Naughty Stranger (Dangerous Love 1)

Kinsley nodded. “Very.” On the bed, Peyton’s cell phone began ringing, and Kinsley laughed. “It’s your turn now.”

Peyton laughed, then moved to the bed. When she caught sight of the caller ID, an unexpected sense of disappointment hit her. “Hi, Mom,” she answered the phone.

“Night,” Kinsley mouthed before heading toward the bedroom door.

“Night,” Peyton said, watching as Kinsley shut the door behind her.

Mom’s gentle voice quickly warmed away the disappointment that it hadn’t been Boone calling. “Hi, sweetie, how’s life near the ocean?” she asked.

“Beautiful.”

“And the shop?”

“Running like clockwork.”

“Such good news to hear,” said Mom. “Your aunt Helen called and she told us that David got into medical school.”

Peyton moved to the bed and fluffed the pillow before dropping down onto the mattress, staring at the bright moon outside her window. “Really? Everyone must be so excited.” God, when she’d gotten into nursing school, her family had thrown her a huge backyard party to celebrate.

“Oh, yes, they are all very proud of him,” Mom said. “And you wouldn’t believe…”

Peyton tipped her head back and listened and responded without thinking too much. The sound of her mother’s voice was home too. Leaving her parents had been the hardest part about moving away from Seattle. They were good people, and great parents. They’d been at every recital for school, home for dinners around the table every night, and had even put her to bed as a child for as long as she could remember. After Adam passed away, they’d become even closer, always checking in, bringing meals to her house.

She’d once been their entire world. For the year after she lost Adam, they’d been her lifeline. Not being with them was hard. Really hard. But what had been harder was seeing Adam everywhere in Seattle. They’d lived a good life, been to all the stores there, all the parties, walked the busy streets. The memories had begun to drown her.

She had needed to move on, no matter how much her heart hated that idea. And the truth was, she knew Adam would want her to.

Mom finally finished the ten-minute-long update on the family and then asked, “Anything new going on out there?”

“Actually, Justin came by the shop.”

“Did he?”

“Just to sign some papers and stuff, but he’s staying in town for a couple days. It’ll be nice to catch up.”

“Yes, I’m sure it will.” Mom paused, then her voice softened. “You should just sell Adam’s share in the business to Justin and be done with it. It’s not like you have any interest in real estate.”

Selling the business to Justin made sense. She didn’t doubt he’d buy her out, knowing it would support her. That was the kind of guy he was. “The business is all that’s left of Adam, you know?” And she wanted Adam’s ideas for the company to matter, and she knew about those ideas—he’d told her.

“I know, sweetie.” A long pause followed before her mother shifted the topic. “Since Justin was out, does that mean we get to visit soon?”

“Soon. Promise. I’m just getting settled.” She kept thinking she needed to find her new self before she let in any parts of her old self. “Now I need to tell you something, but just know that I’m fine…” Mom had stayed perfectly silent as Peyton updated her on the murder and all that unfolded at her shop.

“A murder,” Mom gasped when Peyton finished. “In your shop? I thought Stoney Creek was a safe place to live.”

“It is safe,” Peyton retorted. “Way safer than Seattle. This was just one of those crazy things that have absolutely nothing to do with me.”

“Oh, honey, that must have been so scary.”

Peyton stared up at the ceiling, the shadows lurking from the corners. “I just feel so bad for the woman.”

“Yes, so terribly tragic,” Mom agreed. “Do they know what happened?”

“The detectives on the case said it might be a robbery, but I don’t think they really know anything yet.”

Another pause. This time, her mother’s voice sounded heavy. “I really wish you’d let us come out. With this murder in your shop, I’m so worried about you being alone out there.”

“I’m not exactly alone.”