Freeing Reese (Tremont Lodge Series Book 3) by Marcy Blesy Page B

he’s doing this in front of our friends…and Lawson. “I do want to go, Finn. Stop being an asshole.”
    “Yeah? If you wanted to go so badly, you’d have lined up a job on the ship by now, just like the police officers pointed out. You never intend to leave the lodge. That’s pretty damn clear.” This time he doesn’t look back as he storms out the door of the restaurant.
    I want to follow him. I want to tell him he’s wrong—that I do want to go on the cruise ship with him, but my feet feel stuck to the floor. Lawson doesn’t say a word but takes the box of supplies to the kitchen. Tinley’s face has transitioned from pouty lip to sad puppy dog eyes. Murphy picks up the dropped marshmallows and leaves to look for a trash can. “I do want to go with Finn, Tinley.”
    “Then maybe you need to figure out why Lawson has such a hold on you that you can’t tell your boyfriend how you really feel.”
    I open my mouth to argue, but Tinley’s right. It’s not just Tremont Lodge that’s become a part of my life I’m not sure I can live without. But it’s not for the reasons everyone thinks.

Chapter 14:
    Officer Folet is waiting outside my room when I get back. To say that this couldn’t be a worse time would be the understatement of the day. “There you are, Ms. Prentice. Helen said you would be arriving shortly.”
    “Helen? Why would Helen know when I was arriving?”
    “It seems that your friend Bree told her where you were.”
    “Bree? I don’t understand. What do you want? I’ve had kind of a rotten day.”
    “But shouldn’t you be happy? Mr. Oakley is on his way home from the hospital.”
    “That’s wonderful news,” I say, and I mean it. “How is he getting back to the lodge?” I know Lawson is still on top of the mountain, and he sure as hell didn’t call Georgia—thank goodness.
    “Helen,” says Officer Folet.
    “Oh, I understand now. Was Helen looking for me to pick up Ted?”
    “I highly doubt that. I think she’s inclined to keep you away from Mr. Oakley.”
    “Why would she want to do that?”
    “Ms. Prentice, there are people here at the lodge that still think you had something to do with poisoning Mr. Oakley.”
    “But that is ridiculous!”
    “If not you, then perhaps you’d like to enlighten me on why Lawson also made his way to Mr. Oakley’s penthouse suite the evening you both found him lying on his bedroom floor?”
    “I don’t know why Lawson was there. Why don’t you ask him yourself?” I know I’m not hiding my defensiveness, but this guy is really pissing me off, and he’s supposed to be the nice cop.
    “And remind me—you were there to give Mr. Oakley a Christmas present?”
    “Y…yes.”
    “We didn’t find any Christmas presents in the suite. Perhaps you brought it back here with you?”
    “I was going to invite Ted out to dinner—as a Christmas present. And I wanted him to know how much I wanted my job back.”
    “But didn’t you tell me that you plan on leaving Tremont Lodge this spring?”
    “Yes, I am—I mean, I did tell you that, and I am leaving, but I still needed Ted to know how much I was going to miss the lodge…and him.”
    “That’s all very sweet, Ms. Prentice. I do hope that you are telling me the truth. You still have that business card I gave you if you can think of any more helpful information?”
    “Yes.”
    “All right then. Have a great evening.”
    I unlock the door to my room as I try to digest the second interrogation of the day. Who on earth would really think that I would harm Ted? Or that Lawson would for that matter? Yet, someone did harm him. I pull out my phone to text Lawson.
    Me: Check on Gloria. Please.
    Lawson: Why? What’s wrong with her?
    Me: Just make sure she doesn’t have anything to do with Ted.
    Lawson: Leave it alone, Reese.
    Me: I can’t. Someone hurt Ted. If it wasn’t me or you, then who?
    Lawson doesn’t answer. I imagine his brain spinning a million directions, too, trying to make sense