Page 47 of Rekindle My Heart

Chapter 12

“That was a mistake. I should have kneed him in the nuts,” Erica mumbled as she drove home. He deserved it, spying on her all day, then… lips…tongue.

Ugh. She’d need to punch herself in the stomach as well. She’d been right there with him, just like the last time. And look how that ended.

Her inner peacekeeper whispered it wasn’t his fault. Hers either, if she was being honest with herself. It’s not like he was still dating Sarah. Her sister had effed that relationship up all by herself. Erica didn’t know all the reasons behind Ryan and Sarah’s split, but she did know her baby sister pushed him away and then pulled him back more than once. But the last time, Ryan broke it off.

Guilt for thinking bad of her dead sister overwhelmed her peacekeeper. Sarah wasn’t perfect, no matter what most people thought, but that didn’t give Erica the right to blame her. If she had only fought her feelings for Ryan back then, Sarah might still be alive.

You did nothing wrong.Her inner voice soothed, but logic didn’t matter. Her sister was dead. She’d give up anything, even Ryan, to get her back.

Tried that. How’s it working for you?

“Oh, shut it.” Her voice echoed off the vehicle’s interior.

Her vision blurred as she stared out the windshield, not registering the other cars. Moisture dampened her cheeks. Tears. She let them fall. They wouldn’t change anything.

She slammed her fist against the steering wheel. Damn it. Kissing Ryan again was a mistake, so why did his lips fit hers perfectly?

Lost in her own thoughts, she pulled into the driveway. All she wanted was to wash off the sunscreen and cuddle with her dog. She put the car in park as Karma bolted from the house to greet her.

“What the hell?” Using the edge of her shirt, she wiped her face clean as she stepped from the car. “How did you get out?”

She rubbed his happy face, then scanned the yard and house. She hadn’t used the front door that morning. No way it was unlocked. Palming her keys, she opened her phone and her finger hovered over the emergency button as she moved to the now open front door. Karma barked once, then raced to sit on the step, all attention focused on the house.

“What is it, boy? You’re freaking me out.” Erica glanced in the window as she passed. A chair was knocked over. She clung to Karma’s collar and slowly pushed the door open wider.

“Oh my God. What happened?” The silence in the room was deadly. Not even her antique clock was ticking. It laid on the floor in front of the fireplace, the wood splintered. Drops of what looked to be blood speckled the floor.

She fell to her knees and examined Karma. “You look to be fine. Not a scratch.” She rubbed his shoulders as he panted, a happy smile on his face. “You surprised them, didn’t you? Got a piece of them, too, by the look of it.”

She took Karma back outside. Without thought, she called Ryan, the one person she didn’t want to see right now.

“Erica.” Ryan’s voice held hesitation. She understood that. Hers did as well.

“I should have called 911. I didn’t think. Just dialed.” Her tone pitched up on each word. By the time she finished, only the neighborhood dogs could hear her.

“Calm down. What happened?” His tone changed to competent cop.

“Someone broke into my house.” Forcing air into her lungs, she slumped. She was a first responder. She dealt with emergencies and trauma every day. But this was her house. Her life.

“Stay outside, and I’ll be right over.” She could hear him moving around and the door slamming. “I mean it, Erica. Don’t go inside. Stay on the phone.”

“I walked into the living room but didn’t touch anything. Karma and I are in the front yard.”

She heard his truck start and the phone switch to speaker. “Is Karma alright?”

“Yes, I think he was asleep but woke and startled the burglar. There’s blood or something on the floor, and it’s not his.”

“Good dog,” Ryan said before yelling at other vehicles to get out of the way. “I’m five minutes out.”

He must be breaking all the speed limits.

“I think the person is long gone.” Tiptoeing closer, she peeked in the window.

“I don’t want you taking any chances. Besides, you could contaminate the scene.”

Good point. Stepping back, she knelt down and cooed to her dog. It could have been so much worse. They could have hurt her baby.