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He grinned at her. “I can be even more charming.”

A few hours later, he reluctantly climbed out of her bed, dressed, and she sleepily locked the door after him. She crawled back under the covers to snuggle into the warmth of where he’d lain and breathe in the scent of him.

Maybe he was the center of her universe, too.

chapter

four

Gabriella sighed in the face of the temper tantrum about to happen.

The woman she’d just fined lived locally. Gabriella was sure she’d seen her out and about, and she didn’t like giving fines to residents, but this had been a specific complaint called in overnight to headquarters of a car blocking a driveway.

“There was a complaint,” Gabriella explained. “Are you saying you have the right to park in front of this driveway?”

“No, I’m saying Bob Morton could have walked across the street and asked me to move my car like a civilized person, instead of setting the law on me. I parked here because my garage roof started to collapse last night in the rain and I didn’t want to risk any damage to it, but I also wanted to get my car off the street and out of the way. I didn’t ask Bob’s permission because it was tipping down and I didn’t see any lights on at his house. I didn’t think he’d mind as I know for a fact that there’s no car in his garage, only junk he stores there that his wife won’t let him keep inside the house.” Mrs. Carey shot a furious look at the house and jabbed at it with her finger.

“I’m sorry.” Gabriella sympathized. “You’re right, he should have just asked you to move it, but until he withdraws, I can’t do anything about it.”

“Gabriella.”

She turned at the sound of her name, and saw Ruby Everett coming toward her.

She didn’t think she’d ever seen Ruby while she was out on her rounds, even though her current route was quite close to Ruby’s house.

“Good morning.” Gabriella saw Mrs. Carey turn to look as well, and didn’t know if this was a good time or not for Ruby to have interrupted them.

“Belinda, I don’t think I’ve seen you since the last garden meeting.” Ruby nodded to Mrs. Carey in polite greeting.

“Do you know this officer?” Mrs. Carey asked.

“Yes, she’s a friend,” Ruby said.

“Well, she’s just fined me for parking in Bob Morton’s driveway.” Mrs. Carey put her hands on her hips in an aggrieved manner.

Ruby looked over at Gabriella.

“Mr. Morton made an official complaint. I’ve explained to Mrs. Carey I don’t have a choice in the matter.” Gabriella tore off the top copy of the fixed penalty notice and held it out to Mrs. Carey.

“Why didn’t Bob just ask you to move it?” Ruby asked.

“Exactly!” Mrs. Carey glared at Gabriella as if that should have been the end of it.

“He didn’t, though,” Gabriella said. “He called my boss and put in an official complaint, and the only way to rescind it is for him to withdraw the complaint in writing.”

“I’ve been telling Michael the gutters over the garage need clearing, but he didn’t get round to it, and last night with that absolute downpour, part of the garage roof collapsed,” Mrs. Carey turned back to Ruby. “I didn’t think Bob would mind me parking here, but I was obviously very much mistaken.”

She still hadn’t taken the fine. Gabriella sighed and started putting it in its plastic sleeve to stick onto the window.

“That’s not Gabriella’s fault, though,” Ruby said. “She’s just doing her job.”

Mrs. Carey seemed to realize what Gabriella was doing and snatched the fine from her with a snort of derision.

“She needs to find a better job, then.” She stomped over to the driver’s side, got in, and reversed out.

Ruby and Gabriella watched her drive away.

“That really wasn’t very nice of Bob Morton,” Ruby said.