards have to say about you and Mr. Taurus.”

  “How do you know Aiden’s star sign?”

  “I made his birthday cake one year, back when I was still doing cakes.”

  “You stopped doing cakes?” I’m sad to hear that. Cass is an amazing baker.

  “It took over my life and my house! I’m trying to simplify, live life on my own terms, with purpose.”

  She has definitely been hanging out with my mom. “What else are you doing that I don’t know about?”

  “Tarot is the only new thing. I’m still grooming pets, and I’d like to get back into preschool ballet. Those little tutus and squishy arms make me so happy!”

  “I’m almost out of that body lotion you made for me. Can I get some more? Ocean Gardenia?”

  Her lip curls, and she shakes her head. “I’m not doing that anymore either. Too many raw ingredients, too messy.”

  “Cass!” I flop on the gold velvet sofa. “I really like that scent.”

  “Maybe I can make one more especially for you.” She pokes my arm with her finger. “And I’ll put a special love potion in it for Aiden. Mmm… those Stone brothers are so hot, although you two are kind of like the Sharks and the Jets.”

  My brow arches. “From West Side Story?” Cass loves all things Broadway.

  She nods, shuffling the cards. “Aiden is way too law-abiding for our kind.”

  “Then it’s a good thing we’re not together.” She doesn’t need to know about The Kiss, which apparently he regrets now, based on what he said in the truck. “We work together. He’s technically my boss. That’s all.”

  “You never know what the future holds.” Her eyebrows waggle as she holds out the cards. “Let’s see what they say!”

  “No.” Holding up my hands, I stand and move away from the temptation. “I’ve made a clean break from all that. I’m done with living my life by a deck of cards.”

  “You know, I really don’t understand you. You’ve got magic in your blood, and you don’t even want it. I’m over here wishing I had half your genes.”

  “Trust me, there is no magic. It’s all fake.” My voice shifts. “The moment you forget it, the second you start believing it’s real, it leaves you alone at the bottom of the ocean, trapped in a cold, dark box.”

  “Oh, Britt.” Cass’s face crinkles. “Do you still have dreams of drowning?”

  Exhaling a sigh, I remember Greenville. “Not as much as I used to.”

  Setting the cards on the table, she walks to where I stand, lifting my hands in hers. “What happened to your dad was a horrible tragedy, but it was a risk he was willing to take. Escapology is a craft, not a spiritual path.”

  “My mother went down that spiritual path, and it took her further and further away from me when I needed her the most. It’s an obsession, and I’m done with all of it.”

  “Okay.” Her voice is quiet. “I can show you my skills some other time. I’m getting pretty good at your mom’s technique, though!”

  “Where is she, anyway? She was supposed to be finding information on a suspect in our case.”

  My bestie’s wide eyes return. “You’ve got a suspect? Who is it?” Catching my hands, she drags me to the velvet sofa again. “Tell me everything.”

  I briefly fill her in on what we know so far. “It’s hard to believe we can’t find anyone who fits that description.”

  “But now you know what you’re looking for when it happens again.”

  “If we had some idea of what to expect. All these incidents are so random.” I glance out the window. “And what in the world do those wooden signs mean? Are they supposed to be clues? Warnings? Explanations?”

  “Wait…” She sits straighter. “You think the prosthetic guy did the signs, too?”

  “We don’t have a direct link, but he stole Holly’s chickens and he tore up Terra’s pickle farm.”

  “But those are real crimes, theft and destruction of property…”

  “The signs are real crimes.”

  “They’re positive messages! Happiness, You are Rare… How is that a crime?”

  “Trespassing, criminal mischief, vandalism. Ignoring small crimes opens the door for larger ones to follow.”

  Cass’s lips turn down. “I guess we’ll have to agree to disagree on this one. I think they’re uplifting. Someone was watching over you when your brakes went out.”

  “To be honest, I’m way less worried about the signs than the perpetrator.” Pushing off my knees, I stand, walking to the door. “You have no idea where my mom went?”

  “I heard her say something about Kiawah.”

  “What would she be doing there?” Cass shrugs, and I decide to let it go for now. “I need to get groceries, and I don’t know why Bud hasn’t called me about my truck. I’ll have to find a way to get over there.”

