“I need to see you in my office. ASAP.”
Now Cal stumbled, startled by the mayor’s stern edict. “Well…sure. Something wrong?” He glanced at Wyatt, who only shrugged.
“We’ll discuss it when you get here. Can you come today? After lunch? I can work you in between afternoon appointments.”
Cal considered teasing Teddy about being so important that his schedule was packed but decided Ted’s tone proved the mayor was in no mood for playful banter. “I’ll be there at two o’clock, if that works.”
“Two o’clock then.”
Chapter 10
Jules chuckled to herself as she watched Cal and his brother drive away. She could see how much her cooperation and kindness toward the detective bugged the sheriff. The inspiration had come to her the instant she opened the door and found Cal grinning his magnetic grin and standing beside a man whose family resemblance was unmistakable. But why had she felt the impulse to needle the sheriff? He’d been nothing but kind and professional with her. She even rather admired his ability to hold his own when she verbally sparred with him.
Maybe that was the problem. She liked the taut exchanges too much. She enjoyed goading a wry laugh from him and seeing the mischievous spark light his blue eyes. While she couldn’t let himknowshe was charmed by him—that would only pointlessly encourage him—teasing him was entertaining in a time of her life otherwise filled with disappointment, worry and boredom. She saw no break in that pattern as long as she was in Red Grove, searching for justice and relief for her sister and working this thankless job.
She sighed as she returned to the chemistry journal she’d been browsing when the men had arrived. As long as the store was closed, she could do something to stay current on research and innovations in her field. She didn’t even dare to clean up the fingerprint dust on the sales floor until she got approval to reopen.
That permission came a couple of hours later, from Cal, who dropped by in person bearing a sack of hamburgers and cold french fries from a fast food joint in town.
“I have a landline here at the shop, you know. You could have called to tell me,” she said as he brushed past her with the greasy bag that smelled heavenly. “And I’m not a charity case that you have to feed.”
“Not trying to imply you are, but my mother was big on teaching us not to show up empty-handed. Seeing as it was the lunch hour, and I had to eat as well, I thought I’d share.” He unpacked the food onto the tiny break room table, and she pulled a fry from the pack. “Besides, I know the forensic team left a mess in the other room, and I wanted to help clean up. Can’t stay long, though. I have a meeting with the mayor at two.”
She felt like a heel for rebuffing his gesture, so she mumbled, “Well, thanks. I am kinda starving.” After one bite, she tossed the cold french fry back into the pack. “Cold fries are the pits. What a waste.”
“True. But this place is a fair hike out in the boonies.” Cal took a large bite of his burger. “So I was thinking…”
“I thought I smelled smoke.”
He grinned and tapped his head. “Mmm. Faulty wiring up there, you know.”
She smiled without meaning to. “Anyway, your brilliant thoughts were?”
Before he could answer, there was a loud pounding on the back door.
Cal held his sandwich suspended halfway to his mouth. “You expecting someone?”
She pushed away from the table. “I wasn’t expectingyou, yet here we are.”
When she opened the door, the haggard face that greeted her shot ice to her core.
Chase Hamilton.
She had to dig deep not to show any reaction to the man in his delivery uniform and unkempt hair. Instead, she silently opened the door wider to allow him room to push his loaded dolly inside. He said nothing to her, either, as he strode past, reeking of cigarettes and God knew what else.
When she turned around, Cal was standing in the door to the break room, but his attention was focused on her, not Chase.
Her gut churning, she returned to the break room, trying to hide her agitation, from both Cal and Chase. Letting the jangle of nerves and swirl of acid and loathing in her gut show to either man could be disastrous. Suddenly the aroma of hamburgers and cold fries turned her stomach.
Chase went about his work, unloading cases of snack foods and flats of canned soft drinks in the storage room. When he was done there, he entered the break room without looking at her or Cal. Though Cal was dressed casually, his golf shirt did bear the insignia of the sheriff’s department if Chase paid attention to that detail. And how would Chase react to the unexpected presence of law enforcement on his delivery route?
While trying to remain inconspicuous, she monitored Chase from the corner of her eye, all the while feeling the weight of Cal’s gaze on her. She heard Cal eating, though she could only pick at her burger.
When Chase walked toward her, she tensed and jerked her attention up to him, on full alert. He held out a clipboard, and she exhaled.
Of course. She had to sign for the delivery. Once she’d scribbled her initials on the sheet, Chase wheeled the dolly around and marched out, letting the door slam behind him. No “thank you” or “have a nice day.” Not that she wanted one from him. She didn’t wantanythingfrom Chase Hamilton, except maybe for him to crawl in a hole and die. The bastard.
Keeping her eyes down, she flattened both hands on the cool Formica tabletop and drew a slow calming breath.
