Zoey snapped her fingers toward him. “Down, boy. Those are plastic. The real stuff is in the back after hours.”
“Didn’t you eat in the police car?” Noah cast Cade a sidelong glance as he settled the fourth chair on the ground. “Because we can say that now. We werein a police car.”
“Chips are savory.” Cade frowned. “This is a totally different craving. Besides, Elisa didn’t share her M&Ms.”
“You could have had the blues.”
Elisa and Noah spoke simultaneously, and she shot him a grin that he returned only half as brightly. Hmm. He’d been acting strange since she found the last clue. Maybe the near arrest had bothered him more than she realized.
“I respect a man with a good sweet tooth.” Zoey waltzed behind the front counter. “I’ve got some leftovers from earlier today that I was going to discount tomorrow, but this seems like a worthy cause.”
Within minutes, all four were settled at a table with a plate of raspberry lemon beignets and a pile of napkins. Elisa wasn’t hungry in the slightest, but she pulled one of the sweet treats from the plate and nibbled on the edge. Delicious, as always.
“At least this time when we went somewhere after hours, we had a keyandthe owner.” Cade snorted at his own joke and sent a cloud of powdered sugar straight into his face. He leaned back, blinking rapidly as white streaked his mouth, cheeks, and shirt.
Zoey sighed as she pointed to the bathroom. “Second on the left.” She gave the seat Cade vacated a quick swipe with a napkin. “So, Elisa filled me in on the whole escapade on the way over here when she called and begged me to open the store.”
“I didn’t beg.” Elisa gestured with her beignet. “I passionately requested.” She glanced at Noah, expecting a smile. But he remained silent, his face stoic as he folded a napkin between his fingers.
Something was definitely up. She frowned. Was he upset she found the clue without him? They’d teased about that before, but he’d never seemed truly jealous of her puzzle solving ability. Or was he regretting the kiss?
Her stomach twisted into an ache.
Zoey pinched off a bite of beignet between her fingers. “As soon as I heardSheriff Rubartandheld in a cop car, I was all in. So have you read the next clue yet?”
“Not yet.” Elisa laid it on the table between them. “I’m not sure we can have help, though. There were rules.”
“August didn’t specify,” Noah finally spoke. “He only said you and I had to work together.” His gaze darted briefly to hers, and a rush of warmth crept up Elisa’s chest. As eager as she was to solve the next step, to get that much closer to finishing this hunt and helping Delia, she was just as eager to pull Noah aside and discuss what had happened.
Or better yet, talk it out thoroughly without words.
“Great.” Zoey leaned in, scooting the plate of dessert out of the way. “Let’s have a look-see.”
Cade returned, sans powdered sugar, and settled back at the table. “What’d I miss?”
“Nothing.” Zoey turned so he could read the clue. “We were about to see what’s next on their little adventure here.”
A grin stretched across Cade’s face as his gaze darted between Elisa and Noah. “I think I might know what’s next—OW.” He leaned down and rubbed his shin under the table.
Elisa shot Noah a glance, but he kept a straight face as he looked down at the card. “Someone read it out loud,” Noah said.
“Wait.” Zoey clamped her hand over the clue. “How did you find this one? It was at the courthouse?”
Elisa quickly updated her on the filing system, casting periodic glances at Noah to make sure she had gotten it right. A smidgen of pride crinkled the corners of his eyes, and he never corrected her explanation, so she must have been pretty close. If he was proud of her, he couldn’t be jealous, right?
Ugh. She hated this early part of relationships—or whatever this unlabeled thing between her and Noah had become. The guessing. The uncertainty. The eggshells. Though with Trey, that stage hadn’t ever really ended.
Noah looked at her straight-on for the first time since her exit from the courthouse a half hour ago. “Where was it? Which book?”
“The origin of…it was Paul Revere’s ride date.” Elisa shrugged. “April 18th, 1775.”
Noah nodded. “Instrument 4181775.”
“Thankfully you’d left that computer logged in, so I could search which book and page.”
“Nice going.” Some of the tension left his forehead, his eyes warming. Yep, that was definitely pride in his gaze.
Elisa relaxed a smidge. Maybe she’d misread his earlier silence and he was just tired. She slapped Zoey’s hand out of the way and slid the card across the table to Noah. “You read it.”
