Page 38 of Rival Hearts

A brisk knock sounded on the door. Who was here at this ungodly hour? Seven in the morning wasn’t exactly a normal time to have a visitor. Drawing the ends of my robe a little tighter, I checked the peephole.

“Lila?” I opened the door, surprise coloring my voice. “Why are you here so early?”

She slipped past me and then plugged her nose. “God, I hate the smell of cat food. Is there a worse smell?”

I laughed. “There are lots of worse smells. Seriously, why so early?” I ran a knife around the open tin of food and plopped the mush into a bowl, setting it on the ground for Ginger.

“Tyler hasn’t called you yet?” Lila leaned against the island and then sprang off it, grabbing a cup from the cupboard.“Coffee! You’re one of the only people I know who makes a pot in the morning. Right now, I love you for it.”

“Why would Tyler be calling me this early? You still haven’t told me why you’re here.”

“We were at the gym this morning, and he told me what was going on.”

With a sigh, I eyed Lila. I loved her, and I was well-versed in these half conversations, but whether it was too early, or Lila was being particularly cryptic, I wasn’t following. “Just tell me.”

“Someone,” she paused, waggling her eyebrows before heaping spoonfuls of sugar into her mug, “is a thief.”

“Okay, Lila. I need to get ready to go to the pharmacy for my Saturday regulars. When you have more information, call me, or stop in there, or maybe just keep the information to yourself. That sounds like a problem for the police, not me.” I headed around the island for the hallway that led to the bedrooms.

“The thief is Sabrina Kim, and she’s stealing your campaign signs.” She put a piece of bread in the toaster and pushed down the handle.

“What?” I retied my robe and wandered over to Lila. “Sabrina Kim is stealing my campaign signs?”

“Yep.” Lila sipped her coffee and sighed with pleasure. “In the middle of the night. God knows who is watching her kids. I know women shouldn’t judge other women, and that’s like your mantra or whatever, but man, that woman is a fucking mess.”

I pursed my lips to keep from agreeing. Of all the women in town, Sabrina and I had the most contentious relationship. I’d never been able to put my finger on why. Years ago, I had hated Sabrina for the way she drifted so easily in and out of Grady’s bed. But my dislike of her had lasted long after he was gone. Seeing Sabrina in a crowd was enough to raise my hackles. My mother would say Sabrina and I were chalk and cheese. We couldn’t be more different.

“What’s she doing with them?” Visions of Sabrina selling them on some black market campaign website to make enough money to feed her kids popped into my head.

“According to Tyler? Putting them in Grady’s back shed.”

My eyes felt like they bulged out of my head at the revelation. Fumbling for a chair, I sank into it.Grady and Sabrina. My stomach rolled, and coffee sloshed around, souring. If they were back on, I’d need a sick day to lie in bed and contemplate my life choices.

“You okay?” Lila bit into her toast.

“Processing.”

“Even if he’s sleeping with her, it probably doesn’t mean anything.”

“It probably means she’s pregnant.” I slapped a hand over my mouth and turned wide eyes to my best friend.

Lila laughed and then choked on her toast. With a sip of her coffee, she grinned. “Ah, I love it when Catty-Maggie comes out to play. Such a rare sighting.”

“I shouldn’t have said that.”

“Whatever. You know you don’t need to play the politician in front of me.” She tipped her mug and took a long drink. “Besides, I think Grady’s the only man Sabrina has slept with and not gotten pregnant. He’s probably shooting blanks.”

I groaned. “Please, don’t. Okay? I can’t.”

Lila frowned and leaned forward to peer closer. “Oh, shit. YoulikeGrady. It’s not just some scorching sexual chemistry. You havefeelings.”

With a shake of my head, I went to the sink and rinsed out my coffee cup before pouring another cup. The last thing I needed was more caffeine. Adrenaline was already pumping. “No, that’s not it.”

“Yes, that’s it.” She let out a whoosh of air. “How did I miss this?”

Her gaze was like hot coals as I stirred my coffee.

“Have you made out with him yet?”

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