Page 25 of Fortune's Control
“Shewill say it’s the work of Jack Dossman,” I said, knowing I was right. Aiden’s insistence guaranteed he’d rent the space to a woman. He wouldn’t be able to stop himself.
“I’m grateful for the exposure.” Jack rolled his eyes. “Like I said, your interruption is appreciated. Please visit more often,” he told Lilah, and her features relaxed.
“I made brownies.” Lilah bit her lip and lowered her eyes before meeting mine. “I was thinking of you.”
I accepted her dessert plate with effusive thanks. I didn’t like chocolate, but, damn, I adored her baking for me. “They’ll be gone in less than an hour. Are you going to the library afterthis?”
“On my way there next.”
My two friends leaned against a wall, neither bothering to hide their curiosity. I refused to indulge their repeated questions, and they never missed an opportunity to learn more.
“Will you bring more newspapers home tonight?” I asked.
“The last stack.” Her shoulders slumped with disappointment.
I wanted to pull her into my arms and remind her the search wasn’t over. Lainey, the librarian, lent out a stack of old newspapers for the past several days, and Lilah took them home for us to comb through every evening, searching for a familiar name or face. In the morning, Lilah returned them and picked up a new batch. We were no closer to an answer than the night she arrived in Fortune’s Creek.
The one positive was our growing friendship, so another tie developed between Lilah and Fortune’s Creek.
“That isn’t the end of our search.” I brushed her chin, urging her to look up at me. “We go sleuthing next, remember?”
“Secret mission style, I know.” There was little enthusiasm in her tone.
Lilah was loath to, as she put it, “interview women of a certain age”. The circumstances regarding her mother and childhood were private, and she didn’t want to share them with others. She was careful with her words when mentioning the infamous Sarah Jane Mayberry. Lilah said she didn’t enjoy all aspects of motherhood, hinting at buried hurts she wasn’t ready to discuss. A more public search for her grandmother forced those secrets into the open.
“I’ll see you tonight,” I said.
“Is that a question or an order?” Lilahbit her lip and smiled up at me, relieved to change the topic away from her missing grandmother.
I couldn’t stop my returning grin. “What do you think?”
“I think it started as a question, but would turn into an order if I said no.”
My grin deepened to a laugh. “Then you’ll see me tonight.”
Jack chewed before swallowing an entire brownie. “You’re going to eat chocolate bars for the rest of your life, aren’t you?” he asked the moment Lilah left.
“He likes her,” Aiden said. His eyes widened as realization hit. “I want credit. It was my prank that went wrong and brought you two together. You two should name your firstborn after me.”
Jack and I ignored him.
“Is it serious?” Jack asked. He rolled back on his heels. “I thought you were only doing her a favor.” His pensive expression hid his opinion on the idea. “You’re spending evenings together. That’s a boyfriend and girlfriend activity.”
We kicked it off with a movie night and popcorn, and added her newspaper search to it. My instant attraction grew, along with my genuine interest in her. Lilah’s personality shone through more with every passing night, and I looked forward to our time together. In simple terms, we fit.
“I’m helping her out.”
“Oh, is that what we’re calling it these days?”
“Help is a perfectly acceptable word to describe my behavior.”
That was enough of an explanation. The first time I saw her, I knew she needed me. Lilah thought someone had been watching her the other day, but she shrugged it off as a worry brought on by stress or bad luck. I knew that wasn’t true, and the incident only proved my decision to seek her out correct.
*****
Lilah appeared at the top of the stairs, beaming, and hurried down to where I waited.
My jaw dropped. “You look stunning.” The short, sleeveless dress hugged her breasts and hips, while the sage green color complemented her dark chestnut hair. “You always look stunning.” She wore her hair brushed to one side. I wanted to wrap it around my fist and pull her against me.
