“What do you—?”
A light rap then the door opening cut off Ryan’s question. Lacey came into the room carrying a brown bag. “I hope everyone at the station enjoys these sweet rolls.”
Simmons grinned from ear to ear. “Anything Richard cooks will be greatly appreciated.” He took the sack from Lacey. “Sheriff, I’ll keep you updated on what we discussed. I’ll see you later in the week.”
The deputy scurried out of the room so fast Ryan had no time to form a retort. “Lacey St. John, have you resorted to bribing my deputies?”
She smiled. “Whatever it takes. If you’ll rest today, you won’t hear a peep out of me unless you take a turn for the worse.”
He relaxed back against the stacked pillows, chuckling. Since he’d gone away to college, he hadn’t had a woman fuss over him like his mom used to. He had to acknowledge Lacey was right. If he rested today, he would heal much faster, and he had too much to do to be laid up for long. “You’ve got yourself a deal, Nurse Lacey.”
* * *
The next morning when Lacey returned to the kitchen after watching Shaun catch the school bus, the aromas of coffee and baking bread vied with the scent of bacon cooking on the stove. She paused, taking in Richard, who whipped up an omelet while Harriet sliced strawberries. He served breakfast to the workers before they began their jobs.
“You two are a good team. Can I help?” Lacey crossed to the counter where Harriet stood.
“Other than setting the food out in the dining room, we’re ready. The workers will be arriving any moment. In fact, Tom is already here and out in the carriage house.”
“He is? I didn’t know. Getting Shaun ready for school can sometimes take my total focus, especially when I’m trying to keep him quiet with Ryan still sleeping.”
“I can’t believe you managed to get him to rest in the first place.” Harriet handed Lacey the pitcher of orange juice while she took the bowl of strawberries and headed into the dining room. “Deputy Simmons only came by here three times yesterday.”
“It might have been different if they hadn’t caught the rest of the burglary ring.” Lacey set the juice on the buffet at the far end.
“True. Richard once had a concussion, and I almost had to tie him up to keep him in bed.”
“How long have you two been married?”
“Fifteen years, most of it spent here.”
Why hadn’t Mr. Hopewell given the Bells the bed and breakfast? She understood he wanted a member of the original family to own it again, but the couple had put so much into the place. “I want to thank you for coming with me to the hospital. Ryan had a hard time fighting us both about coming here so someone could watch over him.”
Harriet gave her a rare smile. “We make a good team.”
“Yes, you are so right.” Lacey started back to the kitchen to get the rest of the breakfast for the workers.
By the time she finished setting the table, Trey Dawson, the painter, entered the dining room, followed by the electrician, Carl Adams, and a new guy who was helping with the carriage house.
Lacey walked up to the stranger, who had a slender build and sandy brown hair cut short. “I’m Lacey St. John, the owner. I’m glad you could help us on such short notice.”
He shook her offered hand. “I’m Jeff Glover. I love working on older houses.”
“This is definitely that.”
While a couple of more workers arrived, Lacey returned to the kitchen. “I guess I can’t put it off any longer. I need to make sure Ryan gets up.”
As she made her way to the Garden Suite, thoughts of the past two restless nights flitted through her mind. The couch in the sitting area had been comfortable to sleep on, but she couldn’t stop worrying about Ryan. He couldn’t see the gash in the back of his head, but she could. He might have died that night or slipped into a coma. She’d once known someone who had been in a car accident and was never the same after a traumatic brain injury.
Whenever she had been with Ryan, she’d watched for any signs that his brain wasn’t healing right. By the previous evening, Shaun and the dogs had visited him, and he’d been much better. The pain was manageable, and he’d said he wasn’t dizzy. When she opened the door to the suite, Ryan exited her bedroom, fully dressed in his uniform.
“Good. You’re up. How’s your head?”
“It’s still there.”
“Your head or your headache?”
He laughed. “Both. I’m much better though.”
“Do you feel like eating breakfast?”
“That’s what woke me up. I could smell it. What did Richard fix?”
“Omelets or scrambled eggs, biscuits, strawberries, and bacon. According to him, nothing fancy.”
“It sounds delicious. I’m starving.”
“That’s because you didn’t eat a lot yesterday.”
“Well, my appetite has reared its ugly head. Have you eaten yet?”
“I ate with Shaun.”
“Is he at school?”
Lacey nodded and stepped into the hallway between the two basement suites. “He insisted he should stay home and look after you. That’s when I told him you’d be going to work.”
“What if I say I’m taking another day off?”
“I’d drive you to the hospital. No doubt you’re delirious, if you say that.” The smoldering intensity of his gaze burrowed into her. “I’m going to drive you to the station. Consider me your chauffeur. The doctor called last night. Later today, he wants to check you again to make sure you’re all right. He suggested that you shouldn’t drive until he sees you.”
“I’m fine. Really.”
Lacey went into the kitchen first. “Humor me. He wanted you to stay home today. Knowing you, I told him that probably wasn’t going to happen. My driving you is a compromise.”
He paused and faced her, moving close. “You do know me well. That’s a scary thought.”
She tilted her head. “Why? We’re friends.”
