The man got into line behind the bookstore lady. They exchanged a few words, so Franny seated herself at her table and determined she was going to write a paragraph before she ordered coffee. She opened her laptop, the book document.
Maybe she’d deal with her email first. She just couldn’t think clearly if she had unread mail. Especially an email from her accountant.Ugh. She hated numbers and reality.
“You’re working here again?”
Franny looked up and realized the two customers had left while she’d been deep into crafting a response to her accountant that wasn’t:I don’t know, dude, numbers aren’t my thing.
“Just for research.” Franny beamed at Lia, even though she was pretty sure the woman saw right through her.
The bell jingled, and since she was proving apoint, she didn’t look behind her. She studiously hit Send on her email. Then she stood to get in line for coffee…
Only to come face-to-face with Royal. Those eyes were soblue. She made a noise—even she didn’t know what it was. A kind ofoofsqueak.
“Morning, Franny.”
She had to swallow. Plenty of people said her name, so she wasn’t sure why in his low voice it felt…different. “Morning.”
He glanced at her table. “Looks like you haven’t ordered yet. Let me buy you a coffee,” he said, stepping up to Lia and the counter.
“Oh, no.” She followed him helplessly. “You don’t have to—”
“She loves a latte,” Lia said, ohsohelpfully.
“A latte and a regular coffee then.”
Franny glared at Lia, but she turned away to handle the drinks, so Franny had to smooth out her expression and smile at Royal. It didn’t feel like a smile on her face. She felt awkward and like he coulddefinitelytell she’d put on makeup this morning, because ofhim.
Stay inside where your weirdness belongs, Franny.
But Lia handed Royal the cups and Royal gestured to her table, so she had to walk back to it and let him put the latte mug in front of her computer, while he settled himself in the chair opposite.
She closed her laptop, since he wasstayingapparently. “Thanks for the latte. You really didn’t have to.”
“Community relations.” He smiled at her, and she just…wasn’t good at this. Itfeltlike flirting, but maybe itwasjust community relations. How was she supposed to know?
Fictional people were so much easier.
“You looked like you were working hard.”
“I wish. I was emailing my accountant. Whichishard work, because I’m trying to sound like I have any idea what he’s talking about, and I most assuredly do not.”
He chuckled. Which was… She didn’t know. She didn’t know what to do withanyof this. Why had shesought this out?
His gaze tracked to the big window that looked out over Main as he sipped his coffee. “Listen, I don’t suppose you’ve noticed anyone out of the ordinary poking around? Maybe asking you or Lia questions?”
She held herself very still. She refused to be disappointed. Of course he was just…working a case.Of course he was.
But she had to clear her throat to answer. “No one’s talked to me. I haven’t seen anyone talk to Lia.” She thought about this morning from the lens of what she should be—a careful observerin the wake of a terrifying kidnapping—instead of…whatever this whackadoodle mess was.
“There was a guy in here this morning who I don’t know. But he didn’t seem to ask any questions or be unduly interested in anything. He just got his coffee and left. You could ask Lia if she knew him.”
Royal glanced at the counter. Lia was in the back.
“Yeah, maybe I will.” But he didn’t get up and do that right away.
And since this was about thekidnapping, and it wasprofessional, she figured that meant she could get some of her own questions answered.
“Can I ask you something about the case?”
