“I’ve always felt safe in this town until now,” I admitted. It felt good to open up to someone. I knew I couldn’t tell my parents how nervous I was. They would just worry about me.
“You’re still safe. He’s dead and, from all we can see, he worked this alone. It was a one in a million freak thing. Like you said, nothing like this has ever happened here before and, more than likely, nothing like this will ever happen here again.”
I breathed deeply, feeling a little better from his reassurance. As my fears subsided, I became aware of his hand rubbing my back, moving up my sweatshirt to massage my shoulders. His touch felt nice, but it also made me nervous in a good way.
He seemed to sense my tension. “If there’s anything I can do to make you feel better, let me know.”
I pulled away from him, a soft smile tugging at my lips. “Thanks. Do you want to come inside while you wait for my dad?”
“Sure.”
“Your pizza is in the fridge. I can heat it up for you if you’re hungry.”
He smiled. “That would be great. I’m starving.”
As I met his gaze, my heart skipped a beat. “Follow me.” Then I turned and led him across the patio and through the back door to the kitchen, leaving the dark night and my dark thoughts outside.
Chapter 6
I rarely saw my father over the next few days as he worked to learn more about the body found in the woods. Most of his initial suspicions were confirmed. As if there had been any doubt, the toddler shoe found near the body was confirmed to be Ryder’s missing shoe. The guy had died from blunt trauma to the head, and the bite marks on his arm were blamed on a large dog. My father also visited the Thompsons again to ask if they had noticed any signs of abuse on Ryder. Between what they told him and the hospital records, there was no indication that he’d been hurt that night. It was a relief, although I still couldn’t shake the unsettled feeling that our town was no longer safe.
Monday was the first day of school. After showering that morning, I slipped into the new jeans I had picked up at the outlets with my mother on Sunday, tall black boots, and a white tank top. A lightweight matching sweater completed my ensemble. I curled my hair, applied a touch of make-up, and finished with a silver necklace and hoop earrings. Sighing, I paused to gaze at my reflection in the bathroom mirror. I dreaded returning to school after being the center of attention at the town gathering and defending myself from Marlena at the pizza shop. Hopefully, the ceremony had been long forgotten by my fellow students, but there was no way Marlena would have already forgotten our confrontation.
“Laken!” my mother called down the hallway from the top of the stairs. “Are you ready? We have to go. Ethan’s waiting downstairs.”
My mother and I had reached a compromise on our daily transportation for the school year. I could drive, but I had to drop her off at the elementary school first. It meant leaving thirty minutes earlier than I really needed to, but the early departure was a small price to pay if it meant I didn’t have to ride the bus. And Ethan had jumped at the chance to ride with us, even though he, too, would lose a half hour of sleep.
“Coming!” I rushed into my bedroom to grab my book bag. Then I hurried into the hallway and followed my mother down the stairs. She had spent the summer in casual jeans and capris. It was odd to see her wearing a navy dress with matching high heels, her hair pulled up into a twist.
Ethan was waiting in the kitchen, a denim jacket over his shoulders and his backpack hanging behind him. “Morning,” he said, smiling. “Ready to be seniors?”
“Sure. It had to happen sooner or later.”
He playfully touched my shoulder. “Don’t sound so excited. It’s going to be a great year. I can feel it.”
“I wish I had your confidence,” I said honestly.
My mom waved us toward her with one hand, her keys and a coffee thermos in the other. “Come on, you two. You can talk in the car. Let’s go.” Then she disappeared through the side door to the garage.
Ethan looked at me knowingly. “After you. We can talk more about the awesome year we’re going to have after we drop your mom off.”
I rolled my eyes at him before following my mother into the garage. Morning sunlight filled the dark enclave through the open door.
She tossed her keys to me. “You’re up, Laken.”
After we piled into the Explorer, I drove to town. My mom chatted with Ethan about the upcoming school year during the five minutes it took to reach the elementary school. When I pulled into the parking lot of the one-story brick building, only a few cars and teachers had arrived. The school buses wouldn’t pull in until later, and I was grateful I didn’t have to dodge them and the young children.
