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  She gasped when she noticed the windshield had been shattered into millions of tiny pieces. Jesse opened the passenger side door and pulled out a large brick. He hefted it in his hand and glanced around the area as if trying to figure out who’d thrown it at his car.

  She covered her mouth in horror. Someone had trashed Jesse McNally’s car on purpose.

  Who would do such a thing? And why?

  2

  Jesse did his best to rein in his anger as he waited for the sheriff’s deputy to arrive. Kids could be jerks, and he had to believe that a couple of kids who were jealous of his nice sports car had decided to trash it with a brick.

  It wasn’t that he couldn’t afford to pay for the repairs, but it was more about the inconvenience. The Corvette was a classic. He’d have to take the car to Chicago to get the windshield replaced.

  He heard a low whistle and turned to see his future brother-in-law, Sheriff’s Deputy Garth Lewis, staring at his damaged car with a pained expression on his face.

  “That’s not right,” Garth said, shaking his head sadly. “A classic like that deserves better.”

  “Yeah, tell me about it.” Jesse tried not to show the depths of his anger. “Thanks for coming. I need a police report for my insurance company.”

  Garth nodded. “I know. Anyone see what happened?”

  Jesse had asked around, but no one had come forward with information. “Not that they’ve told me.”

  “You piss someone off?” Garth persisted.

  He glanced back at Daisy’s Diner, knowing the only person who’d recently expressed anger toward him was Carla. She and Cassie had their faces pressed to the window, watching with blatant curiosity. But as they’d been inside at the time of the brick sailing through his windshield, he shook his head. “Not that I know of.”

  “Hmm.” Garth’s expression turned guarded, and Jesse followed the deputy’s gaze to where a man, leaning heavily on a cane, stood off to the side next to a woman who may have been his daughter. There was no mistaking the satisfied smirk on his face.

  Did the old guy have something against Corvettes?

  Before Jesse could ask about the old man, Garth approached him. They had a low conversation during which the old guy scowled and shook his head before walking away with his younger companion.

  “What was that about?”

  Garth sighed. “Leon Tate and his daughter, Mary, have been harboring a grudge against the McNally family for a long time. Goes back to when your father was young.”

  “So he threw a brick at my car?” Jesse curled his fingers into fists. “Then he can pay for the damage.”

  Garth held up a hand. “Hold on, I don’t have any proof that Leon or Mary Tate did this. Leon claims he and his daughter had just arrived at the diner when they noticed you standing out here in front of your damaged car. And before you ask, no, they didn’t see anyone who may have done this.”

  “Yeah, like I believe that,” Jesse muttered. “Based on what I saw, they wouldn’t tell us even if they had seen someone suspicious. Why does Tate hate our father anyway? Mom and Dad have been gone for several years. Seems like a long time to hold a grudge.”

  “Longer than you know,” Garth responded on a heavy sigh. “You should talk to Jazz and Jemma about it. They’re the ones putting the story together piece by piece. Right now, I need to do my job.”

  “Yeah, fine.” Jesse grimaced at the damage to his car. He didn’t think it would be a good idea to drive the car all the way to Chicago without a windshield, so he pulled out his phone to arrange for a tow truck. The cost of having the Corvette towed to Chicago would probably be more than replacing the stupid windshield.

  “I’ll give you a lift home,” Garth offered once he’d finished making the arrangements.

  “Thanks.” While he waited for Garth, he went inside to leave cash for his tab at the diner. Since he knew Carla wouldn’t talk to him until their meeting later tonight, he thought he may as well head back to the B&B. He glanced back at the window, hoping to catch another glimpse of them, but Carla and Cassie Templeton were gone.

  He was still reeling from the news that Carla had gotten pregnant all those years ago. They’d been careful and had only slipped up a couple of times. But still, why hadn’t she told him? She had to have known he wouldn’t have shirked his responsibilities.

  He felt like an idiot that he hadn’t known about his daughter. Hadn’t helped raise her or pay for anything. Carla had stolen that time he could have spent with his daughter by not reaching out to him. She knew he was attending University of Wisconsin–Madison. Why hadn’t she called?

