“Oh yeah.” I felt a bit hysterical, and my voice certainly was. “I’m fine and dandy. Just let the perp go.” I threw my hands in the air, exasperated by these men, this situation.
“He wasn’t an intruder. He has a key,” Grant said in a calm tone I could imagine him using with his daughter, Gwen. “Now that Ethan knows you’re here, I’m sure he won’t come back without talking to you first.”
“Who is he, and why does he have a key to my dad’s house?”
Grant let out a deep sigh. “A lot has changed since you last visited. Ethan helps—was helping—your dad with odd jobs. His place is parked out back.”
“Parked? As in…a trailer?”
“Don’t be such a snob,” he teased. “It’s a tiny house. And it’s actually pretty damn cool.”
I shook my head, sensing I was getting absolutely nowhere. I was too exhausted to push it further, but that didn’t mean I was going to let it go.
The other officer popped his head back in. “Hey, Grant.”
“Right. Yeah.” He turned back to me. “Sorry, Audrey. We need to head out. We happened to be in the area when I heard the address, but we’re on a different assignment. Are you sure you wouldn’t rather stay at our place?”
“I’ll be fine,” I said through gritted teeth. “And thanks for nothing.”
“You should get to know Ethan,” he said, heading for the door. “He’s a good guy. He and your dad were close.”
Pft.And for that reason alone, I’d steer clear of him. “Be safe,” I called just before the door shut.
And then it was quiet, the only sound the tick of the grandfather clock and the hum of the fridge. The hoot of a passing owl. My breathing, which was still ragged. My mind whirling.
What the fuck just happened? I spun around, trying to process everything.
I marched toward the back door and peered out into the dark night. In the distance, I could make out trees, the outline of something, the stars above. It was so very different from snowy Boston with its constant traffic and noise, movement. Out here, the silence was nearly deafening.
I was so…sotempted to stomp across the yard and tell Ethan to fuck off. But it didn’t matter. Before too long, he’d be gone and so would I. Because I’d sell this house and the land and kick his ass off it.
Tiny house? I scoffed. I bet he had a tiny dick.
I shook my head and turned away from the door. So dumb. My shoe collection alone wouldn’t fit in a tiny house.
Nor would your ego, my dad’s voice echoed off the walls of my memories, reverberating through my heart.
I huffed and shut off the light, heading for the stairs. Having an ego was a good thing—a normal thing, especially in my line of work. But my dad never understood, preferring small-town practice to the type of “soul-sucking”—his words, not mine—work I did.
I padded down the hall to my bedroom. Even though I hadn’t lived here in years, he’d left it unchanged. The metal headboard remained, as did all of my debate and horseback-riding medals. I smiled at an old picture of me atop my favorite horse—Shadow. It had been years since I’d done any riding or even thought about it, but it had once brought me so much joy. At least it had until that fateful day… My expression darkened, and I turned away from the pictures, the reminders. The sooner I could sell this place and move on, the better.
* * *
My computer chimed,alerting me to an incoming call. I blew out a breath, knowing Ben would keep calling if I didn’t answer. There was a reason he was known as “the bulldog” in our firm. He wouldn’t give up until he achieved his goal.
“Ben, hey.” I grabbed some files from the desk.
“Hey, Sunshine. How’s it going?” I rolled my eyes, but he continued on. “Ooh, nice digs. Give me a tour.”
I panned the computer around so he could see my dad’s office before returning it to me.
“A little traditional for my taste, but I bet you’ll make a killing. Looks like it’s in good condition.”
“It is,” I said, my chest puffing with pride. “You should see the claw-foot tub upstairs and the original hex tile. And the kitchen was recently updated.”
“Even better. What about everything else?”
“My dad made arrangements for his service, so that’s another thing off my list. I was just going through some of his client files to see what needs to be done with the practice.”
