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“Are you sure he didn’t follow you here?”
The thought caused fear to grip her heart as the emotion had done several times already this evening. “I’m not sure of anything, Nate. My brother is the only one who knew I was coming here. I didn’t even tell my best friend or boss. I took back roads on my way here. I didn’t see any signs of anyone following me. But this man always seems to be a step ahead of me.”
“And you have no idea who he is?”
She shook her head. “No idea. I’ve never seen his face.”
“Which is why you freaked out when you saw me approaching you with my sweatshirt hood up…”
She nodded and glanced at the knot already forming at his temple. “I’m sorry about that. Is your head okay?”
His eyes darkened. “I’ll be fine.” He leaned back in his chair and took a breath. “You know anything about working in a restaurant, Kylie?”
“A restaurant? No, not terribly much. But I have experience as a cook.”
He cocked an eyebrow and waited for her to explain.
Was this the time to tell Nate about her cooking show back in Kentucky? Or about the successful catering business that she and her friend had started? No, she decided. She’d have time to share that later. Right now, her head pounded and she needed some time alone.
She stood. “I’ll explain tomorrow. I promise you have nothing to worry about. I may not have restaurant expertise, but I’ve got plenty of experience. But before I get into that, I could really use some sleep.”
In her room, Kylie pulled the covers up tight around her neck. Despite adding another layer of clothing, shivers still racked her body. Was the weather causing her chills? Or could it be everything that had happened?
She pushed her face into her pillow, remembering what a fiasco tonight had been. The fact that someone had intimidated her enough for her to go running sent a flare of anger up her spine—at herself and her stalker. She fought against anyone dictating what would happen with her, preferring to make her own decisions. But now she found herself in this situation.
Thunder rolled outside. She pulled the covers up to her eyes.
Soon enough, all this would be over. Her brother had promised her. She expected a call sometime this week saying that her stalker had been arrested and she could go back home and resume her normal life.
She sighed and turned over in bed. Would her life ever be normal again? Or would she always jump at every shadow, tense at every unknown sound? She bit her bottom lip, hoping that wouldn’t be the case. She’d overcome other obstacles in her life—big obstacles. She could overcome this also.
As thunder grumbled again outside, Kylie realized she shouldn’t have drunk that coffee, even if the brew was decaf. Despite how tired she’d felt downstairs, her mind felt fully alert right now. She glanced at the clock beside her bed. 3:23 a.m.
She pressed her head back into the pillow, wishing sleep would find her. Instead, her thoughts raced, replaying her drive here.
Could she really be certain that no one had followed her? She’d continuously checked her rearview mirror for headlights. At times on the road, no one was behind her. That meant no one could be trailing her, right? She had no reason not to feel safe here.
Her heart slowed some.
She sat up and flicked the light on. She had to distract her self from these thoughts before she went crazy. From the floor, she grabbed her oversized purse, reached into it and pulled out a paperback novel.
Reading always relaxed her. This particular book was a romance novel. Just the thing to distract her from her troubles.
She leaned back into her pillows and opened the first page.
She gasped.
Written across the inside cover, in fat red marker, were the words “Kylie, I’ll always be watching you.”
FIVE
Nate’s eyes drooped with sleepiness as he rapped on Kylie’s door at seven the next morning. He’d downed two cups of decaf and three cups of full-strength coffee last night to make himself stay awake. Good for his possible concussion but bad for his mental health.
He hadn’t been able to get Kylie Summers’s porcelain face and delicate figure out of his mind throughout his sleepless hours. He didn’t know what he’d expected of his best friend’s sister, but not the beautiful woman who’d shown up three hours late with rain plastering her chestnut hair to her face and wide, imploring eyes.
He rapped at her door again, harder this time.
“Coming.” The word couldn’t have been said with much less enthusiasm.
Nate shifted his weight until Kylie finally pulled open the door. The circles under her eyes showed him that she clearly hadn’t gotten much more sleep than he had. But she still looked beautiful, even in khaki pants and a long-sleeved red T-shirt.
“Morning.” She barely smiled as she reached over to grab her coat from the couch.
Nate stuffed his hands into his pockets, unsure of exactly what to say to his new boarder. “Morning, Kylie. Rough night?”
“You could say that.”
“Too much on your mind?”
She reached back inside the apartment and fumbled with something before finally revealing a book. She shoved the paperback toward him and frowned. “Open it.”
He did as she said. His eyes widened at the roughly written words on the inside cover. “You just found this?”
“No, I found the message last night as I tried to relax before going to bed.”
“Hence your sleepless night.” He stared at the words, personalized to Kylie so she could make no mistake they were written for her. “When did you get this book?”
