cheered him up, the least he could do was try to return the favor.

Depressing the gas pedal, Ben picked up speed and completed the short drive to Skip’s street in less than five minutes. An unfamiliar car was parked a few doors down from the house, and he gave it a quick once-over as he turned into the driveway. Not the one Rachel’s parents had rented. And no one was inside, so it wasn’t the realtor waiting for him to get home.

Someone on the block other than his neighbors must have company too.

He pulled to the end of the driveway and swung out of the cab, taking a quick inventory of the house as he approached the back door. The lawn needed mowing . . . but he could do that after the realtor left. A pile of yard waste in the corner was ready to be bagged and hauled away. The fence could use a few repairs too.

Pushing through into the kitchen, he headed for his never-ending to-do list on the counter and . . .

The doorbell rang, and he frowned as he retrieved a pen to jot down the new additions. Much as he admired punctuality, people who came early were as annoying as those who showed up late.

The bell rang again.

Muttering to himself, he tossed the pen on the counter, strode toward the front of the house, and summoned up a smile for the realtor as he pulled the door open and—

The air whooshed out of his lungs, and he reared back as if someone had head-butted him.

“Hi, Ben.” Nicole tossed her mane of blonde hair in an all-too-familiar gesture that curdled his stomach. “I bet you’re surprised to see me.”

Lips frozen—along with his insides—he gaped at the woman who’d sucked him into danger as mercilessly as a riptide.

Surprise didn’t come anywhere close to capturing the emotions churning through his gut.

Heart pounding, he gripped the edge of the door and stared at her, the cloying scent of the climbing roses that hid the porch from street view activating his gag reflex.

Her pleasant expression morphed into a pout. “I wasn’t expecting you to greet me with open arms, but I didn’t think you’d be rude.”

Somehow he found his voice. “What are you doing here?”

“We have unfinished business.”

“Our business was finished in Germany.”

“The army said it was. I don’t agree.”

“You admitted you lied about me. End of story.”

“Not quite.” She shrugged. “I might have exaggerated a little about our—”

“You didn’t exaggerate. You lied.” Fury nipped at his taut words.

“Oh, come on, Ben. You might not have done all the stuff I said, but you were interested in me at first. And I bet you still have feelings for me—like I do for you. Why can’t we let bygones be bygones?” She flashed him another smile.

The woman was certifiable.

“The only emotion I feel for you is anger and disgust.”

The corner of her eye twitched. “You’ve found someone new, haven’t you? That local newspaper editor, maybe?”

His palms began to sweat, and panic paralyzed his lungs again. “Have you been watching me?”

“I just got here—but my private investigator earned his money.”

Sweet heaven.

She’d paid someone to spy on him.

He clenched his free hand into a tight fist and tried to keep breathing as his world began to unravel.

This couldn’t be happening.

The nightmare in Germany was supposed to be over.

No, not supposed to be. It was over.

He gritted his teeth.

Whatever her sick plan, Nicole was getting nowhere this go-round.

Bracing, he summoned up a fierce glare and ground out his edict syllable by syllable. “I’m going to say this only once. You’re trespassing. Get off my property. Don’t come back. And don’t ever bother me again.”

Before she could respond, he slammed the door and locked it.

Without looking to see if she was lingering on the porch, he methodically went through the house and tested the latch on every single window. Closed the blinds. Bolted the back door.

Once Skip’s home was as secure as he could make it, he called Lexie Graham Stone.

This was a matter for the chief of police.

“Knock knock.” Rachel stopped at the doorway to the spare bedroom, where Greg had been holed up every free minute he’d had since the lighthouse meeting Wednesday night.

He swiveled away from the laptop. “I didn’t hear you come in.”

“I’m not surprised. You were totally absorbed. Is the grill ready to fire up? Mom and Dad will be here in an hour.”

“Yeah. What else can I do to help?” He closed the browser and stood.

“You’ve already gone above and beyond. Thanks for taking them up to the lighthouse today and giving them a tour of the town while I worked.”

He grinned. “I couldn’t believe how much I remembered from my old spiel. I’m sorry you couldn’t come with us.”

“Me too. But Marci’s been so kind to me—to both of us—I had to help out during her family emergency. ”

“When’s she coming back?”

“Sunday.”

“Good. We need to keep the project moving.”

“Have you given any more thought to the proposal she made to you after the meeting?” Whether Greg realized it yet or not, the job with the lighthouse foundation was a huge blessing that would tap into his natural leadership and entrepreneurial abilities.

“Yes. It’s sounding better and better—if I can do it. Dan thinks I should take it.”

“Did you talk to him today?”

“Yeah. He called to check up on me. I have one nosey brother.”

“Also one who loves you very much.”

“I know. I’m going to discuss the job in more detail with Marci after she gets back.”

“Sounds like a plan.” She started to turn away . . . then swung back. “By the way, that blonde woman who was sitting in her car across the street at lunchtime? She’s still there. Did you notice any activity this afternoon?”

“No. I’ve been glued to my computer.” Brow creasing, he crossed to the front window and tipped the blind slightly. “That’s weird.”

“I agree.”

“If she doesn’t clear out in a couple of hours, I’ll call the police.” He let the slat slip back into position. “In the meantime,

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