Robert followed her gaze and inhaled sharply when he spotted the man watching them from over by the window. Quickly, he lowered his head and turned slightly away.
What the hell? How on earth could that damn cop be here? Robert’s pulse raced, his hands becoming clammy. Calmly, he reassured himself there was no way that bastard would be able to recognize him.
Hell, Robert would barely even know himself. The face that had stared back at him from the mirror this morning had not been his own.
It had taken him over an hour to apply the prosthetics to his nose and chin, making sure that the alterations were subtle and looked natural. It had only taken him a few days to grow out his beard enough to obscure his jawline. With those changes plus the brimmed hat he wore and the collar turned up on his coat, there was no way Detective Mason Clark would be able to recognize him from across the room.
Still, though. It was a shock to see him sitting in the same little café.
“Olivia.” The barista called out to the woman standing by him. With a final, nervous look back at him, she stepped to the counter and grabbed her coffee.
Startled, he watched as she made her way over to the cop’s table. He watched her whole demeanor change as she drew nearer to the other man. Her gait grew longer and more confident, and a warm smile now graced her face. From the way they greeted each other, it was obvious they had met before. He could tell by the way Mason followed her with his eyes that he was attracted to her.
Disgusted, he couldn’t help but feel a pang of jealousy deep in his gut. What was it with guys like that? How did they always manage to attract women?
A seed of resentment burned in his chest. Just another dumb whore like his mother. Then it struck him. Fate had just handed him the perfect opportunity. He’d be able to replace his previous angel and get his retribution on the cop bastard who had caused him all this trouble.
Of course, it would require him to delay heading back to the cabin. But, in good weather, the drive was only a few hours. He’d be close enough to create havoc and still get things set up for when it was time to take her.
“Hey, mister.” The barista called over to him. “Do you want your coffee? It’s been sitting here.” Pulled out of his reverie, he stepped up to the counter and grabbed his cup. “Thanks,” he mumbled and allowed himself to take one final casual look over at the table where the two were still talking.
He felt a familiar rush of excitement, having found his next lady friend. Only, this time was going to be even sweeter because he’d get his revenge as well. With a pleased little smile, he hurried back out the door. There was plenty to do before he could put his plan into motion. Best to get started right away.
Chapter Ten
Mason watched Olivia interact with the man standing behind her in line. He could tell by the way she kept sidling away from him that she was uncomfortable. From where he was sitting, it seemed like the guy was standing too close.
Just as he was about to stand up and walk towards her, she saw him sitting by the window. The way her face lit up at the sight of him was breathtaking. He followed her progress over to his table, being sure to keep one eye on the guy still waiting for his coffee.
“Hi.” She greeted him warmly.
He gave her a grin. “Hi, yourself. Was that guy giving you a hard time?”
She waved his concern away. “It’s nothing. He was a jerk and stole the parking spot I was pulling into a few minutes ago. Luckily, I’ve never seen him before and know he’s not from around here. I doubt I’ll have to deal with him again.”
He nodded. “Okay. So, I see you’re out and about; did you get your car fixed?”
“One of the benefits of having a sister that’s a mechanic.” She shrugged. “I get VIP treatment.”
“Convenient. That’s cool that your sister is a mechanic. How’d she get into that?”
She shot him a grimace. “You’re not one of those guys who doesn’t think a woman can be a mechanic, are you?” He shook his head, quickly denying any such misconceptions.
Satisfied, she said, “She’s always been into fixing cars. My dad and Liz were two peas in a pod like that. She’s a whiz at puzzles and putting things together, and can fix just about anything.”
“Ah, and you?”
At that, she laughed. “Me? Oh no. I take after my mom, mostly. Put me in a kitchen cooking any day. Everything else and I’m all thumbs.” She took a sip of her coffee, taking a moment to inhale the aroma. The way she savored her drink had him shifting in discomfort. She opened her eyes. “So, what’s up?”
The question brought a number of possible answers springing forth in Mason’s mind. “Excuse me?”
