“My company isn’t enough?” I teased.
He raked his gaze over me in a way that pricked my skin. “It’s more than enough, Zara.”
My breath caught as our eyes met and held. Something heavy settled over us, like a warm cloak. Each passing moment tightened it, drawing me closer to him, though I hadn’t moved from my seat.
“I’ll bring you a cookie next time.”
“As long as thereisa next time.”
There would be.
I didn’t think I could stay away from Cormac Kelly.
Not anymore.
Chapter Twenty-one
Cormac
Icouldn’tsayhowZara had ended up riding with me to my appointment in Laramie. I couldn’t even remember how she’d found out I had one. One minute, she’d popped into my office, and the next, she was beside me in my truck, making me sing along to the song she’d put on.
Not that she’d had to twist my arm too hard.
Saying she’d made me was a stretch. All she’d said was, “Come on, Maccie,” and I’d sang like a damn bird. It made her happy. Hell, it made me happy too. Riding down the road, singing my heart out with Zara, wasn’t something I ever thought I’d do again, but here we were, enjoying the moment without looking forward or backward.
When the song was over, she turned the volume down and sighed. “Did I tell you Phoebe asked me to help out with the market in the park in a couple weeks?”
“Yeah?” I glanced at her. “Did you agree?”
Phoebe never missed the market Sugar Brush held in the park throughout the summer. Last year, she’d come up with the idea of running a fundraiser for the library market and had dove inheadfirst. Our sister-in-law, Alice, was the head librarian, and it was a fact our library was tragically underfunded. Phoebe had donated her baked goods and time, and she’d raised a good chunk of money doing so. And had even bigger plans for this year. It was no surprise she’d roped Zara in for the cause.
“I did. I’m not really crafty or a salesperson, but she said all she needs is a warm body to man the booth. I’ve got that covered.”
I laughed. “I have a feeling Phoebe will have you doing a lot more than that while convincing you you’re enjoying every second of it.”
My sister had a way about her. Everyone thought she was sweet and soft—and she was—but she tended to get people to do things they would never agree to had anyone else asked.
“As long as I get baked goods as payment, I’m fine with it.”
“You might not think a few brownies are worth it when Phoebe’s done with you,” I warned.
“I heard there might be cupcakes too.”
I shook my head. “We’ll have to come back to this conversation in a few weeks when it’s all over.”
“I’ll be riding that sugar high all the way through,” she shot back.
“You say that now.”
I turned down a side street just off Grand, the old brick storefronts giving way to a squat building with blacked-out windows and a sign bolted above the door.
TATTOO
Succinct and to the point.
I parked along the curb and cut the engine, the sudden quiet ringing in my ears.
Zara leaned forward, peering through the windshield. “This is it?”
