by Jill Sanders
The look in her eyes changed from fear to interest. She sat up a little and nodded. “We’ll need to find out who’s here.” She glanced towards his open door. “Don’t criminals usually return to the scene?”
He nodded quickly, then without a word, walked out of the room to assess everyone who stood in the hallway.
There were employees he knew lived on the floor below them shuffling into the small hallway. Everyone was trying to get a glance at Lilly’s room and talking in low tones.
“Did you call the police?” he asked Heather.
“How is she?” She nodded towards his room.
His eyes moved towards his door. “Shaken.”
“I can stay with her if you want.”
“No, I’ve got her. I just wanted to make sure you called.”
“Yes, it might be a while. They have to cross on the ferry.”
He nodded. “We’ll be in there when they arrive.”
“I’ll let them know.”
“Oh, Heather, see if we can keep this away from the guests.”
“Of course.” She turned and clapped her hands.
“Alright, everyone. We can’t do anything else until the police arrive. Let’s all go back to our rooms.”
He walked back into his room. Lilly had taken his notepad from his desk and was sitting at the edge of the bed, writing names as she peeked out the door.
“Sounds like she has it under control,” Lilly said, biting her bottom lip. He could still see the fear, but it was outweighed by determination. “Who am I missing?” She handed him the pad and he jotted a few more names down. When he handed her the list again, she looked over it. “So, pretty much everyone who works on the island is in the hallway.” She frowned and leaned back against his headboard.
He walked over and sat next to her. “Lilly, are you okay?” He took the list from her and set it down on the edge of the bed, then once again took her hand in his.
“Yes,” she said, but he felt her hand shake in his. “Who would want to do this to me?” She rolled her shoulders.
“Well, we have about half an hour before the police get here; let’s go through the list.” He knew it might keep her mind occupied, so he picked up the list again and started at the top.
By the time the same two officers from the other night knocked on his door, they had narrowed the list down to two people.
“Evening.” The younger man, he now knew as Carl, leaned against the door jam. “Heard you had some more trouble out here.”
Adam stood up and reached down for Lilly’s hand. When she stood, she tucked her hands into her pockets.
“Yes.” She glanced at him and he noticed her eyes move over his chest. That was the first time he noticed that he had yet to put back on his shirt. Quickly grabbing his shirt, he pulled it over his head and followed them down the hallway towards her room.
For the next half an hour, she answered every question they had. He even had to answer a few once they realized he’d been the last one to be with her before discovering her room.
Heather was there as well and confirmed that she’d returned only a few minutes before they had. She hadn’t seen anyone or anything, which left them knocking on all the other employee’s doors to have them answer the same questions. The hour dragged on and by the time the police left, he could see that Lilly was completely drained.
“Why don’t you bunk with me tonight?” Heather chimed in. “Then we can worry about cleaning up tomorrow.” She wrapped her arm around Lilly’s shoulders.
“I… yes, that would be great.” He watched Lilly’s eyes dart towards her own door.
“Do you need anything?” He stepped forward.
“No.” She shook her head. “I was just wondering if it would be terrible if I just burned everything in there.” He saw her shiver.
“Come on, we’ll think about it tomorrow.” Heather ushered her towards her own door near the end of the hallway.
He watched the pair disappear, then turned towards her room and stepped into the darkness. He wasn’t done looking around. There had to be a clue somewhere as to who did this and why. Somewhere in this mess was the key to helping him protect the woman he was quickly falling in love with.
Chapter Five
It was almost too much for her to handle. Lilith sat on the edge of her bed and fought back the tears.
This small room had been the only home that had ever meant anything to her. And now… it felt violated.
She didn’t even want her favorite pair of sneakers, laying just outside her closet doors, let alone the clothes that had been tossed around the room.
She was thankful Adam had been there last night, but grateful that Heather offered to let her stay with her. It had taken all her willpower not to focus on Adam’s bare chest as they waited for the police to arrive.
At least focusing on him had taken her mind off of… this. She glanced around the destroyed room, not knowing where to start.
She had a handful of trash bags and started tossing everything she could into them. She planned on donating everything in town. Whoever had done this had touched everything, including, from the looks of it, eighty percent of her clothes.
When she glanced at the clock, she realized she had just under an hour before the first event of the day, a birthday party on the back lawn.
Heather had assured her that they could handle it without her, but since she was ninety percent done, she figured she’d shower and get dressed so she could help out.
When she walked down the stairs thirty minutes later, dressed in the same clothes she’d worn the day before, she was greeted by Heather.
“Nope!” Her friend crossed her arms over her chest. “You’d better head right back up those stairs.”
“I’m just going—”
“Going to head back upstairs,” Heather supplied.
“No. I’m done upstairs.” She sighed. “I need something to take my mind off… things.”
“What about a day on the mainland?” Heather suggested. “We really do have things under control here. Besides, something tells me you need to spend your last paycheck on some new clothes.” She nodded to her outfit.
Lilith looked down and sighed. “Yes, I could use some new things.” She thought about the mental list she’d made upstairs.
