“You didn’t have to. I can tell exactly what you two are up to, perched at the bar, making your plans for the summer like horny vultures. It’s written all over your faces.” She pointed her index and ring fingers at both of them with judgment. Hopping off the bar, she dug some cash out of her pocket and dropped a fifty-dollar bill on the bar before dragging her giant suitcase behind her, leaving as dramatically as she had arrived.
Donovan grinned like he’d just watched his favorite team win the World Series.
I think I’m in love.
6
Riley
If that’s what Port Henry had to offer in the way of local hospitality, I won’t be staying long. What a couple of creeps.
Riley stormed back out of the Rusty Scupper, the taste of tequila still in her mouth. Thinking that was probably not the best of ideas, she pulled a bottle of water out of her laptop bag and took a long drink. Annabeth had offered to make travel arrangements—well, she’d offered to have her assistant make travel arrangements for her—but her pride made her say she’d take care of it herself. The truth was, the lawyer’s office, and the overflow of information and building emotions, made her feel trapped, so she took her envelope of cash and went back home as quickly as she could to pack and get herself to the Port.
By car, and with no traffic, it was only a ninety-minute ride, but Riley didn’t drive. She knew how to, but had no use for a car in the city, so she opted to take the train. Once she arrived in the Port, she wasn’t quite ready to see Bernard again, or to meet this dog that was so damn important to Jameson. Why would he think I’d want that responsibility? She groaned to herself.
Now, she was stranded outside the restaurant and needed to get a ride to the house. She looked at the map on her phone to see if it was within walking distance, and it appeared to be just a mere half a mile away. Twenty blocks was about a mile in the city, so she decided walking the half mile would be easy enough, even if she was dragging a suitcase behind her.
After she’d been walking for around ten minutes, a black SUV pulled up next to her and rolled down its tinted window. Oh God, what now?
“Need a lift?” the stranger called out.
Neither stopping nor making eye contact, she shouted, “No thanks. I’m good.”
The SUV continued to drive at a snail’s pace alongside her, giving her the distinct sense someone needed a proper New York City blow off. What is it with this town?
“Listen, I’m sorry about my friend. You’re obviously new in town, he didn’t mean to be as creepy as he was.”
Oh great, the other hot guy from the bar is now following me. This is how you end up on Dateline after they find your body in the woods.
“And you don’t think following me down the street in your tricked out Escalade is creepy at all?” she snarled back and stared at him through her sunglasses.
He gave her a half-smile and nodded. “Fair enough. I can assure you I’m not a creep. My name is Donovan. Donovan Hunter.”
Riley’s patience was nearing its breaking point with these strangers, and introducing himself on the side of the road from his fancy car didn’t make him any less annoying or strange. “Well, Donovan Hunter, I do not need a ride. Thank you for your offer.”
She turned away and got back to her walk. A quick glance at her phone revealed she was only a block or two away from her destination and while she was getting hot in the sun, she was damned sure not taking a ride from a stranger. She could make it a couple more blocks on pride alone.
He continued to keep pace with her for another moment before asking again, “Are you sure I can’t give you a lift? That suitcase looks heavy.” His tone was kind and he was right, the suitcase was heavy. Riley had thrown a rather random assortment of clothing and things she thought she might need into it with little thought of how much it would weigh.
“I’m sure. But thanks again. I’m almost where I need to be.”
“You’re not gonna tell me where that is, are you?” He laughed, seeming to enjoy the banter they were having on the side of the road.
“No, I’m not.”
“Well, I hope to see you again…” He paused, she presumed to imply he wanted her name.
“Uh, okay, Donovan Hunter. See ya around.” She half-waved, continuing to avoid eye contact as she moved toward her destination.
He rolled the window up and did a U-turn in the middle of the street, heading in the opposite direction. Riley shook her head and muttered to herself, What the fuck have I gotten myself into?
Lugging the suitcase along the side of the road turned out to be a bit more arduous than Riley expected and she’d wished she called for a taxi or a rideshare by the time Donovan had offered her a ride. She’d even considered accepting his offer briefly, but thought better of it when her city stranger meter kicked in. It probably would have been perfectly fine, but I’m not here to make friends.
Finally, she arrived at Jameson’s address. The house was exactly what she had expected. From the exterior, you could see floor-to-ceiling windows and a giant chandelier in the foyer. It was painted a pale blue befitting the landscape, and had stark white shutters. It was pristine but also gave the vibe that it was comfortable inside. As she ventured down the last stretch of driveway, the door flew open and before she knew what hit her, a massive dog jumped up on her and was licking her face.
“Oh my God!” she cried out as she tumbled to the ground. The dog must have thought she was playing because he stood on top of her, practically crushing her ribs while continuing to bathe her in spit. As she tried to cover her face to make him stop, she heard Bernard’s voice.
“Scrappy! That’s enough!” he bellowed.