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I guess he
did
like me in more than a friendly way. Quinn’s admission confused me because

Riley didn't really know me.

"Quinn, there are reasons I can't stay: the wolf, my family, my apartment, and my job. I

have responsibilities. I can't stay in Black River."

"Let me ask you something. If this wolf hasn't hurt you---"

"Oh! So
now
you believe me?"

She grinned. "Let's say I do. What if it's just curious about you?" My eyes immediately

filled with suspicion because she spoke the same words as her twin. "I don't understand why

you're afraid."

Now I was convinced she was out of touch. "You don't understand why I'm afraid?" I

shook my head, my mouth hanging open in disbelief. "Quinn, it stood on my bed while I slept."

My voice was getting louder. "It was probably standing
over
me. It followed me here and slept right next to me. That's creepy! How can you
not
understand why I'm afraid?"

She looked away again, her face crestfallen. I knew I had upset her and suddenly I felt

bad. She's been gracious enough to take care of me and I couldn't blame her if she couldn't relate

to me. Nevertheless, I was still curious and frustrated because I felt the Gray family was hiding

something.

We were both quiet, when suddenly she touched my hair. I wanted to shrink away from

her because I knew how horrible it looked. It probably felt disgusting too.

"How would you like to take a nice bath?" She smiled encouragingly. "The warm water

will do you good. What do you say?"

I smiled widely in gratitude. "I'd
love
a bath."

Quinn helped me to the bathroom, but she didn't carry me as her brother did. Soaking in

the warm water definitely made me feel better. My parents never gave me a sibling, but a sisterly

feeling came over me while she helped me bathe and wash my hair.

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Once I was clean and my hair was tangle-free, she asked, "Are you ready to get out?"

I wasn't ready to leave the comfort of the tub because I knew I'd just end up back in the

bed. "No, I think I'll soak for a while."

Quinn took the hint I wanted to be alone, so she stepped out of the bathroom. I heard her

moving around in the kitchen. Within minutes, my nose picked up the aroma of onions and fried

meat. I had to assume it was lunchtime.

When I heard a knock on the door, I expected to hear Quinn's voice. I was surprised to

hear Riley's voice on the other side. "Paige, can I come in?"

I quickly grabbed the washcloth off the side of the tub and covered my breasts. Soapsuds

clouded the water, so I knew Riley couldn't see anything below my waist.

"Yes, you can come in."

The door opened slowly and he poked his blond head in. "Are you sure?"

I laughed. "Yeah, I'm sure. All my girly bits are hidden."

He laughed and entered the room. Once again, he sat on the floor next to me. I looked

down at him, and he just watched me with a smile on his face.

"So, what did your father want?"

"To berate me...as usual." He sighed.

"You two don't get along?"

He shook his head. At that moment, I realized another thing we had in common: he didn't

get along with his father and I didn't get along with my mother.

"I can't seem to follow his rules. Those are his words...not mine." He sighed again. "I just like to do my own thing. I don't like him telling me what to do all the time. He treats me like I'm

a pu---" He cleared his throat and looked away.

"What?"

"Nothing."

There was awkward silence between us. Then I remembered our previous discussion we

never finished. Before I could ask, he turned to me and his eyes spoke of affection. His hand

smoothed my wet hair away from my forehead.

His voice was low and there was no mistaking the tenderness. "I really wish you'd

reconsider staying here."

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I swallowed hard. He had me transfixed and I couldn't look away. My words were almost

lost on the air. "I can't, Riley. I already told you," I said breathlessly.

Riley leaned over the tub. My eyes went round and my thighs clenched tight. I thought he

was going to kiss me. He stopped short, but his words caressed my lips instead. "Then I guess I'll have to make it worth your while."

The seductive spell he cast on me had worked because in that moment...I submitted to

him. Perhaps I
could
stay in Black River for just a little longer.

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55

The medication the Gray family had been doping me up with not only relieved my pain,

it helped heal my body. When I woke up the next morning, I didn't have to struggle with an

uncooperative body and didn't ache as much as the day before.

The fear of seeing the white wolf lingered in my mind, but what surprised me was a white

piece of paper stuck to the desk chair. Someone had moved it next to the bed. I reached over and

grabbed the paper. I rubbed my eyes, relieved they didn’t feel swollen. Then I read the message

scrawled messily in black ink.

Page,

My father needed me for a job, but I'll be home soon. Quinn's at work. Feel free to

check the place out and make yourself something to eat. You can go out if you feel up to it,

but please don't leave town until we have a chance to talk. Oh, and Celia said you can

borrow any of her clothes.

- Riley

I couldn't keep the grin off my face when I noticed Riley had spelled my name wrong.

Unfortunately, I wasn't able to get any valuable information out of him yesterday. He wouldn't

open up to me, and I wondered if it was because we couldn't be alone. Quinn never left the house.

When their father and stepmother Celia came home from work in the evening, Riley was even

more tight-lipped. I was sure he knew something about the white wolf that seemed to be

following me.

As I stared at his note, I wondered for what job the sheriff needed him. Quinn had already

confirmed my assumption she was a nurse. Last night, she told me she worked at the town

doctor's office and was one of only two nurses on staff. She said another girl would alternate

with her on certain days.

