I watched the explanatory Yo
uTube videos again, working in tandem to set up the alarm—to no avail. I couldn’t make it work.
I turned to the back of the package, reading the instructions again... and Will’s number. I’d saved his number in my phone after he gave me the second card, but I liked a man who covered his bases. And well, if the sexy detective had offered his help, why not take him up on it? I could call my father too, he was handy with security systems, but he and Mom had a date tonight, and I didn’t want to interrupt. My brother wasn’t much of a techy, and neither were my sisters. And I couldn’t deny it; I looked forward to hearing Will’s sexy baritone voice.
“Detective Will Connor,” he answered. His voice was even sexier than I remembered.
“Hey, Will. This is Paige. The alarm is giving me headaches. Maybe if I walk you through what I’m doing you can tell me where I’m going wrong?”
“I’ll do one better. I’ll stop by and show you how to install it.”
My pulse intensified. “Are you sure? I mean, I’m sure I’m on the right path.”
“It’ll be quicker if I do it. I’ll bring dinner too. Do you like Thai food?”
“Love it. Especially masala curry with shrimp.”
“I’ll stop by with curry.”
After ending the call, I took a good look at myself in the mirror hanging on the bathroom door. Maybe I’d been too harsh on the poor dress. I’d always been extra judgy of my past fashion choices. No way was I changing back into my pants. My silk shirt had perspiration stains at the armpits. This dress would have to do.
I was glad that he was bringing dinner because I was starving. I had some wine left from when the girls had been here. I hoped Will liked it. I was wringing my hands for no reason at all, so to give myself something to do, I looked up real estate prices, trying to estimate how much we could get for the inn.
It had two stories and ten bedrooms, most on the upper floor. My grandma had called it a home for the unpretentious tourist. The bedrooms were spacious, but sparsely decorated, with simple wood double beds and matching small closets. Some rooms even had a small desk. The ground floor had a towering double-story ceiling and walls of glass to give the impression of a larger area. The living room was separated in a dining area and a seating area with an assortment of couches that didn’t fit together, ranging from leather to floral prints. The kitchen was completely separate. It had been the family space and grandma’s favorite room. We’d spent a lot of time in here, Grandma cooking and me eating everything.
When the doorbell rang, my self-imposed cool demeanor flew out the window. The second I opened the door, I knew I hadn’t been extra judgy with the dress.
Chapter Six
Will
Was this woman trying to kill me? She was wearing an extremely short and tight dress that didn’t leave much to the imagination.
“Hi,” she said cheerfully.
“Hi,” I said back, though it sounded more like a groan. I swallowed, looking to the side, pretending to inspect the alarm unit she’d already hung at the window. I had to gather my wits, but the sight of her toned thighs and narrow waist was burned into my brain. Those breasts looked ready to pop out of her dress.
She took the plastic bag with the curry boxes from me, heading to the kitchen. I remained in the foyer, inspecting the base unit of the alarm. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw her tugging her dress, as if she could make it longer just by pulling at it.
“Let’s take care of the alarm first,” I suggested. “We can eat afterward.”
“Sure. I have wine. Do you want a glass?” she called from the kitchen.
“No, thanks.”
I was already tinkering with the alarm when she joined me by the door with a glass of wine for herself.
“Hey! Don’t do it without me. I want to learn.”
I motioned toward the alarm.
“The trick is to get the contacts right.”
“But I did it the way they explained it in the instructions.”
“Let’s do it again together.”
I forced myself to slow down, so she could see me setting up the contacts. I liked her curiosity, the way she watched me, clearly intending to memorize what I was doing.