She answered immediately, probably because she’d been replaying all those events during her sleepless night. “Right before I left for this trip. I bought it at the grocery store and stuck it in my purse.”
“Did you go anywhere after that?”
She shrugged. “I stopped by work for a few minutes to pick up some papers and then I had dinner with my brother.”
“Any opportunities for someone to access your purse?”
“Apparently.” She shrugged, sounding defeated. “It makes no sense.”
“I’m sorry, Kylie. I know this guy has got you shaken up.”
“He’s right, you know. He is always watching me. He must have been waiting until just the right moment when he could grab the book from my purse and send me that message.” She tossed the book back onto the dinette and raised her eyebrows in conjunction with her sigh. Nate couldn’t help but think she looked like she bore the weight of the world. “It doesn’t matter now, I guess. What matters now is that we go eat breakfast.”
“I know Harvey and Darlene will be a nice distraction from everything. They always are. Full of surprises.”
“I would have guessed that.” Her face registered a slight but genuine smile.
The two walked silently down the steps and out the back door. A brisk wind greeted them, matching the gray day. Kylie’s gaze roamed the parking lot behind his restaurant.
“So, this is Yorktown?”
Nate shrugged. “Well, this is a public parking lot for Yorktown. The rest of the town is there on the waterfront or on the bluff to the south.” He pointed to the blocks of historic houses. “There’s some great stuff to see around here if you like history.”
“It was always one of my best subjects in school.” She stuffed her hands into her coat pockets as they journeyed across the parking lot toward Harvey’s house. “I’ll have to take some time to explore, if I have the chance. Of course, I may not be here long enough.”
It sounded like they were both praying for the same thing.
They reached the house, which also served as a bed-and-breakfast, and Nate rang the doorbell. He knew the couple didn’t have any guests at the time. Immediately, Tinkerbell began barking inside. Sometimes Nate was convinced that the couple would never know anyone was at their door if it weren’t for that dog. Neither of their hearing was great.
Harvey opened the door and the scent of bacon drifted out. As if on cue, Nate’s stomach grumbled. He’d always been a sucker for Darlene’s cooking. Her food reminded him of his mother’s—only better, which he never admitted out loud.
“Come in, come in,” Harvey extended his arm behind him, welcoming them inside. “You got here just in time. The pancakes are just coming off the griddle.”
“Smells wonderful.” Kylie reached for Harvey’s hand. He grabbed it and, instead of shaking it, placed a kiss there. Nate carefully watched Kylie’s reaction. She didn’t seem taken aback by the action, thankfully. In fact, she smiled. Harvey had always been a charmer.
Darlene appeared from around the corner wearing a checked blue-and-white apron, holding her now famous rolling pin in one hand. Nate’s head throbbed just looking at it. “Welcome! I’m so glad you’re both joining us. Kylie, I look forward to finding out all about you.”
They were ushered into the dining room and promptly seated. If only the waitresses at Nate’s restaurant would be this prompt and welcoming, then maybe he’d get some more business. Of course, some people might say the same thing about his food. If it tasted like Darlene’s, people would be standing in line to eat at his place.
“Everyone recovering okay from last night?” Darlene stared at them with sweet, blinking eyes. Her hands were clasped in front of her, as if at any time she might clap joyfully.
Kylie nodded. “I’m hanging in. My arrival didn’t exactly go the way I’d planned. I do apologize again for the way everything played out yesterday.”
“I’m sure your actual arrival was much more exciting than you could have planned. It’s good to add some excitement to your life sometimes.” Darlene grinned and giggled. Finally, she used those posed hands to actually clap. “Well, let’s eat before the food gets cold.”
Harvey offered up a prayer and then Darlene brought out banana pancakes with cream-laced syrup, maple bacon and a festive fruit salad.
Kylie’s eyes lit up on the first bite of pancake. “This is fabulous, Darlene. Truly amazing.”
Harvey winked. “She’s one great cook, isn’t she?”
“Darlene makes all the desserts for the restaurant,” Nate informed her.
“Well, you need to keep her around. That’s for sure.” Kylie nodded and took another bite of pancake, her eyes closing in what looked like pure delight.
Harvey and Darlene began to talk about an upcoming church social, a visit from their grandkids in the summer and changes in the Fife and Drum of Yorktown. Nate listened, relieved to not have to talk. He preferred listening, most of the time.
Kylie had warmed up to the couple quickly. She asked lots of questions, nodded, laughed. She actually seemed halfway normal. Maybe her stay here wouldn’t be a total headache.
At nine o’clock, Nate stood and announced they needed to go and begin prepping the kitchen for the lunch crowd.