“What brings you into town today?”
He pulled his mind from the direction it was taking. “Oh, I’m headed to the hardware store. My sister was clearing the walks this morning and the head on her shovel broke. I told her I’d get a replacement and finish the job when I get back.”
“Yeah, the snow was really wet and heavy this storm. I’m actually on my way over there, too.”
He stood up. “Great. Why don’t I walk you over?”
Frank’s Hardware was a pillar of Main Street. Anything a person could want or need for home improvement lined the shelves and walls of the store, from nails, wall hangers, paint and wood putty to power tools, and everything in between. It was also a main hub for local information and small town happenings. Nothing occurred in town that Frank didn’t know about or talk about.
“Hey, Frank. Did you make it through the storm okay?”
“Olivia! I did ok, but I heard what happened to your car. How are you doing?”
She gave him a warm smile and assured him, “Thankfully, I’m fine. I’ll admit, I was pretty shaken after it happened, but luckily, this gentleman stopped and helped me out.
“Mason, this is Frank. Frank, Mason.” She turned to the storeowner. “He’s staying with his sister up at La Luna Vista.”
Mason reached over the counter and they shook hands. “Pleasure to meet you.”
Frank waggled his eyebrows up and down at her before nodding at him. “Thanks for taking care of our girl.”
Olivia blushed and rolled her eyes at his antics. “I need to grab some lightbulbs and some deicer.”
“Go ahead, dear. I’ll be here when you’re ready to check-out.”
She pointed down one of the aisles. “The shovels are down that way.”
Mason watched as she turned down one of the aisles that presumably held lightbulbs. Giving the other man a nod, he made his way towards the snow shovels. It was nice the way she seemed to know everybody in town. Although, he supposed it wasn’t hard considering how small it was.
He wondered what it would have been like to grow up here. It seemed like such a far cry from his childhood of carefully constructed and monitored playdates, sanctioned activities, and politely distant interactions. He remembered hating how everything about growing up had seemed so pristine - and fake.
Maybe that’s why he’d decided to live in Boston after leaving the house. He’d yearned for the grit and noise of the city. Those first few years, the masses of humanity, exhaust fumes, and dirty alleys had seemed so much more real to him than the pampered life he’d led up until that point.
How could he have known his life would wind up so goddamn messy? He really should have been more careful about what he wished for. Perhaps a small town like this was a happy medium between those other two extremes.
Shaking his head at the direction his thoughts had taken, he quickly grabbed a shovel from one of the hooks. After setting the item at the counter, he decided to see where Olivia had wound up.
Chapter Eleven
Olivia knew the aisle she needed. Frank’s cheerful banter filtered back through the store, along with Mason’s deep-timbered voice, the one that had her heart skipping a beat. The very same voice had played a prominent role in her dreams last night.
Blushing at her errant thoughts, she quickly set the
replacement bulbs for her back door light into her basket and, headed towards the rear of the store, where she knew the deicer was kept. It wouldn’t pay to have her customers falling down and hurting themselves outside her café tomorrow morning. Especially since she knew Mrs. Crowley and Mr. Harrington would probably be up to their usual antics bright and early the next day.
Plus, she could take a moment at the back of the store to regroup and calm the butterflies in her stomach. Something about Mason put her whole system on alert. It left her breathless and edgy.
Spotting the bag she was after, she bent at the knees and hefted it up to her shoulder, then turned and nearly fumbled it as she ran into Mason’s chest.
“Whoa! Easy there.” He put one hand on the bag and one on her shoulder to steady her. She could feel the heat of his fingers seeping through her jacket, her sweater, and the long-sleeved shirt underneath. How was that even possible?
“Looks like it’s becoming a habit of yours to save me from one accident or another,” she said. It was all she could do not to stare at his smile. The corners of his eyes crinkled and his eyes filled with warmth. It was dazzling, and all too brief. She must have been staring because his expression slowly began to turn puzzled.
