Chapter 6

Iwas so mad I couldn't even think straight. I slammed my car door shut and stabbed the key into the ignition. All the way home, I fought to keep my eyes on the road.

"What an arrogant, two-faced son of a bitch." I cursed out loud. "He hasn't been in town for more than a week, and he thinks he can have my cabin." Arguing with a phantom Jason made me feel better. "I'm not going to let you take my cabin. I don't care if you're a detective, the chief of police force, or the mayor!" I stomped down on the accelerator, lurching the car faster.

Why did he have to be so hot? With his stupid jawline and his muscular chest, he could have figured into my fantasies, but no more. I resolved never to think of him again. Stewing in my rage, I almost missed the unpaved road that wound into the forest. I forced myself to get a grip, slowing down my breathing and paying attention to the road.

The darkness of the forest night closed in around me, broken only by my headlights. It was like I was falling off the edge of the world into a magical realm. The thought that this might be one of the last nights that I would ever drive up to this cabin filled me with sorrow. I was fighting back tears by the time I found the parking space.

I pulled out my cell phone and turned the flashlight on. The heels were useless in the dirt, so I slipped them off. Carrying my purse, my shoes, and my phone in one hand, I shook the house key to the top of my key ring with the other. There was a piece of paper stuck to the door. I pushed the key into the lock and turned it, holding my breath.

I dropped the shoes and the bag just inside and reached up to grab the notice. Turning the lights on, I read the words I had been dreading since Wednesday. "Eviction notice," the paper said. "You are required to vacate the property within a week."

I wanted to scream. I did scream. I was in the middle of the goddamned woods; no one would hear me. I grabbed my phone and dialed the landlord's number. So, what that it was almost midnight. He had obviously just been up here, and if I woke him up, so much the better.

"Hello?" he answered.

"Evicted?" I nearly shouted.

"Now, Ms. Parker, calm down," the landlord began, sweeping all my concerns under the rug.

"Calm down?" now I shouted. "You told me that I would have exclusive rights to purchase this cabin a year from now."

"Yes, but—"

"You said you would consider my offer of making double payments," I insisted.

"Yes, but—"

"I signed a contract!" I was nearly hyperventilating, and the rational part of my brain told me that I had to get a grip.

"The contract was never completed," he said, clearly annoyed that I kept cutting him off.

"What do you mean, the contract was never completed?"

"I never signed the contract."

"Yes, but—"

Now it was his turn to cut me off. "The contract wasn't signed by both parties. Therefore it is meaningless."

"But I…" I didn't know what else to say. I was staring at the kitchen, the kitchen where I was going to bake brownies and lasagna. It had all been a lie. He had never meant to let me buy the cabin. He was just taking my money and allowing me to rent the space until a better offer came along. And that better offer was a city detective with blue eyes and a charming smile.

"I expect you to be out of the property by next week," the landlord said and hung up.

I barely felt the phone dropping as it slipped from my hand. I was too stunned to even cry. I felt cheap and used. This beautiful dream had been nothing but a scam. I would have to go back to apartment life, with white drywall and low ceilings. Instead of the majesty of the forest, I would wake up to a parking lot and a dumpster tastefully hidden by a cement wall.

Depressed, I turned the lights off and went to bed. Just before my brain switched off and let me sleep, it conjured up an image of Jason as I had seen him at the bar before I learned of his traitorous ways. He smiled at me and offered to help get the bartender's attention. I drifted off, feeling warm despite the impending storm.

The next morning, I washed my face clear of the makeup I had slept in. I dressed in work-appropriate blouse and slacks. I spent the whole day with an apron tied around my waist, so I didn't need to look stellar, but I liked to be professional. After re-applying eyeliner and lipstick, I hopped in the car.

All I had to do today was make it through work, and then I would come up with a game plan. I parked on the street and breezed through the door, cool as an iceberg.

"Hey!" Ava waved from across the room. She was cutting someone's hair, but I could tell she was itching to run over and ask about what happened after she'd left the bar last night.

I'd clocked in and taken three customers before the rush slowed down and the salon emptied out. Ava came over to grab my arm as I swept the floor. "I can tell it didn't go well last night," she said.

