Page 25 of No Good Deed

He realized that instead of making her feel better, his explanation had freaked her out a little. “No. It’s generally a very safe community.” This was not the time to tell her about all the incidents involving the people at Midnight Lake. Those problems had all followed them here, anyway.

He explained his role in the business. “I enjoy learning the alarm stuff and like to tweak things to make them better. It’s fun.”

That made her smile. “Nice to have a hobby that keeps you and your friends and family safe. I’m looking forward to meeting the rest of your friends.”

Warmth spread through him at that comment. He wanted her to meet his friends as well. He wanted her to like them. To maybe find a way she could fit in here in Phail.

Troy shook his head mentally. He’d known her for a couple of days and he was thinking in terms of forever. But he couldn’t stop his imagination from going there, from seeing them together and happy way down the road.

He led her down the short hallway. “This is the guest bedroom. Clean sheets are on the bed, and you can use this bathroom. I’ve got my own, so this one’s all yours. My room’s right there. Just knock if you need anything. Or text. Hell, it’s a small house. Just say my name and I’m sure I’ll hear you.”

She smiled and peeked into the guest room. He moved to close the curtains before anyone spotted her from outside. “The curtains are room darkening for when my parents come home to visit. They’ll make it more difficult for anyone outside to tell if there’s a light on.”

She nodded again. Oreo’s footsteps clicked on the hardwood as he approached from the kitchen. “You’ve got a really nice home here. Thank you for allowing us to invade.”

He grinned at that. “Feel free to invade as long as you like.”

A pretty flush covered her cheeks, and her eyes twinkled as she smiled back.

Troy wanted to follow her into the room and into the bed. Instead, he stepped back. “Do you want something to drink? I have some decaf teas.”

“I’d like that. Thank you.”

“You get settled. I’ll get the tea.” He backed away from the room and forced his feet to the kitchen. She’d been through a hell of a day, and needed to relax. While a bout of hot and sweaty sex would be relaxing, it probably wasn’t what she really needed. The tea would have to do.

After putting the kettle on the stove, he moved to the living room and closed those curtains as well. When he heard Oreo and Piper heading back, he asked. “Spicy chai or lemon-ginger?”

“Both sound great. Whichever you’re having.”

He set the infusers into the mugs and brought them into the living room. He gestured at the couch and took one end. She took the other and he placed her mug on the coffee table. “Tansy says to let it steep for about two minutes for the best flavor.”

She nodded and scooped Oreo into her lap. The dog turned in a circle a few times and then settled in. Piper stroked her hand over his head and down his body. Lucky dog.

Troy took the infusers out of the tea and put them on a saucer, then picked up his mug and leaned back into the couch. “So, how are you really doing?”

Piper huffed out a laugh that didn’t contain any humor. “It’s been an interesting few days. When I left Chicago, I didn’t have any thoughts about being the target of someone who thinks I have something they want. I didn’t really believe your town was named Phail. And my biggest worry was being homeless and jobless in two weeks’ time.”

Hell. That didn’t sound good at all. “You can stay here as long as you like, Piper. No rent. Just stay until you figure out what you want to do next.”

Her eyes widened. “You don’t know me.”

He grinned. “I know enough. I researched you when I was deciding which planner to hire. Every last thing about you online is positive. You may not have any social media sites, but many of the people and groups you’ve helped have mentioned you on their own social media feeds.”

“Really?”

“Really. Your work has made a positive impact on many people.”

“Wow. Thank you. I never look at social media.”

Probably because she hadn’t had a lot of time. From everything she’d said, she worked almost all the time. “We’ll figure out what this guy wants and stop him. We’ll have to be patient and let Marcus do his job. In the meantime, you and Oreo are perfectly safe here.”

She smiled at him as she patted the dog. “That’s another thing I didn’t know before I arrived. Two things, I guess.”

“What’s that?”

“I didn’t know I’d find it so easy to make new friends. And I didn’t know I’d have a dog.”

Troy laughed. “There’s something about Phail that often changes things for the better.”

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