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“FAITHFUL ARE THE WOUNDS OF A FRIEND; BUT THE KISSES OF AN ENEMY ARE DECEITFUL.” —PROVERBS 27:6

S ydney’s mind said run , but her feet stood rooted to the ground. Her skin crawled like living ants. She strained to hear. There it was again—the rustling in the woods. The empty space around her loomed large and she anticipated an attack from any direction. Her pace quickened to a trot, and it was all she could to keep from breaking into a sprint to get to the jeep.

She fumbled with her keys. The second it took to unlock the door seemed like an eternity. She opened the door and plunged into the safety of the vehicle.

Had someone been in the woods or was she jumping at her own shadow, afraid of the boogeyman? One thing was for sure, she wasn’t going to hang around to find out.

She drove out of the woodlands and glanced at her phone. She had one message. It was Sean, explaining that he’d been at the gym and had left his phone in his locker. Why was she not surprised?

“Ms. Lassiter, Ms. Lassiter.” The police officer repeated Sydney’s name louder, as if he were speaking to a child. “Do you know what’s missing?”

Yes, I know what’s missing—my most prized possession! She waited for the officer to react to her statement and then realized that she’d not said anything, only thought it.

The officer’s brown hair was cropped close to his head. So close that Sydney could see his scalp when he bent his head to study his pad. He was young, barely past his teens, and still wet behind the ears, looking more like a Boy Scout than a police officer. He cleared his throat. “What did you say is missing ma’am?”

She looked at his exasperated expression. He repeated the question again, this time louder. “What—is—missing?”

The words exploded from her mouth. “I don’t know! Officer, I’m not sure what all is missing right now. As you can see, this has been a shock for me,” she said, adopting the same smug tone she’d heard Judith use.

“Just tell me again what happened.”

Sydney sighed, not trying to mask her frustration. “I’ve already told you.” She ran her fingers through her hair, hating the way it felt dirty and stringy. “I came home from work later than usual because I had to go and check on a problem. The front door was locked, and everything looked fine from the outside. When I went inside, I noticed that the middle drawer of my desk had been tampered with. My things were all shuffled around.”

“Shuffled around? How?”

She could feel the fingers of hysteria clawing the edges of her mind. “Things were moved. I keep everything in order.”

He pushed up his glasses and gave a quirky smile. “Are you sure?”

Her eyes met his in defiance. “I know when my things have been moved.”

“Tell me about the desk drawer. How do you know for sure that it has been tampered with?”

“Because it was locked and now it’s open.”

He nodded and scribbled on his pad. His glasses slipped again, but this time he left them there and peered over them. “Then what happened?”

“I saw the broken pot and realized that someone had forced his way in through the patio door.”

“His way?”

Sydney’s face was a blank. “What?”

“You said his way in . Why did you say that?”

A hysterical laugh forced its way up her throat, and she swallowed it down. “His, her—I don’t know.”

“Is there anything else you can tell me?”

Sydney looked him straight in the eye. “No.”

The officer studied her for a moment with furrowed brows. He closed his pad and stood. “Ms. Lassiter, if you think of anything else …” He left the sentence hanging and handed her his card. “You will have to come down to the station tomorrow and fill out some paperwork.” He looked at her strained expression. “Is there anyone we should call?”

“No!” She softened the outburst with a forced smile. “I’ll be fine.”

“In that case, I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Sydney nodded and locked the door behind him. She looked around the room of the cozy home she’d grown to love. Now everything was colored with fear. Her gaze went to the large bay window, one of the features that made her choose this place. Her blinds were pulled up, the huge black squares of night staring menacingly through the panes.

She went around the room and pulled down the blinds, then ran a tired hand through her hair and went to the phone. Her fingers dialed his number almost by instinct. She let it ring at least a dozen times. No answer. Tears boiled over and she slammed down the phone.

Sydney sat on the couch and tried to control her shaking body as the realization of the night’s events soaked like rubbing alcohol into an open cut. This was no random break in. Someone knew exactly what he wanted and had taken it. Avery’s journal and the articles were gone. Any clues she might have found were lost. She shivered as a more terrifying thought pierced her mind. Someone knew who she was.

The phone rang. Kendall’s voice came over the line. “Sydney, have you been trying to call? What’s wrong?”

