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I’d like to stay all day, but it’s my Saturday to work since Emilie is at Trev’s. So I ease off the bed, leaving her snug under the blanket.
I’m pulling on my jeans when I see her phone peeking out from under the edge of the bed. She’s going to need that later, and I certainly want to be able to reach her! I plug it in where a charger sits ready on the fancy side table. Then I set the pain meds on the bedside table with a fresh bottle of water from her tiny fridge and let myself out.
Stella is waiting for me at the bottom of the stairs, already looking her best in a pin-up girl dress. She still has that stage presence that won her more than her fair share of suitors in her heyday. I smile at her even though I cringe a little inside, knowing the word will spread across town that I spent the night with my daughter’s teacher.
“I heard about the accident.” Stella whispers. “How is she?”
“Doc Williams took a look last night. Said for her to just rest. Trevor talked to her, too.”
“There was a man here looking for her last night. She sped off on that deathtrap of hers and he was right behind her.”
My heart speeds up at the confirmation someone had been chasing her. “Do you have the camera footage?” I know Kaiden had his team install cameras on the exteriors of most of the buildings around the square. He wanted the Amato building covered from every angle, and all the citizens within its shadow protected.
“I do. I can get Mari to email it to him.” She looks up at me with a sly glint in her eye and asks, “You got an interest in our girl, Commander Carlo?”
“She’s too young for me, Ms. Stella.” I shake my head.
Stella laughs. “Love doesn’t care about numbers, sir.” Then her tone gets serious. “That girl is older than her age. Life can do that to a person. She could use some taking care of.”
“Seems she could, Ms. Stella.” She walks me to the revolving door. “I can tell Trev you’ll send that video?”
“Mari will do it. She’s good at that kind of thing.”
I’m pushing the call button on the way to my truck even though it’s barely light out. Trev picks up on the first ring.
“Expected to hear from you last night,” he says in greeting.
“Doc checked her out, said she was ok. Just rest. What did she tell you?”
“Said there was a car that tipped her bike into the rocks but that she didn’t really see it. Didn’t seem like that was the whole story, but I didn’t want to push it until I knew she was okay. Seemed a little skittish.”
“Yeah, she’s had it rough. She probably doesn’t trust the police very much. But there was someone tailing her last night. Ms. Stella at Bliss said Mari would send you the parking lot footage.”
“Good. I’ll let you know what my boys got from the scene, too.” He pauses. “Something between you two?”
The phone switches over to the truck’s speakers, giving me a second to clear my throat. “She’s uuum... She’s the girl from the cabin.”
“Oooohhh,” he lets it trail out. I had told him the basics, but he had filled in the rest in his head. “I can see it.”
“What do you mean?” I hate the defensive tone my words take when I assume he’s making a judgement. Trev is my friend. He doesn’t deserve that.
“Just meant I can see the attraction, that’s all.”
“Sorry, man.” I feel a little guilty for snapping.
“It’s okay. Given that extra info, though, you’re probably feeling a mite protective.”
“Well, I think she needs our help.”
“My boys are on it. I’ll follow up with them and put a rush on things.”
“Thanks, Trev.”
“Hey, I have a vested interest, too. She’s our girls’ teacher now.”
“Ah, you put that together?”
“I put out some feelers when Becca and Em started talking about how much they like her. Didn’t get too far.”
