I hit send as a rush of adrenaline takes over.
My phone pings before I have a chance to put it down.
“It’s McKenna,” I say, breathless.
You are so sweet! They’re just down the street from the inn right there on Main Street. They’re finishing up an addition at the bank. The scaffolding should be coming down today. But if you hurry, you can still catch them.
“She says if we hurry we can still catch them,” I say. “Let’s hope Zeke Reed has the answers we need about this mysterious Collective. And I’m betting he does.”
The scaffolding is still mostly in place by the time I hustle my way down Main Street with my furry crew. A bright blue sign up ahead reads Another Proud Project of Reed Construction! And all around it dozens of men in flannels work furiously disassembling the infrastructure just like McKenna predicted.
Georgie and Juni just so happened to be in the lobby while I was letting Grady and Nessa know where I was headed, and as soon as those ladies heard the words construction site, they made it clear I wouldn’t be heading here alone. Not that I would have been alone to begin with. I’ve got Sherlock and Lucky on leashes—leashes they don’t really need, but were kind enough to comply with the law. Fish and Misty were fast asleep by the time I proposed the idea.
Juni grunts hard. “Mama, there’s no polite way to do this. All these men are exactly my type, so you best just back off right now.” She flips her hair upside down. It’s blonde with plenty of gray interspersed, and when she flips her tresses back up, she’s got that Einstein look I’m not really sure she was going for.
Georgie smacks her baby girl on the chest. “Don’t you tell me what to do, Juniper Moonbeam. I’m invoking rest-home rules.”
“Rest-home rules?” I ask as I look her way.
“Yup.” Georgie straightens. “If he moves, he’s fair game.”
I avert my eyes at the thought. But the rule does seem fitting for that environment.
“Behave, you two,” I whisper as one by one the men all around us turn our way and pause from the work at hand to appraise us.
A series of catcalls go off, and someone lets out a whistle or two. A few salty words are enthusiastically tossed around, and both Juni and Georgie puff their chests out with pride—either that or they’re gunning for more catcalls.
I spot Zeke with his auburn hair ablaze in the sunlight as he stands at a worktable strewn with tools. “Zeke!” I say his name cheerily as I head his way and note the fact he looks more than a little bewildered by my presence. “McKenna sent me.” Sort of. “We met the other night at the Country Cottage Inn. I’m the manager there, Bizzy Baker, McKenna’s good friend. And these are my friends.” I look to my right and close my mouth as I spot Juni and Georgie already half a dozen construction workers deep. “Never mind. I come bearing sweet treats. The café at the inn had an overload, and I thought I’d bring them over.”
“Thank you.” He indulges in one, and no sooner do I set the platter down than an entire crowd of grabby hands surrounds the table.
Zeke steps over to the side, and I follow with the dogs in tow.
“Lucky?” Zeke is right back to looking confused. “Is that you?”
Lucky howls. It’s me, Uncle Zeke. He rubs his head along Zeke’s thigh and Zeke gets right to giving him a proper greeting.
“McKenna came by the inn to help me with a few of my own wedding details and, well, she had an impromptu fitting, so I told her I’d watch Lucky and Misty. Actually, Misty is back at the inn with my own cat. I promise she’s safe and sound.”
He laughs while squinting into the sun and quickly nods us over a few feet under the shade of a maple tree.
“I’m guessing she went to Minty’s for the fitting.” He glances past me, his expression growing quickly sober. Minty’s. I hate the sound of the name, let alone what that place represents.
What it represents? Minty’s is a department store. Maybe he thinks it represents weddings? Is he thinking about Michaela? Or maybe he’s thinking about Bernie. She was certainly thinking about him.
“Interesting,” I whisper to myself as his eyes latch back to time.
“Excuse me?”
“Sorry.” I shake my head. “I was just at Minty’s myself. McKenna’s sister works there. She was helping me with a dress. You probably know Michaela. I mean, you’re both in the wedding. Her sister is marrying your brother, you’ll practically be family.”
His chest bucks with a dry laugh. “I guess you’re right. I didn’t think of it that way.” It feels like yesterday I took Bernie there. She bought her prom dress and I couldn’t wait to wrap my arms around her in it. But if I could go back in time, we’d never step into the hellhole. That was the beginning of the end for us in so many ways.
Sherlock lets out a soft bark. He’s thinking about Michaela, isn’t he, Bizzy? He’s got that same lovesick look on his face that Jasper used to get when he was thinking about you. He was so very lovesick when the two of you first met. Poor guy couldn’t even sleep.
Lovesick? Maybe so, but Zeke isn’t thinking about Michaela. He’s thinking about Bernie. And it doesn’t sound as if prom night was so magical.
I try to rewind the conversation I had with Bernie last night. I distinctly remember her thinking about Zeke. She said—Zeke hated Julian more than anyone I know. He could have easily killed Julian. God knows he promised me he would.
I step forward and examine Zeke a little more brazenly.
“Zeke, I’m sorry if I’m overstepping my bounds, but that night at the inn—I thought I saw you looking at the woman who was acting as Julian’s assistant. I
