And an evening with Eve would be all pleasure.
“Thank you for the offer, but I should be going.”
“Of course.” She gave him a smile that was a tinge too bright. “I’m sure you have places to go and people to see.”
In other words, she thought he had a date.
A misconception he didn’t intend to let stand, even if he wasn’t looking for a new relationship.
He’d figure out why later.
“Not tonight—but I have a full day tomorrow, and there are a few things I have to take care of before then. As for my evening—you didn’t ruin it. If I hadn’t been working, I would have gone for a run . . . and given how hot it is, you may have saved me from a case of heatstroke.”
“I’m glad something positive came out of this day.” Unless he was mistaken, a hint of relief softened her features at the news his evening plans didn’t include a hot date.
His spirits took an uptick—for reasons he refused to analyze.
He followed her to the foyer, waiting as she flipped the lock and twisted the handle. “I noticed your security system keypad by the back door. I assume you use it.”
“Yes. Having a sister in law enforcement means I get frequent lectures on home safety. I’d have one anyway, given what I do for a living.”
“Smart.” He continued past her to the small front porch. “I’ll keep you informed about our progress.” He motioned behind her, toward the paint cans. “Good luck with your weekend project.”
“Thanks. As soon as I eat, I’m going to dive in.”
“Don’t work too hard.”
Her mouth bowed. “I was born with a hard-work mindset. What can I say? Thanks again for everything.”
“My pleasure.”
He followed the paved path to the sidewalk in the quiet neighborhood, where the residents were once again going about their normal routines.
People were walking dogs.
Children were riding bikes.
The hum of lawnmowers, a distant train whistle, and the jingle of an ice cream truck mingled in the evening air.
For Eve’s neighbors, life had returned to normal.
But hers wouldn’t be the same again for quite a while.
He circled his car to the driver’s side, glancing back at her house.
A light was on in the living room, peeking around the edges of the closed shades, and a shadow moved past the window as he slid behind the wheel.
Eve might be up late painting tonight, but a propensity for hard work would be only one of the reasons.
She’d also be thinking about what happened today—and wondering if there was more to come.
As he pulled away from the curb, he could relate.
Because that’s exactly what he’d be doing too . . . well into the night.
“Hey, Buzz . . . weren’t you working in that neighborhood today?”
Buzz Lander shifted his attention from the TV above the bar to Suds, who was guzzling beer like there was no tomorrow.
“We both were.” On his other side, Crip swigged his own beer and continued to watch the coverage of the bomb scare on the cul-de-sac a few blocks from their painting job. “You shoulda heard all the sirens.” He grabbed another handful of popcorn and shoved it in his mouth.
Buzz hid his disgust behind the rim of his mug.
Both of these guys were morons who didn’t have a clue about what really mattered. All they cared about was making enough money to keep the fridge full of beer and brats. Neither of them ever gave a thought to the future.
But the three of them had a history . . . and the job they’d gotten him with the painting company after he came back from California was an easy gig that gave him time to do other things.
More important things.
And it didn’t hurt to hang out with these two on Friday nights once in a while. It was what most guys their age did. Even if he had to put up with the asinine high school nicknames they refused to leave in the past.
“Who’d have guessed Eve Reilly would end up looking like that.” Suds swigged his beer and shook his head. “All I remember from high school is her frizzy hair.”
“Nah—you’re thinking of her sister Grace.” Crip kept chowing down on the popcorn. “She was a year behind us. Eve was a year ahead of us. Isn’t that right, Buzz?”
“Yeah. I think.”
To tell the truth, he didn’t remember either sister all that well from high school. Best as he could recall, they were both A students who took all the advanced courses. They’d never shared a classroom with him—or any of his group. He’d seen them in the cafeteria or study hall once a week, max.
But he knew all about Eve now.
“So what do you think about that?” Crip waved salt-encrusted fingers toward the screen, where a photo of her was displayed in the bottom corner while the reporter talked to a cop in the center. “Why would someone pull a stunt like that over a stupid radio show?”
Because it wasn’t stupid.
It was dangerous.
“Yeah. I mean, if they catch that guy, he could go to prison.” Suds waved at the bartender and held up his empty mug. “He took a big chance.”
“Maybe he thought it was worth it.” Buzz sipped his beer, nursing the drink. No way did he want to risk getting a DUI. That could ruin a person’s life.
“I don’t see how pulling a prank like that would be worth it. What did it accomplish?” Crip scraped the last of the popcorn from the bowl.
“He may have left a message.” Buzz watched the screen as the camera zoomed in on Eve, sitting on a bench behind the yellow tape, talking to a tall guy in a jacket.
“What kind of message?” Crip stared at him.
“I don’t know. Could be someone doesn’t agree with her politics.”
Suds snorted. “I don’t agree with a lot of people’s politics. That doesn’t mean I go around putting bombs on their porch.”
“Fake bombs,” Crip said.
“Whatever.” Suds waved a hand. “It’s still dumb. People are entitled to their opinions. This is a free country with free speech. If someone doesn’t like what she says, they can get their own radio show.”
Crip chortled. “I can just see you on the radio. You don’t know current events from the Current River.”
“Hey—people could be interested in the river. I know fishing inside out. And that wouldn’t get me bombs on my doorstep, either. I’m sick of politics anyway.” He scanned the screen again. “Why a chick with her assets wants to waste time on all those heavy topics is beyond me. She ought to do a show on a froufrou subject, like cooking or makeup or interior decorating. Don’t you think so, Buzz?”
“Yeah.”
Double yeah.
And it was possible she’d switch gears, after this scare.
“How come you’re so quiet tonight?” Crip nudged him.
“Long day.”
“I hear you. Any big weekend plans? Hot dates?”
“Nope.”
Crip sighed. “Me either. But I bet Eve’s got guys falling over themselves to take her out.” He motioned toward the screen with his mug. “What a looker. She sure didn’t deserve what happened today.”
Buzz bit back the retort that sprang to the tip of his tongue. Disagreeing with his buddies would only raise questions.