Page 28 of No Good Deed

They either ate their evening meal at the B&B or heated something from the diner. But tonight, Piper said she was ready to talk to him about her ideas, and he wanted something different from take-away. When Marcus was in the back office and able to watch over the store, Troy popped over to Phail Phoods and picked up what he’d need for a pasta dinner. When he returned, Marcus handed Nico Rivera a package that had come in for him that morning. Nico was a former FBI profiler, another of the Midnight Lake team.

“Any more incidents with Piper or her vehicle?” Nico asked.

Troy shook his head. “Nothing. We’ve got her car in my garage, out of sight. And we’ve been careful, so she’s never alone outside.”

Nico frowned. “That sucks for her. How’s she coping?”

Troy shrugged. “Pretty well. She’s excited about the job, and plans to share some of her ideas with me tonight.”

Nico nodded. “Keep your eyes open. If this guy followed her from Chicago, he’s not giving up easily. We’d have noticed any strangers hanging around, so he’s smart enough to lie low. Probably monitoring things from a distance somehow. Did you sweep her car for a tracking device?”

“Marcus found one and disabled it. I figure the jackass is waiting for her to be alone before he tries something else.”

“So, we make sure she’s never alone.”

Troy leaned against the counter and frowned at his friend. “She’s been working at my house during the day with all the security in place. I thought she’d be safe there, but besides her dog, she is alone.”

Marcus frowned. “Your place is as secure as Midnight Lake, and it’s only a few minutes away. But we all know that shit happens despite our best precautions.”

Nico nodded again. “It sure as hell does.”

The team at Midnight Lake had all been through nightmares in the past year. Even the best security had vulnerabilities in the face of a determined criminal. “I wish we could figure out what this guy wants. That would make things a whole lot easier.”

Nico agreed. “Has she gone through her computer files? If she has as little as you’ve seen, it’s possible it’s information she knows or has that this guy thinks is dangerous.”

“She said she did a few times. She doesn’t keep much on her laptop.” He didn’t say it out loud, but her laptop was old and likely didn’t have much storage.

The landline in the deputy’s office rang, so Marcus headed out. “Let me know if I can help.”

Nico tapped the package he’d picked up. “What about her friends from Chicago? Has anyone been contacting her more than normal? Any of them seem tense or asking if she’s returning?”

Troy grinned. “Handy having a profiler as a friend. I haven’t asked any of those questions. She’s never talked with or texted anyone while with me.”

Nico smiled back. “Which is a lot of the time. How’s that going?”

Troy bit back a sigh. “She’s only here temporarily.”

Nico grinned. “Are you sure? I know a few people who only planned on being here temporarily, including me. Turn up the charm, Epic.”

It was no longer weird hearing his army nickname from Nico. He’d worked with the team from Midnight Lake often enough. They’d heard it from Marcus and picked it up. With a last name like Phail, he could have had a lot worse call signs. Although when people put epic fail together, it was good for a few laughs.

Which reminded him to send yet another email to his other Army buddies. He’d been caught up with Piper and the town stuff, but that was no excuse to stop pestering them to come to Phail.

When there was a lull in the store, he sent a text to Sean Falcone. Hey Falcon. Why don’t you head up this way and stay for a few weeks? It’s closing in on Christmas and I have plenty of room.

Well, that was an exaggeration. He had one spare room, and it was currently occupied. He’d prefer if Piper moved into his room, but they hadn’t taken things that far. They’d shared several spectacular kisses, but not a lot more.

At first, it felt weird, like an employee and employer thing. But they’d become friends. Good friends. They’d spent a ton of time together since she’d arrived and Troy knew he wanted more. A long-term more.

But he wouldn’t push her if she felt weird about him paying her. They were more than halfway through her planned time here. It was a challenge to keep his hands off her when she looked at him with desire flaming right back at him.

He’d never felt this kind of connection with a woman, and the more he got to know Piper, the more he wanted her, in a forever kind of way.

Unable to stop himself, he closed the store an hour earlier than usual. He put the Closed sign in the window asking customers to text him if they needed something before morning. People rarely did, but if someone needed a plunger, he was only a few blocks away.

Then he grabbed the food he’d bought and headed home.

To Piper.

---