Shadow of Intrigue

by Christy Barritt

  “Thanksgiving is right around the corner, and I plan on having all of my friends plus a few others over to the restaurant to celebrate. They’re expecting something with my creative twist.”

  “I can only imagine they are.”

  She turned toward the pie dishes that she’d already laid out. “I have three different kinds of apple pies I want to make. I want to see which one tastes better. You can help by being my taste tester.”

  Braden leaned against the counter, his bulky arms crossed over his chest. He looked more relaxed than she’d ever seen him. “What are these pies? And why mess with a classic?”

  “Because if you settle for what’s always been good enough then you never know what could be better.”

  His gaze caught hers. “I like that.”

  “Good.” Lisa’s heart pounded in her ears as she looked up at him.

  Braden put his coffee down. “Okay. Teach me your ways, oh great one.”

  “All right, there are the three pies we’re making.” Lisa began ticking them off on her fingers. “One is a rustic apple pie made with a cornmeal crust.”

  His face almost looked comical as he tried to hold back his disgust. “I’m not judging you. I’m really not.”

  “Another is a cheesecake apple pie.”

  “I could dig that.”

  “With rosemary,” she added, flicking her finger in the air as if it were a magic wand.

  He twisted his head with doubt. “You’re starting to lose me just a little.”

  Lisa pushed ahead before he lost interest. “And the third is an apple tart, but I peel the apples so they look like roses.”

  Braden made a face.

  “And I add bacon.”

  “I’m back on board.”

  She hid a smile. “You’re going to make the crusts for me.”

  Lisa grabbed the ingredients he’d need and placed them on the counter.

  “Never made crust,” Braden admitted.

  “It’s easy. I’ll teach you.” She grabbed a large mixing bowl, some measuring cups, and spoons.

  “Would you?”

  “Absolutely. But you might have to get your hands dirty.” She wiggled her fingers in the air.

  “I’m not afraid.” He winked.

  Lisa raised her eyebrows. “You should be.”

  Braden chuckled, seeming less like a soldier and more like a teddy bear. She liked both sides of him—as long as she was on the right side of him.

  “I’m up for the challenge,” he said.

  “All right, let’s get started.” She grabbed a huge bowl of apples that she would clean and slice. “First off, mix the cornmeal and sugar. Here’s the recipe.”

  She placed the hand-written card in front of him and watched as he measured everything out.

  “After you stir that, I’ll cut in the butter.”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  She leaned closer—maybe too close. She was close enough to smell his musky aftershave mixing with the scents of the food around them. Close enough that the hair on his arms brushed against her skin, sending delight prickling through her.

  Braden was a good student and did as she asked. She worked the mixture until it formed crumbs and reached the perfect texture. “Now just roll it into a ball.”

  Braden tried to make a ball, but the mixture continued to fall apart. Lisa stood back and watched in amusement for a moment until she couldn’t take it any longer. It was almost painful to see him struggle.

  “Here, let me help you.” She stepped beside Braden, took one of his hands, and showed him how to properly form the dough. “Just like this. You’ll get the hang of it.”

  She sucked in a breath as a realization hit her. His hands had stopped trembling.

  Again.

  Braden must have noticed it also, and his eyes widened with a hint of awe. “You have the magic touch.”

  “I don’t know about that.” Lisa let out a nervous laugh.

  She looked away before Braden read too much into the moment. Before he could read the look in her eyes or know that she’d felt a jolt of electricity herself. The last thing she needed was to fall for someone who wasn’t in the right mental state.

  “Okay, now what?” Braden’s voice sounded strained as he asked the question.

  She grabbed a handful of flour and splattered it on the stainless-steel countertop. “Now we roll it out.”

  Braden reached across her and picked up the rolling pin. “So tell me, Lisa, how did you become a scientist?”

  She shrugged, stepping back to watch him as he began rolling out the dough. “Science was always my thing. I loved it. But I was working in the lab, creating . . . well, I was creating cosmetics. Long-lasting lipstick, for that matter. It just wasn’t fulfilling, if you know what I mean.”

  “I get that.”

  “But what I’d always loved was to cook. Food is . . . well, it’s more than a necessity. It’s fun and a way to bring people together and a way to express myself.” As she talked, she began preparing the apples.

  “Interesting.”

  “My friends were always commenting on how much they liked it when I had them over to eat. Everything just kind of grew from that.”

  “It’s good that you’re doing what you love.”

  “I agree.”

  Just then, a rattle sounded in the distance. Lisa startled and took a step back. Was that someone trying to get in? The sign on the door clearly said the restaurant was closed.

  “Stay here.” Braden stiffened and snapped into bodyguard mode. “Let me check it out.”

  Lisa nodded, grateful Braden was here. Because what if it was another stray bullet? Or John was back? Or the man who’d been watching outside her place, who took a picture?

  Facing those challenges with someone else beside her was way better than facing them alone—especially when that someone was Braden.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Braden walked toward the door, his muscles on guard as he prepared himself for the worst.

  But when he reached the front, he saw no one, nothing.

  He stepped outside, just to be sure.

  The parking lot was both dark and empty.

  Strange.

