Page 4 of Finding Forever

“The rental agreement only gives him access to Grandma and Granddad’s side of the cottage, so he shouldn’t be too surprised. If it makes you any happier, Eric used to be a detective in the New York City Police Department. If you decide to stay, you couldn’t ask for a better neighbor.”

“We’ll see,” I said. “I’ll call you tonight and let you know what’s happened.”

“You can always catch a flight to Indianapolis and stay with me.”

“Thanks, Mom. I appreciate the offer, but I’ll speak to Eric first.”

When we finished talking, I slid the phone into my pocket and opened the driver’s door. I was so tired I was tempted to fall asleep in the truck. And if speaking to Eric didn’t work out, that’s what I might have to do.

four

ERIC

I opened my front door and stared at the man standing on my veranda. I’d never met him, but there was a high chance it was Riley. With his black jeans and T-shirt, he could have been one of the hundreds of tourists passing through town. But his curly brown hair and impossibly blue eyes made my breath catch.

“Are you Eric Lanigan?” he asked.

Crossing my arms in front of my chest, I leveled my best bad cop stare in his direction. “It depends on who’s asking.”

He didn’t flinch. Interesting.

“I’m Riley Murphy. One of the owners of the cottage you’re living in.”

“I thought you might be.”

Riley’s eyes widened. “You knew I was coming?”

“A friend overheard you speaking to Jenny.” Reaching behind me, I took a folder off the hallway table. “This is a copy of my rental agreement.”

His gaze skimmed over the document, pausing when he saw my signature. “You’ve been here three months?”

“Almost four.”

A deep doggy woof gave me a ten-second warning that Sherlock was running toward us. I turned and used a hand signal. “Stop.”

Sherlock’s bottom hit the floor. With his ears pricked up, he looked at me, waiting to see what happened next.

“You have a dog?” For the first time since I’d seen him, Riley’s blue eyes softened. “He’s beautiful. What’s his name?”

I studied the lopsided smile on Riley’s face. If he thought he could sweet-talk me out of my rental agreement, he was wrong. “Sherlock.”

His smile turned into a full-throttle grin. “Can I pet him?”

“Sure. Just go slow. He was a police dog and doesn’t like strangers.”

Riley held out his hand.

Sherlock, being the contrary beast that he was, proved me wrong by not only licking his hand but moving closer, leaning into Riley’s touch.

“He likes me.” Riley’s voice was filled with wonder, making my stomach flip.

I cleared my throat, trying to regain my composure. “That doesn’t mean you can tell me to leave.”

“That’s not why I’m here. I didn’t know anyone had rented the cottage, but that’s not your problem. I need somewhere to stay, and the rooms at the back of the cottage are empty.”

I couldn’t believe this was happening. “You want to move into the cottage?”

“Not the whole building,” Riley said quickly. “Just the area at the back. I’ll have my own bathroom and there’s a separate kitchen. I’ll be completely self-sufficient.”

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