A shiver rippled down my spine, but it wasn’t unpleasant. More like a thrum of anticipation.

Grace set a platter on the table. It contained an array of croissants, fruit Danishes, cream puffs, and even a couple of eclairs along with plump blueberries, strawberries, and sliced pineapple and mango.

“Looks delicious,” I told her. “Thanks for including me.” I’d probably be eating pancakes drowned in syrup and moping otherwise.

“You’re welcome. Dig in.”

We ate until we were stuffed, chatting about Grace’s books—she was an author—Desdemona’s store, and my acting career. Unsurprisingly, they were both interested in hearing what Hollywood was like, but I was equally eager to know more about what had happened here over the years.

By the time we’d cleared the dishes away, we still hadn’t run out of conversation. We were sitting in the living room when my phone rang. I answered without looking, assuming it would be one of my siblings.

“Hello,” I said.

“Kennedy.”

I sat bolt upright at the distorted voice. It sounded almost mechanical. Pulling the phone away from my ear, I checked the screen. It was a private number. “Who is this?”

Grace stiffened at my tone, raising an eyebrow as if asking whether everything was okay. I held up a finger, indicating for her to wait a moment.

“Someone who cares about you.” After hearing a full sentence, there was no doubt that whoever was on the other end of this call had disguised themselves electronically.

“What do you want?” I asked, my voice shaking. The delicious food I’d eaten sat like a rock in my gut.

“I left you a gift.”

“You what?”

“At your cottage door,” they said. “Go and look. I hope you like it.”

The call disconnected.

What the hell was that?

I lurched to my feet and stumbled across the room.

Could this be the person who’d been stalking me back in Los Angeles? Were they now in Destiny Falls?

“What’s wrong?” Grace asked, and I heard footsteps as she and Desdemona followed me down the hall. I hesitated at the door, wondering whether this was a trap. If I opened it, would he be there, waiting for me?

“I have a stalker,” I confessed. “Or at least, I had one. I’d hoped to outrun him, but I think that was him on the phone.” Although how he got my personal number, I had no idea. “He said he left me a gift at the cottage.”

Desdemona gripped my wrist. “Call Nathan. The police need to be involved.”

I shook my head. “Wait. First let’s make sure there’s actually something to report. I don’t want to interrupt his Christmas for no reason.”