  What if the man who wanted to harm Braden was out here? But it wasn’t just Braden he wanted to harm, Braden reminded himself. The man was now targeting Lisa also.

  If something happened to her because of him . . . he’d never forgive himself.

  Should he tell her about the photo and the threats?

  No, he decided. It would only make her paranoid.

  Instead, he’d try to stay close and keep an eye on her himself.

  When he was certain nothing was awry, he joined Lisa again in the kitchen. But he still didn’t feel at peace. They’d both heard something, and they were both in danger.

  “Well?” Lisa stood against the wall, her eyes as wide as saucers as she stared at the door, as if she’d been waiting for him.

  She was frightened. Maybe a little too frightened. While the rattling had been unnerving, the woman’s reaction seemed bigger than what had happened.

  Was there something he didn’t know? Did this go back to that bullet that had gone through her window?

  “Maybe it was the wind.”

  She released her breath and nodded. “Okay, good.”

  “Why do you look scared? You think someone is coming after you or something?”

  “Not really. It’s just that between someone shooting out my door and John . . . I guess I’m on edge.”

  Braden stepped closer and squeezed her shoulder. “I guess you are. I’m sorry, Lisa.”

  “Don’t be sorry. It’s not your fault. It’s just got me unnerved.”

  They stared at each other a minute, neither saying anything.

  Braden wanted to say more. Wanted to fish all the secrets from her so he could understand her better. But that wasn’t his place.

  They spent the next hour making the other pies and munching on some sandwiches
that Braden made them. When everything was in the oven, Lisa leaned against the counter, inhaling deeply. She was a beauty with her dancing, mischievous eyes and a rakish grin that promised fun and heart.

  “They smell good, don’t they?” She raised her eyebrows.

  “Apples and cinnamon and sugar. Has there ever been a better combination? I can hardly wait to try them.”

  “Can I tell you something, Braden?” Lisa crossed her arms and studied him a minute.

  “Of course.” His heart rate ratcheted up a notch. Was this one of the secrets he could glimpse beneath the cheerful undercurrents of her gaze?

  She pulled herself up on the counter, looking more laid-back and relaxed than she had a few minutes earlier. “I used to be overweight.”

  “I would have never guessed.” She seemed naturally slender. Either way—slender or overweight—Lisa was a beauty. He hoped she knew that.

  “I decided to change my life. I was tired of being the fat girl, so I lost forty pounds.”

  “Good for you. That takes a lot of willpower.”

  “I did it by changing my thinking. Trying to use mind over matter.”

  “What do you mean?” Braden leaned back, interested in hearing what she had to say.

  Her hands flew in the air as she talked, bringing the story to life. “Well, so many of our reactions are based on our thoughts and our core beliefs. My core belief was that food made me happy and brought me comfort.”

  “But . . .”

  “I had to start looking at food as a necessity instead. Don’t get me wrong. As you can tell with my job, I still find a lot of joy in food. But I filter that enjoyment through mental reminders to myself about why I do what I do.”

  “That’s interesting.” He believed in the power of the mind as well. It was too bad his wasn’t working properly.

  “It is. It goes back to discovering the lies that we’ve allowed ourselves to believe. After a while, those lies feel so much like the truth that we believe them and they become a part of us.”

  “It takes a lot of self-control.” Braden stood from his perch against the counter. Lisa’s attitude toward life and her determination were just more reasons why she was amazing. “I know this sounds like a line, and I don’t mean it that way. I really don’t. But why are you single?”

  Lisa shrugged, looking surprisingly unaffected by the question. “I haven’t found the right person, which also sounds cliché. But it’s true. I don’t want to settle.”

  “Admirable.”

  Her gaze met his. “You?”

  Braden shrugged this time. “I was deployed. Not in a good place for a long-term relationship. And then I felt broken.”

  “We’re all broken in our own ways, aren’t we?”

  “Even you?”

  “Even me.” She offered a soft smile. “It’s weird, you know. I’ve always wanted to be married and have kids. All of my friends in college talked about women’s rights and careers and being independent. I was a bit of an outcast. I wanted a career—but not like they did. I wanted a family more.”

  “That doesn’t sound weird.”

  “Well, sometimes I think God has a wicked sense of humor.”

  “Are you allowed to say that?”

  She shrugged. “I don’t know. Am I? Okay, He has a strange sense of humor.”

  “Why is that?”

  She sucked on her bottom lip. “The truth is—and I’m not ashamed of this—but the truth is that, out of all my friends, I’m the one who always wanted to settle down. And you know what’s so ironic? I’ve never even been kissed.”

  Braden sucked in a breath, certain he hadn’t heard her correctly. “What? You’re joking with me.”

  “I’m not.”

  “Are you one of those people who’s waiting for her wedding for her first kiss?”

  “No, I’m just waiting for someone I honestly like. Who sees me for me. Who likes me for me.”

  “And you’ve never met someone like that? I mean, you’re pretty and smart and successful. There are probably guys waiting in line to date you.”

  She shrugged. “There have been a couple of guys who tried, but I wasn’t interested. Truthfully, I may have lost weight, but part of me still feels like that overweight girl. I was always everyone’s friend, the sidekick, but never the star of the show, if you get my drift.”

