She was silent as she watched Epic. The dog took interest in the curls of wood landing on the concrete by their feet.
Joel had enjoyed seeing Anastasia relax as the afternoon progressed. At one point, Joel caught her laughing and found himself completely captivated. It wasn’t simply the sound of her laugh, but the way her dimples had come to life when she smiled. Truly smiled.
He took a quick peek at her profile from the corner of his eye. Not knowing how she felt about him now was worse than what she might say if he shined a light on the elephant in the room.
“I’m truly sorry about last night. It was never my intention to offend you or insinuate that you couldn’t take care of yourself.” He held a hand out. “Truce? I can’t promise I won’t worry about you out there — and I may even drop by to check on you from time to time — but I will do my best not to say anything else stupid.”
She peered at his hand and then his face. Her own was deadpan and Joel worried until one corner of her mouth lifted. She shook her head. “I suppose. Let’s keep that dropping by to a minimum, huh?”
Anastasia reached for his hand and his own engulfed it. The touch of her skin against his sent warmth straight to his heart. He didn’t want to let it go. He did, though. And his hand felt cold without hers.
They sat in companionable silence for a few moments before she spoke again. “Everyone here seems great. You’re lucky to have each other.”
“Yes, we are. God answered prayers when he brought the three of us together. Don’t ever lose the belief that he’s got something in mind for you, too.” When they’d both grown silent again, he decided to steer the conversation in another direction. “What are you going to do on your day off tomorrow?”
“I hate to spend the money, but I think I’m going to take Epic by the groomers and have his hair cut super short. The shedding is driving me crazy.” She shrugged. “Other than that, I have no idea. How about you?”
“Our lawn needs to be mowed. I’m sure Brooke will have a list of things she’ll want to get accomplished, too.”
The sliding glass door opened and Chess stepped out. “If you have that drive, Anna, I’d be happy to take a look at the files for you before we begin the movie.”
“Oh! Thank you! Give me a moment and I’ll be inside.”
Chess smiled and disappeared from sight.
Anastasia called Epic over and removed a metal cylinder from his collar.
Interesting.
Joel watched her and raised an eyebrow. She either didn’t see or chose to ignore it.
He pocketed his knife and followed Anastasia inside moments later, wondering why she had some kind of thumb drive attached to Epic’s collar. Chess had led her to his room that doubled as an office and was plugging the tiny drive into a USB slot.
“Let’s see what we’ve got here.”
A window opened up showing them a dozen files, all with names that made no sense.
Chess turned to Anastasia. “Do you know which file you’re after?”
She wound a section of hair around one finger. “I have no idea. I was hoping to go through them, but every time I click on one…”
Chess clicked on the first one and got an encryption message. Joel stepped close enough to read exactly what it said.
After trying several things to open the file, Chess finally closed the window. “I wish I could help. But these files are heavily encrypted. They require a two-factor passkey. It’s a digital keychain that cycles through numerical passwords. You’ve got to have that to get the right password and view the files.” He pulled the thumb drive out and handed it back to Anastasia. “I’m sorry.”
“It’s all right. I appreciate you trying.” Her shoulders slumped as she clutched the drive in her hand and chewed on her lower lip. She left the room.
It wasn’t until Joel heard her go outside again that he spoke with Chess. “Any idea what the files were?”
Chess grunted. “Most looked like spreadsheets. One was a database. I have no idea what they were for or what they contained, though.”
Joel clapped him on the shoulder. “Thanks.”
Anastasia was leaning against the doorframe. She didn’t seem to have the thumb drive anymore and he assumed she put it back in the cylinder on Epic’s collar. Joel stopped a few feet from her. “Are you okay?”
“Sure. I’m fine.”
Yeah, he didn’t believe that for one minute. “Any chance you want to talk about the files?” He was pretty sure he already knew the answer to that.
“I can’t.” She released a heavy sigh. “We’d better get in there before they start the movie without us.” She forced a laugh, but it never reached her eyes.
Joel followed her in and closed the door behind them. He sure wished he knew what was going on with her.
Chapter Ten
Anna stayed awake half the night trying to decide what to do. Since leaving Utah, she’d held out hope that someone would be able to open the files on that blasted thumb drive.
Now what was she going to do? Without the evidence she hoped the drive contained, she had no way to convince the police — or anyone else — of what Liam had done.
Maybe she could take the drive to the police. What were the odds they could decrypt the files if Chess wasn’t able to?
What if they asked her where she got it? Figured out she stole it?
No. She was on her own for now.
She’d always assumed Liam would chase her down for the files on the drive. But if she couldn’t have access to them because he still held the passkey, maybe he wasn’t chasing her after all. What if he let her go, knowing it would be more effort than it was worth to hunt her down?
As much as she wanted to believe that was a possibility, she couldn’t bank her safety on it.
Once she finally fell asleep, she had another dream about the fire. Only this time, instead of standing there laughing at her from the other side of the flames, Liam reached through, grabbed her arm, and dragged her right into them.
She awoke with a scream. The sky was dark with thick clouds and drops of rain pelted the windshield. A dreary day to match her mood.
