“Yeah, buddy, you better listen to her. Go on over there and get dried off.”
As if in response—or possibly just out of pure unadulterated joy—the dog dropped down, rolled onto his back and began wriggling in the grass.
“Houdini, stop,” Shane commanded, but the dog kept up his canine-worm wriggle.
“Hey!” Shane gave three sharp claps. “Stop. Now.”
The dog leaped to his feet, ears back, as if realizing he’d forgotten himself.
“We’ll have to take a rain check on dinner. Or should I say, I’ll take the rain check. Because I have a sneaking suspicion if you let us in, my sidekick would take a flying leap and finishing drying off on your sofa. That would be the quickest way to wear out our welcome.”
She waved him off. “Don’t be ridiculous. I wouldn’t have invited you in if you were anywhere close to wearing out your welcome.”
She bit her bottom lip and the way she was looking up at him made it difficult for him to turn down her offer. Then Houdini gave another full-body shake.
“Thanks, but no. He has no manners, and I need to change clothes.”
“I have some clothes you can change into. You can clean up while I cook.”
His right brow shot up. “I don’t wear your size.”
She looked taken aback, her mouth opening and closing before she clarified, “They’re men’s clothes.”
He didn’t know why, but the thought of her keeping a spare set of men’s clothes around made his chest tighten in a peculiar way he didn’t understand. Then again, he didn’t understand a lot of the things he’d been feeling since he’d handed her that box of chocolate his first day in Celebration.
Needing to lighten the mood, he shot her a flirtatious grin. “Why do you keep a spare set of men’s clothing around? Is it for the random dog washer who happens by? Or is it for when you serve barbecue?”
She smiled, but it didn’t reach her eyes and he worried his teasing had struck a nerve.
“It’s a long story,” she said. “Not one to get into now.”
A breeze rustled the tree branches, and a wind chime danced somewhere in another part of the yard.
Men’s clothes. With a long story attached.
He thought back to the last time he’d had women’s clothing in his house and his thoughts strayed to Italy—a dress draped over a chair back, underwear littering the floor. But questions rooted very much in the present jerked his attention back to Celebration.
Whose clothes were in AJ’s house? A brother’s? Her father’s?
Probably not. Though if they belonged to a lover she wouldn’t have asked him to stay for dinner.
He shifted his weight from one foot to another, trying to ignore a sudden burst of agitation he felt while wondering whose clothes they were. Good question: Why did he care?
He looked into her sea-blue eyes searching for an answer, and he thought he glimpsed a flicker of pain that seemed to match his own. A hint that they were two damaged souls who were awfully good at going about their day-to-day business pretending everything was fine. Now wasn’t the time to ask about the ghosts that haunted her, but tomorrow was another day.
“You’ve already gone above and beyond by helping me with Houdini tonight. You’ve been on your feet all day. The last thing you need is to spend any more time in the kitchen. But if you’re free tomorrow night, I’d love to take you out. On that date we talked about earlier today.”
Chapter Five
Sunday was AJ’s favorite day of the week. In the year and a half since she’d opened her catering business, only a handful of events had fallen on a Sunday. Since the rest of her days were booked with events or spent planning for them, she’d come to look forward to Sundays as her one day of rest and relaxation.
Usually, the day flew by, but since she had a date with Shane that night, this particular Sunday was creeping by at the speed of an escargot on a cold Provencal street.
She was so happy when her girlfriends Caroline, Pepper and Sydney had agreed to come over and keep her company.
AJ was making a brunch featuring an asparagus and goat cheese frittata paired with an endive salad topped with fresh pears and candied walnuts. Caroline had brought over an apple coffee cake with crumble topping and brown sugar glaze. It was a recipe she was in the process of perfecting.
By trade, Caroline was a financial analyst, but at heart, she was a frustrated baker. Ever since she’d gotten her first Easy-Bake oven in elementary school, she’d always been trying out her delicious confections on her friends. AJ was sure this cake, too, would be heaven on a plate.
