“But he also said it would be difficult to find out who stole it. They don’t have enough manpower to investigate, and since it was returned, it’s a low priority.”
“Now I feel rather silly for being so nervous in the car,” Rachel said. “I’m the one who first thought we were being followed—”
“It’s nobody’s fault,” Edward interrupted. “We were just being cautious.”
A knock at the door made them all turn. Gloria Reynolds, one of the spa’s longtime clients, peered in. “Miss Grant? I wanted to see if I could schedule my appointment for an earlier time slot. But I arrived at the spa so early that the receptionists aren’t at the front desk yet, so I thought I’d come here…”
Naomi had her professional smile in place as she hurried toward Gloria. “I apologize that the receptionists aren’t there, Ms. Reynolds. I’m certain we can schedule you for an earlier appointment. A manicure, was it?” They disappeared from the doorway and could be heard heading down the hallway, toward the entrance foyer.
“I have a lot of work to do today,” Rachel said and noticed Edward’s eyes flickered away from her. The gesture was familiar to her, but she couldn’t understand how or why.
No matter, she had to get to work. “Thanks for the ride, Edward.”
He smiled at her, but seemed to be avoiding her eyes.
“Well, that was a bit of excitement to start the day,” Aunt Becca said as he left.
“That’s enough excitement for me,” Rachel said as she headed toward her lab. “I’ll stop being so paranoid from now on, or else I’ll start thinking everything that happens to me is a threat to my life.”
FOUR
“So you’re driving Rachel to and from work?” Alex asked his brother.
“And any of her family who needs a lift at the same time,” Edward replied.
“Do you really think she’s in danger?”
Edward navigated the turn out of his farm’s driveway onto the highway. “I’m not sure. But I also don’t want to take any chances.” Regardless of how he felt about her, he couldn’t do nothing.
Alex had wanted to come along with Edward while he picked up Rachel from the spa because Alex wanted to check whether the truck’s engine whined when it went over a certain speed.
A smile as bright as the July sun lit Rachel’s face when she saw Alex in the truck. “Hey, stranger.”
Alex got out to buss her cheek in greeting. “You don’t come to the greenhouse often enough.”
“I get there plenty—you’re just always busy avoiding me,” Rachel said playfully.
“Do your aunt and sister need a ride?” Alex asked as he got into the backseat.
“No, Aunt Becca drove them this morning. Naomi had to get to work early,” Rachel said as she climbed into the truck. “They actually just left. I had to finish an experiment.”
On the drive to her home, Rachel turned in her seat to talk to Alex, who was sitting behind them. As they bantered back and forth, the way they always did, Edward tried to concentrate on the traffic, which was almost nonexistent, and the road, which was smooth.
He and Rachel used to banter together before he’d started distancing himself from her.
And now he was jealous of his younger brother. He snorted in self-disgust and sped up. The faster he got her home, the better.
He pulled up to the front door and reached over to touch her arm before she climbed out of the truck. “I have something to talk to you about.”
Her smooth skin contrasted with the callouses of his fingers. They were too different. He had good reason to keep his emotions in check.
She rubbed at her eyes. “Sure, but could I take my contacts out first? They’re killing me.”
“I’ll walk you to the house.”
“I’ll stay in the truck,” Alex said from the backseat.
“Don’t be silly, Aunt Becca would love to stuff you with whatever our housekeeper baked today.” Rachel shut the truck door and headed inside the Grants’ large home with Edward and Alex following her.
While Rachel hurried up the wide staircase to the second story, Edward and Alex waited in the foyer.
Augustus Grant emerged from one of the doorways flanking the foyer, his wheelchair rolling smoothly on the marble tile. “Edward, Alex. How are you boys doing?”
Alex shook the man’s hand first, then Edward reached out to do the same.
And jumped when he heard the scream.
The house alarm blared a half second after the scream and persisted thereafter.
Edward took the stairs three at a time. He’d never been upstairs to Rachel’s room, so he hoped it was easy to find in this huge house.
It was. She stood in the hallway outside her room, frozen. She turned when she saw him, and seemed to snap out of her shock. She pointed into her room. “A man! He’s escaping out my window!”
Edward glanced inside in time to see a man’s booted foot disappear below her bedroom’s window ledge. The intruder was diving off the sloping roof from the second story to the ground.
“What’s going on?” Alex shouted over the alarm.
“An intruder.” Edward ran back through the hallway, leaped down the stairs in three bounds and pelted out the front door, aware of Alex close behind him.
They rounded the front corner of the house, but Edward lost precious seconds fumbling for the latch in the wooden gate that led to the backyard.
“Never mind that,” Alex said, tugging at him. “He won’t stay in the garden—he’ll be headed for the woods out back.”
Cursing himself for not thinking, Edward followed Alex along the wooden fence that hemmed in the Grants’ extensive rose garden, toward the grove of apple trees that stood on the back end of the property. Sure enough, the man had run through the rose garden and leaped over the fence and was now hurrying toward the grove. He was only a blur—medium height, not large, but quick.
“Hurry!” Edward shouted to his taller brother, who had a longer stride. “There’s a road on the other side of the grove!” Little used and perfect for parking a getaway car.
Alex obeyed and picked up speed, inching away from Edward, although he tried to keep up. They lost time weaving in between the apple trees. Edward stepped on a fallen apple and stumbled, slamming a hand against a tree to right himself, but kept going.
He emerged from the grove seconds behind Alex, just in time to see taillights heading down the road in a cloud of dead leaves and debris.
Her entire bedroom was in shambles.
Rachel had to sag against the door frame to keep herself upright. Her entire body was shaking. She felt violated.
“Oh, my goodness.” Aunt Becca’s voice floated to her. “Rachel, your room…”
“What happened?” roared her father from downstairs, panic and frustration in his tone.
She felt rather than saw her sisters on either side of her. Monica grabbed her arm as if to keep her standing.
“I’ll turn off the alarm,” Naomi said. “Aunt Becca, call the police.”
Rachel rolled around and leaned against the wall outside her bedroom. She didn’t want to see it. No one said anything—they could barely hear over the ear-piercing alarm.
Where was Edward? Did he capture the intruder?
Finally,