After promising that I’d call a locksmith to fix the front door, I tucked her into bed with Tom Brokaw in the background to lull her to sleep.

I came back out into the living room to find an open bottle of wine, two full glasses, and Cal trying to shove the stuffing back inside the sofa cushions.

“It may be time for a new couch,” he said.

“Ya think?” I sank down onto the only unmolested cushion, leaning my head back against the wall. If this day had been any longer, it would qualify for Guinness.

“Thought maybe you could use a drink,” he said, handing me a glass.

Oh, mama, could I. Gratefully, I sipped at it. “Thanks.”

“You okay?” Cal asked, righting the coffee table in front of me. I put my feet up on it.

“I will be.”

“Nothing’s missing. No one was hurt. Chances are whoever did this just wanted to scare you.”

I nodded. Though I hated to admit just what an effective job they’d done. While my heart rate had slowed, my hands were still shaky enough that my merlot was bouncing in its glass.

“I’ll be fine,” I repeated. Hoping I’d believe that at some point.

“Right,” he said. “But, just as a precaution, I’d feel better if your aunt wasn’t here alone tomorrow.”

I nodded. “I’m sure I can find someone to sit with her.”

“Good.” He paused, picking up a bent picture frame from the rug. He looked down at the image inside, his lips curling into a lopsided smile. “This you?”

He held it up. A little girl with dark hair and pigtails sat on a pink Big Wheel. Wearing a tutu, cowboy boots, and a plastic Viking hat.

I nodded. “Yep.”

“Cute.” He placed it on the coffee table. “Even then you had your own style, didn’t you?”

I looked down at my funky T-shirt. Was he making fun of the way I dressed? “So sue me if I’m not an Abercrombie zombie.”

Cal put both hands up in a surrender gesture. “Take it easy, Bender. I didn’t say I didn’t like it.”

I bit my lip. “Sorry. Guess I’m a little on edge.”

“Apology accepted. And I’m glad you’re on edge.”

“Gee, thanks.”

“I’d be worried if you weren’t. When you’re on edge, you’ll be careful.”

I nodded. “Right,” I croaked out, my throat suddenly clogged with emotion at how real this whole situation had become. Annoying phone calls and emails were one thing, but this guy had actually broken into my home. What would he have done if he’d found me, or worse yet, Aunt Sue?

“The guy your father?” Cal pointed to another photo, this one of my pigtailed self and a dark-haired man in khakis beside a palm tree.