Murder at Sunrise Lake

When Sam kissed her, there was no room for anything else in her mind. No one else. Nothing else. Only him. Only the feeling he gave her. He could be tender or wild, and it didn’t matter how they came together— they detonated, lit up the world around them, and all the while she felt safe and home. She felt like she belonged.

Sam lifted his head, his lips following the bone structure of her jaw and then drifting down the column of her throat. “You’re so beautiful, Stella.”

She shook her head. “Thank you, Sam. I’ve never thought of myself that way until you came along.”

He tucked hair behind her ear. “Trust me, you are. I’ll be back in a bit. I don’t want you worried about me. I’m locking you in, but you can check the locks from your phone,” he reminded.

“I need a tracking device on you,” she pointed out. “Then I’d know for certain you were okay out there.”

He laughed softly. “He’s going to take off the minute he can’t find me outside. You wait and see. I predict inside of five minutes. He’s going to panic and he’ll run.” The pad of his thumb moved back and forth over her chin in a small caress.

“All right, Sam.” What could she do but concede and let him go off by himself?

“Don’t look so glum, sweetheart. He’ll be gone and I’ll be back in one piece. Tomorrow, the girls are coming over for lunch and you can show all your sketches to them. One of them went with you climbing to this place. They knew the way, so they’re bound to remember it. While they’re with you, I’ll go into town and get us groceries and more treats for Bailey. We went a little crazy spoiling him.”

She made a little face. “You mean I did. I hate that he has to be so quiet in his crate when he wants to be with us. I do sneak him out to lie right with me when I’m in the other room. If he has a large bone to chew on, then he won’t lick his sutures.”

“He’s wearing the cone of shame.”

“He detests that thing. I take it off of him when he’s not alone,” she admitted, avoiding Sam’s eyes. She didn’t want him to think she was weak. It was just that Bailey gave her his big pleading eyes and she couldn’t stand it. She caved immediately, but only if she was right there, watching his every move.

Sam shook his head. “You’re so tough, Stella.”

She tilted her chin at him and narrowed her eyes as he stepped back and headed toward the bedroom door. “I am. Have you ever seen me dealing with those complaining fishermen?”

“All the time, Satine. It’s a thing to behold.” There was admiration in his voice as well as laughter. His dark eyes laughed at her— or with her. Because she couldn’t help laughing too. She could be incredibly tough when she had to be, but not with Bailey. And she probably would never be very tough with Sam either.

She shook out her colored pencils and began to sketch as many details as she could remember before switching to the journal. Her gaze jumped to the clock. Sam was right. Within six minutes, she no longer felt the presence of the watcher.

STELLA COULD BAKE when she wanted to, but she honestly hadn’t thought about cooking or baking lately. Her mind had been consumed with trying to figure out who the serial killer was and how to catch and convict him. Having her friends come to her home meant feeding them. She’d forgotten that. Before she could panic, Sam had pulled several blocks of cheese from the refrigerator and unearthed a couple of boxes of crackers from the pantry.

Sam never minded helping in the kitchen. In fact, he did more of the cooking than she did, especially now. He made certain she ate. They cut up cheese together and put crackers on the tray for the women. Sam found the fruit he’d recently purchased, so at least that was fresh.

When the five women arrived, Stella wasn’t in such a panic. She and Sam had already walked Bailey and returned him to his crate by the time her friends were out of the car and had gone into the living room. All of the women were used to making themselves at home in one another’s houses. Shabina and Harlow had already gotten the lemonade from the refrigerator and put the tray on the low coffee table. Raine set the cheese-and-cracker tray on the floor and sat down next to it, beside the other two women.

Vienna yawned. “I’m sorry, I’m just still so tired. I’ve been at the hospital two nights in a row in surgery with these terrible car accidents. The victims were airlifted in from off the mountain. I couldn’t believe it. Both were single-car accidents. Dr. Teller was brilliant. I don’t know how he managed to save the kid’s arm, but he did, and then the mother’s life. We lost the father. That was the first night. The second night, it was a young couple. Dr. Teller again pulled off a miracle. I thought for sure he’d have to amputate the woman’s leg, but he saved it, as well as both their lives. It turned out to be a long but good night. I slept all night the following night and then had to pull a shift last night, although it was quiet. I still feel like I need to sleep for the next decade.”