Chris Hart owns the only grocery shop in Nortown, but he isn't exactly overrun by customers. Some days he wonders why he bothers to open the doors at all. Spending his days smiling at the few people trickling in and his nights alone in bed isn't the most interesting life a man could lead. But when Chris suddenly gets the excitement he's been craving, it may be more than he bargained for.<br><br>Gabriel Miller loves his life. He's close to his sister, has a job he adores and is the proud owner of one and a half cats. But all of it is taken away when he witnesses a murder. To keep him safe, the police place him in Nortown, of all possible locations.<br><br>Chris can't believe they're letting someone live in his gran's old cabin in the middle of the winter. It's too cold. When the poor man shows up in his shop looking to buy clothes, Chris's heart melts, despite the freezing temperature. Gabriel notices the way the shopkeeper looks at him, but it can't be right. No one looks at a heavyset man with heat in their eyes. Do they?

Pet Delivery

“I don’t know. Maybe he wanted to make sure you’re okay. Can I have your number in case I need to call you sometime?”


Gabriel nodded. He didn’t think Officer Ward was concerned about his well-being. Maybe that was unfair. The police wanted him alive so he could testify—why else waste resources on him?


“Great!” Chris held up his phone and waited. Gabriel frowned. What was he waiting for?


“Do you know your number?” Chris smiled but it was a little more guarded than before.


“Oh…yeah…or no.” Chris’s smile bled away and Gabriel needed it back. “But it should be on the phone, right? I’ll call you and you can save it.” It took some time, but he managed to call Chris and made sure to save the number. A butterfly in his chest seemed to resurrect itself from its earlier drowning as he typed Chris’s name.


Chapter 14