by Jayne Blue
“Lila, I presume,” I said, amazed I could get the damn words out. Shit. I was off-kilter today in more ways than one.
“You presume correctly,” she said, drawing my eyes to her siren-red lips.
“Thought it was past time I made your acquaintance,” I said. “Beckett Finch.”
Her lilting laugh sent my blood humming. It took everything in me not to stare at what else shook besides her shoulders.
“Oh, I know who you are,” she said. “Have a seat. How do you take it?”
A dozen wicked innuendos flashed through my head. I just smiled and took the open stool. “Black is fine,” I answered.
Lila turned and poured me a cup of steaming coffee. She slid it in front of me then turned to a case of pastries beside her. “The Danishes just came out of the oven,” she said. I nodded as she plated one and put it in front of me.
“Thanks,” I said, reaching into my back pocket. Lila put a hand over mine, stopping me.
“No, sir,” she said and I damn near lost it. “Your money’s no good here. Not yours nor any law enforcement or retired or active military. Rumor has it you can check off more than one of those boxes.”
I raised a brow. “I’m impressed. Seems you have me at a disadvantage.”
There was that laugh again. She was stunning but with the best kind of beauty. Like she didn’t fully realize it.
“Well, then let’s rectify that,” she said, extending her hand again. “I’m Lila. Lila Kelly. And let’s hope this isn’t your one and only visit.”
Heat arced between us as I took her hand again. I knew two things at that moment. One, there was no way this would be my last visit. Two, things wouldn’t stay quiet in Crystal Falls for long.
Chapter Two
Lila
Sheriff Beckett Finch was straight out of every gritty western I’d ever seen. Hard, rugged good looks, weathered lines in his face that made it hard to tell just how old he was. He had the swagger, the smoldering dark eyes. He tipped his hat to me as he slid onto a stool at the counter. The flash of his badge and the holstered weapon at his waist set off a tripwire inside of me. Since the time I was old enough to walk, I’d been taught to steer far clear of anyone with a badge.
But this was Crystal Falls, Texas, not Boston. Not Dublin. Here, my name meant nothing to anyone but me. I hoped my wide smile looked genuine enough as I reached out and shook Sheriff Finch’s hand. His touch lingered over mine for just a split second longer than I expected, sending a flare of excitement through me. I bit my bottom lip. That rebellious, danger-seeking Kelly streak was always there inside me, simmering just below the surface.
“I’m so glad you finally got a chance to saunter over my way,” I said, grabbing a towel from behind the counter. I wiped the space beside Beckett Finch. Another patron, Darren Friend, sat there and gave me a quick wink. Darren had become a regular in the three weeks since I’d opened the place. Coffee and a hot biscuit, that’s all he ever ordered.
Beckett set his sheriff’s hat on the counter beside him and cut his Danish with a fork. My eyes traveled to his lips as he took a bite. He had a full, sensual mouth and a cleft in his chin. I waited a beat and my smile warmed me from the inside out as I watched Beckett’s eyes glaze over for an instant with pleasure.
“Wow,” he said. “You might have something here, Miss Kelly.” Miss. Not Ms. Not Mrs. The mischievous flash in his eyes almost dared me to correct the presumption. I didn’t. Oh, I knew his type. He was sizing me up just like I was him. Crystal Falls was a tiny nothing of a town. A guy like Beckett Finch could make things easy or impossible for me.
“I’m glad you like it,” I said. A hand went up at the other end of the counter. Addy, my most recent hire, was still in the back getting fresh donuts out of the oven. I shot Beckett a wink and went down the row to freshen everyone’s coffee.
I took a moment, leaning against the back wall. My heart pounded in my chest. Three weeks. The first few days had been the scariest. I’d done no real advertising yet except for flyers, preferring to acclimate myself to the lay of this particular land. But here I was, on day twenty-one and there wasn’t an empty seat in the place. If you bake it, they will come.
