Dangerous Lies: Sawyer and Amethyst (An Emerald Falls Romance, Book Two)

by Christine Kersey

  By the time the coffee cake had finished baking, Amethyst had showered and gotten ready for the day. She cut the cake into thick slices, placed the pieces onto a plate—one that she would need returned—then she walked over to Justin’s house.

  When he heard the doorbell ring, Sawyer’s hand shot to his laptop where he pulled up the images being streamed from all of his cameras. But when he saw Amethyst standing on his porch, a plate of something in her hand, he smiled. Then he took a moment to stare at her.

  Wow, she was pretty. That red hair and those green eyes.

  He couldn’t actually see the colors—the camera filmed in black and white—but he had no trouble picturing those attributes in his mind’s eye.

  Torn between pretending he wasn’t home and wanting to invite her in, he decided he could use some company. He hadn’t spoken to anyone but Paul since he’d moved in, and that had only been a couple of times. Loneliness had been steadily creeping in.

  Sawyer pushed himself out of the chair and walked to the front door before pulling it open.

  “Good morning,” Amethyst said, her voice cheerful and her eyes sparkling.

  He was glad he’d answered. Who wouldn’t want to see that face first thing in the morning?

  “Hello,” he said in reply. Then his gaze slid to the plate in her hand before meeting her eyes.

  She laughed. “Yes, I admit it. I like to bake.” She held the plate up. “I made some coffee cake this morning and thought you might enjoy a slice.”

  “I love coffee cake.” And eating it with her would only make it taste better. Not able to muster his gruff exterior, Sawyer smiled. “Would you like to come in?”

  Chapter 8

  Amethyst smiled. “Yes, thank you.”

  Success! She’d known he would warm up to her eventually.

  She followed him into the house. The furniture looked like it belonged to someone’s grandmother. An open laptop sat on the couch, but it was turned away from her so she couldn’t see what was on the screen.

  Justin walked over to it and shut the lid, then swept his hand toward the couch. “Have a seat.”

  Amethyst walked to the couch, then turned to face him. “Do you have some plates?”

  “Oh. Right.” He chuckled. “I haven’t had any company here yet.”

  Amethyst smiled. She could tell. “That’s okay.”

  “Uh,” he said with a glance toward the adjacent room. “Maybe we can go into the kitchen.”

  “Whatever you’d like.” She followed him into the small but sunny room where she saw a square table with four chairs. She set the plate of coffee cake in the middle, then sat down.

  “I’ll just grab some plates and forks,” Justin murmured.

  The plates and glasses he took out of the cupboard had scalloped edges and floral patterns. All this stuff must have belonged to the woman who had died. Didn’t Justin have any of his own things?

  Then a new thought occurred to her.

  Maybe he had just come out of a relationship and the woman had kept everything, so he was using what was already here. That would explain a lot of his behavior—standoffish and hesitant to get to know her.

  Self-conscious about the style of dishes he held in his hands, Sawyer tried to ignore the questioning look on Amethyst’s face. He had a houseful of stuff that was more his style back in LA—assuming Tyler hadn’t ransacked the place and destroyed everything.

  Angered by the idea, Sawyer tried not to think about his predicament.

  “Here you go,” he said as he set a pair of clean plates on the table. “Would you like some coffee to go with it?”

  Amethyst smiled. “Actually, if you have some milk, I’d love a glass.”

  “Sure.”

  A few moments later they sat across from each other, a slice of coffee cake on each of their plates, a glass of cold milk in front of Amethyst, and a mug of hot coffee in front of Sawyer.

  He took a bite of the coffee cake, savoring it. “This is delicious.”

  “Thank you.”

  “Why…that is, what made you decide to bring some over?” Way to get to the point.

  He noticed a slight blush climbing her cheeks. Then a shy smile curved her mouth. “I…well…I haven’t seen you around all week and I…I wanted to make sure you’re settling in okay.” Her smile brightened. “How are you liking Emerald Falls so far?”

