by Vella, Wendy
“Eye level is the focal point, Lani.” Brad poked his head inside the door. “And don’t clutter things up. Remember who you’re targeting and what you want them to see.”
“Sure… who am I targeting?”
“Bakers, people who want to get into baking, and those that think they can but can’t, so they can’t resist coming in here to order a cake. It needs to look professional and classy, but also homey.”
“Classy but homey, not two words I’ve ever put together.”
“Demographic, Lani. Remember that word.”
“Demographic, right.”
“Honey, you and Billy go get a hot chocolate. I’ll be a while,” Brad said to Macy.
“He trained in this kind of thing,” Macy said. “He does my window display.”
Lani looked at the large, handsome Texan.
“It was a surprise to me.” Macy laughed. “He’s been trying to work up the courage to talk to Mrs. C about this for months. Every time he walked past, he’d wince. It drove him crazy.”
“Wow, he really has hidden talents.”
Brad waggled his eyebrows.
“I’ll bring coffee back,” Macy said.
“You really don’t need to do this, Brad.” Lani followed him inside.
“I really do.” She watched him walk around the room.
“Okay, let’s get this right first.”
“I started.”
“I can see that, and it’s an improvement, but we can do better.” Brad walked by her and out the door. He then looked up and down the street. Lani wasn’t sure what inspiration he hoped to find out there.
“Noah!”
Oh, no, no, no. She wasn’t ready to face him yet. He knew she slept in her car.
Chapter Fourteen
Lani felt color fill her cheeks.
“You bellowed?” Noah followed Brad into the Howlery, and suddenly the shop had shrunk. Two big men, and one was Noah. Shooting her a look, he nodded.
“I need your muscles.”
“Is that all I am to you?”
“At the moment.” Brad grunted as he lifted one end of the long counter. “Now lift, pretty boy.”
Lani tried to help but they waved her away, so she got back into the window and fussed with that.
“What are they doing to Mrs. C’s shop?” Newman poked his head in the door.
“I’m not sure, but think it’s called merchandising.”
“He’s good, there’s no getting around it. Especially for a Texan.”
“I heard that!”
“Looks aesthetically pleasing!” Newman yelled back. “Supposedly decorators like those kinds of compliments. Macy said to bring you this because you may need it.” Newman handed her a coffee, then joined Brad and Noah.
She stood in the window, ignoring the scrape of furniture and mutter of voices as she tried to achieve a classy yet homey look. When she was done, Lani went outside again and studied her changes. She thought they worked.
High-pitched, excited barking to her right had Lani moving that way. Was Buddy hurt? Following the noise, she found him behind the shops.
“Buddy!” Calling him didn’t stop the yapping. He was staring into a space between parked cars at the rear of the shop. The yowl of a cat told her why.
“Okay, that makes sense.” Placing a hand on his head, she gave it a scratch. “Leave the cat alone.”
It was a big feline with a torn ear that looked to be bleeding. “You hurt, kitty?” Lani moved closer to take a look.
“What the hell are you doing? That cat could be feral.”
“It’s hurt.” Lani ignored Noah and dropped to her haunches.
“Get back, Lani, it’ll scratch you!”
She held out a hand. The cat took a swipe and connected.
“Crazy woman, get out of there!”
“It’s okay, kitty, I don’t want to hurt you.”
“No, it wants to hurt you!”
Lani moved closer, and the cat hissed.
“For the love of God, woman!”
She touched its head, and the animal allowed it, so she stroked the matted fur. “It’s been in a fight or something.”
“So it’s angry and hurt. Excellent.”
Lani moved closer still, and the cat allowed her to stroke its back. “It doesn’t look feral.”
“There’s a look?”
Ignoring his sarcasm, she gently picked the cat up and walked to where he stood.
“I don’t recognize it, but then I’m not acquainted with every cat in town,” Noah said.
“Sarcasm is not helping.”
“You’re bleeding.”
“It scratched me.”
“Really? I hadn’t noticed.”
Lani shot him a look, and his eyes were narrowed.
“Go back to whatever you were doing, Noah. I’ll take him to Mrs. C; she might know where he belongs.”
He followed as she walked to the shop. Mrs. C didn’t know who owned the cat, but as she had to go to the vet to get some medicine for her budgie, she’d take this one. Hank put the feline in a box, which it didn’t seem to mind, and off they went with Buddy trotting behind them.
“Sit down, and I’ll clean that scratch.”
“I have it, you get back to what you need to do.” Lani headed into the shop to look at the changes, but she only made it a step. He lifted her and placed her on the bench.
“Stay.”
Surprise had her doing just that. He walked to a cupboard and returned with a medical kit.
“It needs cleaning, and you should probably go to the doctor to have a jab or something.”
“I’m up to date.”
He dabbed something from a bottle on a cotton bud. “This could be ouchie.”
“Ouchie?”
“Rose uses that word.”
His touch was gentle but it still stung. “You can scream, I don’t mind.”
She shook her head.
“You don’t scream?”
“No,” Lani managed to get out.
“Why not?”
“It doesn’t achieve anything.”
