Page 35 of Gentle Fox

"Right? And if anyone can figure out what led to your father changing his will, it's these guys."

“I’ll take your word for it,” I responded. “My father wasn't the kind of man who shared his business with others and it wasn't like he kept a journal. The only way they’ll learn anything is if something physical happened around that time, and believe me, I looked. Well, the best I could. I’m no investigator and didn't have the first clue where to start.”

That wasn't true. I knew to start with my stepmother and Dennis but neither were anywhere near my father when he died. And the weeks leading up to his death, he was traveling, while my stepmother stayed in the States. It wasn't unusual for her to stay behind while he was on business trips. My mother had loved to travel with him because it meant more family time together. Seraphina didn't share the same mindset. She only cared about the privileges the life afforded her and her son.

Kati looked at her phone and groaned. "I've got to get going. One of the nurses needs to leave early and my supervisor is asking me to come in to cover her."

“That’s a bummer. Do you need me to do anything?" Kati had lived here her entire life and probably had dozens of people she could ask but it didn't stop me from offering anyway. I might be unsure of what my future held but I liked Kati and wanted to be there for her.

"I appreciate it but I'm good. I'll call Easton on my way to the car to let him know the change in plans. He can grab Lucien from school."

"Be safe and have a good shift."

Kati waved on her way out the front door and was on her phone a second later.

The office was quiet and I was once again reminded that maybe this job wasn't for me. I liked interaction. I liked having a purpose. Answering the phone that barely rang and fixing Maverick's paperwork wasn't doing that for me. I still didn't know what my responsibilities were. Sure, I knew what a receptionist did but this place didn't require one full-time. Not yet at least. They weren't crazy busy. People weren't calling or stopping in to make appointments. Most people in town went straight to Maverick because he was out and about making sure people knew his name. The whole arrangement didn't make sense but leaving now wasn't an option.

The article was proof of that. I doubted Ms. Feather interviewed Dennis directly, which meant whoever the anonymous journalist in Willow Creek was, they had scooped the story from somewhere else. Likely Baton Rouge where my stepfamily still lived. If I could believe what was written, going back wasn't safe. Not unless I wanted to hire a fleet of bodyguards to follow me around.

No, thank you. I much preferred to stick it out in Willow Creek. At least here I had some semblance of freedom.

"Saw the article, I see."

I jumped in my chair and raised my hand to cover my heart. "You scared the crap out of me."

Owen smirked. "Sorry, I thought you heard the glass door open."

I certainly hadn't. I had the bad habit of tuning life out when I was thinking through a problem. Not the best quality to have when someone was after me.

"I was busy thinking about this." I shoved the piece of paper across the desk. Thankfully the article didn't come with a picture of me or my stepfamily.

"That's actually the reason I came to talk to you."

"Oh, great." There was no missing the sarcasm in my statement. I wanted to talk about my family about as much as I wanted to get a filling at the dentist.

That damn dimple emerged again. "I didn't mean the article itself. How would you feel about learning to defend yourself?"

Now my interest was piqued. "When would we start?"

Owen looked down at the watch on his wrist. "How does now sound?"

It sounded perfect. I needed away from this computer and Owen just gave me the perfect excuse. I wasted no time pushing my chair back. "Lead the way."

An adventure was exactly what I needed to take my mind off everything going on.

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

Owen

Annalee's eyes grew twice their size as she looked around.

"You want to teach me to shoot agun?"

"You never have before, right?"

It was safe to assume she hadn't. I looked into her records as well as her family’s. No one had a permit for a gun. Not even a hunting rifle. She also didn't have a license to carry one nor did anyone in her family. Maybe a previous boyfriend had taught her, but based on the way she was side-eyeing the Glock on the counter, my assumption was no.

"No, I haven't. I never had a reason to learn."

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