“Thanks. So how about you? Where are you headed next?” he asked.
“The Family Restaurant. I was going to brainstorm some things with Macy, but I couldn’t wait to get there to get some caffeine into me,” she explained.
He laughed. “I hear you. If I don’t stop here, I end up starting my day with the sludge at the station.”
“Good to know where I can find you,” she murmured.
They stared at each other for a few moments, the air between them crackling with intensity.
“I’ve been thinking about you,” he admitted.
Her heart skipped a beat at that. “Same here.”
“Are you free Friday night? We could go out to dinner.”
She sighed. “I’m going to the movies with Macy.” She paused before plowing ahead. “But Saturday night, Macy talked me into going to the women’s heart health fund-raiser. Will you be there?” If she couldn’t go on an official date with him this weekend, at least they could spend time together.
His brows drew close and he hesitated, his attitude going from outgoing and inviting to downright uncomfortable. “Never mind. I—”
“Listen, I—” They spoke at the same time.
His cell rang and he immediately glanced at the phone screen.
“Work call,” he explained, shooting her a regretful look. He spoke to the person on the other end and met her gaze as he disconnected. “I have to go now, but I—” He shook his head. “No time,” he muttered.
She nodded, understanding the urgency. She’d see him Saturday night, or not.
With a last lingering glance, he headed for the door.
She watched him go, her eyes devouring him from behind. The man was built in a way that spoke of working out to maintain his physique but not in a way that screamed gym god. No, he was a fine specimen all on his own.
She wished he’d had a chance to say whatever was on his mind about the fund-raiser, but she wouldn’t let herself worry about it. He had asked her out first, which indicated interest. And if he really wanted to go out with her, he knew where to find her. It was a small town, after all.
She might not be looking for a serious relationship right now, but she’d be crazy to deny she wanted something with this man.
Just what remained to be seen.
Three
Sam found that work as a detective was feast or famine in a small town. Now, when he wanted to get in touch with Nicole, a string of burglaries on a residential street kept him busy. He didn’t even have time to return his mother’s call about their Sunday family dinner. She wanted to make sure he was coming. Of course he was. Not one of his siblings said no to Ella Marsde
n. Now that Mike and Erin were married, it was a bigger gathering than ever before. Add Erin’s baby . . . and the pressure was on for Sam. But he could handle his mother, and he’d be there because he knew what was good for him. Besides, he loved his family no matter what.
He ended up spending that Friday night on a stakeout, watching for the teens who were breaking into parked cars and vandalizing them for the hell of it. Saturday consisted of viewing hours of video of the same street, courtesy of a paranoid homeowner who’d had cameras installed outside his home. Good thing, since they’d caught a glimpse of a lone car coming into the neighborhood after midnight a week ago when the vandalism had started.
Sam was exhausted and needed a good night’s sleep that lasted a solid twelve hours. Unfortunately, he had just enough time to shower, change, and pick up his obligatory date for the fund-raiser. His stomach churned, for more reasons than why he’d argued with Cara about it in the first place. He hadn’t had the chance to explain the situation to Nicole at Cuppa Café, he didn’t have her cell phone number, he hadn’t run into her again, and he had no time to stop by her place to talk before he picked up Margie Stinson.
He wasn’t looking forward to running into Nicole tonight with another woman on his arm. His throat constricted at the thought and he shoved his fingers beneath the collar of his tuxedo shirt and tugged, needing air.
Though he and Nicole barely knew each other, that kiss changed everything for him, and he was sure she wanted to explore things further too. They might not have a commitment between them, but Sam wasn’t a serial dater. Thanks to his mother’s and sister’s influence, he understood and respected women. As a result, he had a gnawing feeling that tonight was going to be memorable, and not in any way he would have wanted.
When Nicole moved to Serendipity, she hadn’t thought she’d need a formal dress, but having been raised to always be prepared, she’d saved her favorite one and stored it in the back of her closet. She dressed in a sapphire-blue dress with silver shoes, not allowing herself to second-guess or change.
Macy had given her the address for the country club where the event was being held, and as she pulled up to the filled parking lot, nerves assailed her. She didn’t know anyone here, not really. Despite the urge to turn around and go home, she continued on to the valet and gave them her car.
As a man took her small Mercedes and drove off, Nicole had no choice but to gather her courage and head inside. She walked in and the first thing she noticed was a table with beautiful red and white flowers—red for heart disease, she assumed—and picked up the heart-shaped card with her name on it. Table five. Which meant nothing to her, since other than Macy, she had no friends here. Well, there was Sam, but she didn’t know what to think about things between them. She put the place card in her silver clutch and made her way into the lobby area, looking for Macy.
The first familiar face wasn’t Macy but Erin, Sam’s sister, the woman Nicole’s twin had stalked and nearly run down with her car. For someone who’d given birth a few months ago, she looked amazing in an emerald-green sheath dress. The green brought out her eyes, which were so much like her brother’s.