Page 60 of Mistletoe and Malice
And then there was Detective John Stapleton and Riley’s brother Kevin moving quickly down from the screening room to the buffet table and back up again.
He located Riley, now with her friends on the other side of the room. She peered over her shoulder, her eyes meeting his across the expanse as she sent him one of those smiles that warmed his insides.
A hand clapped him on the shoulder from behind. “A little thunderstruck, son?”
He pulled his attention from the petite dynamo across the room to his father beside him. “I am a little, I guess. Riley definitely does not operate between the lines.”
His dad gave him a little shake. “Come on. Let’s get some appetizers and head upstairs to catch some football.”
Colton glanced at Riley and back to his dad. “Sure. I guess she’s all right.”
After grabbing some finger foods and a soda from the buffet, he and his dad made their way to the media room upstairs, where three football games played at once on separate screens. The one in the middle had the sound turned up, the two on either side muted. Several men, and even a couple of ladies, sat comfortably in rows of fat, cushioned recliners with beverage holders built into the arms, while others stood in the back.
Although living in such extravagance was foreign to him, he could definitely get used to having a room outfitted withmultiple large-screen televisions and seating for all his buddies. He wasn’t sure sitting on the sofa in front of his flat screen at home, clicking between channels to check various scores, would suffice after this.
Riley’s oldest brother walked up to him. “Colton.”
“Alex. Quite the day.”
“It always is, with the shelter dinner, then ours. Although my sister has outdone herself this year.” Alex’s laughter matched his eyes. Brown, like Drew and Kevin, as opposed to deep emerald like his sister and mother. “We saw y’all at the shelter dinner, but you looked pretty busy, so we thought it best to stay out of your way.”
“Busy’s an understatement. Having an extra detail along with us was huge. Too many things to watch at the same time.”
Alex’s expression sobered. “I can’t believe it’s come to this. That we’d have to be concerned about somebody hurting Riley.Riley.Of all people. The woman who would give the coat off her back in the middle of a blizzard if she thought someone needed it more.” He shook his head. “I don’t get it.”
“I don’t either. Only thing I can figure is it’s either her station or her work.”
Alex’s brow furrowed. “Her social station, I understand. But her work?”
“She gets people off who were convicted of horrible crimes. I’m sure, even with all of that evidence, there are folks who refuse to see the truth. She said she gets letters sometimes from family members or loved ones of victims who think she’s on the wrong side. Could be somebody out for revenge.”
“Threatening letters?”
“She didn’t indicate they were, but who knows? Then again, it could be straight-up stalker.”
Kevin’s wife Sadie walked in to announce dinner was ready to be served.
Alex put his hand on Colton’s shoulder. “We’d better head down, but I wanted to say thanks for all you and your guys are doing for my sister. If there’s anything we can do for you, for any of you, please let us know.”
“Thanks. It’s an honor to do everything we can for Riley. She’s … special.”
Alex grinned as they sauntered down the hall with a dozen other guys, including Drew and Dad still discussing the Houston Texans last touchdown. “She is that. Now she just needs to set ol’ Harding straight.”
Colton chuckled. “An odd pairing if I’ve seen one.”
“She felt sorry for him after a failed relationship and didn’t realize until it was too late he’d decided theirs was the real deal. Now she doesn’t know how to get out of it without hurting him again. That’s all according to Delia. Girl talk and all that.”
They rounded the bottom of the stairs and moved into the living room, where several tables dressed in fall finery had been set up for the day’s feast. “I’ve only seen the man once, but when we vetted him, there wasn’t a whole lot on his background aside from his financial history. Not a lot of substance.”
“She’ll come to her senses.” Alex stopped at the table designated for the Blankenship family. “And hopefully find someone more deserving of her.” He held out his hand, and Colton took it in a firm shake. “Glad your family could be here with us today. Enjoy your dinner.”
“Yes. You too.”
As Alex walked away, Colton panned the room and the guests taking their places behind their chairs to wait for grace to be said and the line to start through the mile-long buffet. His eyes met Riley’s across the room, and everything else faded into the background. The conversations taking place around him, children’s laughter … all drowned out by the beating of his heart.
Kevin said something to her, and she pulled her focus away, shattering the spell. Giving his head a shake, Colton turned back to the table and stared down at the china plate waiting to be filled.
He was in uncharted territory here. He’d been immune to the charms of other women who had tried to get his attention for four years now. On purpose. Yet in mere days, this woman—this one small, silken-haired, doe-eyed beauty—had managed to get under his skin like nobody had in … well, that nobody ever had.
