I eye him. “Right about him?”
“My hunch that something odd was going on with that quote. The restoration guy wasn’t super responsive with Sana, which doesn’t surprise me considering your experience with him”—the memory of our meeting, where I asked all of the questions and he gave Ryder all the answers, comes screaming back to me—“but she figured out that Reed's brother-in-law—or ex-brother-in-law, I guess—owns the construction company that Sunflower Hill Restoration sources from. And she, uh, got Margie talking a little bit by name-dropping you.”
I snort, holding my hand over my chest. “Name-droppingme?”
Ryder nods as he merges onto the highway. “I can work my way through Manhattan okay, but when it comes to Sunflower Hill, the only name I know that gets people talking is Evelyn Harper.”
I flip my hair over my shoulder. “Yes, I haveclout.”
He laughs as he reaches across the console and rubs his hand along my knee. “Well, Sana wanted to make sure you weren’t surprised if Margie came roaring back to you. It sounded like she pressed a bit—not that Margie is one to budgemuch—but shedidadmit that Sunflower Hill Restorationis pretty much the only company that the historical society approves. Which was nothing more than confirmation, really, that the brother-in-law’s company is getting funneled a bunch of money.”
I nod, my heart sinking at the thought that our town council isn’t everything we want them to be. “I wonder if Margie knows.”
Ryder shrugs. “He at leasttriedto hide it. And honestly, I’m not sure Margie would have given us the tip if shedidknow.” He sighs. “My guess is that this whole scheme is pretty new. The guy running Sunflower Hill Restoration is young and definitely seems like he’s out for a quick buck rather than a long career.”
“I bet Reed won the brother-in-law in his divorce.”
“I thought the same thing!” Ryder checks his mirror and glances over his shoulder before moving into the left lane. “My totally unverified theory is that Reed’s wife was the only thing keeping them on the straight and narrow, and once the two of them got her out of the way, they were free to come up with whatever stupid schemes they wanted.”
I snort. “How could you possibly know that?”
He shrugs. “I don’t know. Just what my brain pulls together based on the information I have.”
I shake my head, turning my attention to the highway streaming by on either side of us. “So what are we going to do about it?”
He’s quiet for a moment. “I’m not sure yet.”
“You’re not sure or you don’t want to tell me?”
His eyes flick to mine briefly before returning to the road. “I think there might be an opportunity here. If he’s funneling money back to himself, that’s more than enough reason to have him removed from town council.”
I wait to see if he’ll continue. “But…?”
He glances at me, the edges of his lips tipping into the most adorable, devilish smile. “But I think this might be a way for us to get everything we want.”
The barn hasn’t been madeup for Sana and Rohan yet, but luckily they’re running about a half hour behind us. So while Ryder unloads our stuff from the car and gets us unpacked, I gather my cleaning supplies and a pile of fresh linens to turn over the barn.
And it gives me a little bit of a thrill that he doesn’t even mention the extended-stay hotel room that I know he’s still paying for. That he puts my stuff away for me and hides his own suitcase in my walk-in closet, like he’s hoping I won’t tell him to scram but not quite daring enough to make space for himself.
I make a mental note to clear a drawer for him. Maybe make some space in my closet.
I’m not about to give him a key and ask him to move in, but it’s also not like this house is a sanctuary for me and only me. My bedroom, yes, but otherwise people come and go from the rest of the house like it’s a revolving door.
And he’s already been invited beyond that bedroom boundary.
On my way out of the house, hands full and rushing so that I can present a totally put-together barnandEvie by the time they get here, Ryder tugs on my elbow, slowing me.
I raise my eyebrows, wondering what must be so important that he has to stop menow,of all times.
“I’m going to go talk to Reed,” he says.
“Right now?”
He shrugs. “I feel like I have to do something. I feel like I can solve this. It’s at the tip of my fingers, you know?”
I nod. “Well, can you wait until Sana and Rohan are all set up and I can come with you?”
He lets out a long sigh. “Eve, can I take care of this for you?”
