The morning light glinted against the glass front of the antique store despite the brown paper I’d taped to the inside of the windows before Luke started demolition last week. It was both to keep the interior a surprise for the town and also to protect Luke’s equipment against theft.
Dew still clung to the flowers in the planters by the curb as I stood outside, heart hammering harder than I wanted to admit as I waited for Ozzie to show up with the key. He’d texted me at five a.m. to tell me he’d be here at seven-thirty to turn the building over to me. It felt like both a promise and a curse. No doubt I’d get an earful for meddling, even though, technically, it was Claire who stuck her nose in it this time.
Luke’s truck rumbled up, followed by two vans. His crew piled out, carrying toolboxes and rolls of plastic sheeting.
“Hey, pretty lady.” A brilliant smile lit his face as he hopped down. His gaze scanned the front of the building, then the line of cars parked along the street. “Is Ozzie here yet?”
“No.” I glanced at my watch, held on my wrist by a pale pink strap. It was seven thirty-two.
“Did you get any sleep?” Luke set a bucket filled with crowbars and gloves down beside me.
“Some. I ended up drinking some chamomile tea and taking some magnesium. Once my mind shut off, I slept fine. You?”
“Yeah. I took a hot shower, then passed out pretty quickly. I’ve been working so much, there isn’t much that’ll keep me awake once I lie down.”
That both made me jealous and sad. I knew what it was like to work until you dropped. It wasn’t fun. Last night, however, exhaustion would have been a blessing. I tossed and turned for about an hour until the tea finally kicked in.
The low growl of an engine drew my attention down the street. A black truck with a light bar on the top approached. I tipped my chin toward it. “There’s Ozzie.”
Pulling in crooked against the curb, Ozzie double-parked and got out, leaving the engine running.
My eyes widened as he approached. He looked terrible. Stubble dusted his jaw, and his dark hair was mussed, making him look more dangerous than he did on a normal day. His coal-colored eyes had the hard gleam of someone who hadn’t slept much.
He didn’t bother with small talk. Just strode up, keys in hand, jaw tight. “Here.” His voice short, he held out the key. “The building is all yours again.” His eyes slid to Luke. “Please don’t find any more bodies in the walls.”
Luke huffed a soft snort. “Trust me, I don’t want to.”
“Ozzie—” I started as I took the key, wanting to thank him for bringing the keys over.
But his sharp look stopped me. “Claire should’ve brought that paperwork straight to me. Instead, she played detective with you two. I spent half the damn night researching it all to verify it. Could I have left it until this morning? Sure. Would I have slept? Hell no.” His voice took on a bit of a frustrated growl. “And it checked out. Which means I should’ve caught it anddidn’t.” Anger glittered in his eyes, but it was directed at himself and not at me or Luke.
That didn’t stop Ozzie from jabbing a finger in our direction, however. “If there’s anything else hiding in this place, I want to know immediately. As in, you stop work as soon as you even think something’s amiss. Do not pass go. Do not collect two hundred dollars. Understand?” Those angry, dark eyes flitted between me and Luke.
All I could do was nod. Luke did the same.
Ozzie drew in a deep breath, closing his eyes briefly, then blew out the breath through his nose. “Good. I’ve got meetings. Call me if something turns up. It shouldn’t. We went through the building with a fine-toothed comb. But this case is one that likes to surprise me, so…” He lifted one shoulder.
“We’ll keep an eye out,” Luke said.
“Do that, yes.” With a nod and a quick wave, Ozzie spun on his heel and headed back to his truck. In moments, he was gone.
“He’s intense, isn’t he?” Luke turned his attention away from the street to settle on me.
“He can be, yeah. But I get it. He’s under a lot of pressure with this case.”
“True.” His gaze dropped to my hand. “Let’s get this building unlocked and get to work.”
Shaking off the nerves from Ozzie’s visit, excitement flooded my veins. I strode toward the door and unlocked it.
Morning light filtered into the dimly lit space, dawning inside with a promise of the transformation that was to come.
Luke and his crew filed inside.
“Do you need anything from me?” I asked as we flipped on the lights, chasing away the shadows.
“No. If we do, I know where to find you, though.”
“Okay.” I backed toward the door, heading next door again to relieve my poor, beleaguered barista crew who were busy with the morning tourist rush.