"Is it that obvious?"

"Well, you haven't smiled once," Ava observed. "Even when Mrs. Mifflin showed us pictures of her grandkids."

I sighed. "The kids weren't that cute."

"They were adorable," Ava said. "What's wrong?"

"I'm being evicted," I said.

"What?" Ava gasped. "But you just moved in."

"I know! And moving wasn't free either. I broke my lease at the apartment complex—I can't just move back into my old place."

"Why did you get evicted?" Ava wanted to know.

"The guy, Jason." I paused to make sure she was following.

"The guy from last night?" she guessed.

I nodded. "He wants to buy the cabin."

Ava's eyes went wide, and her jaw dropped. "No."

"Yes." I nodded in confirmation.

"Well, did you tell him he couldn't have it?"

"Yes!" I could feel my blood start to rise again. "I told him to find another cabin, and he said he was sorry, or something like that, and that there weren't other cabins available."

"Oh." Ava made a heartbroken noise and draped her arms around my shoulders. "I thought he was too good to be true."

I sniffed. It was good to have a friend to talk to.

Ava pulled back. "You should talk to a lawyer. Sue the bastard."

"I was thinking about it," I said, leaning into the broom handle, "but I don't know."

"What?" Ava argued. "There should be something you can do. You paid a deposit and first month's rent, right?"

I nodded. I had a sinking feeling that I was not the first person to get screwed over by this particular landlord. He probably had an army of lawyers that fought off lawsuits by unhappy tenants. And where was I going to find the money to pay a lawyer? What I really needed was a roof over my head, or by the end of the week, I was going to be homeless.

"I'm going to get lunch," I said. "Do you want anything?"

"Where are you going?" Ava debated.

"Maybe the taco shop." There were three lunch choices within walking distance: a diner, a taco shop, and a bagel place. Most of the time I packed my own lunch, but today felt like a treat-yourself day, plus I had been too preoccupied to pack a lunch this morning.

"No, thanks," Ava said cheerfully. "I'm not feeling tacos today."

I clocked out and walked down the street to the restaurant. Mundane things kept my mind off my problems, and I waited patiently for the cashier to finish up with her last customer.

"Can I get a soft taco with the works?" I asked. I paid for the goods and accepted the bag, thinking I would sit on the library steps and eat it.

I crossed the street and stopped. There was a jewelry and watch store just a block away from my salon. In the space of time, it had taken me to order my lunch, two police cars had parked outside with their lights flashing. I wondered what was happening. I could see the owner of the store standing out on the sidewalk talking to someone. My heart sank straight into my stomach when I realized that the person who he was talking to was none other than the handsome detective from Nashville.

I seethed. What was he doing here? Of course, he was a cop, and this was a crime scene, but shouldn't he have the decency to crawl back under whatever rock he had come from? I backed up a few steps and looked around. There was a car parked right beside me, so I leaned against it to get comfortable.

Another officer came out of the jewelry shop, holding a metal briefcase. I decided that he was a fingerprint expert and that there had been a robbery. There was hardly ever any crime on this street, so the whole drama was fascinating. I took out my taco and took a bite, watching as the second policeman got into the driver's seat of one of the patrol cars.

Jason finished talking to the shop owner and looked directly at me. Our eyes locked. Neither one of us betrayed any emotion. I continued eating my lunch as he began walking toward me.

"Hello," he said. "I take it you got home alright last night?"

"Yes, like you care." I was dying to know what was going on.

"Did you see anything this morning around ten?"

"I didn't get into work until eleven," I said.

"Did you notice anything out of the ordinary at that time?" he tried again.

"No."

"Okay." He inhaled, pulling a business card out of his wallet. "If you think of anything, give me a call."

I took the card, not even glancing at it. "Are we in danger?" I asked.

"No," he said quickly. "It was a robbery, but no one was hurt."

"What was stolen?" I couldn't help myself.

He grinned, and for a moment I remembered why I had been drawn to him in the first place. "I can't discuss an open case," he said.

"Right." I put the card in my purse and stood up. I had suddenly lost my appetite.