by Elder, Jan;
Cassidy’s dainty little nose scrunched as she smiled. “Gracey’s eating and using her pine-scented box—thank you for the tip on the pleasant smelling litter—but the pitter-patter of little cat feet haunts my slumber. Last night, the fiend pounded on my bedroom door at 2:19 AM. I clamped my pillow over my head and prayed for sleep to return.”
“She just wants to be loved. Try petting her every now and then. If only to keep her quiet.”
“I’ll think about it.” The barest ghost of a grin flitted across her lips. “She does seem to have a fine time sitting in my window watching Marigold traipse across my lawn.”
His face heated. “Bad cow. I thought I got her this morning before you spotted her. She’s the brightest cow I’ve ever met, and your yard full of clover is a temptation she can’t pass up.”
“Brightest cow. Is that like the handsomest camel?”
He chuckled.
“I’m assuming you patched up the breach. Can’t you just keep her in her stall? I thought you said she was close to giving birth.”
“Yep. Any day now.”
Gabby squealed. “I can’t wait. Not many farm animals gracing the streets of inner city Baltimore.”
Cassidy pushed away her ice cream dish, nicked another cherry from the cup, and kissed it. Holy cow, she was cute. The cherry disappeared and another quickly followed. “These are de-lish, but we need to get going, Gabby. If I stay any longer, I’ll be asking for another bowl of ice cream to go with the rest of these cherries.”
At least she hadn’t offered some lame excuse like an urgent need to wash her hair. “I’ll see you ladies out, then.” Hunter signaled for Katie and the check. “Dessert’s on me.”
Cassidy shot him an inquiring look rife with confusion. “You don’t need to do that. Really.”
“My pleasure.” He hoped this wouldn’t be his last chance to win Cassidy’s approval.
“Thanks, Hunter.” Gabby fist-bumped him.
At least someone was appreciative.
8
Cassidy left the house at 6:00 AM and found another slice of pie swinging from her doorknob. Black cherry with a flaky lattice crust. A note was included in the bag. “Marigold apologizes profusely and promises to mend her wandering ways. Enjoy.”
Cherry pie. She smiled to herself, held the package to her nose, and inhaled with pleasure. This time she was eating the heavenly confection.
Cassidy shifted into reverse and backed her red coupe out of the driveway. The huge grand opening loomed large. Savannah’s Sweets would soon be up and running, thanks in large part to Gabby. She was a godsend of epic proportions.
Now Kayla was turning out to be…well, it may have been a mistake to hire Kayla, but Cassidy was trying to keep an open mind. Some people grow on you with time. And some don’t…
She coasted into Kayla’s driveway—had she really employed a person without a reliable car?—and yawned. She ran her fingers through her hair to get a little volume. She should have taken the time to have that second cappuccino. And interview more candidates for the job.
Kayla found her way to the car with eyelids at half-mast.
Cassidy rubbed her own eyes and tried to focus. “How goes it, Kayla? Ready for a busy day?”
Kayla’s sluggishness managed to make Cassidy look chipper. “Sure. “At long last, Kayla spoke, but then the quiet girl shut down. How was she going to greet customers with a cheery smile if she had trouble making eye contact?
Cassidy waited a couple of beats and tried again. “So…how long have you lived in Crystal Falls?”
Kayla raised her head and, thankfully, her lips moved. “Gabby didn’t tell you, did she?”
“Tell me what?”
“We’re cousins.”
Ah. That explained why Gabby was willing to go to bat for the girl. “Uh, no she didn’t tell me.”
“Thought so,” she mumbled into her sleeve. “I don’t want to be a burden. You can turn the car around if you want to.”
A pair of beseeching eyes met Cassidy’s for a split second. There was no doubt the girl was Gabby’s cousin. She had the same puppy-dog eyes. How could she turn away this poor woman? Cassidy veered to the side of the road, stopped the car, and addressed her passenger. “Kayla? I think you can do this. If you’re willing to give it your best effort, I’m willing to give it a try.”
Kayla’s pinched features brightened. “Yes. I’d like to try.” The barest suggestion of a smile crossed her lips. “So…how’s cow-man?”