  “I told you I took care of it!” She hops up smiling. “Your insurance information was in the glove box, and I went over everything with Bud yesterday. He’s going to replace your front fender with one I found at the junkyard, and he’s giving your brake line a thorough inspection. I’ll follow up with him at the end of the week.”

  I shake my head. “That should be your job. I can’t believe your knack for auto mechanics. What do I owe you for your time?”

  “Stop it.” She playfully slaps my arm. “You’ve been up to your ears in official police business, keeping us safe from creepy men with missing feet. It’s the least I could do.”

  “Don’t tell anybody what I told you about the suspect. We don’t want him going into hiding.”

  She makes a motion of zipping her lips. “I won’t breathe a word.”

  “Good luck with your readings.”

  Her shoulders drop, and she follows me to the door. “It’s pretty slow. I’m probably going to have to find another gig soon. I’m not making any money here.”

  “If you won’t be my mechanic, I’ll pay you to keep me stocked in Ocean Gardenia.”

  She waves me away. “No, you won’t. I’ll figure something out.”

  We air kiss, and I jog up the stairs to grab my bags. The little Safeway across the square has enough of the staples to keep me going until my truck is ready. Hopefully, I’ll have it back by the weekend, so I can do some real shopping.

  By the time I get back, it’s almost dinner, and I have to take Edward for a walk. Quickly unpacking the staples I bought, I grab the leash and my phone and head out before the sun goes down.

  Edward has always been efficient about his bathroom habits, but Cass’s words have been on my mind since we talked. I take him past the locations of the signs and let him sniff all around them, watching to see if he recognizes anything.

  While he’s doing his sniffing, I study the messages painted neatly on a white board, and I try to imagine if a man with no foot or leg, we don’t know which, would be able to climb a ladder and balance well enough to nail them where they’re located.

  “Maybe it is two different people,” I say to my dog.

  Edward hops over and slides his head under my hand. I give him a good scratching. “Come on, Mr. Ed. Time for dinner.”

  Standing alone in my kitchen, I’m reading the frozen pizza box when my phone buzzes with a text. Absently, I pick it up, expecting it to be Cass or Jinx.

  My heart stutters when I read the words from an unknown number. I hope you’re not having scrambled eggs and cheese for dinner.

  Hesitating, my fingers tremble slightly as I tap out a reply. Aiden? How did you get my number?

  I asked Doug to pull it from HR. Please tell me you got groceries today.

  Tingles prickle in my belly, and I quickly reply. I just got back from the store.

  What’s for dinner?

  Squinting at the frozen pizza box, I confess. Frozen pizza.

  Terrible.

  Don’t dinner-shame me. As if I’m proud of frozen pizza. What are you having?

  It takes a few seconds, then a picture of a grill with four hamburgers appears on my phone. They’re rare and mouthwatering, and my stomach growls. That looks delicious.

  Come have a burger with Owen and me.

  My heart jumps, and I want to say yes so much. I can’t have dinner with you every night, Sheriff.

  I expect some nights you’ll have dinner with your family or friends.

  I don’t have my truck.

  I’ll pick you up in five.

  Aiden! A grin splits my cheeks at his bossy butt. I’m still in my work clothes.

  Be ready when I get there. I don’t like leaving Owen home alone for long.

  Dropping my phone, I run to the bedroom and whip off my jeans and long-sleeved shirt in record time. I dash into the small bathroom and switch on the water to take a lightning-fast shower.

  In two minutes, I’m out and towel-dried, then I use the smallest amount of the special lotion Cass makes for me on my arms and chest and elbows. It smells like the beach mixed with the gardenia bush in my mother’s backyard, and my eyes close at the heavenly scent.

  I will pay her so much money to make more for me.

  I just have time to pull on a sundress dotted with light pink flowers and a denim jacket, shove my feet into a pair of white canvas tennis shoes, and pull a brush through my hair, before I hear the sound of his truck through my open windows.

  Stopping at the mirror, I slide light pink gloss over my lips and check my face. I managed to keep my eyeliner and mascara somewhat intact through my quick shower. Licking my fingertips, I gently scrub away the black flecks under my eyes.

