She took several deep breaths and rang the doorbell. If she’d had Jace’s phone number, she could’ve at least warned him that she was coming, but she didn’t have it, and there was no way she was going to ask Lucas for it. He would want to know why.
She was never going to tell him about last night.
Jace wouldn’t tell him, would he? Surely not. Lucas would be furious if he knew Jace had kissed Riley while she was drunk.
The door opened almost right away, and Elsie greeted her with a wide smile. “Riley,” she chimed. “How are you feeling this morning?” She swung the door wider to allow Riley entrance.
The house hadn’t changed. The same black leather couches stood on either side of a stone fireplace, while a picture of George Washington in Valley Forge oversaw proceedings in the front room.
“My mom told me what happened.” Elsie closed the door behind Riley. “After you left, my father chewed out Mr. Traversand would’ve thrown him out of the reception, except he didn’t want to embarrass Olivia. She and Carson still don’t know that anything out of the ordinary went on.”
“That’s probably for the best,” Riley said. Olivia and Carson were off on their honeymoon none the wiser. Let them enjoy it.
Kye McBride, Carson’s friend, sat on one of the sofas. No one else was around. That was interesting. He and Elsie were hanging out this morning.
Elsie slid her hands into her back pockets. “If you’re here to see Lucas, he’s at the inn.”
Riley had been depending on that fact. “Actually, I came to talk to Jace about something. Is he here?”
“Yes,” Elsie said. “I’ll get him for you.” Her eyes were curious, but she didn’t ask why Riley needed to see Jace. She just left the room to fetch him.
Kye nodded in greeting to Riley. “How’s the hangover?”
“Extra strength Tylenol is my friend.”
“Sorry you had to miss most of the reception. That’s the worst.”
One would think, but no. The worst was making out with her ex-boyfriend’s twin brother afterward. “Yeah,” Riley said.
Jace walked into the room, a questioning lilt to his eyebrows. “Riley,” he said, “What brings you here?”
He said the words as though he didn’t know. She swallowed and attempted a smile for Elsie and Kye’s sake. “I thought we had a few things to discuss.”
Understanding dawned on his face. “That’s right, I told you we should talk. I’m glad you stopped by before I left.” He glanced at Elsie and Kye and then at Riley in her coat. “It’s a nice enough day. Do you want to go for a walk?”
It was cold outside, but Riley nodded. The more privacy, the better.
Jace grabbed his coat from the closet, and the two of them headed out the door. They walked in silence for a few moments in the crisp air, their breaths fogging in front of them. Jace’s hands were shoved into his coat pockets, and his brow was pulled down in thought.
The Clarks’ neighborhood was like most in Lark Springs, with houses huddled together under snow-covered roofs as though trying to stay warm. Icicles dangled from gutters, nature’s most dangerous decorations, glinting in the sunlight.
A snowman with a crooked carrot nose and a missing arm stood guard in one yard, his scarf frozen to his chest.
Riley wasn’t sure how to start theSo, we made out last night, and we shouldn’t havetalk. She’d never had to deal with this before. Maybe he hadn’t either.
She was about to speak, when he said, “Lucas didn’t cheat on you with Winter.”
“What?” That hadn’t been the topic she’d expected.
His gaze turned to her, earnest and intent. “Lucas and I talk about stuff. If he’d cheated on you, he would’ve told me how much he regretted messing up. He never said that sort of thing. He’s always just been super frustrated that he couldn’t prove his innocence to you.” Jace gave her a small disapproving look. “And hurt that you refused to believe him.”
That wasn’t fair. Did Lucas expect her not to believe her own eyes? Did Jace? She’d caught Lucas lying about being with Winter. “Did he tell you why he was with her?”
Jace shook his head. “He said he’d been sworn to secrecy and couldn’t say anything. He said it was a matter of life and death.” Jace shot her another meaningful look.
She inwardly sighed. He didn’t have any more proof that Lucas was innocent than she did. Jace just wanted it to be true. Riley did too, but she wasn’t going to let wishful thinking blind her. She’d already had a front-row seat to see that sort ofrelationship play out with her parents. Riley had barely known her father. He’d mostly just become an object lesson, a warning about handsome men with wandering eyes who made promises they didn’t keep.
“A convenient and unprovable alibi,” she said.