Page 25 of Lucky in Love
“I swear I’m not The Grocer.” Brody held up both hands as a sign of goodwill. “I’m only visiting, but I know Sheriff Walker. He’ll vouch for me. You can call him if you want.”
The older man laughed. “All right, son. If you got nothin’ better to do. I need help installin’ a deadbolt. It’ll be the firsttime in forty years I’ve locked my door, but no sense turnin’ a blind eye to a murderer on the loose.”
“I understand. Better safe than sorry. If you have the tools, I’m sure I can figure it out. I’m Brody, by the way.” He thrust out a hand, and the old man shook it.
“Charles. Thanks. I’ll just check out, and you can follow me home?”
“Sounds good.” Brody turned to the employee. “I wanted to ask about the rocking chair on display out front. How can I get one? Preferably delivered since I only have a car.”
“That’s luck,” Charles said. “We’ll throw it in my truck and swing by your place before we head out to mine. Where you stayin’?”
“A campground called Whispering Pines.”
Charles’ eyes widened, and a dubious expression crossed his face. “Alex know you’re bringing in new furniture?”
Of course he knew Alex. “Oh, well, I figured it might be better to ask for forgiveness than permission.”
“Smart. We got ourselves a plan then?”
They each checked out, and the teen helped Brody put the rocker in the bed of Charles’ truck. After a quick stop at his cabin, where he unloaded his groceries and the rocking chair, he followed Charles to his place and installed the lock.
While he worked, they listened to the local news, which was all about the manhunt. There were conflicting reports. One sighting was on a road near Lake Winnisquam. Another person swore they saw him hitchhiking on Highway 104. There was a report of a stolen vehicle in Meredith, and the latest theory was that it was him, and he had long since left the area. The gist was that no one knew for sure.
“This was a good idea,” Brody said, tightening the final screw and returning the screwdriver to the toolbox. “Now you can rest easy. Or easier anyway.”
“Hope they catch him soon. We’re losing tons of tourist business over this nonsense.”
Brody nodded.
“Well,” Charles said. “Thanks for your help. Maybe I’ll see ya around. Stay safe.”
Even after the newscast’s speculation that the escapee could be anywhere in the area, Brody still thought the odds were slim that he would end up in Green Valley Falls. But on the off chance he was wrong, he locked the cabin door when he got home.
He glanced through some of the pictures he’d taken at the falls, which made him think of Alex and her douche-y boyfriend. Brody had contemplated telling Alex what he’d seen on the plane, but there hadn’t been an opportunity. Plus, it wasn’t his place.
She was a grown woman and seemed entirely capable of making her own decisions. Brody would be leaving in a few days, and it was none of his business.
CHAPTER NINE
Sunday morning, Alex waved goodbye as Rudy Ryder—the town’s only cab driver—pulled away, taking her latest disaster to the airport.
Frankly, she wasn’t sure how she’d survived the weekend with Drake. Or how she’d missed so many red flags while with him in NYC.
He was like a menopausal chameleon on a roller coaster—hot and cold, sweet then sarcastic, playful then petulant. Way too moody. And don’t get her started on the drinking.
Their time in New York had been magical, their time in Green Valley Falls a disaster. Small-town quaint had not scored any points, and they parted with an unspoken acknowledgment that the long-distance experiment had failed spectacularly. Alex called the time of death on their relationship as the cab passed under the Whispering Pines sign.
As soon as the taxi pulled out of sight, she sighed and returned to her cabin. Her cell phone buzzed on the table.
“Hey, Pops,” she said, throwing out a leg and dipping into a stretch. She’d already dressed for a run and had just been waiting for Drake to leave.
“Hi, baby girl. Just checking in. How was the big weekend? Is Prince Charming gone?”
“For good,” Alex said. “I thought he might be different, but you know how it goes? Easy come, easy go.”
“I’m sorry. Is that why I didn’t get to meet him?”
“Yeah, not worth your time. Or any further conversation. Did you buy a lock last night? I’m gonna squeeze in a run before the rain hits, but I can swing by after to install it. Give me an hour?”
