“For your information,” she told him, “I’m not usually such a klutz.” She appeared to search her memory. “Nope. I’m not a klutz. I’m typically sure-footed, athletic, in fact. I can actually ice skate, roller skate, and skateboard. I can dance, too. Take that to the bank,” she added for good measure.
“I didn’t say anything,” he said, raising his hands as if surrendering, and then grinning all the way to the door. With a salute, he left her office.
Jill took all of a tenth of a second to enter. “Inquiring minds want to know,” she said in a sing-song voice.
“What?” Kellie asked, glancing up from a memo in front of her. “What do inquiring minds want to know?”
“You know very well what inquiring minds want to know.”
Kellie laughed. “We’re just friends. Turns out Miles lives at the same condominium complex as I do.”
“Really? That’s fantastic!”
“It has its perks,” Kellie admitted.
“So you two went to a movie together?”
“Yes. On Saturday.”
“And did I hear right? He helped you with your bed?”
“Yep. He put it together for me. If it wasn’t for him, I’d have tossed the thing out the window and slept on a mattress for the rest of my days.”
“He likes you,” Jill said, smiling like the cat that swallowed the canary.
“Yes, but is he going to ask me to prom?” She laughed when Jill shot her a dispirited glance.
“You stop that. I’m telling you, Miles Blake looks at you and likes what he sees. And I’m telling you, that’s significant—meaningful,” she added with a crisp shake of her head.
“Oh, right, because he doesn’t date.”
“He doesn’t,” she said adamantly. “Or, didn’t. Not for a very long time anyway. A little bird told me…?”
“A little bird,” she said with a sigh. “Who is this little bird?”
“I’d rather not say, but anyway, a little bird told me that Miles has been propositioned by nearly every single, and some not-so-single women at this mall, and do you know what?”
“What?” Kellie shook her head. “What does not-so-single mean, by the way?”
“Stop that. You know what it means. And Miles turned ‘em down. Everyone. Did it in his usual sweet-natured fashion, but… He just wasn’t interested.”
“Rumors,” she muttered.
“No, really. That man was so in love with his wife. He was devoted to her. It was such a sad thing—her accident. Anyway, he stayed in the house they had shared together up until the last year or so. I guess he finally sold the place and moved into that condo because he realized he needed to get on with his life. Hmmm,” she murmured, “maybe you’re his next step in getting on with his life.”
“Who says I want the responsibility?” Kellie said crossly. “Who says I’m looking for a man?”
“Well, are you?” she asked, and Kellie didn’t miss the sudden seriousness of her expression.
“I … don’t think so,” she admitted. “I mean, I haven’t really thought about it. The truth is, I’ve been so focused on my job that, well, a man hasn’t really fit into the plan.”
“The plan,” Jill repeated.
She nodded. “I mean, I’ve dated casually, but as far as looking for a serious relationship, I just, haven’t.”
“But…” Jill began, but let the word hang in the air. When she finally spoke again, her eyes reflected her worry. “You’d better figure it out fast, because, it’s pretty clear Miles is taken with you. And Kellie, none of us want to see him hurt. He’s one of the good guys.”
She received the warning loud and clear. From Lynne before, from Grace at the movie theater, and now Jill. Don’t hurt Miles.
***
Kellie checked her watch. It was already five after twelve, and her eleven-thirty appointment appeared in no hurry to leave. In fact, the older man, with graying hair and intense blue eyes, appeared intent on remaining beside her in the massive retail space, pointing out every defect he could find.
“Mr. Barnes, could you give me a minute?” she asked him.
He nodded and began pacing the space for the umpteenth time.
Kellie hurriedly called her office. “Jill, it’s me. Can you reach Miles for me and tell him I’m running late?”
“I can try,” she said doubtfully. “But, I don’t have his number. Do you want me to call 911 and have a dispatcher reach him?”
“No. Don’t do that. You know what, never mind. I’ll figure something out.”
She flipped her phone closed and strode across the room to speak to her prospective renter. “Uh, Mr. Barnes, it’s after noon. I don’t suppose you’d care to join me for lunch?”
The man’s eyes widened with surprise, and he broke out in a grin. “Why, that would be nice.”
“Have you had a chance to visit our beautiful food court, with its extensive offering of restaurants?” she asked, starting off in that direction and relieved when he followed.
“Not yet,” he said.
“Well, we’ll remedy that right now,” she told him cheerfully.
She led the way to the food court, where she promptly spied Miles waiting for her by the deli. He wasn’t alone, but was surrounded by several deputies. They appeared deeply engrossed in spirited conversation.
Kellie turned to her guest. “What looks good to you?” she asked. She gestured toward the deli. “The deli is excellent, if you have an appetite for a sandwich.”
He shook his head briskly. “I was thinking the menu at that Japanese restaurant looks awfully tempting,” he said, directing her to it.
“Oh, yes, the food is excellent.” She glanced back at Miles distractedly and then back to her guest. “Mr. Barnes, could you excuse me for just a moment? I’ll be right back. I promise.”