  Knowing he’d been on her mind filled him with an unexpected warmth. She’d been on his mind too, but he wasn’t ready to admit that—no point in encouraging a friendship that was sure to be short-lived.

  “Emerald Falls is a nice place,” he said, although the only time he saw any of it was when he drove through town. And he tried to minimize even that.

  “I’m glad you like it.” She ate a bite of her cake, then she looked at him as her eyebrows rose. “How’re your plans going? The ones where you get to work for yourself?”

  He hadn’t thought about it since their conversation. He laughed. “Not too much progress there, actually.”

  “Well, I’m sure your job keeps you busy.”

  The only job he had was figuring out how to get himself out of the situation he was in while staying hidden. And that wasn’t going too well. He had no idea what to do yet. But at least Tyler hadn’t found him.

  “Yeah,” he said instead. “What about you? How’re things in the jewelry-making business?”

  Amethyst smiled. “Great. I’ve got several new orders to work on. And with Christmas just two months away, I should be getting busier each week.”

  “Christmas?” He laughed. “It’s way too soon to think about Christmas.”

  “Oh, you’re one of those.”

  His eyes narrowed. “One of whats?”

  “One of those people who doesn’t think about Christmas until the week before.”

  Nodding in mock-shame, Sawyer said, “You’ve got me pegged.”

  An idea popped into Amethyst’s head—an idea that would give her a way to learn more about Justin while also giving her a reason to talk to him in the future. “Is there anyone in your life who you think would like one of my pieces? Perhaps a custom piece? I’d be willing to move you to the front of the line.”

  “Oh, uh,” Justin stammered. “Yeah.”

  Amethyst hadn’t meant to put him on the spot—okay, maybe she had a little. What better way to find out more about him?

  “Great,” she said. “Who would it be for, and what would you like it to look like?”

  “My mom loves turquoise.”

  His mom. Interesting. That meant he was definitely single. “Okay. Would you like a necklace or bracelet or earrings?” Amethyst grinned. “Or maybe all three. A matching set.”

  Justin laughed. “Definitely a matching set. She’d loved that.”

  “Perfect. I’ll start on it right away.” Nervous that he wouldn’t like what she made, she said, “Maybe you should visit my website and see some of what I’ve done. You know, to pick out the look you think she’d like.”

  “I’m sure whatever you come up with will be perfect.”

  Amethyst’s eyebrows rose. “Are you sure you don’t want some input?”

  He nodded. “Yes. I don’t know anything about jewelry. You’re the expert. I trust you completely.”

  Did he? Did he trust her enough to tell her his secret?

  Sawyer’s smile began to dim, but he turned up the corners of his lips to hide his worry.

  “All right,” she said as she forked another bite of coffee cake. “If you say so.”

  “I do.”

  They ate in silence for a few moments, then Amethyst asked, “What are you doing today?”

  Sawyer’s hand froze halfway to his mouth. Was she saying she wanted to go out with him?

  Delighted by the idea until he considered the risks of galavanting about in public, he hedged. “I, uh, I have to run some errands today.”

  Amethyst had surprised herself with the abrupt question. Was she really doing this? Was she askin
g him out?

  But when he didn’t seem eager to spend time with her, she felt foolish for bringing it up and wished she hadn’t.

  To cover the awkward moment, she said, “That’s what Saturday’s are for, right?”

  He seemed to hesitate, then he said, “My errands won’t take all day.”

  Was he implying that he wanted to do something with her? Not ready to jump to conclusions, and certainly not willing to make the next move, Amethyst didn’t reply. Instead she finished her glass of milk.

  “Would you like some more?” Justin asked.

  Disappointed that he hadn’t already moved on to asking her out, she nodded. “Thanks.”

  He stood and went to the fridge, then brought the nearly empty milk jug to the table.

  “I don’t want to take the rest of it,” she said.

