Page 58 of Let Me Love You

I pass Lexie, who’s carrying garland, while Dana handles the register.

“Oh hey, I’m heading out for lunch. I’ll be back in an hour. If it gets really busy, can one of you text me, and I’ll come back and help?”

Lexie laughs and waves me off. “We’ll be fine! It’s just one hour. Go have fun.”

“Okay, okay,” I say, grabbing my crossbody and making my way to the front of the store.

“Tell Archer I said hi!” she yells across the room. Heads turn and look at me with envy.

“I’m not meeting him.” I shake my head and continue forward, wishing I were.

No telling how fast it would spread around town that we were dating if we started going out in public together. It’s already gotten out that he lives with me. Us hooking up would be a rumor I for once wished were true.

Hell, I’d gladly claim that one.

As I walk outside, daydreaming about Archer, I notice a black Dodge Charger parked by my car. My face contorts as two men come into view. They’re dressed in suits and ties and look completely out of place. Their presence puts me on high alert, and I wonder if I scream loud enough if my employees would hear.

“Can I help you?” I ask, grabbing their attention. It’s better to act fearless than to show any signs of weakness.

“Everleigh Blackwood?” the tall one asks.

“Who wants to know?” I try to hold a smile, but I can already tell by their demeanor that they’re hard-asses.

“I’m Detective Ballard, and this is Detective Haven. We have some questions about Eric Hudson.” They show their credentials, and I’m not sure if it puts me at ease or stresses me out more.

“Okay, what ’bout him?” I’m growing more impatient with each passing second. I literally have a couple of minutes to make it to the deli if I’m going to be on time. Sure, it’s right down the street, but I was trying to be punctual for once in my life. Guess that’s not happening today.

“It’s been brought to our attention that you had a personal relationship with him, so we need to know where you were on the night of October twenty-second.” Detective Haven’s light blue eyes stare through me.

I’m so shocked by the question that I laugh. “You can’t be serious.”

Their reactions say otherwise.

Rolling my eyes, I huff and open the calendar app on my phone. The next day was Katie’s baby shower. “I went home after working an eight-hour shift. I had an event the next morning for one of my best friends, so I stayed in.”

Ballard flips open a small pocket notebook. “Can anyone confirm you went home?”

“You could ask my dog. Considering I live alone, she’s ’bout the only one who knows I was there. I ate dinner, watched a little TV, then went to bed. Had to be at the venue at eight to start decorating.”

“So, you don’t have an alibi before eight o’clock the next day?”

I know what he’s insinuating, and they’re reaching at this point if I’m their best suspect. “Excuse me, what do you think I did? That I flew to Vegas to kill him, then made it home just in time to host a party the following day? That’d barely gimme enough time.”

He looks at my bare left finger. “Ms. Blackwood, you’re a person of interest for the murder of Eric Hudson. He was staying with you for a little while, wasn’t he? You two had an affair?”

“This is ridiculous. Maybe you should ask his wife to explain everything, considering she embarrassed me the next day in front of the entire town. If anyone would have a motive, it’d be her.”

They exchange a look, then focus back on me.

Haven clears his throat. “His wife was here in Lawton Ridge?”

“Yes. Afternoon of the twenty-third. She decided to slap me across the face for sleeping with her husband. Trust me, I had no idea he was married before then.”

Probably came here to make a scene and an alibi for herself. If she didn’t have anything to do with his murder, I’d be willing to bet she has an idea of who did.

“And what about⁠—”

“Sorry, but I have somewhere I need to be, and you’ve already slowed me down enough. I’m not answering any more questions without a lawyer present. I’m aware of my rights, and unless you’re detaining me…” I look back and forth between them, and neither says anything. “Then have a good day, detectives.”