Except a year ago, Crystal Falls had been nothing more than a dot on a map to me. I’d been looking for someplace quiet, small, peaceful. One walk through the downtown area and I knew it would be a perfect fit for me. Everything about this town was a throwback to a gentler era. The town ordinances prevented any of the buildings from taking on a more modern look. My idea for Lila’s Cakes and Coffee blended right into this place. Plus, the rent was cheap.
A new town. A fresh start. A corner of the world where no one gave a damn who my father or grandfather was. And it was way too small for either of them to bother with. Or so I prayed.
Sheriff Finch hadn’t taken his eyes off me. Oh, he was smooth about it, all right. Nobody else would have even noticed his focus. But he had that air about him. Straight back, squared shoulders, eyes scanning everything around him. He was in constant threat assessment. It almost didn’t fit the vibe of a small-town sheriff. I knew instantly that Finch was something more than that. Crystal Falls probably wasn’t his hometown either. He lacked the casual, slow air of everyone else I’d met. That could be good for me, or it could be bad.
He lifted his cup toward me with a smile and I raised my coffee pot. His fingers brushed against mine as I took the cup and topped him up.
“Thanks,” he said. His lips were still moist from the last bite of Danish he’d polished off. I had the urge to wipe a tiny bit of glaze from the corner.
“Anytime,” I said. “And I meant what I said. You tell your department. They’re welcome here free of charge. I open at six but I’m always here by four thirty. You just knock on the door and I’ll make sure to have a pot of coffee brewing.”
“You don’t have to go to all that trouble,” he said. “We don’t get that much excitement around here. And usually never at four thirty.”
“Just the same. Cops and military don’t pay here. Spread the word.”
Beckett leaned back. The last of the breakfast crowd started to clear out. Addy hadn’t had a chance to take so much as a breath in about an hour. To my right, she tucked herself in the short hallway leading to the restrooms and started straightening the wads of bills in her apron. Her wide smile told me it had been an exceptionally good morning for her. I was glad. She was a good kid. Just out of high school, she’d been the first person to knock on my door looking for a job.
I could afford exactly two waitresses and myself to take care of the service end of Lila’s Cakes and Coffee. So far, I was the one doing all of the baking. If things kept going how they were, I wouldn’t be able to keep up for long. Crystal Falls had been the biggest gamble of my life. Three weeks wasn’t long enough to prove whether it had paid off, but it was a damn good start. Though old instincts were hard to break, I knew Sheriff Finch might be one of many keys to keeping my little coffee shop from novelty and quick death to a real foothold in the community.
I expected Finch to leave when the crowd did. He didn’t. Arlene, my other waitress, poured him his third cup and he fingered the rim, waiting for something. My heart hitched in my throat when I realized he was waiting for me. He was here for more than coffee. The man wanted to talk. Interrogate, more like. I poured my own cup of coffee and walked to the end of the counter to square off with him.
“You like what you see?” I asked. Sure, I was being coy. I saw the way his eyes traveled over me, widening just a little as he took in my tight blouse, perfectly applied lipstick, and my crisply pressed cotton shorts. Anything I could use to keep him off balance would work to my advantage.
He nodded. “Just sorry I waited so long to check the place out. You’re brave, Miss Kelly. You realize that?”
I leaned against the counter and took a slow sip of coffee, blowing away the steam. “How do you figure?”
Finch let out a low whistle. Finch. Beckett Finch. It was a
n interesting name for his outward appearance. Small-town sheriff, maybe, but this guy had secrets of his own. I was sure of it.
“You do any market research about Crystal Falls?”
“Yes, as a matter of fact.”
His easy smile could be dangerous. I knew at once he used it to get people to let their guards down. His “aw shucks” manner and Texas drawl dripped over me like warm honey.
“So, where you from, Miss Kelly?”
I leaned forward on my elbows and gave him a dangerous smile of my own. “So, how good are you at your job, Sheriff Finch? And why do I think you’ve already figured out the answers to all the questions you’re going to ask me?”
His smile broadened and my blood heated. Damn. He was good. I had to be better. “New England. Boston, probably. But I don’t think you’ve lived there for a while. So, how’d you end up all the way down here? You have family in town?”
