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out?” he called after her.
    She’d started for the stairs, but she turned and lowered her voice so their exchange wouldn’t be heard by any guests who might be in nearby rooms. Staying at Little Mary’s was all about peace and beauty and tranquility. For most people, anyway. The rumor that the place was haunted brought others. But she sold an experience, and she was determined to make that experience one her clientele could rely on.
    “I wouldn’t state it quite that strongly,” she whispered, tossing a worried glance at the closest door. Hopefully, the couple staying in Room 3 was at breakfast. That was where they should be, since they’d signed up for the nine-thirty sitting. “I’m just suggesting you find other accommodations.”
    “Because...”
    “I wouldn’t want to ruin your stay by fawning over you the way you obviously assume I will.” She manufactured an exaggerated wink. “This is your chance to escape another man-hungry woman.”
    He raised his eyebrows, but she didn’t stick around to witness any more of his reaction. She wanted to get away as quickly as possible. She had things to do. And the faster he ate and packed, the faster she could put last night behind her and go on with life as usual. She didn’t need a love interest. She’d find other worthwhile things to fill her life. Things like—
    “Eve...”
    He was standing at the top of the stairs when she turned back.
    “I’ll be waiting whenever you’re ready,” she responded. Then she was too far away for him to say more.
    But when he appeared a half hour later, he wasn’t carrying any luggage—not even a duffel bag. And he didn’t approach her to check out. He cut through the dining room, nodding to Deb when she wished him a good morning and strode out the front door.
    What the heck?
    Eve started after him. She’d been serious when she suggested he go elsewhere. But he was walking so fast, she’d have to run to catch up with him—and she wasn’t prepared to go that far. The last thing she wanted was to cause a scene.
    Maybe he had plans. Maybe he’d move later.
    Cheyenne came up beside her as she hesitated at the front desk, wondering whether he would or wouldn’t check out—and what she could do to make her life feel more complete.
    “I’m going to start cleaning the downstairs rooms,” she said. “Deb’s tackling the upstairs.”
    “Sounds good.”
    “Did you meet the people in Room 1? Do you think we’ll be able to get in there soon to make the bed and straighten up?”
    She could’ve explained to Cheyenne that the bed hadn’t been slept in, that there was only one occupant and it was the stranger she’d taken home last night. But she didn’t. Since she preferred to let it all fade away, she figured she might as well let that process begin now.
    “Eve? Did you hear me?” Cheyenne asked.
    She’d been too preoccupied to answer. “Room 1 is empty,” she said.
    “Okay. I’ll have Deb do that room while she’s up there.”
    “That’d be great,” Eve mumbled. But then she called Cheyenne back. “Never mind. I’ll do it myself.”
    “Are you sure?”
    “Yeah, I’ve got it.” If Mr. Taylor wasn’t going to leave, as she’d requested, she’d start her new lease on life by satisfying what she could of her curiosity.
    * * *
    “You’re going to go crazy here.”
    Rex looked up from the picnic table where he was signing the payroll checks for All About Security, Inc. “Why?”
    His middle-aged assistant—a wife and mother of three who reminded him of Melissa McCarthy with her big red hair and the pound of hairspray that shellacked it—smirked as she gazed around. She’d worked for him since he first opened his doors three years ago and always took good care of him. But he’d never appreciated her more than he did now that he’d been flushed out of his comfort zone. Although she had an opinion about everything and generally felt free to voice it, she could also use discretion when necessary.