She hurried off toward Miles. She reached him breathless, and smiling apologetically. Before she could speak, he introduced her to the deputies standing nearby. She smiled politely during the introductions, but then quickly grasped his arm and pulled him away from the group. He eyed her questioningly, as did his friends.
“I’m so sorry,” she said in a rush. “My eleven-thirty is still here, and frankly, I don’t see any indication that he plans to leave any time soon. I managed to lure him to the food court, so I could tell you. I’m sorry about…”
He smiled with understanding. “It’s okay. Important meeting?”
She nodded. “He’s looking at renting the large retail space upstairs by ‘Donut Hole.’”
“Well, great,” he said. “Good luck. We’ll talk later then.”
She nodded, smiled apologetically, and hurried back to her guest.
Mr. Barnes dawdled over his meal, and she had difficulty refraining from checking her watch. She had a one-thirty meeting, which also involved a potential renter.
When he asked for another look at the retail space, she plastered a smile on her face. “Certainly,” she told him.
Back at the upper mall location, she answered the same series of questions the man had asked earlier. She wondered, did he ever plan to leave?
To her surprise, Miles strode into the space as she was once again discussing the merits of the retail space and the mall itself. He extended a hand to her guest. “I’m Miles Blake.”
Mr. Barnes accepted his outstretched hand and then eyed him curiously. “Are you a mall cop?”
Miles forced back the smile that tugged at his lips. “In a manner of speaking,” he said. He nodded toward Kellie. “Miss Sanders tells me you’re considering renting this space.”
He nodded. “Considering it, but I’m also considering another location, as well.”
Kellie glanced at him curiously. He hadn’t mentioned that. She realized she should have implemented a harder sales pitch, and would have, had she not been thinking about Miles and their lunch date. Apparently, Miles decided to extol the site’s virtues for her.
“You can’t go wrong with this location,”
he told Mr. Barnes. “As you know, this is the largest mall in Southwest Washington. Despite our struggling economy, this particular mall has sustained a steady upswing in sales on the whole—a real feat in this economy,” he added. “There aren’t very many retail spaces available of this size. In fact, you’ll probably find this is the largest available locally. And I assure you, it’s going to go fast.”
“Is that so?” Mr. Barnes said, stroking his chin thoughtfully. “Do you have any advice for me from a law enforcement standpoint?”
“Actually, there is. I don’t know if Kellie has told you, but the sheriff’s office has a precinct on-site, from which our deputies respond to calls both here and in the community.”
“I imagine that gives your vendors an added sense of security,” the man observed.
“Absolutely,” Kellie cut in. “Commander Blake here oversees a system at the precinct called Mall Watch, whereby his deputies can keep a sharp eye on the goings on at the mall.”
Mr. Barnes nodded approvingly. “That’s good to know,” he mused. “In-store theft is a huge problem for retailers, as you well know,” he directed to Miles.
He nodded. “We can’t guarantee you won’t experience theft, but, we can assure you we’ll do a better job of both preventing it and catching any perpetrators.”
Suddenly, the man thrust his hand out to him. “You’ve given me a lot to think about, Commander.” He turned to Kellie. “You, too, Miss Sanders.” He checked his watch. “I have to go, but I’ll call you tomorrow afternoon with my answer.”
“I look forward to hearing from you,” she told him.
When he left the space and was no longer in sight, she turned toward Miles. “Sorry about lunch. And thanks for stopping by. I think you may have sold him on this place.”
“I’m sure you’d already done that.”
She frowned. Had she? She didn’t think so. She had been more preoccupied with worry over standing him up, than tending to her guest and his myriad questions. Not good, she thought. Not good at all.
Chapter Seven
Kellie didn’t see Miles during the remainder of the week, nor did she see much of him the following week. She wondered about his absence, but wondered more about the vague sense of disappointment she felt each day that passed without the two at least exchanging a hello in the mall corridors.
She realized she hardly knew him, and had only spent a matter of hours with him. Hours together didn’t equate to a relationship, which was just as well, because she didn’t want one. At least that’s what she continued to tell herself.
Just the same, she found herself thinking about him at the oddest moments, and Jill wasn’t above speculating one day as the two sat in Kellie’s office, going over the workload for the upcoming week. “Thinking about Miles, aren’t you?”
“I am not!” she exclaimed, aghast.
“Oh, you are too. You’re only human, for Pete’s sakes.”
“He must be busy,” she observed neutrally, but Jill wasn’t fooled by her attempt to sound nonchalant.
She smiled triumphantly. “Okay, I’m going to put you out of your misery, since you’re probably over there thinking he isn’t interested in you, which couldn’t be further from the truth.”
“What?” Kellie said, shaking her head in puzzlement.
“The man’s busy, that’s for sure,” she said. “A little bird told me…”
“A little bird?” Kellie repeated with an exasperated sigh. “Just exactly where is this little bird and does it happen to nest at this mall?”
Jill waved off the question. “Anyway … a little bird told me that Miles is bogged down with some big work thing. Commander business is my guess.”
“Commander business, eh?”
“Well, yes, the man has responsibilities, you know.”
“Don’t we all,” she said with a sigh.
“Stop worrying about that Barnes fellow,” Jill said, leaning forward to pat her on the arm. “You know he’ll be back. He said he’d call soon.”
