They stayed out in the bushes for nearly two hours in an attempt to find out. The only thing they discovered was that Pam was a really bad baker. Gracie felt some small measure of satisfaction when the cake turned out lopsided and burned on the edges. The pleasure peaked when Pam attempted to remove the cake from the pan and only about sixty percent of it fell onto the cooling rack.
“It was a complete disaster,” Gracie said cheerfully as they headed back to the car. “My first cake was much better than that and I think I was all of ten when I made it. I guess I don’t have to sweat her stealing my clients anytime…”
Her voice trailed off as she realized she didn’t have any clients
“We’ll figure it out,” Riley said as he put an arm around her and drew her close. “We’ll watch her for as many nights as it takes.”
“Good thing sweeps month is over on television and there’s nothing to watch.”
He looked at her and raised his eyebrows. “You would rather watch television than spy on Pam with me?”
She smiled. “Never! Did I say that? Absolutely not. You sure know how to show a girl a good time.”
THE NEXT two nights of spying produced similar results. Pam baked. Badly, Gracie thought with some measure of satisfaction. Pam also didn’t take good care of the pans, which were getting dark and scratched, but that was the least of Gracie’s problems.
But on the third night there wasn’t a cooling rack in sight. Pam barely came into the kitchen and when she did it was to pop a cookie sheet of store-bought appetizers into the oven and pull a bottle of white wine out of the refrigerator.
“Company,” Riley said with satisfaction. “Let’s see who Pam hangs out with these days. Maybe we’ll get some answers there.”
“The only possibly interesting person could be the mayor,” Gracie whispered. “And it can’t be him. She thinks he’s just as creepy as everyone else.”
“Are you sure?”
Gracie realized she wasn’t sure about anything except that she was getting a cramp in her leg.
“We’ll go around to the side yard,” Riley said. “We’ll be able to see who’s arriving.”
Gracie followed him, making sure to stay low. When they were in position in the side yard, she fumbled with her camera. Might as well get a picture of Pam’s visitor.
A car drove down the street. Gracie rose so she could brace herself against a small tree. She raised her camera to her face and squinted to see out the tiny viewer. The car got closer.
“Come on, big guy,” she murmured.
Riley chuckled. “Big guy?”
“Just an expression.”
“Okay. The car’s pulling in.”
She wasn’t sure what happened next. Maybe it was wet grass or leaves. Maybe it was just being clumsy. Maybe it was fate. Whatever the cause, just as she prepared to snap the picture of Pam’s visitor, Gracie’s foot slipped. She found herself sliding and falling. As she instinctively reached out to grab something, she squeezed the button on the camera. The flash exploded in the darkness. The tired mechanism pushed out a picture and whoever was in the car backed up and sped away.
“Come on.”
Riley grabbed her free hand and dragged her out of the yard and toward their car. Lights popped on in Pam’s house. The front door opened.
“Who’s out there?” Pam yelled. “What’s going on?”
Gracie threw herself into Riley’s car and ducked down below the dashboard.
“Drive. Drive!” she insisted.
“I’m driving.”
He started the engine and made a U-turn. It was only when they were a couple of blocks away that he turned on the lights. Gracie slowly straightened.
“I’m sorry,” she said, afraid to look at him and see how mad he was. “I didn’t do that on purpose.”
A strange sound made her stiffen. Was he…laughing?
She turned her head and stared at him. “What is so funny?”
“You,” he said with a chuckle. “I know you didn’t do that on purpose. I watched you start to slide, but I was too far away to prevent it. You were like a cartoon or something. Slow at first, then faster and faster.” He glanced at her. “I’ll give you this, Gracie. You’re never boring.”
“Great. You can put that on my tombstone. In the meantime, we
“No. It was too dark to figure out make or model.”
Gracie pulled the covering off the picture and stared at a section of Pam’s roof and a bunch of darkness she figured had to be the sky.
“If I don’t get my baking career back, I’ll never make it as a photographer.”
“You’ll get your baking business back.”
“How do you know?”
“Because we’re going to solve this mystery, and then whoever did it will make it right. Even if I have to stand over him or her and physically force them.”
She liked the sound of that. “You can be so sweet.”
“Because I’m willing to beat people up for you?”
“Yeah. It’s great.”
He reached over and touched her cheek. “You need to rethink your standards.”
“Not even a little.” She turned her head so she could press her mouth to his palm. “Want to sleep over?”
“Absolutely.”
She liked that he didn’t even have to think about it.
“You’re a good man, Riley Whitefield.”
“I’m a bastard. You can’t see it.”
“I don’t think so.”
Sure, he had his flaws, but who didn’t? The important thing was he’d been there for her, almost from the beginning, and this despite their rather odd and scary past. He’d obviously gotten over her being stalker girl. He was protective, caring, funny, smart and, when they made love, she touched a whole new dimension because of him. He made her feel safe. He made her feel sparks.
She watched him as they drove back to her place. After he parked in the driveway next to her car, he leaned over and kissed her. As she wrapped her arms around him and held on tight, she wondered if it was the least bit possible that she might very well have picked the man of her dreams at the tender age of fourteen.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
RILEY WOKE to a sunny room and an empty bed. He brushed his hands against the rumpled sheets and figured Gracie had to be somewhere in the house and that she’d show up here eventually. Then he would grab her and pull her down next to him and have his way with her. Again.
He closed his eyes and smiled at the thought. He liked having her in his bed. He liked how she looked and smelled and how she made him feel. She was good for him, and he couldn’t say that about many people he knew.
“Whatcha smiling at?”
He opened his eyes and saw her approaching. She wore a long T-shirt and, from the way her breasts swayed with each step, very little else.
“You.”
“Yeah?” She sat next to him and brushed the hair off his forehead. “Were you thinking about last night? You were an animal.”
“You weren’t bad yourself.” He turned his head to glance at his left shoulder. “I think you bit me.”