  Of course, he hadn’t called her either. Especially after talking about the possibility of getting together over homecoming weekend. As the weeks had passed, he’d gotten caught up with his new friends and hadn’t called Carla back.

  At the same time, he was secretly glad his parents weren’t around to hear the news. Even at this age, if his dad was still here, he’d have boxed his ears. And Jesse wouldn’t blame him.

  Cassandra was adorable, and he wanted to get to know his daughter better. The way Carla had acted so strangely in the diner convinced him that his daughter had no idea she was related to anyone who’d once spent summer vacations at the McNally Mansion.

  “Hey, don’t take it too hard,” Garth said, misinterpreting his silence. “I hate to say it but look on the bright side. A damaged windshield is easier to repair than a large dent in the center of the hood.”

  “True.” Jesse pulled his thoughts from the past to the present. “I just don’t understand why anyone would want to seek vengeance by damaging my car.”

  Garth shot him a questioning glance. “And you’re absolutely sure no one has an ax to grind? Maybe someone from work who knew you’d be here in town for your sister’s wedding?”

  He spread his hands wide. “Like who? The Albanians who attacked my most recent client’s server with ransomware? I don’t think so.”

  “Seems unlikely,” Garth agreed. “Is it really Albanians who are behind the instances of ransomware? That’s interesting.”

  “It’s hard to know where the ransomware originates, but it’s a known fact that both Albanians and Russians are experts at using the dark web.”

  “Wow, that’s crazy. And you’re the one who stops them, huh?”

  “Sometimes.” He’d once loved digging into computer software security systems to find their weaknesses, but lately he had been getting tired of the nonstop travel. “I mean, I try, but often it’s a matter of skill combined with a bit of luck. Not to mention long hours of tedious work.”

  “I can see how that might get old. But some of the stories I’ve heard about ransomware are scary. They’ve taken on some big Fortune 500 companies.”

  “True.” Jesse was bound by privacy agreements, most of the companies he worked for didn’t want it known that their software had been infiltrated by ransomware. And not all ransomware was the same. Some just held the internal operating system hostage until a Bitcoin payment was made, but others were destructive viruses that took down the entire system even after the ransom was paid.

  Computer terrorism was on the rise, no question about it. And his and Brian’s company, Software Solutions, Inc., was poised to take advantage.

  Garth pulled into the driveway of the McNallys’ B&B. Jesse pushed open his door and climbed out of the police vehicle. “Thanks, Garth.”

  “No problem. Tell Jemma I’ll see her around five.”

  “Sure.” Jesse watched as his sister’s fiancé turned around in the spacious parking lot and headed back into town.

  The sounds of hammering could be heard coming from the apartment over the garage. He’d learned that the space was to provide Jemma and Trey a place to live that was still close enough to run the B&B, especially with intercom access so the guests could reach her if needed.

  With time on his hands, now that he couldn’t take a drive along the lakeshore, he headed to the apartment. Working with tools wasn�
��t his specialty, but he was curious about the progress. Earlier, it had sounded like Jemma and Trey might be able to move in within the next few days.

  The stairs leading up to the apartment were still rough, but once he’d cleared the landing, he paused, impressed by how great the place looked.

  “Wow.” He entered the kitchen area where Dalton was installing cabinets. “This is amazing.”

  “Yeah.” Dalton grinned and swiped his forearm across his brow. The July sun shining through the open windows made the garage apartment unbearably warm. “Once these cabinets are finished, I’m working on installing the central air-conditioning and furnace units. They’re the last things I need to complete before Jemma and Trey can move in.”

  Jesse nodded, sweeping his gaze over the open-concept kitchen and living room. The scent of fresh paint was strong. Crossing the area, he poked his head into the bathroom and the two bedrooms.

  “Garth, Jemma, and Trey are going to be happy here,” he said, turning back to Dalton. “You and Jazz did great.”

  “Trust me, others in the family provided a helping hand.” Dalton tipped a glass of lemonade to his lips.

