“I don’t know which room is hers, and even if I did, how would I get inside?”
Ed jerked to his feet. “I don’t care how you do it, just do it.” He glanced quickly at the door and lowered his voice. “Look, whatever you have to do, do it quickly.”
A pause. “You mean that?”
The sweat on Ed’s forehead grew cold. Two people had died at this man’s hands already. When Ed first agreed to this crazy scheme, he’d never anticipated things going this far. He was going to make a ton of money, that’s all. Pay off the store and the mortgage on his home. Pad the kids’ college funds.
He’d never realized he was entering into partnership with a cold-blooded killer. And a moron, besides.
“I don’t want to know anymore.” His voice rasped, his throat raw. “Just get that candle back.”
A grunt sounded in his ear as he disconnected the call. He stood still, paralyzed by indecision. What should he do? Sit around and wait for the cops to show up? That would drive him crazy. Every time a customer came through the door, he’d think the cops were coming for him.
His gaze fell on the locked storage cabinet where he kept the special candles. One thing was for sure, he had to get them out of here. If the police searched the store, he’d make sure they came up empty-handed. But where could he put them so they wouldn’t be found?
ELEVEN
“I really appreciate you leaving work to run me around.” Caitlin took Chase’s proffered hand as she stepped up into his truck outside the repair shop. “I feel bad for taking you away from the factory.”
“Don’t worry about it. Our delivery guy didn’t show up for work today, so I’ve been out and about this morning anyway.” His voice lowered. “Besides, driving you around is my pleasure.”
His grin held an intimate quality that brought an answering flush to warm her cheeks. She refused to let her hand linger in his after she was seated. Pulling it away, she clasped it in her other one. When he closed the door, she leaned back in the sun-warmed cab. A few seconds to catch her breath while he circled the truck to the driver’s side.
Good grief! My heart is fluttering like a lovesick teenager. Back in high school, she’d mooned over a football player who turned his nose up at her hero worship. Mom’s heart-to-heart explained that boys didn’t like girls who were so obvious with their emotions. “Play hard to get,” she advised. “Let them feel like they’ve won a prize when they finally get your attention. Because, sweetie, they have!”
Apparently, Mom was right. Here she was, not playing hard to get, but trying for real to make sure she wasn’t sending out vibes. And what happens? First the guy gives her a hug that almost sends her into cardiac arrest, and then he tells her he likes driving her around. Sheesh! If she’d been flirting with him, wanting his attention, he’d probably be heading for the next county, to hide out until she left town. Figures.
She shouldn’t have accepted his offer to give her a ride after dropping her car off at the repair shop. But when he’d called this morning and told her his friend would fix it, he’d practically insisted. What could she do?
He opened the door and slid inside. “I’m just sorry my buddy can’t get your car back to you until this afternoon.”
The truck pulled away from Caitlin’s car, waiting in a line outside the garage doors. “I’m grateful they can fix it today. I was afraid I’d have to wait until I got home.”
“What time are you supposed to be at the middle school?”
“Three-thirty.” Caitlin glanced at the clock. Just after ten. Hours to kill before the time she’d arranged to meet Nicky. “You can just go ahead and drop me off in town. I’ll wander around, do some shopping, then get a taxi to the school this afternoon.”
“If you want.” He drove with one hand at the top of the steering wheel, his posture relaxed. “But I’m kind of in the mood for a cup of coffee. There’s an ice-cream parlor with great hazelnut coffee downtown, if you’re interested.”
Uh-oh. Skating close to date territory. Lord, why couldn’t this bride have decided to get married next year? Like, three hundred and sixty-four days from now?
She turned a tight smile in his direction. “I’d better not.”
Chase gave her a sideways look, then drove in silence. Caitlin’s shoulders sagged. She hadn’t meant to offend him, but apparently she’d done just that. While she struggled for something to say, he pulled into a small parking lot.
He shoved the gearshift lever into park and turned in the seat to face her. “Can I ask you a question?”