And of course, what girlfriend brunch would be complete without the never-ending pitcher of Bellinis? The peach nectar and prosecco cocktail had become the foursome’s signature drink.
Today AJ was nursing hers. She didn’t want to be loopy or foggy when Shane arrived...in approximately seven hours and twenty-five minutes. Yes, she was counting.
In the meantime, the cooking kept her occupied. The friends, who sat on stools around AJ’s kitchen island, nourished her soul.
“Pepper, what’s going on at Texas Star?” asked Sydney.
“I have no idea.” Pepper raised her Bellini to her lips, but paused before she sipped. “You’re the one who works there, Syd, in public relations no less. You should be telling us.”
Sydney looked dejected. “Right. One would think so. But there’s a weird vibe. So, I was wondering if your father had said anything. You know, dinner-table talk?”
Pepper set down her glass on the granite surface of the island. The kitchen island was one of AJ’s favorite things about the house. She’d redone the kitchen shortly after moving into the bungalow four years ago. About a year after Danny had been shot in the line of duty.
As feelings of loss threatened to settle around her, she shook away the thought and refocused. Yes, the center island was one of her favorite features. It allowed people to gather in the kitchen while she cooked. That way she could still be part of the party while she prepared the food.
The best of both worlds. She drew in a sharp breath. Even if Danny had been ripped out of her world.
“You do remember that I have my own place?” Pepper chided. “I can’t remember the last time I sat down to dinner with my father. For that matter, I imagine my mother would say the same thing. All my father does is work. He is never home. But, Syd, you look really worried. What’s going on?”
Sydney shrugged. “I can’t say it’s bad. It’s just—” she shrugged again “—it’s just a feeling. Something is off.”
“Mom said Dad just ordered a new corporate jet,” Pepper offered. “So, things must not be too bad. I can call him and ask if you want.”
Sydney, who had just taken a sip of her Bellini, shook her head so vehemently one might have thought Pepper had offered to help her embezzle funds.
“I think maybe she’s concerned about your dad knowing she’s asking,” said Caroline, who was sitting at the island peeling the tough parts off the asparagus.
“Give me some credit,” Pepper protested. “It’s not like I’d tell him I was asking for her.” She pursed her lips. “I think it may be time for a lunch date with Daddy. I’ll find out what you need to know.”
“While you’re at it, you might want to ask them when they’re going to pay the catering bill I submitted,” AJ said as she cracked eggs into a bowl.
“Really?” Pepper’s eyes widened. “You haven’t been paid? How long ago was that? Like three months?”
AJ nodded.
“Hmm...” Pepper frowned. “You might want to resubmit the invoice. Maybe it got lost in the shuffle.”
It was a plausible excuse, but AJ could tell by Pepper’s expression she was worried something might really be amiss.
The conversation drifted to other matters: the latest episode of a TV show to which they all were addicted; Pepper’s new Christian Louboutin pumps; the red-velvet cake recipe Caroline had just perfected and would be baking for the women’s cl
ub scholarship dinner that Celebrations, Inc. would cater soon; and a new dark-chocolate mousse cupcake conquest she was determined to tame....
Even though AJ was listening, she found herself drifting inward. It was crazy that she was so nervous about her date with Shane. It was just a dinner. He would pick her up, they’d have conversation, they’d eat and he’d bring her home.
That was all. Nothing else.
Well, except for the chemistry that zinged back and forth between them. It was that chemistry that had urged her to offer Shane Danny’s clothes last night.
That’s what had unnerved her this morning as she contemplated seeing Shane again tonight.
Danny had been gone close to five years. Yet his clothes were still with her. When she moved from the condo, she’d packed them and had planned on donating them, but somehow the boxes had found their way into her new closet and had taken up permanent residence. She hadn’t been able to give them to someone who could use them.
