We know Warren has moved into the house. We know prior to kicking Riley out, he’d been spreading rumors about her. Talking to anyone in Winter Lake who might help him spread the bogus info.
And that info?
That Riley isn’t coping well with the death of her aunt, and he’s worried she might do something to herself. Oh, he’s not talking to anyone who might be able to help her. No. He’s hitting up all the gossips in town.
I have a theory as to why, but I want to let this play out as much as I can because I think he’s also been forging his mother’s signature on bank documents.
And no, I won’t apologize for digging into databases that are not public.
I’ll do whatever it takes to make sure Riley gets what is rightfully hers.
She’s in my bedroom. Where she’s been most of the day. She said it was so she could organize her things to be ready to leave, but I’ve watched her. The majority of the time, she’s sat on the bed staring out the window.
The snow stopped sometime last night, and the sky was clear before dawn. Weather up here can be unpredictable and the big storm we all braced for barely left a foot of snow on the ground. And the sun has taken care of a lot of that today.
I haven’t ventured outside to see how much needs to be dug out because I didn’t want to leave Riley alone.
Who am I kidding—it has nothing to do with how she’s feeling and everything to do with how I am.
I’m falling for the woman I thought would be my wife.
I don’t understand it any more than I understand the pull I had toward her when I read her profile on Get Hitched. We’re wrong for each other on so many levels and yet being with her, even now when she’s hiding away in the bedroom, feels so right I don’t know what I’ll do when she leaves.
And she will leave.
She deserves to live her life, explore all her options now she has the ability to do it. I won’t hold her back because I want herto stay. What I want doesn’t matter. Not when it comes to Riley’s happiness.
Over on the counter, my phone vibrates in the charging dock. Glancing at the screen, I see a number I’m not familiar with and debate not answering. But it could be an emergency, something might have happened to Uncle?—
Nope. Not thinking about that possibility. I head over to grab my phone before it stops ringing. Swiping across the screen, I bring the device to my ear. “Hello?”
“Felix Wallis?”
“Yes.”
“This is Chief Yunker of the Winter Lake Police Department.”
My gut cramps. “What’s wrong?”
“I spoke to Granger just now. He tells me you have a house guest.”
My eyes dart to the bedroom. “Ah…”
“She’s not in trouble. Neither are you. But I need you to confirm Riley Rose is staying with you and has been for the last few days. Then I’ll need to speak to her. I’m happy for you to put me on speaker, if that helps.”
I don’t know what to think. Why would the chief of police be looking for Riley? And I can’t exactly lie to an officer of the law, can I? “Yes. She’s here.”
“Is she in good health?”
“What does that mean?”
“Is she injured in any way? When she arrived at your cabin, was she hurt?”
This is going in a direction I never would have expected. “No. She was fine.Isfine.”
“Good, good.”
“Can you tell me what this is about?”
