"Vonnie!" my mother yelled as she spotted me. She rushed into the bakery, coming at me with full force.

I stepped back.

The woman had a bunny strapped to her chest. I didn't know what the issue was, but I didn't want any part of it. She had her short blonde hair swept to the side as if she'd been running her fingers through it all morning. She appeared frazzled rather than her normal put-together self. Probably the bunny had a lot to do with it.

"You can't have a bunny in here," Anessa said from behind the counter, but it sounded like a question rather than a statement.

My mother's eyes widened, which said something because they were pretty large to start. "It's an emergency."

Anessa crinkled her nose. "I don't think the health department would agree."

"She won't let NB in here either," I said to console my mother.

Anessa popped her hip against the counter. "He's a dog."

"Katy considers him one of the team," I said with a slight shrug. I guess some friends were just better BFFs than others.

"Vonnie, this is serious," my mom said, but she still had the bunny in a baby carrier, so I wasn't sure how serious we were really being. "Talk to me outside."

"I'll be right back. Enjoy the cupcakes," I said to Braisley as Anessa grabbed her two from the display cabinet.

Braisley frowned. "Are you sure?"

"Absolutely." I left with a small wave. When my mother and I were both outside on the sidewalk, I asked her the most important question. "Why do you have a bunny...in a baby carrier?"

If my parents let my sister Vivi get a bunny after they wouldn't let me get a dog for eighteen years, we were going to have a family argument. Especially because Vivi was now dating a once-suspected murderer. Sure, I'd cleared Allen's name, but my family forgot his possible murder conviction way quicker than they forgot about the time I skipped school my senior year.

My mother paced on the sidewalk with her hand in her hair. The bunny bounced against her chest with each hurried step. "I've gotten myself into a situation."

"Clearly."

She cast me a rude expression and ran her fingers through her hair again, messing it up. I knew she hadn't done that style on purpose. Sylvia Vines was about classy sophistication. The current look screamed more mad scientist than fancy stay-at-home mom.

"I tried to pet sit like you do. You know, to earn a little extra cash. Your dad knew someone who needed help with their bunny." She twisted toward me, leaning close. The bunny's nose twitched. "It sounded easy, Vonnie."

"Pets are trouble." Hadn't she listened to any of my complaints? Why did she call me all the time if she didn't listen to me?

She threw her hands in the air. "I just wanted to make enough cash to get your dad to quit being crabby about my manicures. But, Vonnie!" She and the bunny spun around again. "This is not worth a French tip."

"Okay, so what are you going to do?" I asked as she walked another circle around me.

My gut scrambled in worry at what she planned to ask. There weren't many reasons for her to hunt me down at the bakery. She wasn't one to cause a scene. Normally.

She paused to my left and stared into the distance as she spoke. "Vonnie, this bunny has something wrong with it."

"What?" It was a bunny.

His little nose twitched at me, his whiskers cutting through the air. He was kind of cute. As long as you didn't think about where the poop went while he was in the carrier.

Her head turned toward me slowly, and she met my gaze. "There's a demon in it."

My mouth formed a perfect O as I searched for something to say. "Like the Easter Bunny?"

The sun chose that moment to hide behind a cloud. Probably seeking safety from my mother's ramblings.

"No." She shook her head. "Not like the Easter Bunny. Like from hell or the Exorcist."

I didn't know what that meant at all. And frankly, she was scaring me a little.

"How much longer do you have to watch the heathen hopper?"

Her lips turned up. "Just few days. I knew you'd help. Thank you so much."

"Wait, what?" I held my hands out and took a step away. I hadn't agreed to help. I'd made no moves toward helping. This bunny was not coming home with me. No way.

She unbuckled the carrier. "I already dropped all his gear off at your place before I tried the bakery."

"What? You went to my place?" That felt like a violation of privacy. Did Broadrick let her in? Why did I tell her I moved?

She handed me the bunny, who nibbled on the edge of the carrier. How did he even fit in the thing?

"I wanted to set up his playpen and litter box for you," she said, pushing him on me. "Mr. Jasper needs stability."

I grabbed on to him rather than let the little guy fall to the sidewalk. I was an animal lover like that. The ladies in the bakery had their gazes glued out the front window, watching the exchange. I glanced at Anessa for backup, but she dropped her head and pretended to be super invested in cleaning the counter.

"Wait, Mom," I called when she started walking toward her car. She couldn't escape this so easily. "Where does the bunny poop when you're holding him in the carrier?"

She stopped mid-step and whispered so quietly I barely heard her answer. "Don't ask."

"You're just going to leave him with me?" I asked, following her to the car.

She nodded and opened the driver's door. "You'll do great. I have full faith in your pet sitting abilities."

"But..." I watched helplessly as she got in the car, closed the door, started it, and then backed out of the space, not giving a single glance toward me.

What the hell was I going to do with Mr. Jasper?

The bunny nibbled on my long-sleeve graphic T-shirt and I had to place my hand between the shirt and his mouth to make him stop.

"That is not cool, Mr. Jasper," I said as I crossed the street.

NB was not going to like his new housemate. I'd have to buy him a new toy. Plus, what the hell would Broadrick say?

At the bed-and-breakfast, I pushed open the front door, protecting the rabbit's head. He wasn't a baby, but I didn't want to return him with a head injury.

Katy stepped away from her stand with a bright smile, but dropped it when she saw us. I tried not to take it personally. But failed.

"Why are you wearing a bunny?" she asked as she walked across the blue carpet that matched the color of the outside of the building. NB bounded out behind her wearing a black tux. It only covered the front half of him but had fake little arms attached to it to resemble him walking. The entire thing terrified me. What did she do to my dog?

I shook my head. "My mother. Why is my dog wearing a tux? Where do you get these outfits?"

Katy shrugged. "The pet store outside of town or online. If the bunny poops, you have to clean it up."

"Trust me. I know," I said. I'd already been giving bunny poop a lot of thought. We needed to get home quickly before I figured out what happened if he pooped while I was wearing him.

I walked further into the lobby to grab NB's leash from behind the desk. The fresh smells of lunch chicken wafted out from the dining room. Delicious. I needed to make myself a lunch of iced coffee when I made it home.

"Can I get a chi-" my sentence trailed off as I walked past the open doors of the dining room. My gaze caught a familiar face and stopped me in my tracks. "Is that Broadrick?"

It had to be. I'd slept with the man, and it was a rule that you could always recognize someone you'd slept with. He had on the same clothes he put on that morning. The black Pelican Bay Security polo and jeans.

What was he doing eating lunch at the bed-and-breakfast? And with another person? A person who most certainly was not me.

I spun on Katy. Why didn't she call me to tell me of his whereabouts and his lunch date?

She had her gaze glued to the floor. "You didn't know?"

"No."

"I'm sorry. I assumed," she said, reaching down to grab NB. "He and Dalton came in about twenty minutes ago."

Dalton. I narrowed my eyes as I said his name in my head.

Broadrick rarely told me what he was working on with Ridge, but this was now another time Dalton was in the picture. I didn't like these mysterious photo bombs.

"Excuse me for a second," I said and veered off into the dining room. I didn't get this kickass by standing around, not asking questions or demanding answers. My boyfriend's time of being elusive just ended.

Thankfully, Broadrick liked me spicy.

The dining room had large open windows looking out over Main Street. The sun's rays lit up the room and the light blue wallpaper. They stationed round tables throughout the space with the breakfast bar buffet in the back. The random baskets and trays they used to hold muffins and cereal boxes sat empty.

I stopped beside Broadrick's table between him and Dalton. "What is going on here?"