“My house got broken into tonight.”

“What? Are you all right?”

A lump formed in the back of Sydney’s throat. The compassion in his voice made her wish he was here.

“It happened while I was at work.”

“I’m on my way.”

“What happened to you?”

Sydney looked up as Sean barged into her office. “What’re you talking about?”

He pointed, and then sat in a chair in front of her desk. “You’ve got dark circles under your eyes, like you haven’t slept in a month.”

“Well, if you must know, my house was broken into last night.” She watched his face for a reaction. At this point, she wasn’t sure whom to trust. She was relieved to see genuine concern in his eyes.

“Syd, are you all right? Were you there?”

“No, it happened while I was at the outlying woodlands on a wild goose chase.”

“I got your call. What was that all about?”

“I’m not sure. Timothy McWhorter called me yesterday and said there was a dangerous situation I needed to check on.”

His eyes narrowed. “What kind of situation?”

“I’m not sure. He wouldn’t tell me over the phone.”

“Why didn’t you call Joe Slaton?”

“He was out of town.”

Sean shook his head. “No he wasn’t. I spoke to him yesterday afternoon.”

“What?” She thought back to the phone call. Like a fool, she believed every word the man had told her and hadn’t even bothered to validate anything. Then again, why would she? She couldn’t possibly know it was all a ruse.

“Sydney, Timothy McWhorter hasn’t worked for Chamberland for several months.”

The air left her lungs. She shook her head so hard that hair slung in her mouth. “No, that’s not possible. He called me yesterday.”

Sean’s eyes met hers. “I don’t doubt that someone called you, but I can assure you it wasn’t Timothy McWhorter.” He studied her face, which was growing paler by the minute. “What was stolen?”

“Huh?” Sean’s voice cut through her thoughts. “Oh, nothing.”

He raised an eyebrow. “Nothing at all?”

She nodded.

“Let me get this straight. Someone called you from the woodlands, and you went out there. And while you were gone, your house got broken into?”

“I know it sounds crazy, but that’s what happened.”

“And nothing was stolen?”

Her eyes met his in a challenge. “That’s right.”

“Syd, one of these days you’re going to have to learn to trust me.”

She studied the enigmatic expression on his face. What was she seeing? Compassion? Mockery? It was impossible to tell. “Trust, Mr. O’Conner, is something that has to be earned.”

The day’s events left Sydney emotionally drained. She pulled into her driveway and got out of the jeep. Hazel’s perfume floated through the air as welcoming as a loaf of freshly baked bread. Louellen’s explanation about Hazel had deeply touched Sydney, and she wanted to befriend her. She spotted her standing by the edge of her flowerbed dressed in a sky blue muu muu. Dixie was draped like a blanket across her arm.

Sydney waved. “Hello Hazel.”

Hazel stopped petting her cat and looked sternly at Sydney. “Hazel can’t warn Sydney.”

Fear returned with a vengeance, leaving Sydney’s mouth dry. “Warn me about what?” Her mind reeled. Hazel had undoubtedly seen the police car last night. Was it possible that she’d also seen something else? “Hazel,” Sydney said, keeping her voice gentle. “Did you see someone at my house last night?”

“Louellen said not to meddle in other people’s business.”

Sydney swallowed hard. “No, Hazel. You’re not meddling. If you saw someone, I need to know.”

Hazel backed away, shaking her head. “No, no, no. I’m not supposed to cause trouble.” She was still muttering as she disappeared around the back of the house.

“What time are you leaving today?”

Sydney looked up from her desk to see Sean enter the room. “In about five minutes. I’m just going over the OSHA report so I’ll have everything ready when Jake comes tomorrow.” Sydney took a deep breath and let it out slowly. It seemed that everyone in the sawmill was breathing a little easier ever since they’d passed their most recent inspection. Everyone, that is, except her. She’d been in a state of constant turmoil ever since Avery’s journal had been stolen.

“What time is the meeting?”

“I think he’s coming at ten.” Jake Roberts had scheduled a follow-up meeting with Sydney and Sean to go over the OSHA report. Sydney wanted to make sure she had all her ducks in a row before tomorrow.

Sean leaned against the doorframe and studied her face. “Are you doing okay, Syd? You look a little edgy.”