These were all the dangerous questions. They’d seem innocent to anyone else. For me, they’d ruined my life. “Not bad,” I said. “Boston. Yes. Now, would you believe me if I told you I straight up threw a dart at a road map of Texas?”
Just a slight narrowing of Beckett’s eyes betrayed his thoughts. He kept his casual grin firmly in place. “You know, I believe I would.”
“Good,” I said, straightening. “You going to tell me if I passed the test? Or am I still taking it?”
He laughed. “A dart. Hell of a business strategy. Though, if everything you bake is as good as those Danishes, I suppose it wouldn’t much matter where you stuck. You’ve got a winner here.”
My heart fluttered. God, I hoped he was right. I wanted it so badly. Something that was all mine. Something I’d built entirely myself. No one had co-signed my start-up loan. Hell, no one in my rearview mirror was even supposed to know where I was. I’d worked so hard to get here.
“Thank you,” I said. “And I am really glad you finally found your way to my counter. I do have to ask though, was it just curiosity, or did someone send you here?”
The slight flicker in Beckett’s eyes gave me my answer. My heart sank. I had a pretty solid guess on the answer to my last question.
“Oh, it’s nothing to worry about, really,” he said. “This is a small town. It’ll take you a bit to learn all of its quirks.”
I looked over my shoulder. Addy and Arlene were dealing with the handful of customers left. Things were under control. I ran my hand down the front of my shorts, smoothing a slight wrinkle, and came around the counter. I left one stool between us, but sat to Beckett’s left. He turned his stool to face me.
“Is there one particular quirk I should pay most attention to?”
I didn’t know what this was. I heard a little voice at my shoulder. You know exactly what this is. Pay to play. You were stupid to think it wouldn’t be like that here.
I kept my smile firmly in place.
“Look,” Beckett said. “I hate even bringing this up. And I damn well know how silly it’s gonna sound. If it were coming from anyone else, I wouldn’t even bother.”
“Just spit it out, Sheriff,” I said, dropping my smile. “I’m a big girl. And like you said. I’m not from around here. I think I know how this works.”
Beckett reared back. His eyes widened and I realized instantly I’d misjudged him. Shit. I knew better. You never do the talking.
Beckett recovered quickly and took a deep breath. “You’ve met Mrs. Morris, I presume.”
It was my turn to rear back. Mrs. Morris? Did he mean the old lady who ran the antique shop across the street? I’d met her a handful of times. She always gave me a sour look and hustled back in her store whenever I waved at her.
“Garnett’s mostly harmless,” Beckett continued. “Mostly. But ... she’s one of the town draws and she knows it.”
“Did she lodge some kind of complaint about me? I can assure you, all my permits and licenses are in order.”
Beckett put up a hand to placate me. “It’s not that. Like I said, I feel a little silly even justifying any of this with a conversation. And I’m only doing that so I can tell her I did the next time she corners me on the street. She’s wrong ... let me just preface this whole thing by admitting that. But she’s Garnett. If she wants to stir up trouble, she can. I’d hate to see something so piddly as this grow out of proportion.”
“Sheriff Finch,” I said, tucking a loose hair behind my ear. “I think you better get to your point. Exactly what have I done to ruffle Garnett Morris’s feathers?”
“Parking.” He blurted it out so quickly, I had to do a double take to make sure I heard him correctly.
“Parking?”
He shrugged and arched one dark brow. If possible, it made him look even more ruggedly charming.
“Yeah. She kinda stormed into my office this morning madder than hell that your customers are parking in front of her store on purpose. Or something.”
I scratched my chin. “Are you kidding? It’s a public street. Nobody has private parking in Crystal Falls. Am I wrong about that?”
He grabbed his hat and fingered the brim. “Ah, no. You’re not. But it’s a two-hour limit and she’s got it in her head that somebody from your place is parking in front of hers just to rile her up. And I told ya, I know it’s silly. I’m just passing the information along. I don’t know. Maybe bring her a plate of those Danishes or some of that apple pie that smells so damn good. Kill her with kindness. Garnett just likes to make sure everyone knows her store is the reason a lot of the others around her ... including yours, probably ... have as much traffic as they do.”