“Are we? I was hoping for a bit more.”
His husky words warmed Lacey. She wanted that, too.
Richard walked into the kitchen. “You better get into the dining room before the workers eat all the breakfast.”
“I’m going to see Tom Avant at the carriage house. Then I’ll be back to drive you to the station.” She hurried from the room before he argued about chauffeuring him around.
“We still haven’t settled that matter,” Ryan said as she closed the door.
Out on the brick patio, she inhaled a deep breath. She wanted a lot more from Ryan than just friendship, too. She couldn’t deny that any longer.
Chapter Eight
In the interview room at the station, Ryan sat next to Keith Drummond, one of the burglars caught two nights before. “Let me repeat myself. Why were you at the Calvert Cove B and B the week before last?”
Drummond shrugged. “Just seeing the countryside. I was thinking of staying there.”
“The boat you used was stolen. Know anything about that?”
The suspect’s jawline tightened for a few seconds before he relaxed again. “I found it. I thought I would give it a spin.”
“So you had nothing to do with setting it on fire.”
“There was a fire?” Drummond stared at the mirror on the wall. “Who’s behind the glass?”
“One of my deputies.”
“Well, tell that deputy I want to talk to my lawyer. I ain’t answering any more questions. My cooperation has ended.”
“That’s okay. We have photos of you stealing the boat, and since it was set on fire while you stole it, you’ll be charged for its destruction. I hope the joyride was worth it.” Ryan nodded toward the mirror.
A moment later, Deputy Washburn came into the interview room to take Drummond back to his cell.
After they left, Lacey entered. “So that’s how you question suspects. Did you learn anything new?” She sat where Drummond had and shifted toward Ryan.
“From what I saw i
n the photo we have of him at the dock, I was ninety percent sure it was Drummond. I needed to see his reaction for myself when I asked him about the bed and breakfast. He was the lurker I chased. Since he’s in jail, I don’t have to worry about you now.”
“That’s good. Let’s see what the doctor says concerning you. Then maybe I won’t have to worry about you.”
Ryan rose. “I can’t believe how fast the morning went by.”
Lacey walked beside him down the hall and out the rear of the sheriff station. “Did you get everything you needed done?”
“Most, but other than a crisis, I’m calling it a day.”
At her car parked in his assigned spot, she stopped and felt his forehead. “Do you have a fever?”
He shrugged. “I can relax, especially now that the burglary case is wrapping up and I know who the lurker at your place was. The threat of him coming back is gone. We’re doing all we can about identifying the John Doe. Someone went to a lot of trouble to hide his identity. I suspect when we know who he is we’ll figure out the ID of the killer.” Ryan slid into her vehicle and slowly began to release the tension gripping his shoulders and neck. He needed a vacation. Other than the occasional long weekend, he hadn’t taken any extended time away in the three years he’d been sheriff. “Did they start on the carriage house today?”
Lacey backed out of the parking space. “Yes. Tom doesn’t think it will take too long. He hired an extra worker so it can be completed right before we reopen the bed and breakfast. This will be my first home. I don’t count the apartments where I lived in New Orleans.”
“That’s the way I felt when I returned to my house. So many times I was traveling for my job and lived in hotels. I didn’t realize how important it was that I put down roots until I did. The retiring sheriff asked me to consider running for his position, or I’m not sure I would have thought to do that.”
“This county is lucky to have you.”
He’d never looked at it like that. He’d felt he was lucky to have the job. It allowed him to help people and to have a deep connection to a community. Was it time to think about taking that a step further? He’d dated, but until Lacey, it had always been casually. She gave him a reason to pause and consider something more.
She drove into the parking lot at the medical center and found a spot close to the entrance. “After this, let’s grab a late lunch.”
“Sounds good.”
Ryan waited only ten minutes for the doctor to see him. After being told he could work but to be cautious, they left, and he gave Lacey directions to a seafood restaurant.
“This is a fancy place. I’m not sure I’m dressed appropriately.” Lacey wore a pair of jeans and a long sleeve blue shirt.
“You look fine to me. It may look fancy on the outside, but it’s pretty informal. Besides Richard and your place, this has the best food around. We have something to celebrate. Only the best for our first official date.”
She paused, her car door half open. “Date?” A rosy pink brushed across her cheeks.
“Yes. We’ve been dancing around it for a while. I don’t know about you, but I want to get to know you beyond being neighbors. When I was resting yesterday, I had a lot of time to think about you and how in a short time you’ve become important to me. If you don’t feel that way about me, then let me know. That won’t affect our friendship.”
She held his hand closest to her and laced her fingers through his. “I want more. I never thought I’d say that again after Jason. With the kind of relationship we had, I quickly discovered I would rather be single, but I had Shaun to think about. I wanted him to have a father. Even when my dad lost most of his money, we were still a close-knit family. But Jason didn’t understand what it meant to be a dad. I made a promise to myself that wouldn’t happen again.”
Ryan covered their clasped hands with his free one. “Shaun is a special kid. Whether we’re only friends or more, I hope I can be in his life. Besides, Mick wouldn’t be happy if he couldn’t see Shaun.”