  He laughed. “I’ll get more at the store today.” Then he poured the remainder into her glass before she could argue further.

  “Do you shop in Emerald Falls?”

  Sawyer rinsed out the jug, then set it on the counter before rejoining her at the table. “No. I prefer to go to one of the larger stores in the neighboring town.” Which also helped him stay anonymous. And he didn’t want to go to the same place twice.

  “You know,” she said with a tilt of her head, “you should really shop in Emerald Falls if you can. To help the local businesses.”

  “Yeah, that’s probably true.” That would make it harder to stay invisible though.

  A few moments later Amethyst stood as if to leave and Sawyer realized he wanted to spend more time with her.

  “I’d better get going,” she said. Then she grinned. “I have a new turquoise set to work on.”

  “Before you go,” he said, then when she looked at him expectantly, he paused, unsure if this was a good idea. “Uh, I was wondering if you’d like to do something with me later.”

  Thrilled that he was asking, Amethyst nodded. “I’d love to. What did you have in mind?”

  “How about dinner and a movie?” He chuckled. “Just no chick-flicks.”

  Placing a hand on her hip in mock-outrage, she asked, “What do you have against chick-flicks?”

  His lips twitched in a barely suppressed smile. “They make me cry.”

  “Oh, really?”

  Laughing, he shook his head. “No. Not really.”

  “Hmm. Well, I don’t like horror movies. They’re too creepy.”

  “I agree with you there. How about a drama?”

  Glad they’d found common ground, she nodded. “I like dramas.”

  “Great. I’ll pick you up at six, if that works for you.”

  Excited to go on a date with him, she smiled. “Six is perfect.”

  Sawyer found he was really looking forward to their date, despite the risk he would be taking by spending so much time in public.

  Amethyst reached for the plate of coffee cake, then withdrew her hand and turned to him. “I’ll leave the rest for you, if you’d like.”

  “That would be great. It’s the best coffee cake I’ve ever eaten.” Not that he was a coffee cake connoisseur, but he was beyond grateful that she’d made the effort on his behalf. Especially since that effort had led to him asking her out.

  “Okay,” she said. “I’ll see you tonight.”

  He walked her to the door, and after they said their good-byes, he turned his thoughts away from his gorgeous neighbor and back to the problem at hand.

  The more he thought about it, the more he realized the only solution was for him to go to the authorities with what he knew. But if Tyler found out, he would kill him for sure.

  Still, he knew he had to do what was right.

  Chapter 9

  “We’re going out tonight,” Amethyst said into her phone as she fixed lunch.

  “Really?” Gabby asked. “Tell me everything.”

  So she told her all that had happened that morning.

  “Look at you go.” Then Gabby laughed. “I should have known you wouldn’t sit around waiting for him to make the first move. You never were the quiet type.”

  Amethyst laughed. “No, I guess not.”

  “Hey, if that’s what it takes to get things moving, then why not?”

  “Exactly.”

  At six o’clock that night, Amethyst heard her doorbell ring.

  Right on time.

  Smiling, she went to her front door and pulled it open to find Justin standing on her porch. He’d trimmed his beard so that it was just long enough to be sexy, and his light gray eyes captured her attention.

  “Hello,” he said, then his gaze swept over her slacks and loose-fitting blouse and came back up to her eyes. “You look very nice.”

  He was looking pretty fine himself. “Thank you.” She took a step back. “Do you want to come in?”

  “Sure.”

  He followed her inside and they sat on opposite ends of the couch.

  “I’ve been working on your mom’s jewelry,” she said.

  “Really? Can I see it?”

  Amethyst wagged a finger. “Uh-uh. You said you trust me completely, so you’re going to have to wait until I’m done.”

  Sawyer noticed the sparkle in Amethyst’s eyes as she spoke about her work. She was passionate about it. He loved that.

  He gazed at her a moment. She was a special woman. Not only passionate, but she’d been so kind to him.