“He said he’d have an answer for me last week,” she reminded her.
“It’s a big decision,” she pointed out. “He doesn’t want to make a mistake. This is a tough economy, and he’s understandably cautious.”
She sighed. “I know you’re right.”
“And on a positive note, you managed to rent out that downstairs space, beside the arcade.”
Kellie smiled. “I count that a minor miracle. I wonder how the owners of the perfume shop are going to feel when they realize they’ll be listening to that infernal racket coming from the arcade eleven hours a day.”
Jill winced, and did an impression of the noise. “Beep, beep, beep, kaboom! Didn’t mention that to them, did ya?” she said with a smile.
“No, I didn’t, but they have ears,” she said in her defense.
“Anyway, TGIF. Any big plans for the weekend?”
Kellie shook her head. “No. You?”
The older woman smiled widely. “Going to the coast with George,” she declared. “There’s a sandcastle building contest this weekend. We’re taking his youngest granddaughter with us. She’s six and as cute as she can be.”
“Oh, that sounds like fun,” Kellie said wistfully. “I haven’t been to the beach for so long.”
“Well, then, you should come with us.”
Kellie grinned widely. She and Jill had become good friends in only a few short weeks, and she truly appreciated the invitation. “Thank you so much for asking, but…”
“What?” Jill prompted. “Plans with Miles, per chance?”
“No,” she scoffed. “Plans to unpack the rest of my boxes. I can’t put it off much longer. I seem to have misplaced a couple boxes containing my fall and winter wardrobes, and considering how cold it’s getting outside, I’d better find those clothes soon.”
“That, or you could go shopping,” Jill said, gesturing toward the mall outside the office doors. “Could be fun.”
“Could be expensive,” she said. “But, no, I’d better stick close to home and get busy. Maybe I’ll see if Daniel is available to help me finish off the boxes once and for all.”
“I’m sure Miles would be happy to help,” Jill said cheerfully.
“I’m sure he has chores of his own to deal with.” She glanced at her watch. “One hour until freedom. Hey, do you want a treat? I’ve been craving a chocolate marshmallow cookie since lunchtime.”
Jill patted her midsection. “Trying to watch my weight,” she informed. “Besides, I can’t wait to get to the beach and fill up on seafood.”
“That does sound good. Sure you don’t want a cookie?”
“I’m sure.”
“Be right back then.”
She hurried to the cookie store, only a stone’s throw from the mall’s executive offices. She purchased half a dozen cookies, and then detoured to the large, empty retail space nearby. If only Mr. Barnes would call…
“Where does she put it?” a male voice inquired.
She glanced up and met Miles eyes, noting they were sparkling with humor.
“Put what?” she said.
He laughed. “Just can’t get over how you manage to stay so slim when you always have a cookie in your mouth.”
“Nervous energy,” she said succinctly, and then nodded at the empty store space in front of her.
“Jill tells me Mr. Barnes hasn’t called you yet. I thought we had him in the bag.”
“You and me both,” she muttered, but then roused herself. “Jill tells me you’ve been busy.”
He sighed loudly. “Yeah, I have. Hey, do you have a minute? There’s something I need to talk to you about.”
“Sure. My office?”
“I could use a cup of coffee. Food court?” he suggested.
Soon the couple sat in the food court, once again at a table overlooking the southern mall parking lot. Kellie noticed Miles seemed preoccupied as he stared out at the lot. When she passed him a cookie, he startled, and then grinned sheepi
shly. “Thanks.”
She watched him expectantly. “What was it you needed to discuss?”
“I wanted to give you a heads-up on some problems we’ve been experiencing lately. You may have already heard…”
She shook her head. “Heard what?”
“We’ve had a rash of car prowls in the nearby neighborhoods for several months now, and for the last week or so, we’ve taken a dozen or so reports relating to car prowls right here in our mall parking lots.”
Her eyes widened. She hadn’t heard. “Wow. No. It’s the first I’ve heard. Any idea who’s responsible?”
He shook his head. “Probably kids,” he said with a sigh. “Anyway, I’ve been in constant contact with mall security, and my guys are keeping their eyes open too.” He sighed again. “Whoever these guys are, they’re getting bolder. Yesterday, a mall patron happened upon one of them as the kid was breaking into his car. The man started yelling and the kid turned on him, ready to fight.”
Kellie gasped and Miles nodded. “We really need to get a handle on this, and unfortunately, with the holiday retail season fast approaching, I’m afraid it’s only going to get worse.”
“I’ll need to meet with mall security,” she mused. “I understand from my predecessor that he always stepped up security around the holidays. Maybe it’s time.”
“Couldn’t hurt,” Miles agreed. “It’s a heck of a time for me to be out of town…” His words dwindled and he raked a hand through his hair.
She eyed him questioningly. “You’re … leaving?”
“Tonight,” he told her. “I have training up North.”
She digested the information, attempting to stave off the feeling of disappointment. What did she have to be disappointed about? It wasn’t as if the two had plans to spend time together over the weekend.
“I’d hoped you and I could get together this weekend,” he told her, snaring her gaze.
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