by Morgan James
“You ready?” I spoke low, for Jules’s ears only, though I was pretty sure Mia and Jack were so absorbed in each other they probably wouldn’t know if a fucking tornado touched down outside.
Jules’s gaze jumped to me, and she bit her lower lip before nodding. I gestured with my head for her to go first, then I left the office, closing the door behind me.
Chapter 11
Giuliana
I used the keys Mr. Prescott had given me to unlock the door, then I stepped inside and made my way to the back of the store to turn on the lights. The switches were concealed by a metal panel set in the wall, and the lights flared to life as I flicked each toggle.
I peered around the room, now fully lit. Someone had brought in several more boxes of inventory and stacked them along the back wall by the fitting rooms. While Mia and I were shopping yesterday afternoon, the computer system had been installed. I meandered toward the sales counter and stowed my purse in a drawer before I turned my attention to the new widescreen monitor that took up a good portion of the counter.
My brows drew together when I saw a flash of red peeking from beneath the computer screen. I tipped my head to one side, and my breath caught in my throat as I pulled the rose from its hiding place. Unsettled, I glanced around, expecting whoever had left it to pop out and surprise me.
Who would have left it here? I racked my brain, trying to figure out who had been in and out. The doors had been locked when I’d arrived, so someone must’ve left it in here last night, then locked up behind them. I mentally catalogued the changes. It could have been the person who’d installed the computer. Or... maybe the person who’d brought in the inventory currently filling the back wall. I tossed a look over my shoulder, heat flaring in my cheeks. Sam, maybe? He’d seemed nice enough, but...
I shook the thought away. I couldn’t afford to get involved with anyone. Sam was cute in a boyish way. Even if I was interested in dating, he didn’t make me feel all fluttery inside. Not like a certain sheriff who’d opened his home to me.
I used my foot to open the bottom drawer and dropped the rose inside, where it landed on top of my purse. I gently kicked the drawer shut again, determined to put it from my mind as I booted up the computer.
“Morning!”
Lifting my head, I gave Mia a bright smile. “Morning.”
“Sorry I’m late. Have you been here long?”
“Not at all.” I shook my head and picked up a manual someone had left on the countertop. “Looks like they installed some new software, too.”
“Awesome.” Mia plucked the booklet from my hand and flicked through it before setting it aside.
As soon as the main screen appeared, I double-clicked the new icon. Dozens of indecipherable icons popped up.
“Um...” I threw a glance at Mia. “Do you know how to use this thing?”
Her eyes widened briefly. “No way. I don’t know anything about retail.”
I turned my gaze back to the computer and the elaborate inventory system. All of the merchandise would need to have barcodes applied to the tags, then each would have to be scanned into the system so we could keep track of everything. Mia was here this morning so she could learn about it and understand how to work it too. Unfortunately, neither of us had any experience, so we were both starting from scratch.
“Well,” I began slowly, “I guess what we should do first is determine prices.”
Thankfully, I hadn’t unpacked much of the inventory, only enough to get some on the racks and test out the space. Mia grabbed one of the black parkas from the nearby rack and brought it over. It was marked with a suggested retail price, but I pulled up the internet to check out some of the other competitor’s prices as well.
I looked at Mia. “What do you think?”
She glanced at the packing slip to verify what we paid for them. “How about a 20 percent markup?” she asked.
I did some quick math on the calculator, then nodded. “I think that’s pretty reasonable. It’s comparable to the competitors, but we’ll still make a profit. Besides, people coming to a resort would expect it to be a little higher.”
For the next hour or so, Mia and I played with the inventory system, learning the ins and outs of how to print and scan barcodes and adjust pricing. The inventory would automatically update after each sale, deducting the amount sold.
“This is pretty cool,” Mia said, delight in her eyes.
“I know.” I grinned. “I’ve done plenty of shopping, but it’s cool to see this side of it.”
Mia glanced at the clock on the computer. “Do you mind if I skip out on you?”
“No problem at all.” I waved her away. “I can tackle the rest of this.”
With a grateful smile and a little wave, Mia headed out the door. I spent the next several hours printing off barcodes for each new box of items we opened. Mia and I had already taken care of everything currently on the shelves, so the only thing to do now was the incoming stuff. I wondered who was going to manage the shop and how soon they planned to start hiring workers. I knew Mr. Prescott had interviewed several people over the past few days, from what Mia had said.
I broke down the last empty box and set the cardboard aside to be recycled. I stretched my back and looked around the room, pride infusing me. Bit by bit, it was finally starting to come together.
Mr. Prescott hadn’t stopped in yet today to check on things, and I was kind of thankful for that. He seemed nice enough, but he still made me uneasy. I hadn’t gathered the courage to ask Mia about the cuts and bruises on her face. I prayed they weren’t from him, but it was my nature to suspect the worst. There was an intensity between Jack and Mia that I didn’t understand. I hadn’t seen them kiss, hadn’t even seen them touch each other, but there was a strange tension between them that made me uncomfortable. I didn’t want to risk butting in and making things worse for her if that was the case. I knew all too well how someone interfering could jeopardize an already tense situation.
