by Jill Sanders
It took her just a few minutes to pick out the tankless water heater, and less than ten to pick out a new stove and fridge. She even purchased a freezer for the mudroom.
“The freezer out there doesn’t even work,” she said as she shook her head. Then she turned to him as the clerk was ringing her up. “I’ve found three more stashes.” she whispered. “Close to fifty thousand dollars. Where did my aunt get so much money?”
He shrugged. “No one really seemed to know. Some guessed that she was really a rich heiress.” He waited and when Bella chuckled and shook her head, he continued. “Others thought she had a rich lover.”
“I thought… That is, I was told that Ronny and her…”
“Oh, right.” He smiled. “I often wondered. Well, scratch that theory. There was one about her being a bank robber.”
“Right, can you just see my dear old aunt, holding up a bank? Still.” She sighed and crossed her arms over her chest as she waited for the total of her purchase. “It does make me wonder. Maybe my parents would know something.”
“Wouldn’t hurt to ask.”
She turned to him. “Obviously you don’t know my parents. If they found out I was settling down here…” He watched her shiver and roll her eyes.
“That bad, huh?”
“Let’s just say that I’m on radio silence from them until I work up enough courage to tell them.”
He put his arm around her and pulled her closer. “Don’t let them change your mind. From what I’ve seen so far, you belong here.” He leaned down and kissed her lips. It was hard for him to admit it to her, but he didn’t want to see her go. Not when everything was going so well between them.
She set up delivery for her new items for early that next week. Since the water heater had to be installed, he called Roy and set it up so he could install it first thing Wednesday morning.
“Since we’ve knocked off everything on my first list before lunch, how would you feel about letting me buy you lunch, then going with me to look at a new sofa?” She wrapped her arms around his waist. Since she was looking up at him with her sexy blue eyes, he nodded his head and agreed.
They ate at his favorite buffet place, and then he drove them to one of the biggest chain furniture stores. Here, she spent much longer picking out a sofa and love seat. He actually enjoyed this kind of shopping. The kind where he got to sit in different sofas and try them out. She listened to his input about not buying something the dog’s hair would stick to.
In the end, she went with a tan microfiber sofa with recliners on each end. Again, the furniture would be delivered later that week.
“So, anything else on your second list?” he asked as they climbed back into the truck.
She pulled out a piece of paper from her purse, causing him to chuckle. She glanced over at him and frowned. “No, that’s it for now. I’ve ordered some stuff online.”
“Like?” he asked, pulling out of the parking lot.
“Items for my students.” She leaned back and watched the trees go by. “Thanks for coming with me today.”
He reached over and took her hand. “I enjoyed it.”
“Really? I got the hint that you’re not a shopper.”
“I liked being with you.” He pulled her hand up to his lips and placed a kiss on the back.
He felt her skin warm under his lips and wished he could explore it more. The drive back felt like it was going to take forever.
“I’ve offered to cook for Savannah and Billy next Friday,” she said, causing him to glance at her.
“Good. You’ll like Savannah.” He chuckled remembering how his best friend’s wife used to be.
“What?” Bella asked, turning towards him.
“Oh, nothing.” He shook his head, not wanting to scare Bella away from becoming friends with the new and improved Savannah.
“Is there something wrong?” She frowned at him.
“No!” He squeezed her hand. “It’s just that… Savannah has done a lot of growing up in the past year. Since Maggie was born.”
“They’re having another one.”
“What?” He frowned as he asked. “Another kid? They didn’t tell me.”
Bella sighed and leaned back. “She seemed very nice.”
“Oh, she is. But had you run into her two years ago…”
She shrugged her shoulders. “People change. I mean, look at me. Last month there was no way I’d ever thought I would be mucking out stalls and gathering chicken eggs every morning.”
“Now look at you.” His eyes roamed over her. She was wearing those shorts he really liked. They had lace over the jean material and hugged her just right. Even her cream-colored blouse clung to her curves. “You look happy.”
“I am.” She took a deep breath. “Who knew that all it took was getting out of the city. So, will you be there next Friday?”
“I wouldn’t miss it.” He glanced at her. “You can cook, right?”
She laughed and nodded.
Bella couldn’t remember ever having had such a fun time shopping with a man before. When they drove up to the house, she was trying to figure a way to avoid ending the evening.
“Did you leave the door open?” Corey asked as he parked the truck.
“No.” She gasped and leaned forward to see that the screen door and front door stood wide open. “I locked it when we left. Remember?”
“Stay here.” He handed her his phone. “Speed-dial Sheriff Miller. I’m going to check it out.”
She sat back and held onto his phone as he walked towards the house. The dogs were nowhere to be found. The fact that they weren’t jumping at Corey, begging for attention, scared her and had her imagining all sorts of scenarios where they were hurt.
When he disappeared into the house, she searched through his phone and called the sheriff.
“Hey, Corey, what can I do for you?”
“It’s Bella Thompson. We just got home and my door is wide open.”
