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Wait…what was I thinking? I groaned inwardly. The woman had a husband, she’d go to him first with any questions or concerns, and they’d figure it out together. Ainsley didn’t need my help.
I pressed the door chime and waited, rehearsing the reason I would give to explain my unexpected visit.
I was about to ring the bell again when the door opened a crack. Ainsley peeked out, her red hair curling around her heart-shaped face. “Sheriff?”
Recognizing me, she opened the door wider, but her expression read pure confusion.
“Sorry to bother you…you can call me Logan by the way, but I wanted to make sure you’d gotten home okay. Visibility is pretty poor with the weather tonight, and the roads out here aren’t very good anyway. Plus, there are other things to worry about. I didn’t want to take a chance that something had happened to you on your way home from the hospital.”
Ainsley smiled. “That’s really kind of you…Logan. I appreciate you looking out for me. That’s more than I can say for…”
All of a sudden, I heard what sounded like a stampede of elephants approaching and then Edward appeared at Ainsley’s side…on his hands and knees. He took one look at me and growled like a rabid dog.
What the hell?
Ainsley laughed shrilly. “Don’t mind him. This is Edward, my husband. He’s just horsing round. He’s a real jokester, aren’t you honey?”
From the way the man sneered and bared teeth, it didn’t seem like he was joking to me. Then again, what did I know? Perhaps the guy had an unusual sense of humor.
“I’ve never been inside this place before,” I said, stepping forward. “Pretty sure I’ve visited nearly every residence in Hideaway Hills except for this one. Show me around?”
Ainsley’s eyes widened. “Um…okay.”
I followed her into the small entry way while Edward watched me like a hawk.
“Hey buddy,” I said, “I’m Logan Grey, I’m the sheriff here in town. Just wanted to welcome you folks to the community.”
Edward stood up and held out his hand. He looked a lot paler in real life than in the photos posted on social media. Maybe he had a cold or flu bug or something. I grasped his hand, anyway, making a mental note to wash my hands as soon as possible; the brief shake we exchanged was more like a death grip; his skin was ice-cold. Dude should get into a hot shower, pronto.
“That’s nice,” said Ainsley, observing us.
“Marriage is a bitch,” Edward announced flatly.
Ainsley gasped.
“Bro, your wife’s standing right here,” I said.
He turned to face her. “Ashley, right?”
Ainsley turned as red as a beet. “I can’t believe I ever married you, you no-good, cheating louse!”
“Perhaps I didn’t come at a good time after all?” I was astounded at what I was hearing. None of this made any sense. What type of guy would marry a woman like Ainsley and then cheat on her?
“We’re having some problems in our marriage,” Ainsley explained, twisting her fingers. “Maybe I should show you out.”
She began to usher me back towards the door. Behind her, Edward let out a low whistle and smacked her on the ass. “I like big butts and I cannot lie!”
“Oh. My. God.” Ainsley grimaced and quickly stepped onto the porch after me, closing the door behind her with a snap.
“I am so sorry,” she said, rubbing her butt gingerly. “This is absolutely mortifying.”
“Listen,” I said, lowering my voice. “I’m a little worried about you, given what I saw in there. Your husband isn’t hurting you, is he?”
“No,” Ainsley said, her cute little nose scrunching up.
“You know, you don’t have to stay with a guy even if he’s not actually hitting you. If he’s cheating, or not treating you with the love and respect you deserve, or even if you’re simply not happy in the marriage, there are ways out.” I was certain she knew all of this already, but I couldn’t help telling her anyway. For some reason I felt very protective of her. At the same time, the whole situation struck me as bizarre, and I couldn’t make heads or tails of it.
“Thank you,” Ainsley replied, laying a hand on my forearm. Her touch was so gentle, I wanted to pull her into my arms more than anything but held myself back.
