Page 44 of Finding Forever

“It’s better than having your face splashed across the national news stations. Imagine the reporters’ delight when they find not one, but two international megastars in Sunrise Bay. The fans will come running.”

“So will the crazies,” I moaned. “I can’t leave Riley on his own.”

“Sounds to me like we need an emergency meeting.”

“You’re thinking like someone in my novels.”

“As long as I don’t get killed, I’m happy to inspire you.” Alex rustled some papers. “When do you want to meet? The best time for me is now.”

“Don’t you ever sleep?”

“I try not to.”

I knew as well as anyone how hard it was to sleep with so much on your mind. Alex, despite his carefree exterior, had his own set of complex issues. “I need to call Riley.” I checked the time, hoping he wasn’t asleep. “If he’s asleep, I’ll talk to him in the morning about what we discuss.”

“Sounds good. I’ll bring Sherlock to your cottage with me. He misses you.”

I missed my partner in crime, too. “At least he’ll act as a deterrent to any would-be burglars.”

“Or overzealous reporters,” Alex said with a smile in his voice. “I’m leaving now.”

“See you soon.” I ended the call, staring at my phone before sliding it into my pocket. Knocking on Riley’s door would create less noise than calling his cell phone, especially at this time of night. We needed to work out a plan before the media descended because whether we wanted them here or not, they would be coming.

thirty-three

RILEY

I turned to the next page in Eric’s book. Thrillers weren’t usually my thing. I preferred happy endings, not murders, unsolved crimes, or dark alleys. But Eric’s books were different. There was no happy ending in sight, but the characters felt real, the plots were intriguing, and I couldn’t put them down. No wonder his books were bestsellers. If he could hook me, he must be an incredible writer.

Rubbing my eyes, I kept reading. After everything that had happened, I was even more determined to finish the book. Maybe it would help the police catch Eric’s stalker.

The outside security lights flicked on. I kept reading. It was probably an animal scurrying across the backyard.

Tap, tap, tap.

My heart leaped into my throat. I took a deep breath and glanced at the curtains covering the living room windows. Either the local raccoon population was active, or someone was outside the cottage.

Tap, tap, tap.

I picked up my cell phone to call Eric, then hesitated. This was silly. I was a grown man. A little late-night noise shouldn’t spook me. It could be any sort of animal. Still, I tiptoed across the room and grabbed the poker from beside the fireplace.

When I was a teenager, a bear lumbered onto our veranda. Mom joked about it visiting Goldilocks, but it terrified me.

The thin, metal poker wouldn’t fend off a bear, but it made me feel better. What would help was the can of bear spray on the shelf by the front door. I gripped it tightly, praying whatever was outside had gone away.

With trembling hands, I used the end of the poker to flick back the curtain. A blue plaid shirt appeared out of nowhere.

I dropped the bear spray and opened the door. “What are you doing here?”

Eric held his finger to his lips. “Shh. I didn’t want to wake your mom.”

“You scared the living daylights out of me,” I whispered. “Why didn’t you knock on the door like a normal person?”

Eric’s eyebrows rose. “The lights were on. Tapping on the glass made less noise.”

I stepped onto the veranda, closing the door behind me. “We can’t whisper out here all night. What’s happened?”

“Jenny posted a story on the community Facebook page about the burglary. Everyone knows who you are and what you’re doing here. The media won’t be far away.”

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