Page 18 of How I Love You

I smiled at how different my sisters were when it came to their protective instincts. Aubree’s face was all concern and sympathy, looking like she was seconds away from hugging me and petting my hair. But Laney? She was ready to sic the family goat on the jerks who were giving me trouble. I loved both reactions.

“I don’t see her as much as him—thank goodness. But I’m pretty sure she tried to poison me the other day.”

“Uh, what now?”

Laney looked around, but not as if looking for a person. “That settles it. Where’s Gertie?”

We all laughed as I went on. “She brought in cookies, and when I went to grab one, she tried to tell me which one to take. She was blinkin’ all innocently and smilin’ bigger than a Cheshire Cat.”

“What did you do?” Rory asked.

“I didn’t wind up takin’ any of them. I didn’t need a cookie that badly. I just high-tailed it out of there.”

“I’m sure it wasn’t poisoned. If anything, maybe that one fell on the floor,” she mused. “That’s how I’d write it, anyway.”

“Well, that must be it, then,” I agreed with a laugh.

Laney leaned in, her eyes twinkling. “Speakin’ of Gertie, did y’all hear she followed Mr. Tall, Dark, and Mysterious from the police station back to the B&B?”

I blinked in surprise. “What?”

Laney nodded, unable to hold back her grin. “Yep. Mrs. Abernathy said she saw Gertie trailin’ behind him like a little shadow, right down Main Street. And then get this—she sat herself down right outside like she was fixin’ to keep tabs on him wherever he went.”

“Oh, bless his heart,” Aubree said, laughing softly. “Did he know? I mean, he had to, right?”

“I don’t know, but word got back to Momma pretty quick, so she sent Phoebe to go pick Gertie up,” Laney added.

I shook my head, unable to stop the smile tugging at my lips. “Well, that tracks. Gertie’s got good instincts. She probably just wanted to keep an eye on him, make sure he didn’t get into any more trouble.”

“Oh, I’m sure,” Rory said dryly. “Because Gertie hates trouble.”

“I bet she thought he needed some protection,” Aubree teased. “You know, from backfirin’ trucks.”

We all laughed, and I could just picture Gertie’s stubborn self, parked outside the B&B like some kind of furry, four-legged guard.

“I mean, he did just get shot. Can’t forget that,” I said, shuddering as the image of his bloodstained shirt popped into my mind.

“Does anyone actually know who they are or what they’re doin’ here?” Laney asked, raising an eyebrow.

Aubree glanced down at the table, her cheeks turning pink. “Well… I might’ve heard somethin’ through the grapevine.”

We all perked up, leaning in. “Oh?” Rory prompted.

“Norma at the diner mentioned her concerns about them to Riley, so he had his head of security do a little diggin’.” Aubree looked sheepish, but there was no stopping her now. “Turns out Tucker and his friend run a private investigation business out of Colorado. But Riley couldn’t find out what case they’re workin’ on here.”

“Private investigators?” I echoed, sitting back in my seat. That explained a lot… and yet, not enough. “That’s interesting.”

“I knew there was somethin’,” Laney said. “No way those guys were tourists who happened to get themselves shot at outside of Hope’s house.”

“I wondered where he was from since he didn’t have a trace of an accent,” I mused. “Colorado makes sense, I guess. Still, a PI? What could they be lookin’ for in Charlotte Oaks?”

Aubree shrugged. “Riley didn’t seem too worried, but I do wish we knew why they’re here.”

Rory tilted her head. “What’s the deal with the kid? Is he Tucker’s?”

“Oh, I know that one,” I said, holding up a finger. “I said somethin’ about him bein’ Tucker’s kid, and Colton set me straight real fast. He’s Tucker’s little brother, and he’s twelve.”

“We better keep Phoebe away from him,” Laney joked. “I’ve heard all too well how handsome the older brother is, though I haven’t seen him with my own eyes. If the little brother is the kid version of the way they’re makin’ Tucker sound, Phoebe will flip.”

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