“No,” I clipped. “I’m not having a stranger follow me around.”
Nash sent me a sympathetic look. “I know it feels invasive, but someone set your house on fire. What if you had been home?”
“They did it when I wasn’t home,” I argued.
Caden stiffened. “You set your alarm before you left. They shouldn’t have been able to get in.”
A muscle below Lawson’s eye fluttered. “No, they shouldn’t have. But they did. Which means whoever we’re dealing with knows their way around a security system.”
Caden’s hold on me tightened. “She’ll be safe here. No one gets onto the premises without being on an approved list, and I’ve got a state-of-the-art security system. I use Halo, the company out of Sutter Lake that Holt recommended.”
Lawson nodded slowly. “That’s a good start.” He turned to me. “You need to be careful. No going places alone, especially at night.”
The walls felt as if they were closing in around me, my freedom disappearing in front of my eyes. “I’ll be careful. I promise.”
“Is there any chance there could be trace evidence at the scene?” Caden asked.
“We’ve got a team going through it now,” Lawson said.
“I hope that team doesn’t include Rance,” Nash grumbled.
Lawson shook his head. “It doesn’t. I asked that he not be assigned to work any of the investigation side of this.”
My stomach cramped. Just another reason for Rance to hate me. Great.
Lawson dipped his head to meet my gaze. “This is serious, Grae. Whoever this is, they’re escalating. And they may not stop with the destruction of property next time.”
I heard what he wasn’t saying. That next time, they could hurtme.
23
GRAE
I flippeda pancake on the griddle, humming to myself as I did. For someone who didn’t cook, Caden had a surprisingly stocked kitchen. We’d settled into a routine of sorts over the last week. I made breakfast every morning, then Caden drove me to work and went to his office. He’d pick me up at the end of the day, and we’d get takeout. Then we’d watch a movie or some bad TV and finally head to our respective bedrooms.
Caden was attentive and warm, but he’d erected a wall between us. That no-go zone I’d asked him to take down. The answer to that had clearly been: No.
I tried not to think about how much that hurt. How much I wished things were different. I had two choices. I could walk away altogether or take what he was able to give.
I saw now that it wasn’t even what Cadenwantedto give or not give. It was about what he was physically able to do. And if this was it, I’d take every last piece. I’d have him in my life as a friend. With time, I’d let go of my hope for anything more.
Footsteps sounded behind me, but I didn’t turn around.
“Are those chocolate chip pancakes?”
The childlike hope in Caden’s voice made me grin.
“With homemade whipped cream.”
“I’m going to get spoiled with these breakfasts.”
“Like you weren’t already spoiled,” I huffed.
He chuckled. “You have a point there.”
I slid pancakes onto two plates and handed him one. “How’s the retreat prep going?”
Caden crossed to the island, and we both sat. “Good. I hired a new staff at the stables. And yesterday, I went with the team to check out the camping spot. I think it’ll be perfect.”
