Page 22 of Smoky Mountain K-9
She smiled. “Come in.”
They stepped inside, and Carter closed the door. “Hey.” His smile ticked up one corner of his mouth, and his eyes held a watchful glint. “How’re you doing?”
Mara sighed, understanding he wasn’t asking just to be polite. He wanted to know how she was coping with what happened at the equestrian center. “Still annoyed. And angry that he duped me.” She turned and led them into the kitchen, giving Maverick a quick scratch as she walked away. “Mostly, I’m angry at myself for not noticing and putting all my employees and clients in danger. It’s unacceptable.” She went to the stove and picked up her spatula again, stabbing at the hamburger browning in the skillet. “Do you want to stay for dinner?”
“Sure. And don’t beat yourself up too much, Mara. Drug dealers are good at concealing their activity.” He took off his coat and draped it over the back of a chair at the table, revealing his navy blue long-sleeved tee beneath.
She stabbed the meat again. “I know. Doesn’t change how I feel.”
Carter took the spatula out of her hand and spun her around. She huffed and looked up into those liquid silver eyes that made her weak in the knees.
“The meat is dead, honey.”
Her lips quirked. “I know that too. But it’s safer to chop it into teeny tiny bits than it is to throw things.”
A low rumble emanated from his chest. “Cheaper, too, I imagine.”
“Very much so.” She let her smile bloom, only to have it freeze on her face as their gazes locked and need built between them. It wouldn’t bother her at all if he leaned in and kissed her right now.
He cleared his throat and glanced at the skillet, breaking the spell. “So, what are you making?” He handed her the spatula and took a step away.
Mara pursed her lips, disappointed, and turned to the stove. “Just spaghetti. I wanted something filling, but not complicated. Not tonight.”
“Spaghetti sounds good. Can I do anything to help?” He shoved his shirtsleeves up his forearms.
She nodded toward a cupboard. “You can get plates out. This is done. I just need to mix everything together.” Mara shut off the stove, then reached for the colander on the counter. She set it in the sink, then drained the noodles before dumping them back in the pan and adding the ground beef and spaghetti sauce. Using a noodle spoon, she dished out two plates and handed one to Carter. They each grabbed a glass of water, then went to the table in the corner of the kitchen and sat down. The dog laid down by the back door.
Mara twirled a forkful of spaghetti. “So, have you heard any more about who broke my car window?” she asked, choosing to focus on something slightly less irritating. Lifting her fork, she ate the bite. She’d been lucky and gotten her car back by the end of the next day.
Carter shook his head, twirling his own forkful. “No. Unless a witness comes forward, we’re at a dead end. Have there been any other incidents?”
She shook her head.
“You haven’t noticed anyone following you, or gotten any suspicious letters? No weird phone calls or hang-ups?”
“Nope.” She cocked her head, chewing, and raised a finger. “Actually, I had a couple hang-up calls at the equestrian center this week, but I’ve gotten those there before.”
“Does your phone log calls?”
She nodded. “I wouldn’t be able to tell you which numbers they were from, though. I get calls from a lot of people whose numbers I don’t recognize.”
His brow creased in a frown, but he nodded. “If you get more, write the numbers down.”
“You really think this wasn’t random, don’t you?”
Carter rested his fork on his plate, his mouth pulling down. “Yeah. I don’t know why, but something’s bugging me. Maybe it’s all the trouble we’ve had here lately. The timing just feels—funny.”
Her mouth flattened. She twirled another bite of pasta and brought it to her lips. Great. She wanted to chalk it up to some kid out causing trouble. More than likely, that’s all it was, but his misgivings made her paranoid. Especially after he found her stable hand, Scott Sears, in possession of illicit drugs. She didn’t know what to think.
But she couldn’t do anything about it right now. And she was in the company of a handsome and interesting man. She didn’t want to think about criminals and their stupid antics. “So, how long can you stay? Do you need to eat and run?”
He shook his head. “I can stay until you kick me out. My next shift isn’t until Saturday.”
Mara froze, glancing up at him from her plate. She knew he didn’t mean that the way it sounded, but it didn’t stop her mind from going to some naughty places. Ever since he almost kissed her last weekend, it had been at the back of her mind what it would feel like.
Carter gave her a chagrined smile and let out a soft chuckle. “That sounded—”
“Like a proposition?” She smiled.