Page 22 of Smitten with the Single Dad

That last part made her really smile, even though it hurt her mouth to do it. “Thank you. I’m glad I don’t look like a monster.”

“Griff?” Wyatt called from the hallway. “Hey, little man, where are you?”

“In the bathroom with Vica. I helped her cut her hair.”

“You did what?” He was around the corner and standing in the bedroom looking at them in the bathroom in half a second, his eyes wide.

“Icut my hair,”Vica said. “Griffon just helped me sweep it up and pull out the elastic. I needed his bravery. He has a lot of it.”

Griffon puffed up his little chest and beamed. Only, when he looked at his dad, his face fell. “The man who hurt Vica pulled her hair so she cut it off so nobody can ever do that again. I really hope this guy goes to jail.”

Well, jail was out of the question now that he was dead.

“Go find your brother. You two have chores. The plants in the backyard need watering, and you need to check to see if the bee water troughs need to be filled.”

Griffon rolled his eyes and sighed the way only children can. “Are we doing anything fun today?”

“If all the boring stuff gets done first.”

“Fine.” He trudged out like he was headed for the salt mines, leaving Wyatt and Vica alone in the bathroom.

Wyatt’s face was sad. “I’m sorry you felt this was your only choice.”

She shook her head, unable to look at the pile of hair in the dustpan on the bathroom counter. “It’s just hair.”

Even behind his glasses—which he looked pretty handsome in—his eyes were a unique and beautiful shade of blue-hazel. “Even so.”

“If I could have a clear plastic bag I’m going to see if it’s long enough to donate.”

“Of course. I can grab you one from the kitchen.” His phone chimed andvibrated in his pocket and he checked it. “That’s Myla and Gabrielle at the gate. You’re ready to see them?”

Vica nodded and the two of them headed downstairs with Vica carrying, but unable to look at the dustpan with her hair. Thankfully, Wyatt seemed to understand that she didn’t want to look at her hair. So he took it upon himself to empty it into the bag while she greeted the cop and lawyer at the door.

Both women wore surprised, then sad expressions when they saw her hair. Understanding soon followed.

“I’ll call Danya Michaels over at Island Waves Hair Salon and see if she can do a house call to help even things up,” Gabrielle said, jumping right on her phone and stepping to the side.

“How are you feeling today?” Myla—or Officer Bruce—asked her. “Any pain?”

“My face hurts,” Vica said. “It hurts to smile.”

Myla frowned and nodded while tucking a thick strand of her coppery-red hair behind her ear. “Understandable. Did Justine check you out today?”

“She did. But everything is superficial. Healing will just take time.” What a loaded statement. Yes, her physical wounds would heal and eventually disappear, but the emotional ones would leave scars for a lifetime. She would never forget last night. She would never forget how terrified she was. How close to being overpowered and raped she was. And even though she was proud of herself for remembering all the self-defense her brother and his friends taught her, she still killed a man and that would stay with her forever too.

Gabrielle hung up the phone and joined Myla and Vica again. “Danya has an opening tomorrow morning at ten. And she can come to you. I said it was a sensitive subject and that she’s not to breathe a word.”

Vica exhaled. “Thank you. I appreciate it.”

“Now, the medical examiner from Seattle has arrived and is assessing the body with Dr. Malone. Seattle PD is also down at the crime scene surveying it in daylight. Clint and Bennett are down there to observe and keep people away.They’re also trying their best tonotfreak out cabin guests. So no yellow tape has been put up for now.” Myla brought up her phone and turned it around to show Vica and Gabrielle. “Unfortunately, someone tipped off the press. Track Croft’s parents have been notified, as well as his place of work.”

“Which was where I worked,” Vica said. “And the company is owned by his father. His parents are separated.”

Gabrielle made a noise in her throat to confirm. “Yes, Daddy has a new piece of arm candy he just popped the question to, and I’m pretty sure she’s younger than all of his kids.”

Vica knew this already; it was hot gossip around the office. But all she did was nod along.

“Any talk of pressing charges or …” Vica asked. She was in such a precarious position right now. Her visas were all work sponsored. Croft Engineering sponsored her for the first year, and then she was headhunted by the firm in New York, and they were sponsoring her second year. But she was in a state of limbo right now. Her position at Croft was coming to an end and her position with N-ER-G Solartek International was pending. They were in the processes of finishing up her visa, but it hadn’t gone through yet. What would they do if they found out she killed her boss?

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