by Lucy Score
“Who the hell is that?” Nick whispered out of the side of his mouth.
“Trouble,” Riley whispered back.
“Mom!” Blossom said, gasping out bourbon fumes. “I’m so happy to see you.”
“No, you’re not,” Riley’s grandmother snapped.
Riley heard a gasp. “Elanora!” Gabe dropped his bowl of ice cream at the woman’s feet. Burt galloped over and started hoovering up the dairy.
“Great. He’ll be farting for days,” Nick groaned.
“I see you’ve managed to corrupt my star student, Riley,” Elanora announced with derision.
“Hi, Grandma,” Riley said, giving the woman a little wave and feeling like she was eight years old all over again.
“What are you doing here, Mom?” Blossom asked.
“I’m here on behalf of the Guild to fix the recent unfortunate publicity surrounding Riley’s…” She trailed off, gaze skimming over Nick. “—gifts.”
“Oh, boy,” Riley breathed.
“Not good?” Nick asked.
“Very not good.”
“You staying at a hotel, Elanora?” Roger asked hopefully from the organ stool.
Apparently that was a preposterous suggestion. “I am not,” she scoffed. “I will be staying with my daughter.”
“Oh. Good,” Roger said with zero enthusiasm.
“Yay,” Blossom said weakly.
“Gabriel, now that I am here, I will expect you to resume your commitment to your holistic studies,” Elanora announced.
“Yes, of course, Elanora,” Gabe said with his head bowed. “I would be honored.”
“I think that Tower card just made its play,” Nick whispered to Riley.
“Yeah, I guess things couldn’t get much worse.”
It was such a stupid thing to say.
The universe must have agreed because the doorbell rang again.
No one moved.
“This is the last time I ever give my spirit guides the day off,” Riley muttered.
“I’ll never surprise you again,” Nick promised.
“I’ll get it,” Fred sang. He danced down the hallway, avoiding spilled ice cream and lapping dog and disapproving grandmother.
He opened the door with a flourish that had his toupee billowing up off his scalp before settling back down.
“Uh-oh,” Riley said.
Detective Kellen Weber walked into the parlor. “I hope this isn’t a bad time,” he said, eyes locking on Riley.
“Define bad,” Nick said.
Riley elbowed him in the gut. “What can we do for you, Detective?”
“I need your help on a case.”
Author’s Note to the Reader
Dear Reader,
This story has been with me since before I wrote Pretend You’re Mine. So quite the long-ass time. I don’t know when I decided to make Riley psychic, but I do remember when I had the idea for the book.
When Mr. Lucy and I first started dating, he was working as an investigator for a PI and took me along to a junkyard to retrieve personal possessions from a wrecked car. He sure knows how to show a lady a good time!
So thanks, Mr. Lucy for that romantic trip to the junkyard because without you Riley Thorn would never have existed. I hope you loved Riley and Nick and Gabe and Mrs. Penny because I’m itching to write more of them.
In the meantime, feel free to shower me with accolades in a review or tell 30 of your closest reader buddies that you have the book for them! And then tell them that book is this book… in case I was being too subtle. Which usually never happens. Thanks for reading! You look lovely today!
Xoxo,
Lucy
WONDERING WHAT TO READ NEXT?:
Want more small-town romantic comedy?
Check out my Blue Moon series and fall for laughs, steam, and hilarious hippies.
About the Author
Lucy Score is a Wall Street Journal and #1 Amazon bestselling author. She grew up in a literary family who insisted that the dinner table was for reading and earned a degree in journalism. She writes full-time from the Pennsylvania home she and Mr. Lucy share with their obnoxious cat, Cleo. When not spending hours crafting heartbreaker heroes and kick-ass heroines, Lucy can be found on the couch, in the kitchen, or at the gym. She hopes to someday write from a sailboat, or oceanfront condo, or tropical island with reliable Wi-Fi.
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Website: Lucyscore.com
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Readers Group at: Lucy Score’s Binge Readers Anonymous
Acknowledgments
•As always to Mr. Lucy for maintaining the proper ratio of tacos, hugs, and “stop whining and go write.”
•To Joyce and Tammy for always keeping me on track with work and showering.
•To my Street Team and ARC Team. I don’t deserve you and I hope you never figure that out.
•To Kari March Designs for once again delivering a fantastic cover and graphics.
•To the editing dream team of Jessica, Amanda, and Dawn.
•To the rest of #TeamLucy including Audio Dan, Heather, Rachel, and Marketing Guy Rick. You guys are the best!
•To BRAs, you are my happy place.
•To you, dearest reader, for picking this book.
•To the essential workers and front-line medical staff who are keeping us alive, fed, and in business during the COVID-19 pandemic.
•To rainbows and hot sauce, Peloton rides (@thebigscore) and ice cream sandwiches, to missing out on London and Edinburgh and staying home to write books instead.
•#BlackLivesMatter
•To my author friends for reminding me that all good things are hard.
Lucy’s Titles
Standalone Titles
Undercover Love
Pretend You’re Mine
Finally Mine
Protecting What’s Mine
Mr. Fixer Upper
The Christmas Fix
Heart of Hope
The Worst Best Man
Rock Bottom Girl
The Price of Scandal
By a Thread
Riley Thorn and the Dead Guy Next Door
The Blue Moon Small Town Romance Series
No More Secrets
Fall into Temptation
The Last Second Chance
Not Part of the Plan
Holding on to Chaos
The Fine Art of Faking It
Where It All Began
Bootleg Springs Series
Whiskey Chaser
Sidecar Crush
Moonshine Kiss
Bourbon Bliss
Gin Fling
Highball Rush
Sinner and Saint
Crossing the Line
Breaking the Rules