Page 97 of I Can't Even

“Indeed. So, it appears Em’s way of dealing with Paisley is to throw a party in the house,” I said. “Genius.”

“At eleven o’clock in the morning?” Liam asked. “Who is at this party?”

“Day drinkers?” I suggested. “Poor Mr. Loren has no idea what he’s walking into.”

He shook his head with a laugh. “More like Paisley had no idea what she was up against when she took on the Blumer sisters. Serves her right.”

I grinned. The Blumer sisters. No matter what my origin story, I was still a Blumer sister, one-hundred-percent. That made me smile.

Liam drove a winding route through the Los Angeles suburbs until we were on a road that ran along the water. A sense of déjà vu hit me, and I started to suspect I knew exactly why Courtney had helped Paisley.

“We’re here,” he said.

He parked on the street in front of a house with a gorgeous ocean view from where it sat in the curve of a cul-de-sac named Rosemont Lane.

“No shit. Wild guess who lives over there?” I pointed to a similar house across the street.

Liam squinted at the house. “Paisley?”

“Correct,” I said. “So, your Courtney and my Paisley are neighbors.”

“When do you think they cooked this up?” Liam asked.

“We only found out the conditions in the will a few weeks ago,” I said. “It must be recent. I’d be willing to bet it came to fruition after you dumped Courtney.”

“Hell hath no fury...”

“Indeed.”

He took my hand, and we walked toward the house. I had the sudden sensation I was being watched and I gave him a nervous glance.

“Are you absolutely sure she’s at work?”

“Yes, she’s in banking and does not have flexible hours,” he said.

“Okay.” I hoped he was right.

Still, the feeling persisted. I knew it couldn’t be Paisley watching us because she was back at the house. I tried to look casual as I surveyed the area, thinking it might be some nosey neighbors, then I caught sight of a blue hooded sweatshirt and aviators. My stalker was here!

He was standing in the neighbor’s yard peeking out at us from behind a large fig tree. Seriously?

“Hey! You! I want to talk to you!” I dropped Liam’s hand and started toward the stranger with the intention of kicking his butt or getting some answers or both.

“Uh, Jules, we’re trying to be inconspicuous here,” Liam said as he trotted after me.

“Yeah, well, that’s the guy who’s been following me,” I said. “At your coffee shop, at the beach, even at the art festival.”

“That’s him?”

“Yes,” I said. “And I want to know why.”

I didn’t get out another word as Liam jumped over the neighbor’s hedge and began to chase the strange man down. They beat feet across the yard until Liam caught the guy in a diving tackle that had them rolling almost to the rocky cliff at the perimeter of the lawn.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa!” The man jumped away from Liam with his hands in the air. “It’s not what you think. I can explain.”

“I’m listening,” I said as I joined them.

Liam looked as if he wanted to do some listening with his knuckles across the guy’s lips, but I looped my arm through his, holding him back.

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