Until last night, when she was prepared to give Danny’s clothes to Shane so he could stay a little longer. Somehow, in the light of day, the offer felt wrong. The first thing she’d thought this morning when she’d awakened was that she was glad he hadn’t come in.
It would have been surreal seeing another man in her dead fiancé’s clothes. The thought made her shudder.
“AJ, did you hear me?”
She looked up at the sound of her name. Caroline was staring at her, pointing with the knife to the asparagus that lay in a neat, green row on the cutting board.
“I’m sorry, what did you say?”
“I asked if you wanted me to cut them up,” she repeated.
“No, just leave them whole. I’ll need to blanch them before I chop them. But thanks for prepping them for me.”
“We were also talking about going to a movie,” Caroline said.
“Where in the world did you slip off to?” Pepper asked. “You’ve missed the entire conversation.”
Suddenly all gazes were fixed on AJ.
“I have a lot on my mind.” She busied herself whisking half-and-half into the beaten eggs.
“You’ve been working too much. All the more reason you should come out with us tonight. We could all go grab a bite and then see the new Johnny Depp movie. We’ll have a girls’ night out. How long has it been since we’ve spent the entire day together?”
Her friends nodded at each other and murmured guesses at how long it had been.
“I can’t go because I have a date.” She spat the words all at once. If she didn’t tell her friends about her plans with Shane right now she might even chicken out on the date. She already had cold feet. The way they were gaping at her certainly didn’t help matters.
Pepper put her fists on her hips. Her cheeks were flushed light pink. “You mean to tell me we’ve been sitting here for how long—” she made a show of glancing at her Rolex, then put her fist back on her hip “—and you haven’t said a word until now about this date?”
Caroline held up a hand to quiet Pepper, while keeping her full attention focused on AJ. “Honey, this is your first date since...” Her words trailed off as her brilliant green eyes glistened with tears.
All AJ could do was nod.
“Is it with that gorgeous guy who came to see you at the tasting yesterday?” Sydney leaned in, captivated.
Again, AJ nodded.
“I just...I...I don’t know if I remember how to do this,” AJ confided. “It seems like I lost Danny just yesterday, but I know it’s been way too long for me to keep sitting out. It’s time.”
* * *
Determined to find Houdini’s owners, Shane spent Sunday morning producing and printing “missing dog” flyers. He’d taken a photo of the mutt with the camera on his smartphone and emailed it to the local copy store. Within an hour, he was armed with a stack of circulars and was ready to paper Celebration.
He decided to start downtown, close to where he’d found the dog, and work his way outward. By eleven o’clock, he and Houdini found themselves back on the street where they’d met. With the dog on a leash, Shane used a roll of packing tape he’d purchased at the copy store to hang the fliers.
“You’re going to have to fight off the babes after we plaster your mug all over town.”
Sitting patiently while Shane worked, the dog looked up at him and gave a good-natured bark. Shane reached down and scratched behind the animal’s ears. “You’re a good dog, Houdini. I’ll bet your family will be glad to get you back.”
Shane and the dog made their way down the street, posting fliers on every telephone pole they passed. When they got to the house where the boys had been playing basketball in the driveway, he noticed a sheriff’s car there. The man who had answered the door was talking to two uniformed officers. All three of them turned and looked at Shane as he approached.
“May we have a word with you?” The two cops and the homeowner encircled him. “What are you up to this morning?”
“I found this dog yesterday. I was posting notices in an effort to find his owner.” Shane held up one of the fliers.
The cops regarded him dubiously.
“May I see some identification please?” asked the heavier of the two, the one who was doing all the talking.
Shane stuck the flyers under his arm, reached into his back pocket and pulled out his wallet. He offered his driver’s license and his military ID. The cop who had been silent snatched them out of Shane’s hand and walked over to the patrol car, presumably to check him out.
That was fine. He would expect no less in this close-knit community.
“Is there a problem?” Shane asked.
“Attempted burglary. Homeowner scared the perps away,” the talkative cop offered coolly.