She swallowed. “Sure.”
“Why don’t you want to go out with me?” He held up a hand to stop her from answering quickly. “Not that I’m saying I’m all that great or anything, but you seemed like you had a good time at my church last night. And you didn’t seem to mind me pushing my way into your concert tonight. Yet you won’t let me take you to dinner, or even buy you a cup of coffee.” He paused as he looked at her carefully. “My mother scared you off, didn’t she?”
Caitlin laughed. “I think your mother is charming.” Then she bit her lip. “It’s not that I don’t want to go out with you. I just can’t.”
“Do you have a boyfriend?”
“No.” How to put this without sounding like a complete fool? “Well, I did, but he broke up with me a month ago and started dating a woman he works with.”
He winced. “Ouch.”
She straightened a twist in her seat belt. “I’ve had a pretty rough time. And actually, on the drive up here, I came to a decision.” She told him about the dateless year.
Chase gave her his full attention, and when she was finished, he nodded slowly. “I think that’s wise. After Kevin died last year, I broke up with my girlfriend. I just lost interest in the relationship. She started going out with another guy the next week, and they got married three months later.” He shook his head. “I’ve worried she was on the rebound. I hope she didn’t make a mistake because I hurt her.”
Caitlin saw guilt in his slumped shoulders. “You can’t blame yourself.” She covered his hand with hers. The contact sent warmth through her core, reminding her of the feel of his arms around her, and she quickly pulled away. He didn’t seem to notice, thank goodness.
“I’m glad we’ve cleared the air.” She unsnapped her seatbelt. “Because I’d love a cup of coffee. As friends.” She smiled. “Dutch treat.”
“Sounds good.” He opened the door and started to get out, then turned a grin her way. “Uh, I’ll let you open your own door, friend.”
A crowd filled the busy shop, an old-fashioned ice-cream parlor complete with vinyl-covered stools at the polished counter and paddle fans circling overhead. They stood in line to place their orders while the scent of warm waffle cones filled the shop. Round tubs of ice cream lined the inside of the glass-topped freezer to the left of the cash register. She opened her mouth to tell the cashier she wanted a cup of coffee, and caved to temptation.
“I’ll have a scoop of Rocky Road and a cup of hazelnut coffee.”
Chase’s eyebrows arched. “Ice cream at ten in the morning?”
She grinned at him. “I’m on vacation.”
“Well, then, I can’t let my new friend indulge alone, can I?”
Chase grabbed a table in the corner when a couple vacated it, and they slid onto wrought iron chairs. On the other side of the window, people filed by on the charming streets of Little Nashville.
“They say you can tell a lot about a person by their ice-cream choices.” A grin hovered at the corners of Chase’s lips as he eyed her dish of Rocky Road.
“Really?” Caitlin inspected a loaded spoon. “What does this say about me? That I’m soft, like a marshmallow?”
“Possibly.” His head cocked sideways. “Or maybe you’re nutty.”
She drew herself up in mock indignation. “Hey! I’ve been insulted.”
He laughed. “Okay, seriously.” He drew his eyebrows together in solemn contemplation of her ice-cream dish. “Ro
cky Road is a blend of flavors, which says you’re not satisfied with anything plain. I think it means you have a wide range of interests and enjoy variety in life.” He sat back with a wide smile. “How’d I do?”
“Hmmm. Good comeback.” She allowed her ruffled feathers to smooth as she took another bite. “What about you, Mr. Ice-Cream Analyst? What does Double Chocolate Chunk say about you?”
He lifted his sugar cone. “That I’m chunky?”
Hardly that. Caitlin’s glance skimmed over his muscled arms, strong shoulders and what she could see of the trim waist. A blush threatened, and she combated it with a quick response.
“That’s too easy. Come on, a double dose of chocolate has to say something about your personality.” She leaned against the heart-shaped chair back and tapped her spoon on her lips as she thought. “I know. You work twice as hard as anyone else, not because you have to but because you enjoy the results. You’re not satisfied by simply getting a job done, but are driven to do it exceptionally well. In other words, you’re an overachiever.”
