“Paul Walker sent this along.”She gave him the small sack.The temptation to take a look had been almost overwhelming, but she’d resisted.Lesley hated to think of herself as the nosy type.
Frowning, Cole took the sack, looked inside, then glanced up at her.“Was there something else you wanted?”he asked dryly.
Why was it Cole had the ability to make her feel like a repentant child?“No, there’s nothing else,” she shot back hotly.She pivoted and marched down the steps.
“Lesley,” he called out, stopping her.
She turned back, her eyes flashing angry signals at him.
“Thanks.”
“You’re welcome.”She didn’t feel the least bit gracious.She’d done him a favor, and Cole acted as if she’d purposely intruded on his privacy.“Next time I won’t bother,” she mumbled under her breath as she righteously marched back to her half of the duplex.
“Maybe you shouldn’t,” Cole called after her.
Lesley closed the door, the light and warmth of her home welcoming her.She wasn’t angry with Cole, but more puzzled than anything.She didn’t understand him, and the more she tried, the more confused she became.
Lesley opened a can of stew and let it warm on the stove while she changed into her wool pants and sweater.The phone rang as she reappeared in the kitchen.
“Hello,” she answered and stirred the bubbling meat and vegetables.
“Hi, how’s it going?”
It was her sister.“Fine.”
“Have any trouble getting to work this morning?”
“No.Cole helped dig me out.”
“That was nice.”
“Neighborly, but I think he had his own interests at heart.If I was home, I might find out what he does with his time all day.”
“Honestly, Les, are you still on that kick?”Terry asked and heaved a sigh.“I sometimes think you missed your calling in life.You should be working for the FBI.”
“Maybe,” Lesley decided not to argue.
“I got a letter from Mom and Dad today.”Their parents wintered in Arizona every year.
“Oh, what did Mom have to say?”
“The usual.They’re having a good time, Dad’s golfing every day and enjoying himself.They wanted to know if all of us would come down for Christmas.Robert’s going to see if he can get off an extra day, but you know what the post office is like this time of year.It looks doubtful for us.What about you?”
“I...I don’t know yet, I’ll have to check the schedule at the bank.”The lights flickered, then dimmed.“It looks like I may be losing my electricity.What’s happening your way?”
“Nothing yet, but you can bet if you go, we will.”
“I’d better get off the phone and look for a candle.I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”
“Okay.”
The soft buzz of the receiver told Lesley her sister had hung up.
Lesley was opening a kitchen drawer when the lights flickered a second time just before everything went completelydark.“Rats,” she blurted out impatiently, fumbling to locate the flashlight in the kitchen junk drawer.Her fingers encountered something sharp, and she inhaled a pain-filled breath and jerked out her hand.The abrupt action pulled the drawer out of its socket and dumped the contents on the floor in a tremendous crash.
Something crashed on the toe of her slipper and Lesley cried out more from shock than pain.
Within seconds Cole was pounding on her sliding glass door.When she didn’t immediately respond, he pushed it aside and flashed a light across the floor.