My thoughts immediately turned to my uncle, and goose bumps rose along my arms. Had he tried to track me? Of course he had; I was sure of it. Hopefully, he’d lost me somewhere off I-57 around Champaign where I’d tossed my phone out the window. I remembered each grating ring as my uncle called repeatedly, the angry messages that blistered my ears. Finally, I’d had enough—enough of the fear, enough of the guilt.
I felt horrible for leaving Matteo behind without a word, but he would understand. I didn’t have a choice. If I’d stayed, Uncle Massimo would’ve sold me to Nikolai, and God only knew if I’d have survived that. It was better this way. Maybe someday I could reach out to Matteo and let him know that I was safe. But not yet.
The bridge of my nose burned, and an overwhelming sense of grief at the loss of the one person who’d cared for me tugged at my heart.
Chapter 12
Eric
I pulled up in front of McBride’s auto shop and cut the engine of Jules’s little Cavalier. Charlie was expecting me, so I bypassed the waiting room and went straight into the shop. I spied an old, scuffed pair of boots sticking out from underneath a Chevy truck, and I nudged one with my foot.
A surly voice filtered up to me. “Whadya want?”
The corners of my mouth twitched. “Is that any way to talk to your sheriff?”
Charlie McBride rolled out from under the vehicle, the wheels of the creeper squeaking loudly, in desperate need of grease. I extended one hand and pulled him to his feet. “Where do you want it?”
Charlie picked up a rag from the nearby workbench and began to wipe his oil-stained hands. He tipped his head and punched a button to lift one of the huge doors. “Middle bay. Pull ’er on in.”
I did as he asked, then climbed out of the Cavalier and passed the keys over to him. He looked appraisingly at the car. “What all does it need?”
I snorted. The better question was, what didn’t it need? “Everything. Brakes feel a little spongy; might need a tune-up.”
Charlie dropped to
his haunches and ran his hands over the tread of one tire. “When do you need it back?”
“Whenever.”
He nodded. “No problem. Shouldn’t be more than a day or two.”
“Appreciate it.” I leaned against the workbench and rested one ankle over the other, arms crossed over my chest as I watched him inspect the car.
“Not your style,” Charlie commented, and I swore I could hear a trace of laughter in his tone.
I rolled my eyes. Meddling old fool. “It belongs to a friend.”
“Must be that lady friend I been hearing about.”
Fucking small towns. “She’s young enough to be my sister.”
Charlie grunted. “You sayin’ that for your benefit or hers?”
I pressed my lips into a firm line to keep from snapping out a retort. I knew I should’ve had one of my deputies drop it off, but I wanted to make sure that Jules’s car was taken care of properly. Not that Charlie wouldn’t do a good job regardless, but I felt an obligation to her. I needed to know that she would be safe when she decided to leave.
I hated the disappointment that filled my chest when I thought about her heading off to someplace new. Though we were only roommates—barely even acquaintances, at that—I liked having her in the house. It didn’t feel so empty, so devoid of life. After I left Chicago, I’d put myself in kind of a solitary confinement. Without even trying, Jules had gradually begun to draw me out. I’d forgotten how nice it was to have another person around, especially a woman. We still did our own things as the roommate agreement dictated, but I didn’t feel so... alone.
“Just fix it up, old man, and quit matchmaking.”
He waved me off. “Don’t worry, son. I’ll make sure to take good care of it for yer woman.”
Goddamn it. The last thing I needed was for these interfering idiots in town to think she was mine—regardless of how good that sounded. “She’s not my woman.”
“Keep tellin’ yerself that.”
I turned to leave before I exploded, unsure exactly of why it bothered me so much. I didn’t lay claim to women. Even though I’d cared for my ex-wife at one point, I’d never felt that head-over-heels, can’t-live-without-her emotion that people talked about. The women I’d dated afterward had meant even less. So why was I so worried about Jules?
I shook my head. The older I got, the more my protective instincts flared to life, I decided. I’d seen so much, while Jules was so young. She’d barely started her life, and she was still unaware of all the danger in the world. Protectiveness was in my nature, and I had a soft spot for a young girl on the run. That was all.
A cruiser pulled up in front of McBride’s, and I waved over my shoulder to Charlie. “Give me a call when it’s ready.”
A grunt of acknowledgement came from under the Cavalier, and cold air cut through me as I pushed open the door and stepped outside. Riley lifted an eyebrow from the driver seat as I slid into the cruiser. “All set?”
“Yep.” I slammed the door against the biting wind. “Goddamn, I swear it’s dropped twenty degrees since this morning.”
“Another storm rolling in,” Riley commented as he rolled out of the parking lot and back toward the sheriff’s office on the outskirts of town.
“Great,” I grumbled as I settled into the seat.
For a long moment, Riley was silent. Then— “Mind me asking why you dropped the car at McBride’s?”
Goddamn it. “Yes.”
“Yes, you mind? Or yes, you’re gonna tell me?”
“Fuck off.”
Riley laughed. “Come on, boss, just curious.”
I turned in my seat to look at him. “Why?”
