Ainsley had settled in Loch’s guest room, exhausted yet wanting to know more. But she knew she couldn’t do anything about it. Not yet. The fact that she’d slept there because she was scared for him and he’d looked scared for her meant something, but she didn't know what exactly. They hadn’t talked more beyond making sure she was ready for bed and knew where her toothbrush was. She’d slept over countless times before while watching Misty, and even before then when she’d slept on his couch after a long night of movies.
It hadn’t meant anything then because they were friends, and that’s what friends sometimes did. The fact that she had a few spare changes of clothing in the guest room, her own drawer, and her own toothbrush meant that maybe Loch was right. Perhaps she had inserted herself into Loch’s and Misty’s lives too much.
But it wasn’t like she truly wanted to change that now.
She’d tossed and turned most of the night, unable to sleep with him so close with so many unanswered questions between them. She still couldn’t believe everything that had happened the night before. And she was still trying to process it all: the fight, the yelling, the cops, the fact that his brothers now knew about them…
It was all a little too much, but it wasn’t as if she could hide from it.
Once she was alone with Loch again, she’d find a way to calmly talk about what was going on between the two of them, as well as the important things that were happening in Whiskey. He was hiding something, she knew that. And he was holding back because he was trying to protect her. That much was clear. Loch was always trying to protect her, no matter how many times she told him she could take care of herself. She’d taken his self-defense courses—classes he’d started at the gym because he hadn’t liked her walking alone at night even in their seemingly safe town. She still took them when he offered them to keep her skills fresh, and he helped her outside of them so she was always prepared.
She didn’t know what exactly he feared when it came to her safety, but not only were they friends, but she also liked spending time with him for reasons she’d kept to herself for ages. She wished she knew what would have happened if his brothers hadn’t shown up, or if the police hadn’t come soon after.
She needed to know what Loch was hiding, and what he might have said if they’d had more time.
And she needed to know that he would be safe. Because given how she’d felt with the cops asking him questions and making it sound as if he’d been the one to kill Dennis, she didn’t know if he truly was all right. It all had to be connected: his secrets, Dennis, Loch pushing her away. How, she didn’t know, but she’d find a way to make him tell her. She didn’t have another choice.
Ainsley sighed and parked her car in front of Melody’s home, the stunning stonework making her marvel as usual. Melody had recently moved to Whiskey to stay with her grandmother, Ms. Pearl, who happened to be a fixture in the town and part of its more recent history. Fox lived there now as well, and soon, there would be a baby in the home also. Ainsley couldn’t wait. She adored babies, and she loved the fact that Fox and Melody were head over heels in love with each other even more.
Tonight, Ainsley would be spending the night because the girls wanted some time with her. No doubt her friends wanted her there because their men had told them what had happened at Loch’s the night before. Melody didn’t mind since she needed friends to talk to about the whole situation. Friends who weren’t Loch. Other women in the past hadn’t understood her relationship with Loch and always tried to either hone in on it or get him for themselves. She’d never been jealous, not really, especially since she’d never been strong enough to tell him her feelings. However, she hadn’t liked it when the other women dropped her as soon as Loch failed to show them any attention—or at least the attention they wanted.
Kenzie and Melody were different, and not because they’d found their futures with Loch’s brothers. Ainsley had a feeling the two wouldn’t have batted an eye at her friendship with Loch and wouldn’t have pushed Ainsley away just to try and get closer to the man even if they had remained single.
Ainsley knew the two women had noticed her feelings for Loch, but they never pushed.
Tonight, however, there would be pushing. She knew it. And tonight, for the first time, Ainsley might be willing to open up.
She hoped.
That morning, after Melody had texted, sweetly demanding that Ainsley stay the night for girl time, Ainsley had mentioned it to Loch on their way out the door, and he’d given her a tight nod. He’d seemed happy that she wouldn’t be at home alone, and since he wouldn’t answer why, she’d rolled her eyes and left, annoyed that he was so damn protective yet wouldn’t explain.
