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But still.
She’s going to have to get past Juliet being a Capelli. Because this time I’m not letting her go. For Poppy or anyone.
The sun’s starting to sink low in the sky when we finally pull into Peachtree Grove. One road runs straight through town: Main Street. This place is tiny, small-town USA, complete with one stoplight.
“You have a game plan?” Juliet glances over at me, a brow arched high.
“Not really. Rome printed out some documents and legal info, plus a photo of Lacey McCauliffe. Seems like she has a bunch of relatives in town from her adoptive family, so probably won’t be too hard to track her down. Figured we’d find someplace to stay the next few nights, then go from there.”
“Doesn’t seem like there’s gonna be a Marriott in town.”
She has a point as I scour both sides of the road, searching for anything that resembles a hotel or motel. Any place with a flashing “Vacancy” sign.
“Maybe I should have done a little more research.” I slow the truck to a crawl, noting a diner, a few shops, a mom-and-pop grocery. But not a motel in sight.
“Looks like there’s a bed-and-breakfast nearby. We could try there.” She holds the phone out for me to see, then punches the address into the GPS. “Turn right.”
I follow her directions, pulling up to a white two-story clapboard house with a wide wraparound porch.
“Cute. Hopefully they have a room.”
“Yeah. Because the next town’s about thirty minutes away. And I’m too damn old to sleep in the truck.”
20
KING
We make our way up the steps, and I open the door for Juliet. The clean scent of lemon hits me as soon as we step inside. There’s an old-fashioned-looking desk shoved up against the wooden staircase. A gray-haired woman’s sitting in a chair next to the desk, knitting. She glances up at us when we walk in.
“Welcome to the Grove, y’all! What can I do ya for?” She pauses her knitting, needles poised.
I stride across the room toward her, nod a hello.
“We’re in town for a few nights and need a place to stay. Do you have any rooms available?”
“You’re in luck. The Magnolia Room’s ready to go. Y’all in town for something special?” Her eyes flick from me to Juliet, taking us in. I shove a hand in my pocket, not sure what to say.
Juliet pipes up. “We’re on a little vacation. Just a quick getaway.”
“Oh, how nice for you. Romantic!” She claps her hands, her face breaking into a wide smile. “Murphy! Guests!” she hollers over her shoulder, and an older man shuffles in. He’s wearing a long-sleeved white button-down tucked into pressed khakis, the pants held up with black suspenders.
“Murphy, please take these kids upstairs to the Magnolia Room.” She waves toward the staircase, and he grunts in her direction.
“Fine, fine.” Without saying a word to either me or Juliet, he pivots and marches up the stairs, not worrying if we’re following behind.
“Right quick, before I forget. Continental breakfast is set out at eight every morning. If you want something heartier, I highly suggest the diner down the road. After you’re settled, come back down and I’ll get you the keys. One for the front door, the other for your room. Me and Murphy usually retire around nine, but you kids are welcome to stay out as late as you want. Not that there’s a whole lot of nightlife around here.” She shrugs, shoulders rising halfway up her neck.
“Thank you, ma’am. We appreciate the hospitality.” I tip my hat at her; then Juliet and I trot up the stairs.
As we make our way up, Juliet reaches for my hand, her fingers sliding through mine. My heart does a weird stutter thing, and I vaguely wonder if I should get that checked out back home.
Murphy’s already all the way up the stairs, standing in the airy hallway outside the last door on the right. There’s one other bedroom up here, along with a small hall bath. A picture window lets light in at the end of the hall and overlooks a small but tidy backyard.
“This is the Magnolia Room.” Murphy turns the brass knob. The door groans and creaks, not budging. “Well, fiddlesticks. I thought I fixed this up,” he mutters, shaking his head. He presses his shoulder to the door.
The tall white door still doesn’t move.
“Mind if I try?” I ask.