“Bella, I’ll send someone out there immediately. Tell Corey to stay put, but since you have his phone, that tells me he’s already inside. Hang tight.”
She hung up with him and held onto his phone tightly. A few seconds went by, and then the two dogs rushed out of the house and started running circles around the truck.
She jumped out and hugged each one, making sure they were okay. When she looked up, Corey was walking towards her with a frown on his lips.
“They were locked in the utility room. Nothing looks like it’s missing, but you can go through it after the sheriff gets here.”
She turned and watched the dogs race off to relieve themselves.
“They must have been locked up for a while.” She nodded towards the pair.
“Yeah, they scratched the back of the door pretty bad. We might have to replace it.”
It took less than five minutes for a police cruiser to pull into the driveway.
“Corey.” A dark-haired man got out and shook his hand. “Miss Thompson. I’m Deputy Tanner. You can call me Wes.”
“Hi.” She shook his hand.
She stood back and listened as Corey explained the situation. Wes disappeared into the house alone with his hand resting on his gun. About ten long minutes later, he walked out again.
“The place is empty. Nothing looks like it’s missing, but you might want to walk through it and check.”
“What about the cats?” she asked.
“They were upstairs in a bedroom. I let them out,” Wes said as he took notes in his notepad.
“I’ll take her around and we’ll let you know if anything’s missing.” Corey wrapped his arm around her shoulders.
Wes handed her his card with the incident report number on the back. “If anything comes up missing, or you find anything else, let us know. In the meantime, we’ll have a patrol start driving by once in a while. Just to keep an eye on things.”
She put his card into her back pocket. “Thanks.”
“Don’t mention it.” He nodded
and turned to leave.
“Do you want me to walk through the place with you?” Corey turned to her after the cruiser disappeared down the driveway.
“Of course.” She shivered. “I’m not going in there alone.”
He wrapped his arms around her and held on. She let herself sink into him and enjoyed the way he felt.
He leaned back and kissed her quickly on the lips. “Are you ready to do this?”
She reached for his hand and then looked towards the house. The dogs were on the front porch, waiting to get back in.
“Yeah.” When she walked in, her eyes scanned the entire front room. The kitchen was off to the left and back of the house, but she could see through the bar area to that room. The living room had been one of the only rooms that she’d remembered about her aunt’s place.
There was a large stone fireplace that she had sat in front of as a kid. Taking her time, she walked around and opened each cupboard door in the formal dining room and kitchen. Everything was there. Actually, nothing looked out of place at all.
“Why would someone take the time to break in, lock the animals up, and then not steal anything. I mean… the TV alone is worth something.” She motioned to the new flat screen, which was the only item her aunt had splurged on.
“I’m not sure,” Corey said. He’d been following her around the house as she went.
“You don’t think this had anything to do with the hidden money, do you?” She turned to him. They were now up in her bedroom. Still, they hadn’t found anything out of place.
“Probably not. I mean, yeah, the whole town gossips about your aunt hiding money, but no one really thought it was true.”
“Except you. You found some. Did you ever tell anyone about it?”
He thought about it. “I might have told Billy and Travis. It was so long ago, I can’t remember.”
“Why now? I mean, the house was empty for a few weeks after my aunt’s death.”
He pulled her close and brushed a strand of curls away from her face. She loved it when his eyes looked deep into hers.
“I’m sure it was just some kids. Obviously they got spooked away since nothing is missing.”
She nodded, knowing he was probably right. Still, just the thought of someone else being in the house when she wasn’t there made her shiver.
“Easy,” he said, running his hands up and down her back. “If you want, I can stick around for a while.”
“I’d like that.” She stepped back. “How about I cook something for you? I went to the store the other day and stocked up.”
“I could eat.” He smiled as he took her hand and they started walking back down the stairs.
Corey sat at the bar area and watched her throw together a meal. She loved to cook and couldn’t wait until her new stove and appliances arrived. She’d spent several hours the other day re-arranging the kitchen so it flowed better.
She’d found another stash of her aunt’s money and had tucked it inside her purse to help pay for the new furniture. She’d even stopped by the local bank and opened a checking account, depositing everything she’d found so far.
She hoped the break-in wasn’t about the money, but what else could it be about? It wasn’t as if she had any enemies around here. Or for that matter, anywhere. She’d left Austin after being completely ignored by everyone she’d known.
“You’re pretty deep in thought,” Corey said from his perch at the bar.
“Hmm?” She turned, still stirring the mix for her chicken. “Oh, I was just trying to wrap my head around the break-in.”
“Sometimes there isn’t an explanation. I still think it was a bunch of kids that heard your aunt had died.” He leaned against the counter. “What are you making? It’s starting to smell good.”
“Chicken Piquant.” She turned back to her preparation.
“What’s Chicken Piquant?” He leaned up to get a better look.
“A spicy Cajun chicken over white rice.” She turned to him. “You do like spicy foods?”
“Most definitely.”
“Good.” She turned back around.
