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The dog obeyed, excitingly wagged her tail, and then headed back down the hallway and into the room with the open double doors.
“Sorry.” I let go of his muscular arm. “She’s a big dog.”
“She’s a gentle girl.” He nodded to the second door on the right. “You can stay in here.”
He opened the door and switched on the light, revealing the most beautiful bedroom I had ever seen. The spacious room was bigger than some apartments I’d lived in. It could have been featured in a magazine or on HGTV.
Light brown accents in the curtains and throw pillows accentuated the soft and neutral tones throughout the room. The hardwood floors matched the wood trim of the baseboards and the crown molding. It smelled of crisp linens. Everything was so clean.
“Is it up to your standards?” Jude asked.
“It’s, ah, it’s lovely.” I pushed the hair from my face, suddenly feeling too grubby to sleep here.
“The bathroom is through that door.” He motioned across the room. “There are fresh towels and some toiletries I thought you might need. There’s also something to sleep in.”
“How did you know to prepare a room for me?”
“A hunch.”
“Are you psychic?”
When he rubbed his hand along his neatly trimmed beard and smiled, he appeared less frightening, but I was smart enough to know there was a catch.There’s always a catch.
“Why are you doing this?” I fidgeted with the strap on my backpack. “What’s in it for you?”
“Sleep well, Emmie.”
He closed the door on his way out, leaving me alone to speculate on his motivation for helping me. Unfortunately, every scenario I ran through my head didn’t end well for me.
Chapter 4
Jude
My restless night left me unsettled when the early morning sun made an appearance. The lack of sleep and the ten-mile run I embarked on this morning would make for a long day. I had already showered, and then answered some emails while sitting on the patio.
When I entered the kitchen through the back door, Luke drank his coffee at the center counter. He lived in a cottage located on the property so he could be close when I needed him. Grace, my long-time friend and housekeeper, tended to the muffins she had freshly baked.
“There you are,” Luke said. “Did you go for a longer run today?”
“I needed to clear my head.” A certain houseguest had been on my mind. “Smells delicious in here, Grace.”
“Cranberry walnut muffins.” She smiled as she set a mug of coffee in front of me. “Can I make you breakfast?”
“Eggs and bacon, please.” I gazed up at the back staircase. “Where is Sasha?”
“She plopped herself in front of the guest bedroom door,” Grace said. “Should I prepare breakfast for your guest?”
“Let her sleep for a while.” I took my coffee and headed to the study. “Luke, do you have anything for me?”
“I do.” He followed me down the hall. “The associates that I reached out to early this morning came through.”
“What did they have to say?” I opened the patio doors in my study to let the cool, autumn breeze flow through before taking a seat at the table in the corner of the room. “Join me.”
Luke sat across from me, setting his cup of coffee in front of him. “Emmie was telling the truth when she said her father owed money. She was also being honest when she said they were after her.”
“I didn’t think she was lying about that.” I sipped my coffee. “Who is the debt owed to?”
“Caleb Myers.”