So, she would stay with Melody and Ainsley and Ms. Pearl, safe under lock and key for the night while she figured out what the hell to do next. But to do that, she needed to get out of the car and actually talk to everyone.
Melody opened the door with a wide grin, her little baby bump so adorable it was all Ainsley could do not to reach out and put her hands on it to feel her honorary niece. Ainsley held back the sudden lump in her throat at the thought.
Everyone was pairing off, moving on with their lives and becoming adults in the real sense of the word, leaving Ainsley just a little bit behind. Not that she planned to feel sorry for herself for too long about that. She had a career that she loved, and while she might not have the full-blooded siblings others might have, at least not anymore, she did have Loch and his family.
As long as she didn’t lose him because of their one night together and whatever else was going on in his head.
“You can touch the bump if you want,” Melody said after closing the door. “It’s okay. I mean, if strangers start coming up to me and touching the bump, I might start a fight, but you’re family.” She winked, and that lump in Ainsley’s throat tightened even more before her whole body warmed at the words.
“Yay. You’re getting so big. Not that you’re big, but...you know what I mean,” she quickly added.
Melody snorted. “I do. Fox said something similar this morning, however, and I had to hurt him for it.”
Ainsley winced. “Yeah, probably not the best thing to say to a woman who’s in her second trimester.” She quickly set her bag down on the floor and put her hands on the bump, sighing softly. She didn’t feel a kick or even movement, wasn’t even sure that would happen at this stage since the things she knew about pregnancy came from television and books—she taught chemistry and not biology for a reason, after all—but she still felt the connection. “You have a person growing inside you. That’s so…cool.”
“Cool is a word for it,” Melody said with a laugh. “I’m hitting the craving period. Though, apparently, that can happen at any time during the pregnancy. I’m also starting to have to pee every ten minutes, but that could just be all in my head, knowing me.”
Ainsley pulled her hand away, laughing for real for the first time since her night with Loch. She didn’t want to think about that since she didn’t have answers, but then again, she couldn’t do much about that tonight since she and Loch would probably be the main topic of conversation with her friends. That and the investigation that set her stomach on edge.
“Maybe your mind is just getting your body prepared for when you’re waddling down the hall with the baby actually pressing on your bladder.”
Melody winced. “Ugh, I’m so not looking forward to that part. Plus, the whole childbirth thing scares the crap out of me, but I’ll do it since I can’t wait to be a mom.” Her eyes shone brightly as she spoke, and Ainsley couldn’t help but smile. “I know I’m going to make mistakes, and I probably won’t be any good at it at first, but Grandma Pearl is already teaching me so much. Plus, Fox’s mom is amazing. And I know Kenzie is learning too since she’s not only in Nate’s life, but I know she and Dare are ready to start trying soon, as well.”
“There will be a few new Collins babies before we know it. Plus, Tabby is due soon, too.”
Melody grinned. “I’m glad she’s doing it first. It sort of gets the pressure off me, I guess. Though that makes me feel like a dork for saying so.”
“Or maybe you’re just like every other woman who is about to be a first-time mom. You’re nervous and excited all at once. I can’t wait to hold that baby in my arms. Just saying.”
“Well, you’ll be its honorary Auntie Ainsley, so expect lots of baby holding.” Melody gave her a wicked grin. “Of course, from what I hear, maybe the title won’t be so honorary.”
Ainsley closed her eyes and groaned. “Of course, Fox told you.”
“Dare told me, too,” Kenzie said from behind her.
“And since I can’t be left out of a secret, I know, as well,” Ms. Pearl said on a laugh as she came to Ainsley’s side. The older woman hugged her waist, and Melody leaned in without putting her weight on Pearl’s slight frame.
“Goodie.” Ainsley groaned when the others laughed, then let them lead her to the living room where assorted cheeses, dips, chips, breads, cookies, and other appetizers were laid out. The girls had gone all out, and Melody’s stomach growled just looking at it all.
“Don’t be like that,” Kenzie said, hugging her close. “We won’t talk about it if you don’t want to, but it seems like a big deal.”
