Secret Admirer

Chapter 7

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Chapter 7

Mia

Cleaning up the kitchen, I left the family to talk about this whole thing with Lindsey and the sheriff. I don't understand it. Why do they want to hurt this family? From everything I've experienced with Georgia she wants to help Moss Bluff as much as the rest of her family.

"Let me help you with that," Cole offers, taking the dish towel he begins to dry the dishes as I wash them.

"Oh, you don't have to. I'm sure you can help them in there more," and he makes me nervous. I don't understand why he keeps coming around me.

"They have it handled. I'm worried about you." Cole stops what he's doing and takes my hand. "Mia, you have gotten a delivery of flowers full of bees that you are allergic to. You had a break in at the flower shop and someone decided to vandalize it. I'm afraid you are the next victim of our local terrorist who is claiming to be your secret admirer."

"I'm in agreement with Cole," Georgia stands in the doorway, the door open to the dining room and everyone sitting at the table behind her. "Please come back in and join us. I can guarantee that the dishes won't be going anywhere. And you will have plenty of help when we are finished with this conversation."

Not being given much choice, I followed Georgia back into the room with Cole following me. He pulled out a chair for me and waited for me to sit before sitting in the chair next to me. A true gentleman. WOW. As I sat awestruck by Cole's manners, I noticed Aubrey at the end of the table.

My eyes drifted from person to person. Aubrey holding her baby, so afraid for what she thought she lost. Beckett, watching over them protectively hovering as if he is ready to swoop in to save them from anyone who might hurt those he loves.

Leo and Quinn snuggle together with Hope. One happy family. But not so long ago they were just like Beckett. And aren't they just a few weeks off from the same situation?

Brynn and Ethan, still trying to figure out who they are together. New but not, friends but more. And still they are in just as much danger as the others.

The other Bradford's are here because they were called. They aren't the core. It really revolves around those few. And yet it still is more. My eyes go back to Aubrey and stay there. The beginning of the story and the end. That's the truth of it, isn't it?

The trouble started with Aubrey and Beckett at Halloween a couple years ago. And here we are again. A year ago it was Leo and Quinn, six months ago it was Ethan and Brynn and now we're back to Aubrey and Beck. Back to the beginning. Why?

Poor Aubrey held Chance to her chest rocking him, not taking her eyes off him. I bet she's scared to death to take her eyes off him. For fear that she will lose him again. "She's second guessing herself."

"What was that, sugar?" Georgia asked not quite hearing me.

"I said Aubrey is second guessing herself. So is Beckett and Paige. If Aubrey left the stroller at the diner why didn't they see it? Or any of you? Of course you would have seen it. Of course Aubrey would have kept Chance with her. She's a good mother. The kidnappers want you to think you messed up. You didn't."

It was just that simple.

"You think that they're trying to make us question each other?" Paige brought the coffee pot over to the table. "If we're too busy accusing each other of not watching each other back then we aren't looking for the real perpetrators."

"That, unfortunately, makes sense." Brynn rubs Aubrey's shoulder. "As crappy as that is, it makes sense. If they are trying to get away with something, they need a distraction. What better way to disrupt an organized group than fighting amongst ourselves?"