Page 12 of Fortune’s Control (Fortune’s Creek #1)

Lilah sat in the backyard, with a laptop on her knees and a phone in her hand.

“You ready?” Aiden asked.

I regretted agreeing to come with him. “In a minute.”

“Is she still not talking to you?”

Lilah lifted her sunglasses and looked towards the kitchen window, as if she sensed our conversation and felt us spying on her.

Every person in town knew I took Lilah to the Creekside Diner a few days ago.

My friends also noticed that she hadn’t stopped by Aiden’s remodeling job since then and had switched from quizzing me about our strange marriage to badgering me about what I had done wrong.

I didn’t answer their questions, while also not disputing that I was the one at fault.

“How do you apologize to a woman?” I asked.

Aiden joined me at the kitchen window so we both spied on her. “As a general rule, I don’t. Ideally, you leave before that stage arrives, but if I were, probably with flowers and a bent knee.”

“That sounds like a marriage proposal.”

He gripped my shoulder. “Oh, man, you won’t believe this because I have the perfect story for you.

So, there’s this guy, right? He does something idiotic, and then he makes it worse.

” Aiden slapped his chest, amused at his bad joke.

“Look, you can grovel now or you can grovel when we get back; it doesn’t matter to me.

I have an appointment in Miami to pick up two cars, so we need to go.

Grovel when we get back. That suits my timeline much better. ”

I spent the night lusting after her, and for one moment, lost control and broke my self-imposed rule. I lay awake for most of that night, arguing with myself over which action was correct.

She avoided me since then, and the hurt in her voice when she called my name settled the argument. I was at fault and unsure how to correct it. Lack of practice will do that.

“Tell the customer that your idiot friend needed to fix things with his wife first,” I said.

“Oh, are we calling her that now? This is a fresh development. I still don’t know why you did it, and now, I’m confused why you two haven’t divorced yet.”

Because she walked past a window, and I followed her. That’s why.

*****

“Lilah?”

She pulled her sunglasses up on her forehead, so her eyes were level with my cock. They moved up my body, appraising every part of me. She dropped her sunglasses back in place before I could see her judgment.

“Emma, he’s here.” Silence. “Sure, I’ll call you back in a few minutes.” She ended the call and glared with pinched lips. “What is it?” Her laptop snapped shut like she didn’t want me to see the screen’s contents.

Too late.

“I’ll be out of town until late tomorrow night with Aiden. We’re headed to Miami to pick up cars from one of his customers.”

“Okay. Enjoy yourself.” She gave a curt wave.

Was that sarcasm or a genuine wish? I was afraid to ask. “I asked Jack and Dean to check up on you. Dean is Aiden’s brother. You met him that night when we…”

“I know who he is. That won’t be necessary.” She removed her sunglasses, setting them on the wide armchair. “I’m safe here.”

That was an odd choice of words, reminding me of Lilah’s moment several days ago, on our walk back from the cemetery.

She believed someone followed her, despite the empty street.

That fear was the secret reason she came to Fortune’s Creek.

She didn’t spill her reasons for it before, and was less likely to do so now, which meant I’d need to solve the mystery another way.

“Jack’s our closest neighbor, and he’s two acres away. I’d feel better knowing my friends were looking after you. Help yourself to the house. I put a key under the back door’s floor mat for you.”

“That’s very considerate.”

Hell, that’s me hinting she should stay there. How do you apologize when you don’t want to explain the reason? “We’ll talk more when I get back.”

“I started a job hunt.”

That particular piece of news never reached me, and gossip always wound up in my ears. Where did she go looking? “Okay,” I said, drawing out the word.

“That way, I can pay you back as soon as possible.”

“You know that’s unnecessary.”

“We both know it is, Shane. ”

I suggested we talk when I return, and she skipped to the end, dropping this in my lap now, and her tone told me I couldn’t put her off it. Lilah probably wouldn’t accept my offer to stay in the house, either.