When I asked Riley what he did for a living, he responded dryly, "Whatever my father

asks me to do." His tone of voice told me he wasn't happy working for his father.

I wanted to befriend him, but because his sister revealed his true feelings, I was afraid he

would eventually do the same thing and I didn't think I could handle that. I planned to go home

after my short vacation, but part of me felt conflicted. I wanted to get to know him even though

my conscience told me I'd be setting myself up for disappointment.
What if I developed feelings

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for him? How often would I get to see him?
I had tried long-distance relationships in the past and they never worked out.

Despite my reservations toward Riley, I couldn't deny my attraction to him. It was more

than his looks that captivated me. His kindness, gentle touches, and the way he cared for me

made me feel good, and I appreciated his sense of humor. His flirtatiousness made me feel

uncomfortable because I still felt the sting from my break-up with Travis. My trust of men had

lessened as a result, and I wanted to be more cautious with my heart. Riley didn't succeed in

getting me to trust him because I knew he was keeping something from me.

I got out of bed and walked toward the closet to find something of Riley's to wear since I

currently donned one of Celia's nightgowns. For a reason I wouldn't admit to myself, I wanted to

wear his clothes. Yesterday after my bath, I had tried wearing one of Quinn's nightgowns but it

clung to my body in an unflattering way and rode up my fat, apple-shaped ass when I walked. I

was at least three inches taller than Quinn was, and convinced she was a size two.
Only in my

skinniest dreams
.

While I browsed through the twins' wardrobe, I wondered how far the town was from

here. I wanted to go to the sheriff's office and see if Riley was there. I looked out one of the

windows, and paused when I realized it was wide open. The shades were drawn and the curtains

pulled back. Now that I thought about it, the windows have been open since the first night I came

here. That's probably how the wolf got in.
Well, we couldn't have that
. I slammed both windows shut and locked them.

I looked out of the glass and saw a wide grass clearing with a dirt road running parallel.

My eyes darted around and I finally knew I was in a trailer home. Other trailers surrounded me

on either side, some with lounge chairs and children's toys in the front yard. The short nestled

buildings in the distance told me I was a few miles from town. In my current state, I knew I

couldn't walk there, and since I totaled my Jeep, I knew I'd need a ride.

I chose Riley's black t-shirt and gray sweatpants from the closet. I was originally eyeing

Quinn's denim shorts with the sunflowers stitched on the back pockets, but couldn't bring myself

to check the size.

As I changed out of Celia's nightgown, I noticed the photographs stuck to the wall. I was

curious about the family I was staying with so I wanted a closer look. Most of the photos were of

the twins with their friends, and a few from when they were children. There was a woman with

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them and she had to be their mother because Quinn had her bright blue eyes. I wondered if they

took the photos in England. The sheriff was in a couple photographs looking younger and

handsome. Their mother was beautiful, her blonde hair long and curly. One picture showed it

blowing in the wind as she stood on the rocks with the vast ocean in the background. She looked

happy in every photograph and they seemed like a loving family.

At that moment, I felt deep sympathy for the Gray family. I remembered Riley told me

his mother was murdered and I wondered if he'd ever tell me the whole story.

There were a few more photographs of the family in the living room as I made my way to

the kitchen. The clock on the wall told me it was late afternoon. I took the sulfur-smelling pain

medicine after midnight last night and it really knocked me out. I wasn't one to sleep this late.

After eating a light lunch of buttered toast and milk, I remembered to call my mother. I

knew she was probably worried about me. I wondered what she'd say about my plan to vacation

in Black River. I dialed her number and braced myself.

"Hello?"

"Hi Mom."

Her tone quickly changed from calm to borderline hysterical. "Paige! Oh my God! I was

so worried about you. When I didn't hear from you, I called the sheriff's station and he told me

you'd arrived, but weren't at the cabin. I called your cell phone, but got your voicemail and you

never called me back. I was
this
close from booking a plane ticket to Denver. What's the phone number at the cabin?"

"Um, there isn't one."

"What? Why not?"

"I didn't get a chance to get that taken care of. A lot has happened since I got here. Did

the sheriff tell you I was staying at his house?"

There was a pause and the volume of her voice dropped. "What? You're staying at his

house
? Why?"

This time I paused because I wondered if I should mention how the white wolf started all

this. If I did, I knew she'd have a fit bigger than the one she was having right now. She hated

wildlife and if she knew I'd been in close contact with one of the most dangerous predators in the

mountains, she’d probably fly to Black River and raise hell.
ope, not a good idea
.

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I decided she should get the short version of past events. "Um...see...I had an accident

and totaled my rental. His son rescued me and brought me back to their house. I've been here

recovering."

"Recovering? You had an accident? How bad was it?" She sighed heavily. "I can't believe this!"

"Mom, don't worry. I just got a few bruises and scratches, but I'm fine now."

Before I knew it, I found myself reprimanded like a child. "Jesus Christ! I don't know

why your father left you that damn cabin. See, I told you that you shouldn't have gone up there."