Page 22 of Dangerous December (Northern Pines Suspense #8)

“ I can’t believe we got this done,” Beth said with a grin. “We three should go on television as a home staging team, because we are amazing. ”

“Only if we can get our mitts on a treasure trove of an attic.” Keeley laughed. “The wonderful furniture up there and those burly football players in the church youth group made it possible.”

“We sure couldn’t have carried it all.” Olivia studied the living room of the cottage with admiration. “That boarder of yours is a treasure, too. How did she make all of the curtains so fast?”

“Elana must’ve stayed up all night. I don’t think she even had a pattern, which impresses me to no end. I can’t even hem straight.”

Olivia gave the curtains another long look. “Elana works at the motel, right?”

“Part-time, and also at my store. She’s planning on taking business classes at the community college.”

“Good for her.”

At a light rap on the open front door, they all turned to find Dev there, with Frank at his side. “Is it safe to come in yet?”

Olivia laughed. “I want to fight you for the right to live here, but I don’t think my dogs and cats would fit. So you’re safe.”

He stepped inside, his dark hair ruffled by the brisk October wind, bringing in the sweet scent of the burning leaf pile Carl was tending in the yard.

He studied the heavy oak living room furniture, the brass lamps, and the painting of mallards in flight that now hung over the fireplace.

Beth’s traitorous heart kicked in an extra beat when he surveyed the room a second time, then grinned. “This is beautiful.”

“Take a look at the other rooms, too. We found a great bedroom set in your mother’s attic, along with a nice pecan table and set of chairs for the kitchen.”

Frank checked out the kitchen cupboards. “Looks like they even set you up with dishes and such. I’ll bet that was Reva’s doing.”

“It was indeed,” Keeley called out.

“What?” He leaned out of the kitchen, a hand cupped at his ear.

“Reva took care of all that.” Keeley tucked a strand of honey-blond hair behind her ear. “Most of the pieces were stored away in the attic. A few pots and pans were extras from the kitchen.”

Beth glanced at her watch. “I’ve got to run. I left Elana to cover the bookstore for a couple hours, but I’d better get back.”

“Keeley and I need to get going, too.” Olivia gave him a quick, grandmotherly hug. “Welcome to your new home, soldier.”

Elana smiled shyly when Beth walked into the bookstore. “I sold two books while you were gone. And a magazine.”

Beth had known it would be quiet on a Sunday afternoon near the end of the tourist season, and on this particular day, she was grateful for it. “So your first cash register lesson was put to work already.”

“You’d better check to make sure I did it right. But I think so.”

Cody peeked around the corner of the children’s section, then limped up to join his mother. “I watched. She did really good!”

Reaching down to ruffle his thick dark hair, Beth smiled. “I know she did. And I’m sure she was glad to have you here with her on her very first day.”

He nodded, his face shining with pride.

“I’ll tell you what—I’ll show you two how to close up, in case you ever have to do that. And then I’ll give you a ride home.”

“No, you should not bother....”

But Elana’s voice lacked conviction, and her uneasy gaze skated to the front windows. Dusk had already fallen, and the six-block walk would get them home well after dark on a chilly night.

“Of course I will. I wouldn’t want to walk after dark, either. Now, about closing up at the end of the day...”

After a lesson on closing down the cash register and how to place a special order for books, Elana helped Beth straighten up the store displays, turn off the assortment of lamps, and double-check the back-door lock.

“See, it’s all easy, and you’ve caught on really fast. I hope you’ll like working here.”

Elana nodded, her brow furrowed. “What about your other clerk—will she be able to work soon?”

“She’ll be away at least two months with her broken ankle, but she found out she has some heart problems and doesn’t want to work nearly as much, even if she does return.

You’re welcome to all of her usual hours and more, if you want them.

” Beth grabbed her car keys and purse from the counter. “Shall we go?”

She let Elana and Cody step outside, then she turned to lock the door. At Elana’s sharp gasp, she spun around. “What is it?”

Elana had a tight grip on Cody’s shoulders. “I—I thought I saw something...just over there.” She tipped her head toward the rear bumper of Beth’s car. “I don’t see anything now.”

Darkness had fallen, but the old-fashioned street lamps cast a gentle glow on the street, and there were security lights shining at the peak of each of the other buildings on the block. Beth’s car was the only one in sight, its headlights not more than ten feet from the store entrance.

“I don’t see a thing,” Beth murmured. “And honestly, I don’t remember the last time there was any trouble in this area. Six months, at least. It’s a safe place to live.”

“But strangers can come here,” Elana whispered. “They could come from anywhere, and think this place is...is...an easy mark, sí? ”

“I’ve never felt afraid in Agate Creek. A lot of people leave their doors unlocked. People trust each other here, Elana.”

At the doubt in her eyes, Beth offered an encouraging smile. “The sheriff and his lone deputy might be straight out of Mayberry, but they don’t have much to deal with. I’ve heard one of the deputies complain that an occasional shoplifter was the most excitement they saw all year.”

Elana cast another uneasy look over her shoulder.

“And now, in the middle of October and on a Sunday night, there ought to be very few tourists still around, if any.” Beth reached for her cell phone and held it aloft. “Don’t worry, though—I’ve got my phone, and just pressing the 9 will call 911. But I’ve never had to use it here, believe me.”

She circled her car, checked the backseat, then once again surveyed the empty street. “All clear. I’m sure of it.”

A cat appeared far down the sidewalk, its tail held high as it marched in the opposite direction. With a meow it vaulted over a gate between two buildings and disappeared.