  “I find that hard to believe.” Braden stepped closer so he could see Lisa’s face, so he could study her eyes and see the flecks in them. “You’re not the supporting cast character kind of girl. You definitely deserve your own story, Lisa.”

  Lisa raised a shoulder, but her expression didn’t show embarrassment. No, she looked like she took it all in stride. “I’m as single as they come.”

  Was there anything this woman didn’t take in stride?

  It was an impressive trait to possess.

  “Truth be told, I can understand.” Braden’s throat burned as he contemplated the wisdom in sharing his deepest thoughts. But something about Lisa made him want to open up. “I used to revel in my own toughness. And . . . now I hardly feel like a man anymore. What kind of a man can’t even button up his own shirt?”

  Her hand reached out until it rested on his shoulder. “I think when a guy truly acknowledges who he is, that’s the manliest thing of all.”

  Warmth spread through him. She got him. Lisa really got him. There weren’t any hints of pity in her voice. No, she understood.

  There were so few people he could say that about. “Thanks for listening, Lisa.”

  “No problem,” she said softly. “And you’ll get there again, Braden. Just give yourself time.”

  “I wish I felt that sure.”

  She sucked in a deep breath, as if the moment overwhelmed her. Or was it because he’d stepped closer? Or because she’d realized her hand was on Braden’s chest as they faced each other.

  Braden half expected her to run. Instead, she picked up some flour from the canister beside her—just a small coating on her hand—and blew on it.

  A cloud filled the air.

  “Magic cooking dust.” She grinned.

  Braden smiled in return and grabbed some flour also. “I like that.”

  He blew some in her face until both of them were covered in flour and laughing.

  Before either realized what was happening, Braden put one arm at each side of Lisa’s hips as she sat on the counter. He moved in closer, a new emotion coming over him. A serious emotion.

  “What would you say if I told you I wanted to kiss you right now?” His voice sounded so low that he wasn’t sure Lisa would hear.

  Lisa’s pupils dilated. “I might be open to it.”

  One hand stayed at her waist and the other pushed a hair from her face. Braden’s thumb skimmed her jaw as he soaked in her features. Her beautiful features. Features that highlighted her inner beauty.

  What was he doing?

  Braden didn’t know.

  But he did know that he didn’t want to stop.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Lisa closed her eyes and breathed in the moment. The sweet smell of the pies baking. The feel of flour across her skin. The memory of Braden’s lips against hers. Of his nearness. Of the musky scent of his cologne and the warmth of his skin and—well, everything. Everything about the moment was perfect.

  “You sure you’ve never done this before?” Braden murmured, his breath wisping across her cheek.

  “I’m quite certain.” Lisa opened her eyes, and her cheeks warmed as she saw Braden watching her. It wasn’t embarrassment. No, it was because all her emotions felt so big and unbelievably blissful inside her.

  “You could have fooled me.” Braden’s gaze looked as warm and enticing as caramel syrup as he stared at her.

  “You know what I think?” Lisa licked her lips, feeling electricity crackling in the air.

  “What’s that?”

  “That you should stop talking and kiss me again.”

  A slow, warm smile spread across Br
aden’s face. “I can do that.”

  His lips met hers again, just as tender as the first time. Lisa reached up and let her hands explore his jaw. The side of his face. The nape of his neck.

  When they pulled away, she had to catch her breath. Her heart raced so quickly it almost felt unhealthy. Yet she’d never felt more alive.

  “What are we doing?” Braden touched his forehead against hers.

  “That’s a good question.” Lisa’s heart warmed at his vulnerability. Nothing was more appealing than a man who wasn’t afraid to be authentic. She’d never thought when she met Braden that he would be that man. Now the thought wouldn’t leave her mind.

  “I didn’t come here looking for this.” His voice sounded mellow with emotion. “And now . . . well, I don’t know how I’ll ever walk away.”

  Lisa rested her hand against his jaw and cheek, feeling the stubble beneath her fingers. Now that he mentioned it . . . she thought the same thing. “Maybe you don’t have to.”

  Something silent passed between them. Before either could say anything else, the oven timer dinged.

  Lisa swallowed hard and pulled back. “The pies are ready. I know the perfect place to try them out.”

  “I’m game.”

  “Great. Let me get everything ready. You’re going to love it.”

  While Braden carried a tray laden with their slices of pie to sample—along with a healthy serving of ice cream and two travel mugs with coffee—Lisa led him upstairs. She bypassed her small apartment and hit another stairway that led up even higher.

  “Where are you taking me?” Braden asked, his eyes sparkling with curiosity.

  Lisa smiled and held her lantern up so they could see. This part of the building didn’t have any lights, which was part of its intrigue. “You’ll see. Are you scared?”

  “Scared? Do you think that’s why I’m trembling?”

  She smiled, glad he could laugh at himself. “Well, whatever you do, don’t drop the pies.”

  Braden chuckled. “I like your humor.”

  She stopped at the top of the stairway and pushed up a hatch. Carefully climbing through, she put the lantern in the corner and took the tray from Braden. “Here we are.”