Shane shot an alarmed glance at the homeowner. “I’m sorry to hear that. Are your boys okay?”
The cop butted in. “How do you know the boys?”
Shane frowned, not liking what the deputy seemed to be implying. “I don’t know the boys. I saw them playing basketball in the driveway yesterday when I was on my way to the food festival.”
The cop nodded as he scribbled notes on a small, spiral-bound pad. Some of the neighbors had come outside and were clustered in a knot at the foot of a driveway across the street.
“What time was this?” the cop demanded.
“I don’t know.” Shane shrugged. “Around three o’clock?”
“And later you knocked on the door?” The deputy gestured toward the house.
“Yes.” Shane adjusted his grip on Houdini’s leash. “The dog ran out in front of my car. I thought he belonged to this family. So, I tried to return him.”
“What made you think the dog was theirs?”
As Shane explained that he’d seen the dog run up to the boys, the cop who had been checking his ID gave the all-clear.
“He checks out.” He returned Shane’s ID.
Evidently not satisfied with the all-clear, the cop who had been interrogating him continued to grill him, this time about what he was doing off base. Though he seemed satisfied with Shane’s answer about overseeing the construction site, he had to ask the all-important question: “What did you do last night after you left the food festival?”
“I was with a friend, AJ Sherwood-Antonelli.”
After a beat of surprise, the mood changed instantly. The homeowner, who had been hovering at a safe distance, spoke for the first time, joining the cops in a chorus of, “You know AJ?”
“You’re a friend of AJ’s?” The cop sounded as if he wanted to believe Shane but wasn’t quite ready to. “And she would corroborate this?”
“Am I being formally investigated? Because if so, I need to call my commanding officer.”
The cop shut his notebook. “Oh, no. No. This is just routine. Well, it would be if we handled this sort of thing very often. We’ve never had a problem with crime in this community until recently. We’ve had a couple of incidents. You’re new to town. I hope you understand that w
e had to cover all the angles. No offense.”
Apparently, Celebration wasn’t the quiet little hamlet it appeared to be.
“Plus,” the officer who had been mostly silent chimed in, “from the looks of things, we believe there was more than one perpetrator.”
Shane’s mind shot back to the hoodlums who’d been loitering when he parked. “This might not be relevant, but yesterday, a group of four teenage boys were hanging out on the northwest corner of Main and Robinson.”
Shane gave a description and told the deputy how the boys had commented on his truck. “When I saw them, they weren’t doing anything wrong. But it’s worth mentioning because of the timing of the break-in.”
The cop squinted at his notebook and ran a hand over the razor stubble on his chin. “Yeah, you’re not the only one who’s seen them. Sounds like a bunch of wise guys.”
After the deputies had finished taking his statement and had dismissed him, Shane turned to leave.
“So, how do you know, AJ?” The homeowner, who was sporting a completely different demeanor than a few minutes ago, suddenly stuck out his hand. “Shane, is it? I’m Bob Germaine. Sorry I didn’t introduce myself last night, but you know how it is when a stranger comes to the door. Can’t be too careful. Especially when you have kids.”
Five minutes later, Shane found himself in Bob Germaine’s kitchen, sipping a cold glass of sweet tea. The boys played with the dog out in the backyard.
“AJ’s a great girl. The entire town was happy when she moved back. How do you know her?”
The earlier suspicion was replaced with genuine interest. Since Shane knew AJ, he was no longer the outsider. Because of this, he decided to couch his words carefully. “We were introduced by a mutual friend.”
Bob nodded. “I’ve known AJ since grade school. Then her grandmother shipped her off to that fancy boarding school somewhere up north. Agnes Sherwood is a real piece of work. But I wouldn’t say that too loudly. She’s also a pillar of this community and a lot of people respect her. My best advice is don’t cross her.”
* * *
AJ was glad Shane wanted to keep things casual for their first date. She wasn’t surprised. He didn’t seem like a formal kind of guy. That was one of the many things she found so attractive about him.
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