I underline "fled" twice.
As I put the car back in drive, I glance toward the entrance. Alice is in there right now, behind that counter, with no idea someone might be watching.
The bank closes in an hour. Alice will be walking to her car alone. I hope it was nothing.
But my gut tells me it wasn’t.
Chapter 7
Sawyer
Grabbingastyrofoamcupfrom the stack next to the coffee pot, I push down the lever and watch the freshly brewed coffee fill my small cup. Between here and the station, I drink way too much coffee. But it gives me an excuse to come in.
Turning around, I see Nora buried nose-deep in paperwork, while the other teller in the drive-thru is laughing at something a customer said.
Alice is processing what looks like a deposit, counting cash and handling the paperwork like she's been doing it for years. But something's different today. Her shoulders are tense, and her eyes flick toward the entrance more than usual. She gives the elderly customer a cheerful smile, but it doesn't quite reach her eyes the way it normally does.
I should probably stop staring.
I wait for her to finish.
The elderly woman shuffles away slowly with her cane, Alice calling after her, “You have a good day now, Mrs. Patterson.”
“I can help the next person,” Alice calls, looking up at me with that genuine smile I’m starting to look forward to. “What can I do for you, Officer Edwards?”
Officer Edwards.Like I'm here on official business and not making up excuses to see her.
“You can just call me Sawyer,” I chuckle, sipping my plain black coffee. She’s always so formal.I wonder how she is outside of work.“I just need to make a deposit.”
"Mmm, three dollars." She shakes her head with amusement in her eyes. She leans forward slightly, close enough that I catch a hint of something floral—her perfume, maybe. "You know, if you just want the coffee, you don't have to make a transaction. We kinda expect it around here."
“I don’t like carrying cash,” I shrug, which is mostly true. I had to scrape those dollar bills from my console this morning. “Everything’s digital nowadays.”
“Well, I hope you weren’t waiting too long to make your big deposit.” Alice’s eyes sparkle with amusement as she types into her computer. She leans back in her chair, one hand resting on her hip. “I’m pretty sure Nora could have helped you.”
“That’s okay.” I lean against her counter, giving her what I hope is a charming smile. “Maybe I just wanted you to help me.”
The words hang in the air between us. She freezes, her fingers hovering over the keyboard.
Then that flush creeps across her cheeks. She doesn't meet my eyes, but I catch the small smile before she ducks her head.
God, that's adorable.
“Well, I don’t know nearly as much as Nora, but I try,” she says, pulling open her cash drawer to deposit my crumpled bills.
“I’m sure you do just fine.” I meet her golden brown eyes when she glances up. “You haven’t had any more trouble with difficult customers, have you?”
“Surprisingly, no. It’s been pretty quiet since that incident.” She closes the drawer with a soft click.
“Well,Alicat, you know where to find me if you do.” I straighten up, drumming my fingers once against her counter.
Alice opens her mouth to respond, but Nora’s voice cuts through the moment.
“Oh hey, Sawyer! I didn’t realize you were in here. It’s been nothing but paperwork today.”
And there goes the moment.
“Yeah, Alice was just helping me out,” I say, finishing the last of my coffee.