“Then go. Today we don’t need you, but tomorrow…” She rolled her eyes. “No skipping out.”
“The Tanner party.” She groaned. “Okay, I’m heading out now, but only because I can’t wear this”—she tapped her pants— “tomorrow.”
“Good.” Heather turned to go. “Oh, and while you’re at it, do something nice for yourself. You deserve it.” With that, her friend was gone.
Heather was a recent addition to East Haven. She’d only been there for a little over a year, but since arriving, the woman had been invaluable. Sarah had quickly promoted her to Events Coordinator.
Not a lot of people knew the woman’s past or where she’d come from, but Lilith had an in with the boss and had quickly become friends with the woman. Heather was a divorcee. Two times over. It was hard to believe, but Heather actually believed that she was addicted to marriage. Weddings, to be exact. Or so she said.
So, she’d decided that instead of picking husband number three, she’d arrange and enjoy other people’s special days.
The fact that they were the same age shocked her. She couldn’t imagine being married once at her age, let alone twice.
Heading back upstairs to gather her purse and the donation bags, she bumped solidly into Nate, Rodney’s grandson.
“Sorry.” She gripped the railing to keep from falling backwards as his hands wrapped around her waist.
“Oops,” he said and she instantly smelled cigarettes on his breath. She knew that Sarah had already reprimanded him for smoking outside of designated areas, in addition to a few other reasons. “Guess I better watch where I’m heading.” He chuckled, not releasing her.
The kid was tall, and when you added
the fact that he was a step above her, she had to crank her neck back just to look up at him.
“No problem.” She started to step down and away, but he only tightened his grip on her.
His blond hair somehow always looked greasy and was tied back with a thick leather strap. His blue eyes laughed at her as she tried once more to move away.
“Nate, I’m not going to fall backwards. You can let go of me now.”
“Are you sure you want me to?” His blue eyes roamed over her. “I heard there were some problems at your place last night.”
She tensed. “Yes, someone broke in.”
His eyes grew darker. “They didn’t hurt you, did they?”
“No.” She smiled. “I wasn’t there.”
“Good.” He nodded and dropped his hands. “Well, if you need someone to…” He dropped off.
“I’ll be fine. Thank you.” She moved aside and leaned against the wall as he stepped past her. She noticed that the sun had cleared up his pimpled face a little.
She wondered if the kid would ever have clear skin and thought about suggesting some products that would help, but bit her tongue instead.
She’d struggled when she’d been in her early teens. Thankfully, Sarah’s mother, Crystal, had shown her a homemade remedy that had cleared up her face. She still used the stuff. Which reminded her that she’d have to make a stop at Serenity’s Attic, Crystal’s store in town, to get some more, since her bottle had been smashed in last night’s break-in.
“Well, like I said, if you need someone…” His eyes moved over her again and she felt a shiver run up her spine.
“Thanks.” She waited until he disappeared down the hallway.
By the time she walked her old bike off the ferry and rode into town, she had a long list of things she needed. Deciding the best place to start would be Serenity’s Attic, she rode the quarter of a mile into Silver Cove and parked her bike in front of the hippy store.
She just loved this place. Most of the places in town looked the same. Boring. But Serenity’s Attic was candy for the eyes with bright colors, designs, and lights covering every inch of the outside.
When she stepped into the shop, a bell rang overhead and she couldn’t stop the smile as the smells hit her. Here, too, her senses were entertained. Everything from vanilla to jasmine.
“Lilith.” Crystal rushed out from behind the counter, her long hair and dress flowing around her. “Carl was in here earlier and told me about what happened.” She was wrapped in a tight hug. “Are you okay?” The woman smelled better than her store and it felt so great to be wrapped in her motherly arms.
Sarah’s mother could have easily been on the cover of any popular magazine. Clean, hippie living had made Crystal look more like Sarah’s sister. Lilith hoped she would look that good when she hit her forties. Her skin was flawless and she was sure there wasn’t a wrinkle on the woman’s body, nor an ounce of fat. Crystal taught the local yoga classes, which could account for the toned muscles holding her now.
“I’m fine. Really. Just desperate to replace everything I own.” She slumped her shoulders slightly.
“Well, then you’ve come to the right place. Sarah has four boxes of things she was going to have me donate. You’re welcome to go through them. If you want.”
“Really?” She thought about being able to hold onto most of her paycheck to help pay for the replacement laptop she knew she had to buy. “That would be great.”
“Good, the boxes are still in her rooms. You’re welcome to head over there. If you need, Rowan can deliver whatever you want.” She nodded out towards her bike.
“Again, thank you.” She hugged the woman again.
“That’s what family does.” Crystal patted her back. “Now, what else do you need?”
Fifteen minutes later, Lilith pulled her bike up to the huge house a few blocks away. She parked her bike and frowned down at the large box of items she’d gotten for a steal. Obviously, Crystal had given her the family discount, since the things she’d purchased would have normally run her in the hundreds, but she’d walked out for a little over fifty dollars.
Which had, of course, made her eyes water the entire trip to Crystal and Sarah’s house. The place had been in their family for generations and was one of the best and biggest homes in Silver Cove.
