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At the rear double oak doors, Caitey knocked timidly, then rang the bell. But all she could hear was the echo of the chime reverberatinginside an empty house.
Boldly, she yanked the doorknob and pulled. Locked up tight.
All at once, her phone buzzed, and Caitey gave a start. It was a text from Jenna. At last!
Are you at the house yet?
Caitey quickly punched at her phone.Yes. Whereareyou??
Jenna sent an upside-down smile.We got stuck in the village at the base of the mountain. A flat tire. Had to be towed to the mechanic. I’m so sorry! The parents are all away from the house, too, but Marcus could let you in. Your bedroom is upstairs on the left, second door down. A full ensuite. Make yourself at home! See you soon!
Caitey sent a sad emoji.Wow, I’m so sorry. What a bummer when you’re running around doing last-minute wedding stuff. P.S. Who is Marcus? There’s no one here but me!
Well, if she didn’t count the spooky dude hiding in the woods.
She waited a minute, staring at her phone, but there was no response.
She plopped onto one of the wrought-iron benches and tried not to be annoyed. The sun was hot on her head, and her water bottle was long emptied. The front and back mansion doors were locked . . . except she hadn’t looked for a side door.
Ten minutes later, after checking every side door, garage door, and first-floor window, Caitey was ready to screamwhen Jenna finally texted back. Hopefully, they were almost here! Unfortunately, she had started hoping too soon.
I’m so sorry, honey. We’re still waiting for the car to get fixed, and we’re about a twenty-minute drive from you. At least, we’re in the village you passed on the way up the mountain and not Santa Barbara! So, it’ll be about an hour until
The message stopped as if Jenna had disappeared. Caitey groaned. “What?!”
Then suddenly, Jenna continued.
On second thought, get back in your car and drive down to our little mountain village. There’s a Coffee Loft shop on Main that recently opened. Get yourself a cold drink, a frothy latte, or hot chocolate with those giant marshmallows, and tell them you’re my cousin! Tata!
Immediately, Caitey dialed her cousin’s number so she could speak in person, but it went straight to voicemail. What the heck!
Annoyed, she growled in her throat, listening to the birds singing in the pine trees. There was no sign of the lurking guy, thank goodness, but she still stared in every direction. It was freaky being alone while a man lurked in the shadows of the woods.
Despite the lovely gardens perfumed by roses and lavender, Caitey did not plan to sit here by herself for five minutes, let alone an hour or two.
CHAPTER 3
MARCUS
Marcus Stirling checked the security cameras around the Hearst property, one by one, to ensure they were all working properly.
He loved being back at this family estate and in the dense woods, working at what he did best—surveillance.
So far, two cameras had stopped recording, and three others needed new batteries. Once he’d replaced the batteries and fastened two new cameras at strategic locations, he headed for the house to check the rest.
His best friend Logan, who was like a brother, was getting married in two days, and since Logan was high profile with a historically wealthy family as part of the Hearst legend, security was of the utmost importance.
Marcus was intrigued to meet Logan’s fiancée, too. Jenna was from New Orleans, which was interesting. Logan metJenna Thornton two years earlier when he traveled there to meet investors in a new venture.
Logan told Marcus that on a whim, he had stopped at one of the Coffee Loft shops for a drink, and he and Jenna had instantly hit it off. By the time he had spent an hour drinking his double espresso to keep him awake for an evening meeting, they were joking and laughing like long-time friends.
Logan asked her out the next night for dinner.
Marcus wished it was that easy forhimto meet new women. Despite trying, he hadn’t had a date in a year, but the women he met in the Santa Barbara or Los Angeles areas were too rich and spoiled for his tastes.
They were either wanna-be actresses who would do anything for a part in a commercial or movie, or they came from money and only talked about shopping or people in the Hollywood world they knew—or D.C. politicians.
His distaste for both made him incompatible with every woman he met at a party or event.
