Chapter 42
Chapter 42
“What is it p>
“It’s a friendship bracelet.” She turned it over, examining the age–grimed threads. “I made it in middle school with my best
friends p>
“Hags? You had good self–esteem, I see p>
“It’s our initials. Hannah, Alyssa, me, and Summer.” Tessa hadn’t
seen Hannah or Summer since high school, and she hadn’t seen Alyssa since college. They’d all gone to different parts of the country. began new lives, and lost touch.
Declan glanced from the bracelet to her rigid expression. “Are you
alright p>
“I thought Alex stole this. I haven’t seen it since the last time I saw him. I don’t know how it got into my work bag. It makes no sense.” She was starting to doubt her sanity. She looked over at Declan. “Have you brought anybody into Longtooth recently p>
“No outsiders since you p>
And the only way in was by plane. There was no way for him to be here. She thought of Freya’s collar, tucked in her desk drawer. Maybe Alex hadn’t stolen the mementos. Maybe he’d just scattered them around her apartment, and she’d somehow packed them up
without noticing?
But why would he do that? None of it made any sense.
“There’s no way he’s here,” Declan said, as if reading her thoughts. “Nobody gets in and out of Longtooth without me or Margaret
Chapter 42
knowing p>
Tessa nodded stiffly and tucked the bracelet back into her bag. “I know. It’s just… weird. I keep getting these reminders of him.” They were supposed to be her memories. They were from times in her life when Alex didn’t even exist for her. And yet, somehow, he’d sullied them.
“Let’s get back to Longtooth,” Declan said, cracking the driver’s door open cautiously.
The ride back was long. By the time they pulled up to The Spruce’s garage, Tessa’s whole body ached from the effort of holding onto Declan and shifting her balance with the snowmobile.
When she walked into the dining room, she was greeted by mostly good–natured jibes.
“She’s alive!” Wade put his hand to his heart, faking astonishment.
“Hey, Tessa, didn’t Anthony tell you when he sold you the truck that
you’re supposed to put gas in it?” Adam teased.
“She’s from Chicago. She’s used to electric cars,” Connor said. “Hey
Tessa, you know that’s a block–heater you’re plugging into, not a
charger, right p>
She laughed dutifully at their banter and thanked her lucky stars
that Harry Lance wasn’t there. She could just imagine what he’d
have to say about it.
Mercifully, she ended up getting a two–day reprieve from Harry, but
on Thursday, he was sitting in the dining room when she came
down for breakfast. The only open seat at the counter was two down
from him. Tessa took a steadying breath and sat down. Almost instantly, his grizzled silver head leaned over the counter, dark eyes narrowing on her.
“Told you not to take Alaska for granted, didn’t I?” he said. “Winter
Chapter 42
up here isn’t a joke. Didn’t I say that? You run out of gas in Chicago, and it’s no problem. You run out of gas up here, you can die p>
“Well, it depends where in Chicago you run out of gas,” she said, curling her hands into fists so that she didn’t flip him both birds.
“Won’t make that mistake again, will you p>
Natasha appeared with a coffee pot and a mug. “Gracie,” she said pleasantly. “Anthony called a few minutes ago and said you should swing by the shop before school if you can. There’s something wrong with your gas tank p>
The dining room fell silent. Harry’s smug face went blank.
With every ounce of self–control she possessed, Tessa leaned over casually to look at Lucia. “Think we could leave a few minutes early?” she asked.
“No problem p>
Clenching her jaw against the vindicated grin that wanted to spread across her face, Tessa leaned back in and picked up her coffee mug.
Anthony’s shop was small and warm. When Tessa and Lucia got there, he had a truck up on the hoist, draining some kind of fluid into a pan. Max Freeman was there, leaning against a tool chest and chatting with Anthony. He greeted them with a subdued nod.
“Hey, Tessa.” Anthony wiped his hands on a rag as he came around the vehicle. “The good news is it’s a quick fix–just have to wait for the replacement part to come in. There was a leak in your fuel line. It’s definitely why you broke down.” He pulled his phone out of his pocket. “I took some pictures of the damage p>
She looked at the pictures. “How did this happen? Did I run something over p>
Chapter 42
Anthony scratched at his collar, looking a little uncomfortable. “To be honest, I think somebody did this to your truck on purpose p>
“What?” Lucia gasped. “Why p>
“You could have done it by running something over. But this cut-” he zoomed in on the picture “-is too precise. It was done with a knife p>
“Who would do this?” Lucia demanded, clutching Tessa’s arm.
“That’s my question,” Anthony replied. “I told Max about it p>
Max was the closest thing Longtooth had to any sort of criminal investigator. There were no police in the Teekkonlit Valley, but Max
was authorized in some sort of official capacity by the state. When
the Valley needed law enforcement, Max was the liaison. But the
Valley rarely wanted the state’s interference. The locals handled
things in their own way, and Max was the one who facilitated it.
“Tessa,” Max said, calm, but serious. “Can you think of anyone who
might have done this p>
Her mind went blank at the implication. Somebody in the Valley
hated her enough to get her nearly killed in a blizzard.
“No–I mean… I don’t know what I could have done p>
“You didn’t do anything wrong,” Max assured her quickly.
“Sometimes people are just assholes. Can you think of any particular assholes who’ve been nursing a grudge against you? Someone who
might think you did them wrong p>
“Oh my god,” Lucia said suddenly. “Isaac Murray. After he attacked you at the Moose p>
Tessa stiffened, heart hammering.
Cedella
Cedella is a passionate storyteller known for her bold romantic and spicy novels that keep readers hooked from the very first chapter. With a flair for crafting emotionally intense plots and unforgettable characters, she blends love, desire, and drama into every story she writes. Cedella’s storytelling style is immersive and addictive—perfect for fans of heated romances and heart-pounding twists.