Page 37 of Home Town Knight

But I was starting to respect him. If we jumped into bed now, I might even get attached. Start caring about the man. I was still a reporter with a job to do. We had conflicting interests. Not only that, I was heading back to Denver before long. It was safer to stay friends.

Even if Ireallywanted to get on that cowboy and ride him into the sunset.

I nearly ran into Jessi at the mouth of the hallway. “Oh, there you are,” she said. “I saw you and then Owen leave.”

I smiled, hoping I looked more innocent than I felt. “He had to get back to work. I was about to head to my cabin.”

“But you took a detour down this hallway?” Her smile said she guessed the reason. “How about something sweet? Not too full, are you?”

“Owen was talking up how great your desserts are.”

“Then I’ll grab some for you to try, and we can visit awhile.” Before I knew what was happening, she had steered me further down the hall and toward a door labeled Employees Only. She opened it, and I found myself in an office. Jessi nudged my shoulder until I sat on the small couch. “There you go. You relax, and I’ll be right back.”

She left before I could protest. I had just gotten steamrolled.

But as always, my curiosity won out. That, and Jessi had been great to me so far. She’d welcomed me to Last Refuge, fed me an amazing meal, and was offering up sweets. How could I complain about that?

I glanced around the office. The space was simple. There was a computer on the desk, the screen asleep and probably password-protected. A filing cabinet off to one side with a lock. She wasn’t afraid of me snooping, it seemed.

But it was the photos on the wall that caught my eye. Various phases of the construction of the main building and the cabins. Candid shots of Jessi and a handsome man swinging a sledgehammer, or kissing as the sun set over the mountains behind them. I assumed that was Aiden, the chef I’d heard so much about. He had thick dark hair and a full beard. A bit of a lumberjack vibe. Not as handsome as Owen, with his sharper features, clean-shaven look, and military style buzzcut.

Jessi returned holding a long, narrow platter. “I brought adessert sampler. And a friend.” She nodded her head at the other person who’d joined her. Beside the statuesque Jessi stood a woman with wavy red hair. The newcomer was shorter, more voluptuous, and over-the-top gorgeous. Like a classic movie star.

“I’m Scarlett Novo.”

“Genevieve Blake. Nice to meet you. You have the same last name.” I pointed between them. “Related?”

Jessi’s eyebrow lifted. “So you caught that detail. Scarlett’s married to my brother, Trace. She owns the sweet shop on Main Street. And she’s a fixture up here at Last Refuge. Shall we sit?”

Jessi took a seat across from me and set the platter down on a side table. Scarlett sat next to me. The tarts, cookies, and tiny cakes looked decadent, and I wanted to try each one. But I crossed my arms instead, looking from one woman to the other.

“Why do I get the feeling you’re double-teaming me? What’s this really about?”

Jessi’s gaze didn’t waver. “We know you’re a reporter.”

“Owen told you?”

“He did. Right after you checked in. He wanted us to know what we were getting into.”

I closed my eyes briefly, choosing my words carefully. “Sheriff Douglas and I had our differences earlier today, but now?—”

Jessi held up her hand in a placating gesture. “You’ve got some kind of understanding. I figured, since you two seemed pretty cozy at dinner.”

My face heated, and I touched my cheek, hoping my blush wasn’t too obvious.

“Owen seems to trust you, which is a point in your column. He also made it clear how much danger you could be in as a murder witness.”

“That’s part of what we wanted to chat about,” Scarlett said. “Trace, my husband, heads security for Last Refuge.”

“Trace and Aiden are both ex-military,” Jessi continued. “We’ll introduce you, but wanted to give you the heads-up first. While you’re here, Aiden or Trace or their friend River will be protecting you. They can handle just about anything. They might seem intimidating, but you can count on them.”

“Okay. That’s…useful. I guess. Thanks.” I wasn’t easily intimidated, but I didn’t want to be rude.

“As I told you before when you checked in,” Jessi said, “you’re safe here. We’ve also got a couple of therapists on call if you need to talk to someone. Usually via Zoom, but there’s someone in the next town over. She might be able to drive in.”

“That’s very kind.” For such a small place with only a handful of cabins open to guests, they had a lot of services. “I’ll think about it. But why does an idyllic mountainside resort need dedicated ex-military security? And therapists on call? What kind of guests do you typically have?”

I was half joking, but there was a long pause. Too long. Both women simply stared back at me, their expressions much harder than they’d been a moment ago.

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