“I’ve lost some inventory, but at least things are somewhat back to normal,” Charley said with a look around. “Thank you, Leon. You’re a lifesaver.”
“My pleasure,” he said. “It’ll be dark soon, I should get going.”
“Do you need a ride?” Charley asked.
“No, thanks. I rode the scooter my uncle bought for me before he died,” Lerfeld said. With a glance at Sully, he added, “I can’t get Charley to take a ride with me. She said she’s afraid of motorcycles.”
“Is that right?” Sully asked and cocked a brow at Charley. They’d ridden for miles and miles out in the country on his Harley.
“That’s right,” Lerfeld said with a somewhat defeated shrug. “Well, it’s Monday, so I guess I’ll see you tomorrow, Charley.”
“See you tomorrow, Leon,” Charley said and walked him out of the shop. Then returning to the open doorway, she gave him a goodbye wave.
“So, you’re afraid of motorcycles?” Sully teased her as she twirled around to him.
“Thanks for not blowing my cover,” Charley said with a grin and shut the door. “I don’t want to encourage Leon. I think he has a little crush on me.”
“Ya think?”
“I think so. Therefore, I keep distance between us because—” With a flirtatious grin and lifting her left shoulder, she added, “I’m not interested in Leon.”
“Is there somebody else you’re interested in?”
Charley boldly let her blue eyes zip down his body and back up, raised her chin, and started past him. “Maybe.”
Sully caught her arm and pulled her to him. “Who?”
Charley giggled. “None of your business, country boy.”
“Tell me, city slicker.”
“Maybe the guy I slept with the past couple of nights.”
When Sully lowered his head, Charley’s arms slid around his neck. She stood on tiptoes, between his booted feet, as his mouth came down on hers. A loud rap on the window of the front door was jarring. Charley whirled out of Sully’s arms, and they both saw Lerfeld staring at them from the other side of the glass.
“Forgot my cell phone,” Lerfeld said through the door.
“Okay,” Charley said, and letting go of Sully, she spotted the phone on a counter. She got it and walked to the front of the shop. Sully was ahead of her and opened the door.
“Thanks,” Lerfeld said to Charley.
“You’re welcome,” she replied. “Have a nice evening, Leon.”
“Right,” he mumbled, and when Sully closed the door, he caught the envious glare Lerfeld directed at him.
“Yeah, make that abigcrush on you,” Sully said.
“Maybe now he knows his interest isn’t returned.”
“Maybe.”
They locked the shop doors and walked back up the hill to the duplex. Sully asked if the police had taken stock of the other apartment once occupied by her mother on the right side of the duplex. Charley said they had done so. They had dusted for prints in both apartments to no avail. She had since packed up her mother’s belongings. Except for a few sentimental effects, her mother’s clothing and other personal belongings had been donated to charity. Back in her apartment, Charley gave Sully a bottle of water and the remote to the flatscreen.
“After cleaning up my shop, I need a shower,” she said. “Thank goodness I have a new shower curtain. If you’ll wait for me, I’ll treat you to dinner.”
I’d be happy to wait for you as long as it takes, Sully thought. “Sure.”
CHAPTER ELEVEN
