Chapter 36

RILEY

As I walked downstairs the next morning, I run my hand along the banister. For some reason, I thought Alex's home would be a small cabin in the middle of a forest. The only thing I was right about was the forest.

When we arrived, it was too dark to see much. But I knew from the pitch of the roof and the wide veranda that the house was much larger than I'd imagined.

Once we got inside, I was blown away by the rustic grandeur of the design. With its sweeping staircase, moose antler chandelier, and polished wooden floors, the house wrapped me in its warmth and made me feel at home.

Alex walked out of the living room and smiled. "How did you sleep?"

"Better than I thought. Your home is amazing."

"The original cabin was an eighteen-foot by twelve-foot room. I barely survived my first winter."

My eyes widened. "When did you build this house?"

"Last summer. It was a logistical nightmare. We had to make sure the house was watertight before winter hit. We were lucky that a forecasted storm never made it as far as Sunrise Bay. We had so many delays that I never thought we'd finish."

"I'm glad you kept going. Everything's perfect."

"You're more than welcome to explore the rest of the house. And when you're ready for breakfast, the kitchen's that way." Alex pointed to a wide doorway at the end of the hallway. "There's cereal, toast, and pancakes waiting for you."

"Pancakes?"

"Your mom has been busy. She was telling me about Sunrise Bay when she was younger. It was completely different."

I remembered the stories about covered wagon trips, rodeos, and playing music around campfires with Granddad and Grandma. "It was a much simpler life. No computers, no Internet, and no social media."

"There goes my job," Alex said, although he didn't seem too upset about it. "I'm heading outside. If you're looking for Eric, he's in the garage."

"Thanks." Instead of heading toward the kitchen, I opened a door a few steps away. The garage was big enough to hold four vehicles. Having extra room during the winter would come in handy, especially if the house was surrounded by six feet of snow.

Eric's head was under the raised hood of a vintage truck. Its shiny red paint and chrome grill gleamed under the fluorescent lights. "The engine looks great," he said. "I can't believe you found a 1948 Chevy in Billings."

When I didn't reply, Eric looked over his shoulder. Our eyes connected and a tingle of awareness shot through me.

"Sorry. I thought you were Alex."

I smiled and moved closer to the truck. Some days it felt as though I was walking on an emotional tightrope. One slip and I'd fall into the beginning of a relationship that wouldn't be good for either of us.

"I didn't want to surprise you in case you bumped your head on the hood." The thick sheet of metal would have been okay, but Eric would have had a headache for a few hours.

Eric picked up a rag and wiped his hands. His eyes skimmed over my shorts and T-shirt, then returned to my face. "You look summery."

Prickles of awareness heated me from the inside out. "It's a hot day. What are you doing?"

"Alex bought this truck a few weeks ago, but I haven't had a chance to see it. I didn't want to wake you, so I took a look after breakfast."

"I don't usually sleep for so long."

"With all that's happened, you would have been exhausted."

I nodded. "Where's Sherlock?"

"In the kitchen with your mom. There must be something about the Murphy genes that makes him happy. I had to bribe him to go for a walk with me."

"Mom and I are a novelty. Once this is over, he'll be happy to go anywhere with you."

Eric's smile disappeared. "Only if you leave. As long as we're living beside each other, he'll want to spend time with you."

I looked at the truck's engine. I'd never promised him I'd stay; in fact, I'd told him the opposite. His life was in Brooklyn, and I didn't want to live anywhere near a big city.

I lifted my eyes to Eric's serious face. "I haven't told Mom everything about the stalker."

"I guessed as much. I half expected her to take you back to Indianapolis with her."

"She wants to, but I'm staying in Sunrise Bay."

Eric crossed his arms. "I don't want you to get hurt. The stalker's looking for me, not you."

"We're living on opposite sides of the same house. If the stalker did break into the cottage, he's already found both of us. Have you called your agent to let him know we're here?"

"Not yet. I called Kevin from the NYPD and Russell Jameson in Broomfield. The rest of the world still thinks we're at the cottage. As of seven o'clock this morning, no one had posted anything on social media about either of us."

"I guess that's a good thing."

Eric ran his hand around the back of his neck. "I really am sorry about everything. I didn't think any of this would happen."

"I know you didn't."

The garage door opened and Sherlock pushed his way around Mom.

"There you are," Mom said. "I thought I heard voices coming from the garage. Are you ready for breakfast, Riley?"

"I am." I sniffed the air and sighed. "Did you make apple pie pancakes?"

"How did you guess?"

"I can smell the cinnamon and mixed spice. It's making my tummy rumble."

"You'd better come through to the kitchen, then. What about you, Eric? The coffeepot's still hot."

"Sounds good," Eric said from behind us. "We can work out what we're doing today while Riley's eating breakfast."

I patted Sherlock's head, trying to get the sense of impending danger out of my system. I was overreacting to what happened yesterday, that's all. But somewhere, deep inside, I knew something was about to happen. It's just a pity I didn't know who would be involved.