Ridley looked between them awkwardly. “You’re going to let me stay at your house?”

“Well, yeah.” He looked at her strangely. “We’re neighbors. In New Haven that means we’re practically family. You can take one of the spare rooms upstairs and relax until a locksmith can come out here.”

Ridley watched, open-mouthed, as Matt jogged over to the deck and picked up her backpack. She looked back at Jackson who stood patiently waiting. He didn’t rush her or seem pissed that she was holding him up, either. He seemed to understand that she needed a moment.

What had seemed like a simple plan had turned into a tangled mess. Not that she’d thought her plan was perfect. Run and hide was about as far as she’d gotten. But now she was stranded, possibly being stalked and her sister was clearly angrier than she’d suspected if she’d changed the security code. Her plan had taken a huge nosedive, and Jackson had unwittingly just offered her the perfect solution.

There was no better way to hide than in plain sight.

If she went to Jackson’s house, she’d be completely off the grid. It was a much better plan than checking into a hotel, at least until she got in contact with Raina. She’d be on her way before long and no one had to be the wiser. She could travel and leave no trail.

Going off with a stranger probably wasn’t ideal but he seemed so sincere, and Raina wouldn’t be friends with this guy if he was an axe murderer, right? If she was lucky, Raina would call back tonight and then she’d be on her way. Raina was mad at her but she’d still help her until the police figured things out.

She hoped.

In the end she couldn’t see any reason not to trust him.

“Okay,” she said at last. “Lead the way.” She followed the guys to a section where the creek was narrower and they took turns hopping over it. Then they walked down a few houses to a sprawling, white brick colonial.

Holy cow.

She didn’t have to worry about him having bad intentions toward her. Gorgeous men with this kind of money in the bank usually had more women than they could handle. Not that it mattered. This wasn’t a social call. She was staying just long enough to get some sleep, charge her phone and get in contact with her sister. Then she was gone.

We’re practically family.

She ignored the thrill those words made her feel. The only family she had was a father she’d never met, and a sister who was halfway around the world. These were hardly normal circumstances and, even if they were, the last thing she had time for was a handsome man.

Especially since the last one she’d liked had ended up dead.

*   *   *   *   *

AFTER SHOWING RAINA to a guest room, Jackson retrieved his cell phone from his office. He’d had his security company on speed dial ever since his youngest son had gotten tall enough to reach the door handle. He’d been locked out plenty of times.

Although he doubted anyone would be willing to come out on a holiday weekend without charging an outrageous amount, it was still worth calling. The Raina Winters he knew probably wouldn’t even blink at the price. She no doubt spent thousands a month just on the fancy clothes she usually wore.

You’re going to let me stay at your house?

Not that she wasn’t usually polite, but she’d seemed stunned and incredibly grateful at the offer. He softened, remembering the look on her face. Why was she having this effect on him now? They’d been neighbors for almost six months. His boys adored her and she was always very friendly, but he’d never felt anything more than passing interest. But she’d seemed different. Approachable even. Which was dangerous, in more ways than one.

He hit the last speed dial on his phone and waited as it rang. As expected, it went to voicemail.

“Hey Len, it’s Jackson Alexander. One of my neighbors is locked out. You’re probably out of town for the long weekend but if not, let me know. She’s staying with me in the meantime. Thanks.”

He called a few other companies for good measure, then tucked his phone in his pocket. All they could do now was wait. It was a long shot, hoping that anyone would be able to come out on a holiday, but the alternative was spending the long weekend with a supermodel. Raina Winters was the kind of woman he usually stayed far away from.

After the dark year following Cynthia’s death, his friends had pushed him head first into the singles scene, determined to draw him out of his depressive state. He’d gone out with singers, actresses, athletes and socialites. Blondes, brunettes and every shade in between. Curvy and slender, feisty and giggly, he’d been on a mission to feast on all the female delights he’d missed out on by marrying young.

Somehow, he'd thought if he could bury himself in female attention, he could forget that the only woman he wanted was gone forever.

Then he’d met Alana. She’d seemed like everything he could want in a woman: sexy, talented and ambitious. A jazz singer, she’d been someone he could talk to about the business and bounce around his ideas about producing a new kind of album. She’d been excited about the project and even volunteered to sing. When she’d started pressuring him for more of his time and commitment, he’d actually felt guilty that he couldn’t give her what she needed.

Until the day he found her ass up over his assistant’s desk. In the end, Alana wasn’t special. She was just another singer looking for her big break and she’d been willing to do whatever or whoever it took to get there. They’d broken up but he’d learned a valuable lesson. He’d been in love with a fantastic woman once and the odds of it happening for him again were somewhere between “not gonna happen” and “a snowball’s chance in hell.”