That Thing You Do (Whispering Bay Romance 1)

“I was driving by and I saw a car in the parking lot. So I stopped to investigate. Now it’s your turn. What are you doing back in town? I thought you lived in Tampa.”

He knew where she lived? “I don’t need a reason to come back home. Certainly not one I need to run by you, anyway. And I thought you lived in Atlanta.”

“Things change,” he said.

“Right. Things change.”

“So are you going to answer me or not?”

The way he stared at her made Allie squirm. Instinctively, she went to run a hand through her hair, then remembered that she’d pulled it back in a ponytail. She didn’t need a mirror to know exactly what she looked like. Ratty shorts, skinned up knee, no makeup. Her When-I See-Tom-Donalan-Again-Revenge-Fantasy was officially zero-for-two now.

“I don’t have to explain myself to you,” she said.

He shrugged in a way that made her want to punch him. How could she have ever thought the two of them were kindred spirits?

“Suit yourself,” Tom said. “But you have about three minutes before the cops show up, and if you don’t want me to press charges you better have a damn good reason for breaking into my building.”

Of all the abandoned buildings in all the towns in all the world, she walks into mine. Tom Donalan knew when he moved back to Whispering Bay it would only be a matter of time before he eventually ran into Allie Grant. He just hadn’t expected it to be tonight. Or to be so damn unprepared.

Kismet was truly a bitch.

Allie’s brown eyes sizzled. Which wasn’t the only thing hot about her. Those legs that had nearly caused him to flunk AP chemistry were still going strong.

“Your building?” she said. “I thought this was public property.”

“Public property that’s about to come down to make way for progress. And I’m the guy in charge.” He sounded like an asshole, but he couldn’t seem to help himself.

What was she doing here?

His gaze cut to the broken glass on the ground, leading him to the metallic screen on the floor beneath an open window. “You broke in through the window?”

“I can explain—”

“The place is practically falling down on its own. You get hurt in here, it’s my responsibility.”

“And we all know how big you are on responsibility.” Her eyes went wide, like she hadn’t planned on saying that out loud.

Leave it to Allie Grant. The girl had no filter. Together less than five minutes and she’d already thrown down the gauntlet.

A blue police light flashed through the window.

“Captain Crunch,” she muttered. “You really did call the cops, didn’t you?”

Only Allie Grant would think the name of a kids’ breakfast cereal constituted some kind of cuss word. The first time he’d heard her say it was after she’d botched a chemistry experiment. Almost immediately she’d turned beet red. Her grandmother, she explained, had encouraged her to use the expression to replace saying something not as nice. It had been cute at the time. He remembered the last time he heard her say it. It hadn’t been so cute then.

“I thought you were the same kids who’ve been sneaking around here all week.” He shrugged, and added, “Sorry.” Only he wasn’t sorry he’d called the cops because this building was turning into a real pain in the ass. He was only sorry that… What? That it was Allie Grant he’d found inside?

The door burst open. “Hands in the air!” shouted a uniformed officer. It was Rusty Newton, a member of Whispering Bay’s finest and he was waving a gun like he’d just stepped into a real live version of Die Hard.

Tom put his hands up in the air. “Whoa. Take it easy, Rusty. No one here is armed.”

Other than the Bruce Willis routine, Tom had to admit he was awful glad it was Rusty who’d answered the call. He wasn’t the brightest bulb on the Whispering Bay Police force but he was a good ol’ boy and could be reasoned with.

Rusty holstered his weapon. “What’s going on, Tom? You call in a B&E?”

Allie waved her arm in the air to get the deputy’s attention. “Hey, Rusty. What’s shakin’?”

Rusty did a double take. “Allie? Damn, girl, what are you doing here? Does Zeke know you’re in town?”