Page 84 of Rosie and the Beast Next Door

I started to giggle, in both nervousness and embarrassment, and Dylan gave me a wry smile after she walked away. “I guess some things never change.”

“I can never face your mom again.”

He dropped a casual peck on my cheek, stealing all coherent thoughts from my brain, before he hopped off the bed and headed for the door. “Well, if it makes you feel any better, that kiss was at least a five.”

He laughed as he easily dodged the pillow I chucked at his retreating form.

Chapter 32

Rosie

Forrester Sibling Group Chat

Rosie: Don’t worry.

Jules: What am I not supposed to worry about?

Haydn: Anytime she starts a conversation like that and then ghosts us, I’ve already gone twenty steps past worry and straight into panic.

Jules: Bennett’s not answering his phone.

Haydn: His location last shows somewhere out at sea, so he must be on an excursion. Rosie’s at the store.

Jules: Rosie.

Jules: Rosie!

Jules: ROSIE HOPE FORRESTER

Jules: Why even have a phone if you’re not going to respond to texts.

Jules: Worse—throw a bomb in the group chat and THEN not respond to group texts.

Jules: It’s been twenty minutes. I’m calling the police station.

Jules: Okay, just talked to the sheriff. He said Rosie’s roof caved in last night from a bad storm, and she’s staying with his family until Bennett gets home.

Haydn: Holy crap. Is she okay?

Jules: She’s fine, but it’s going to be a while before she can get back into the store.

Haydn: I wonder why she isn’t staying in her boathouse. I know it’s up for sale, but she could still live there while it’s on the market.

Rosie: Sorry, my insurance company called right then!

Rosie: Sheriff Savage just sent a deputy by to tell me to look at my texts. So that’s not embarrassing.

Jules: Thems the breaks when you don’t respond.

Haydn: Do you need us to come into town?

Rosie: NO. I’ve got it all under control.

I had literally nothingunder control, but I couldn’t have all three of my brothers snooping around while Dad was still in town. Especially not when they were already starting to question why I wasn’t just sleeping on my boat.

Dylan and I spent most of the afternoon and evening going through my store, wrapping and boxing up my artwork. We were about two hours in when a man in his late fifties knocked on the door frame.

“I’m here with Alaska Restoration to come up with an estimate for the insurance company.” I stood and Dylan paused the movie on his tablet. “Can you show me where the damage is?”

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