Shawn yanked Ben toward the front of the property. The music came to an end and the crowd cheered. I wondered what I was missing as Jack led me out of the bushes.
Tingey pulled up in his patrol car and motioned Shawn to load Ben into the back. “I was checking Ben’s place when Shawn called me. Are you all okay?”
“Yes, I’m fine.” I felt like I was turning into a broken record. Maybe I needed to learn how to say that in a few other languages so I could change it up. I pulled out of Jack’s arms and tried to juggle my thoughts into place. A few party-goers walked past and stared at our group. It reminded me that I had some responsibilities still.
I turned to Tingey. “Please, can I see the bride and groom off? I don’t want them to know anything’s wrong—at least not tonight. If you can get him out of here, I’ll come down to the station to give my statement.” I felt emotional and still shaky, like a good bursting-into-tears session would be helpful, but I had to keep it together for a little longer.
Tingey gave me a hard look, but nodded.
“I’ll come with you,” Shawn told him. “I saw quite a bit of it.” He yanked the man up and pulled him toward the car, making him stumble. “Jack, can you bring her down after?”
“Yes. And hey, Shawn,” Jack called out. He waited for Shawn to turn around. “Thanks.”
Shawn nodded and opened the back door of the black and white.
Jack continued, “But so you know, I don’t intend to share her for long.”
The light of competition entered Shawn’s gaze. “You got that right.”
I almost told them both where they could go right then, but was too rattled to do so. I decided that later on I’d give them what-for. I was not some prize for them to fight over.
Tingey flipped off his lights and headed back down the street.
Honey came around the corner of the house. “There you are. They’re about to toss the bouquet, and you’re back here smooching in the bushes. Get over there.”
I looked at Jack, who hadn’t kissed me once all day. He tipped his head toward the celebration in silent invitation. I nodded in agreement. There would be time to explain it all to Honey later.
When I caught the bouquet, Honey shot me a knowing smirk, but I ignored her and joined the queue to toss rice at the departing couple.
A dozen or more hugs later, Lenny and Kat drove away with smiles on their faces. I turned back to see a bevy of friends and neighbors already helping to disassemble everything and cleanup the back yard. My shoulder ached and I really wished I could have a few minutes to lie down somewhere dark and quiet. I was exhausted.
Jack found me again, leaning in to smell the bride’s bouquet of gerbera daisies and white roses, which I held. “They aren’t very fragrant,” he declared.
“No, but they’re pretty. And stronger than they look.”
“Kind of like you.” He pulled me in for another hug. “I can’t believe I almost lost you. When I saw that guy hurting you, I swear my heart nearly stopped beating.”
I held him for a long moment, appreciating his strength—someone to lean on was a big bonus. Smiling, I brushed my cheek against his jacket again.
“All right, break it up. We have work to do, and you have things to tell me,” Honey said. “You have grass stains on your skirt.” She wiggled her brows and headed out again.
“Crud.” I checked the bottom of my dress and saw the stain from when I tripped on the grass. “She’s going to be so disappointed when she finds out we weren’t really making out in the bushes.”
He chuckled. “Let me give you a hand with things. Then maybe after a trip to the bushes I can take you to the station.”
I shot him a dirty look. I set the bouquet on the kitchen counter, hoping no one would move it, and limped my way back to the clean-up crew. Did I want to be the next person in our group married? Yeah. But I wasn’t going to rush it.
I was really glad we were closed on Sunday, since I needed the day to recuperate after the hectic week. I got things around my place in order, made dessert to take over to Honey’s when I joined them for dinner, and relaxed on the sofa, not wanting to think about the coming week without Lenny to cover some of the slack. I really should have gotten a temp to help out, but didn’t want to hassle with training anyone. At least Honey would be by to help on Wednesday.
When the doorbell rang, I knew it would be Shawn—he’d called ahead to make sure I’d be around when he was getting ready to head home. It was the main reason I wasn’t still in my pajamas, but had taken a few minutes to change into a blouse and jeans, and to mess with my hair and makeup.
