“Are you okay?”
He scrubbed a hand over his chin but didn’t answer.
“Harry?” she prodded.
“Hmm?” His smile didn’t reach his eyes.
Jordan led him to a nearby bench. “What’s going on? You seem totally distracted.”
His lips compressed. “Yeah, I am.”
Sliding closer on the bench, she touched his arm. “Does this have anything to do with why you were so late for lunch?”
Tiny muscles ticked around his jaw. “On my way to the restaurant, I noticed a black car following me.”
Her heart sped up. “You think it was the guy who broke into the house last night?”
“That’d be my first guess.” New lines fanned out from the corners of his eyes. “I pulled over, hoping he’d stop, too. That strategy didn’t work. He almost ran over an elderly woman crossing the street.”
“Geez.”
“Yeah. Which is why I was late. I ended up taking the woman home. She’s your friend Aiden’s grandmother, and she’s fine now.”
That was sweet of him. “I know Mrs. Reed. She’s a client at the Hair Scare, where Mallory works.”
He rubbed the bridge of his nose. “I wonder if the driver of that car is someone from my past. Maybe I did him wrong, or hurt someone he cares about.”
The uncertainty and worry in his expression cut straight through her. “I doubt you were the kind of person who would have done that.”
Harry drew his hands into fists. “I’d like to believe that, but I can’t be sure.”
“Look,” Jordan said. “The core of who you are likely didn’t change just because you lost your memory. You’re a good guy. You probably always were.”
He frowned. “There’s something I need to tell you.”
She swallowed hard. “What?”
“My car was broken into last week, and my mailbox a couple days before that.” He took her hand in his. “I don’t want to put you in danger, Jordan. That man could have hurt you last night.” He shuddered. “If I hadn’t shown up when I had—”
“But you did.” His admission gave her pause. Clearly, the intruder was a dangerous man.
“This could all be connected.”
And Harry could be the one in danger. A chill rolled over her skin. She’d just found him. The prospect of losing him—of never getting the opportunity to see where things between them might lead—tied her up in knots. “There’s got to be something we can do.”
He met her stare. “I have an idea. It’s a longshot, though.”
“A longshot’s better than nothing.”
He nodded. “If you don’t want to do it, I’ll understand.”
“I’ll help any way I can.” A cool breeze whipped her hair around her face.
Harry smoothed a stray strand off of her cheek. “I told you about my cat.”
“Kitty.”
“Right. She was there with me when I woke up in the woods without any memory.” He waited as a young couple strode past. “I’ve always assumed that the cat had merely happened upon me that day as I lay there, unconscious.”
Jordan pressed a kiss to his lips. “I guess we’ll have to ask her.”
“Can you come by my house today?”
Thinking about her schedule, she nodded. “It’ll be later, though. First I have to pick up two dogs from the groomer and deliver them to their owner, and then go feed a client’s birds.”
“I have an idea,” Harry said. “Let me cook dinner for you tonight. I have a few more hours’ work to finish up at the Tuckers’ today. How about six-thirty at my place?”
Sounded like a date to her. Despite the cool autumn temperature, just being close to Harry warmed her from the inside out. “Sure. Text me the address.”
After Harry walked Jordan to her car and gave her a sweet goodbye kiss, she headed to the dog grooming shop on Black Cat Boulevard. By the time she returned to the Tuckers’ house, Harry had already left.
She took advantage of the alone time to take a leisurely shower then spent a little longer than usual dressing and doing her hair. Before she left, she played with the kittens and gave all the cats fresh food and water. “You guys behave while I’m gone, okay?”
We will, Rosin told her.
Milo head-butted her calf. Have fun.
“Thanks,” she said. “I’m just helping Harry with something.” The cats didn’t need to know the specifics, or that he was making her dinner.
Fifteen minutes later, Jordan parked in front of Harry’s cottage and took a few moments to absorb the mountain view. If she had to describe her dream home, this would be it. From the white split-rail fence surrounding the well-manicured yard to the twin window boxes spilling over with colorful snapdragons and pansies, everywhere she looked, she saw Harry’s careful attention to detail.