As soon as the SUV stopped, my mother climbed out with her purse, school bag, and coffee. “I’ll see you both this afternoon. Have a great day.”
“Thanks, Mom. You, too.”
Ethan took the front seat and, as soon as he clicked his seatbelt into place, I eased the Explorer out of the parking lot. We passed through rows of two-story buildings that made up the business district of our town. There was a white church, a red-brick bank, and a funeral home, not to mention several bed and breakfast inns and specialty shops. The mountains loomed beyond the buildings in every direction, topped with lush greenery that seemed to scrape the clear blue sky. Despite the beautiful morning, a sense of gloom hung in the air. The recent discovery of Ryder’s abduction had cast a dark shadow over the entire town that even the brightest sunshine couldn’t cut through.
“Is there any new information on that guy who took Ryder?” Ethan asked.
I glanced at him out of the corner of my eye. “Not since we last talked. I only know what I already told you. He had quite a history of stealing cars, burglary, and domestic abuse, but no kidnapping. Apparently, this was his first.”
“Doesn’t it seem weird to you that he would show up here out of the blue and snatch a kid?”
“Yes,” I groaned, wishing we could find something else to talk about. “But you know what’s even harder to believe is that the guy had his own child. I keep wondering what he could possibly have wanted with a little boy from up here.” I shook my head, trying to push the thoughts of him out of my mind. “Can we please talk about something else now?”
“Sure, but don’t be surprised if you get asked a lot of questions about that today.”
“I won’t.”
“So where’s Dakota been hiding out lately? I know you’ve been worried about him.”
“I’m not really worried. I just miss him. I always feel better when he’s home at night. But he can’t come back for a while. Dad wants him to keep a low profile. Not that anyone would even know if he spent a night up in my room. Man, I can’t wait for this whole thing to blow over and life to return to normal.”
Ethan grinned at me. “Don’t worry. In a few days, we’ll both probably be buried in so much homework that we won’t even remember it.”
“How is it you always know the right way to cheer me up?” I asked sarcastically, but with a smile. The school loomed up ahead between the trees. I slowed just in time to turn into the parking lot and stopped on the far side under a huge maple tree that would provide plenty of shade by the afternoon. “The kidnapper and homework, my two favorite subjects to start the day with.”
“You’re right. Sorry. We can talk about Noah. I know you like him,” he teased, his eyebrows raised over his curious brown eyes.
I shrugged as I shut off the engine. “There’s nothing to tell. I haven’t seen him since last week.”
“Well, that’s about to change.”
I looked at him curiously. “What do you mean?”
He didn’t have a chance to answer. A knock tapped on my window and I jumped, turning away from Ethan to see Noah waving at me. He stepped back as I opened the door and slid out of the Explorer. “Good morning,” I said with a smile as I heard Ethan shut the passenger door. “What are you doing here?”
“I thought
I would stop by to say hi before your classes begin.” Noah lifted his gaze, looking beyond me.
I whipped around to see Ethan’s head poking above the truck on the other side. “Noah, this is one of my friends, Ethan. Ethan, Noah.”
“Hi,” Noah said, sizing up Ethan.
“Morning, Deputy. Be careful with this one. She used to chase me around with snakes she found in her mother’s rose garden,” Ethan said, his tone half joking and half serious. I shot him a warning look. “Okay, that’s my cue. Laken, I’m going to find Brooke. We’ll wait for you outside.”
As Ethan hoisted his book bag over his shoulder and walked away, I turned back to Noah. Butterflies danced in my stomach as he smiled at me, amused. “Snakes?” he asked, his eyebrows raised.
I felt a blush race across my cheeks. “Mostly garter snakes. And sometimes a frog. But I was like, ten years old.” As he laughed, I quickly changed the subject. “Are you always up this early?”