Aiden suggested I do the eye-roll inducing flowers and bended-knee routine. It was too late for the former, and I couldn’t manage the latter. I sat in the other chair, declaring it a fair compromise.

“Lilah, I’m sorry for the other night.”

Her face dropped, so her hair fell forward, hiding her features from me.

I went on. “That’s not what you deserved. If it matters, that kiss was real to me. I wanted it as much as you did. Probably more than you, and the only part I regret is the end. I’m sorry.”

“Thank you.” Lilah offered me several statements that sounded appreciative since our conversation began, but this was the first to sound genuine, as she needed to hear me apologize before any meaningful discussion could begin.

Aiden stepped onto the porch, waving his hands and performing an awkward chicken dance in case I forgot about our errand. I agreed to come along before my falling out with Lilah, and now I was stuck keeping my word.

“We’ll talk more when I return.” It gave me time to come up with an explanation.

I took her closest hand in mine, admiring the iridescent pink polish on her nails.

Lilah picked out a shade that reminded me of raspberries for our date.

I stroked her ring finger, noticing the absence of any jewelry on her hands. “Stay here until I get back.”

She noticed my gesture and pulled her hand into her lap. “Do you order all your friends around, or is that a trait reserved for me?”

If Aiden heard that question, he’d answer with a long parade of anecdotes. “It’s an expression of concern.”

“We can talk more when you get back. We should also talk about our marriage, Shane.”

“What about it?”

“It’s not real.”

I wasn’t in the mood to discuss it, and that wouldn’t change after a trip to Miami. Whatever brought her to Fortune’s Creek was unresolved, and she needed me until it was. If she wouldn’t volunteer the secret, there were other ways to find out.

“Our signatures on the license made it real, no matter how you see it.”

Aiden whistled to catch my attention. “If we don’t leave now, my business will up and die, and you’ll have that on your conscience for the rest of your life,” he yelled before resuming his chicken dance.

I stood with an exasperated sigh. “Dean and Jack will be around if you need them.”

“Drive safe, Shane.” She put her sunglasses back on and picked up her phone.

“You annoy me,” I told Aiden as we climbed into his truck.

“I’m charming. My humor gives our lives spice.”

I grunted a response. “Put your brother on speakerphone.”

“If you please, Aiden. Thank you so much, Aiden. You’re the best friend I’ve ever had, Aiden. You’re the light of my life, Aiden.”

“Please put Dean on the phone so I don’t punch you in the face.”

“Wow.” Aiden dialed up his brother. “I guess she didn’t take your apology as easily as you hoped,” he said while it rang.

Dean answered. “Did you wreck both cars already? ”

“No, but I learned it’s National Pick on Aiden Day,” he said.

“I need a favor. You still talk to Alex, right?” I asked.

“Alex from high school? The one that works for state law enforcement now? We’ve worked together a few times,” Dean said.

“I have two names for him. Can you find out if he knows someone in Georgia who can look into them, or maybe he can do it himself? I don’t know how state data works.”

Aiden’s mouth fell open. He swung his head toward me, offering a slow shake before putting his eyes back on the road.

“Okay, shoot. Give me the names, and I’ll ask him.”

“The first name is Sandy Cooper. She’s probably from Atlanta or a nearby area. Also, she’s dead, if that changes what you look for.”

“The second name?”

My stomach twisted, and I reminded myself she hadn’t left me any options. Lilah wanted out of our marriage. That stupid wedding license was my only tie to her, tenacious though it was. If I ended it, she’d leave, and whatever danger she ran from would follow.

“Delilah Mayberry.” I croaked the two words out.

There was a long silence. “Are you sure you want to do that?” Dean asked.

“Positive.”

“I’ll ask Alex for you.”

“Thanks.”

The call ended.

“You want to tell me what that’s about?” Aiden asked.

“Not yet.” She didn’t leave me a choice. “I trust you two not to say anything.”