Stranger in the Shadows. Shirlee McCoy

as heavy as the last one, maybe you should make the coffee and I should unload.”

      “I’ll be fine.”

      “You will be, but I won’t if Opal finds out I let you carry in a bunch of heavy boxes while I made coffee.”

      “Who’s going to tell her?”

      “I’d feel obligated to. After all, she’s bound to ask how things went and I’m bound to tell the truth.”

      For the second time since she’d met Ben, Chloe found herself smiling at his words. Not good. Not good at all. Men were bad news. At least all the men in Chloe’s life had been. The sooner she put distance between herself and Ben, the better she’d feel. “Since you put it that way, I guess I can’t argue.”

      “Glad to hear it, because arguing isn’t getting me any closer to having that cup of coffee. Come on, I’ll show you to the kitchen.” He strode out of the sanctuary, moving with long, purposeful strides.

      Chloe followed more slowly, not sure what it was about Ben that had sparked her interest and made her want to look closer. He was a man, just like any other man she’d ever known, but there was something in his eyes—secrets, depths—that begged exploration.

      Fortunately, she’d learned her lesson about men the hard way and she had no intention of learning any more. She’d just get through the wedding preparations, get through the day, then go back to her apartment and forget Ben Avery and his compelling gaze.

      TWO

      The industrial-size kitchen had a modern feel with a touch of old-time charm, the stainless steel counters and appliances balanced by mellow gold paint, white cabinets and hardwood floor. Chloe hovered in the doorway, wary, unsure of herself in a way she hadn’t been a year ago, watching as Ben plugged in a coffeemaker and pulled a can of coffee from a cupboard. He gestured her over and Chloe stepped into the room ignoring the erratic beat of her heart. “This is a nice space.”

      “Yeah, it is, but I can’t take credit. We remodeled a couple of years ago. The church ladies decided on the setup and color scheme. Opal pretty much spearheaded the project.”

      “That doesn’t surprise me. She’s a take-charge kind of person. It’s one of the things I admire about her.”

      “Have you known her long?” He leaned a hip against the counter, relaxed and at ease. Apparently not at all disturbed by the fact that he’d been called out of bed before dawn on a cool November day to help a woman he didn’t know set up flowers for a wedding he was probably officiating.

      Strange.

      Interesting.

      Intriguing.

      Enough!

      Chloe rubbed the scarred flesh on her wrist, forcing her thoughts back to the conversation. “Since I was a kid.”

      “You grew up in Lakeview?” His gaze was disconcerting, and Chloe resisted the urge to look away.

      “No, I visited in the summer.” She didn’t add more. The past was something she didn’t share. Especially not with strangers.

      Ben seemed to take the hint, turning away and pulling sugar packets from a cupboard. “It’s a good place to spend the summer. And the fall, winter and spring.” He smiled. “There’s cream in the fridge if you take it. I’d better get moving on those boxes.”

      With that he strode from the room, his movements lithe and silent, almost catlike in their grace. He might be a pastor now, but Chloe had a feeling he’d been something else before he’d felt a call to ministry. Military. Police. Firefighter. Something that required control, discipline and strength.

      Not that it mattered or was any of her business.

      Chloe shook her head, reaching for a coffee filter and doing her best to concentrate on the task at hand. Obviously, the nightmare had thrown her off, destroying her focus and hard-won control. She needed to get both back and she needed to do it now. Opal was counting on her. There was no way she planned to disappoint the one person in her life who had never disappointed her.

      She paced across the room, staring out the window above the sink, anxiety a cold, hard knot in her chest. New beginnings. That’s what she hoped for. Prayed for. But maybe she was too entrenched in the past to ever escape it. Maybe coming to Lakeview was nothing more than putting off the inevitable.

      Outside, dawn bathed the churchyard in purple light and deep shadows, the effect sinister. Ominous. A thick stand of trees stood at the far end of the property, tall pines and heavy-branched oaks reaching toward the ever-brightening sky. As the coffee brewed, the rich, full scent of it filled the kitchen, bringing memories of hot summer days, lacy curtains, open windows, soft voices. Safety.

      But safety and security never lasted. All Chloe could hope for was a measure of peace.

      She started to turn away from the window, but something moved near the edge of the yard, a slight shifting in the darkness that caught her attention. Was that a person standing in the shadows of the trees? It was too far to see the details, the light too dim. But Chloe was sure there was a person there. Tall. Thin. Looking her way.

      She took a step back, her pulse racing, her skin clammy and cold. This was the nightmare again. The stranger watching, waiting on the other side of the glass. Only this time Chloe wasn’t trapped in a car and surrounded by flames. This time she was able to run. And that’s just what she did, turning away from the window, rushing from the kitchen and slamming into a hard chest.

      She flew back, her bad leg buckling, her hands searching for purchase. Her fingers sank into cool leather as strong arms wrapped around her waist and pulled her upright.

      “Careful. We’ve got a lot to do. It’s probably best if we don’t kill each other before we finish.” Ben’s words tickled against her hair, his palms warm against her ribs. He felt solid and safe and much too comfortable.

      Chloe stepped back, forcing herself to release her white-knuckled grip on his jacket. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to run you down.”

      “You didn’t even come close.” His gaze swept over her, moving from her face, to her hands and back again. “Is everything okay? You look pale.”

      “I…” But what was she going to say? That she’d seen someone standing outside the church? That she thought it might be the same person who’d stood outside her burning car, watching while the flames grew? The same person who’d been in jail for eleven months? “Everything is fine. I’m just anxious to get started in the sanctuary.”

      He stared hard, as if he could see beyond her answer to the truth that she was trying to hide, the paranoia and fear that had dogged her for months. Finally, he nodded. “How about we grab the coffee and get started?”

      Go back into the kitchen? Back near the window that looked out onto the yard? Maybe catch another glimpse of whoever was standing near the trees. No thanks. “You go ahead. I’ll start unpacking boxes.”

      She hurried back toward the sanctuary, feeling the weight of Ben’s gaze as she stepped through the double wide doors. She didn’t look back, not wanting him to see the anxiety and frustration in her face.

      She’d been so sure that moving away from D.C., leaving behind her apartment, her job, starting a new life, would free her from the anxiety that had become way too much a part of who she was. Seven days into her “new” life and she’d already sunk back into old patterns and thought processes.

      Her hands trembled as she pulled chocolate-colored ribbon from a box and began decorating the first pew. Long-stemmed roses—deep red, creamy white, rusty orange—needed to be attached. She pulled a bouquet from a bucket Ben had brought in and wrestled it into place, a few petals falling near her feet as she tied a lopsided bow around the stems.

      “Better be careful. Opal won’t like it if the roses are bald when she gets here.” Ben moved toward her, a coffee cup in each hand, sandy hair falling over