I opened the door and smiled—he looked as good as always. “Hey, glad you could stop by.”
“Like I would leave without talking to you first.” He entered when I opened the door the rest of the way for him. “How are you feeling?”
“A little sore, but I’ll manage. Compared to some of my other adventures, I’m doing quite well.”
He chuckled and pulled me into a hug, dropping a kiss on my forehead. “I should have been watching you closer last night. I’m sorry he got within twenty feet of you.”
“It’s not your fault, I should have grabbed you or Jack to go out with me.” I pressed my cheek to his chest, absorbing his hug for a moment before stepping away, taking his hand. “So, back to Nogales to pack. Do you have to sell your place there, or were you renting?”
“I was renting, so that’s fine. I’ll find a place out here eventually. Maybe you can help me pick something out.”
Nerves stuttered in my chest. “Are you planning to move into something by Christmas?”
“No,” Shawn said. “I’m not in a hurry. I figure I have time to see where things go with you, and Gramps needs me to stay with him for a while, anyway.”
My brow furrowed. “What’s going on with your grandpa?”
“He’s been sick for a while. He has home health checking on him, but he needs more care, someone who can be there or pop in several times a day. Even if I’m on duty I could pop in for a few minutes here or there. He forgets things and can’t keep up with things around the house. We’re worried something will happen to him and no one will know until home health shows up twelve or fifteen hours later.” He took my hand in his, studying them instead of looking at me while we talked.
“Is that the real reason you’re moving back?”
He pursed his lips for a moment. “He’s a big part of it. Probably the biggest part of it, though certainly not the only reason. Things in Nogales were… hard. I’ve been thinking about getting out for a while.” His eyes flicked to mine. “And then there was you. No other woman has been able to keep my attention for long since I met you again last spring.”
Hope and excitement fluttered inside me. “You’re a smooth one.”
“I’m not being smooth. I’m serious. There’s something about you that draws me, and I want to find out what it is. I just wish I didn’t have to desert the field for a few weeks and let Jack have all of your time while I’m gone.”
“He can’t have all of my time.” I shot him a considering look. “I do have a business to run, you know. And I hope you’re going to call sometimes.”
“You better believe it. Promise not to make a decision before I get back here? At least not one that will shut me out.”
“Promise.” I squeezed Shawn’s fingers. “Now, what about this K-9 you’ll be working with, how does Gramps like the idea of living with a dog?”
He ended the misconception that the dog would live inside and explained that K-9s had to be kept away from people most of the time. I settled in for a fascinating discussion.
Monday I was up and running again, glad we closed shop on Sundays so I had an excuse to take it easy.
The bell rang as I wiped down the counters in the back just before close. It had been a long day and I hoped the customer was fast so I could go home and collapse. I looked over my shoulder to see Jack with his hands in his pockets, watching me.
It brought a smile to my face. “How’s it going?” I asked, crossing over to him.
“Good. And you? How are you feeling today? Still sore from the accident?” He’d called to check in yesterday, but the call only lasted a few minutes.
“Not so much from that. Shoulder’s stiff, but I’m fine when I keep moving. I’m keeping up. I’m glad Honey’s coming in to help Wednesday.” The moment felt somehow awkward, though it was hardly ever awkward with him and I wondered what I could do to fix it.
“I wondered if you’d like to take a walk, maybe stop at the Thai place down the street for dinner?”
It wasn’t crashing on my sofa in my sweats, which I’d been dreaming of for the past three hours, but the image of us sitting across from each other at dinner was pretty great anyway. “I’d love that.” I glanced at the clock and saw it was only a few minutes to six. “Flip the lock, would you? I’m almost done here.”
I asked him about his shift at work the previous day while I counted out the register and double-checked my kitchen to make sure everything was set for the night. “Mind if I change into something that doesn’t smell like frosting?” I asked him when everything was squared away.
“Of course not.”
My trip upstairs was quick and soon we were walking hand-in-hand toward the Thai place.
Jack’s voice was strained when he said, “I suppose Shawn stopped in yesterday to say goodbye before he returned to Nogales.”