His smile broke free. “Very good. And not far off the mark, either. I’ve been known to display workaholic tendencies, or so my mother tells me.”
“And yet, here you are.” Caitlin swept the room with her spoon. “In the middle of the morning, and not at work.”
“Hey, a guy’s allowed time off for good behavior every now and then.” He propped his elbows on the table, the cone held in both hands.
“True.” Caitlin scooped up another spoonful. “So tell me about the factory. You mentioned yesterday it’s a family business.”
He nodded. “My grandfather started making candles when he was a teenager, and opened the business when he was in his twenties.”
“Does he still work there?”
“No, he died three years ago. Heart attack.” He heaved a sigh. “He was a workaholic, too, which I’ve tried to keep in mind. Anyway, in his will he divided the company into fourths.”
“Fourths?”
“My mom, my aunt, my cousin and I all own equal shares.” He used a finger to catch a drip of chocolate before it ran down the side of his cone. “But in another year or two I’m going to buy out their interests.”
“They don’t like making candles?”
His shoulders heaved with a laugh. “My cousin hates the family business. But he’s a talented woodworker, so he hopes to open a store selling handmade furniture and other woodcrafts. Mom and Aunt Dot enjoy the work, but they’re both nearing retirement age. Dad retired last year, and Mom is ready to hand over the business so the two of them can start traveling.”
The hint of passion glimmering in his eyes gave them depth. Caitlin took a guess at the reason. “You have plans for the factory when you own it.”
His eyes gleamed as he nodded. “My degree is in procedural engineering. I can see so many ways to streamline our processes to increase our production levels. And our equipment needs updating as well. When Grandpa was alive he wouldn’t even consider my suggestions.” He straightened in his chair and assumed a scowl. “I’m not wasting money on any of those newfangled ideas, boy. I’ve been making candles longer than you’ve been alive.’”
Caitlin laughed at his imitation of a crotchety old man. “He sounds like a character.”
“Oh, he was.” Chase sobered. “Don’t get me wrong. I don’t mean to disrespect him. He was a talented candle maker, and I learned everything I know about the business from him. But he was not a risk taker. Whereas I can see the possibilities, and I’m not afraid to try something new.”
Determination showed in the firm set of his jaw. Caitlin had no trouble believing he would succeed in his plans. She scraped the last bite of ice cream from her dish as he bit into his crunchy cone.
“What about you?” he asked. “Do you have aspirations to play your flute with the London Symphony Orchestra?” A playful grin flashed onto his face. “Or maybe a country gospel band?”
She acknowledged the reference with a crooked smile. The short answer to his question was no, but then he’d want to know her plans. Becoming a wife and mother didn’t sound like a very lofty goal compared to reengineering a factory. And it was entirely at odds with her recent decision to wait a year before dating. But truly, that’s what she’d wanted from the first moment she cradled a baby doll in her arms.
“Oh, I don’t know.” She kept her gaze fixed on his disappearing ice-cream cone. “I enjoy performing at weddings with my friends, but a professional orchestra?” She shook her head. “It’s never been one of my dreams.”
“You like working with kids.” He peeled the paper off the bottom of his cone. “At least you seem to, since you’re spending your time off helping a kid do well in that concert tonight.”
“I do enjoy working with young people, especially if they have talent and a desire to learn, like Nicky Graham.” She folded her forearms on the table and leaned forward. “I love helping them realize what they can accomplish and watching them succeed. It’s satisfying, somehow, to know I helped them realize their potential.”
His head rose and dipped in a slow nod. “You’re a nurturer.”
She gave a startled laugh. “I suppose I am. Doesn’t sound very exciting, does it?”
His voice became a low rumble. “I think it’s admirable. You have to care about people to want to nurture them. Not many do.”
The full-fledged compliment left Caitlin fumbling for a response. She couldn’t hold his gaze.
