Twilight at Blueberry Barrens (Sunset Cove #3)(6)

She tossed the bottle in the trash, then saw a hoe she’d left leaning against the house. She grabbed it and carried it toward the gardening shed. There was always something to do around here.

A strangled scream rang out from down the vacant road. Kate turned to investigate but saw nothing but an owl flap its wings as it soared into the sky. Maybe it had been a luckless rabbit caught by the bird. Why was she so jumpy this evening?

She examined her mood and realized she’d been on edge for weeks. It was little things she’d noticed, like an unlocked door when she’d been sure she’d locked it and sounds outside the window. Chemo brain was not for the weak. Shaking her head, she turned toward the back door.

A figure ran around the edge of the house and tried to dart around her to get away. Kate acted on instinct and brought the hoe up like a baseball bat. She swung the sharp edge at his head. He rolled away, but the hoe still connected with his left bicep. Jackson’s ears came up, and he barked.

The man let out a howl and managed to jump to his feet as she swung the hoe at him again. The blade hit him in the back as he disappeared into the looming darkness.

Kate’s legs were like pudding as she ran for the back door. Once inside, she locked the door and leaned against it with her hands shaking. This intruder hadn’t been her imagination. She pulled out her cell phone and called 911.

*

Claire stood with Luke in Kate’s kitchen. The clock in the living room chimed eleven times as the teakettle began to shriek. In spite of the late hour, she was wide awake from worry. She pulled the kettle from the heat, then turned to Luke and lowered her voice. “I don’t want her staying here by herself. Who knows why that guy was hanging around here.”

Luke was the best man she’d ever met. Loyal, caring, and strong. She still couldn’t believe she was going to be lucky enough to marry him. Living here near her sister was a dream come true. This was the spot she’d longed for all her life even though she hadn’t realized it.

His thick black hair was damp and uncombed since he’d come here straight out of the shower after she called. His warm brown eyes met hers. “We’re here for her, honey. You think she’d move in with you if you insisted?”

“She’s so independent.” Claire heaved a sigh and poured steaming water into the teapot. “I suppose she’s had to be without any real support. Back me up when I ask her, okay?”

He put his hand on her shoulder and leaned in to brush his lips across hers. “I always back you up.”

His touch never failed to speed up her pulse. She cupped his cheek. “I know you do. Let’s go interrupt the party. I’m sure she’s told Danny over and over what happened. She probably needs the break by now. Grab those, would you?” She indicated the plate of brownies by the sink. She’d found them in a container on the counter, and they looked freshly baked.

Danny and his deputy looked up when she and Luke entered. Jonas Kissner knew Kate well from school and would be sympathetic, as would the sheriff, who treated Kate like a daughter. They both must have been off duty because they were in jeans and T-shirts. They’d probably been called from a relaxing evening at their homes.

Claire set the tray she carried on the coffee table. “I thought a little break would be good. Kate has been through a lot the last few weeks. You’re probably about done questioning her, right?”

“We are.” Jonas reached for the teapot and poured out a cup, then sat back with it in his hand. His burnished-red hair gleamed in the lights. “It’s after eleven. We checked all through the house, and everything seems to be untouched. There were footprints in the mud out back. I think maybe it was probably just a flatlander who got lost and cut through your yard on his way back to his truck, and you scared the tar out of him, Kate.”

“I hope you’re right.” But Claire’s heart sank when she saw how calm Kate was. If she thought there was no danger, she wouldn’t budge from this house, and Claire wasn’t at all sure the deputy was right. She offered him the tray of brownies, and he took two.

“You found the brownies,” Kate said. “They’re made from okra, eggs, and sugar-free chocolate chips. Healthier, you know.”

The men exchanged dismayed glances, and Jonas took a cautious bite. His pale-green eyes widened. “Pretty good for being healthy.”

Kate had been on a health kick ever since she’d begun recovering from the aplastic anemia that had nearly killed her, and while most people rolled their eyes and humored her, Claire wanted her to do anything that gave her comfort and courage. It had to be hard never to know if that disease might rear its wretched head again.

Claire handed her sister a cup of chamomile tea. “I think you should move in with me for a while.”

Kate’s blue eyes crinkled in a smile as she took the tea. “You’re getting married soon, and I’d just have to move back out again. I’m not living with newlyweds. Besides, you heard Jonas. It was likely a lost tourist. Once I really thought about it, I realized he wasn’t really attacking me, just trying to get past me.” She looked at Danny. “I’m sorry I bothered you two. I’m a little skittish since finding the two on the cliff, and I overreacted.”

“Better safe than sorry.” Sheriff Colton’s red handlebar mustache quivered as he nibbled the edge of a brownie. He smiled and took a bigger bite. “But I think it’s fine to stay home, Kate. Be vigilant of course. But I don’t think the guy was trying to get in your house. There are no muddy footprints by the door, and the prints we found came from the woods. If a flatlander comes by the station to say he was attacked by a crazy woman with a hoe, I’ll just point out he was trespassing and any woman would defend herself.”