Franny didn’t say anything to that. She felt petulant and weird. Uncomfortable and…maybe she’d blame the allergy med hangover on not quite knowing how to navigateallof this.
“Brooke likes you,” he said, out of nowhere. In a careful way that didn’t quite make sense.
“I like Brooke. And Zeke. I even like their animals, even if their cat inadvertently tried to kill me. They’ve got a sweet little ranch, and you can tell they’re…happy together. Settled. It’s like my cousins. It’s nice watching people build things.”
Build. She sighed in spite of herself. She’d watched her cousins and friendsbuild, and she felt the exact same as the day she’d moved to Wyoming three years ago.
Until Royal Campbell had kissed her last night. Which was a wild leap, but allchancesstarted with tiny seeds. Maybe they didn’t all grow, but they all had achance.
He just had to get past…his whole traumatic childhood.Sure, Franny, why shouldn’t he do that just because you told him to?
“My point is… If you were annoying or whatever, I’d hardly cart you around or stick by your side.” He didn’t say it begrudgingly exactly, but he was frowning while he said it.
Maybe that’s why she said what she did. “You didn’t last night.”
He flicked her another dark blue glance. “I told you why.”
“I think there’s a compliment in there?”
Royal blew out an irritated breath. With her? The situation? Both? She didn’t know, but he kept talking.
“The point is, Zeke found this woman’s identity. Sheusedto be an FBI agent. Briefly. I want that to mean that she’s only connected to Albennie Ward.”
“But?”
“Look, library card catalogue card and burning books? It just doesn’t strike me as the kind of threat you get from hired muscle. And we know a woman was involved with checking thebooks out of the Sunrise library. I want it to be a coincidence, but until I know for sure it is, I’m worried you’re not out of the clear. If they didn’t catch these people, then the kidnapper, and maybe this woman, knows you can still implicate them. You’re a liability to them.”
Shereallydidn’t like that. Unfortunately, she agreed. She desperately wanted it to be over, but it wouldn’t be until the person she’d identified was behind bars. And if this woman was connected to him…yeah, her too.
Royal drove through Hope Town, not stopping at their apartments. He drove on out to the outskirts of town, where some of the big showpiece houses were.
When he pulled through a big wrought iron gate, Franny leaned forward in her seat.
“Wow.” Franny stared at the house. It shouldn’t surprise her considering Mr. Simmons’s wife was a famous country singer, whose father had been a famous country singer. That meant money. But…
It was a beautiful old house, with all sorts of interesting features—architecture and windows and a huge wraparound porch. Landscaping and hanging baskets of blooms complemented everything.
Royal came to a stop in the driveway. For a moment, they both just sat and took in the house.
“And I thought him affording a whole damn town was something,” Royal muttered.
Franny chuckled in spite of herself, glancing over at him. His mouth quirked into an amused smile as their gazes caught.
She sighed. Now wasn’t the time, but… “Royal…”
“Come on,” he muttered. He got out of the car so Franny followed. Not the time.
She could hear the squawk of chickens and noted there was a little coop off to the side toward the back. It was painted red and looked as cute as any Pinterest page.
“It’s gorgeous. This would be the perfect place to set a murder.” At Royal’s sharp look, she smiled sheepishly. “I meant fictionally.”
He shook his head and moved up the porch steps, rapping on the door.
Mr. Simmons opened it, a baby on his hip. The image made Franny smile, just like every time she saw Thomas carting around his and Vi’s brood. There was just something really nice about watching a man be a good father. Which made her think of Rosalie and Duncan. They’d make such cute babies.
“Thanks for meeting me here,” Mr. Simmons said, over the sounds of explosions and dinosaur roaring in the background. He bounced the baby on his hip. “Lucy’s supposed to get back today, but I’m solo parenting until she gets home. This whole county is crawling with family, and do you think a one of them could spare some babysitter duties? No. Why? Because we all have too many damn kids.”
He led them into a big living room. For as gorgeous and formal as the outside looked, inside was warm and cozy and covered in kid paraphernalia. On a huge screen,Jurassic Parkwas playing.
