“Thanks for putting up with my constant cancellations,” I said in an apologetic tone. Twice this week I’d scheduled an appointment for a massage, and twice I’d cancelled.

“No biggie,” the receptionist replied. “So, we’ll see you tomorrow at 12:00 p.m.?”

“Definitely.”

I hung up, still mad at myself for being so stupid and emotional in my recent decision making. I’d only cancelled because I held out the hope that Rain would drop by, and I didn’t want to miss him. Alex said he’d been asking about me more and more. I figured any day now, he’d get it together.

When he didn’t show, didn’t call, I’d become a replica of Starlet, commiserating for hours over my situation. As time wore on and still no word except through Alex, mental exhaustion and frustration set in. If he needed space, he’d get it. But I’d be damned if I was going to wait around another night and he didn’t show. I needed some piece of mind, and it was time I went after it.

I rolled my shoulders back, trying to ease some of the buildup. Even hot soaks weren’t helping. And thanks to Sabrina, even more tension had been brought into my life. Just before slamming the door in her face a moment earlier, I found out that she knew Barnes had Mason.

What she didn’t know, or pretended not to know, was his plans for him.

“But I’d be happy to keep you updated,” she’d offered.

“And what do you want in return?” Somehow I got the feeling she thought I was still maintaining a connection to Andrew. Maybe Barnes had sent her as his eyes. Sabrina was stupid enough to believe she could play both sides.

After uncovering her little surveillance fiasco, she damn sure should have known I’d never allow her inside. It had taken us hours to find the hidden cameras in the house.

I watched her closely as she glanced around the neighborhood in her usual nervous manner, before turning back to me. “Well, it’s not like I got a lot of friends out here. I was just thinking, with all we have in common, we could be good friends.”

“You really are a kook. Let me refresh your memory—we have nothing in common. You are nuts. I am not. Case closed.”

“You don’t understand,” she persisted. “We need to be friends.”

“No, you don’t understand. I got enough friends. Goodbye, Sabrina.” With that, I had slammed the door.

As I waited for time to do its thing, I decided to spend the day outside on the patio absorbing some rays. Starlet was upstairs resting. Something she seemed to be doing a lot of lately.

Last night, Alex had shown me how to fix a tea to soothe her stomach, and it had actually helped somewhat. But this morning, whatever bug she was battling had returned with a vengeance, and she’d spent the morning praising the porcelain goddess.

I was beginning to think it was simply a case of bungled nerves. Maybe I’d drag her along tomorrow. She probably needed a massage just as much as I did.

I gathered a blanket from the linen closet and headed to the kitchen for a bottle of water and some fruit. I was on my way out of the kitchen with all my gear when the doorbell rang again. It couldn’t be Alex, I thought, because he had a key to house.

I sighed and placed the items on the hall table. Sabrina. Who else could it be? I drew in another breath and braced myself. If she thought for one minute she could wiggle her way into my life, she was in for a surprise.

“What do you want now?” I asked, yanking open the door, only to find myself face-to-face with my mother and Starlet’s.

“Is that any way to answer the door?” mine asked.