By the time she got done walking Epic and taking her turn in the restroom to change and get ready for the day, the chill and humidity was seeping into her bones. She decided to splurge and go to the little coffee shop she’d seen a few stores down from the diner. Something hot to drink was exactly what she needed to get this day going.
Anna did her best to dry Epic’s feet before letting him in the van. There were still dog prints on the floor and blankets. She cringed. There was nothing she could do about it now. Once he was set up, Anna half jogged to the coffee shop and stepped inside.
The intense smells of coffee and pastries filled the air. She inhaled deeply, allowing the fragrance to warm her from the inside out. She wasn’t a fan of coffee, but she absolutely loved the smell of it.
She surveyed the small dining area and did a double take. There, sitting at a table near the back, was Joel. Her heart did a cartwheel while her mind insisted she turn around and leave.
Anna considered trying to get hot chocolate to go and ducking back out before he saw her but his head lifted. The instant his eyes locked on hers, there was no going back. She moved in his direction. “Good morning.”
“Good morning yourself.”
They stared at each other until Anna cleared her throat. “The weather’s terrible. It seemed like a good morning for something hot to drink.”
“They serve amazing coffee. Their food’s pretty good, too.” He motioned to the chair opposite him. “You’re welcome to join me.”
She hesitated and he must have picked up on it.
“I thought we’d agreed on a truce last night.” He raised an eyebrow. Then he smiled. It wasn’t fair how disarming that mouth of his was. Despite wishing she could’ve snuck out without him seeing her, Anna began to relax.
“I wouldn’t even be in here except Epic insisted I give him some space this
morning.”
Joel appeared relieved at the change in topic. “He did, huh?”
“Yeah. Between you and me, I think he wanted to commandeer the comforters.” She shivered.
Joel laughed then. “It is cold out there.”
She sensed he wanted to say something else and was holding back. She appreciated it. “Yeah, it is. I warmed the van up for him. He’ll be fine until the sun heats up the air a little. And he does have all the blankets now.” She shrugged. “I’ll be right back.”
Anna headed for the counter and returned a few minutes later, her hands cupping the mug for warmth as she sat down again. “Is this where you got our drinks the other day?” He nodded. “They make a great hot chocolate here.” She took another tentative sip.
“Not a coffee drinker?”
“Not usually.”
Joel took a sip of his dark brew. “You want any breakfast?”
Anna shook her head. “No, thank you. I had cereal.” Which was true, though she’d consider giving her left pinkie for one of those blueberry muffins she’d seen in the display. But she was trying to spend as little as possible to save for a different place to live. The hot chocolate was splurge enough. Before Joel pressed the matter, she asked, “How long have you owned the diner?”
“Almost five years now.” He set his mug back down on the table. “Brooke and Chess had their doubts about it, but I was determined. Proved them wrong.” He winked.
“That’s neat. Good for you. Did you always want to own a diner?”
“Truthfully? No. I woke up one morning and decided I didn’t want to work for someone else anymore. I wanted to be my own boss. And everything grew from there. It’s one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.” He took another sip of his coffee. “Brooke worries that I work too much. But the diner saved my sanity.”
“Oh? How’s that?”
Joel ran his fingers through his short hair. She liked the way the front slipped down over his forehead and stopped right above his eyebrows. Anna fought the urge to reach over and brush it back. He seemed to be weighing how much he wanted to tell her. It was the first time she’d seen him hesitate like this. “You don’t have to tell me. I shouldn’t have asked.”
“No, it’s not that.” He ran a finger down the handle of his mug. “Life was unpredictable growing up. Money was — scarce. I was always worried about saving money, having a job. This diner has removed most of those concerns.”
He’d been staring at the table or through the window right behind Anna while he spoke. Now his gaze sought hers.
The silence grew. The funny thing? It wasn’t uncomfortable. Not like it would have been yesterday. Instead, they sipped their drinks and watched as patrons came in and out of the shop.
Joel cleared his throat. “There’s a particular question that’s been begging for an answer.”
Anna’s eyebrows drew together. Uh oh, here it comes. She knew she shouldn’t have started asking personal questions. Now he had one for her. “What’s that?”
“Where on earth did you find Epic?”
She laughed, relieved it was a question she could answer. “I’d gone to an office supply store to buy a bunch of stuff, including several boxes of paper. I had the driver’s side door open partway while I was loading the boxes into the trunk.” She chuckled again at the memory. “I pushed the cart into the corral, turned, and found him sitting behind the wheel in all of his furry glory.”
Joel’s jaw dropped. “What did you do?”
“You’ve seen Epic. I was pretty sure he was going to eat me. But he only sat there, his tongue hanging out like he was laughing at me. I tried to get him out of the car and he wouldn’t budge. I finally told him, ‘If you’re not getting out then you need to move over because I’m driving.’ And that’s exactly what he did. Moved right over to the passenger seat.” She gathered some of her hair in one hand. “I put up signs in that parking lot, put an ad in the paper. No one ever contacted me. And by that time, I’d gotten attached to the giant rug.”
