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still trying to heal and she’s trying to heal, and move forward with her business. I wouldn’t make too much of it.”

    * * * *
    Laura sat in a booth at the restaurant. It felt great to get the wraps off her hands. There were a few Bandaids on the deep cuts, the rest were healing well. She couldn’t believe she had agreed to another date—that blasted basket. She stopped by to visit with Tegan yesterday and pick up a few bottles of wine. Darn if she didn’t pull the irritating basket out again. Laura agreed to one more try from the basket, but no more. She drew Vince. He owned the restaurant where she currently sat. They decided to get together for a quick dinner and see how it went. No harm in that, she thought.
    “Hey there, Laura,” Vince said. “I ordered us each the special.”
    “Okay. What’s the special?”
    “Clams, you’ll love it.”
    “I don’t like clams. Mind if I order something else?”
    “You’ll love my clams.”
    The rest of the evening went along in about the same high-handed manner. At the end of dinner, Vince walked Laura out to her car. She got in and tried to start it. The car wouldn’t start. Perfect, she thought.
    “No problem. I’ll take you home. You can arrange for your car to be towed tomorrow. Come on, my car is in the lot.”
    Laura was too tired to argue. She followed Vince back to his car and told him where she lived.

    * * * *

    Travis went straight back to his grandparents’ home after his appointment. He needed to get started on the drawings his father wanted done and the changes he wanted for Laura’s Victorian. He worked on the office drawings for a couple hours and then shifted gears to the Victorian. He laid out the plans and his notes. He dug through his briefcase in search of the measurements he’d taken before he left for the afternoon.
    “No, it can’t be. I left them upstairs on the table when Bill came over and started talking to me.” He looked at the time on his phone. It was still early, only eight o’clock. Since Laura said she’d be out for the evening, he could run over and get them now and she’d never know he had gone back. Or he could wait until tomorrow and make sure she would be home. He wanted to do the work tonight. He grabbed his keys and headed for the door.
    He walked out into the driveway and noticed his granddad’s car parked behind his. Since he had all the keys on his ring and his granddad didn’t have a problem with Travis taking his car, he figured it would be easier to take Granddad’s car than to spend the time to shuffle them around.
    * * * *

    “Thanks for dinner and for the ride home,” Laura said. She tried to wedge her body in the doorway, but Vince nonchalantly, yet forcefully, pushed his way inside.
    “My pleasure. Aren’t you going to offer me an after-dinner drink?” he asked, as he wandered around the foyer.
    “I’m afraid I wouldn’t be very good company tonight. I’m pretty tired. I think my body is still recovering from the ordeal. How about a raincheck?” She knew full well this would be the only date with Vince. He was much too overbearing for her.
    “I don’t know. Your body looks pretty good to me.”
    All at once he spun on her. He pushed her against the door and using her body pushed the door closed.
    “Fine. No drink. I at least deserve a goodnight kiss for buying you dinner.”
    Before Laura could respond, he kissed her hard. She struggled and fought. Vince pulled back and smiled.
    “Well now, you are a real wildcat, aren’t you?”
    “You need to leave, right now,” Laura said.
    “Or what?”
    “Or I’ll scream.”
    “Go ahead. Who do you think will hear you?”
    Laura let out a scream before Vince finished his sentence. He slammed his hand across her mouth. She tasted blood.

CHAPTER TEN

    Travis’s head snapped up. Laura . He dropped his pile of papers and ran down the stairs, his calf sending shooting pains up his leg with each step. As he reached the landing he took in the