“Yes, it’s a curse. I’m a light sleeper and I get up with the sun, sometimes even earlier to work on my book.” He paused, his eyes meeting mine for a moment before he continued. “I brought you something.” He pulled a hand out from behind his back and held up a white carnation. “This is for you. I know it’s kind of cheesy, but I thought you should have something special for today.”
“No, it’s not. It’s very thoughtful. Thank you.” As I took the flower from him, my fingers brushed against his.
“It’s also a token of my regret.”
I quirked my eyebrows, not understanding him. “Regret? What could you possibly regret?”
“That I haven’t had a chance to stop by your house or the pizza shop in the last few days to see you. I wanted to, but this whole thing with the dead guy has kept us really busy. And it’s not because we’re trying to piece together what happened. The phone keeps ringing off the hook. The town residents are chomping at the bit to find out what happened.”
“That’s okay. I know things get really busy for my dad around this time of year, and that’s not when he’s pulling bodies out of the woods.”
“So I’m forgiven?”
“Of course.”
“Good. I’ll try not to be a stranger from now on.”
“That would be nice,” I replied.
He smiled, the sun reflecting in his brown eyes. “Well, I’d better let you get to class and I should be heading to the station.”
I leaned against the SUV as nerves fluttered in the pit of my stomach. “Yeah. We don’t want to be late.”
“Especially you on your first day.” He put his sunglasses on as he backed up a step. “Have a great one. I’ll talk to you soon.”
“You, too.” I watched as he turned and walked across the parking lot to the police car. “It’s already a great day,” I muttered to myself, staring down at the flower in my hand. A smile lingered on my lips, and I suspected it would be there for a while.
As soon as Noah drove away, I took a deep breath, reminding myself that I would have to concentrate on my classes at some point today. Good luck with that, I told myself, knowing it would be a losing battle. Then I retrieved my book bag from the truck and tucked the flower safely in it before setting off to find Brooke and Ethan.
Students were starting to assemble outside the school on the lawn. The hum of chatter rang out across the yard as friends were reunited for another year. I looked around as I approached the sidewalk, searching for Marlena and her friends. I hoped she hadn’t seen me talking to Noah. I didn’t want this perfect morning to be ruined by her. Fortunately, she was nowhere to be seen.
Brooke and Ethan were waiting for me at a picnic table in a shady spot on the front lawn. Brooke sat on the table, her feet propped up on the bench. Her long skirt fell loosely around her booted ankles and sunglasses hid her pretty blue eyes.
Ethan sat beside her feet on the bench, a half-eaten sandwich in his hand. They both stared at me.
“What?” I asked as I placed my book bag on the table.
“You can stop smiling now. You look way too happy to be back at school.” Brooke paused thoughtfully. “Wait a minute, it’s not school making you smile like that, it’s Noah,” she teased.
I pretended to be frustrated, but I could feel my grin poking through. No amount of teasing could sour my mood. “Oh, be quiet. But look at this.” I pulled the carnation out of my book bag and held it up. “He brought me a flower for the first day of school. That was so sweet.”
Brooke turned to look at Ethan. “How come high school boys aren’t romantic? Can you imagine a guy from school doing something like that?”
“No. We’re scared to death of you girls,” Ethan answered between bites. “He’s obviously a little older than us, so he’s had time to get over the fear.”
“Oh, please, we’re not that scary,” Brooke retorted before turning her attention back to me. “So, Laken, while you were busy working this weekend, I went to a party at Brian’s house. It was really fun. They’re having a bonfire up at the old abandoned campground at Matthews Pond Friday night. Ethan has already agreed to come. You in?”
Curious, I looked at Brooke. “Really?”
I wasn’t sure if I was ready to jump back into a year of parties, but I knew that Brooke wouldn’t take no for an answer. She was always looking for ways to get me out, and I had to admit, I appreciated it. If it wasn’t for her, I’d probably spend all my time alone or with animals. But Matthews Pond parties were a little more rowdy than some of the other ones she had taken me to. Rumor had it there was always a keg and a picnic table cluttered with bottles of tequila, whiskey, and any other alcohol the kids could get their hands on.