He lifted a hand from the wheel in a shrugging motion. “Dunno. People are talking.” Of course they were. I rolled my eyes as he continued. “Say she’s a looker. I just thought—”
“Stop thinking,” I cut in, my cold tone slicing through the air.
A tiny smirk lifted his mouth. “You got it, boss.”
Motherfucker. My chest lifted on a slow, deep inhale. Was I going to have to kill one of my deputies for checking out Jules? “She’s too...” Naïve? Beautiful? Perfect? All of the above? “Young,” I finished lamely.
Why did I keep coming back to that, like it was the best excuse I had? Because it’s true. And you need to keep reminding yourself before you do something stupid.
Riley nodded haltingly like he knew I was full of shit. “If you say so.”
“Not you, too,” I groaned, letting my head drop back against the seat.
He laughed, undaunted. “You haven’t really dated anyone since you moved here. And when you do, you go to Kalispell or somewhere that’s an hour or more away.”
I lifted my head to look at him. “How do you know that?”
He slid a disbelieving glance at me. “Everyone knows that.”
Well, shit. Whatever. It wasn’t anyone’s business what I did. “Tell everyone to mind their own damn business,” I groused. Christ only knew what they’d say if they knew she was staying with me.
He chuckled. “Easier said than done. There are more than a few guys willing to take her off your hands.”
I turned a sharp gaze on him. “Choose your next words carefully before I find myself down a deputy.”
Riley laughed despite my threat and held up a hand placatingly. “Didn’t say one of ’em was me. But you might wanna make up your mind before someone does it for you.”
“I might wanna knock your teeth down your throat, too,” I shot back.
“Don’t shoot the messenger,” he countered. “Besides, might be good for you.”
I hummed a noncommittal sound and turned my attention out the window. Unease roiled in my gut. Jules was beautiful; men from here to the border—both of them, more likely—would line up to be with a woman like her. I imagined her with a man her own age, dating, laughing... kissing. What bothered me was the irrational yet overpowering urge to break the fictional man’s jaw.
I watched the red brick of the sheriff’s office roll into view without really seeing it, my attention focused wholly on Jules. It was a waste of effort; it could never be more than what we had right now—a mutual agreement to share the same living space.
Riley pulled to a stop in his designated space and I climbed out. “Thanks, man. See ya in the morning.”
I didn’t bother to go inside; I had a fuck ton of paperwork to get caught up on, but it could wait until tomorrow. I climbed into my cruiser and rolled down the main street of Pine Ridge, keeping one eye on my surroundings while I considered the woman who took up part of my house—and most of my thoughts.
It bothered me immensely that she had lied to me. Maybe not lied, exactly, but she was definitely holding back the truth—where she’d come from, why she was here, what she planned to do next. I wanted to ask her all of these things and none of them at the same time. I was terrified of pushing her further away.
A frown settled over my lips as I drove toward Briarleigh to pick up the woman in question. I entered the building through the side door and poked my head into Jack’s office. “Jules done for the day?”
He didn’t bother to turn from the computer. “I haven’t seen her, so she’s probably still working in the pro shop. Want me to go grab her?”
“Nah. I’ll take care of it.”
“Here.” Jack stood and met my gaze as he pulled some cash from his wallet.
I took the folded bills from his outstretched hand. “Thanks. I’ll pass it along.”
He tipped his chin and went back to work, and I went in search of Jules. Down the short corridor, I spied her through a huge window. She stood behind the desk working at a computer, but her eyes looked red, almost as if she’d been crying.
She jerked her head upward to meet my gaze as I stepped inside, and her expression shuttered. My eyes narrowed as I examined her, but any trace of sadness was gone. “Ready to go?”
“Yep.” Jules bent and grabbed her purse from a bottom drawer, then moved to tu
rn off all the lights. She closed and locked the door behind us, then tucked the key into a zippered pocket of her purse. I watched each meticulous movement in fascination.
Side by side, we headed to my cruiser. Silence descended over us during the ride home, and by the time we arrived, I’d convinced myself that whatever I’d seen in her eyes earlier had been a trick of the light. We entered the house and went our separate ways, Jules heading to the bedroom while I hit the kitchen. It’d been a long-ass day, and I needed a beer.
I cracked the top off a bottle and took a long swig. I wasn’t sure why, but beer always tasted better from a bottle. I leaned against the counter nursing my beer, lost in thought as I stared out the window into the darkness.
A soft sound drew my attention, and I leaned around the corner. Jules stood in the middle of the hallway staring at the laundry chute. I tipped my head to one side, watching curiously as she opened the small door and peeked inside.
“What are you doing?”
She jumped at the sound of my voice, and the door slammed shut, the sharp crack of wood against wood filling the hallway.
“Oh! I...” She crossed her arms over her chest, and I could literally see her body quake where she stood. “I’m sorry. Curiosity got the best of me.”
Eyes locked on hers, I approached slowly until I was right in front of her. I tipped my chin at the small door as I pulled it open. “Ever heard of a laundry chute?”
She shook her head, then peered into the small, dark space. “What does it do?”