Chapter 9
Erin
The late morning sun spilled across the linoleum floor, casting a warm glow over the laundry room as I folded the soft, still-warm towels from the dryer. Every single towel in the Montgomery Inn’s guest rooms was thick and plush like this.
Each room boasted a spacious ensuite bathroom, complete with oversized rainfall showerheads and tubs that invited long, lingering soaks.
I wanted to provide things I valued most in a hotel room and refused to cut corners, ensuring the best quality, from the luxurious toiletries to the high-thread-count Egyptian cotton sheets and a selection of pillows to suit every preference.
Forget flashy pools and spas. This was about creating a truly restorative stay without unnecessary extravagance.
With a sigh of relief, I pulled the last towel from the dryer. The neat stack on the counter seemed to signify some minor victory, as if organizing the towels had somehow calmed the chaos in my mind.
Just as I placed the final towel atop the others, there was a gentle tapping at the back door.
I wasn't expecting anyone. The memory of yesterday's ordeal, of Vito standing in my own home, slammed into me, making my stomach clench.
Stock Creek wasn't exactly bustling with unexpected visitors, especially not for me.
Though everyone was perfectly polite, I'd always sensed a quiet distance, an unspoken barrier that never quite let me feel like one of them.
"Who is it?" I called out, my voice tight with a hesitant fear.
"It’s Nathan," came the muffled reply.
Relieved, I took a steadying breath and unlatched the door, reminding myself the danger was over, Vito was dead.
"Come in, come in." I pushed the door open to reveal Nathan standing there.
He was a handsome man in his forties. His salt-and-pepper hair, visible beneath the brim of his familiar cap, framed a face etched with rugged lines.
His brown eyes, warm and steady, met mine, lending an approachable air to his otherwise commanding presence.
"Morning." He greeted me with that easy smile that crinkled the corners of his eyes, lines that spoke of years of kindness.
"Morning," I said with a hint of relief. I stepped aside, allowing him to shuffle into the kitchen. The sight of him brought a semblance of normalcy to the strangeness that had settled over my life since yesterday.
"I was just folding laundry," I mentioned, gesturing vaguely toward the laundry room. "Can I get you some tea?"
His gaze lingered on me, a touch of concern knitting his brows.
I knew why he was here; news in Stock Creek traveled faster than wildfire.
There were things I couldn't share, even with Nathan.
Yesterday's events felt like a dream, too fantastical to speak out loud.
I mean, who would believe I thought I saw a dragon?
"Thanks, that would be good." Nathan slid his hands into his pockets.
I filled the kettle and set it on the stove. The comforting ritual of making tea was a welcome distraction from the gnawing anxiety that had taken up residence in my stomach since yesterday.
"So, what happened?" Nathan asked gently, leaning against the kitchen counter as the water heated. "I saw the police car out front yesterday and wanted to check on you then but figured you needed space. Is everything okay?"
Nathan wasn't just my neighbor, and after Laurie, he was the first real friend I'd made in Stock Creek, his kindness a steady presence during lonely evenings and challenging days, often shared over coffee at this very counter.
His easy-going nature had chipped away at my guarded reserve, turning polite waves into genuine conversations, and eventually, a comfortable camaraderie I hadn't realized I craved.
I glanced at him over my shoulder, appreciating his tact. It wasn't like I could have explained even if he had come by. "Thanks for waiting," I said. "It's been... a lot."
The kettle whistled its readiness, and I poured the steaming water into the teapot, the soothing scent of chamomile and lavender filling the room. I motioned Nathan to sit at the small kitchen table.
"Look, so, yeah…" I said and took a deep breath. "You know I was in witness protection, right?" I'd told him a bit over the last couple of years as we'd become friends.
He nodded, his face a mask of earnest concern. "Yeah, you've mentioned it. Is this visit from the police related to that?"
My heart skipped a beat, and I looked down into the swirling liquid in the teapot.
I poured the hot water into our cups. My hands were steady, but inside, I was anything but. "I've been on the run from the mafia."
Nathan's brow furrowed, but he didn't interrupt, just gave me that nod that meant he was listening.