He put down the bud and looked at her.
“It’s a release, and an honest emotion. Its achievement is in that.”
“I don’t like it.”
“How long have you not liked it? Because I’m sure you came out of the womb with the capacity to scream.” He took out a tube of something and then a Band-Aid.
“A while.”
He finished with the scratch, and then braced his hands on either side of her. “Who didn’t hear you when you screamed?”
“I don’t know what you mean.” She wanted to look away but his eyes held hers.
“You know exactly what I mean.”
She said nothing, and the tension between them grew until he closed the distance and kissed her. Hot, sweet and in seconds she forgot every thought but one, him.
Mrs. C’s voice had him easing back. He ran a finger along her top lip. “You can scream around me anytime.” Picking Lanie up, he then lowered her to the floor.
“They’re checking the cat over and seeing if anyone’s missing a feline,” Mrs. C said.
“The shop looks good,” Hank added.
“It does, but what I want to know is why no one helped me get it looking like that before?” Mrs. C didn’t look happy. “I’m approachable.”
Hank coughed, and Noah snorted.
“I am!”
Lani found herself giggling, which was likely from the shock of that kiss, which had made her bones melt. In fact, it was amazing she could stand upright.
Distance was important now. She’d always been good at that, keeping people away. Strange how that seemed harder here in Lake Howling, especially around Noah Harris.
…
“Lani, I’ve been thinking.”
“About what, Mrs. C?” The woman wandered into the kitchen as Lani was cleaning up later that day. Thankfully there had been no more interaction with Noah. The man turned he
r to jelly, and that wasn’t a good thing for a woman who needed to stay alert at all times.
“There has been a spate of thefts here in Lake Howling over the last few weeks.”
“Really? That seems a strange thing for a town like this.”
Mrs. C nodded. The look on her face seemed genuine and she met Lani’s eyes, so she guessed it was truth, but still. Lake Howling didn’t strike her as a hotbed for criminals.
“The problem is, I’m worried someone will break in here and steal from me.”
“Tell me you don’t keep money here?” The thought made her cold.
“Sometimes, and there is plenty of stock.”
“I don’t think cooking utensils and cake decorating equipment would be high on a thief’s list of priorities, Mrs. C.”
“I know it’s a lot to ask, Lani, and I hate to inconvenience you, but with my heart—”
“What’s wrong with your heart?”
“I’ve had a few scares, dear.” Mrs. C patted her chest and suddenly looked older than she had this morning. “The doctor said I cannot receive any shocks, and this would be that, Lani.”
“What would be that?”
“If someone br-broke in here and stole from me.” Mrs. C sniffed and wiped at her eyes.
“I’m sure they won’t.”
“I’d only ask you to stay here for a few nights until the culprit is caught. Upstairs. I mean, I haven’t cleaned it or anything, but it would ease my mind and I would sleep better.”
Lani studied her. She had a feeling she was being played but there was no guilt in the woman’s eyes and she did look upset.
“You’d be doing me a favor, Lani. A huge one. My heart, you know, it’s not as strong as it was.”
“I’m sure you could rent out that space if you wanted to.”
Mrs. C dabbed her eyes with the hem of her neon green apron. She leaned in; they looked dry, but still, if the woman was that worried, maybe she could stay a night or two.
“I don’t want a stranger in here.” Mrs. C sniffed loudly.
“I’m a stranger,” Lani felt she needed to point out.
“No, you’re not a stranger! You’re a good girl who works hard.”
“That doesn’t mean you know me, Mrs. C.” In fact, she was a liar who was on the run.
The woman grabbed her chest, then bent over, coughing loudly. Loud, wracking coughs that had Lani hurrying to get a glass of water.
“Thank you.” She took the glass and drank several mouthfuls. Was she really sick? The thought made Lani’s stomach roll. Even in the few days she’d known the woman, she’d come to realize Mrs. C was a nice person… if a little unorganized and with a fashion sense to rival a color-blind peacock. Plus, there was the fact she’d taken a risk on Lani and employed her.
“Okay, I’ll stay here for a few days.”
“Really?” Mrs. C beamed, suddenly looking the picture of health. “I have bedding.”
“No need, I have some, and it’s just for a few days, or until the crime spree of the century has passed.” The woman didn’t even lower her eyes, so if she was lying, she was really good at it.
“Thank you, Lani, my mind is now at rest.”
“Excellent.” Lani had to admit that the thought of a roof over her head and actually sleeping in a bed for the first time in years was a nice one. Running water, too. That made her sigh.
“Buddy can stay and watch over you and the shop.”
“He does have a good growl,” Lani conceded.
She would also no longer need to worry about finding a new place to park her Bronco.
“But first you can come with me to the town meeting. You have a young, agile mind and will pick up things I may not.”
“What meeting?” she said, even as Mrs. C grabbed her arm and dragged her through the shop and out the front door. The really strange thing was that Lani let her. Let this woman move her in the direction she wanted Lani to take, and barely protested. Why?
Because no one has cared about you for so long.
“Town meeting about those shade houses Ethan thinks are occupied by aliens.”
