Page 13 of Wildly Inappropriate

We wrap up dinner, and Ken insists on paying even though his daughters and I all offer and even suggest we split the bill. So, with a full stomach and a to-go carton to use as my lunch tomorrow, we head back downstairs. Kelsey and I finalize our plans to meet up at Izzy’s office in the morning to get me settled at my new workspace. I may not be exactly where I want to be with my love life, but I am so excited about my job. I will never admit it, but I do owe my brother a big thank you for connecting me with the Harper sisters.

With that thought, I climb into my car and then carefully navigate to my home for the next six weeks. Wild Bluffs Country Club isn’t too far out of town, but it’s dark out, and with no streetlights, it’s easy to miss the turn onto the country roads. Luckily, I’ve been out to visit Jameson a few times, so I manage to find the first turn without much trouble.

I’m surprised when the headlights of the car that has been following me since town also turn onto the dirt road, but I tell myself to stop being paranoid. There are a lot of people who live out here, even if their houses aren’t visible from the road after all. As I turn into the golf course road itself, the dark vehicle behind me turns as well, always staying just far enough behind me that I can’t see the driver’s face inside.Okay, now this is getting creepy.I consider calling Elise just to be safe, but then I remember she’s likely out to dinner with her parents tonight.It’s all right, Lila.You can do this. Be brave.

I pull into the driveway in front of Jameson’s house, forcing myself to stay calm and think as the pickup pulls into the spot in front of Jameo’s garage.

Oh, no. Oh, no, no, no.I frantically search my car for anything I can use to protect myself, somehow deciding on the small flashlight I keep in my center console. Unsure if I should wait in the car or try to make a mad dash for the house, I grip my keys with the pointy ends sticking out between my fingers like I saw in a movie one time and push open my door.

Chapter seven

JT

“Thanks for the directions,Mary. I’m in front of the house now. Do you know who this other car might be?” I ask the helpful concierge, Mary, from Wild Bluffs Country Club. It’s nine thirty at night, and this poor woman had to guide my dumb ass to a place I’ve been multiple times before. Which, for the record, is why I wasn’t using my phone for directions. Unfortunately, when I realized I was lost—I’m blaming it on the lack of moonlight tonight—my phone didn’t have enough service to pull up directions. Turns out that one little bar may not work for the internet, but it will still make phone calls.

“I’m not certain, Mr. Johnson. The Harper sisters have dropped by a few times to help out with the dog, but I really can’t say. It most certainly shouldn’t be any staff. We are one of the safest places in the world. There has never been any criminal activity out here since we opened almost twenty years ago. That said, I would be happy to call the bartender on duty and see if he can have someone come out to make sure you’re safe.” My attention is drawn to the car as a small figure darts from it to the house.

“Oh, no. No need to burden anyone, Mary. You’ve already done enough. I’m sure it’s one of Bryn’s sisters.”

I thank Mary again before hanging up and grabbing my small suitcase and duffle bag out of the backseat. I make my way to the front door, stopping to grab the key under the gray rock to the left of the front door. Just where Jameson told me it would be.

I unlock the door and push my way into the house. A woman’s scream greets me the second I walk inside, a figure rushing at me before tripping on a lone dog toy in the middle of the entryway. I, like the hero I am, drop my bags and throw my arms out, moving at supersonic speed to catch her shoulders just before she slams into the ground.

“Holy shit,” I say, my heart pounding from the adrenaline. I pull the woman up to stand, and I’m so distracted by her tan legs sticking out of her athletic shorts that I don’t realize whose shoulders my hands are on.

“What the fuck are you doing here, JT?”

I force my eyes to find her face, and all my worst fears are brought to life—it’s Lila Walker. “What am I doing here?” I ask. “What are you doing here, Pipsqueak?” Her eyes narrow at the nickname, and I get a zing of enjoyment from the easy hit. She hates it when I make fun of her height, so I do it whenever possible.

“I asked you first,” she says, moving a step away from me. My eyes are drawn back to her legs, and I mentally slap myself and refocus on her face. She seems uninterested in talking, and every cell in my body begs me to break the silence, to smooth this over, but I resist that urge. Not with Lila. Never with Lila. So, instead, I spread my legs and fold my arms across my chest. I complete the I-can-stay-here-all-day look with a slight smirk, the one I know annoys her to no end.

She glares back at me a moment longer before breaking. “Ugh! You are such a child. I’m here watching Bryn’s dog while she and Jameson travel the next six weeks.” She mirrors my stance as my mind runs with this new information. Lila is staying at Jameson’s house for the next six weeks? Why wouldn’t Jameson have told me? You tell someone if they’re going to have a roommate while staying at your house. That’s just common courtesy. And Jameson knows Lila and I can’t stand each other. He wouldn’t let us stay here together. We might burn his house down.

“Well?” Lila asks after a long pause.

“Well, what?”

“Why are you here?” She asks the question really slowly, like I’m not able to keep up with her intellectually. Though, at this exact moment, maybe I’m not. I feel like I’m struggling to catch up.

I’m not sure what I’m going to do about this whole situation, but I know I can’t let Lila see how frazzled I am. “I’m staying here too,” I say, shrugging and turning to pick up my bags from where I dropped them by the door in my hustle to save Lila. Though, if I had known it was Lila at the time, I would’ve let her fight it out with gravity herself.Okay, I would’ve still tried to help, but I would’ve had a snarky comment ready to go once she was safely upright.

“Tonight?” Lila asks, and I turn back to face her.

“Yeah, tonight. And for the next few weeks.”

“No.”

“Didn’t Jameo tell you?”

“Of course he didn’t. You aren’t staying here. You’re just trying to annoy me.”

I raise my right eyebrow. “Why else would I be here?”

She doesn’t answer, clearly unable to come up with a logical reason why I would be in a house, alone, with her in the middle of nowhere. Honestly, I’m having a hard time remembering why I’m here too. However, one thing is certain: if Lila is staying here, there is no chance I will be. I’ll find a place to stay in town or, hell, in another state. Wild Bluffs doesn’t have magic golf properties. I’ll just find Conrad Ferguson or one of his brothers somewhere else. New York, maybe. The biggest city in the country is more my style anyway.

“But not to worry,” I say. “I’m here now, so I can take care of the dog.” I look around, realizing I haven’t seen or heard a dog since getting here. “Where is Jack, anyway?” I met Bryn’s dog last time I came to visit, and while he didn’t give off wagging-tail, be-my-best-friend-forever vibes, he seemed like the type of dog to come say hello when someone walks through the door.

“Why do you remember his name?” Lila asks, as if my question wasn’t important enough to answer.

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