“It is a big deal,” Ms. Pearl added as she sank into her high-backed chair that Ainsley knew was beyond comfortable. That was Ms. Pearl, class and comfort all in one streamlined package. “But, because it’s you. Because it’s Loch. Not because it’s a bad thing. And I would love to hear all the details because I’m not as young as I once was, and hearing the scandalous tidbits is about the only thing I get these days.”
“Grandma,” Melody warned, her eyes dancing with laughter.
“What? Loch is a big boy.” Ms. Pearl’s eyes widened in mock horror. “I mean…oh, you know what I mean.”
“That was no slip of the tongue, Grandma.”
“That’d better have been a slip of the tongue.”
Kenzie and Ainsley fell onto the couch, holding their stomachs as they giggled like schoolgirls. Melody joined in as Ms. Pearl buffed her nails.
“I’d say my work here is done, but I don’t want to leave without hearing all the dirty details.” Ms. Pearl leaned forward then, her eyes cooling. “I also want to hear about what happened last night. Fox didn’t say much, as I don’t know what he thought he could tell us, but I’ve had my times dealing with law enforcement over the years, young lady. If you need me, I’m here. Same with that boy of yours.”
“He’s not mine, Ms. Pearl.” Ainsley hadn’t meant for those to be the first and only words she said. But, apparently, that was where they were going to start.
“He’s yours, even if neither of you is ready to admit it.”
“Grandma,” Melody warned again.
Ms. Pearl held up her hands. “I’ll stop for now, but why don’t you start at the beginning, Ainsley. At least, the beginning of where you need to. You’re practically jumping out of your skin right now, needing to let some of what you have out. We’re all women here, all family. No matter what happens after tonight, what happens after this business with the law is over, you’re still one of us.”
Tears stung Ainsley’s eyes, and Kenzie reached out and gripped her hand. She squeezed back, then leaned into Melody’s shoulder. Ainsley sat on the couch between her two new friends and in front of Ms. Pearl, the woman who was already a better mother than she’d ever had, and told them about her fight with Loch.
The first fight and the lack of date that had led to their night together on this couch.
The second fight that had led to him trying to rip her out of his life.
The third fight that had ended before anything could be resolved.
The fact that there had been so many fights recently between them hurt Ainsley, but she knew there had to be a resolution soon. She just prayed it would be something she could live with.
And because she couldn’t finish talking about the final fight without mentioning Fox, Dare, and the police, Ainsley told them everything she knew about the investigation and the fact that she was indeed Loch’s alibi.
“I don’t understand why they think Loch had anything to do with Dennis’s death,” Kenzie said with a frown. “Anyone who’s a local in Whiskey knew Dennis. He was a fixture at the gym and a few other places around town. I’m still pretty new here, and even I knew him.”
“Same here,” Melody added. “It’s like the cops don’t know who to pin it on, so they’re looking at Loch just because he was found outside the gym. Unless there’s more to it.”
Ainsley shook her head. “I don’t want to think like that. I want to think they are looking at all connections and will soon find the real person. There’s no way it could have been Loch, and I already said I’d sign whatever I need to, even go to court or whatever happens next for alibis. I’m out of my depth on this. But, you guys, it’s like Loch knows something we don’t. He sent Misty away to her grandparents, and he’s pushing me away to keep me safe. I just don’t know what he thinks he’s keeping me safe from.”
“Then you’re going to have to find out,” Melody said quickly. “I can’t read that man, and I haven’t known him long, but I have a feeling I’m not alone in that. But if he wants to protect you from something, it’s all circling around whatever is going on in Whiskey right now. It has to be important. If anyone is going to get him to talk, it’s you, Ainsley.”
“Easier said than done.”
“Of course, it won’t be easy,” Ms. Pearl added. “Nothing worth fighting for is easy. I don’t know that boy’s past, but there’s obviously something there from what he’s saying. And though he wants to keep you in the dark to keep you safe, that clearly isn’t working for either of you. Explain that. Because the best way to keep yourself safe is to know what’s going on around you.”