“Hmm,” I said. “Well, I do appreciate the tip.”
He turned his hat then stuck it back on his head. “It’s nothing. I told you. But everyone here has learned about Garnett the hard way. Believe me. Myself included.”
“Ah,” I said. “So you’re a transplant too. I had a hunch. Did you throw your own dart, Sheriff?”
Storm clouds brewed behind Beckett Finch’s eyes. Once again, I had the distinct sense the man had secrets of his own. For reasons I couldn’t yet name, I wanted very much to learn what they were. As he got up, I nearly asked him to stay.
“Something like that,” he answered, eyes twinkling.
“Are you going to leave me in suspense?” I asked.
He crossed his arms in front of himself and leaned against the wall. “You know, Miss Kelly, I think I just might.”
“Hmm. Well, don’t be a stranger. I was serious about what I said. Stop on by tomorrow morning. If you think my Danishes are something, wait until you sink your teeth into one of my blueberry muffins.”
He put a hand over his heart and faked a stagger backward. “Bribing a public official will land you in some hot water, Miss Kelly.”
“I think I’ll take my chances. And I will follow your advice. I’ve got a fresh cherry pie with Garnett Morris’s name on it, I think. As soon as I get a spare minute, I’ll take it right on over to her.”
Nodding, he headed for the front door. “A wise decision, I think. You let me know if that doesn’t do the trick. I’m pretty sure it will.”
I gave Beckett Finch a loose salute. He tipped his hat and walked out the door. A blush came into my cheeks as I watched his swagger as he made his way down the street.
“Oh my,” Addy said. She came to stand at my shoulder. “What I wouldn’t give to have that man cuff me into the back of his patrol car and read me my rights.”
Arlene laughed all the way from the kitchen. “Get back to work,” I said, pointing a finger at Addy.
I didn’t know what to think. The fewer questions Beckett Finch had about me, the better off I’d be. And yet, I wanted him to take me up on my offer and come right on back tomorrow. God. I was thinking just like Addy.
An hour later, I plated a whole cherry pie and told Addy and Arlene to hold the fort down for me for just a few minutes. Garnett Morris was in her store and it was better to get this over with than wait.
“Parking,” I mutte
red. It was ridiculous. No sooner had I said it than I noticed the black luxury sedan parked right in front of Garnett’s store. It was kitty corner to my shop. Anyone sitting in it would have the perfect vantage point to spy on me.
My heart sank and my step faltered as I came around behind it. The car was empty, but my eyes zeroed in on the rear bumper.
Boston plates.
Chapter Three
Beckett
“One more day of this and you’re gonna end up hurting one or two of the feelings I have left.”
Ramona rested her chin in her palm and stared across the bullpen at me. There was no point coming up with excuses. I held the offending evidence in a Styrofoam cup in my right hand, steam billowing through the tiny hole in the plastic top. For three days straight, I’d found a reason to stop at Lila’s shop and take her up on her offer for free coffee and breakfast pastries. Ramona was a throwback. Though I never asked her to and didn’t expect it, she liked to bring me my coffee every morning.
“Sorry,” I said, though she knew damn well I wasn’t. I also knew it’s exactly why she was teasing me about it. There were other places in town offering free coffee and meals to cops. But I kept going back to Lila’s.
“Well, you don’t have to look so damn happy when you stroll in the place, at least,” Ramona teased. She shuffled some papers on her desk and took up a bright smile when Crane and two other deputies walked by. Ramona and I had a rhythm to our relationship. She could sense when I needed something, including my privacy. It was one thing for her to rib me about my interest in Lila. I wouldn’t take it from anyone else.
Interest. I wasn’t even sure that was the right thing to call it. There was something about Lila Kelly that had tripped some sensor inside of me. It wasn’t just the ones connected to my groin. Though there was that. It was my job to know everything about the people doing business in this town and in Lila’s case, I had a firm sense she was hiding something. She grew evasive and changed the subject every time I asked her anything personal.
