Chapter 39

RILEY

Sitting on the top stair of the veranda, I stared into the sky. It was the kind of night that made me homesick for my family and everything that had gone before.

When I was little, Granddad used to tell me stories about Greek kings and queens, dolphins, birds, and lightning bolts—myths about the constellations that felt as real as the world I lived in. I wondered if Granddad's stories had opened the door to my imagination. Instead of words, I used paint and crayons to bring the magic in my mind to life.

Five twinkling stars shaped like a big W caught my eye. What was their name again? Granddad's voice seemed to whisper through the trees, telling me about the queen who thought she was more beautiful than anyone else. Cassius... no, Cassiopeia. And there, behind the Greek queen, was the Milky Way.

"That's a happy smile."

My hand flew to my chest. "Thank goodness it's you."

Eric stepped onto the veranda with two mugs in his hands. "Sorry, I didn't mean to give you a fright."

"It's okay. I was a million miles away."

"Would a hot chocolate bring you back to earth?"

"That would be great." I took one of the mugs and pulled my jacket closer. "Have you finished writing for the night?"

"I have. It's nearly midnight."

My eyes widened. "I didn't realize it was so late."

"That's what happens when you have a lot on your mind."

"Not as much as you." I cradled the hot mug in my hands. "How do you stay so positive?"

"You mean about Chapman?"

I nodded. "You've turned your life upside down to get away from him, but you never seem angry or depressed."

The stair creaked as Eric sat beside me. "I'm just as worried as you are. The only difference is that I've learned how to hide what I'm feeling. And in case you're wondering if that's a good or bad thing—it's definitely bad."

"Does hiding your feelings help you focus on what you need to do?"

Eric nodded.

"That has to be better than how I'm coping," I admitted. "My brain went on strike this afternoon. No matter what I tried, I couldn't shake the feeling that Chapman was outside, waiting for us. After a couple of hours of staring at my canvas, I gave up and spent the next hour in Alex's gym."

"Did it help?"

"You'll find out tomorrow during our self-defense class. I'm getting stronger." I lifted my arm and flexed my biceps. "It's hard to see under all these clothes, but my arms are pure muscle."

Eric smiled. "I'm impressed."

"You should be. Each day, I practice the moves you showed me. Maybe I could join the Broomfield PD."

Eric shook his head. "I wouldn't recommend joining any police force. It's too stressful."

I sipped my drink. "Are you proud of what you did as a detective?"

"I arrested a lot of people, but it was like a leaky faucet. As soon as one person was off the streets, someone else took their place. There were days when I wondered if the stress and long hours were worth it."

"Why didn't you resign earlier?"

"I wanted to make a difference. Walking away when I was only a few years into my job would have meant turning my back on the people who needed help."

"Someone else would have been there for them."

"Maybe." Eric stared into his mug. "There's another reason it was important for me to stay. When I was in high school, one of the boys in my class was always late. He'd fall asleep and pick fights with anyone who got too close. For some reason, we became friends. One day, he didn't show up to school. By the third day, I was worried about him. I found out where he lived and went around to make sure he was okay. He wasn't." Eric's hand trembled as he sipped his drink. "Tony didn't want to see me, but I stayed until he came out. His father had beaten him so badly that he could hardly walk."

Tears welled in my eyes. "What did you do?"

"I called Dad. He picked us up and took Tony to the hospital. After they patched him up, he came home with us and never left."

"Your mom and dad adopted him?"

"Fostered. Tony's dad wouldn't let us adopt him."

"Where's Tony now?"

The hint of a smile softened the hard planes of Eric's face. "Living in Brooklyn with his wife and son. He became a teacher."

Fresh tears filled my eyes. Tony's life would have been completely different if Eric and his parents hadn't helped him.

I pulled out a tissue and blew my nose. "You made a big difference in his life."

"He made a bigger difference in mine. I wanted to make sure other people didn't have to live through what Tony did."

I looked closely at Eric. His smile had disappeared. "Are you okay?"

"I'll be all right. How's your mom?"

"She's staying with her sister. I told her everything."

"Was she annoyed we didn't tell her the full story?"

I sighed. "She was more upset that I didn't go home with her."

"I don't blame her but, now that Chapman knows about you, you're safer with us."

I looked at the stars. I thought I'd be safe in Sunrise Bay, but that hadn't happened. "Why would anyone send you anonymous letters, then recreate the scenes in your books? It doesn't make sense."

"I have no idea, but we'll find out." Eric wrapped his hand around mine.

His firm grip reassured me, anchoring me to the here and now instead of what might happen. I took a deep breath and rested my head on Eric's shoulder. "We can't stay with Alex forever."

"We won't need to. Between Bryant Security and the two police departments, we should have some news about Chapman soon."

"We keep telling ourselves that, but nothing's happening."

"It'll be okay."

The gentle kiss Eric placed on my forehead made me sigh. After what's happened, I didn't know if my life would ever be okay again.