Edgy? That was the understatement of the year. No, I’m not okay, she wanted to scream. Her whole world was falling apart. What little security she finally managed to gain was snatched away. Someone broke into her house, invaded her privacy, and caused her to be afraid of her own shadow. She only got about two hours of sleep the night before because she was too busy jumping every time she heard the slightest noise—the floor creaking, the rumble of the ice machine. That’s all it took to send her scurrying like a mouse under the covers. She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “I’m fine,” she said, looking down at the paperwork on her desk.

“Good, I’m glad to hear it.”

It was all Sydney could do to not smirk at his comment. Lip service, that’s all he was. He wasn’t concerned about her. He was too busy thinking about Sean.

He looked at his watch. “I’ll meet you by your jeep in about five minutes.”

Her head shot up. “What?”

“Didn’t you say that you needed five more minutes to finish up?”

“Well, yes but?—”

“I need your help with something.”

She shook her head. “Okay, whatever.”

Five minutes later she found Sean leaning against her jeep. She didn’t bother to hide the annoyed expression that was twisting its way over her face. “All right. I’m here. What do you need?”

He seemed oblivious to her dark mood and instead went to the passenger side of his truck, unlocked the door, and held it open for her. “Let’s go in mine.”

Her eyebrow arched. “Where?”

A smile softened his chiseled jaw. “You’ll see.”

Her briefcase felt heavy in her hand. “Sean, I’m really tired. I don’t think?—”

He took her briefcase and ushered her in his truck. “It won’t take long. I promise.”

They drove in silence out of the sawmill. Sean inserted a CD into the player. “Do you like Harry Connick, Jr.?”

Sydney nodded, all the while trying to figure out what he was up to. She stole a glance at him. He had one hand on the wheel, and the other resting on the console, dangerously close to her hand. She looked at his long lean fingers and moved her hand away from his to her lap. She waited for him to speak first. When it became apparent that he had no intention of doing so, she broke the ice.

“Where are we going?”

“You’ll see.”

A dull headache was pounding across the bridge of her nose. She didn’t have time to play this juvenile game. “Where are we going?” she asked again. This time her voice was firm.

He reached and patted her hand. “Lean back. Relax. We’ll be there in a few minutes.”

She smirked. “It’s not like I have a choice.” It was just like him to keep her guessing. He always had to have the upper hand.

He turned up the music and began humming under his breath. Sydney leaned back and looked out her window. They were crossing over the bridge that led out of Stoney Creek. The Tennessee River sparkled like a million diamonds in the afternoon sun, and the birds opened their wings like miniature gliders and soared lazily over it like they had all the time in the world. At that moment she would have given anything to be one of them.

A few minutes later, they arrived at their destination. “We’re here.”

Sydney wrinkled her nose. “The Riverton Catfish House? You’re taking me here?”

A crooked smile curved on his lips, and she wondered if he’d intentionally smiled that way to send her heart fluttering. “Yep, the best catfish in three counties. Or so I’ve heard.”

She shook her head and reached for her door. This guy was unbelievable.

“Don’t you touch that.” He jumped out and came around to open it. She was reminded of how disappointed she’d been when Kendall didn’t open the door for her. A thundercloud of irritation clouded her and she told herself that it didn’t matter. Kendall was so beyond Sean in other ways. Opening a door. How inconsequential was that?

The Riverton Catfish Place was a house converted into a restaurant. Even though it was one big open expanse, a musty smell permeated the caramel-colored shag carpet in the foyer. And if Sydney looked close enough, she was sure to see a thin layer of dust covering the mounted shark hanging on the wall. A predominately pink picture of spring flowers in a vase hung next to a black and white photograph of a lighthouse, and Sydney could imagine the owners scouring their homes to find enough artwork and knick knacks to adorn the walls.

The food, however, made up for the lack of ambience. They sat in their metal diner-style chairs, the seats covered in black vinyl, and feasted on fried catfish filets. The fish was light and tender and just greasy enough to melt in your mouth. Comfort food.

Sydney leaned back in her chair as the young waitress approached the table. The freckled-faced girl, with her cherry hair pulled in a tight ponytail, couldn’t have been older than fourteen. She was probably a member of the family.

“Would you like some dessert?”