  I pause at the cabinet and give Edward a scoop of dog food. “Back later, Ed.”

  Grabbing my phone, I head out the door. I’m halfway down the stairs when I freeze in place, and my breath stutters. Aiden is on the other side of the glass door looking like a fucking male model in faded jeans and a white tee with an unbuttoned plaid shirt on top.

  Opening the door, he steps inside and stops when he sees me on the stairs. For a heartbeat, we’re frozen, taking each other in. The familiar heat rises around my neck, and we’re in that place again, alone, with the energy building around us, growing in intensity.

  We both speak at the same time.

  “Sorry, I wasn’t quite ready,” I start.

  “Did I give you enough time?” he asks.

  We both exhale a laugh, and for as much time as we’ve spent together these last few days, I don’t know what to say next. My fingers fidget, and I curl them lightly. It feels like he’s picking me up for a date, and I’m sure my cheeks are pink.

  Finally, he breaks the spell. “Are you ready? Owen’s waiting for us.”

  “Yes!” The mention of Owen helps me remember how to move, and I hurry down the rest of the stairs, meeting him at the door.

  He waits for me to reach him. The faint scent of cedar and soap meets my nose, and I glance up, meeting his gray-blue eyes. The grumpy, bossy man who was all in Bull Jones’s face this afternoon appears a bit lost.

  “You’re really pretty.” His voice is quiet, and he lifts his hand to touch my sleeve. “I like this dress.”

  The air around us thickens, and my breath disappears. I wonder if he’ll kiss me again. His gaze drifts to my lips, and I sway a little closer. I want him to kiss me…

  He steps back, holding the door. “Owen.”

  One word is all it takes.

  “Right.” I force a smile. “Nobody wants a cold burger.”

  He follows me out, lightly touching my lower back as he holds the truck door for me. We should get to his house where his son is waiting to have his dinner, where I won’t be alone in my stairwell beside the Star Parlor, where magical things seem to happen—which neither of us believes in anymore.

  CHAPTER 11

  AIDEN

  “My friend Ryan’s mom makes this for her work.” Owen is on his knees at the picnic table turning the pages of the Eureka Gazette.

  Britt’s beside him holding a beer and looking way too pretty for burgers in my backyard. The two of them slowly peruse the thin local paper, as Owen holds Zander and tries to understand this nearly extinct form of mass communication.

  “Piper wanted to be a journalist from the time we were in high school.” Britt scans the pages containing mostly public notices, police reports, and a few local articles and photos sprinkled throughout.

  Speaking of high school, when I saw her on the stairs tonight, I felt like I was going on my first date all over again. My eyes landed on hers, and she looked so fresh and pretty and she smelled so good, I momentarily lost the ability to form sentences.

  Of course, it’s not a date. I’m not in high school, and I recovered quickly.

  “I don’t get it.” Owen wrinkles his nose. “Who wants to look at this when they can look at stuff on their phone?”

  “Local news is actually pretty important to the community.” Britt’s tone is gentle, like one of Owen’s teachers. “It lets you know about events that directly affect you. It keeps you informed about changes in city government, what’s happening at the schools, who’s getting married, who died… All that creates a bond in the community.”

  He squints at her like he doesn’t believe her. “What does that mean?”

  “Well…” She turns a page back. “See this story here about the high school bake sale? It has pictures of the students raising money and the nursing home residents happily receiving the donation. It has quotes from the teenagers and the residents. All that makes the town feel closer to each other. It establishes trust.”

  “What about this one?” He turns to the front page, where a photo of Britt’s truck plowed into the phone pole is above the fold, under the headline “Courthouse Employee Arrives with a Bang.”

  Her lips twist, and I almost think she’s going to laugh. “That one shows how the sheriff is very forgiving when the newest member of his team flies into town with no brakes, almost kills him and Doug, and then hits a phone pole.”

  “Someone was watching over you,” I tease from where I’m taking the reheated burgers off the grill. “Do you want cheese on yours?”

  “Yes, please.” She hops up, walking to where I’m placing the burgers beside toasted buns on a large platter. “These smell amazing.”