Hallelujah! Kayla had a sense of humor hidden deep down inside.
“I’m assuming Gabby mentioned Hunter. I’m afraid she’s an incurable romantic.” Cassidy revved the engine, thrust her new car into first gear, and steered the coupe around one of the road’s abundant potholes. Driving full throttle gave her a thrill she’d long forgotten. “Now if you want info on his wandering cow, her name is Miss Marigold and she’s growing on me. When she tiptoes into my yard every couple of days, she’s so quiet I wonder if she’s wearing sneakers and extra thick socks.”
She skipped the part about the often-shirtless man leading an unrepentant bovine back to her own feeding ground. And having a cow wander through her yard on occasion wasn’t that big a deal, as long as Hunter cleaned up after her. Cassidy had been working on improving her attitude. Currently, she’d moved up from civil to cordial and she was closing in on genial with a generous side of affable.
Cassidy stifled yet another mile-wide yawn and decided to buy a coffee machine for the shop. They parked in the alley at the back and headed toward the store. Caffeine deprived this extra-early morning made it a chore to walk a straight line. Her feet squished in the dew-soaked grass and picked up speed the closer they got to the shop.
And then, her blood sluiced through icy veins.
Something was very, very wrong.
Glass glittered on the ground below the kitchen windows and the back screen door lay twisted on the ground, hinges ripped from the doorframe. The old pine door leading into the store showed evidence of tampering as if a screwdriver had gouged the wood and broken the antiquated knob lock. But how had the reprobate managed to thwart the jimmy-proof dead bolt locks? She’d upped the security on the shop big time.
Gabby! Where was Gabby?
Kayla was hot on Cassidy’s heels as she dashed through the doorway and bounded up the stairs.
“Gabby?”
Gabby was nowhere in sight.
“Gabby!”
Something stirred under the bed. “I’m here,” piped up a rickety voice. Gabby tried to wiggle out from under the bed, butt first.
Cassidy landed on the floor next to Gabby, grabbed her belt loops, and hauled her out the last couple of feet. “Are you hurt? What happened?”
Kayla slumped on the carpet between the both of them and pulled Gabby into a hug. She held Gabby’s cheeks between her hands, examining every nook and cranny of her face. “Oh, Gabby. You’re shaking. Here, why don’t we sit on the couch?”
Kayla helped Gabby to the loveseat in the corner, and then settled next to her cousin.
Cassidy scrutinized the situation. Nothing appeared to be out of place up here, nothing broken, nothing obvious missing. She waited until the color flooded back into Gabby’s wan face and then tried again. “What happened?”
Gabby whimpered. “I was sitting down to breakfast”—gulp—”when I heard an ear-splitting crack like the back door caving in.” Another gulp. Gabby’s chest heaved as she tried again. “I heard breaking glass, heavy stomping, and lots of noise. I couldn’t help it. I crawled under the bed. Nobody came up here, thank the good Lord.”
“How long were they here? Could you tell how many people were down there?”
Gabby sifted a hand through her tangled hair and considered. “I could only hear one guy, sort of talking to himself. He was here and gone in less than five minutes, but it sounded like he was making one heck of a mess.”
Cassidy hadn’t noticed much as she’d raced through the kitchen, bu
t she had the sense chaos reigned. She pulled out her phone, called 911, and explained the situation to the dispatcher. She’d barely clicked END when a siren wailed in the distance. One of the few good things about living in a small town.
Cassidy left Kayla with Gabby and descended the stairs, being careful to stop at the bottom step so as not to contaminate the crime scene any further. She could have cried. All that work, and now Savannah’s precious dream had flapped its wings and soared off into space. The refrigerator stood open, everything in it hurled to the floor. An open carton of cream still glugged on the new tile next to a pound of butter squished flat by careless shoes. Cocoa dust motes hung suspended in the air and alighted on the marble countertop while chocolate ganache dripped down the walls. The sweet scent of sugar and spice hung heavy in the air. Gabby was right. There was one heck of a mess.
Cassidy sank to the step, the heels of her hands cradling her chin. Splat! A raspberry truffle unstuck from above and dropped to the kitchen floor spilling glossy bright-red droplets. Three more truffles loosened their grip and plopped next to the first. Where were the other eleven hundred and ninety six?
