Page 5 of Finding Forever
“That wasn’t part of my agreement.”
Riley stopped petting Sherlock. “You’re leasing my grandparents’ cottage. The rooms at the back aren’t part of the original house.”
I knew they weren’t, but that didn’t mean I wanted a neighbor. Especially one I was attracted to. “That’s not the point. I came here for some peace and quiet.”
“You won’t know I’m here.”
I doubted anyone could live within a few feet of Riley and not know he was there. “How long are you staying?”
He glanced down at Sherlock, his fingers gently stroking the dog’s fur. “Three months at the most.”
I studied the black circles under his eyes. He looked exhausted, like he’d been through hell and back. When I signed the rental agreement, the realtor told me one of the owners was living overseas. What she didn’t tell me was that Riley was coming back.
“Where have you come from?”
“Venice.”
“Italy?”
Riley nodded. “I’m sorry this isn’t what you expected. I’m happy to call the hotels in town until we sort something out, but I don’t think they’ll have any rooms available. If I can’t stay here, I might have to sleep in my truck.”
I looked down at Sherlock. The traitor had wiggled his way closer to Riley’s legs. “You can’t sleep in your truck.”
“Does that mean you don’t mind me living next door?”
I had a feeling I might regret what I was about to say, but sleeping in a truck wasn’t an option. “It’s your cottage. As long as you respect my privacy, we’ll get along fine.”
Riley’s relieved smile made my stomach clench. That hadn’t happened in so long I wondered what was wrong with me.
“Thank you. You don’t know how much I appreciate being able to stay here.”
Riley might not be so thankful after I looked into his background. After everything that had happened, I didn’t need any more surprises.
five
ERIC
Later that night, I handed my friend Alex a cup of coffee. “Did you get the sound system installed?”
“I did. As long as it works tomorrow, I’ll be happy.”
Alex ran an IT consultancy business from Sunrise Bay. We met not long after I moved here and became good friends. He was a bit vague about what he did, but that was nothing new. Secrets were a big part of my life at the moment, too. He would tell me what he was doing when he was ready.
“Knowing you, the sound system will work perfectly,” I told him. “If you hadn’t mentioned to Jenny that you used to work in a theater company, you wouldn’t have been roped into helping.”
“I didn’t think she’d remember,” Alex grumbled. “Are you coming to the concert?”
I shook my head. “I need to get some writing done.”
“How will you find inspiration if you lock yourself away? You only leave the cottage when I drag you into town.”
“And what’s wrong with that?”
Alex smiled. “Nothing, but tickets are selling fast. I have it on good authority that no one should miss a Tim Evans concert.”
“Did those words of wisdom come from Jenny?”
“How did you guess?”