“Did I hurt you?” he asked, concerned.
Startled, she stammered, “What? Oh, no.”
“Here, let me take that,” he offered, but as he reached to grab the bag, his arm resisted, causing him to wince.
“I hurt you!”
Embarrassed by his inability to help a lady with a bag, he tried to reassure her. “No, no, it wasn’t anything you did. Remember I said that I was taking some time off to recover from some injuries? I’m just a little stiff from all this cold air, that’s all.”
He shrugged and rotated his shoulder, trying to loosen the muscles a bit. “Ordinarily, I’d offer to take that bag from you. Unfortunately, my arm isn’t feeling very chivalrous today.”
“Don’t worry, I’ve got this. I do this multiple times every winter. I’m just going to head up to the counter with it, since I have everything I need.”
“I’ll walk up with you,” he offered, and took her basket of lightbulbs. “I’m pretty sure I can manage this, at least.”
She smiled her thanks and headed up the aisle, wondering once again what had happened to him to cause such an injury. She wanted to ask him, but their previous conversation had given her the distinct impression that he didn’t wish to discuss it.
The bag of deicer dropped to the counter with a thud as she looked up at Frank, who had a cat-ate-the-canary grin on his face. She noticed Mason had already left his snow shovel by the register.
She furtively shook her finger at Frank, telling him to behave himself, but he looked entirely too mischievous for her peace of mind.
Sure enough, as Mason stepped up to the counter, the older man leaned forward. “So, has Olivia offered to repay you for your kindness last night? I don’t know if you know this, but she’s quite a good cook.”
She gave an inward groan at Frank’s matchmaking antics just as Mason turned toward her, and caught her in the act of rolling her eyes. He raised an eyebrow, his blue eyes twinkling. “Well, I’ve been to her café for breakfast, but wasn’t aware she’s a bona fide chef.”
“Oh, yeah. Our Olivia went to school for it and everything. I’m surprised she didn’t mention it.” Frank turned to her. “Even knights in shining armor have to eat well, you know.”
Mason gazed steadily into her eyes. “I get the feeling she is very rarely a damsel in distress, so it was a true privilege to be of service in her time of need.”
Her cheeks began to turn pink. When was the last time she had teased and flirted with a man? She couldn’t even remember. With an inner shrug, she thought, what the hell?
“I did appreciate your help yesterday. The offer of breakfast still stands.”
Mason glanced at Frank, releasing her from the spell of his gaze. He shifted towards the older man, as if to let him in on a secret. Frank eagerly leaned as far over the counter as his big stomach would allow. Conspiratorially, Mason asked him, “I’m not sure breakfast is quite enough sustenance for a knight in shining armor. What do you think?”
Chuckling, the shop owner smacked the counter with his palm. “Oh no, a man your size would definitely need a good steak dinner to feel satisfied after such hard work.”
Lips twitching, she fought back a laugh. She knew Frank was thrilled to have plenty to talk about for the rest of the day.
Mason nodded approvingly at him, then turned to her and gave a wink. “What do you say, Olivia? Would you be interested in coming out to a nice steak dinner with me?”
What on Earth was she getting herself into, she thought. Followed closely by the thought, and who on Earth could resist an invitation like that? She stared up at his handsome face.
“Well, how could I possibly say no to that? I am, after all, forever grateful.” She gave him a few bats of her eyelashes just to play along.
A gleam appeared in his eyes as his look wandered down to her smiling lips. There was a charged heat underlying the teasing that neither one of them could quite ignore. She found herself leaning in towards him, her body helpless to resist his gravity.
Frank glanced between the two of them and cleared his throat. Sheepishly, she stepped back to give herself a bit of room to catch her breath.
“You know…” he added, slyly, “You two might as well make it a real date and plan some entertainment while you’re at it. Did I mention my niece is in the holiday school concert?” He pulled a beat up, metal box out from under the counter. “I happen to have tickets for sale right here.”
