Irresistible Stranger by Jennifer Greene Page B

Griff in case anyone else tried to hurt him.
    By noon, Griff couldn’t keep his eyes off the street. He hadn’t forgotten that wild body in bed with him this morning. For damn sure, he hadn’t forgotten what had unfortunately been interrupted by the blast of phone calls. He also hadn’t forgotten finding Lily sitting on the curb last night, waiting for him, hanging with his boys.
    When they’d split this morning, she said that she was going back to the B and B, needed to shower, clean up, change clothes, and then she’d be here. It wasn’t as if either of them had set a timetable.
    He hadn’t been worried about it—until the sheriff and fire chief had stopped by, taken him out back to have a quiet talk.
    His fire hadn’t been accidental. Maybe Griff had already guessed that, but it was still another thing to have “arson” put in indelible ink.
    His fire had started from a gasoline accelerant, exactly like the accelerant used in the deserted mill fire the day after Lily arrived in town. Exactly the same accelerant had been used in that long-ago fire that took her parents’ lives.
    Gasoline was one of the most common accelerants arsonists used, the fire chief told him.
    He got it.
    But he’d never liked coincidences. And he didn’t like not knowing where Lily was.
    Damn town was full of the best people a man could ask for in neighbors—friends, people who cared.
    But someone wasn’t so nice. Two fires in less than two weeks? No record of arson in years, until Lily suddenly came back in town? It just didn’t make sense.
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    Lily couldn’t escape the B and B to save her life. As fast as she’d gotten here from Griff’s, she’d tiptoed in the back door, scooted up the back stairs in bare feet, and hustled inside her room. Trying not to make a sound, she’d peeled off her clothes, grabbed a satchel of toiletries and opened the door to go into the bathroom.
    And there was Louella, standing there with a heap of fluff-dried pink towels. “I thought you’d might appreciate some fresh towels, honey.”
    â€œThank you so much.”
    â€œThe whole town’s talking about the fire at Griff’s. And I worried when you didn’t come in last night. But I told myself, Louella, it’s none of your business. She’s a grown woman, I told myself. But then I remembered, you don’t have any parents to watch out for you, and you’re young and pretty, and I don’t like to—”
    â€œLouella, I absolutely have to take a shower.”
    â€œOf course, you sweet thing. You just go on. I won’t say another word.”
    And she didn’t, she just turned around and headed for the stairs—yet somehow, her beaming face was there when Lily opened the bathroom door twenty minutes later. “I wanted to tell you that I’d saved you some cinnamon rolls from breakfast. But also, since you missed breakfast, I thought, well, you might like a little sandwich with me.”
    Lily had never lived with anyone so intrusive,but Louella was like an honorary grandmother. An unshakeable honorary grandmother. She managed to pull on clam diggers and a violet cami, swooshed up her hair with combs—she had to get it cut or she was going to go out of her mind. Louella watched her apply brush, lipstick, mascara.
    And since Lily still hadn’t managed to shake her by then, she figured she might as well try grilling Louella. “Were you living here when the mill closed?”
    â€œOf course I was. That mill closing almost killed the whole town.”
    â€œDid you happen to know my dad? My mom?”
    â€œOf course, honey pie. Your mom—she thought the sun rose and set on her daughters. She always had you dressed so cute. And y’all had manners, not like kids are raised now. All you girls could shake a stranger’s hand, say hello, sit quiet in church. You were angels, all three. Although I have