Page 85 of Then Came You

“Tread softly with her.”

“I will.”

He hurried out of the store and walked two blocks over to where he’d parked his truck.

The drive out of town was slow going, given all the extra traffic for the festival. He tried to maintain his patience as he crept down Main Street and then turned onto Holly Road. Technically, he wasn’t “on duty,” but since he was dressed in uniform, he smiled and waved at pedestrians as he went by.

Finally, he turned onto Gillian’s street and then into her driveway. He’d thought about calling first, but he didn’t want to experience the sting of her not answering the phone. Even if she wouldn’t let him inside, he wanted to know that she was safely at home. Who was he kidding? He’d bang down the door to get to her if he had to.

Bang on the door, he did, but there was no answer. Her curtains were open, so he peered through her front window. There was no movement or obvious sign that she was there.

Sighing, he stepped off the porch and went around to the back of the house. It had rained recently, and his dress shoes were getting muddy, but he didn’t care. He was on a mission, and Gillian was all that mattered.

He took the stairs to the deck two at a time and then peered through the sliding glass door. Then he remembered that she’d spent the night at his place last night and brought Cocoa with her. He’d come here first, thinking she’d want to be where she felt the most comfortable. Could she have gone to his house instead?

It was too much to hope for, and besides, if she had gone there, it had probably been to pick up her dog and leave. Still, he decided to head there next.

He’d jogged down the deck stairs and had just turned the corner of the house when he saw a woman walking toward him. He immediately slowed his pace.

“Good afternoon, Stella.”

“Hello, officer. Is everything okay?”

“Yes, everything’s fine.” He bit back his impatience because, as nosy as Stella was, he appreciated her keeping an eye on Gillian.

“I heard banging, and I came out to investigate. Then I saw you running around to the back, and I got nervous someone was trying to break in again.”

“Sorry to worry you. I was just looking for Gillian. I thought she’d be home.”

“Isn’t she at the Fall Festival today?”

“She was, but she left early. I don’t think she was feeling well.”

“Oh, poor thing. Well, I haven’t seen her car, so maybe she went to a friend’s house instead.”

“I’m sure you’re right. I’ll just call her.”

He started to move around her, but she put up a hand to stop him.

“Since you’re here, there’s something I’d like to say to you.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“I knew Owen, and he was a good man.”

Sam nodded.

“He loved that girl with all his heart.”

He nodded again.

“But I can tell that you do too.”

“I…uh…”

“Anyway, you be sure to take good care of her. She’s been through a lot, and she deserves the best.”

“Yes, ma’am,” he repeated. He felt like a teenager instead of a grown man as he withstood her lecture. He knew she meant well, so he’d endured it. Then he purposely looked at his watch. “I need to get going. Nice seeing you, Stella.”