“I don’t think so.” She’d stuffed herself to the point that her stomach was hurting. A phrase that Avery used to say flashed in her mind. He’d lean back and pat his belly. “I’ve eaten so much that you’re gonna need a wheelbarrow to tote me out of here.” Sydney smiled to herself and pictured what Sean’s expression would be if she said that.

“What? No dessert?” Sean made a face and then looked at the waitress. “We’ll each have a piece of buttermilk pie.” His eyes met Sydney’s. “Unless you want to share?”

There was an intimacy in his tone that caused Sydney’s eyes to widen. Her face flamed. “No, I don’t want to share.” She was about to reiterate to the waitress that she didn’t want dessert but Sean didn’t give her a chance.

“Two desserts it is.” They watched the waitress flutter away.

“Why did you do that?”

“Do what?”

“I don’t want dessert.”

Sean leaned back in his chair. “Of course you do. You just don’t know it yet.”

Her eyes narrowed, causing a smile to tug at the corners of Sean’s mouth. Why did she get the feeling they were talking about more than just dessert? Was he hitting on her? He was all Dr. Jekyll now. The question was when would Mr. Hyde return?

Sydney looked him square in the eyes. “Well aren’t you just peaches and cream today.”

“What do you mean? I’m always nice.”

She folded her arms across her chest. “Humph.”

“Come on Syd, you can’t come here and not get the buttermilk pie.”

The waitress returned. “That’s right,” she said, placing the pieces of pie in front of them. “We’re famous for our buttermilk pie.”

Sydney took a bite and let it slip like velvet on her tongue. She had to admit that it was delicious. She looked up to see Sean studying her reaction.

“See, I told you.”

“I only wish the company was as good as the pie.”

His hearty laughter broke the tension, and she found herself laughing too.

“So why did you take me to dinner?”

“If you’ll remember, I tried to take you after the football game, but you turned me down. I figured if I told you my intentions tonight, you wouldn’t come with me.”

“You’re right.”

He chuckled.

She studied his eyes, her face a question, letting him know he wasn’t going to get off that easily. “Well?”

He grew serious. “We’ve all been under so much stress with the OSHA inspection. You looked so keyed up this afternoon that I figured you could use a little r & r.” He leaned back in his seat. “Right?”

She followed suit and leaned back in her chair. “Yeah, it has been stressful lately. I’m just glad the inspection’s over with. Maybe now I can get to some of the things I’ve been keeping on the back burner.”

He took the last bite of his pie. “Speaking of which, how’s that report of yours coming along? The one establishing the ten-year accident trend.”

She couldn’t answer right away because she was too busy choking on a bite of pie. She should have known he would ask her about that. The man had a memory like an elephant. He knows … he knows the accident report was a ruse to find out what happened to Avery. But how? How could he know? She fought to keep her voice even. “I haven’t really pursued that any further. I mean—it’s just that I’ve had too much to do.”

“I see.”

Their eyes met, hers fire and his ice. What do you see? She wanted to scream. Tell me what you see!

“How’s Kendall?”

“Fine.”

Sean took his straw and twirled the ice in his glass before lifting it to his lips. The liquid swirled into a tornado. He gulped it down. “I figure he’s hoping to make it to state playoffs this year.”

She was still mulling over the accident reports. Her reply was automatic. “Yeah, I guess.”

“Well, from what I hear around town, it’s in his best interest to win state. He’s come close a few times—but no prize. In a town like Stoney Creek, winning guarantees job security.”

This caught her full attention. “Is that right? I wouldn’t worry too much about Kendall if I were you.” She thought she saw his jaw muscle work but couldn’t be sure.

“Believe me, it’s not Kendall I’m worried about.”

“Then who?” She changed the subject before he could respond. “Back to your comment about football. What makes you the expert? You know, it’s awfully easy to sit back and take cheap shots at Kendall when you don’t know the first thing about it.”

He laughed. “Do you think Lover Boy’s the only one who played football? It just so happens that I was the starting quarterback for my high school football team.”

She raised an eyebrow. “Oh really? Where did you say you went to high school?”

“Huh?”

“High School?”

“Oh, McCullough High.”

“Fascinating.”

He started to respond but was interrupted by the waitress bringing their bill. Sean handed her his credit card, and they watched her walk away.

“You know, there’s something I still don’t get.”

“Oh yeah? What’s that?”

