Turning his back on her, Chip crawled toward his large custom-built enclosure tucked into the corner of the room surrounded by lush philodendrons and pink-leaved ficus.
Penny caved under his purported disapproval. “Okay, okay. I’ll go.”
Once again, her gaze darted toward the torrential downpour as she gnawed on her bottom lip.
In the grand scheme of things,death by lightning boltranked fairly low on her list of fears, behind finding an ill-tempered scorpion in her shoe and public speaking.
Drawing in a determined breath, she tucked her bare feet into a pair of Chelsea-style rain boots before covering her summery cotton dress with a yellow raincoat.
Time to face the storm.
And find out what happened to Frank Barrie.
* * *
The discordant raindrops hammering the café’s expansive front windows matched Colt Davis’s restless energy.
Although he hadn’t been back in Poppy Creek for long, he already heard the siren call of his next big adventure. And if Cassie hadn’t invited him to join the night’s meeting, he’d be packing his bags right now, despite the nagging whisper in the back of his mind telling him to stay.
Taking a sip of his chocolate hazelnut latte, he scanned the familiar faces gathered around the table, each waiting to hear the news about Frank Barrie.
“I still can’t believe it,” Eliza murmured, absentmindedly pushing a gooey clump of strawberry pie around her plate with a fork while her free hand fidgeted with a strand of blond hair.
Colt marveled at how, only a few weeks ago, he’d asked Eliza Carter on a date. Of course, it was doomed before it even began, considering it had merely been a misguided attempt to ignore his interest in someone else. Someone who’d openly disliked him ever since he stole her juice box their first day of kindergarten.
But it turned out Eliza had her own secret crush. And Colt suspected he’d been as much a distraction for her as she’d been for him. Until they both came to their senses.
The truth was, he couldn’t be happier for Eliza, who had not only taken over the café with Cassie after his mother, Maggie, retired, but she’d also reunited with Grant Parker, her first love and the father of her seven-year-old son, Ben. Given their history, Colt suspected an engagement in the near future.
Another reason to forget his ill-fated infatuation and hightail it out of town as soon as possible. Apparently, in Poppy Creek, commitment spread like sagebrush pollen. And Colt was allergic to both.
“I wish I could say the same.” Cassie’s green eyes brimmed with tears as she leaned into Luke for comfort. “But he’s been taking heart medication for years. I suppose I always knew there was a risk of…” Her voice broke, and Luke pulled her closer, wrapping both arms around his wife as though creating a shelter with his physical presence.
Colt wasn’t surprised by his older brother’s protective gesture. Luke had been solid and dependable since they were kids. But he exhibited a gentle tenderness toward Cassie that went beyond his inherent caring nature. Witnessing their heartfelt connection firsthand stirred a gut-level reaction in Colt he couldn’t quite place. But he suddenly felt itchy.
“It’s crazy when you think about it,” Jack interjected in his deep, rumbling timbre.
Colt noticed his friend’s plate had practically been licked clean. At six foot four, Jack Gardener didn’t have a problem putting away a slice of pie on any occasion, even a somber one. “Last year, no one in town knew anything about Frank Barrie,” Jack continued. “Except that he was a cranky old hermit who roasted coffee out of his barn. And threatened to put buckshot in the backside of anyone who trespassed on his property. But now…” The several tear-filled eyes meeting his gaze finished Jack’s thought for him.
Although Colt didn’t know Frank well, he could see how deeply everyone cared for him, despite his crusty, cantankerous demeanor.
Luke cleared his throat as Cassie and Eliza sniffled in unison.
Disrupting the solemn silence, the front door blew open, letting in a gust of warm, muggy air and pelting raindrops.
Fighting against the wind, Penny managed to thrust the door closed, and turned to face the group, her huge copper eyes wide with fright. “Sorry I’m late. What’d I miss? Is Frank okay?” Her words spilled from her lips as quickly as the water cascaded off her yellow raincoat, and Colt’s gaze flew to her bare legs tucked inside red rubber boots.
After lingering a little too long on her toned calves, he gulped past the roughness in his throat. He still couldn’t believe how much she’d changed since their schoolyard days. Although still tall at five-ten, her gangliness had been replaced with graceful, dance-like movements, bordering on hypnotic.
Impulsively, he pushed back his chair. “He’s home from the hospital today. But Cassie didn’t want to give us all the details until you arrived.”
As he strode to meet her at the door, she peered up at him in surprise, water droplets clinging to her long, dark lashes. “What are you doing?”
“Taking your coat.” He held out his hand, waiting for her to shrug out of it.
“Why?” She eyed him warily, not moving a muscle.
In the past, Colt would have found her mistrust amusing. After all, he’d played his fair share of pranks on her when they were kids, including the regrettable Juicy Fruit incident. But he’d hoped his opinion wasn’t the only one that had changed since childhood.