Before she’d made it to the door, he opened it and gave her a warm smile. “Welcome.” Stepping aside to let her pass, he said, “Thanks for coming.”
Jordan inhaled his masculine scent as she entered the small entrance hall. Straight ahead was a mostly white kitchen. The island in the center of the room was set for two, with navy-colored plates and matching cloth napkins. “I love your house.”
As Harry took her jacket, a white cat poked its head out from behind a wall. The feline studied her for several moments before approaching.
Jordan crouched down to let the cat smell her hand. “You must be Kitty.” She smoothed the animal’s silky coat. “Let’s talk later, okay?”
Okay. Kitty walked away, stopping for a drink at her water bowl before leaving the room.
“She’s shy with new people,” Harry explained.
“That’s fine. She’ll talk to me.” Jordan stood and took a better look at Harry. Wearing jeans and a royal blue polo shirt, he looked even more handsome than he had earlier.
“Can I get you some wine?”
“Yeah, whatever you have. Thanks.” Jordan climbed onto one of the two barstools at the island, which she noticed was the only place to eat in the room, and she didn’t see a dining room. “I’ll assume that you don’t entertain much.”
Harry laughed as he uncorked a bottle of red wine. “That’s an understatement. You might be my first dinner guest in three and a half years of renting this place.” He poured the first glass and handed it to her.
Jordan waited until Harry had served himself before offering up a toast. “Cheers.”
He tapped his glass to hers. “To discovering my past.” Holding her stare, he drank.
Jordan wondered if once he learned where he’d come from—and who he was—if maybe the two of them could have a future. The wine was good—not too dry and not too sweet. She took in the décor, which was simple, clean, and unfussy. Thinking about her parents’ kitchen, and Mallory’s, she realized what was missing from Harry’s. There were no family photos on the walls or the door of the fridge. Because he had no loved ones or at least none that he knew about. “How’d you come to live here, in this house?”
Harry’s smile slipped a little. “I landed in Nocturne Falls purely by chance. I did odd jobs for a while, whatever I could get—helping at the loading dock at the DIY Depot, breaking down boxes for the Shop-n-Save, assorted repairs at a rundown motel.” He scrubbed a hand over his face. “I did what I had to in order to survive.”
Jordan touched his arm. “No judgment here.”
“The owner of the Pinehurst Inn gave me a room in exchange for my help there. After a few months, I managed to scrape together enough cash to rent a small apartment in town.”
Jordan took another sip of wine. “How’d you get from that to your own home and business?” Although she’d only lived in Nocturne Falls a year or so, she still hadn’t managed to achieve a smidgeon of the success Harry had. Maybe she should be taking notes.
“Carpentry seemed to come naturally to me. Word of mouth did wonders, and it didn’t take long for me to build a client base. I decided to take the exam to become a contractor.” He went to
the stove and lifted the lid off a pan. Delicious-smelling steam filled the air. “I have my own business, but this house is a rental.”
“I’m still impressed.” He didn’t need to know that she was referring to more than his accomplishments. The man’s rear view was just as hot as the front. She cleared her throat. “What’s for dinner?”
“Nothing fancy,” he said over his shoulder. “If I’d had more time, I’d have wowed you with my chicken cordon bleu. Maybe next time.”
She liked the notion of them doing this again. “That would definitely wow me.”
“Tonight we have kielbasa with peppers and potatoes.”
“Yum.” She mentally smacked her head. Why hadn’t she thought to bring a bottle of wine or a dessert? Her mother had raised her better. “Next time I’ll cook for you.” She thought about her last kitchen debacle. “Or perhaps I’ll order in.”
Harry chuckled as he plated their dinner. “That sounds safer.”
“Yeah,” she agreed. “Probably true.”
Kitty returned to the kitchen and rubbed against Harry’s leg as he joined Jordan at the island.
At least Jordan would contribute something to the evening—whatever information the cat might have about Harry’s identity. She bent down to pet the cat. “After dinner, you and I can get to know each other better, Miss Kitty.”
