Don't Look Back Read Online Free PDF Page A

strength as she pulled, yanked, felt her raw skin tear even more.
    The rose petals falling, brushing her face as he dropped them, spread them . . .
    “Why are you doing this?” A sob, a plea, a desperate need to make sense of such cruelty.
    She felt him pause beside her. “Just call it your therapy.” Then he gave another laugh, pain bit at her from all sides . . .
    With a jerky movement, she pulled away from Samantha’s comfort – and the horrifying memories. “Listen, why don’t we send the guys home, order some pizza, and have a girls’ night?”
    Samantha smiled around the shadows Jamie hated to still see lingering in her sister’s gaze. “I don’t know, Jamie, it’s late . . .”
    The phone rang just as Dakota and Connor made their way back into the den area. Jamie grabbed it, grateful for the distraction.
    “Hello?”
    “Jamie, this is Maya, how are you?”
    Maya Olsen, her former counselor turned good friend.
    “I’m all right.” Not really, but she wasn’t getting into it now. “How are you doing?”
    “Great, do you have plans tomorrow night? I thought we could catch a movie or something. I’m in desperate need for some girl time.”
    Forcing out a lighthearted chuckle, Jamie said, “You must be on the same wavelength as I am tonight. Why don’t you come over to my house as soon as you can? Samantha’s keeping me company tonight. You can join us.”
    “I wouldn’t be intruding on a sisters’ thing?”
    “Not at all, we’d love to have you.”
    “All right then, see you soon.”
    Jamie hung up the cordless phone and turned to find everyone looking at her. “What?”
    Dakota frowned. “I don’t know how wise it is to invite Maya over until we figure out what’s going on with whoever managed to get in your house today.”
    Jamie gasped. “You’re right. I didn’t think . . . I don’t want to believe . . . I just can’t . . .” She stopped and pulled in a deep breath. “I’ll call her back and tell her not to come.” She reached for the phone, but Samantha held up a hand.
    “Wait a minute. I’ve been thinking about this. What do we really know for sure? We don’t know that anyone was actually in this house. There could be a reasonable explanation for all of the things that have happened and we’re just jumping to conclusions because of,” she sucked in a deep breath, “your past.”
    Connor stared at his wife. “How so, Sam?”
    Samantha tightened her ponytail and scrubbed a hand across her eyes. “I don’t know. Let’s think about this. What have we got so far?”
    “My picture is missing from the mantel,” Jamie stated flatly. She moved over and stared at the blank spot. Her gaze roved over the rest of the area. “Grandaddy’s cane is here, all the other pictures are here. Everything looks fine except for the missing picture.”
    “Right. When was the last time Mom and Dad were here?”
    “Last week. For lunch before leaving on their trip to Colorado.” Retirees, their parents loved to travel and had most recently decided to travel cross-country in their motor home. They’d be back next week.
    “Maybe Mom decided to take the picture with her. She was doing some scrapbooking lately, remember? A couple weeks ago, she asked if I had any she could copy.”
    Jamie sighed. “Yes, I know, but she wouldn’t have just taken the picture, would she? She would have asked. I know she would have.”
    “Maybe she meant to and got distracted. You know Mom, sometimes, she means to do something and forgets.”
    Dakota pulled out his cell phone. “Well, that’s easy to find out. What’s her number?”
    While he dialed the number Connor supplied, Samantha looked back at Jamie. “What else?”
    “All the lights were off. I’d never leave them off.”
    Uncertainty flashed across Samantha’s face and Jamie felt her gut clench.
    Samantha said, “Okay, like you said when we got here. Maybe you just . . . forgot. Were you in a hurry to get to work?”
    “Yes, in a little