It was alarming to think so much about one man. But since I had no plans of seeing him anytime soon, what was the harm of a few errant thoughts when I was alone in bed?
Pops and I finished our walk, mostly in silence. The streets of Quincy held a peace unrivaled. I hugged my grandpa good night to drive home, hoping to unpack at least one box before bed.
Except the minute my gray house and red door came into view, I spotted a familiar truck.
Two trucks, actually.
One was coated in dust. The other was gleaming black and freshly waxed.
“Damn it.” I really didn’t have time for this. He was going to ruin my night, wasn’t he?
I parked in the driveway, climbed out and slammed the door.
Two handsome faces waited for me on the front porch. One stood, arms crossed, legs in faded jeans planted wide. The other was in a suit. He hadn’t even loosened his tie.
They exchanged a wary glance, then focused on me as I stopped on the bottom stair and crossed my arms over my chest.
“What are you doing here?”
Chapter Six
Griffin
Was she talking to me?
Those deep blue eyes narrowed, though not in my direction.
The suit stood taller. “Hey.”
“Answer my question, Skyler.” Winn marched up the porch steps, arms still crossed. “What are you doing here?”
“I tried calling you.”
“Me not answering should have been the first clue I didn’t want to talk to you.”
Or was it because she’d lost her phone? I kept my mouth shut, watching as this guy withered under her stare.
Winn had the death glare perfected. It was sexy as hell to see such a fierce woman, especially knowing she could throw it all away and let her guard down to flirt and laugh like she had at Willie’s. And beneath it all was another layer, the professional, sharp-witted woman who’d come to my home bearing her notepad and pen.
Complex. Confident. Compassionate. Each of Winslow Covington’s facets was attractive.
I fought a grin as she stood unmoving, waiting for the suit to speak.
“I was worried about you, Winnie.”
She patted the Glock holstered to her belt beside her gleaming badge. “Unnecessary.”
He glanced in my direction, his mouth flattening. Skyler had been glaring at me since the moment I’d parked on the street and walked to Winn’s porch.
Before I could knock on the door or ask who he was, he’d informed me that she wasn’t here. He’d probably thought I’d leave. Why hadn’t I left? Maybe because I’d instantly disliked this guy and the arrogance wafting off his tailored jacket.
“Who is this guy?” he asked, jerking his thumb at me.
She ignored his question. “How did you find my address?”
He looked to me again, inching closer to her. “Can we talk in private? It’s about the house.”
“What about the house? I told you ten times, I don’t want it. If you do, then you can buy me out. Otherwise, quit stalling and put it on the market.”
“Winnie.”
“Skyler.” She uncrossed her arms and flicked a wrist like he was a fly that she was brushing away. Then she turned to me, and for a moment, I expected that same glare and dismissal. But then her expression lightened so suddenly it made me blink twice.
Gone was the glare. Gone was the set jaw and furrowed brow. A stunning smile transformed her face, showcasing her beauty, and damn it, I wanted to kiss her again.
“Hey, babe.”
Babe? Before I could make sense of that, she closed the gap between us, stood on her toes and pressed her lips to the corner of my mouth.
When she dropped to her heels, she shifted, giving Skyler her back. Her eyes widened and she mouthed, “Please.”
Pretend to be the boyfriend.
Fine by me as long as she knew I wouldn’t ever be the boyfriend.
“Hi, baby.”
“How was your day?”
I bent down, unable to help myself, and brushed my lips against hers. “Better now.”
And damn it, that wasn’t a lie. Every time I saw her, she was more beautiful.
“Are you staying tonight?” she asked.
“Was planning on it.”
“Good.” She stepped past me and inserted her key into the lock. Without a glance at Skyler, she disappeared inside the house.
“Winnie,” he called.
She was already gone.
I chuckled and followed her into the house, closing the door behind me. After navigating a maze of boxes, I found Winn in the kitchen, standing against the counter, silently fuming.
“Friend of yours?”
“My ex.”
“Ah. Now the fake-boyfriend play makes sense.”
“Thanks for going along with it.”
“Welcome.” I leaned against the wall.
“Wait.” She gave me a wary glance. “Why did you go along with it?”
I shrugged. “He irritated me.”
“He irritates me too,” she muttered.
“Want me to hang out until he disappears?”
“If you wouldn’t mind.”
“There something I should know?” Because if that bastard was harassing her, I’d march outside and make sure he understood the rules had just changed.
“No.” She shook her head. “He’s harmless unless you count him being a royal pain in my ass.”
“What’s the story there?”
She shrugged. “We were together for eight years. Engaged for six. We called it off four months ago and he moved out of our house. Which he refuses to sell.”
Eight years was a long damn relationship. Six years was one hell of an engagement. Why hadn’t they gotten married? “Is that why you moved here? Your breakup?”
“Part of the reason. It was time for a change. When Pops mentioned that the former chief was retiring, I decided to at least apply. I honestly didn’t think I’d be considered.”
“Even with Covie as the mayor?”
“Pops loves me, but he loves this town too. He wouldn’t put someone in the chief’s position who wasn’t capable of doing the job. And I am capable, Griffin.”
The more I learned about her, the more I suspected she was. “I heard you went to visit Melina Green yesterday.”
“How’d you know that?”
“Conor. He went to see her. Apparently he just missed you.”
“That was nice of him.”
“That was nice of you.”
She dropped her gaze to the floor. “The least I can do is show her that she’s not alone.”
That act, in and of itself, set her apart from the former chief. He’d always kept his distance from the community. Maybe it had been intentional. It had to be difficult to bust friends or family members. It was likely easier to remain apart than punish a buddy for breaking the law.
Or maybe he was just a cold bastard. That was Dad’s impression.
Winslow was anything but cold.
I studied her as she stood there, the silence of the house growing louder. There was a weight on her shoulders. An exhaustion in her eyes.
“Hell of a week, huh?”
“That’s one way to put it.” She looked to a box set on the counter, then trudged over, opening the top with a sigh. “As you can see, unpacking hasn’t been a priority.”