“Here,” she said. “You’ve got chocolate on your chin.”
Without thinking, she reached across the table and touched his face with her napkin. He held her gaze as she dabbed at the drop. When her finger brushed his lip, warmth spread through her insides.
“Thank you.” His soft tone sent a ripple after the warmth.
Caitlin jerked her hand back and dropped it into her lap. Okay, there’s one to remember: next time, my new friend had better wipe his own face.
When they stepped outside, Chase heard a familiar voice calling his name. “Chase Hollister!”
Caitlin glanced over his shoulder. Her face lit up. “It’s Mrs. Jackson from your church.”
He turned in time to see Maude hurry across the street, a wide smile on her face.
Great. My mother will hear about this before I can get back to the factory.
“Well, look at the two of you, out together in the middle of the day.” Maude’s gaze slid from him to Caitlin. “And did I see you coming out of the ice-cream parlor?”
“Hello, Mrs. Jackson,” Caitlin said. “Yes, we stopped in for a treat.”
The woman took Caitlin’s hand in both of hers. “Call me Maude, honey. Everybody does. Even my grandchildren call me Granny Maude.” She beamed in Chase’s direction. “It does my tired old eyes good to see you two young people together.” A dimple in her cheek deepened. “Again.”
Judging by the glee on the woman’s face, Mom wasn’t the only one who would hear about Chase Hollister’s second date with the blond out-of-towner. After a glance at Caitlin’s suddenly red face, Chase shoved his hands in his pockets and studied a miniscule chip in the paint on the ice-cream shop’s doorjamb.
“I had to take my car to have some work done,” Caitlin explained, “and Chase was kind enough to give me a ride.”
“There’s nobody nicer than our Chase, and that’s God’s own truth. He’s a true gentleman, through and through.”
Chase bit back a groan. Terrific. Now Maude was extolling his virtues. This was starting to look like a full-fledged frontal attack of the Blue Hills Matchmaking Society. He needed to get out of here quickly, and he couldn’t leave Caitlin in the woman’s clutches.
He put a hand under Caitlin’s arm and tugged gently in an attempt to pry her away from Maude’s grip. “It’s great to see you, Maude. We have to be going. I’ve got to get back to work.”
Maude held on tight. “Work? Why, Chase Hollister, just look at that sky.” Chase examined the bright blue expanse, as instructed. “
Have you ever seen a prettier day? You and this fine young lady should enjoy the weather. Go for a walk in the park.” She added temptingly, “The flowers are in full bloom.”
“Thanks for the tip.” Chase tugged at Caitlin again, harder this time, and Maude finally let go. “We’ll keep it in mind.”
“All right. Well, good-bye, honey.” She took a step back and wiggled her fingers at Caitlin. “Hope to see you again real soon.”
As they walked away, Caitlin giggled. “Looks like all the older women in your life are eager to find you a girlfriend.”
Chase groaned. “I put up with it all the time from my mom and Aunt Dot. But I never expected they’d recruit the women from church.”
At least Caitlin was laughing about the incident. Given her determination not to enter into a relationship for a year, Maude’s attention could have scared her off for good.
They walked down the sidewalk easily, their strides matching. How refreshing to find a woman who wasn’t desperate to get a ring on her finger. He’d found himself relaxing as they talked over ice cream, glad to see that their hug last night hadn’t made things awkward between them. But he couldn’t seem to get it out of his mind. The way she’d felt in his arms … Well, he had to respect her decision not to date. Even if he didn’t really want to.
Maude’s suggestion sounded like a good one, though. Not the part about walking in the park—he shuddered at the thought. But the sky was clear, the temperature pleasant, and Caitlin’s company soothed his jangled nerves. Spending a few hours with her sounded a lot more appealing than the Freesia and Orange Blossom pours on the schedule for today. Alex and Irene could handle those with no problem, and Mom and Aunt Dot could hold down the fort in the front for a few hours.
Murder in D Minor Boxed Set Page 44