  Happy that she’d agreed to go out with him, he began to doubt the wisdom of asking her. What was he doing taking her out? It was bad enough that he was risking his own safety, but was he comfortable putting her in danger?

  The reality of his situation slammed into him and he tried to think of a way to get out of the date without sounding like a total jerk.

  “Did you pick a movie?” Amethyst asked.

  “Uh, yeah.”

  She tilted her head. “A drama? Or…” She smiled. “Did you decide a chick-flick would be okay?”

  He forced a laugh. “No, it’s a drama, although I almost picked an action movie.”

  “I don’t mind action movies. Just not horror movies.”

  “Oh really? Hmm. Well, I haven’t bought the tickets, so maybe we’ll see the action flick.” Or maybe he could tell her he wasn’t feeling well and he could go back into hiding like the coward that he was.

  He didn’t like the self-talk that popped into his head, but he didn’t seem able to stop it. Trying to quiet the voice, he said, “Are you ready to go? I made reservations for six-thirty.”

  “Yes.”

  Was he sure about this?

  Sawyer stood, then held out his hand to help her up. When his fingers touched hers, warmth rushed through him, and when his eyes met her emerald-green ones, he had the sudden urge to pull her into his arms.

  Yeah, he wasn’t ready to give this up. Besides, they should be perfectly safe. Tyler wouldn’t know to look for him around here.

  Amethyst liked the way she felt when her hand was encompassed in his larger one—safe and secure—and when her gaze met his, a spark of something passed between them. She hadn’t expected that.

  Standing, she pulled her gaze away—and her hand from his. She smoothed her slacks as she tried to gather herself.

  “Where are we going for dinner?” she asked with a quick glance in his direction.

  “I made a reservation at an Italian place.”

  She’d gotten herself under control, so she turned and faced him. “In Emerald Falls?”

  He cleared his throat. “No.”

  Her eyebrows went up. “What about supporting our local businesses?”

  Chuckling, he nodded. “Next time. I promise.”

  Next time? She like the sound of that. “Okay. I’ll hold you to that, Justin.”

  Sawyer tried not to cringe at the use of his alias, and more than anything, he wished he could tell her his real name. But that would be stupid, so he shouldn’t even think about it.

  Forcing a smile, he held out his arm in an after you gesture, and
after Amethyst walked past him, he held the front door open for her and they walked side by side to his car, which he’d pulled out of his garage and into his driveway. He helped her into the passenger seat, then got behind the wheel.

  When they got to the restaurant, he dashed around to her side of the car and helped her out, and when she took his arm as they walked toward the restaurant doors, he liked the way it felt to have her near him. The soft floral scent of her perfume drifted toward him, and he had to stop himself from leaning close to her to breathe it in.

  At their table, they sat across from each other, and as they perused the menu, he surreptitiously looked at her, admiring the way her red hair fell against her cheek as she read the menu.

  “What?” she asked a moment later, evidently knowing he had been watching her.

  A little embarrassed to be caught staring, Sawyer smiled. “It’s hard to look away from your beautiful face.”

  Amethyst was usually immune to embarrassment, but the way he was looking at her, combined with the words he said, made her blush. “You’re too sweet.”

  He smiled. “I’m not just saying that to be sweet. I’m simply stating a fact.”

  Was this guy for real?

  She liked the way he made her feel—and she liked that he was her next door neighbor—but did he mean what he was saying or was he just trying to flatter her to get her to like him?

  Which was working, by the way.

  He set his menu down. “What are you going to order?”

  Dragging her gaze away from his, she looked over the menu again. She already knew what she wanted, but she needed a moment to not be so captivated by his eyes. After several moments, she set her menu down. “The carbonara sounds good.”

  He never took his gaze from hers. “Yes, it does.”

  Wanting to prove to herself as much as to him that she wouldn’t so easily be drawn into his orbit, she kept her eyes steady on his. “And what are you going to have?”