  “What do you need me to do?” He felt compelled to make the offer. “I’m not mechanically inclined, but I can paint.”

  “Painting is finished. Really, we’re all set. Jemma wants to move by Wednesday because that way you can stay in the master suite and they can rent the additional room for the weekend.”

  A wave of guilt hit hard. “My room? Why didn’t she say something? I don’t need the master suite. I can stay in a motel.”

  “Hey, that’s a battle you need to have with your twin sisters, leave me out of it.” Dalton picked up the heavy battery-powered screwdriver. “All I know is that Jemma wanted you to have the master suite because she has all six rooms rented for a weekend wedding.”

  “Yeah, sure.” He couldn’t argue the fact that his twin sisters had done such an outstanding job of making the McNallys’ B&B a success. Still, he wished Jemma or Jazz had mentioned the fact that they needed the green room for a wedding when he’d asked to stay an extra week.

  It felt as if people were keeping secrets from him, and he didn’t like it. Carla Templeton’s secret being the most infuriating of all.

  So far, his idea of staying in McNally Bay for a mini-vacation was proving to be anything but relaxing.

  Carla couldn’t keep her mind focused on all the tasks she needed to do for the grocery store. When she had to go through her list of items that needed to be restocked for the third time, she pushed the inventory aside and dropped her head into her hands.

  She had no idea what to say to Jesse. Wished, really, that she didn’t have to tell him anything at all. The guilt she’d lived with for the past nine years returned full force.

  Jesse wouldn’t forgive her for keeping Cassie’s existence a secret. And sure, she knew it hadn’t been fair to him or to her daughter. But Cassie was a normal, well-adjusted child, and Jesse had continued to study programming in college, while she’d been forced to drop out of the University of Iowa to return home. He’d flourished in his career, while she’d caused her father’s heart attack and subsequent death, then lived with her mother and worked as a cashier at the grocery store while her mom ran the place in her dad’s absence.

  Not fair. Yet it had been her choice, one she’d never regret. She loved Cassie and couldn’t imagine her life without her daughter. She massaged her temples. What did Jesse want? The question nagged at her. Did he really think he could waltz into her life, picking up with her as if the nine years between them hadn’t happened?

  As if she hadn’t driven all the way up to Madison over homecoming weekend to tell him she was pregnant, only to find him kissing another woman?

  Enough. Ruminating over the past was useless. The only thing that mattered was the here and now. She needed to find some way of convincing Jesse that the best thing for Cassie was for him to move on with his life, without telling her the truth.

  It was about as likely to happen as snow in July, but she clung to the vain hope as she made it through the rest of her day.

  Before heading to Gino’s to meet Jesse, she stopped at home.

  “Mom! Glad you’re here.” Cassie ran over to give her a welcoming hug. “I just finished walking Bucky. He’s so much fun.”

  “I’m glad.” She pasted a smile on her face as she returned Cassie’s hug. For a moment, she wanted to cling to the little girl, to protect her from the harsh reality looming over their heads like a dark thundercloud. She pressed a kiss to the top of Cassie’s head and met her mother’s gaze. “Any problems?”

  “No.” Her mother’s troubled expression was all she needed to know that Cassie had blabbed about how she’d met with her old friend Mr. Jesse. “I really think you should consider hiring an assistant manager for the store. Cassie is growing so fast; you’re missing too much of your daughter’s life working such long hours.”

  It was an ongoing argument, one she was weary of having. “I tried that, Mom, remember? Doris hadn’t lasted a month. And the guy after that, Richard Knotts, hadn’t made it through two weeks.”

  “Third time could be a charm,” her mother pointed out.

  “Maybe.” But doubtful. McNally Bay wasn’t a hotspot for the new generation. Most of the young adults were anxious to move to the city, either Chicago, Detroit, or Indianapolis. Somewhere they viewed as exciting. It had been her plan when she was young. Until she’d learned of her pregnancy. “Listen, I need to run out for a while. Would you mind putting Cassie to bed?”

