Kade set down his fork. “I wonder though… Weren’t your parents involved?”
“My parents were busy.” Doing what, she had no idea. Not working real jobs, but they almost always had food on the table. Ginny thought of the duffel bag her mother had given her the day she’d ordered her to leave, bringing back all the suspicions Ginny had carried since then.
What had her parents been doing for all those years? And how had they suddenly had the money to start businesses in California, in one of the most expensive markets in the country?
And what did all of that have to do with what Kathryn had said the day before? Was Ginny in danger? And how could she protect herself if she didn’t know who she was supposed to be protecting herself from?
Chapter Four
Kade tried not to stare at his lunch date.
With her long, nearly black hair, bright blue eyes, and high cheekbones, Ginny was stunning. But that was only one reason he had to fight to keep from staring.
The story she’d told about her past was so odd, so contrary to the life he’d always known. Who lived like a nomad? Who didn’t collect more possessions than could be shoved in a full-sized van? What kind of strange people had raised this woman, and how had she grown to be so different from them?
She chose a fried clam, dipped it in tartar sauce, and popped it in her mouth. She didn’t seem rocked by the information she’d just given him, but he was. She’d recounted the events of her past matter-of-factly, but he’d seen the pain in her eyes.
Ginny seemed almost… haunted.
Not that there was anything wrong with moving around a lot. A family was a family wherever they lived. But there was something about what Ginny had said, and how she’d said it, that told Kade hers hadn’t been a real family. And, without at least the stability of a home, maybe extended family nearby, what must that have been like for her?
Ginny pointed a clam strip at him. “Tell me about your family.”
He shrugged. “Not much to tell. We always lived in Nutfield. I’m the baby.”
“So we have that in common. How many siblings?”
“Three. My sister, Andrea, is eight years older than I am. She lives in Salem, about forty-five minutes from here. She bought into a few businesses and a multi-level marketing business when she was in college. She’s a stay-at-home mom who fits in work between taking care of her kids and her husband and her house. Andrea’s the matriarch now that my folks are in Florida. She hosts all the family dinners and pretty much tells us boys what to do.”
“Sounds a little like Kathryn. Large and in charge.”
He chuckled “The next one, Rich, is six years older than I am. He’s an attorney at a law firm in Boston. He and his family live in Londonderry, which is about a half hour from here.”
“I’ve shown houses in Londonderry,” Ginny said. “Nice town. The orchards are beautiful.”
“And disappearing,” he said. “Even as a real estate developer, I see the loss when a centuries-old orchard is razed in favor of another strip mall.”
“I agree, but the town’s charm remains.” She nodded toward him. “And the next one?”
“Darren. I think you’ve met him. He’s in the Chamber of Commerce, too.”
“Right. I forgot he was your brother. He doesn’t come very often.”
“He’s busy, married. They have a little girl, Kinsie.”
“I think he’s shown me pictures of her.”
“Yeah, he’s a proud papa. Annoyingly so,” Kade added with a smile. “He owns a chain of gas stations between the coast and the mountains. He still lives in Nutfield, so I get to see him and his family.”
“It must be wonderful having such a big family. Are you all close?”
“Definitely. We’re busy with our own lives, of course. We always have a group chat going. Rarely a day goes by when we don’t communicate. Even if it’s just logistical stuff—who needs a babysitter when, who’s got some event the rest of us are invited to—that kind of thing. Lately, we’ve been trying to figure out what to get our parents for their anniversary. Andrea thinks we should send them on an Alaskan cruise.”
“Nice gift.”
“Yeah. They’re all really successful.”
She wagged her French fry at him. “You’re really successful, too. If you love your life, if you’re going after your dreams, you’re successful. Success isn’t measured by income.” Her cheeks turned a little pink. “I mean, I don’t know your income, of course. I’m just saying…”
“It’s fine.” That blush was enough to nearly tongue-tie him. “I know what you mean.”
“Good. It’s just… My sister’s four years older than I am, and I’m constantly comparing myself to her, as if I should be where she was at my age. Or worse, be where she is now.” She gave a little shrug. “Thing is, I’m not on the path she was. She got married at twenty-four. I’m not even…” She laughed. “Well, obviously I’m not close to marriage, since I’m on a first date.” Those cheeks went from pink to red, and her eyes widened. “I mean, if this is a date and not just two friends—”
“I hope it’s a date.” He couldn’t help the smile tugging at his lips. “If not, I put on cologne for nothing.”
She giggled and dipped her chin, then looked up from beneath her lashes.
Wow, she was adorable when she blushed.
They finished lunch while Kade entertained her with stories of the antics he and his brothers had gotten into when they were kids. The more she laughed, the crazier the stories he told. Anything to keep that smile on her face.
Back in the car, he pulled out of the parking lot toward the coast. “I wish we could spend the rest of the day together. Unfortunately, I have work to do this weekend, assuming I can get on the agenda for the zoning board meeting next week.”
“From what you’ve shared in the club, the development sounds like it’ll be great for the town. Do you think the zoning board will go for it?”
