Luke
My blood boiled all the way back to Mina’s house after we cleaned up the coffeeshop.
It ticked me off that someone thought they had the right to ransack her business, hoping to find evidence they left behind thirty years ago before we did.
I highly doubted whatever they were looking for was still there, even if Ozzie didn’t find it last week. Decades had passed since Moira went into the wall. What else could be left after all this time?
That earring survived, my subconscious mind reminded me.
Gritting my teeth, I tightened my hand on the steering wheel and stared straight ahead.
That earring could be nothing. Just because it had an “M” on it didn’t mean it was from Moira. It was in an antique store. I was sure Walter probably processed inventory on that counter. More than likely, it fell back there while he did that, and it had nothing to do with Moira Duluth.
But there was still a chance it was connected to her. And that the killer thought there was more evidence somewhere. Evidence they desperately wanted to keep away from the police.
My headlights swept over Mina’s house as I turned into her driveway. The sun had set while we picked up the coffeeshop mess.
The soft snick of me setting the gearshift to park filled the truck cab.
“Thank you for driving.” Mina grasped the door handle, and light flooded the interior as she let herself out.
I shut off the truck and exited.
She frowned as I followed her to the door but didn’t say anything. I was glad. I wanted to get a foot in the door—literally—before she asked why I didn’t stay in the truck.
Giving me another quizzical look, she unlocked her front door. “Well…” She glanced up at me over her shoulder as she stepped inside.
I motioned her forward so I could come in.
“Luke—”
Grasping her by the waist, I maneuvered her into the house with a gentle touch. Once I cleared the doorway, I shut the door and flipped the lock.
“What are you doing?”
“Staying.”
“Excuse me?” Her dark eyebrows rose up her forehead. “What do you mean you’re staying?”
“Exactly what I said.” She’d have to put up a pretty convincing argument to make me go home. Even if she got me out of the house, I would probably camp out in the driveway in my truck all night.
Joe trotted up and wound through my legs, meowing. I looked down at the cat. “See? Even Joe agrees.”
“He doesn’t count.” She ticked a finger at me. “No. We’ve barely spoken in three days. You knew when we parted ways the other day that I was upset over your stupid-pretty ex-girlfriend,and we’ve yet to talk about any of that. What makes you think you can just waltz right back into my bed?”
“I didn’t say I was staying in your bed. I know I could have handled the last several days differently. I came here tonight to talk about that, actually. But it’s late, and I think that conversation is better suited for when we’ve both had some rest.” Not to mention, my emotions were already in a powder keg thanks to the break-in and the implications for Mina’s safety. I didn’t want to say something I would regret.
When she opened her mouth to reply, I cut her off. “I just want you to be safe, Mina. I know you’re armed and can probably shoot better than a lot of people, but I still don’t like the idea of you being alone. All I want from you tonight is a pillow and a blanket. I will sleep on the damn couch.”
She drew in a long breath through her nose, and she studied me for several seconds. “You’re too tall for my sofa.”
“I’ll sleep on the floor.” My back would not thank me tomorrow, but I would still sleep better there than at home.
I watched a war wage in her eyes as she held my gaze for several beats. Finally, she let out a soft huff of exasperation and a slight smile graced her face. “It’s kind of cute you’d go to such lengths.”
“So, does that mean you won’t fight me, and I can stay?”
Her mouth flattened, and she looked away momentarily. “Fine. You can stay. I’ll even let you sleep in my bed, so you don’t throw out your back.” Her finger came up to shake in my face. “But no monkey business. I just want to sleep.”
