Chapter 23
Steph eased open the kitchen door of her parents’ house, hoping for the first time in her adult life they wouldn’t be home. She rolled her eyes at herself as she gently pushed it closed and leaned against it.
A grown woman who couldn’t manage to remember that this was her house again, and for the foreseeable future, was exactly the one who would be sneaking around on a Saturday afternoon.
Much to her surprise, the cheery kitchen actually was deserted. The huge green slate island stood clean and empty, and nothing simmered on the cooktop or roasted in the oven. No aromas of bread or chicken or the family favorite of garlic lingered in the air. Only a faint trace of lemon, maybe for afternoon tea.
She couldn’t hear a thing except the sound of her own breathing.
She kicked off
