Chapter 32

Chapter Thirty-Two

B ailey was exhausted, but it was the good kind of tired that came with knocking a ton of things off her to-do list. People were still at the store, helping by hauling trash out, sweeping, and dusting. A couple of guys from the station even repaired several shelves. It was seriously an answer to prayer.

Seth and Jordan seemed to thrive on having so many people around. Bailey didn't know what she would've done if it hadn't been for Jenny and Rachel keeping an eye on them. When Bailey had to focus on specific tasks, the other two women stepped in to keep the boys entertained.

Dean delivered the fresh sandwiches from his cafe himself, and everyone happily devoured the delicious lunch.

If things kept progressing like this through the afternoon, they should have no problem getting the store clean enough to open to the public on Friday. It'd take time to restock products, but at least what they did have would be available along with the pumpkins, gourds, and sunflowers.

Bailey checked her phone for what might have been the hundredth time, hoping for an update from Nate. She knew he was busy and riding along with Detective Paris, but after spending so much time together the last few days, it was weird not to have him there now.

She missed him, especially after their conversation and kisses last night. Just thinking about it made her face warm. She still couldn't get over the fact that Nate had loved her for over eight years. She could never accuse him of not being able to keep a secret.

The thought coaxed a smile onto her face just in time for Jenny to notice. She and Jordan were busy moving bars of soap from a cardboard box back onto the newly-repaired shelf. Jenny waved her over.

Bailey spotted Seth helping Rachel organize things on the main counter and made her way toward her friend.

Jenny handed a bar of green soap to Jordan, but her attention was on Bailey. "Judging from that smile and the way you can't stop checking your phone, am I correct in assuming that things are going well between you and a certain individual you wish were here?" She waggled her brows.

There were far too many people within earshot to go into details. Instead, Bailey beamed and shrugged. "Maybe."

With a triumphant grin, Jenny stood and gave Bailey a hug. "I'm so happy to hear that."

"Mommy, look." Jordan waved at the shelf of colorful soaps as though he were revealing a piece of art in a museum. "They look neat!"

"Yes, they do. Great job, sweetie." Bailey got down to his level and gave him a big hug. "We couldn't have done this without you." She winked at Jenny over the top of his head and stood up .

Jenny nudged her in the side. "Hey, looks like Nate's back. I hope he and Paris were able to get something useful. I half expected the suspect to show up here today. Kinda wish he had. Talk about walking into a lion's den." She laughed. "Go on, see what they found. Jordan and I are going to move on to the lotions next, aren't we?"

Jordan stood tall, crossed his arms in front of him, and gave a definitive nod.

Bailey spotted Nate toward the front of the store. As soon as their gazes locked, her heart rate sped up. He picked his way through the volunteers until he reached her. "Hey, you."

"You're back." She smiled up at him and lowered her voice. "I missed you."

"I missed you, too." He motioned toward the front door of the store. "Can you step outside with me for a few minutes?" He took a watch from his pocket and held it out to her. "I thought you might want to look at this now that it's been cleaned. I also wanted to tell you about the meeting with Mr. Tinsley."

Bailey knew Jenny had Jordan. She scanned the room and spotted Rachel who looked up from her place with Seth, noticed them, and gave a wave.

"Sure, that would be great." She followed him through the store and into the fresh air outside.

They sat beside each other at one of the picnic tables.

Bailey turned the watch over in her hand and marveled at how shiny it was. "Wow, you'll have to tell me which jewelry store you took this to. This is seriously impressive."

"I went ahead and had the jeweler fix the band. He said the pin had been bent horribly and that the watch had likely been forcibly removed from the wrist, whether purposefully or not. "

"Well, they did a beautiful job. It hardly looks like the same watch."

"I wouldn't have believed it if it weren't for the inscription on the back. It's faded, but you can read it now that the dirt and grime are gone." Nate placed an elbow on the table that Bailey was leaning against, his wrist resting against her arm.

She brought the watch closer and had to squint a little to read the words.

"A father's love never fades. - Dad."

Nate scratched his chin. "We took photos of the watch along with the inscription and gave them to Logan at the precinct." He went on to tell her about the conversation with Mr. Tinsley and what he'd said about his daughter and her boyfriend.

Bailey's heart ached for the man. "That's all so sad. Do you think there's anything to his concerns?"

