Page 13 of Lost Truth
“I-I don’t think I can go in.”
“Do you want me to come with you?”
“I don’t know. Maybe. I’m not sure I’m ready.” The gentle concern on his face was nearly her undoing, and her tears threatened to break free again.
“You don’t have to do this right now. You’ve already had a tough day.” He squeezed her elbow. “You can stay with us at the inn. We’ve left a couple of the rooms as is for visitors.”
She would be thankful to be anywhere but where she was right now, but was spending the night under the same roof with him a good idea? Probably not, but spending the night here didn’t seem like a good one either. “I don’t want to impose or be any trouble for you.”
“You won’t be imposing. Everyone will understand.”
“If you’re sure, I’ll stay tonight, and maybe I’ll be braver in the daylight.”
He released her elbow. “It’s not about being brave. Trust me. I understand. It’s about acceptance and finding the ability to move forward.”
“You probably didn’t have the luxury of time when your parents died but were forced to deal with the harsh reality of leaving your home right away.”
“Yeah. Yeah.” He dragged a hand through his hair. “Like I said. It was rough, but hey, maybe I can use my experience to help you through this pain.”
“You know what I could use right now?” she asked, even though she knew she shouldn’t. “A hug. A simple friend-to-friend hug.”
His brows drew together as he looked at her. “I haven’t done a good job of hiding the fact that I’m interested in you, but I’ll do my best to offer the friendly hug you need.”
She stepped toward him and made the mistake of looking into his eyes. That interest he talked about burned brightly, and she had to be transmitting the same signals. She quickly looked away as his powerful arms encapsulated her and drew her close. His body hid the house from her view, and the warmth emanating from him helped ease out a fraction of her grief.
Enough that she didn’t want to move and face the full realities again. He seemed okay with holding her, so they stood in the shadow of the moon, feeling as one to her. She wanted to wrap her arms around his waist and cling to him for as long as possible, but she wasn’t a child like he’d been when he lost his family. She was a grown-up and had to face the loss of her father head on.
The sooner she internalized his death and could move forward, the better she would do in finding the person who killed him. She needed to keep the reason she was in town a greater priority than her comfort.
All the time.
Even if Hayden offered her solace, the hunt for her dad’s killer had to take top priority.
Hayden opened the guest room door for Cady, just three doors down from his own suite. When he’d told her the team had left a few rooms untouched, he wasn’t misleading her. They cleaned and disinfected the spaces but had left them decorated exactly as the prior owners had intended.
A nautical theme dominated this room, and not in a good way. Colored buoys with ropes were strung on the wall above the queen-sized bed, and cut-out anchors hung on the other wall. Faded linen drapes boasting colorful sailboats on a bright blue background to match a worn bedspread blocked the view over the ocean through French doors.
He stood back to let her enter. “It doesn’t look like much, but we replaced the mattress and keep the room as clean as possible. And, of course, the bedding is all freshly washed too.”
She turned, her expression blank as she took it in. “The inn must’ve been an interesting place before you all bought it.”
“Actually, it sat vacant for two years. Thankfully no one vandalized it or tried to squat on the property.”
“You wouldn’t have wanted to lose these priceless buoys or anchors.” She laughed.
He appreciated her humor, but her sweet giggle, like pretty much everything else about her, made him want to get to know her better.
What in the world had possessed him to ask her to stay at the inn? Sure, her pain impacted him in a way many people couldn’t comprehend. Her anguish brought back so many memories, making them as fresh as if they’d happened the other day instead of twenty years ago. Memories he never wanted to call up again. Could be why he was so quick to offer her an out. Not only so she didn’t have to live with the pain tonight, but so he could keep an eye on her and make sure she remained safe.
“Sorry,” she said. “I didn’t mean to diss your property.”
“Don’t be sorry. You’re right. Someday we’ll work on these rooms, but we currently devote our free time and money to upgrading the suites we live in.”
“I’d be very interested in seeing your suite sometime.”
“Of course,” he said, but he doubted that would be a good idea. He set her small suitcase he’d retrieved from her father’s house on a luggage rack at the end of the bed, then grabbed the ice bucket. “Glasses for water are by the sink, but I’ll get you some ice. Do you want a snack too?”
“I’d appreciate the ice. Otherwise I’m good, but thank you for asking.”