At that, she broke eye contact with Mason and turned to Frank. “Oh! Actually, I’ve been meaning to pick up a ticket. Didn’t you mention she’s got a solo this year?”
Frank’s chest puffed out with pride. “Yup, she sure does. I heard her rehearsing in the living room when I went to visit my sister last week. Think she’s going to really impress everybody with her talent.”
Mason reached back and pulled his wallet out. “Well, now, that doesn’t sound like something we should miss. Why don’t I get two from you? That is, if Olivia will agree to accompany me to the performance as well as a steak dinner?”
She felt her cheeks warm again, but wasn’t sure if it was due to anticipation of her date with Mason, or the fact that Frank had witnessed the whole scene. Regardless of how the story would play out in the town’s gossip mill, there wasn’t any way she was going to miss out on an evening with the gorgeous man standing in front of her. “I’d be happy to. Thank you for the invitation.”
After the tickets and their respective items were paid for—and they assured Frank that he would be the first to know what they thought of the holiday production—they both stepped outside the store and glanced around.
“Looks like you’re parked a few blocks down. My truck’s right here. Why don’t I give you a lift so you don’t have to carry that heavy bag of deicer so far?”
“Thanks, I’d appreciate that.” They placed the shovel and bag into the bed of his truck and climbed into the cab.
When he turned the ignition, music blasted from the stereo, startling them both. He gave her a sheepish grin and quickly turned the volume down. “Sorry, I was playing it kind of loud earlier.”
She laughed, “Hey, I get it. Sometimes you just have to let it out, especially if it’s the Black Keys.”
He seemed pleasantly surprised that she was familiar with the music he was playing. He shot her an approving look, before putting the truck into gear and driving the few blocks to her car.
Mason sat companionably by her side. “This seems like a pretty and peaceful small town. It looks like you really fit in here.” As an afterthought, almost as if to himself, he added, “I’d forgotten life could feel so simple and good, with very little worry in the world…”
“I imagine it probably feels slow for a big city homicide detective like you, but you’r
e right. I love it here.”
“Well, I admit, there are benefits to living in a city. For one thing, I like being able to step out my door and have my pick of a dozen types of cuisines. Want Chinese food? No problem, they can deliver. Indian? Two blocks down the street. Thai, Mexican, fine dining, standard American fare…all within walking distance.
“Plus, there’s the entertainment. Bars, bands, theater shows, art galleries…it’s nice having that kind of variety outside your door whenever you want it.
“But,” he continued, “You also have to deal with the negatives, too. Drunken bums and homeless people asking for spare change on the streets. Alleys that smell like piss, muggings, pollution, and a constant state of too much traffic and not enough parking. I never thought I’d say this, but it can get to be tiresome.”
She nodded her head in understanding. “You’ve probably been exposed to a lot more of the negatives in your line of work.”
“Yeah. It didn’t use to bother me as much. I mean, it was awful, don’t get me wrong. Homicide is the worst. Even before that, there were the domestic disputes. Some lady getting the crap beat out of her, insisting she was just clumsy as her face turned three shades of purple while you’re talking to her. Junkies passed out in their own vomit, lying in back alleys. People’s homes being broken into, windows smashed, electronics ripped out of the wall…
“You don’t get the best impression of humanity working on the force. It used to be that I could get off shift, maybe grab a beer at the bar with a couple of the guys, and shake it off.” He shifted his focus back to the windshield. “It’s getting harder for me to do that lately.”
She could feel her heart being squeezed. He looked so pensive talking about his work. “Well, it sounds like you needed a break. I’m glad you could find it here in our quiet town, even if it’s only temporarily”
He nodded and pulled in behind her car. “So, it looks like the school concert is this Friday evening and starts about six. Would you mind if I made dinner reservations for afterwards, or will that be too late?”
“I think dinner after will be fine,” she agreed. “I’ll arrange for Tom to open the café the next morning, so I won’t have to be there at five in the morning, as usual.”
Secret Hunger (The Harper Sisters) Page 6