“The feeling is mutual.”
He exited the car and rounded the hood as she climbed out. The past few days had been tense, but she gave him hope for the future. He hadn’t felt that way in years.
* * *
Lacey stepped into the entrance of Harriet’s office. “It is official. We are totally booked solid for May and June and ninety percent for July and eighty-five for August.”
The manager glanced up from her computer screen with a huge smile on her face. “And that’s because you sent an e-mail out to all our previous customers with pictures of our remodeled bed and breakfast. My favorite is the pond with the goldfish. I think with a big barbeque on the Fourth of July, we might be able to fill that last ten percent quickly. I’ll talk with Richard about a menu. Then we can advertise that, too.”
“I like that suggestion. Also I wanted you to know that the carriage house is over half done. It should be complete, barring any complications, a day before we reopen. I’ll be able to start moving in there a couple of days early while they finish the last room.” Lacey couldn’t keep the excitement from her voice. She’d felt on top of the world the past week since her first date with Ryan and the soon-to-be completion of the first place she and Shaun could really call a home. When she originally heard the news about Mr. Hopewell’s gift bequeathed to her, she’d thought it was a joke, but now it was sinking in that what she’d dreamed of might come true.
“Is Ryan coming to dinner tonight?”
“Yes, he should be able to make it. I told Richard.”
“That’s nice. I know Shaun loves to have him over here. Your son has settled in quite well since the first few days.”
“And I thank you for your patience. He can be a bit … enthusiastic at times.”
One of Harriet’s eyebrows lifted.
“Okay, all the time when he’s nervous. He’s making friends, and Sadie has been great for him.”
Harriet chuckled.
A door at the front of the house slammed shut.
“Speaking of Shaun. That’s him home from school. I promised him we would go look at what’s going on in the carriage house.”
“But first no doubt, a snack. Richard put something in the fridge for him.”
She was halfway across the kitchen when Shaun burst through the doorway. He dropped his backpack on the floor as he came to a skidding halt a foot from her.
“I’m starving. I haven’t had anything to eat for hours.”
“And you might blow away,” she opened the refrigerator and pulled out the plate with a ham and cheese sandwich, “unless you get this.”
“Thanks, Mom. You’re the greatest.”
“Richard made it for you, so let him know how much you appreciate the thought.”
“Where is he?”
“He’s at the grocery store.”
Shaun plopped into a chair at the table and dug into the snack. “When can I see the carriage house?” he asked with a mouth full of food.
“Not until you slow down and chew your sandwich.”
He really tried to do that, but three or four bites from the end, he stuffed the rest into his mouth then struggled to eat it.
When he finally finished and gulped down half a glass of milk, Lacey settled her fists on her hips and shook her head. “I guess I need to cut your food up until you learn what bite-sized means.”
“Ah, Mom. I just wanna see how our place is coming along, especially my room. That way I can figure out what I’m gonna put up on the walls.”
“Nothing without my permission. Take your plate to the sink, rinse it, and put it in the dishwasher. Then we’ll go.”
A moment later, Shaun ran ahead of Lacey and disappeared inside their new home. When she went into the carriage house and didn’t see her son, she headed to the left, pretty sure he was in the bedroom designated as his.
“Mom, this is so big,” he said over the sound of a hammer striking something in the other part of their new place. “I can have al
l my friends over for a sleepover. I even have my own bathroom.” He dashed into it. “A shower. Great. Baths are for babies.” He returned to the main room, caught sight of his closet, the door ajar. “That’s huge!” He vanished into it. “Mom, what’s this?”
She joined Shaun, who pointed at the ceiling. “Oh, that. I’m glad Tom left it in. That leads to the attic for the carriage house. Aunt Laura and I used to play up there. Originally, the place was used to store hay for the horses.”
“Horses. I wish we had a horse.”
“Years ago, horses were used to pull the carriages and wagons our ancestors used. Before we leave, I’ll show you how your aunt and I would get down.”
“Can I go up into the attic?”
“Not now. Maybe one day when I can go with you. I’m not sure what’s up there. When we lived here, my parents stored boxes and old pieces of furniture.”
“How did you get up there?”
“We used to keep a stepstool in here. We’d use the stool to pull the ladder down.” She gestured toward a metal ring on the ceiling door.
“We might find some kind of treasure up there.”
She wouldn’t hear the end of it if she didn’t show Shaun there was nothing but dust up in the attic. “I’ll be right back.”
She went out into the living area and found the wooden box she’d seen when she’d come inside the house. Then she borrowed a hammer from one of the workers in her bedroom. After she returned to her son, she stepped up on the box, stretched up toward the ring with the claw of the tool, and hooked it around the ring then pulled down. The ladder unfolded.
Shaun grinned. “It still works. Let’s go up and see if there’s a treasure in the attic.”
“Treasure. I can promise you when we lived here there wasn’t any up there.”
“You never know, Mom. Maybe Mr. Hopewell left one in the attic.”
If she didn’t want to be hounded by her son, she might as well give in now. “Okay.”
Shaun scrambled up the ladder before she’d finished agreeing. “What an adventure!”
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