Page 87 of Lucky Haven

“New plan,” I mutter. “Hide or run?”

“Is that my uncle?”

I move silently to the window and nod.

Haven scans the room, darts across to a shelf, and shoves something under her hoodie. “Run.”

Chapter Twenty-Six

Haven

I hold my breath the whole way back to the ranch.

Scrambling out the window with a book under my hoodie was a challenge. Cash was so much faster than me. He even got the window back up before my uncle strolled into his office, completely unaware that we were just outside.

Rather than stealing the current registry, which would be noticed as missing immediately, I took the top book off the stack of the completely filled guest books that he keeps on a shelf.

“This is from two years ago.” I flip through the pages, recognizing so many names. “But it might still be useful. Anyone who has a grudge against me is probably a long-time member of the church, right? They knew me when I left, they’re mad that I came back but didn’t return to the fold.”

Cash nods grimly. “That’s good logic.”

He sets the two notes we’ve received on the kitchen table, and we flip through the pages of the book together, looking for matching handwriting.

We’re halfway through when the kitchen door opens and his brother Ridge steps inside. He’s a hard-looking man. Bearded, like Cash, but no tattoos, and no ready smile.

No charm, all rough suspicion.

I shiver.

“What’s going on?” He crosses his arms.

Cash ignores the question. “Why are you up so late?”

“That damn bull got out of the pasture again.”

“You need help?”

“I need you to tell me what you’re hiding behind your back there on the table.”

“Haven got another threatening note.”

Ridge’s attention slashes to me, his brows tight. “Sorry to hear that. And what did Cash talk you into as a result of that?”

“Umm…”

“Don’t try to use her against me.” Cash laughs, unbothered by his brother’s concern. “We borrowed a guest registry from New Harvest to do some handwriting comparison. If you want, you can walk it into Pastor Bingham’s office yourself tomorrow to return.”

“Jesus Christ, Cash.” Ridge scowls, then looks at me again. “No offence.”

“None taken,” I stammer.

“Breaking and entering is a fast way to get yourself thrown back in jail.”

Cash just shrugs. “Someone at the church is stalking Haven. Good fucking luck if they try to make me the bad guy this time.”

My heart squeezes. “They did that once, and it worked.”

Cash rolls his shoulders and clenches one hand into a fist, grinding into the palm of his other hand. “Yeah. Mistakes were made in trusting that system. Now I know better.”