blue eyes and blond hair. Her hair wasn’t naturally blond anymore, but highlights had been expertly applied to give her warm brown hair a fresh boost. She’d changed in other ways, too, but there wasn’t a single thing Posy could put her finger on. She’d subtly grown from a pretty but mean-spirited girl into a woman who looked calculated—too carefully put together, but still undeniably gorgeous.
Everything she said had an undercurrent, though. Or at least Posy thought it did.
Chloe smiled at Wes.
“Chloe Chastain.” She held out her hand. “Are you new in town or just visiting like Posy?”
Wes pushed his chair back and stood in one fluid motion. He took Chloe’s hand and shook it warmly.
“Chloe Chastain!” he said. “I’m Wes Fallon. I was so sorry I couldn’t connect with you yesterday. My family can’t thank you enough for the help you gave with the fundraiser. It was flat-out fantastic.”
Chloe pressed his hand between both of hers. “When I heard about the good work your foundation does, I couldn’t help myself. But it was really my readers...and Trish’s, of course...who did the hard work.”
She held on to Wes’s hand as she looked back at Posy. “Your mom went on a retreat, you said? Is that why I haven’t been able to get in touch with her since she collected the money?”
“I gave the check to Wes a few minutes ago, so everything is all set.” She pointed to it on the table. A moment ago she’d felt sick, but now she felt a twinge of pride. Her mom had made a big mistake, but she’d fixed it so now there was no way Chloe could get to Trish.
Chloe smiled and cocked her head toward the check. “I’m still shocked by how much my readers contributed. It’s an impressive number, isn’t it?” Then her eyebrows drew together and she looked more closely. “Why is it written on your account, Posy? I thought your mom had a special account set up for the money from donors?”
Damn it. Why hadn’t she asked her mom about that? “She’s on retreat,” Posy repeated helplessly.
Wes picked the check up and looked at it more closely, but when Chloe edged toward it, he folded it and slid it into the chest pocket of his shirt.
“Well, I don’t see how you could write it from your account—” Chloe started.
“It’s nothing for you to worry about, Chloe. I gave Wes all the documentation for the donors. He has the check. Everything’s settled.”
“We’ll see you at the ceremony at Equipment Day tomorrow,” Wes said. “My brother and sister-in-law want to thank you in person.”
Chloe pushed her bracelets up her arm and nodded. “I’ll be there. Wouldn’t miss it. I can’t wait to see Trish again.”
Posy excused herself to use the restroom and when she came back out, Chloe and Wes were both gone. For a moment she thought they’d left together, maybe to head straight to police headquarters. But then she saw Wes pacing outside, his long-legged stride in fitted jeans sexier than normal for Main Street in Kirkland.
* * *
“ T HAT ’ S YOUR MOM ’ S STORE across the street?” he asked when she joined him outside.
Posy nodded. “Wonders. That’s it.”
“Can we go in?”
“You want to shop?”
What he wanted was to spend some more time with Posy to figure out what the hell was going on. Chloe had hinted that he should look more closely at the finances for the fundraiser and that she would be doing her own digging. He had to admit, it didn’t look quite right that the check had come from Posy’s personal account. But the point was that the money was there and the donors would get their acknowledgments that their funds were received.
He still felt a nagging worry, though. Getting the money wasn’t the only point.
If Chloe decided to stir up trouble for Trish, she’d be stirring up trouble for Deacon, as well. He hoped she was just talking, but he wasn’t sure.
“I’d like to see it. Your mom ran this fundraiser for us on her store blog—it’s part
Everything she said had an undercurrent, though. Or at least Posy thought it did.
Chloe smiled at Wes.
“Chloe Chastain.” She held out her hand. “Are you new in town or just visiting like Posy?”
Wes pushed his chair back and stood in one fluid motion. He took Chloe’s hand and shook it warmly.
“Chloe Chastain!” he said. “I’m Wes Fallon. I was so sorry I couldn’t connect with you yesterday. My family can’t thank you enough for the help you gave with the fundraiser. It was flat-out fantastic.”
Chloe pressed his hand between both of hers. “When I heard about the good work your foundation does, I couldn’t help myself. But it was really my readers...and Trish’s, of course...who did the hard work.”
She held on to Wes’s hand as she looked back at Posy. “Your mom went on a retreat, you said? Is that why I haven’t been able to get in touch with her since she collected the money?”
“I gave the check to Wes a few minutes ago, so everything is all set.” She pointed to it on the table. A moment ago she’d felt sick, but now she felt a twinge of pride. Her mom had made a big mistake, but she’d fixed it so now there was no way Chloe could get to Trish.
Chloe smiled and cocked her head toward the check. “I’m still shocked by how much my readers contributed. It’s an impressive number, isn’t it?” Then her eyebrows drew together and she looked more closely. “Why is it written on your account, Posy? I thought your mom had a special account set up for the money from donors?”
Damn it. Why hadn’t she asked her mom about that? “She’s on retreat,” Posy repeated helplessly.
Wes picked the check up and looked at it more closely, but when Chloe edged toward it, he folded it and slid it into the chest pocket of his shirt.
“Well, I don’t see how you could write it from your account—” Chloe started.
“It’s nothing for you to worry about, Chloe. I gave Wes all the documentation for the donors. He has the check. Everything’s settled.”
“We’ll see you at the ceremony at Equipment Day tomorrow,” Wes said. “My brother and sister-in-law want to thank you in person.”
Chloe pushed her bracelets up her arm and nodded. “I’ll be there. Wouldn’t miss it. I can’t wait to see Trish again.”
Posy excused herself to use the restroom and when she came back out, Chloe and Wes were both gone. For a moment she thought they’d left together, maybe to head straight to police headquarters. But then she saw Wes pacing outside, his long-legged stride in fitted jeans sexier than normal for Main Street in Kirkland.
* * *
“ T HAT ’ S YOUR MOM ’ S STORE across the street?” he asked when she joined him outside.
Posy nodded. “Wonders. That’s it.”
“Can we go in?”
“You want to shop?”
What he wanted was to spend some more time with Posy to figure out what the hell was going on. Chloe had hinted that he should look more closely at the finances for the fundraiser and that she would be doing her own digging. He had to admit, it didn’t look quite right that the check had come from Posy’s personal account. But the point was that the money was there and the donors would get their acknowledgments that their funds were received.
He still felt a nagging worry, though. Getting the money wasn’t the only point.
If Chloe decided to stir up trouble for Trish, she’d be stirring up trouble for Deacon, as well. He hoped she was just talking, but he wasn’t sure.
“I’d like to see it. Your mom ran this fundraiser for us on her store blog—it’s part
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