“No reason for them not to. I own the land, and I have the right to develop it. It’s zoned residential, so I need permission to add the golf course and clubhouse, but there’s no reason for them to deny me.”
“But from what you’ve said, the town manager—”
“Bruce Collier.”
“Right. Collier’s against it. Do you think he can block it?”
“If Sokolov comes through with the funding and I get on the agenda, I’m pretty sure the council will approve it.”
“Sokolov? That guy from last night.”
He glanced long enough to see her eyes narrow.
“I didn’t realize you knew him,” she said.
“We met after he bumped into you. He’d overheard me talking…” Kade filled her in on what happened.
“Huh.”
“You don’t sound very hopeful,” he said.
“It’s not that. It’s just… That guy gave me the creeps.”
He chuckled. “Well, he practically tackled you. That doesn’t surprise me.”
“Yeah. Maybe.” But she didn’t seem convinced.
“If Sokolov doesn’t come through, then I’ll ask my family to invest.”
“I’m surprised you haven’t done that already.”
He glanced at her. “I’m trying to do it on my own. I mean, the land was a gift from my parents. My parents gave all of us an allotment of our inheritance when we graduated from college.”
“Along with a Mercedes?”
“They’re generous.” He knew he sounded like a spoiled rich kid, but he wasn’t. Not spoiled, anyway. None of his family were spoiled because their parents had raised them to work. “My siblings all achieved their goals without needing help. I want to do the same.”
“Don’t you consider it an investment? It’s not exactly help.”
He shrugged. “I’d rather do it myself.”
“If it makes them money…”
“I know. You’re right, of course.” His siblings had all offered to invest, but Kade figured they’d off
ered not because they thought they’d make money but because they didn’t think he could do it on his own. He desperately wanted to prove to them all that he could.
He and his siblings were close, but they competed mercilessly. His dad had fostered that with games to see who was the fastest runner, who made the best grades, who could win at Monopoly. Even chores had had an element of competition. Who could stack the most wood? Who could shovel the most snow? Dad had taught them about the cutthroat world, and they’d learned well. As close as they were, there was always the undercurrent of competition.
And Kade always came up short.
“I hesitate to mention this,” Ginny said, “since you’re opposed to getting help, but I used to work for a real estate developer.”
He’d take Ginny’s help all day long if it gave him an excuse to spend time with her. “What did you do?”
“I interned there in college, then worked for them once I graduated. I started in the front office doing mostly clerical work, but by the time I moved here, I was managing projects.”
“No kidding? So you probably know more about what I’m doing than I do.”
“Not even close. Every project is unique. That being said, the guy who owned the business was a former airline pilot, and he drafted these meticulous checklists for every stage of the project. I guess pilots use a lot of checklists.”
“That’s definitely not a profession where you want details to slip through the cracks.”
“True. He didn’t trust computers, so he had the checklists printed in binders.”
“Binders? How long are these checklists?”
He chanced a glance, and she was smiling. “Long. Pages and pages long, but they include lots of descriptions and different variations in projects. I’m pretty sure there’s one for the kind of thing you’re developing. Anyway, I brought a few with me. I’d be happy to share one.”
“That’d be wonderful. Thank you.”
“Sure.”
“Did you keep them because you think you want to develop real estate someday?”
“Who knows what the future holds?”
He thought of the woman beside him. Until this morning, his future had held the promise of a real estate development and little else. But today… Maybe God had more for him than he’d dared hope.
Kade pulled into Ginny’s driveway and parked.
“It might take me a few minutes to find that binder for you,” Ginny said. “I can take it to the meeting with me next week, or, if you don’t mind waiting…”
“I’d be happy to wait.” Anything to extend his time with her, and he was eager to see the binder. He was organized, but this was his first major project, and details were bound to be overlooked.
He opened her car door and held out his hand, slightly less surprised by the zing of desire when she slipped hers into it. The first time he’d touched her, he’d been nearly rendered speechless.
She stood and led the way inside and to the kitchen. She froze at the door.
“Everything okay?” But when he looked past her, he saw what had surprised her.
The pantry door was open.
He remembered her shutting it. It had stuck, and she’d pushed her weight into it.
The door had been closed when they’d left. He was certain.
Adrenaline flooded his veins.
Ginny turned to him, her face pale. Her eyes were wide, her mouth open. “I swear I closed that.”
“You did.” He took her hand and tugged. “Come on.”
“Where?”
“I want you to go—”
“No. We must be remembering wrong.” But the look in her eyes told him she didn’t believe that any more than he did.
He wasn’t going to stand there and argue. He wrapped his arm around her and all but dragged her toward the front door.
Though she plodded along beside him, she said, “Kade, this is my house. I’m not going—”
“Yes, you are.” He led her outside and toward the car. He dug in his pocket, snatched his keys, and unlocked his car. “Get in the car, lock the doors, and call 911.”
Her eyes widened. She didn’t move. “I’m not leaving my house.”
