His heart lost its rhythm.
Hadn’t she seen Nicole?
“Um, Charley, I think I’ll pass on those tacos.” He backed away from the truck as he spoke. “Give my order to Marci.”
Without waiting for a reply, he strode away from her.
“Ben!”
At her summons, he picked up his pace.
“Ben! Wait up!”
He peeked over his shoulder.
She’d broken into a jog.
Short of sprinting away, there was no way to avoid her.
He stopped and swiveled around. In the distance, Nicole rose, her attention riveted on the two of them.
Great.
“Hi.” Marci stopped three feet away and gave him a sunny smile. “I was hoping to run into you today.”
“Marci . . . Nicole is watching us.” He kept an eye on the blonde. “She’s on the wharf.”
“I know. She’s been on that bench all morning.”
“I thought we agreed to wait her out.”
“I agreed to consider it—but my patience has worn thin. So I decided to be proactive.”
He furrowed his brow. “Define proactive.”
“My pleasure.”
In one giant step, she erased the distance between them, threw her arms around his neck, and kissed him.
Right on the mouth.
Where anyone in the vicinity could watch.
Including Nicole.
A wave of panic crashed over him.
What in creation was she thinking?
“Marci.” He wrenched his lips free and tried to pry her hands off his neck.
She tightened her grip and locked gazes with him. “I’m tired of playing by her rules, Ben . . . and following her timeline. If she wants proof we’re a couple, this should do it. Now the ball’s in her court.”
“This isn’t badminton. She plays hardball.” His alarm ratcheted up another notch, squeezing his windpipe. “You could get hurt.”
“No, I won’t. Trust me on this. I’ve got it covered.”
He squinted at her. “What does that mean?”
“It means you don’t have to worry about me.”
“I can’t not worry about you. That’s what happens when you lo . . .” Whoops. Too soon for that word. “If you care about someone.”
“Then why don’t you play bodyguard?” Her eyes began to twinkle. “We can be together and you can keep me safe. That’s a win/win in my book.”
“I’m not trained to be a bodyguard. I’m a doctor, not a special ops soldier.”
“I don’t need a special ops soldier. All you have to do is follow me home from work today—and pick me up for church tomorrow. My house is a fortress, so I’m safe once I’m locked inside for the night. Besides, after this”—she snuggled close again—“I don’t think she’s going to wait long to make her move—if she even follows through. For all we know, she’ll accept the fact you’re taken and disappear.”
If only.
“I wouldn’t hold my breath on that score.”
“I believe in being optimistic.”
Of course she did.
That was Marci.
And now that she’d deep-sixed his hands-off strategy, he’d have to follow through on his idea and keep Nicole in his sights—at least until Marci was safely locked inside for the night.
If he was lucky, that tactic would freak the other woman out and make her rethink her own plans.
“Hey.” Marci nudged him. “You still with me?”
“Always.” He bent and claimed another kiss.
She smiled up at him. “I’m glad you got with the program.”
“You didn’t leave me much choice.” He draped an arm around her shoulders. “Why don’t I buy you some tacos and walk you back to the office? When you’re ready to leave tonight, call me and I’ll follow you home.”
“Will you stay for dinner?”
Not while Nicole was sticking close.
“Can I get a rain check? I have a few chores I need to take care of this evening.”
“Anytime.” She slipped her arm around his waist and tugged him toward Charley’s stand. “Let’s eat.”
Ben let her tow him along, sending Nicole a defiant stare over her head. He might not have chosen to tackle their dilemma as directly as Marci had, in her sometimes headstrong way, but the damage was done.
All he could do was keep Nicole in sight—and hope Marci’s optimism for a positive outcome wasn’t misplaced.
What the . . . !?
Marci bolted upright in bed and clapped her palms against her ears as a piercing alarm ricocheted off the walls in her bedroom.
She might be groggy from the deep sleep she’d finally tumbled into hours after Ben had followed her home last night, but one thing was clear.
Someone was breaking into her house.
And only one suspect came to mind.
Not what she’d expected—but Ben had warned her Nicole was unpredictable.
Vaulting out of bed, she snatched her phone off the nightstand. The security company would already be alerting the local police, but she wasn’t about to part with her lifeline.
She dashed to the bedroom door and double-checked the slider lock.
Set, as usual.
A big, burly guy might be able to kick down the heavy wooden door, but she doubted Nicole would be capable of that feat.
All she had to do was stay cool and wait for . . .
She frowned.
Sniffed.
Was that . . . smoke?
She sniffed again.
Yes.
Definitely smoke, drifting in through her open window.
As the reality slammed home, her heart stumbled.
The alarm ringing in her ears was for fire, not burglary.
It seemed Ben’s worry that Nicole might be capable of causing physical harm had been merited.
But setting a house on fire?
Definitely not what she’d expected.
Minor vandalism, yes—but the woman must be unhinged to take this kind of drastic action.
Marci gripped her phone tighter.
What to do now?
The volunteer fire department in Hope Harbor would need a few minutes to assemble once it got the alarm. . . and Nicole could be lurking nearby.
Pulse hammering, Marci crossed to the window. Peeked out.
All was dark.
No sign of flames.
She returned to the door and felt the wood panels.
Cool.
The fire wasn’t close to her room yet.
But the smoke might be.
And that killed more people than flames.
Shifting into fast-forward, she yanked on her jeans and stowed the phone in the pocket. Then she jammed her feet into her slippers, eased the door open, and sniffed again.
A very slight haze hung suspended below the ceiling—but the air was breathable.
Get to an exit.
Now!
Excellent advice.
As long as her shaky legs didn’t give out on her.
She hurried down the hall, the shadowy light