  “Not at all.” Her mother glanced at Cassie, then pointedly at her. “I hear you’re meeting up with your old boyfriend, Jesse McNally.”

  Her mother’s comment felt like an arrow piercing her lung, stealing her breath. Was it possible her mother had guessed the truth? The night of her father’s heart attack and sudden death were all too clear in her mind.

  At the time, she’d denied Jesse was Cassie’s father. She’d claimed it was someone she’d met at U of I. A guy who hadn’t been interested in sticking around to be a father.

  “Mr. Jesse was your boyfriend?” Cassie asked, her green eyes bright with interest.

  Her heart gave a betraying thump as she remembered how it felt to be Jesse’s girl. The song had been one of their favorites. Then she pulled herself together and shot a stern glare at her mother before responding. “No, honey. He’s not my boyfriend. I hung around with him and his family one summer, that’s all.”

  Thankfully, her mother didn’t push the issue. “Well, have fun, dear. Don’t worry about Cassie, we’ll be fine.”

  “It’s not a date.” Carla wanted to scream the words at the top of her lungs, but she managed to maintain her composure. “He’s only in town for a few days. Don’t read anything more into this than there is.”

  “I won’t, especially since the McNally men are known to be players. He’s no good for you, Carla. But what about Mr. Thomas? There’s no reason you can’t have a little fun seeing someone,” her mother protested. “You work too hard.”

  She needed to work hard if she wanted to prevent the store from going under. All the money they made during the busy tourist season had to be enough to sustain them over the long winter when visitors were as rare as an albino deer. It wasn’t as if the store was in trouble, but it took a lot of energy and effort to keep it profitable.

  “I’ll be home within the hour.” She gave Cassie another hug and kiss. “Be nice for Grandma, okay? I’ll see you in the morning.”

  “Okay. G’night, Mom.” Cassie didn’t seem the least bit upset at her leaving.

  As she walked outside to her ancient blue Honda Civic, she tried to ignore the overwhelming sense of dread. Telling herself that Jesse McNally would be reasonable about this wasn’t working.

  Tightening her grip on the steering wheel, she drove down Main Street to Gino’s Pizzeria. It had once been their favorite hangout. And in the nine years since then, the place hadn’t chang
ed much. Locals and tourists alike flocked to the restaurant. The pizza was amazing. Gino Salvatore had immigrated from Italy many years ago and still owned the place. But he made it clear he wasn’t about to share his special pizza sauce recipe with anyone.

  She was fifteen minutes late but figured Jesse would wait. After all, this meeting was per his request, not hers. She parked in what looked to be the last parking spot in the small cramped lot. When she saw the large glossy red pickup truck, she recognized it as belonging to Jazz McNally, Jesse’s younger sister.

  Next to Jesse, Jazz was the one she’d missed the most from that infamous summer. But as the years passed, she’d stayed far away from the entire McNally clan. Not a difficult task until the past four months when Jemma and Jazz had decided to turn the old McNally Mansion into a B&B.

  Steeling her resolve, she squared her shoulders and entered the restaurant. The place was packed with people, so she hovered near the doorway, sweeping her gaze over the occupants in an effort to find Jesse.

  He wasn’t there.

  Was she mistaken about the red truck belonging to Jazz? She didn’t think so, but with the amount of Chicago and Detroit tourists who flocked to the area in the summer months, she could be wrong.

  A flicker of disappointment caught her off guard. Ridiculous. She was glad Jesse hadn’t shown. Maybe he’d realized that Cassie was better off not knowing about him. He’d disrupt her life, and not in a good way since he wasn’t staying.

  No one stayed in McNally Bay for long.

  Telling herself she was relieved he hadn’t come, she turned and went back outside. As she approached her car, she heard a low moan.

  The crime rate in the area was low, but not nonexistent. She dug in her purse for the can of pepper spray and cautiously stepped closer.

  “I’m calling the cops,” she said loudly, hoping to scare off whoever was hiding there.

  The moan came again, louder this time. With a frown, she noticed a pair of jean-clad legs sticking out from the brush in front of the truck.