Just One Kiss (The Town of Pearl 8)

He could tell he had put her on edge, and she sure did look scared. As he thought about that, his instincts kicked in, and he couldn’t help but wonder if she was afraid of him.

“Lucia, I didn’t mean to scare you by suggesting that.”

“You don’t scare me, Lucifer. I’ll see you guys tomorrow.” She quickly headed out of the room. One glance at Salvatore and he could see his brother’s concern.

“I think you do scare her. I wonder why,” Salvatore expressed.

“She’s shy, not so experienced probably. We are a lot older than her.”

“Doesn’t mean a thing. She was scared. Just like when she nearly tripped earlier and we both caught her. She nearly jumped from our embrace,” Salvatore pointed out.

Lucifer thought about that a moment. “You’re right. Do you think she’s been hurt before?” As he asked the question, he instantly felt sick. She was petite, sweet, and the thought that he frightened her or that she felt like he could hurt her really bothered him.

“I don’t know. It’s not our business though. Let’s just get this work done and call it a day. Tomorrow we’ll worry about the plans for this room and Lucia’s ideas.”

“You’re right. Maybe I’m reading in

to this too deeply. Let’s get moving. Maybe we’ll complete this job ahead of schedule.”

“With those two women planning and designing, I doubt it.” Lucifer chuckled and placed the gloves back onto his hands then began working. His mind remained on the mysterious, doe-eyed young woman and all the reasons why he shouldn’t pursue the attraction he felt. Not when he knew so little about her.

Chapter 5

Lucia spent most of Friday on the computer trying to get an idea of what styles Mrs. Higgins liked. Since the bedroom was going to be a guest’s quarters and had its own adjacent bathroom, she wanted something welcoming and relaxing. That gave Lucia a lot of ideas. She would just need to go over the possibilities with Lucifer and Salvatore on Monday.

When Mrs. Higgins handed her cash for the hours she had worked this week, she was thrilled. She knew the first thing she would do after work was head into town to buy a warmer coat. It was bitter this morning as she walked from the Anderses’ place. It took a good hour for her to warm up. Plus she didn’t like the concern on Mrs. Higgins’s face.

“So what are your plans for this evening?” Mrs. Higgins asked her as Lucia began to close up the laptop. She was letting her go at 4:00.

“Oh, I need to head into town for some things.”

“Do you need a ride?”

“No thank you. I’m fine,” she said as she pulled the small backpack onto her shoulder. She never even took her sweater off.

Mrs. Higgins nodded her head.

“Have a good weekend and I’ll see you on Monday. Be sure to get together with Lucifer and Salvatore to discuss ideas.”

“Oh, I think we’ll just go over them here on Monday. They should have the demolition finished by then.”

Mrs. Higgins nodded as Lucia said good-bye then walked out the door.

* * * *

Anna was at the boutique in town picking up some leftover coats from last season that Diane and her sister Melissa were donating to the shelter. That’s when she saw the young woman, Lucia, searching through the racks. She whispered to Diane, “Did you strike up a conversation with her?” Diane shook her head.

Anna felt compelled to talk to the young woman after her husband, Wyatt, expressed a shared concern over Lucia and the sweater she wore in the colder fall weather. But seeing her here in the boutique looking through the items gave her hope that the woman was going to be okay. It wouldn’t hurt to let her know about the services the shelter offered when people were trying to make ends meet.

“Excuse me. Hi, I’m Anna, the sheriff’s wife,” she introduced herself. Lucia seemed surprised but then instantly smiled.

“Hello.”

“I just wanted to introduce myself. I understand that you may be coming to the committee meeting tomorrow at town hall. I’m on the committee for the fall festival as well, so I thought you may feel more comfortable with a familiar face you’ll know.”

“Oh, that’s so kind of you. My name is Lucia, by the way. I was just looking for a warmer coat. I hadn’t expected to need one so soon.”

“Yes, fall is hitting earlier this season. The leaves are changing, and the temperature is colder than usual. Is there anything particular that you’re searching for?” Anna asked her.