“Don’t make me carry you, Ginny Lamont.”
“You wouldn’t dare.”
He placed his hands on either side of her face and looked into her eyes. “I just want to make sure it’s safe. Is that so bad, for someone to protect you?”
“I don’t…” She blinked, swallowed. Her gaze flicked to the house, then back to his. “It’s probably nothing.”
“Humor me. If you don’t want to call 911, then don’t. But get in the car and lock the doors. Right now.” He added, “Okay?” as if it were a request, but he would protect her if he had to toss her over his shoulder and carry her down the street.
The sun shone, the birds twittered overhead. But suddenly, the world felt very dark and uncertain.
“If you insist.” Though she tried to sound flippant, he could see the terror on her features. He hoped his face didn’t look like that. He wanted to at least appear fearless, even if he didn’t feel it.
He opened the car door and, when she was settled in the driver’s seat, handed her the keys. “Be prepared to drive away if you need to. Don’t worry about me—I’ll be fine.” He added that last part with as much confidence as he could. She was probably right, and the house was probably safe. But there were no guarantees, and though he didn’t have the finely tuned instincts of a soldier or a spy, something had felt wrong.
After meeting her eyes one last time, he ran back inside.
Silently, he searched the downstairs, one room at a time. The office was empty, as was the living room. He even checked behind the sofa, just in case. He walked through the dining area into the kitchen. Of course, it and the pantry were empty. He opened the door off the hallway that led to the basement but decided to check it last. After a quick look in the downstairs bath and the coat closet, he climbed to the second floor.
If he weren’t conducting a search for an intruder, he’d feel like he was the intruder. In the first room on the right, he found a couple of boxes, probably filled with things she hadn’t unpacked, since her house was in a state of reconstruction. The closet was empty. The next bedroom had a long table covered with knick-knacks and photos and other decorative stuff. There were a few packages of things she’d bought but hadn’t opened yet. Again, the closet was empty.
Stuff was scattered all over the bathroom. Makeup, hair dryer, a straightener like he’d seen his sister use, a hairbrush. A towel had been haphazardly bunched onto the rack. She’d probably be mortified he’d seen the mess. Under different circumstances, he’d find it amusing. He approached the shower and yanked back the curtain. The tub was empty.
One more room. He opened the last door upstairs and stepped into Ginny’s bedroom. She’d told him she’d painted this room, but she’d done much more than that. The walls were a light blue, which coordinated perfectly with the comforter, pillows, and curtains. Every surface was decorated artfully. The room smelled sweet—vanilla, he thought, though he had no idea where the scent originated. He walked to the far side of the queen-sized bed and then checked underneath it. No bogeyman jumped out. He opened the closet and found it filled with Ginny’s clothes hanging from the rack and piled on the floor.
Now that he was sure the house was empty, his heart rate slowed.
Ginny was a bit of a slob, but otherwise, everything seemed in order.
Downstairs, he heard a bang, then the pounding of feet.
His heart nearly came to his throat. He bolted toward the hallway. “Ginny!” Had she come in? What was happening?
He rushed down the stairs, hanging onto the railing and barely keeping his feet. He looked out the front door to his car, only to see her in the driver’s seat. She waved and opened her door.
He pushed the screen and shouted, “Stay in the car. Lock the doors. And call the police!” He ran through the house to the back door, w
hich was wide open.
It had definitely been closed before.
Her backyard was wide, the grass bright green after the long, cold winter. On the far side, a black wrought iron fence separated her property from the neighbor’s.
He walked outside slowly, looking around, prepared for a fight. The doors of the detached garage were closed. Whoever had been in her house would surely have run, not hidden. Though the intruder had stayed longer than Kade would have guessed. Why hadn’t he left when Kade and Ginny were outside?
Kade studied the grass, and sure enough, it was pressed down in places.
The intruder had escaped.
If Kade had called the police, they might have caught him.
If Kade had searched the basement first, he’d have caught him. And then what would he have done? He was no weakling, but working out in the gym wasn’t exactly hand-to-hand combat training.
And then the worst scenario had his stomach dropping. What if he’d let Ginny come in the house by herself? What if she’d been alone?
He looked all around the outside of the garage, then went in its side door and found it filled with furniture but no bad guys. Back outside, he approached the bulkhead that led to the basement.
It was padlocked, which explained why the intruder had been forced to return to the first floor to get out of the house.
Back inside, he climbed down to the basement. With every step, his heart rate kicked up a notch. It was dark and dreary and inhospitable. The floor was concrete and swept, but the space was dirty and dank and smelled of years of moisture.
Wisely, Ginny hadn’t stored anything down here. It was empty except for the washer and dryer.
Convinced the house was safe, Kade climbed to the first floor and went out front. He approached the driver’s side of his car while Ginny stepped out.
“All clear?” The words were bright and cheerful, but he saw the fear behind them.
“Did you call the police?”
She shook her head, her gaze not quite meeting his.
“Why not?”
She shrugged.
What did that mean? “Let’s go inside and talk.”
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