Page 61 of Sizzle

The hum of the orchestra starts up, and I know I should get in there as my dad excuses himself to take Mom into the theater. But I see my sister standing by the doors, looking out, and Warren is nowhere to be found. No one is, really. The lobby is all but empty now, and I know Gabrielle is backstage helping with the production.

“Al?” I ask, moseying over to her. “You okay?”

“Shh,” she hisses, not looking back at me.

“What’re you doing?” She’s acting weird, and while that can be normal with my sister, I don’t know what she’s looking at.

“There is a group across the street … hold on.”

Joining her where she stands at one of the massive front windows near the ornate, double gold door entrance to the playhouse, I squint at what she might be looking at.

“Isn’t that the trespasser?” Alana’s voice is hushed.

Blinking against the darkness of the street, I watch a couple figures make their way down the main drag in Hope Crest. The face of the man who trespassed on our property is burned into my brain, his mug shot sitting in an email on my phone that I’ve looked at a thousand times. When I can’t get it out of my head, I stare hard at the photo to understand why this stranger would do that to our family.

“I can’t make anyone out,” I tell her because the sunset glare is shining through the window into my eyes.

Then one of them moves, a shadow casts over his face, and I know without a doubt that’s him.

“There he is. Fucking hell,” my sister curses, pointing at the glass.

“What is he doing here? Does he know we’re here?”

“Why is he following us?” Alana mutters to herself but so I can hear.

“Don’t speak any louder.” Even though none of our family or friends are in the lobby anymore, I don’t want to cause a scene.

As it is, I’m going to station myself by the entrance and miss the entire production to make sure he doesn’t come through those doors. Staring back across the street, a ripple of shock moves through my chest as I glimpse another familiar face.

“And that’s … Dan Quillin?” The words come out of my mouth in a confused statement.

The group of people, maybe five or six men, stop under a streetlight across from the theater windows, and I can make them out clearly. The man who tripped up Warren, who was trying to destroy our land, is deep in conversation with Dan Quillin. The same Dan who has owned another farm in Hope Crest for years. The same man who lamented to me about his troubles at the supply store not too long ago.

“How the hell do those two know each other?” Alana’s head whips in my direction.

“I have no fucking clue.” Alarm beats through my veins like my heart is pumping it overtime.

Because currently, I’m rifling through every possible scenario in which these two people could have come in contact with each other. How do the puzzle pieces fit? Does one have something to do with the other and the attack on our land?

“Should we …” She motions across the street, signaling that maybe we should go over there.

I know myself too well though, and no good would come of that. No, I have more than just myself to protect these days. Opening up a can of worms right now, before we’re sure what this is, is not only not smart, it’s dangerous.

“No. I’ll stay put out here to make sure they pass by, don’t come in here. You go and watch the show; I’m sure Warren is waiting.” My tone is calm, trying to reassure her even though a skeptical expression covers features so close to our mothers.

“Liam, this is suspicious. Something is off here.” Her low voice is a warning.

“And we’ll figure it out. But right now isn’t the time.” Starting shit at Gabrielle’s job is the furthest thing from what I want to do.

She nods, relenting, and walks backward to the doors into the theater. I don’t turn to see her go, instead keeping my focus on the men on the sidewalk. In chunks, they peel off, walking back down the sidewalk and away from the playhouse. My eyes track the backs of Dan and the trespasser until they’re over the horizon line and out of sight.

Thinking I have my happily ever after is dangerous. It’s put me in the mindset that nothing can touch us. Now that we have each other, nothing can hurt us.

How very wrong I was. Something is brewing, I can feel it, and I’m going to get to the bottom of it before it harms anyone else I love.

29

GABRIELLE

---