The feline warily eyed Jordan then backed behind Harry. No, she said.
Uh oh. “Why not?” she asked the cat.
I don’t like you.
Jordan scratched her head. She’d never encountered an animal that had taken an immediate dislike to her. After everything Harry had done for Jordan in the past couple of days, she didn’t want to let him down. She met Harry’s stare. “I’m not sure I can do this.”
Chapter Seven
Harry’s heart sank. “What’s the problem?”
Jordan frowned. “She doesn’t trust me.”
“She’s not used to being around anyone besides me.”
“Not anyone?”
He was no saint. Sure, he’d briefly drowned his loneliness with the brunette who worked at the hat store in town, and he’d gone on a date with one of the waitresses from Salvatore’s Pizza, only because she’d refused to take no for an answer. But admitting to Jordan that he could count on one hand the number of guests he’d entertained was a little embarrassing. “One or two.”
“Hmm.” Her expression was unreadable as she forked a bite of potatoes and sausage.
“Maybe I can reassure her that you’re not a threat to her,” he suggested.
Jordan shrugged. “That might work. I wouldn’t blame her for being jealous.”
He couldn’t hold back a grin at Jordan’s compliment. Setting down his napkin, he pushed away from the island then picked up the cat and cradled her against his chest. “You know that I love you, Kitty. Be a good girl, and I’ll open a brand new catnip mouse for you.”
The cat touched her paw to his chin.
Jordan’s face lit up with a smile. “I think that did it.”
“Great.”
Kitty wriggled in his arms, so he let her down. He washed his hands before returning to his meal.
“This is delicious, by the way.” Jordan ate the last of her food.
“Thanks.” He liked that she had a healthy appetite and that she wasn’t afraid to go for it. “You want more?”
“I’m saving room for dessert.” She gestured toward the plate of chocolate chip cookies on the counter. “Did you bake those?”
“My neighbor dropped them off earlier.”
Jordan raised an eyebrow. “Oh?”
Were there two jealous females in the room now? “It’s not what you’re thinking,” he assured her. “She’s a very kind middle-aged woman who works at home and has lots of time on her hands.”
“Was that your attempt to reassure me?” Jordan folded her arms over her chest.
He was only getting himself in deeper. Clearing away their dishes, he asked if she wanted a refill on her wine.
“No thanks.” Jordan joined him at the sink. “May I help?”
How could he think with her standing so close? He breathed in her sweet scent. “The dishes can wait.” He twirled one of her blond curls around his finger and felt her shiver. As much as he itched to touch more of her, he had to put on the brakes, at least until he was sure that he wasn’t someone Jordan should steer clear of. So he reached for the plate of cookies and offered it to her.
Jordan’s shoulders sank as she helped herself to two. “Thanks.” She set one on a napkin and bit into the other. “OMG.” Closing her eyes, she moaned.
Harry couldn’t help but hope that someday he’d elicit a similar reaction from her for a completely different reason. For now, he took solace in the chocolate chip nirvana.
Jordan polished off a third cookie then brushed off her hands. “I’m ready to begin the interrogation whenever you are.”
Harry laughed. “I guess that’s what it is.” He showed Jordan into the living room where Kitty was curled up on the small rug in front of the fireplace. “Make yourself at home,” he told Jordan.
“This is nice, cozy.” She hugged her arms around her body as she sat on the sofa.
“Are you cold?” he asked.
“A little, but it’s fine.”
Since he kept the fireplace set up for a fire, all he had to do was light it. That done, he joined Jordan on the couch. “How do you do this?”
She patted his leg. “I just start a conversation with her.”
His pulse kicked up a few notches, but he couldn’t be sure if the cause were the anticipation of what they’d learn, or merely sitting so close to the sexy blond.
“Do you like the fire, Kitty?” Jordan asked.
The cat lifted her head and looked at Harry.
“Me, too,” Jordan said. “Harry tells me that you were there with him when he woke up in the woods a few years ago. … Mm-hmm…I see.”
The moment felt surreal. Jordan was actually having a conversation with his cat. Harry had to know what Kitty had said. “What?”