“Yes. We talked for an hour or so.” Only talked, though he’d wanted kisses.
“But he’s gone for the next month, right? So you’re free to go out with me?”
I looked over at him, allowing a smile to tease my lips. “I sure am.”
A smile bloomed on his face, making my breath catch in my throat.
“Good. What’s your schedule like Thursday night?” he asked. “Mom would love it if you joined us for a barbecue. I know it’s not exactly summer weather now, but we’ll eat inside if it’s cold. Sophie was excited when Mom suggested it at breakfast.”
How could I let that sweetheart down? Never mind the one standing across from me. “That sounds great to me. And I can probably be free just about any night you are.”
He stopped on the sidewalk in front of the restaurant and took my other hand so we formed a circle. “Look, I don’t want you to feel like Shawn and I are playing tug of war. This isn’t a race to beat Shawn, it’s because I want to be with you. I don’t intend to walk away, not when things are just starting to get interesting, but I don’t want to make this hard for you, either. I just want to see what we might have.”
I appreciated that he took the time to tell me. “Me too. It’s been rough the past six months or so, dealing with things post-Bronson, getting the bakery up and running, and my life under some semblance of control. But it’s starting to come together.”
“Controlled? Is that what you call this week?”
I chuckled. “Not so much this week, but generally speaking things are under control. And thank you, for giving me some time to figure out what I want. You didn’t have to be that understanding.”
He touched my cheek, running a finger across my cheekbones and along my jawline. “I think you’re worth it.” He gestured to the restaurant. “Ready for dinner?”
“Starving.” I didn’t know where either relationship was heading—maybe nowhere—but I decided to enjoy the next while and see where things ended up.
The holiday season has already gotten off to a great start—Tess has garnered a plum job at the Nova Cosmetics annual Christmas party. But when one of the party guests goes into convulsions and dies in the cosmetics company’s parking lot that night, Tess is dragged into another murder mystery—this time against her will.
And unraveling the truth, and dealing with her twisted romantic relationships at the same time might be more than she bargained for.
The Ball’s in Her Court
Rebound
Family by Design
Shear Luck
Blank Slate
The Switch
Homecoming
Homecoming: Second Chances
Sweet Bites Mysteries
Brownies & Betrayal
Pistols & Pies
People always ask me which of my books is my favorite. The fact is, whichever one I’m working on right then seems to be my favorite. Tess has grabbed a corner of my mind from the moment I first created her more than two years ago and she won’t let go. Writing her and the rest of the characters in this series is a pleasure so a big thanks to my many fans who have supported me by purchasing my books so I can continue to spend time with these characters. Thanks to everyone who has written me emails or sent me messages on Facebook to tell me how much they’ve enjoyed the series.
A big thanks to my first-round critique partners, Tristi Pinkston, Keith Fisher, Nichole Giles, Jennifer Celaya, and Steve and Jaclyn Weist. And to my second-round readers Cami Checketts and Rachelle Christensen. Their suggestions and feedback always make my book so much better. Thanks to everyone who helped taste my recipes as I developed them—it’s a terrible burden to bear, I know, but you put up with it anyway.
Also, as always, a big thanks to my hubby who supports me through everything I do, helping with final proofreads, cover design and being there to bounce ideas off of when my stories get into a tangle.
Heather Justesen remembers making her first scratch cake when she was about thirteen. Thankfully, her baking skills have improved dramatically from the lopsided, but tasty mess she made that day. When she’s not writing or developing recipes, she runs with the local volunteer ambulance, enjoys gardening, playing with her chickens, cake decorating and working with her husband in their small business.
Learn more about her at her website at http://heatherjustesen.com/ or her blog at http://heatherjustesen.blogspot.com/ Follow her Facebook fan page http://www.facebook.com/pages/Heather-Justesen/273141090197?fref=ts or on Twitter https://twitter.com/HeatherJustesen/
Muffins & Murder (Sweet Bites Book 3) (Sweet Bites Mysteries) Page 19