“Yes, really. I won’t forgive you if don’t come, so it’s settled. You’re coming.”
“As long as Marlena and her friends aren’t there.”
Brooke knew all about my confrontation with Marlena at the pizza shop. The only way she’d let me skip the party would be if Marlena was going to be there.
“They won’t be. That’s not her crowd. She wasn’t at last week’s party. It’s mostly the girls from the drill team. So it looks like you’re out of excuses, my dear.”
“Well, I’ll have to ask my parents. I’m not sure my dad will be okay with it.”
“Laken, stop,” Brooke said. “We went through this last year and you actually had some fun. You’re not going to hide this year. I know if you want to do something, you’ll find a way around your parents. Besides, you can’t tell your dad about this. He’ll bust the party. You’ll have to tell them you’re coming to my house.”
“I don’t know. Ethan, are you really going, too?”
“Yes,” Ethan replied earnestly. “Brooke’s right. It’ll be fun, you’ll see. Everyone likes you. You just need to give them a chance. Besides, if you can’t be brave enough to go to a party like this, what are you going to do if Noah asks you out?”
I frowned, realizing I had been wondering the same thing as he said it. “Okay,” I agreed reluctantly. “But if anything goes wrong, I’m blaming both of you.” I checked my watch. Five more minutes until the homeroom bell would ring. The crowd outside was thinning as students started filtering into the building to find their assigned lockers and homerooms. I reached for my book bag. “Shall we head inside?”
Brooke hopped down from the table and grabbed her tied-dyed bag. “Yeah. I’m ready.”
“Ethan?” I asked. “I’m sure we’re in the same homeroom again.”
Ethan shoved the last bite of his sandwich into his mouth before standing up. “Yep. Let’s go.” He stepped into place beside Brooke as I followed behind them, my thoughts returning to Noah’s visit this morning. It was a perfect start to the day, and nothing could dampen my mood, not even the idea of a wild party I would be obligated to attend on Friday.
We marched up the steps to the school doorway. As I reached the top, a cool breeze brushed a few strands of hair across my face and a shiver suddenly ran up my spine. I stopped, frozen in my tracks as the stud
ents chattering around me became a blur. Then I heard the rumble of an unfamiliar engine.
I turned just in time to see a motorcycle pull into the parking lot. The rider wore black, from his helmet and black leather jacket to his black jeans and boots. He pulled into a parking space between two pick-up trucks and leaned the bike on a kickstand before swinging his leg over the side. He looked at the school, his helmet shielding his face.
“Who--is--that?” Brooke whispered from behind me.
We watched as he pulled his helmet off. From a distance, all I could tell was that his hair was as black as his clothes and he had a gorgeous tan. He was undeniably handsome, and he looked like he didn’t belong in a small New England town. As he studied the surroundings, he appeared bored and reluctant to approach the school. Students stopped on the sidewalk to stare at him. In our small town, word usually got around about new students before the first day of school. But no one seemed to know him.
“He’s hot,” Brooke said, peering out over the top of her sunglasses. “This year is already proving to be quite interesting.” She smiled, and I could practically see the fantasies flashing across her eyes.
Ethan laughed at her. “You might want to wipe the drool off your chin.”
That got her attention. She slapped him on the shoulder. “Hey! Like we all haven’t seen you drooling over Sarah Waters.”
“How did you know about that?” Ethan gasped.
“It’s hard not to notice.” As Brooke teased him, they turned toward the school, the mysterious new student forgotten.
But I found it nearly impossible to pry my gaze away from him. He looked our way, and I couldn’t be sure, but it felt like he was staring directly at me. My spine tingled and my blood ran hot. The other students passed me in a blur. The only thing I could see clearly was him. But who was he?
“Laken!”
Brooke’s sharp voice finally got through to me and I tore my attention away from the stranger to see her calling me from inside the school doorway.
Shadows at Sunset: Sunset Trilogy ~ Book 1 Page 9