Elana’s shoulders sagged with relief. “A cat. Only a silly cat. Right, Cody?”

Despite all reassurance to the contrary, she scurried forward when Beth hit the button on her key ring to unlock the doors, pushed Cody inside, clambered in after him, and hit the door locks on both sides of the back seat

She was still breathing heavily and muttering under her breath in Spanish when Beth got in and locked her own door.

“There,” Beth soothed, seeing the frightened expression in Cody’s eyes. “We’re all safe. It was just a cat, after all.”

But after she pulled away from the curb and started down the block, she flicked a glance at the empty street in the rearview mirror.

It wasn’t hard to see how Elana had become so wary. Just being with her and sensing her fear had made Beth’s own heart rate escalate for a few beats.

What would it be like for a woman like Elana, whose bogeyman was real?

Once Elana and her son were safely inside Sloane House, Beth drove back to the bookstore and parked directly in front of the entrance.

The street was still empty and brightly lit...a street she’d lived on for some time now, without ever being afraid.

Her thoughts turned back to Elana and her son, who had obviously picked up on his mother’s fears tonight. What had they been through in the past to still affect them so deeply? What was it like to live in such terror?

The wonder of it was that Elana had found the courage to move here alone with her son and go out of the house every day for her job.

Headlights appeared at the far end of Hawthorne, coming her way. Devlin’s Jeep, she realized as the vehicle passed under a streetlight. Grabbing her purse and keys, she stepped out of her car and waved to him as she moved to the entryway leading up to her apartment.

He pulled to a stop behind her vehicle and jumped out. The soft light of the street lamps made his dark hair gleam and cast intriguing shadows on the planes and angles of his face.

He was still, and always would be, the only man who had ever made her pulse race just with his presence...though the days of wanting to recognize those feelings were long past.

So how long was it going to take for her heart to accept it?

“Am I ever glad you weren’t here twenty minutes ago,” she called out. “Elana was spooked by every shadow when we came out of the bookstore to take her and Cody home. She probably would have collapsed if she’d seen your Jeep come up the street.”

His tense expression softened. “That’s where you were? I tried calling the bookstore, but there was no answer. And you didn’t answer your cell phone, either.”

Surprised, she fished it out of her purse and studied the screen. “Oops. I had the ringer too low to hear when it was in my purse. What’s up?”

“I was worried.”

“Worried? There’s no reason to be.” But she could see he was breathing hard and his eyes were dark and dilated, and she knew he was telling the truth. “I think you’ve gotten overly cautious in your old age.”

“You shouldn’t be living down here, away from a residential area.”

“I love my home.”

“It’s deserted at night. It isn’t safe.”

“It’s fine. The person who needs help is Elana. I think every sound and shadow is enough to stop her heart. How is she going to function independently unless she gains more confidence?”

He frowned and folded his arms across his chest. “Maybe you should start staying at Sloane House.”

Startled, she stared at him. “You’re not serious.”

“I mean it. There’s a maid’s apartment on the third floor that isn’t in use. Or there are some sofas on the main floor.”

She smiled at him. “I have a security system—not that I expect it will ever earn its keep. If someone breaks in, the police are summoned unless I press a code on the keypad.”

“But it’s an understaffed department that could be occupied by a fender bender or a cat up a tree. And if you don’t have really secure locks, an expert can get in anyway.”

“I’m not staying at Sloane House. The idea is ridiculous.”

He gave a long sigh. “When did you become this stubborn?”

“When did you become such a guardian angel?” she countered. Looking up at him, she had the oddest sensation that he wanted to kiss her. Where was that coming from?

He gave her a fierce hug, then stepped away, only to bend down to drop a swift kiss on her mouth.

From the dazed look in his eyes, he was nearly as surprised as she was.

His impulsive, possessive kiss rattled her more than any prospect of an intruder. She knew it meant nothing. But from the look on his face, it had taken all his willpower to step away before he kissed her again.

“Maybe you’d better go,” she whispered.

He dutifully took another step away from her. “After l check your store and apartment for intruders.”

She sighed. “Check things out if it’ll make you feel better, but then you’ll have to go.”

She unlocked the bookstore door and waited as he searched that level, then locked up and led him upstairs.

When he reached the upper floor and opened the door, he drew in a slow breath. “This is nice, Beth.”

He silently studied the subdued, stained-glass chandelier hanging over the kitchen table, which bathed the area in warm golden light.

The deep plush sofa and love seat in dark cranberry, angled toward her small fireplace.

The lush green plants sitting on windowsills and oil paintings of the Rockies adorning any wall space not filled with bookshelves.

To her, the place felt warm, cozy, and inviting, unlike the overly feminine touches at Sloane House. The male residents all seemed leery of sitting on those fragile chairs.

His gaze landed on a paper taped to the refrigerator. It was the layout for the building next to her bookstore, sketched in detail...with cross-outs and arrows, and notes pasted at all angles. Her dreams, encapsulated in that single sheet of paper.

He jerked his attention back to his mission and finished his quick tour through the apartment. “Looks safe. But don’t forget—I’ll be happy to come anytime, if you’re ever worried about something.”

She smiled. “I really appreciate your concern. But I’m a big girl now. Not the shy little thing you married all those years ago.”

“No, I guess not. About that...”

She shook her head. “Over and done with.”

She opened the door to the stairway, hesitated, then turned and brushed a quick kiss against his cheek. “Thanks, Dev. I appreciate it.”

But when she shut the door behind him, she took a piece of his heart with her.