Some people in town speculated that the old place was haunted, but Lilith knew better, since she’d spent her first year in Silver Cove living under the roof.
Walking up the stairs, she reached for the handle, only to have it yanked open.
“My aunt called.” Rowan frowned down at her as his eyes ran over her slowly. “You okay?” He took her shoulders and pulled her into a hug.
“Yes,” she said against his chest and felt a tear slide down her nose. “Really. It was just my stuff.”
He pulled back and looked into her eyes. “Do you think…” He dropped off his sentence, then glanced around outside and quickly pulled her into the foyer, shutting the massive front door behind him. “Do you think that it could be someone from your past?”
Her heart literally did a flip. She hadn’t even thought of that possibility. She felt her breathing hitch and then she was once again being carried.
“Hey.” She heard Rowan’s voice at the end of the tunnel. “Easy, breathe.” He set her down on the sofa and pushed her head between her knees. “Slow. Easy slow breaths.”
Closing her eyes, she followed his instructions.
“I didn’t mean to scare you,” he said after she’d gotten her breathing and heart back to a normal rate.
Shaking her head, she leaned back and rested against the soft cushions. “No, I should have thought…”
“I suppose it’s not possible.”
“No,” she agreed. “Not possible.”
“It was probably someone just looking for some stuff to fence,” he added. His hand was brushing her shoulder, trying to get her to relax, but it was doing the opposite.
Standing up, she wrapped her arms around herself and walked over to the massive fireplace. The hearth was empty now, but she could close her eyes and remember the warmth she’d felt that first night so many years ago. The first time she’d ever felt the kindness of another human.
“It can’t be,” she whispered, praying it was the truth.
***
Adam watched Lilly get out of Rowan’s car and felt his shoulders slump. He’d never worked so hard to gain the attention of a woman before. Nor had he ever felt the pain he felt now, seeing the other man help her out of his car, holding her hand and taking her into a light hug.
He tried to tell himself it was just a brotherly hug, but his jealousy got the better of him and he flew across the yard towards the couple.
“I’m sure I can carry everything…” Lilly was saying as he approached.
“Are you okay, Lilly?” Adam broke in as he stopped a foot from the other man, who instantly took a step back.
“I’m fine,” Lilly answered as she frowned at him. “Rowan was just helping me—”
“Heather said you went into town. You should have let me know—”
“So you could what?” She crossed her arms over her chest. “Skip out on work and go clothes shopping with me?”
He cringed then glanced at Rowan, who just smiled and shrugged at him like he wasn’t going to offer any help. “I’ll just get those boxes out of my trunk.” Rowan disappeared behind his car.
“I was worried about you.” He moved closer and placed his hands gently on her shoulders. He saw her eyes turn soft.
“I’m fine. Especially since I have a whole new wardrobe and all new toiletries.” Her smile grew. “Now if my fairy godmother would zap me a new Mac, I’d be in heaven.”
“I don’t know about anything new, but I have an old PC you can borrow.” She cringed at his offer.
“I’m kind of a Mac person.”
He laughed. “Sorry, maybe it will do until you can find a replacement.”
“I’ll take
it.” She turned to Rowan, then glanced back at him. “Now, who wants to help me carry all these upstairs?”
“I’ll help you carry them, but the dinner rush is about to start, so you’ll have to unload them all yourself.” He walked over and took a box from Rowan’s trunk. “Thanks,” he whispered to the other man.
“Anytime.” He nodded back. “I can help. I’m not on shift at the hospital until ten.”
“I thought you were opening your own clinic?” Lilith asked as she walked over and took a large brown bag from the trunk.
“I am; the doors open next month. But until then, I’m volunteering at the hospital in Freeport.” Rowan shifted a box so he could add another to his arms.
Suddenly Adam felt like an underachiever. He knew he was doing what he was meant to in life, but still he heard his father’s voice in the back of his mind, nagging at him. His entire body tensed and he felt his jaw tighten.
Then Lilly’s hand rested on his arms and his mind went blank. “Thanks for helping.” It came out as a whisper and he could see she was still fighting off the tears. He figured no words were needed. Especially since he didn’t know what to say and didn’t think he could handle seeing her eyes fill with hurt and pain again if he said the wrong thing.
He helped Rowan carry several boxes up to her room. She had cleared everything out, including the broken chair. When he walked back into the kitchen, he felt a little more settled. Maybe it was because he knew Lilly was up in her room happily unpacking, or maybe it was because she’d shown a hint of kindness towards him for the first time. Either way, that evening’s shift seemed to fly by.
On his way back to his room, he stopped by and, seeing the light under her door, he knocked.
When she opened the door, he felt his mouth water. Her hair was piled on top of her head in a messy bun, and several strands had fallen loose around her face. She was wearing a pair of gray sweat shorts and an old Boston University T-shirt that looked like it had spent too much time in the wash.
“Hey,” she said, leaning against her door. “How’d dinner go?”
“Fine.” His eyes roamed behind her, surprised that she still had plenty of unpacking to do.