Two officers arrived at the back door, guns drawn.
Cassidy waved from her post on the stairs. “All clear. At least I’m fairly sure it is. The place isn’t that big, and I don’t see anyone hiding under the café chairs.” She was preparing to tell them about Gabby, but her voice cracked.
Sheesh! Buck up, Cooper.
She made an effort to force the tone of a grateful spirit into her voice. “Thanks for coming so quickly.”
A burly, barrel-chested cop who identified himself as Officer Jordan strode in oozing confidence from every pore. Robby Jordan. From high school. He’d been a friend of Hunter’s and one of the jocks who’d tormented her. Her stomach lurched, but he didn’t seem to remember her. Good. A female officer followed close behind in a crisp uniform.
After the officers had conducted a comprehensive search downstairs, all three of them moved upstairs to question Gabby.
Kayla did her best imitation of a potted plant, but to her credit, she held onto Gabby’s hand.
A knock sounded downstairs, and Officer Jordan sprang up to answer it, Cassidy following closely behind.
Hunter hovered in the doorway. “I was driving into work when I saw the squad car. What’s up?”
9
Hunter stepped over the threshold and surveyed the chaos. Cassidy was hunched on the bottom stair, arms wrapped around her middle. He made it one step into the room before his buddy, Robby Jordan, halted him with a raised hand.
“Hold on there, Gray. We’re not finished with the crime scene yet.”
Hunter whistled low through his teeth. “You OK, Cassidy? What in blazes happened here?”
Robby huffed and rolled his eyes. “Duh. Break-in.”
Cassidy melted even further into the dark, shadowy stairwell. “I’m fine. I showed up less than five minutes after the brute left. Gabby’s OK, too. The only casualty seems to be my kitchen.”
The quick, ragged beats in Hunter’s chest ratcheted down a notch, and he breathed deep. She was OK. He spied four sticky blobs—chocolate truffles?—winking at him from the kitchen tile across the room. He caught her eye and offered Cassidy a relieved smile. “I’m glad you’re all right. Anything I can do to help?”
Robby cleared his throat and shifted his considerable bulk. He still looked like the linebacker he’d been in high school. He hadn’t been nicknamed “Moose” for nothing. “Maybe the ladies can use your assistance after we leave. You’re up late today. Hillary had to serve us herself.”
“Iris calved last night, so I’m just now headed to the bakery.” He’d left the happy, exhausted cow lying on her side with the new arrival, a fine, sturdy female snuggled up close.
“Well, those cinnamon buns were killer.” Robby smacked his lips convincingly.
Robby’s new partner thrust out her hand. “Hunter, was it? I’m Officer Miranda Davey. So you have a new little calf? What’s her name?”
He shook Officer Davey’s hand. “Blossom. You must be new around here. Welcome to Crystal Falls.”
Out of the corner of his eye, Hunter spied a stony frown taking up residence on Cassidy’s face. Must be the shock of finding her new venture in such a state. He’d tried not to imagine the worst, but seeing the flashing lights in front of her new store had sent a jolt arcing through his system.
Cassidy rose and crossed her arms. “Do you officers have any idea why someone would want to trash my store?”
Robby studied the scene, his cool, gray eyes examining every corner. “I’m thinking it was probably just teenager mischief. Don’t you make candy here? Nothing makes a kid happier than a fist full of candy.”
Hunter cleared his throat and spoke up. “Uh, Robby, did you notice the tire tracks in the back yard? Car tires, not bicycle tires.”
“I will concede you have a point.”
“What was it you said before? Duh.”
“Rest assured, Hunts, we will certainly check out every angle.”
“Thank you. We’re depending on it.”
Robby turned toward Cassidy. “Officer Davey will make one last pass around the property, take a few more pictures, and make a cast of that footprint in the butter. Not sure how much that will help, but it was kind of the perp to leave evidence behind.”
“Ma’am, I found a clear fingerprint in the chocolate drizzles on the wall. With any luck, I’m hoping we’ll be able to wrap this up and apprehend the vandal in no time,” Officer Davey said.
