“Thank you for your service,” Sophie finally said, more choked for words than Tessa had ever seen her. In fact, Sophie didn’tgetchoked for words. She always knew the right thing to say no matter the situation.
Raven nudged her leg, leaning against her calf. Tessa absently ran her fingers on the husky’s head, staying out of sight and watching what might unfold. Sophie’s heartbreak seemed too recent—too raw—for her to move on again so quickly. She might need to keep an eye on this Denver character and Tillie’s incessant matchmaking efforts.
“Will you ladies be at the Blueberry Festival this weekend?” Tillie asked.
“We plan on it.”
“Oh, good! Good, good, good!”
“Are you entering the clam chowder contest, too?” Sophie asked. Tessa’s ear perked at that. Tillie Grant was legend in this town for her cooking skills, and Tessa feared even a refined chef such as herself might have a hard time beating her.
“Oh, yes! That and I’m making my famous blueberry crumble for the baking contest.”
Baking contest?Tessa’s competitive side warmed to life. Maybe if she helped lead her sisters to victory with the clam chowder, and possibly take home a victory of her own in a baking contest, she’d win over some of the people in Sunset Ridge. The small town seemed a lot more likely to accept her than the rest of the country, should that episode air.
“C’mon, Raven,” she whispered to the dog. “We have plans to make.”
It was entirely possible that Tillie saw her fleeing, but if she did, the woman didn’t say anything.Too busy playing matchmaker.
Tessa was much chillier than when Liam was with her. She rinsed off in a warm shower, all the while pondering what she might enter in the baking contest. The scones were a hit, if the empty plate in the main room was any indication. But would theywin? “I need to try a few different things,” she murmured. When Cadence returned, she’d ask to borrow her car to stock up on blueberries and baking ingredients.
Wondering about baking contests, as if attending town festivals was a regular part of Tessa’s life, only left her pining for Liam.Thiswas the life she could’ve had if only he hadn’t joined the Army without consulting anyone.
But would she have been happy before now? Tessa couldn’t answer that.
“What’s he up to, Raven?” she asked the dog, about the construction site. “You were there. Have any insider knowledge to share?” The husky looked up from her cozy spot on the bed, refusing to lift more than her eyes.
She’d tried a couple of different times during lunch to ask Liam about the house—it couldn’t be a secret after all—but they’d always been interrupted. “Does he have blueprints in his room, girl?” she asked the husky. “Maybe just a sketch?” Despite how much time had passed, Tessa remembered in detail the conversation she and Liam had one evening after the Blueberry Festival about the house they wanted to build together. Tessa had to know if he was buildingthathouse.
Leaving Raven asleep on her bed, she tiptoed across the hall. Making sure the coast was clear, she twisted the door knob. But unlike last night, it was locked. “Dang it.” Anyone else might’ve taken the locked door as a sign to leave well enough. But not Tessa.Where do we keep the keys?
Tessa checked the laundry room first, thinking she might find a skeleton key hanging beside the door since Sophie had to change linens and towels. Doubtful she had a spare key toeveryroom; that didn’t sound efficient.
“Nothing, huh?” she mumbled.
The office was the next room down the hall, and she slipped inside, closing the door behind her. Considering she was part owner, this shouldn’t have been her first visit to this room. Tomorrow, after the clams were collected, it was time for a family business meeting. Tessa found she had several more questions than she ever expected.
Even if she needed to go back to Vegas, she cared what happened to the lodge. Tessa wanted it to be successful without both her sisters running themselves into the ground making it happen. She wanted them all to thrive together.
Tessa discovered a ring of keys in the desk drawer, all marked with numbers that corresponded to the rooms. She wrapped the ring tightly in her palm to prevent the jingle of metal giving her away, and snuck back.
It shouldn’t matter to her that Liam was building a house. He was thirty, going on thirty-one. Who waited to get married anymore before building a house? Not Liam Davies. But if he was building the house they dreamed up together, they were supposed to get married first. Marriage, then the house. That had always been the plan. And if he was getting married to someone else, she’d know by now.
To build the house first was like adding ingredients out of order. “What made you move up your plan?” she mumbled, reentering her own room.
She waved Raven over to her as an alibi, to be safe. Surely the husky had a treat stash or something in Liam’s room.
Cautiously, she unlocked the door and slipped inside. Tessa expected to have more trouble coaxing Raven out than in, but instead of curling up on the bed as Tessa expected, the dog sniffed around the room as if they were in cahoots together. She felt a sliver of guilt for snooping, but shehadto know.
Liam appeared well settled in his room.How long has he been here already?
“Let me know if you find anything good.”
Tessa made quick work of her own snooping. It was possible anything to do with the house was electronic, including a blueprint. Her search might be pointless. But knowing she might not get another chance kept her riffling. She opened drawers, went through the closet and the wardrobe, and even searched under the pillows.
“I don’t know, Raven. Maybe I’m crazy to think I’ll find anything. Unless you have any insider information?”
About to abandon her search and return the keys before she was caught with them, the chest at the foot of the bed caught her eye. A couple of shirts sat crumpled on top of it. “What do you suppose he’s hiding in there?”