"He was pretty convincing. Logan's trying to track down the boyfriend this afternoon. I don't know if there's any connection between him and the trouble you've been having, but if we can offer the poor father any closure at all, it'll be worth it."

Nate lightly rubbed her arm with his thumb. "I thought about you all morning. Couldn't wait to get back. Has it been a good day?"

She leaned into his arm a little as she told him about all the people who had come by to help out. Most only stayed an hour or two, but there were enough volunteers to keep repairs and cleaning moving forward.

"I wish there was a way that I could really thank everyone for what they're doing. I was thinking about opening for an extra evening and inviting them all to come by. Maybe cook hot dogs and let people pick out a pumpkin to keep if they want to. What do you think?"

"I think it's a great idea and very sweet of you to want to do that." He glanced at her hair. A section had fallen from her bun, and he gently curled it around his finger.

"I know. My hair is a mess." She patted her head and finally released the bun. After gathering her hair again and smoothing it down, she twisted it back into place before securing it. When she'd finished, she found Nate watching her intently.

"You are so beautiful, Bailey. Inside and out."

His words were said in a whisper, but they settled over her heart. She ducked her chin as a blush crept into her cheeks. "You're sweet."

The front of the store opened, and Jenny poked her head out. "Hey, Bailey, Carl finished building the new shelves and needs to know where you want them." She gave them an apologetic look followed by an amused smile before disappearing back into the store.

Nate stood reluctantly. "I'm going to run back to your house and check on Minnie. I'm sure she's ready for a chance to run outside for a bit. Do you want me to take the boys? They might enjoy the change of scenery. No pressure, though."

"That's a great idea. I'm sure Rachel and Jenny could use the break." She chuckled. "I'll be right back."

Inside, she told her friends the plan. The boys were thrilled with the idea of going back to the house with Nate.

"Make sure you listen to Nate and don't cause trouble." She gave them her best stern look.

"Yes, ma'am," they echoed.

She gave them each a hug, ignoring her instinct to give Nate one, too. They hadn't had a chance to talk about it yet, but she wanted to keep this new change in their relationship on the down-low until things settled a little. "You boys give Minnie a pat for me."

"We won't be gone too long." Nate held up the watch. "And I'll put this in a safe place for now. If Logan doesn't find anything significant, you should be free to post something on social media next week."

"Sounds like a plan." Bailey waved goodbye and watched them drive away before finally turning to go inside. She answered questions about the shelves and then found Jenny and Rachel chatting in the office area. She walked in and gave them both a hug. "You two are seriously my heroes today. I owe you both a steak dinner or spa day or something. Without kids, of course."

Both women assured her that they didn't mind hanging out with her sons one bit.

"Seth kept things interesting," Rachel said with a smile. "He mentioned the watch and how you guys are going to go treasure hunting by the sunflowers. He has such a great imagination."

"Yes, he does. I told him we could go walking around the field but not to expect to find much. Nate took the watch in to have it cleaned, and it has an inscription on the back." She recited it for them. "I'll put up a general post on social media next week and see if anyone contacts us."

"That's a good idea." Jenny leaned against the small desk in one corner of the little space. "Someone must have missed it at some point."

Rachel nodded. "I'm sure that's true. Why wait until next week? If you post it before Friday, someone might come in while we're open to ask about it."

"Someone at the precinct is looking into several leads, and he's cross-referencing the watch just in case. I doubt there's any connection between it and the guy who's been harassing us, but you never know what may turn up. Maybe someone reported it missing at some point, especially since it's a more expensive watch and clearly has sentimental value." Bailey shrugged. "Either way, I hope we can find the owner."

A knock at the open door drew the ladies' attention to Officer Clint Baker. "Hey, Bailey. Nate mentioned you were looking for a company to take down that old barn. My brother, Drew, is a demolition contractor who will be happy to give you a free estimate. Tell him I sent you, and he'll take good care of you guys." He handed her a business card.

"This is perfect, Clint, thank you. I'll give him a call first thing tomorrow." She flashed him a smile. She'd rather call someone a friend recommended than go with a company she knew nothing about. As far as she was concerned, it was a bonus that this was Clint's brother.

"Not a problem." He gave a wave and went back into the main part of the store.

Bailey read the business card and slid it into her back pocket with a happy sigh. Today was full of a lot of positives. Just the support she'd seen from friends was enough to remind her that, no matter how bad things might look, brighter days were coming. Things were starting to come together. Now she prayed they would catch the man responsible for all this mess before he struck again.