If You Hear Her

rs of her lif

e was. She didn’t know h

wracked with pain, so desp

red who

he was going to medical

llen into this hell, she h

for it

t hellish darkness for ho

w she would

ack—the door creaked. It

the door swung open, the

hroat as he laid a hand o

s she could, but the restr

s didn’t allow f

ver her sex, her scream,

e

d soon-to-be killer watch

and scream, sweetheart

s so dry and raw from ho

leaded. She almost hated

ome part of her just wasn’t

h, in her heart, she knew it was u

’t tell anybo

of long-suffering patienc

ted her shoulder as he mu

n’

gh the air and she whimpe

s getting undre

e through her and sh

ed her

before she was able to

scape was final. She had

where pain didn’t exist,

e, she never even kne

was Car

ind of day you just didn’t

r sunshine beaming down.

s, it was just

sort of da

ould’ve thought so. But

uck didn’t do anxious. Not

ing against his leash, like

normal route th

u wanted to go for

step, but the big yellow r

o move

oh so very faintly,

he murmured, reaching d

es up, his entire body bra

ake it

the trail, with her head

died and all those faint sounds of life she could

passed, th

utterly

mething … muffled. Fai

ly, concentrating.

focused, trying to lock

and tugged on his leash,

that sound. It was gone,

were the leaves rustling in

here off in the dist

that sound, whatever it w

in

he murmured. “I think yo

ut of

rs left before she had

the

r her, studi

s were shorn now to chin

as co

less and fixed,

e irritated him, but he wa

mething about the way she

eam

of his girl and once

was just

e hair, he selected what

he pack he’d carry out of h

had to

mbs pale and flaccid now, the softly rounded swell of

ll gleam of gold at her th

ng, sleek

er, he hefted her life

wasn’t going to be pleasa

e

o you thin

gh slipped past Lena’s lip

to Roslyn Jennings made he

n nothing. Nothing … altho

sure as hell had Puck

little frea

u could s

freaked out didn

erself to focus. Should

oing to end up slicing up

he Inn’s reputation any go

parts to the dishes,

at thought sent a s

ke Puck. I mean, that’s n

s, r

right … this isn’t like

that before. He was a good

ie

se you heard. If we can fi

Puck so freaked out. It p

right? I mean,

. Weird grunting.

but do you think maybe y

was a mixture of ske

na asked, blankly

oz was silent. Then she

o long since you’ve gotte

r what

g, she went at the pota

Oh, yes, she remembered s

n any, and before that

she reme

ouple of people were out

to talk me into stripping n

od sex. Bug bites.

elpfully. Perpetually pal

t to the mailbox. Well, may

Doesn’t sound like fun,

So scratch the sunburned hoohaa. So, what do y

ent

ow that?” Lena grinned at

know. I really don’t know

’t want to be there—th

ifted. She rinsed her han

ing his head. “It’s ok

r chin and s

hands again, she heard t

d, “If you eat all of those,

g up another batch tom

he store. With that weddin

g to be busy e

here at Running Brook. T

Wednesday and Lena wo

on Sundays, but with the

ey both need

tered around a mouthful

cookie—and store-bought is

. If I thought I could get away with it, I would have

Not even for the owner.”

decide to start doing thes

t … ‘Bridezillas accepted

Roz at the island. “Gimme

m a

to her hand and Lena b

late, and cranberries,

n’t have a White Russian

last thing I need right

and her mom in a half ho

ngem

a clean mug from the cabi

ements … the wedd

need cookies.” She huff

Russian, you know. But I

kie

went for another one. Th

h less the weekend. She th

to make up another batch.

ould probably need it. They

bab

hange the floral ar

a weird thunk, followed

e just wanted to discuss

here were tw

head on the counter

ard enough to knock yourse

is give you

got a headache

he idea of changing the a

e closes at noon on Fridays

covered, but changing the

omeplace outside of town. If you lay it on thi

stool scraped against th

ere was a reas

my cookies,” Lena

he took a deep breath. “O

ew things before I go

avor … if she decides she

I don’t care how, and I

wall

newalled.” Roz sighed. “

ion or something. You can

gh

re was no way she was d

an