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“Chocolate.”

“I didn’t see her hovering tonight,” Kate said, breaking the lighthearted mood.

“I’m hoping Sunny gave up.”

Kate raised a skeptical brow.

“But that’s probably not realistic.”

“You could report her stalking to the police. I’m surprised you haven’t already.”

“Nolan advised against it with that intense look he has, and said it would reflect poorly on me if it got out. He never seemed worried about the stalker story itself getting out. He always insisted she hadn’t done anything actually threatening.”

“I reviewed the letters and pictures she sent you. This is not a mentally healthy person.” Kate poured, and they sat and sipped.

She actually didn’t mind combining her two lives and personas with Rory.

It felt right, somehow, discussing his problems. He had certainly aided with hers, and she was enjoying helping with his.

After they’d dwelt long enough on his tenuous situation, they slipped back to the front of the inn where he had left the lanterns lit.

To soft lighting, and as if in mutual agreement, they both settled themselves comfortably side-by-side on the piano bench.

Kate found herself letting the words of the blessing run through her mind as they played the stanzas.

There were several of them, each with a musical interlude in between which was the more difficult part.

The four lines from the blessing repeated in her mind each time they played the chorus, and she increasingly felt there must be more words to the song.

Still, only the four lines were engraved on the plaque below the statue in the square.

Rory was a perfect picture of Captain Hazard tonight.

But who was she? Who was Captain Edwin Hazard’s lady love?

He must have married which led to Hazel being his descendant.

So who was the mysterious woman he married, the one who started the blessing?

Who had he loved? Not Prudence, as she was said to have run off with her British officer. Kate tried to imagine who else the captain’s love could be. And how did the mysterious Selah fit in?

Kate held her breath hoping, images from the past flowing in her imagination.

As they neared the closing measures, she found herself wishing it would go on forever, but forced herself to focus on this difficult section.

Rory had redone the score, thinking that if they each played the other’s part at the end, it might go smoother.

It did not.

They still wound up helplessly tangled together, this time laughing.

Kate turned, wide-eyed at Rory’s breath, soft on her face.

Her perfect American rebel—her own Captain Hazard.

She too could fall for the soldier in her home.

In a flash, she understood Prudence falling for the handsome British officer.

Her heart thumped at this American rebel, up close and available for the lady of the house.

Rory leaned in.

Would they kiss? Kate held her breath in anticipation, even as she moved to meet his lips with her own.

THUD!

Kate jerked back, startled. “Was that at the front door?”

Rory jumped up and strode for the foyer.

Shoving herself up, Kate dashed after him.

THUD again, this time harder, louder. Trembling, Kate placed her hand on his arm just as she caught up. “Wait.”

But he was in motion, crossing the foyer, his long strides eating up the distance. He flung the front door wide open.

Two of her pumpkins were smashed on the steps, while slimy pumpkin innards slithered down her newly painted front door.

“Ick. Do you think it was teenagers?”

“No,” Rory’s voice was harsh.

“Her?”

He nodded.

“What makes you think…”

He pointed to the slash marks marring all her pumpkins running down the walk. Slashes just like in Sunny’s drawings.

*

Kate spread open the pages of the Hazard Gazette.

She loved getting the little local paper the old-fashioned way and reading it with her early morning coffee, long before the sun rose to greet the day.

It had become one of her favorite rituals, and she expected it would continue once her inn was full of guests and she rose early to prepare breakfast. She read the headlines:

Harvest Festival

Well, that was short and to the point. She shifted uneasily at seeing that she was listed as one of the performers along with Rory. How would he feel about that? She hoped he didn’t think she had volunteered him without confirming with him first.

Successful Safe Halloween

Well, mostly safe. Kate had spent quite some time carefully cleaning her front door, wondering if the culprit was watching from the trees.

Rory insisted it was a threat, but Kate wasn’t sure.

It could have been teens pulling their tricks.

She had turned her lights out early. In the city a bit of malicious mischief wouldn’t have surprised her, but here, it did seem out of character.

Of course, there was some crime in Hazard, but not like the violent crime in the city.

She had read the crime blotter with the occasional reports of a stolen bike recovered.

Or the high school broken into by students.

