Page 83 of Last Date

My face warmed. “The camera loves him.” I sipped my coffee, trying to ignore their intense gazes.

“I guess all the excitement kind of interfered with your date, huh?” Helen nudged. “It’s hard to talk about your feelings when people are holding you at gunpoint, I’d imagine?

“Definitely.” I nodded.

Charlene leaned forward, looking smug. “A little bird told me Merrick’s car was parked in your driveway around 3:00 a.m. Is that true?”

There really wasn’t much you could do about the gossips in this town. They seemed to see and hear everything at all hours of the day. “I wish the busybodies of Pearl Cove would use their skills to get dirt on the person who attacked me at the Rusty Pier,” I grumbled.

“I agree.” Helen nodded, looking momentarily sympathetic. “But is it true that Merrick was at your house after all the other police left?”

I leaned back in my chair feeling resigned. “Yes. He came back so we could talk.”

“Really?” Charlene looked excited. “What did you talk about?”

I squinted at her. “Personal stuff.”

She pouted. “That’s no fair. We’re very invested in this.”

“I know. It’s mystifying.” I shook my head. “Why do you care?”

She waved at me. “Oh, we’ve told you a million times we want you happy. You and Merrick are adorable together.”

“How often have you even seen us together?”

“Enough to know you’re perfect for each other.” Helen winked at Charlene. “Right?”

Charlene grinned. “Yep.”

I couldn’t help but laugh. “You two are crazy.” I stood. “I need to work, and so do you.”

“I know.” Charlene sighed. “The show must go on.”

I went into my office and sat at my desk. Merrick had said he’d call me today, and the thought of that gave me butterflies. It was weird to have something to look forward to in the romance department. When Allister had asked me out, I’d been flattered and intrigued, but it had been different. The thought of seeing Merrick made my armpits sweat and my pulse jump erratically. He brought out a sort of fight-or-flight response in me.

I hadn’t dated anyone who really excited me in a long time. Carson had been attractive, and we’d had some good times, but he’d never made me breathless or shaky the way Merrick did. Merrick was a mystery to me. I never knew what he was thinking unless he told me. It kept me on edge. Was that good or bad?

I decided I’d daydreamed about Merrick long enough and turned on my laptop. I spent the next four hours making phone calls and designing an ad graphic. Merrick called me slightly after the noon hour, and when I saw his name on my caller ID, I immediately became breathless.

Get a grip.

Clearing my throat, I answered the phone, doing my best to sound super casual. “Hello?”

“Hey, Kip.” Merrick’s voice came over the line.

“Yep. It’s me… it’s Kip.”

He laughed. “Well, that’s good, seeing as you’re answering Kip’s phone.”

“Did you need something?” I winced because that had come out way curter than intended. “Not that you’re bothering me. If that’s how I sounded.”

“Uh… okay, good.” He gave another gruff laugh. “Well, I was hoping to have lunch with you today…”

“Okay.”

“Unfortunately, I’m swamped.”

Disappointment rippled through me, but I did my best to hide it. “No problem.”