Page 42 of Fall for You
Ronnie smiled at Giselle. “I could use all the support I can get.”
Everyone laughed at her wry tone, but Dallas just kept watching Ronnie, wishing like heck he could see inside her mind to know what she was thinking.
She was laughing, sure, but that was all on the surface.
And he was dying to know the truth.
Heck… He reached for his water, suddenly desperate for a drink. He wanted to know everything about this woman.
Chapter Eighteen
Willow lingered by the walk-in fridge as she shot another glance over her shoulder.
The new high schooler who’d been working part-time to help with dishes was taking forever to leave. Any other night, she might appreciate the fact that he wasn’t running out the door after the dinner rush, leaving her to close up alone.
But tonight, she had to stifle a scream when he looked at her with puppy dog eyes. “Need me to do anything else, Willow?”
She forced a smile and shook her head. “We’re all set. Thanks for your help tonight.”
He grinned, nodded, and reached for his hoodie on the peg by the door with painfully slow movements.
Come on, come on, come on!
The guests were already upstairs in their rooms. Her family had all said good night…
Willow shifted from one foot to the other, and as soon as the door slammed shut behind her part-timer, she lunged into action. Off went the apron, on went her coat, and then she dug in the hallway closet until she found the big flashlight they kept there in case of power outages.
The back door creaked open on squeaky hinges, and she winced. Had this door always been so loud? She should have that fixed.
She tiptoed out, only realizing when she was on the dewy lawn that she’d likely look more suspicious skulking across the grass. She forced herself to walk normally. If anyone happened to spot her, she’d just say she’d wanted to check on her herbs in the greenhouse before bed.
It took effort to keep a leisurely pace, but the moment she hit the tree line, she sped up. Clicking on the flashlight, she picked her way over the brush, trying not to be too creeped out by the fact that she was alone. In the woods. In the dark.
Her breathing sounded too loud, and every rustle of the leaves or snap of twigs beneath her feet made her heart jump.
Were bears more active at night? Was that a thing?
And suddenly, because her brain seemed to be out to get her, Willow found herself thinking about every terrifying scary movie scene she’d ever seen.
When the old hunting shed came into view, her heart—well, it continued to race. But now excitement rivaled her fear. Her patience had been put to the test all afternoon and throughout dinner.
Even while laughing and chatting with her family, some part of her was still here at this cabin, wondering what she might have found.
It had to do with the Spencer-King feud, she just knew it.
Maybe it was the contract. Or… Her heart gave a little leap. Maybe it was another connection to Charlie and Rose.
She opened the door and swung her light around the bare cabin.
Her heart felt like it was in her throat now. Man, the woods were creepy at night. As her flashlight lit the far corners of theshed, Willow couldn’t even say what she was afraid to find—a ghost, a serial killer, or a bear.
But there was nothing there, and she crept in slowly, letting the door bang shut behind her.
“Stop being a scaredy cat,” she whispered. And then wished she hadn’t, because the sound of her own voice somehow made the dark, empty shed that much creepier.
She had to force herself to take another step inside and then another. But eventually she reached the broken chair and counted across to the loose floorboard. Finally, excitement overshadowed her fear.
She set the flashlight down so it was facing the ceiling, illuminating the room with enough light that she could wriggle the board free and reach inside. Her hand closed around the leather pouch, and she drew it out with a shaky exhale.