Even an occasional DUI or disorderly conduct.

But nothing malicious .

She flipped to the columns section and grew still. It couldn’t be, but it was. The local columnist, Harmon Collier, had done a piece on Rory Rollins a.k.a. Rory Throckmorton being back in town. And who had he interviewed? None other than Sunny Briscoe.

Rory’s stalker certainly wasn’t hiding.

Kate held her breath and began to read.

*

Rory smelled bacon and headed down the stairs.

Mystery cat had curled up on his bed again, he was certain from the cat-shaped indent in his covers.

Of course, he hadn’t seen the cat, which seemed odd as his sleep had been restless and disturbed due to Kate’s sudden involvement in his problems. He enjoyed having her help but wondered at the wisdom of it.

Were they all business? He and Kate? Their relationship felt like more than reputation-manager and client, more than guest and innkeeper, but—he shook his head.

Despite what they’d shared, playing the duet and tromping through the tunnels, even sharing the past, he was leaving in two weeks.

He had engagements lined up, concerts. Kate was ensconced in Hazard in a way he could never be.

He settled in at the dining table set cozily with two orange placements and a towering fall flower arrangement of yellow chrysanthemums interspersed dramatically with red roses and dark green foliage. Kate entered with the plated breakfasts.

“Okay, be honest. This is my latest attempt at muffins.” She centered the plates on the colorful placements and stepped back.

Rory studied the presentation in front of him. The little breakfast casserole in its white circular dish looked amazing. The generous serving of bacon smelled heavenly. But the shriveled muffin just cried out in agonized sadness. He pursed his lips. “Um, bacon looks good.”

“Ah, come on. Taste it.”

“The bacon?” he said hopefully.

Kate lips pinched tight. “The muffin. I worked extra hard on these. They’re…”

He took a careful bite and blinked three times fast.

“…not awful?”

Rory swallowed, hard, and took a swig of the orange juice placed next to his plate, before he schooled his expression. “There are no words.”

Kate let out a huff. “Okay, fine.” She plopped into her chair and snatched up her napkin to drop in her lap.

Rory gentled his voice. “Have you reached out to Ivy? You said something about lessons.”

Kate took a nibble of her own muffin. “I guess I’ll have to. At least this one didn’t fall apart. Progress, maybe.” She motioned at the basket of extra muffins on the table, but what caught his eye was the gazette folded up neatly next to his place setting.

“Is this now part of the inn’s morning offerings? The local paper?”

“It is today. But you may not like what you find.”

Rory nibbled on another piece of bacon and opened up the paper. He perused the front page and laughed out loud. “That Hazel Bestwick! She outed me just like that, listing me as a performer with “…our fabulous new innkeeper Kate Mayfield,” he quoted.

Kate sighed. “I appreciate the praise, but you don’t mind? Really?”

“It was inevitable. I’m sure Seymour had a hand in it as well and probably Lydia.”

“Marjorie?”

“Likely the only dissenter, but easily won over by the others. Is this what you were worried about?”

“Only a little. Look inside.” Kate grimaced.

Rory turned the page. “Surely, it can’t be that bad. What could possibly be in the town gazette that…ah, no way .”

“I’m so sorry.”

Rory started reading. Everything in the interview made it sound like Sunny Briscoe was his long-standing girlfriend. She talked about each of the concerts she had attended and her visits backstage as if she had been invited and not crashed her way there, or sneaked past security.

She shared little personal tidbits about his life, ones that she’d no doubt gleaned by spying on his daily habits.

She even talked about the other band members like she was some kind of insider, about Dustin’s new baby coming and Ven visiting his family in India.

It made his stomach roil. He looked up at Kate.

“It isn’t as bad as you think.”

“How can this not be…can we get a retraction? She makes out like she’s my girlfriend!”

“True, but she never comes out and says it. She doesn’t malign you or the band in any way. It’s all quite flattering.”

“Except she’s inserted herself into our lives, and that’s a total deception.”

“Likely her own. She comes across as delusional. But what concerns me most is how she implies a connection to the band, like she’s related to one of the members. Did you pick up on that?”

Rory stared at Kate. He went back and read through the piece again. “I see that now. But that’s a total lie.”

“Are you sure?”