For You (Coming Home To The Grove 5)

“Great,” Logan says with a nod and looks back toward his car.

I follow his gaze. The car door was left open. The leather interior looks like it caught the wrong side of a grizzly bear’s claws.

“Go ahead and tell me everything you can about this incident,” I say, taking out my notepad and pen.

Logan says that he finished his shift around two in the morning. He points at the sign for Get Fit, so I’m assuming he works there. He says he was tired, and the parking lot is dark, really dark at night. He got in his car and drove home. He reports saying he felt like he was getting pinched by the seat but didn’t bother to look closer into it. He didn’t see that his interior had been slashed up until this morning and realized it must have been the pinching sensation that he’d felt the night before.

I finish writing and ask, “You have any problems with any customers at the gym?”

He shakes his head. “Okay, anything suspicious happen lately? Anything out of the ordinary?”

Logan says “no,” all the while shaking his head, but he looks like he’s holding something back.

“Ya know, there’s a lot of women that come into the bakery and into the gym I’m sure. If you know anything, it’s better that we catch who this is. So if you know anything, anything at all, I’d appreciate you telling me.” I know he’s suspicious, I can tell by the way he’s looking around, wondering if anyone can hear us or not. Obviously, the policeman that questioned him first didn’t pick up on it.

Logan takes a step toward me and in a low voice says, “Chrissy’s ex-husband David is back in town again and picked up Chrissy last night. David never liked me much.” He holds his hands up in front of him. “I don’t want to add to Chrissy’s grief, and I have no proof. Maybe it was just kids?”

I write it all down as if it’s news to me, but I had already figured that David had something to do with this.

Chrissy

I didn’t sleep well because I was up worrying about Katie going to stay with David if he does ever decide to take the visitation that was agreed upon with our divorce. I honestly don’t think I can let her go with him, but right now I don’t have a legal leg to stand on.

Since I still don’t have my car, I ask my mom to drop me off at the gym when she comes and picks up Katie.

“Where’s your car?”

“At the gym.”

She looks at me, about to ask the next question, but I wave her off. “Long story.”

Katie is in a good mood and excited to spend the day with her grandma. I don’t want to alarm my parents, but I know I have to say something. “If David comes around, call me right away, and I’ll deal with him.”

“Katie, honey, I put your favorite movie on,” my mom says to Katie as she turns up the sound. Katie lifts her head, excited to be able to watch a show from the backseat of her grandma’s minivan.

My mom leans toward me as she stops at the light on Main Street. “What is going on, Chrissy?”

But I just shake her off. “Everything is fine. I’ve got it all under control.”

I put on a brave face, but inside I’m worried as can be. I saw a whole new side of David last night, and I don’t know what I’m going to do about it.

“Thanks for the ride, Mom.” I jump out of the front seat and open the back door, giving a quick kiss to Katie. “Be good for Grandma. I love you, honey.”

“I love you too, Momma.”

She kisses me and goes back to her show. With a wave, I tell my mom bye and walk into the gym.

When I get to work, I note that Logan is in early, having worked the late shift. “Hey, what are you doing here? I thought I was opening the gym this morning.”

He looks embarrassed and a little flustered. “Well, I was already here so I thought I’d help get everything on before you got here.”

“Thanks…” I start to say and then notice we’re not alone. I recognize Bart and almost trip over my feet just seeing him standing there. He’s the same as I remember, but he’s also different. He’s bigger, filled out more than he was in high school. The young boyish frame is now all muscles and hard planes. “Uh, hey, Bart.”

The way my heart is racing and I’m stuttering my words, it’s obvious that I’ve never really gotten over my crush on my best friend’s older brother.

5

Bart

“Hey, Chrissy.” I almost reach out to hug her and realize quickly that wouldn’t be appropriate. Shaking hands is too formal, so instead, I dig my phone out of my pocket as if I’m reading a text.