She lifted her head from the pillow.Her curls fell onto his shoulder.“Did you tell her you’re innocent?”
He shrugged.“I did.I guess she wants more proof of that.She was mortified by my warrant.But, to be honest, I’ve kept my distance too.I don’t want her to be in the position of lying to the authorities about my whereabouts.The less she knows the better.”
“What about Kennedy?”
“You know my sister can’t avoid being a pain in the ass for more than a week.We still talk.She believes I had nothing to do with the fire, but I suspect her moving to Silver Ridge had something to do with what happened with me.”
Guilt ate a hole in his stomach.Kennedy had said her move didn’t have anything to do with the glares she’d received from Whistlemore’s townsfolk, but he’d bet his 50-percent ownership in the logging company that she was lying.
Josie tucked her chin, hiding her gaze beneath her seductress eyelashes.“I feel bad about Kennedy.I didn’t talk to her much after you left.It was all just so painful, and—”
He caught her chin.“Don’t mention it, okay?Kennedy’s always been a lone wolf.She’s happiest by herself.She’d hate it if you felt guilty for a decision she made.”
Josie’s mouth lifted.“Yeah, she’d probably challenge my ass to a game of beer pong if she thought I felt sorry for her.”
He chuckled.“That’s a game you don’t want to play with her, trust me.”
Josie relaxed, lowering herself back to the crook of his arm.
“Satisfied now that you’ve dug up my family drama?”
Her light laugh filled the room.“Well, it had to be discussed.And yes, a bit.”
“What about your folks?Did you speak to them yet?”
She squirmed.“No.It would make my mom go wild with worry, and she has enough to take care of with dad’s dementia.I’ll go visit them when this has settled down.”
He crushed her to his side.“He’s gotten worse?”Her dad’s diagnosis had come just months before Liam’s death.
“Yeah, but he’s happy.He’s started meditating—something I could never have seen him doing before.He’s determined to reverse it and I admire that about him.”
“I’d love to see him.”
Her cheek warmed on his chest.“He’d like that.”
“Good.Now let’s get some sleep.”
She shivered and he frowned.
“Cold?”
“A little.The heat’s dropping quickly without the furnace running.”
He glanced at the clock on his phone.Almost 10:00 p.m.They had several hours to go, and although he planned to keep Josie warm, they’d both sleep a little better with some heat.“I’ll start the fire.”
“You don’t have to—”
He rolled out of bed and tucked the blanket around her.“It’ll only take me a minute.”
“Hurry up,” she said.
He stroked her cheek with his fingers and she turned into his palm.He had to prove to her that this was okay, that Liam would be okay with them being together.There was no way he could end things after tonight.
He stepped into his briefs, picked up his phone and flicked on the flashlight, then strode into the living room.He grabbed some wood from the stack next to the fireplace and tossed it inside.He assembled the logs for the longest burning time and set them ablaze with the matches he’d found on the mantel.
“Quin!”Josie’s scream reverberated through the house.
His heart slammed against his palate.A chill chased the heat from his body as he raced toward the bedroom.
