When she’d come across Teddy sniffing her old bike, a strange jolt had gone through her. She’d even remembered what it felt like to be in the hospital after her accident, with her dad and Ian fussing over her.
Things had been simpler then and a lot clearer. Teenage Sophia had been filled with a lot of big dreams and ideas. Why hadn’t she listened to her more?
When Teddy spotted a cat in the distance and barked, he brought Sophia back to the present with a jolt. She nearly lost her balance and tipped over, Teddy’s leash tied to one of the handlebars.
With a frown, Sophia leaned forward and gave the leash a firm tug. Teddy whimpered and tugged, dragging the bike forward with a screeching sound.
“Teddy,” Sophia said, her voice slicing through the air. “Stop it. Leave the poor cat alone.”
Teddy swung his head back to look at her and whined.
Sophia wagged a finger at him. “No, don’t give me that look. You know how overexcited you get about things.”
Teddy lowered his ears and tilted his head to the side.
Sophia sighed. “No, now, come on. Let’s go back to enjoying the night.”
Teddy huffed and stopped trying to tug on the bike. Gingerly, Sophia climbed off, tugged on her shorts, and wrapped Teddy’s leash around her hand. Then she stretched her arms up over her head and ignored the tingling sensation in her legs. While she wasn’t out of shape and tried to do yoga and her stretches on a regular basis, she was beginning to realize that cycling took a lot more than freeing her mind or wanting to take a trip down memory lane.
It wasn’t as easy to get back into it as people claimed.
And she still had a long way to go before she could have Teddy tied to the bike while they moved through the streets of the town.
Every last inch of her stung, and her shorts were chafing against her inner thighs. Teddy weaved in and out of her legs and made another sound in the back of his throat. Sophia bent down to scratch behind his ears and smiled. When she straightened her back, she saw a flash of movement, and a tall, broad-shouldered figure emerged on the sidewalk, a vague outline in the darkness.
Sophia got back on her bike and rolled her shoulders.
Suddenly, she saw the same figure circle one of the smaller cottages overlooking the water, and a shiver of unease raced up her spine. Teddy’s hackles rose, and he drew his lips back in a growl. Without warning, the lone figure had a rock in his hand and threw it at one of the windows, sending shards of glass in every direction. Teddy sprinted in the direction of the intruder, dragging Sophia along behind him.
She wiped her hands on the front of her shorts and yanked back Teddy’s leash.
Her heart was hammering against her chest as she fished her phone out of her pocket and tapped her earpiece. It made a low beeping sound, and Ian’s phone rang a few times before it went to voicemail. She tried again, fingers trembling the entire time, but the line went dead without ringing. Fear, low and cold, unfurled in the center of her chest. Huffing, she tried Darren’s number, and he picked up on the fourth ring.
“Get a flat tire or something?”
“Someone is trying to break into the Maguire cottage. You know the one near the water?”
“Yeah, I know where that is. How do you know?”
“I was riding my bike there. Teddy and I saw him.”
“Soph, please don’t tell me that you’re going after the guy.” Darren’s voice was strained. “I know you love watching murder mysteries, but you aren’t actually qualified.”
The lone figure was getting closer and closer and didn’t seem to notice Sophia and Teddy barreling straight toward him. Although Sophia was terrified to confront the man who might’ve been in her house, she also knew she had to do something. And she was sure many of the neighbors had heard the commotion by now.
Teddy wasn’t exactly making his involvement a secret, given his barking and loud breathing.
“Teddy doesn’t seem to care,” Sophia replied in between pants. “He’s pulling me towards him as we speak.”
“I can’t leave you alone for one night, can I?” Darren muttered something else under his breath. “Have you tried reaching Ian?”
“His phone rang a couple of times. Now, it won’t ring at all. Must be bad cell reception or something.”
“You need to call the cops.”
Sophia snorted, ignoring the tight knots in her stomach. “By the time they get here, it’ll be too late. I’m already close enough to stop him.”
“What if he has a gun?”