“You and Kendall.”

She rolled her eyes. How many times were they going to keep having the same conversation? “Why do you find it so hard to believe that Kendall and I could be attracted to each other?”

He was quick to answer. “You misunderstand me. I’m not saying that. I can see why Kendall’s attracted to you. He’d have to be blind not to be.”

His compliment caught her off guard. Color rose in her cheeks, and she hoped it wasn’t blaring like a neon sign.

“I just don’t understand what you see in him.”

“I—”

He held up his hand. “I’m not finished yet. I mean, look at you. Here you are, this beautiful, wealthy, high society, big city girl, and he’s a … a …”

“A what?” Her face was beet red.

“All right. You want me to say it? I’ll say it. He’s a hick.”

“What’s the matter with you? What is it with you and Kendall? First you act like you barely know him, and the next minute I see you having an in-depth conversation with him.” Her words came out in angry bits like she’d chewed them up and spit them out. “And another thing, what makes you think I’m rich? You don’t know anything about me.”

“I know a lot more than you think.”

Her face paled. She stood and slammed her napkin on the table. “I’m going to the restroom. I’ll meet you at the truck.”

They rode in thick silence until Sean spoke up. “Look Syd, I apologize for upsetting you.”

Silence.

“My intention tonight was to mend some fences, not to make things worse between us.”

She still didn’t answer.

“I’m going to say one more thing about Kendall, and then I promise I won’t mention it again.”

She turned to look at him.

“Kendall’s a small-town boy who’s still basking in his glory days. He doesn’t care about you. Not really. You’re just a trophy to him.”

A smirk escaped her lips.

“And putting all that aside, he just doesn’t seem like your type.”

“Oh yeah, and just who is my type?”

It was his turn to remain silent.

“Are you my type, Sean O’Conner? Is that what you’re saying?”

He shifted in his seat. “Well, I’m not saying that, but you have to admit, you can do a heck of a lot better than him.”

Her arms were folded like a vice over her chest. She turned away from him to stare out the window.

“You might as well get comfortable.”

She jerked her head back at him. “What?”

“I refuse to take you home angry. So you might as well get comfortable because I’m going to keep driving until you’re in a better mood.” His comment was so out of place that it struck her as funny. She laughed despite herself. He laughed too, and the tension between them eased. Sean turned up the music.

Sydney knew she should have remained angry, but it took too much energy. Sean’s opinion of Kendall didn’t matter anyway. What mattered was how she felt. What did she feel? She brushed the thought aside and let her worries get lost in the gentle rhythm of the song.

It was dark by the time Sean pulled into her driveway. Sydney smiled in spite of herself when she saw the lace curtain on Hazel’s window move.

Sean noticed it too. His eyebrow arched. “Your neighbor keeps close tabs on you, doesn’t she?”

“You’d just have to know Hazel. She’s harmless.” Then she remembered her jeep. She let out a moan.

“What?”

“My jeep, I left it at the sawmill.”

“Okay, give me your key, and I’ll have one of the guys run it over to you in the morning.”

She made a face. The last thing she wanted was to let someone else drive her jeep. She shook her head. “I don’t think so.”

“Come on, Syd, trust me,” he urged. Their eyes met, and a thrill ran down her spine. The attraction between them was nearly palpable. She had to get out of this truck and away from him before she did something stupid. She reached in her purse and removed the jeep key from the ring. “Here.” He reached for it, but she held onto it with a lifted eyebrow. “Guard this with your life.”

He laughed. “Will do.” He took the key and put it into his pocket.

Sydney reached for the door handle. “Well,” she chuckled, “it’s been interesting.”

He reached and caught hold of her arm. The air was electric. His face moved a mere inch from hers. “Don’t touch that door,” he said, his voice just husky enough to send a shiver of anticipation racing down her spine.

Like a fly caught in a spider’s snare, powerless to resist, she sat glued to her seat as his lips met hers and melted through to her knees like sweet poison. She opened her eyes and moved away from him. If he was as affected by the kiss as she was, he didn’t show it. A pleased expression came over his face. “I’ll bet Kendall never kissed you like that.”

Her hand came up and gave a satisfying whack when it struck his face. “I’ve been wanting to do that for a long time.”

She could almost hear Hazel cheering when she got out of the truck and slammed the door.