“Phoenix.” He cupped her face. “Give me a little credit, okay? I can tell when something is bothering you.”
Did he really know her so well? An unsettling thought—that also warmed her heart.
She forced a smile. “It’s nothing. I was just worrying about Ridley.”
Skeptical, he asked, “You’ll miss her tonight?”
“She’s bossy and she snores, so not likely.”
Humor eased away his worry. “Is that so? Maybe I should warn Baxter.”
She laughed, but ruined it with another yawn. “It’s getting late. I need to go.” Before I give in to the desire to stay.
He didn’t argue, but she could tell he didn’t like it, either.
They dressed together in near silence. When she was ready to leave, Cooper pocketed his keys and phone and walked with her.
Shoulder to shoulder with her, Cooper asked, “Want me to drive you?”
“Mmm.” She looked up at the clear sky, velvet black with a million glittering stars and a fat, glowing moon, all reflecting off the surface of the lake. A light breeze teased over her face, stirring the balmy air. She spread her arms wide. “It’s such a nice night I’d prefer to walk, if that’s okay.” She could extend their time together just a little longer.
“Sure.” They were almost down the hill, the grass alternately slick with dew, then dry and prickly, when he asked, “Want to walk with me to get Sugar from Daron before I take you home? You could tell her good-night.”
Aha, so Cooper also wanted to steal every minute he could. “I’d love to.” She leaned closer, saying sotto voce, “Besides, I’m dying to see how things are going with Maris and Daron.”
“Voices carry out here,” Daron said from somewhere down the hill. “And I had no idea you were a voyeur.”
Phoenix slapped a hand over her mouth. Busted.
There was a muted complaint from Maris.
Daron grunted and said, “Ow, damn.”
Then Maris called loudly, “There’s absolutely nothing to see...well, except for the dog piddling.”
Daron objected to that, while Maris shushed him.
She shot a look at Cooper, and caught his suppressed smile. Sharing the moment, she leaned against him. He gave her a brief hug just before they stumbled upon Maris and Daron, standing a discreet distance apart.
Sugar was in the middle of peeing when she spotted them and she ran—in a half squat—yapping happily.
It was another twenty minutes before Cooper and Sugar finished walking her home. Unfortunately, her porch light was off.
“That’s odd.”
“What?” Cooper asked.
“I added a sensor to the porch light so it would automatically come on at dusk, but it’s not on.”
Just that quick, his good mood fled and dark suspicion brought his brows together. He handed her the leash for Sugar, saying, “Wait here,” and went up to the dark porch, using his phone as a flashlight.
Heart pounding in dread, she watched as he checked the door first and found it still locked. After glancing back and seeing that she hadn’t budged, he again circled her cabin.
This was starting to become a habit, but she was extremely glad for his help. It was late enough—into the park’s quiet time—that no one else was about. Many campers had lights on the outside of their RVs and fifth wheels, and some of the people using tents had small fires out front.
And yet, it felt eerily still and quiet, when minutes before it had felt magical.
She stared hard into the heavy shadows, watching for Cooper to reemerge—and finally he did, stepping up to the deck from the other side, apparently finding nothing amiss.
His back to her, he checked the porch light...and his head turned slightly. “The bulb is broken.”
“Broken?” She inched closer. “How?”
“I don’t know.” He met her before she could get one foot on the deck step. “Let me take a look around inside.”
“This is starting to feel like déjà vu.” She hoped the casual words belied her nervousness, because already her palms felt damp and her heart raced. It’s only a broken light bulb. Logically, she knew it happened, but fear was seldom logical. Would she always immediately equate a simple problem with possible danger?
God, she hoped not.
She got the keys from her purse and handed them over. Because she was jumpy, she scooped up Sugar and held her close, taking comfort from the dog as she watched Cooper unlock the door and disappear inside, flipping on lights as he did so.
It wouldn’t take him more than a minute to go through the entire place—
In a move far more startling than an alien dropping on Ridley’s shoulder, Sugar launched into a furious tirade of barking and snarling. It was all Phoenix could do to hold on to her—and then she saw the vague figure racing away into the darkness, feet skidding on gravel.
Cooper rushed out—but it was already too late. Whoever had been there had raced for the woods so she caught his arm while trying to hold on to the dog at the same time.
Her heart thumped so violently, she could barely draw breath, but she choked out, “He’s gone.”
Eyes narrowed, Cooper stared at where the man had disappeared, then ushered Phoenix and Sugar into the cabin. Calmer than she, he said, “Good dog, Sugar. Good dog.”
He said nothing to Phoenix, but drew out his phone and placed a call. When he spoke, she realized he’d dialed Officer Clark.
“Gibb? The fucker was just here.”
Odd, Phoenix thought, that his voice sounded so calm in contrast to what he said.
“No, I didn’t see him—just the back of a man running away.” His voice lowered. “He was at Ms. Rose’s cabin. Someone broke the porch light. No, no real damage other than a bulb, but if I hadn’t been with her, she’d have been walking...” He cast a glance at Phoenix. “Right.”
She looked back, trying to mimic his composed mood. But damn it, this time her instincts had been right, even though she’d tried to ignore them. Given her past, it now seemed impossible to discern when she should and shouldn’t be alarmed.
“Yeah,” Cooper muttered, “I’ll wait. Thanks.”
That sounded like he might be hanging around for a bit. Phoenix sat on her sofa and folded her hands together. “Wait for what?” There, that sounded reasonable and calm...
As long as he didn’t notice how her fingers were shaking.
“Waiting here with you until Gibb calls me back.” Cooper paced, and the dog tracked his every step. “He’s already out so he’ll go by where the pricks live and see what’s up.”
“Oh.” She cleared her throat. “How long will that take, do you think?”
“Not long.” He looked again at Sugar, then picked her up. “You make a hell of a guard dog, baby.” He kissed her on the top of her furry little head, making her whole body jiggle with joy. When he looked at Phoenix, his gaze assessing, she tried to look brave.
She must have failed.
He sat beside her, cupping a hand around the back of her neck. “You okay?”
Oh, that gentle voice just might do her in. She made her lips curl in the semblance of a smile and said with false confidence, “Of course. Why wouldn’t I be?”
When he only continued to watch her, those beautiful eyes seeing too much, she began to babble.
“There could be a lot of reasons why someone was running around the park. We shouldn’t automatically think something nefarious is going on. Maybe the bulb just blew. Bulbs do that, you know. It’s not like the guy was actually at my cabin, just—” she waved a hand “—somewhere close behind it.”
“Phoenix.”
She rounded on him. “Are you upset? Nervous?”
“Actually, yeah.”
Her eyes widened. “You are?” Well, damn it, that only made her more jumpy, giving her reason to think there was good cause to worry. To be sure, she asked, “Why?”
He started to speak, but then his cell phone rang. He set the dog on the floor and stood, pacing again as he answered.
“Gibb? Find out anything?” Cooper listened, his scowl growing darker by the second. “Bullshit.” And then with even more heat, “How can you be sure?”
Phoenix watched as he rubbed the back of his neck.
“No,” Cooper said. “There’s nothing here to see. Yeah, I’m sure. It’s okay, thanks.”