"Aunt Ruby told me you're going to be the swamp cabbage! That's so cool!"
"Aunt Ruby is an evil, evil woman," I told my sister. "Never, ever trust her when she walks up to you and says 'here's the deal,' okay?"
"Tess! Behave!" Aunt Ruby took Shelley's hand and they walked out to the car.
Behind me, the door opened again and Jack walked out, wiping his hands on a dish towel. He aimed a steady look at Uncle Mike.
"There is nothing I wouldn't do for Tess, sir. Up to and including staying in Dead End."
Uncle Mike raised an eyebrow and then sighed. "Damn tiger hearing. Well, people who eavesdrop aren't always going to hear flattering things. And when people from your past call and that puts you in danger?"
It was past time for me to jump into this conversation. I reached out and took Jack's hand. "Then we'll deal with that as it comes up. Jack wouldn't be the man he is if he could ignore people who needed him, and you're just the same, Uncle Mike. Don't pretend you're not."
Jack flashed a very wicked grin at my uncle. "Just wait till you hear what I have in mind for ourseconddate."
Uncle Mike just shook his head. "I guess we'll see."
When they drove off I glanced up at Jack, suddenly feeling shy. "He likes you. He really does. He's just overprotective."
Jack pulled me closer for a hug. "I understand that completely. I'm fairly overprotective about you, myself."
"About that second date," I hinted, but he just laughed and we went back inside.
"I have a better idea. How about that welcome-home kiss?"
"Well. If there's nothing good on TV..."
Turns out, there wasn't.
14
My good mood Wednesday morning lasted all the way until I arrived at my shop, and then it died a horrible death.
The front window to the new addition to the building—Jack's office—was smashed, and his front door was hanging open.
I stayed in the car until his truck pulled up behind me. He jumped out of his truck, signaling me to stay back, and ran up to the building. I hit speed dial for Susan, not in the mood to go through the sheriff's office's crotchety dispatcher, but her phone went straight to voice mail.
"Susan, this might not be about the stalker, but somebody broke into Jack's office last night and—"
Jack walked back out of his office, his face grim.
"I'll call the office," I said, hung up, and climbed out of my car.
"What is it?"
"My office is trashed." His eyes flashed amber. "Spray paint creatively telling me to DIE, ANIMAL. And they ripped files out of the cabinet, yanked my phone out of the wall, the usual stuff."
"Oh, no. Jack, I'm so sorry. Do you think it's just kids? Or maybe—"
"Tess. It's not kids. There are peppermint wrappers on my floor, and you've got another surprise." He pointed at a large, gift-wrapped box on the wooden floor of our front porch.
I reluctantly climbed the steps, sure that I did not want anything to do with whatever was inside that box.
"Let's not touch it. Get Susan and Andy out here to do their thing, all right?"
I nodded. While he called the sheriff's office, I unlocked the door to the shop, almost terrified over what I'd find. At first glance, though, not a single thing seemed to be out of place.
"I don't understand why he would break your office window but leave my huge display windows alone," I said, frowning. "I mean, I'm glad, but I don't understand the logic. It seems like shattering these big windows would be more satisfying."
