Page 9 of Hidden Truths

Sounds good. Thank you so much!

“I have an interview tomorrow at 10.”

Jo squeals and hugs me tightly. “This is it, Harlow! We’re about to have all our dreams come true.”

I smile. She’s right. This could be exactly what we need.

three

CAL

“This is getting ridiculous, Callahan,”my sister grumbles as she shuts the front door of my house. The latest candidate wasn’t the right fit. Just like the previous forty weren’t. “You need to find someone soon. We can’t take Cora to the studio with us, and we need to record soon.”

I roll my eyes. “That woman was at least eighty and kept talking to the plant behind you because she couldn’t see us.”

“Yeah, and what about all the other people we’ve interviewed? You’ve found something wrong with each one of them.” My sister gives me a look like she’s exhausted. And she probably is. Cora has been grumpy lately and not sleeping well at night, so Belle has been helping me overnight. Kai isn’t too thrilled with me for stealing his girlfriend, even though she’s my damn sister.

“I just want the best for Cora. I can’t leave her with just anyone. Hell, I trust you more than I trust anyone, and I still get stressed when you watch her without me.” I sigh and run my fingers through my hair. “Maybe I can get those headphones you see on kids at car races that block out the noise and just strap her to me.”

Belle slaps her hand to her face and groans. “Absolutely not. No. You know that won’t work and even if it did, it won’t long term.”

“But —” My rebuttal is cut off by my front door opening and Willa stomping in.

“I have the solution and she should be here in . . .” Willa looks at her watch while I grumble about her letting herself in under my breath. “Seven minutes.”

I glare at Willa, but she just flicks her lilac hair over her shoulder and sits next to my sister on the couch. Willa has helped just as much as Belle when it comes to Cora. So, as much as I want to complain and tease her, I keep my mouth shut.

The doorbell rings and Willa pops right up from the couch with a smile on her face. Now I’m suspicious. She’s far too happy. Even Belle is giving her a confused look.

“Five minutes early!” Willa says, walking past me to answer the door. She looks over her shoulder and winks at me. Fucking winks. What the fuck? Willa and I argue like siblings. We don’t do winks.

“Are we being pranked?” I whisper to my sister. Belle just shrugs. If I was confused before, now I’m terrified.

“I’m so happy you said yes to the interview!” Willa says to the red-haired bombshell she’s leading into my home. The woman’s hair is a deep red, not the more orange color you usually see, yet something tells me it’s her natural color. Her body has curves in all the right places and the moment her green eyes lock on mine, I’m done for. Something about her is familiar, but I couldn’t have met her before. I would remember someone that looks like her. Fuck, she’s beautiful.

“Cal!” Belle shouts. I swing my attention to my sister. She’s trying to hide a smirk as she raises her eyebrow at me.

“What?”

“I asked if you remembered Harlow. She graduated with Willa and me,” Belle says, apparently not for the first time. I look over to find Willa looking smug, like she knew exactly what my reaction to this woman would be.

The beauty standing in front of me, Harlow, is looking at me with a strange expression, almost disappointed. Have I met her? No. That’s not possible. She saves me from an awkward question by shaking her head and forcing a smile.

“He wouldn’t remember me. We’ve never met.”

I hold out my hand to her, and she takes it. Her hand is much smaller than mine and so damn soft. “Callahan Griffin,” I say, introducing myself. Even though I’m sure she knows who I am if she knows my sister.

“Harlow Ray.”

My eyebrows shoot up, recognizing the last name. “Harrison’s daughter?”

This time, her smile is genuine. “Yup!”

Harrison has been working on Ezra’s case with us. He’s also the former sheriff who was on the case when Ezra initially went missing. He quit when it was clear Ezra’s case was being mishandled. Kai and Belle recently hired him to hopefully find out what really happened. None of that explains why his daughter is currently in my living room.

Willa clears her throat and looks between Harlow and me. I follow her gaze and realize I still have Harlow’s hand in mine. I drop it quickly and let out an awkward laugh.

“So, uh, what can I do for you, Harlow?” I ask, running my hand through my hair, probably making it look messier than it already was.

---