our problems."
The edge of sadness in his voice was what got her. She couldn't say no when he was so worried and feeling so lost. "Could we go early?" And miss the crowds.
"How about six?" His voice sounded a little lighter.
She dug her fingernail under a chipping piece of paint on the column and flicked it off. Damn. "Six it is," she said brightly. "How about I meet you at the Town Square Cafe?"
Stu laughed. "It's not an execution, Kelsey. It'll be fun."
"Right."
"See you at the square."
She hung up to the sound of Stu chuckling. She picked another piece of paint, and then another off the column before she caught herself. At the rate she was going she'd have the back porch stripped by dinner.
Six o'clock. That gave her three hours. Three hours to shift through more papers, shower and worry if she was going to run into Mitch.
Kelsey spent more time choosing an outfit for the picnic than she had buying her first camera. In the end, she chose to go simple—jeans, a white cotton shirt and black slides. She skipped her bracelets and pulled her hair back, thinking it made her look more conservative. And then she caught herself. Why was she trying to fit in with these people? She brushed out her hair. Rebellion simmering in her veins, she put on her bracelets and added a couple of extras for good measure. She considered a mock nose ring but decided that was too over the top. Besides, the darn thing pinched.
Traffic would be a crush, so she opted to walk the nine blocks into town. She grabbed her digital camera and put fresh batteries in it. It made no sense to photograph anything today, but habits were a hard thing to break. Her camera was her safety blanket.
She locked her front door. As she moved across the front porch, she spotted a lovely white bag with a pink ribbon wrapped around it. At first, she thought Jeff or Rick had left her something. Jeff had confessed yesterday that Rick had a crush on her. Curious and oddly touched, she picked it up. She untied the ribbon and draped it carefully over the porch rail.
Inside the bag was an old Kewpie doll, not bigger than the size of her palm. The doll's blond wavy hair had been chopped off and its eyes had been blacked out with a magic marker. She flipped the doll over. Scribbled on the doll's back were the words
Go Away
.
A chill snaked up her spine.
This was no gift.
Kelsey looked in the bag to see if her "admirer" had left a note. There was none.
The hairs on the back of her neck rose, just as they had at the quarry when she'd seen the flash of light. She glanced up and looked around, half expecting someone to be standing close by staring at her. No one was there.
"If you think I'm spooked," she said in a clear voice, "I'm not."
Kelsey shoved the doll into the bag along with the ribbon and walked around the side of the house to the trash can. She tossed it all away. "The last thing I need is a smart-ass prankster."
Rubbing trembling hands over her hips, she backed away from the trash can. Her heart hammered against her ribs and the bit of excitement she'd had moments ago for the picnic had vanished. If not for Stu, she'd have skipped the festival and gone to a movie.
She arrived at the square pavilion at five minutes after six. The nine-block walk had gone a long way to calming her nerves, but she was still rattled.
Stu stood out front, wearing his blue Hawaiian shirt, white Bermudas and flip-flops.
"Aloha," she said, approaching with the brightest smile she could conjure up.
Stu grinned. "Aloha to you" He glanced down at the tangle of bracelets on her arm. "You could pick up radio signals with those things."
She lifted her bracelet up to her mouth. "Beam me up, Scotty."
His belly laugh reminded her of the old Stu. "Nope, you're not getting out of this picnic. I plan to show you off."
"Me?"
"Sure. You're my little girl." He blushed. "At least, I've always thought about you that way."
Her throat tightened with unexpected tears and for a moment she
The edge of sadness in his voice was what got her. She couldn't say no when he was so worried and feeling so lost. "Could we go early?" And miss the crowds.
"How about six?" His voice sounded a little lighter.
She dug her fingernail under a chipping piece of paint on the column and flicked it off. Damn. "Six it is," she said brightly. "How about I meet you at the Town Square Cafe?"
Stu laughed. "It's not an execution, Kelsey. It'll be fun."
"Right."
"See you at the square."
She hung up to the sound of Stu chuckling. She picked another piece of paint, and then another off the column before she caught herself. At the rate she was going she'd have the back porch stripped by dinner.
Six o'clock. That gave her three hours. Three hours to shift through more papers, shower and worry if she was going to run into Mitch.
Kelsey spent more time choosing an outfit for the picnic than she had buying her first camera. In the end, she chose to go simple—jeans, a white cotton shirt and black slides. She skipped her bracelets and pulled her hair back, thinking it made her look more conservative. And then she caught herself. Why was she trying to fit in with these people? She brushed out her hair. Rebellion simmering in her veins, she put on her bracelets and added a couple of extras for good measure. She considered a mock nose ring but decided that was too over the top. Besides, the darn thing pinched.
Traffic would be a crush, so she opted to walk the nine blocks into town. She grabbed her digital camera and put fresh batteries in it. It made no sense to photograph anything today, but habits were a hard thing to break. Her camera was her safety blanket.
She locked her front door. As she moved across the front porch, she spotted a lovely white bag with a pink ribbon wrapped around it. At first, she thought Jeff or Rick had left her something. Jeff had confessed yesterday that Rick had a crush on her. Curious and oddly touched, she picked it up. She untied the ribbon and draped it carefully over the porch rail.
Inside the bag was an old Kewpie doll, not bigger than the size of her palm. The doll's blond wavy hair had been chopped off and its eyes had been blacked out with a magic marker. She flipped the doll over. Scribbled on the doll's back were the words
Go Away
.
A chill snaked up her spine.
This was no gift.
Kelsey looked in the bag to see if her "admirer" had left a note. There was none.
The hairs on the back of her neck rose, just as they had at the quarry when she'd seen the flash of light. She glanced up and looked around, half expecting someone to be standing close by staring at her. No one was there.
"If you think I'm spooked," she said in a clear voice, "I'm not."
Kelsey shoved the doll into the bag along with the ribbon and walked around the side of the house to the trash can. She tossed it all away. "The last thing I need is a smart-ass prankster."
Rubbing trembling hands over her hips, she backed away from the trash can. Her heart hammered against her ribs and the bit of excitement she'd had moments ago for the picnic had vanished. If not for Stu, she'd have skipped the festival and gone to a movie.
She arrived at the square pavilion at five minutes after six. The nine-block walk had gone a long way to calming her nerves, but she was still rattled.
Stu stood out front, wearing his blue Hawaiian shirt, white Bermudas and flip-flops.
"Aloha," she said, approaching with the brightest smile she could conjure up.
Stu grinned. "Aloha to you" He glanced down at the tangle of bracelets on her arm. "You could pick up radio signals with those things."
She lifted her bracelet up to her mouth. "Beam me up, Scotty."
His belly laugh reminded her of the old Stu. "Nope, you're not getting out of this picnic. I plan to show you off."
"Me?"
"Sure. You're my little girl." He blushed. "At least, I've always thought about you that way."
Her throat tightened with unexpected tears and for a moment she
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