Page 15 of One Last Touch

I nodded with a sigh and relaxed further when fingers started to comb through my still-wet hair.

“Sleep.” I frowned, my eyes trying to flutter open, and heard a small laugh as firm hands tucked the covers around me. “Christ, Georgina. Just do as you’re told for once. Sleep. I’ll stay right here. You won’t be alone.”

My fingers loosened on the duvet and the worry seemed to drain out of me as I felt the comforting weight of long legs stretched out opposite mine.

“Sage,” I murmured and felt him fall still.

“Yes?”

My eyes slipped fully shut as I breathed out. “Thank you.”

Chapter Eight

For the next couple of days, I focused on tidying the house while I waited for the local police department to come and check the house out again. It wasn’t an emergency, so they’d told me I might have to wait until a unit had the free time, I’d told them not to worry even as I felt increasingly jumpy walking around the manor. Sage had been notably absent since he’d spent the night with me, so I got a landscaper from the town over to mow the grass and cut back the bushes and it was amazing what a difference it made to the outside of the house. I had planned on doing it myself but the on-site mower had been rusted through and it likely would have taken me an age to use anyway.

Instead, I focused on hoovering up as much dust as physically possible—though it felt like it duplicated at an unfathomable rate. Ms Weathers had offered to help, as the housekeeper, but I’d declined. Mostly because the physical activity stopped my mind from spinning, but also because I wasn’t sure how much I trusted her anymore. Sage had taken care of me, but then he’d vanished without any notice and if his secrets were the reason I had been at risk in the first place…

I’d left some of the rooms that were a little worse for wear, not having the energy to tackle them yet, and would probably need to hire a professional to work on some of the bathrooms that had become mildewed. But the worst of the dirt and grime in the bedrooms was just going to take perseverance and time.

Ms Weathers had been watching me like a hawk. I wasn’t sure if that was because they were worried about me after Sage had pulled me out of the closet or if they were just anxious I might get myself into more trouble. Probably both.

They were right to be concerned—at least about me getting myself into more trouble. Sage had said there wasn’t anyone inside the closet with me, but I knew what I’d felt. The more I thought about it, the more sure I was that my mind wasn’t just playing tricks on me. I also didn’t believe his bogus cover up about Ms Weathers sleepwalking, but right now all I could do was wait for Sage to turn up again and hope that the police could shed some light on the strange happenings at Alswell.

The officer on the phone had tried to talk me out of it after confirming that they’d previously done a check of the property, but I’d told them it would make me feel more secure if they could just take a quick look around and finally they’d agreed to come out today.

Sage’s face when the police turned up at the gates was like a storm cloud had descended. He’d glared at me, brows low over his eyes as he bit his bottom lip and shook his head. “What the hell did you do.”

“Me?” I shielded my face from the sunshine that had finally broken through the clouds today while I’d been gardening. “Nothing. They must just be doing a routine follow up, you know, given the murder that happened not so long ago?”

“Seems a little overkill.”

“Oh? Want to tell me where you’ve been for the last two days?”

His face shut down. “Around.” Sage folded his arms across his chest and I worked hard to keep my eyes on his face and away from the muscles that bulged in his arms and chest. It was surprising that he could be so defined given the leanness of his frame but his biceps definitely—

I tugged my eyes back up at him, annoyed at myself, and caught the light, amused look in his eyes as he watched me.

“What are you expecting them to find?” He moved closer to me until I was forced to look up at him. I wasn’t really that short but he was tall and my neck ached until I gave up and took a step back.

“I told you, I didn’t contact them. But maybe they’re looking for whatever it is you’ve been trying so hard to hide?”

“I wish I believed you,” he said with a wry smile, completely ignoring my pointed question.

“That sounds like your problem, not mine.”

The cruiser stopped in front of the fountain and the officer who climbed out of the driver’s side whistled as he took in the shorn grass and freshly dug flower beds I’d been working on all afternoon. “Wow. You’ve been busy.”

“Yep. No rest for the wicked.” I smiled when he laughed and two more officers came out of the car as I walked closer and murmured, “Thank you for coming.” Louder, I asked. “You’re here to check the house?”

He gave me a curious look but nodded. “Yes. We’ll have a look around, make sure we didn’t miss anything the first time around and then be out of your hair.”

“I appreciate that. Thank you.”

He nodded and they headed inside without so much as a glance at Sage. I guessed the locals really did act like staff were just part of the furniture, it felt ridiculously old fashioned to me.

Sage watched the four men traipse inside with a thoughtful look on his face. “Didn’t you spend all day hoovering recently?”

“Yeah, why?”

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