Kylie nodded and rose. “Thank you so much for having us. I really enjoyed your food and would love the recipes.”
“I’d love to pass them on to you.” Darlene hugged Kylie. “Now, you come back and see us again before you leave, you hear? And don’t let Nate work you too hard.”
Kylie glanced at him. “I won’t.”
Nate wasn’t sure about that. He knew one thing: the busier he kept her, the less she’d think about her stalker or have the chance to get in trouble.
By the time the lunch crowd began to wander in, Kylie had chopped every vegetable imaginable, sorted through various lunch meats and prepared two different kinds of soup. She’d also reviewed the menu multiple times with Nate, not overly impressed by his selections, which were vast. Too vast, truly, for a restaurant like this. She kept quiet, though. She wasn’t here as a consultant, nor had he asked her opinion.
“You never did tell me if you had experience working in a restaurant,” Nate said in between explaining how to make maple-glazed chicken. “You seem to know what you’re doing.”
“I have my own cooking show back at home. It’s nothing huge, and I’m by no means famous, but I do cook in front of a camera for viewers every week. It’s a great job. I also have my own catering business.”
“You’ll have to tell me more about it sometime. It sounds interesting.” Nate walked to the freezer and pulled out a container of something. “Right now, I need to explain these crab cakes.”
Kylie blinked. “They’re frozen?”
“I make them ahead and freeze them. Saves a lot of time.”
Kylie nodded, deciding not to interject her opinion as Nate showed her how the cakes were prepared. When he finished, Kylie glanced at her watch and saw they were close to opening. “So, when do the cooks get here?”
Nate scowled and wiped the cast-iron stove top one more time. The appliance was spotless. “I am the cook.”
Kylie nodded, choosing her words carefully. “I thought you managed the restaurant?”
“I manage the restaurant and cook. Just like the hostesses are always the waitresses also. We’re not a big place, so we all have to wear multiple hats.”
Kylie bit her lip. No, she’d never run a restaurant, but Kylie knew enough to know Nate needed more help. She did have experience running a successful catering business, so she knew how to manage people, how to develop recipes that would satisfy crowds, how to make her staff feel appreciated.
Still, Kylie couldn’t waltz in, criticize Nate’s work and then be on her merry way. So she’d stay quiet, no matter how miserable it made her. She didn’t like to be told what to do, so she certainly didn’t want to offer unsolicited advice to others.
Their first order came in, and both Nate and Kylie got busy. And quiet. Neither of them said anything, except for Kylie to occasionally ask questions about an order, or for Nate to state how to prepare a dish properly.
Kylie felt at home in the kitchen. She always had. She loved coming up with new recipes or new takes on old recipes. But the food she prepared today was mindless. Sandwiches, soups, salads. Nothing exciting. Nothing revolutionary.
It didn’t matter. This wasn’t her restaurant, she reminded herself again.
After the lunch crowd left, Nate moseyed out front to talk with someone who appeared to be a regular customer. One of the waitresses came back to introduce herself to Kylie.
“I’m Suzy.” The woman was probably in her mid-twenties with a sharp wedge hairdo that was black on the bottom and bright red on top. She had multiple earrings in both her ears and tattoos instead of jewelry around her fingers and wrists. “Good to have you here.”
Kylie wiped her hands on a white dish towel and reached for Suzy’s hand. “I’m Kylie. I’m just filling in here for a few days, trying to get some restaurant experience.” Her words weren’t a lie. She did want experience. She didn’t want anyone else to know the real life-or-death reasons behind her being here. Only Nate. Her brother had said she could trust Nate, and she was going to have to take him at his word.
Suzy set her tray on the counter, as if prepared to stay awhile and talk. “Well, I know Nate could use the help.”
Kylie prepared a glass of water for herself and decided to take a break. She took a sip and stood across from Suzy. “You guys have a small staff.”
“Things have been tight, so Nate tries to watch every dime. I tried to tell him there are some things you just shouldn’t cut back on. He doesn’t listen.”
Kylie nodded. “He seems pretty…”
“Gruff?” Suzy laughed, obviously not shy about sharing her opinion. “You don’t have to beat around the bush with me. Yeah, he comes across as a little grumpy sometimes. Deep inside, he’s not. I think the stress of owning this restaurant has just taken its toll on him.”
Kylie leaned against the counter, intrigued to find out more about her temporary boss. “You make it sound like he doesn’t want to own this place.”
“The restaurant was handed down to him from his father. Nate never wanted to own it, but I’ll give him credit, he’s tried to make the best of it. There’s rumor that the place might go up for sale soon, though. If Nate has his way, he won’t own this place very much longer.”
Kylie pulled her chin back in surprise. “Up for sale? I had no idea.”