“How did you learn to cook?” she heard him ask. Turning towards the stove, she flipped the chicken carefully.
“After I moved out on my own, I decided I needed to save some money and eat at home instead of out all the time. My parents still think a good dinner revolves around which restaurant they want to eat at.”
“Neither of them cook?” he asked.
“No. When I was younger, we had a live-in nanny who did all the cooking. She taught me a little, then I decided to take a few classes in Austin and…” She turned and smiled. “Fell in love with cooking. What about you?”
“I cook out of necessity. I can make some breakfast stuff and I make a mean grilled cheese.” She chuckled along with him.
Chapter Nine
Corey found it harder and harder to keep his eyes from wandering over Bella as she cooked. She had a way of moving in the kitchen that had something else heating up.
She kept him entertained as she cooked, talking about her childhood. He was surprised to find out that she’d visited Fairplay several times in her youth. She had another aunt and uncle that lived in New York. They had three boys that were her only cousins. She wasn’t close to them since they were a lot younger than she was. The oldest had just graduated school last year and had enrolled in the Marines.
“I wish I had cousins,” Corey said, helping her set the table. “My father was an only child like me.”
“I often wonder what it would be like being raised in a big family.” She set the dish down and he could see her eyes turn soft with her thoughts. “Someone around my age to play with all of the time. Someone who understood my parents and how I was raised.”
“I just wanted someone to take the blame for all the stuff I did as a kid,” he joked. He was rewarded with one of those really great smiles she had.
“Sit. I’ll grab the food. Would you like a beer?”
He looked at her in surprise. “Do you have some?”
“Sure do. I found out a few years back that I’m a beer kind of girl.”
“I think I’m in love.” He patted his heart a few times with his hands as she laughed and walked back into the kitchen.
He could hear her moving around in the kitchen as he sat down at the table. He looked around and frowned at the thought of someone breaking into her place. The door hadn’t been kicked in. No glass windows busted. Nothing. It was as if someone had waltzed in, put the animals up, and just walked around. Then a thought struck him. Ronny. If it was true that the man had been seeing her aunt, maybe he had a key?
Deciding to check on it first chance he could, he thought about telling Bella, but figured he’d better wait until he knew for sure. If it was Ronny, what the heck had he wanted here? Maybe he’d left some clothes or something else that he needed.
“Everything okay?” Bella asked from behind him.
He blinked and tried to clear his mind from the worry he had about the whole incident.
“Yeah, just realized how hungry I am.” He took the beers from her and watched her set the platter of chicken down.
“Where you ever a waiter?” he asked as she smoothly set everything down without spilling a thing.
“For two years during school. But don’t tell my folks. They would be mortified if they ever found out their daughter worked a job that didn’t make at least six digits a year.”
“Are they stuck up?” he asked, scooping some food onto his plate.
“Probably more now.”
“Now?” He handed her the plate of veggies she’d made.
“Now that my aunt is gone.” He waited as she put some food onto her plate. Then she sighed. “Aunt Betty was the only one in my family that didn’t conform to their… standards.”
“What would those be?” he asked, taking a bite of the chicken. The spices hit him and he moaned with delight.
“Good?” she asked.
“Wo
nderful,” he said, taking another bite. “Best chicken I’ve had.”
She smiled and took a bite of her own chicken. “My family is full of snobs.” She looked down at her plate. “They think everyone should have money. Lots of it. We come from big money and in their opinion, should have more of the stuff when we die than we did coming into the world. My aunt had this place.” She smiled as she looked around. He could tell she was proud of everything she saw. “I think I was the only one who understood why she chose to live this way. I was always jealous of her freedom here.”
“She did enjoy it. It’s a great place.”
Bella nodded her head and took another bite.
“I’m happy you chose to stay.” He reached over and took her hand in his.
“I am too. Once I have my business up and running and have enough students, I’ll tell my folks.”
“It shouldn’t matter what they think. If your aunt could have a wonderful life here, so can you.”
She nodded, but he could see a little fear behind her eyes.
After they were done eating, he helped her take the dishes into the kitchen. He stood at the sink and helped her load the dishwasher. Then he took her hips and moved her away from the sink as she tried to wash the pans.
“I’ll do that. You cooked, I’ll clean.” He moved over and placed a kiss on her lips. “It’s the least I can do.”
“You went shopping with me today.” She leaned on the counter and crossed her arms over her chest. “Dinner was my way of saying thanks.”
He smiled. “And this is my way of saying thanks for the food.” Her eyes moved over him slowly, and he thought of another way he’d like to say thanks. But instead, he turned to the sink and started scrubbing the pans as she watched him.
“Do you like what you do?” she asked as she dried the pans he’d washed.
“I like working for myself.” He glanced at her. “Some of its backbreaking, but it’s honest work. Keeps me out of trouble.” He smiled. “I’ve gotten into a lot of that over the years.”
“I’ll bet you have. Is it true that you car-surfed right through downtown… naked?”