Robby squatted near the back door and peered at the locks. “Oh, and Ms. Cooper, you might want to ask your tenant to use these shiny new deadbolts from now on.”
~*~
“Are you telling me the deadbolts were unlocked?” Cassidy gritted her teeth. She’d be having a little talk with Gabby.
The woman cop nodded and crouched to get a better view of the fingerprint on the wall.
Officer Jordan jammed a small notebook in his pocket. “Gray, you on for men’s Bible study tomorrow morning? We’ve moved the group to the Desert Rose Café. Great coffee and cinnamon rolls—practically as good as yours.”
Men’s Bible study! Hunter? Huh. Cassidy studied his face. Maybe there was more to this man than met the eye. She’d mooned over him when she was in tenth grade for a reason, right?
“I’ll be there. It’s my turn to do the five-minute devotional before Pastor Jimbo’s talk.”
Jimbo? What type of church had a pastor named Jimbo? Cassidy tapped her chin and surveyed the kitchen. A searing stab of pain pulsed behind her eyes as she assessed the disaster area. “It’s OK for me to clean up after Officer Davey’s finished, then?”
Officer Jordan shrugged and arched a bushy brow at his partner.
Officer Davey held up an index finger. “Almost done, and then it’s all yours, ma’am.”
After Officer Davey finished, Hunter left his assigned spot next to the smashed door and stepped into the kitchen, carefully avoiding the river of cream creeping across the floor. “I have a few minutes before Hillary gets crabby. Why don’t I start with that chocolate stain on the ceiling?”
Cassidy grabbed a broom and Hunter found a mop.
Gabby’s sobbing lessened to the occasional sniffle, and her eyes filled with purpose. She and Kayla pitched in, and with all hands on deck, the mess was cleaned up in a short time. Gabby volunteered to take Kayla home, and the place grew quiet.
With a heavy sigh, Cassidy sank into a chair, pulled off her shoes, and kneaded her aching feet.
Hunter tucked the mop in the corner and rolled his shoulders. He pulled out the chair opposite from her, turned it around, and straddled it. He’d hung out all morning, scrubbing, sweeping, washing, cleaning, polishing, and being useful. He angled his head and stared her down. “Hey, I’ve been meaning to ask you a question. Should I know you from somewhere?”
Cassidy gulped. Should she act all nonchalant, change the subject, p
retend she had no idea they’d gone to the same school? Back in tenth grade, she’d eavesdropped and overheard his sister talk about a class he’d signed up for, and she’d managed to add it to her own schedule. She’d spent hours drooling over him in creative writing class, positioning herself in a desk close behind him.
She’d written copious amounts in her journal while gazing at his muscular back. She’d doodled romantic sketches of him and the adorable way he tilted his head when he’d laughed. She’d taken notes on his likes and dislikes while he’d hunched over his desk working studiously on writing assignments. She’d marveled at the way he could dream up similes and turn a phrase.
And on those rare occasions when he’d smiled at her, she’d floated home on an elusive cloud of hope. But that was before she’d learned his true colors.
There was absolutely no need to remind him of her embarrassing crush, but she did want to be truthful. She dipped her head and swallowed. “Yeah, Hunter. I went to South Washington. I was two years behind you.”
“Huh. Thought so. Cheerleader?”
As if. “No.”
“School newspaper?”
She shook her head. Her field was business administration, emphasis on the business. Briefly, she’d considered a career as a writer but decided it wasn’t for her. She still wrote her thoughts in a journal each day, but writing was a stress reliever, something she did for herself. A degree in business paid the bills.
“Dance team?”
“Uh-uh.” Her cheeks flamed as she picked at a thread on her sleeve. It had been over a decade since Hunter had crushed her soul, grinding it into the dust with the toe of his athletic shoe. She’d been so young, and so in love with him, and he’d laughed at her…and more. Thoroughly humiliated, she wouldn’t have been able to bear the cruel snickers she’d left in her wake. Thankfully, she and her mom had moved.
He looked her up, down, and sideways, brows slanting down in the middle.
She turned away from his heavy-duty gaze, quivering inside all the way down to her heels.