Walking at Mrs. C’s side, she thought that it really was time to get out of Lake Howling before it would hurt too much to leave.
Chapter Fifteen
The Howler was busy, which suited Noah as it didn’t give him time to think. He had a draftsman come in and look over the renovation plans he’d drawn up. They had a wedding reception to host, and the restaurant and hotel were busy.
“Hey there, Mikey. Everything all good with you?”
The boy was walking through reception with his head down. “Sure, not sure why it wouldn’t be.”
“Me either.” Noah took a closer look at him. His face was pale, and he was sweaty. Had he lost weight? “You sick?”
“No. Why would you think that?” The boy took a step back.
“You don’t look so good. What’s up, Mikey? You know you can tell me, right?”
“Nothing’s wrong.”
He looked defensive and definitely not the open, friendly boy Noah knew. Mikey’s home life hadn’t been the best, but Jake and Branna looked out for him, as did the rest of them.
“Okay, well you come to me or any of the others if you need us.”
“I don’t need anything.”
“Sure, hear you there. Just letting you know I’m around. What shift are you on today?”
“I’m on tomorrow.” The boy looked down at his feet. “Can I have my pay early, Noah?”
“Why do you need it early?” Alarm bells were ringing inside his head. Something was off, he just didn’t know what.
“I need to buy mom a birthday present.”
A valid reason, it had to be noted, but Noah had a hunch it was a lie.
“Okay, well I can spot you a twenty if that’s enough. Pay it back when you can.”
“I need thirty.”
Noah pulled out his wallet. When he handed it to the boy, he looked ready to cry. “Mikey, are you in some kind of trouble? Because I’m always here for you, as are the others.”
Shaking his head, he took the money and ran out of the Howler. Noah picked up the phone and rang Jake.
After the call, he decided on a walk, and left the Howler in the capable hands of their manager, Tania. Faith was taking the night off and going into Brook to see a movie with the guy she’d dated after Rose’s birthday. Noah had tried to see his face when he pulled up in his sports car.
“Who drives a car like that,” he muttered, wandering up the street. Must have image issues, as far as Noah was concerned.
Digging his hands into his pockets, he just let the cool air clear his head as he crossed the road. Let the thoughts come and go. He’d visited his mom, and she seemed happy, but then her mind was slipping away, which didn’t affect her but broke the hearts of her children.
He thought about Lani with that cat. So gentle, her voice soothing the animal. The woman had so many sides, she could be a hexagon. There was the cold one when she wanted to shut people out, and the sexy one just after he’d kissed her. He shouldn’t have done that… again. The problem was, she was hard to resist.
“Shall I arrest you for loitering?”
“You could try, and to be honest a night in the cells appeals. No calls or people pissing me off.”
Cubby Hawker was an old friend and part of his community. Brothers, they called themselves after a few beers, but the truth of it was, that’s how he thought of his friends. Brothers and sisters too. People who saw him for what he was and knew him for who he’d been, black marks and all. They knew his secrets and he knew theirs.
“You on patrol, bud? Walking the streets issuing fines for littering and jaywalking?”
Cubby smiled. It was slow and not overly big, but still a smile. He then touched the brim of the cap he wore. The town’s elders had tried to get him into what they thought was a proper uniform; Cubby had resisted. He usually wore jeans and a sheriff’s shirt, with a black cap with the wor
d Sheriff in gold writing.
“Just stretching my legs. Had some idiots renting the Hanson place, and they decided to get drunk last night and do some target practice on Mr. Dunn’s boat. Turns out they couldn’t hit the side of a barn while inebriated, so not much damage, but a few pissed off residents.”
“Need me to come with you and arrest a few people?”
“Nah, I took Katie with me and she scared them good and proper. It’s my belief they’ll be angels for the rest of their stay.”
“Could have been dangerous though, Cubby, if a bullet ricocheted.”
“Yup, and I told them that too after I’d confiscated their guns.”
“Nice work, Sheriff.”
“I do my best. How’s your mom?”
“Her mind’s going, Cubby, and nothing I can do about it.”
“Hard thing to watch. Sorry that you and Faith are having to go through it.”
“Yeah, but she’s in the best place for her.”
“How about we catch a coffee after the meeting? That is where you were heading, right?”
“Hell, is that today?”
“I thought you were the organized one out of us.”
“You’re the sheriff; sure as shit hope you’re organized.”
“I try, but all that paperwork is enough to send a man crazy. Anyway, surely you got the email HRH sent out about the meeting being held in the town hall. It’s all about the facility that’s been bugging you.”
“It doesn’t bug me, I just want to know what’s in there,” Noah defended himself as they started across the street and fell in beside Willow, who was waddling, and Buster, who was hovering.
“How’s Annabelle and the baby?” Noah asked her.
“Doing great. She and Christie aren’t coming today, but Ethan has to take notes.”
“I like the name,” Noah said. “Me and Faith will call round tomorrow and see them.”
Willow rubbed her belly. “Nothing to worry about with me, Noah. Remember, I was born in a field. It’s in my genes that I can give birth anywhere.”