“Kitty says that she was worried about you,” Jordan told him. “She waited a long time for you to wake up.”
Harry’s heart pounded. “Did she see anyone there with me?”
Jordan looked at the cat and after a minute, nodded. “Oh,” she said to Kitty. “I didn’t realize that.”
“She knows something?” he asked Jordan.
Jordan met Harry’s stare. “Kitty says that another man—one with white hair—pointed a gun at you. You were asking the man why he was doing that, and how could he. He walked you to the edge of a cliff.”
“And?” he asked.
Jordan flattened her lips. “The cat was sure that the man was going to hurt you, so she clawed his ankle. When he kicked her away, you ran.”
Harry tried to recall something—anything—of the cat’s story, but he didn’t.
“Then what?” Jordan asked Kitty.
Harry dug his fingers into the sofa cushion as Jordan appeared to listen to whatever the cat was thinking…or saying. He didn’t quite understand how it all worked.
Finally, Jordan thanked the cat then faced Harry. “You fell down a ravine. The man looked over the edge, but when Kitty heard another car coming, the man with the gun ran back to his van and sped away.”
“When I came to, I was near the bottom of a cliff,” Harry said. The cat had revealed just enough to pique his curiosity. “What about Kitty? Did she just happen upon the other man and me?”
“Is that when you first saw Harry?” Jordan asked the cat. She nodded slowly. “Oh, I didn’t realize that.”
Kitty jumped onto the coffee table and sat back on her haunches.
Jordan squeezed Harry’s hand. “She was with you in the van. Your wrists had been bound together with rope or something, and there was tape covering your mouth. It was a long ride, and you’d managed to get your hands free and rip off the tape before the man opened the back. Bu
t he’d trained a gun on you, so you got out when he ordered you to.”
“My wrists were bruised when I woke up. That explains how that happened.”
Jordan leaned a little toward the cat. “Tell me about the van,” she said. “Who was driving, and how’d you end up being a passenger?”
Harry looked from Jordan to his cat, and back again. Kitty wasn’t even looking in Jordan’s direction, but Jordan appeared to be responding to an unheard conversation. She alternately nodded, narrowed her eyes, and at one point, held her fist against her mouth.
Finally, she met Harry’s gaze. “Good news and bad news.”
“Give me the bad news first,” he said.
“All right.” She folded her hands on her lap. “Kitty said the driver was a tall, thin man. She didn’t know him or you before that ride. The van was parked in an alley when Kitty saw a small lizard on the inside of the windshield. She found an open window and slipped inside. The man threw you into the back, and she thinks you were unconscious then.”
He tried to process everything Jordan told him. If only he could remember something—anything—from that day. “What’s the good news?”
A hopeful smile lifted the corners of Jordan’s mouth. “She knows that the van had stripes on the outside, and where it was parked, or at least the general area.”
He swallowed. “Yeah?”
Jordan nodded. “Up until that day, Kitty had spent all of her life in Florida.”
“Florida,” he echoed.
“Someplace called Cat’s Paw Cove. Does that ring a bell?”
He rolled the name around in his head. “I wish it did, but no.”
“It’s okay because now we’ve got a jumping off point.”
She was right. Drawing her into his arms, he held her tightly. “Thank you, Jordan. You’re amazing. You’ve given me hope that I can find out who I am.”
Backing out of his embrace, she looked up into his eyes. “That knowledge could change…” She dropped his gaze and caught her bottom lip between her teeth.
“What?”
“There’s a chance that your past could impact us.”
“I hope that it doesn’t change anything between us, but you’re right.” He lifted her chin, so she had to look at him. “I probably should have made more of an effort to figure out who I am—or who I was. I suspect that I haven’t until now because I’d grown too comfortable in my current situation. It was safer to bury my head in the sand and hope that I didn’t used to be a bad person. Until now, the identity of my former self didn’t matter all that much. You’ve given me a reason to want to move ahead with my life. And in order to do that, I have to be sure I wasn’t someone who’s not worthy of you.”
Courting The Cat Whisperer: A Nocturne Falls Universe story Page 7