Page 64 of Coty

Each of us drops a ten-dollar bill on the table for Angie and heads toward the door. Hendrix shoves Jay forward when he pauses a few feet into the front dining area. Jack grabs Cloudy’s order and helps get his cousin to the parking lot.

“See you guys later.” I toss my hand up and jump into my truck.

While they go back to work, I’ll swing by the bakery to make sure my ole' lady is okay. My ole’ lady. I can’t help but chuckle. I might not be laughing when she finds out I claimed her. The odd text from Skip, the prospect watching the bakery, makes no sense. It’s not even words. That’s not good. I start the truck. I have to get to Kayla.

Chapter 31

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Kayla

Helping out at the Cupcake Cottage was never on my to-do list. I love Emily and Lily, but getting covered in flour and cake icing isn’t my thing. Oddly enough, it’s been fun. Weird, huh?

“So, do you and Rodeo have plans for Valentine’s Day?” Lily wiggles her eyebrows at me like a crazy person.

She has hounded me endlessly for details about Coty and me. I’ve given her the highlights. Some of our moments, well, most of them, are just for me. All I can say is I’ve never felt so loved, and we’ve only been officially together for a week.

“Well, I have to work, but I’m sure we’ll find something to do after.” I duck my head and grin. I have lots of ideas we can do.

“Have you had any more problems at your apartment?” Emily asks.

“No.” I fill another bag with icing. I have the easy job of using a large decorating tip to apply a quick swirl of icing on the cupcakes.

Coty’s stayed with me every night this week. He has a prospect or a club brother watching the apartment. He still gets up every couple of hours to check the doors. Only one security camera caught something that night. Around four twenty-three, a man dressed in black runs across their backyard toward the main highway. Coty figures his car was hidden there, or someone was waiting for him.

I pause and look out the back window, not really focusing on anything. No one can get into Emily’s back garden oasis here. It’s completely fenced in and can only be accessed through the bakery. There’s a prospect in the parking lot when Coty’s not here.

Lily covers one of my hands with hers. “What is it?”

“There’s been some things happening, even before the man showed up at my back door.”

“Oh, my gosh, Lala.” Emily places a hand over her heart. “That’s scary. Have you told Coty?”

“Not outright.” I shrug.

“What does that mean? And what’s been happening?” Lily demands.

“One day this week, a postcard showed up. The only writing on it was my address, not even my name. It was stamped here in town. The front had a picture of the town on it, and the words,Have a nice day. I shrugged and threw it in the trash.

Lily locks eyes with Emily. “That is odd.” Emily nods.

“It’s not like the flower deliveries you got.” I’m a little quick to defend the matter. “My situation isn’t like yours.”

“But what if it is?” Emily’s question sends an eerie chill down my back.

“What else happened?” Lily lays her icing bag down and focuses on me.

“Well, the night before I left for Knoxville, when I got into my car after work, I couldn’t reach the gas pedal. I had to slide my seat forward.”

“Keep going,” Lily knows there’s more.

“Well, when I got back home, my college coffee cup was in the sink. I don’t remember using it. My favorite towel was hanging over the shower rod. I don’t remember doing that. Maybe I really did just forget.”

Lily lifts one eyebrow. Those things aren’t too alarming, except for my seat being moved.

I keep going. “There was a new pack of beer in the fridge and six empty bottles in the trash.”

“Let me guess. You don’t remember that either?” Lily’s mad or being sarcastic. I’m not sure which.

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