We drive home and talk about going back to the B&B tomorrow to get our bags. I tell her I’ll call them and let them know we had to suddenly leave.

Once we’re home, Everleigh crashes on the couch and buries her face in her hands. She’s still wearing her bridesmaid dress, a reminder of how the night started on a high note but ended in disaster.

I sit next to her.

“Who would do this?” she mutters. “And why?”

“Krystal. She’s crazy enough to want to destroy everything in my life along with the people I love,” I say, feeling guilty as hell that she’s been dragged into my past.

“I don’t think she’d know about the camera’s blind spot, though.” She lets out a frustrated sigh. “I knew I needed more back there but just haven’t done it because I trust my employees. I didn’t even think about someone breaking in. I’m so stupid!”

“Sweetheart, no, you’re not. This isn’t your fault. I promise we’ll get to the bottom of it and figure out who did it. Maybe we should ask surrounding businesses if their cameras captured anything suspicious. And if it is Krystal…then we’ll have proof.”

“That’s a good idea,” she says, but she still looks defeated.

“We’ll figure it all out together, baby.”

She meets my eyes and forces a smile. “I know, but it’s just a lot to process and deal with. My to-do list just grew five miles long, and I have inventory arriving at the end of this week. The timing couldn’t be any worse.”

“When is the timing ever right?”

She sucks in a deep breath. “Never. This year has sucked for me.”

Her words are like a knife to my heart. I know she’s not directing her anger at me, but it seems these problems of hers didn’t happen until I arrived.

Everleigh’s business is her life, and anyone who paid attention for longer than a minute would know that. Seeing her like this is heartbreaking, and maybe that’s what Krystal was trying to accomplish in the first place.

The next morning, I wake up and cook breakfast before driving back to the B&B for our bags. She tossed and turned all night, and right now, we’re both mentally and physically exhausted.

Before we went to bed, I sent Tyler a text and let him know what had happened. Everleigh texted the girls and gave them an update, then apologized again for having to leave early. Of course Katie wasn’t upset and was more sad to learn about what happened. Relief temporarily covered Everleigh’s face, but it was short-lived. No one could make her feel better, not even me.