CHAPTER ONE
Della stood on her tiptoes and reached for the hard-shell suitcase she used when she went on trips. She’d shoved it up on the top shelf of her closet years ago, thinking the next time she’d use it would be for her and her late husband’s anniversary. Seth had promised her that they’d take a trip to wherever she wanted to go for their 15th wedding anniversary. But now that wasn’t happening, and she would be taking a trip with her friend Michelle to Springfield, a city not far from her home in Clover, Missouri.
As the suitcase slid free of the shelf, Della caught it and took a few steps back to make up for the weight. She carried it to her bed, flopped it down, then opened it. She’d need to let it air out before she put anything inside, but as she flipped it open she saw it still had a bit of sand inside it.
Memories of her last vacation with Seth flooded through her mind as she touched the gritty grains of sand with her fingertips. They’d driven to Texas and spent days on the beach doing absolutely nothing. She’d read a lot, and he’d played various computer games on his laptop. His fascination with computer games hadn’t bothered her because he hadn’t been working.
Seth loved to play computer games and he’d enjoyed his favorite indoor activity while they were at the beach. Della had laughed and shook her head, but she was just glad they’d both found a way to relax and not think about work or responsibilities. It had been a great trip, despite the fact they’d done nothing.
She lifted her fingers and rubbed them together, savoring the feeling of the sand on her fingers and the warmth of the memories. Her grief had finally moved into the phase where she could remember happy memories about Seth without ending up in tears. It was progress, but progress she had conflicted feelings about. How did people move on when they felt guilty for doing so?
“Hey, Della?” Bryce called out from somewhere in the house. She looked up and toward her bedroom door as she heard him approaching.
His tall, slim frame stopped in the doorway, and she saw bits of grass and leaves covering him and clinging to his short blonde hair. She was fairly sure he’d gotten a bit of a tan since winter because his skin seemed much darker against his white tee. Bits of leaves and detritus clung to it, too.
“What have you been doing?” Della asked, surprised at his dirty appearance. She even noticed his face and arms had some dark smudges on them, too.
“Well, first I cleaned out the gutters. The last time it rained I noticed that they weren’t working all that great. After that I decided to mow the yard. That was when the wind decided to pick up, and it kept blowing the grass clippings back onto me when I would turn to go back the other way with the lawn mower.”
Della couldn’t help but chuckle. “It sounds like you had a rough time.”
He shrugged. “Could have been better.” He spotted the suitcase. “Getting ready to pack?”
She nodded as she rubbed the last of the grains of sand between her fingers and they fell to the floor. “Michelle said she wanted to leave early tomorrow. I guess it’s not just our favorite author who is going to be there. The whole town is holding events for three days that are geared towards authors and readers. She wanted to see if we could catch a few other things going on too.” She looked over at him. “Planning a big party while I’m gone?”
Bryce chuckled and leaned against the doorframe. “You know it. All the town will be here. Everyone’s been talking about it. They’re all just waiting for you to leave so we can get started,” he teased.
Della smirked as she headed to her closet and began to pull out clothes to take on the trip. “I knew it. Well, just make sure the mess is cleaned up by the time I get back and that Moose is well taken care of.”
He nodded, maintaining the ruse. “Of course. And we might throw a party at the store while you’re gone, too,” Bryce said, referring to Fox’s Finds, the antique and second-hand goods store that Della owned and operated. “Just to keep it going at all hours.”
It was Della’s turn to chuckle then. “Well, if you do, make sure you run a big sale to make good use of all those bodies that will be there. Maybe they’ll buy something.”
Bryce burst out laughing then. “You’re always thinking of a way to work things to your advantage, aren’t you?” he asked without a bit of judgment. If anything, he sounded as though he admired it.
“I’ve learned if the situation is right, you might as well make good use of it,” she said with a shrug. She carried her armload of clothing to the bed and began to organize the items by outfits to make sure she didn’t forget anything. She was notorious for not packing enough of something which usually turned out to be socks.
“Do you need any help?” he asked as he watched her work.
“Could you get me the small hand vacuum from the kitchen?” she replied.
He nodded and disappeared as Moose, her big St. Bernard dog, plodded in and sat beside her leg. He bumped her with his massive body, as if to remind her that he was there.
“Hey, big guy,” she said as she leaned over to stroke the soft fur at the top of his head. She scratched her fingernails into it as he closed his eyes, and she was sure he was smiling. “Are you going to be good while I’m gone? Keep an eye on Bryce for me? I have a feeling he’s going to be up to something.”
Bryce had told her that he was going to try to make good use of her absence to see if he could flush out the person who wanted to see her dead. Bryce wanted to use her sudden absence to hopefully worry her would-be killer.
He was hoping that if she just suddenly disappeared one day, whoever it was that wanted to kill her would panic and disclose their identity. Della wasn’t sure how well the plan would work, but she admitted it had merit. When she asked what he’d do after that, he told her not to worry about that part because she wouldn’t be there, but worry seemed to be her middle name these days.
When Bryce returned with the hand vacuum, she said, “Thanks,” as she took it from him and began to clean the sand out of the suitcase.
“When do you plan to come back?” he asked.
“Probably sometime late Monday. I’m guessing we’ll be ready to come home by then,” she explained. She and her best friend, Michelle, had initially planned for only a short trip to see their favorite author, Kris Mackey. But they soon learned there was a lot more going on than just one author signing their most recent book.
The entire city of Springfield was doing a bit of an author and reader celebration. All the bookstores in town were running specials, some better than others. Some of them were also inviting authors to speak or do signings in the store, which was what they’d initially heard about. A small independent bookstore called Books & Baubles would be having Kris Mackey there for most of the event.
Bryce waited until Della was finished with the small hand vacuum and then took it from her. “Well, if you change your plans, just let me know so I’ll know when to expect you back,” he said.
“Of course,” she said, nodding. “And if you or Molly need anything at the store, don’t hesitate to call me. I’ve never left the store like this, so I’m a little apprehensive about the whole thing.”
“We’ll be just fine. I know she can handle all aspects of running the store and I’ll be there for backup. I’m not going to make her do it all on her own.”
“I really appreciate this, Bryce” Della told him. “If it wasn’t for the two of you, there’d be no way I could go. I’m going to try to pick something up for her while I’m there as a ‘thank you’. Is there anything you want?”
“Yeah, to catch this jerk who’s threatened your life and bring them to justice,” Bryce grumbled. When she gave him a pointed look that said he knew that wasn’t what she meant, he straightened up and cleared his throat. “Uh, no. Just for you to enjoy yourself and relax while you’re gone. Hopefully no one knows about you leaving and this will all go according to plan.”
“I’m sure it will,” she said confidently. “Only Michelle knows that I’m going right now and she’s not going to tell a soul. Besides her, it’s you and Molly and we know neither one of you will say anything either, so I don’t see how word could get out.”
“As long as once you’re gone and no one realizes that you’re still fairly close by, we’ll be good. The last thing I want is for us to plan all of this and they leave town to follow you. I’d feel better if you were going farther away,” he explained.
“Gee, thanks,” Della said bitterly, only slightly teasing.
“You know what I mean,” Bryce said as he moved closer and put his hand on her back. “I just want you to be safe and happy.” It was an innocent gesture but now that they’d both shared their feelings for each other, these little touches seemed much more intimate. A blush rose in her cheeks, and she tried to tamp it down.
“I’ll stay aware,” she promised. “Don’t worry about that.” At this point, she wasn’t sure she’d be able to live her life ever again and not remain acutely aware of her surroundings. Not after everything she’d been through. ...
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