“She’s right,” Kenzie said. “You can’t let him get away with his big, bad protector role he’s so good at. It took me forever to figure out what was hurting Dare, and you know my past, you know what I ran from. In the end, Dare and I knowing what each other went through helped us figure out how to get through what came after.”
Ainsley gripped her friend’s hand again and squeezed. Kenzie had been through hell and back. Dare too for that matter. But now the couple was getting married and thinking of adding to their family.
“I think he’s going to have to tell me what’s going on,” Ainsley said. “I’m not going to give him another choice.”
“And what about the other thing?” Kenzie asked softly. “What about you and Loch?”
Ainsley shook her head. “I don’t know.”
“I knew from the moment I saw you with him that you had feelings for him.” Melody winced at her words. “I mean, I’m sure others didn’t notice, but I was kind of on high-alert when I moved here and was thrust into your family.”
Her family. They kept using those words, and Ainsley was afraid of what would happen if she and Loch didn’t mend things. Would they still be her family? And what if she and Loch tried…something, and it went to hell?
What would she have then?
She may have loved her best friend for years, but that didn’t mean she knew what to do with those emotions.
“I don’t know what I’m going to do about Loch, but I do know that I’m starving, and all of this looks amazing. Can we eat and talk about silly things for a bit? We can come back to the drama that is my life later, but right now, I could use some other girl-talk.”
Her friends looked at her, then at each other before everyone dug into their food and drinks. Loch was always on Ainsley’s mind, even when she and the other women talked about TV shows and the latest Whiskey gossip that didn’t have anything to do with mystery and death.
By the time she made it to the first-floor guest room she’d share with Kenzie for the night, she was full, exhausted, and emotionally drained. Her friend had gone back to the library for a bit to talk to Dare on the phone, and Ainsley figured she’d fall right to sleep.
She didn’t count on Loch’s name popping up on the screen of her phone as soon as she sat down on the bed.
She didn’t want to answer.
She had to answer.
“Loch.”
“Wanted to check on you.” His gruff voice sent shivers down her spine, and she did her best not to moan. Because now when she heard that deep voice of his, she could only remember what he sounded like when he yelled as he came inside her.
She wouldn’t be sleeping well tonight, after all.
“How’s Misty?” It was the first thing she thought to ask without letting herself get angry with him or herself again.
“I talked to her earlier. She’s having fun with her grandparents for the week.”
“Are you going to tell me why she’s there?”
“You know we planned a week with them.” He didn’t answer the question, not really, and they both knew it.
“Yeah, but I didn’t know it was this week.” Ainsley knew it had to do with whatever else was going on with him, but as long as Misty was safe and loved, Ainsley would try to understand.
“Well, it is.” He cleared his throat. “Be safe tonight. I’m sorry I yelled. But there're things you don't know.”
She bit her tongue so she wouldn’t yell before she spoke. “I can't know them if you won’t tell me.” A pause. “I thought we were friends. That there weren’t any secrets between us.” The latter was a lie since she’d always kept her feelings from him, but it wasn’t like she was on a pedestal or anything.
“We are.”
“Then you aren't very good at it. Because you need to tell me. I can’t stay safe like you want unless I know all the facts.”
“I can't.” He didn’t sound as sure as he had, though. But it still hurt to hear.
“Then things will have to stay as they are, uncertain and not good for either of us.” She let out a shaky breath. “Goodnight, Loch.”
She hung up before he could say anything else, afraid that she’d let her tears fall. If she weren’t careful, she’d lose everything. The problem was, if she didn’t take a chance, she was afraid she’d realize she didn’t have anything at all.
Something moved outside the window, and she froze, telling herself it was just a trick of the moonlight because she was already on edge. But, still, she went to the window, staying out of eyesight, and quickly shut the blinds before Kenzie came back.
Loch was keeping her on edge for more reasons than one, but someone had died in Whiskey, and the killer hadn’t been caught yet. Being uneasy might just be her new state of being.