Chapter 37

CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN

Kinley sat at her kitchen table, her fingers tracing the rim of her coffee cup as she stared blankly at the table. The buttery glow of morning sunlight spilled through the window behind her, illuminating the room with a cheerful glow. At the moment, she felt anything but cheery.

She had spent countless hours pondering the strange occurrences that had plagued her since moving into this house. It all seemed to point to Hayes. But if Hayes was dead, then he couldn't possibly be responsible for everything that had been happening. So who was?

Lance .

The realization hit her like a punch to the gut. Lance, the seemingly kind realtor she'd met at the coffee shop… and the hardware store. She thought back to the moment when they'd first met, and how smoothly he'd moved in to support her.

Goosebumps prickled along the backs of her arms, and her stomach revolted. She had run into him so many times that it had almost seemed like fate. Brookhaven was a small community, after all. But now, those encounters felt more like calculated moves on a chessboard, each one placing him closer to her.

Had he known all along? What if Lance had been watching her, learning her routines, her vulnerabilities? She felt sick just thinking about it.

She felt a chill run down her spine. It made perfect sense. If Lance had been behind the strange occurrences, it would explain everything. He'd given her advice on which particular locks to use; ever since then, she hadn't had any more trouble with the doors.

How could she have been so stupid, so na?ve?

The doorbell rang, splintering her attention and sending her pulse skittering in her veins. Oh, God. Was it him? Was it Lance?

The possibility rendered her motionless, frozen in place, and she jumped when the doorbell rang a second time. It felt like a vise had closed around her lungs, making it hard to breathe. She took a tiny step toward the living room, keeping close to the wall, and peeked around the corner. Through the frosted pane of glass in the front door, she spied a male figure standing on the front porch.

Wary, she kept her steps slow and light as she cut across the room, taking care to stay out of sight. Angling to the side, she peeked out the window. The air bottled up in her lungs rushed out in a whoosh of air.

Damn it. The car sitting in the driveway was undeniably Ted's expensive BMW. Why the hell was he here?

Reluctantly, she opened the door and his familiar smile greeted her, the sight of it twisting her stomach into a knot. "Kinley."

She didn't bother with niceties. "What can I help you with?"

"Well, I…" His gaze skittered away for a second, then landed on her once more. "Can I come in?"

She shook her head. "I don't think?—"

"Please." His eyes implored her to listen. "It's about Addie."

Her hatred for Ted was forgotten immediately at the mention of his little girl, and she relaxed her hold on the door. "Is she okay? What happened?"

"She's fine." He gestured toward the interior of the house. "May I?"

"Um…" She bit my lip, debating her options. Finally, curiosity getting the better of me, she stepped back. "Sure."

He stepped inside, and she closed the door behind him. Turning to face him, she watched as Ted walked casually around the living room. She crossed her arms over her midsection and ventured deeper into the room, keeping the couch between them as he examined the room.

He turned toward her, a huge smile on his face. "This place looks amazing. You've worked wonders."

She could count on one hand how many times he was in her home. They'd spent most of their time together at his house, because he'd said it was easier. She knew now that he was full of shit. He was ashamed of her, ashamed to be seen in this house with her, as if he were better. Her hackles rose at his backhanded compliment. "Thanks. Cam has been a huge help."

"That's… great." The confidence in his features leached away. "I… I made a mistake, Kinley."

"Oh?" That was a first. She couldn't remember ever hearing Ted admit weakness of any kind—especially where his ego came into play.

Ted turned to face her, his expression earnest. "I've missed you, Kinley. I've been doing a lot of thinking recently, and I realized how perfect we were together. I made a mistake letting you go."

Anger and frustration surged through her. "What are you talking about?"

"I never should have left you." She was so completely taken aback that she had no idea what to say. Ted rushed to fill the silence. "I miss you, sweetheart, I miss what we had together."

This time she couldn't help the mirthless laugh that fell from her lips. "What about Megan?"

"Lauren," he corrected, then waved a hand through the air as her eyebrow ratcheted toward her hairline. "Nevertheless, it's over between us."

What the hell did he expect her to do with this information? He couldn't possibly think he had a chance now, after everything that had happened?

Ted reached for her but she backpedaled, and his face fell. "Lauren and I are no longer together. It wasn't right. I was trying to move on, but I couldn't stop thinking about you."

She shook her head, struggling to keep her composure. "Trying to move on? You told me you'd been seeing her for months before we even split up."

"I would never do that to you," he said, stepping closer. "I was just trying to make you jealous. But I've changed, Kinley. I realize now that you were the best thing that ever happened to me. We were good together, and I want to make things right."

Kinley dropped back a step and shook her head. "I'm with someone else now, Ted. I'm with Cam."

Ted's expression darkened, and a flicker of irritation crossed his face. "Cam? He's your best friend, Kinley. But I love you. We belong together."

She felt a chill run down her spine at the intensity in his eyes. "Ted, please. You need to leave. Cam and I are happy together."

Ted made no move to leave. Instead, he stepped even closer, his presence suddenly feeling suffocating. "No, Kinley. You don't understand. Cam is just your friend. He doesn't love you the way I do."

Before she could react, Ted reached out and grabbed her arms, his grip firm and unyielding. "Ted, stop it," she said, her voice shaking.

"Just listen to me," he insisted, his face inches from hers. "We can make this work. I know you still have feelings for me."

Kinley tried to pull away, but he held on tighter, his intense gaze unwavering. "Ted, let go of me," she said, panic rising in her chest.

"Come on, sweetheart. Let me show you how good it was."

He leaned in, and she turned her face away, pushing against his chest as hard as she could. "Ted, stop! I'm not?—"

Her words were abruptly cut off as Ted's weight lifted away from her body and he was yanked roughly backward. She blinked in astonishment as Cam suddenly appeared and a moment later, Ted hit the ground—hard.

Suddenly, Cam was there, handcuffs snapping into place around Ted's wrists while the man on the floor writhed and pleased.

"Let me go!"

Cam ignored Ted's pleas as he read him his rights. "She told you to stop. You should've listened."

Kinley watched, wide-eyed, as Cam hauled Ted to his feet, then turned him toward the door. He paused halfway across the room and glanced over his shoulder at her. "I need to take care of this, then I'll be home."

He shot her a quick wink, then disappeared, pushing a struggling Ted toward the cruiser. Kinley moved toward the door on autopilot, still rattled from the whole ordeal. Hands shaking, she managed to close the door, then leaned against it and shook her head. What the hell had just happened?