Joel laughed. Anna had to admit she loved that sound. It was deep and flowed around her like a hug. Without warning, she wondered what it would be like to receive a hug from him.
Surely no one would blame her for the thought. After all, he was incredibly handsome with those dark eyes and strong jaw. She’d found his height to be intimidating when she first met him. But now… Now it was comforting. Combine that with his kindness, and she was drawn to him.
It didn’t mean her traitorous heart had to run like a horse galloping across the racetrack, though. She tried to rein in her thoughts to a much safer topic. Something that didn’t involve how good-looking her boss was.
~
Joel glanced at the clock on the wall above the counter of the coffee shop. He was supposed to meet Brooke in about ten minutes so he could help her with some errands. Disappointment about his time here ending was strong.
Anastasia’s soft voice brought his attention back to her pretty eyes. “Epic seems to like you. Do you guys have pets? I didn’t see any at the cookout yesterday.”
“Brooke had rats at one point. Does that count?” Anastasia wrinkled her nose and he laughed loudly. He doubted she had a clue how adorable she was. “Not a fan of rats?”
“No. Just no.”
“Me, either. I felt bad for Brooke when the last one bit the dust. But we voted two to one that she not bring any more into the house.”
Anastasia’s gaze remained fixed on the wall next to them. “I never had pets growing up. I’m rather enjoying it. Even if Epic is a royal pain sometimes.”
“He’s a good dog.” Joel certainly felt better about knowing she was sleeping in the parking lot with the dog there to protect her. Although Epic had been nothing but friendly to him. He hoped that, if there was a real threat, Epic wouldn’t hesitate to take care of the situation.
For the hundredth time, he wanted to know more about her. Where had she moved from? What happened to her? Why doesn’t she like to talk about it?
“Anastasia? What are you running from?”
She froze. “Joel, I…”
“Never mind. You don’t have to tell me — I shouldn’t pry.” Joel hoped she would answer. Instead, she twirled a section of hair around her finger, her gaze unfocused.
Awkward silence filled the air until he couldn’t take it anymore. He put a hand on her shoulder. “Are you okay?”
She offered him a small smile. “Did you ever go see that other location for your second diner?”
Joel welcomed the change in subject. “Yes, I saw the property Saturday night. It’s a great spot, I can’t complain about that.” He’d talked to everyone at the house about it and none of them would offer their opinions.
“But you’re still not sure what to do.”
He shook his head.
Anastasia took a drink of her hot chocolate. “Let me ask you this. What about opening another diner is appealing?”
Joel thought about that for a moment. “I guess knowing that I’m doing something to expand. That I’m not standing still. To push myself a little.”
“Okay. And the cons?”
“The distance from here to there. Splitting my attention between diners. The cost up front to build it in the first place.” Yeah, the cons were definitely outweighing the pros.
“Your diner is obviously popular. You have a loyal customer base. Have you ever considered opening for breakfast?”
Joel thought about that. “I’d entertained the possibility in the beginning, but I chose not to go that route because I didn’t know how the diner was going to do.”
He focused on Anastasia and caught her grinning. Her dimples winked at him. Goodness, she was beautiful. “What?” He found himself smiling in return.
“It’s obviously doing well, maybe the time’s right now?”
“Maybe so. It’s not a bad idea.” He’d have to hire more people, but that wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. The hardest adjustment would be not spending the whole day
at the diner. Which, according to Chess and Brooke especially, would be good for him.
“Good. I’ll expect to see my consulting fee added to my paycheck.” Her eyes sparkled.
“How about I buy you breakfast the next time we bump into each other here? You know, I come by at eight most mornings before work.” Joel watched her carefully, half expecting her to object.
Instead, she gave him a shy smile. “I’ll keep that in mind. You know, for this being my second day off work, I’m sure seeing my boss a lot.”
Joel chuckled. He had no objections.
Chapter Eleven
Liam missed his exit and cursed at the car to his right. He hadn’t been able to switch lanes in time. This mess of highways and overpasses in the Dallas/Fort Worth area was a nightmare.
He originally thought he’d get into town and see if he could find any tips on where Anna might have gone next.
He realized now that wasn’t going to be possible.
Which meant Rick had better come through with another lead and soon.
Some idiot driver cut him off and he was stuck exiting into downtown Dallas. Liam slammed his palm against the steering wheel. He’d make Anna pay for this crazy search and for taking his thumb drive.
He was going to find her. The longer it took, the less he cared about convincing her to come back to Utah with him. Anna was more trouble than she was worth. He wanted that drive and he’d get it, even if he had to pry it out of her cold, dead fingers.
~
Joel’s heart rate jumped when Anastasia breezed into the diner on Tuesday morning. Her hair was loose, flowing like a waterfall down her back. Her dimples appeared when he greeted her.
“Sorry, I’m running a few minutes behind.” She gathered her hair and used her fingers to smooth and lift it into a ponytail. “I’m ready for the ground to dry out after the rain yesterday. Epic got into mud this morning. I had to clean him up before I let him into the van. It was a mess.” She frowned as she secured the ponytail with a black band.
Safe In His Arms (Life Unexpected #1) Page 7