Page 59 of Lucky Haven

Chapter Sixteen

Haven

The bed shifts behind me, and I startle awake.

“It’s just me,” Cash says quietly. “I texted you that I was coming back over but you’d already fallen asleep.”

I mumble an acknowledgement as he slides under the covers behind me, confused but happy that he’s returned. I’d sunk deep into unconsciousness after he left, and it’s hard to shake off now.

Harder still when he wraps his arm around my waist and pulls me in against his warm chest.

I abandon the fight and drift into softer, sweeter dreams that I usually have.

He holds me all night. I’m aware of him every time a dream cycle ends, big and warm next to me. Another person in my bed for the first time ever.

It’s so strange and so right at the same time.

When I wake up, he’s gone, but not far. I hear him in the kitchen, making coffee.

I race to the bathroom to brush my teeth. Then, heart pounding, I go to find him.

It makes my heart leap to see him curling a big hand around one of my coffee mugs, his hair still damp from my shower.

The scene would be completely perfect if the look on his face wasn’t so grim.

“Morning,” he says tersely.

“What’s wrong?”

He pulls me in close and kisses me softly. “I’m fine, first of all. Slept like a baby next to you.”

“That was a nice surprise.”

“I’m glad you think so. I couldn’t risk leaving you alone last night.” He wraps me tighter in his arms. I press my face into his neck. He smells like my body wash, and I wish I could focus on that instead of what he says next. “I got a threatening note.”

“What?”

He shows it to me. One line, neatly written on a folded piece of paper. “Any chance you recognize the handwriting?”

I shake my head and take it to have a closer look. “No.”

“Do you think it could be Jeb’s?”

I examine the paper itself. It’s been carefully removed from a pad, you can tell because the left hand side of the sheet has little ragged tears along a relatively straight line. The other three sides are smooth, and the right hand corners are rounded. It’s a page from a journal, it looks like, and there’s a monochromatic leaf printed in the bottom right corner.

“I don’t know. But I do know how we could find out.” I lift my face to find his, needing to see how strong and brave he is as I suggest something I really don’t want to do. “Will you come with me to see my uncle?”

Chapter Seventeen

Cash

Fred Bingham isn’t at the church when we get there, but after a nervous phone call from his assistant, he swiftly arrives a few minutes later. He’s completely cold to Haven, barely sparing her a glance as he sweeps past us, acknowledging his staff first before finally nodding our way.

“I have a meeting at the top of the hour,” he says when I close his office door behind Haven.

“I need to get to work as well.” Her voice is steady and calm. “This won’t take long.” She holds out the note. “Did Jeb write this?”

Pastor Bingham looks genuinely surprised. At her poise, or the directness, or the accusation…I’m not sure which.