"I witnessed a murder three years ago, some kind of initiation." Every day of those years settled like a stone in my chest. "For two of those years, I’ve hidden here in Stock Creek, trying to disappear."
"You had to deal with this for an entire year before coming to Stock Creek?" His voice was even, but the concern was there, clear as day. "How? Where?"
I nodded. "The first year, I was in the safe house, with police protection, but the people looking for me, they tracked me down, they killed the cop assigned to me.
It was... I can't even begin to explain how frightening it was. I’ve been looking over my shoulder ever since.
Yesterday. A guy grabbed me, took me away until his boss arrived. But I got away."
Nathan took my hand, "Are you safe?"
I nodded, his touch grounding.
There was a silence then, filled only by our breathing and the distant hum of the refrigerator.
I needed to shift the conversation away from my fears, away from the past. "There's something else about yesterday.
" I hesitated. I wanted to tell him I'd seen a dragon, but the words just wouldn't come.
They were too ludicrous. Instead I found myself saying, "I have a new resident. Ashton Beck."
A funny look flickered across Nathan's face, almost too quick to catch. "What is it?" I asked, leaning forward slightly.
"Oh, nothing. I know Ashton is all. Or, rather, I knew him when he lived here before. He's a nice guy," Nathan said, his expression smoothing into something unreadable.
"Really?" The tension eased out of my shoulders a fraction. Knowing someone else knew Ashton and had a history with him made the situation feel a little less like jumping into the unknown.
"Yeah," Nathan said as he met my gaze with a steadiness that helped calm the churn of thoughts in my head.
To hear that from someone who knew him, someone I trust so much... "That's reassuring, as he's the one who killed the guy who came after me."
Nathan's mug paused on its path to his mouth. "Killed?"
"Yeah, so when I got home, there was another man, Vito, waiting for me in the kitchen. Ashton knocked him out cold, but it wasn't just that. The punch killed him."
Nathan whistled low as I reached for my mug, the ceramic cool against my palms as the tea had settled into a comforting warmth. We drank in silence, the earlier tension dissipating with each sip.
"Thank you." I set my empty mug down with a soft clink. "For listening. That's not all, though. The man that grabbed me. He took me up in the mountains, and somehow managed to blow himself up."
Nathan blinked twice, set his cup down, then leaned forward. "What?"
"Yeah. The worst part is…" I looked up into his eyes.
"I didn't tell the police that. I told Chief Mitchell I couldn’t remember where he took me, just that I got away.
At the moment, it was just so insane. A mafia man kidnapped me and blew himself up.
I stole his car and drove myself home, I had a bag packed and hidden, I was going to grab it and go.
But Vito was here. He must have hired the first guy to grab me till he got into town"
I looked out the back window. "If it weren't for the fact that his car is still parked behind my inn, I'd think I made it all up in my head."
Nathan pushed his chair back and stood, carrying his mug to the sink and rinsed it out with a practiced ease that spoke of many years of doing similar tasks.
He came over and placed his hands on my shoulders.
"If you decide to tell the police, let me know.
I'm close to the chief and can help smooth things over. "
I got up, too, feeling the weight of the morning's confession lift slightly. "I will. I'm not sure I'm ready for the Stock Creek PD to traipse back in here. But yeah. Thank you for listening."
"I mean it, Erin. I'm here for you, any time.
" Nathan just smiled, that familiar twinkle in his eye that always seemed to say he knew more than he let on.
He pulled me in for a comforting hug before he walked to the door, pausing with his hand on the doorknob.
"Take care of yourself. And Ashton, too, I suppose. "
"Will do." I watched him step out onto the porch, the screen door closing gently behind him with a soft thud.
I watched from my kitchen window as he crossed the narrow, well-kept lawn that separated our properties, a familiar path he’d taken countless times.
His house, a charming two-story with a wide front porch and a fresh coat of paint, sat comfortably close to the inn, close enough that I could see the smoke curling from his chimney.
A moment later, his front door opened, and I watched as he gave me a quick wave and slipped inside.
I waved back and allowed myself a small smile. Somehow, despite everything, I felt like I might just be okay.