“Would you like to come tonight?” she asked.
His eyes blinked and a hint of pink stole across his cheeks. And then she realized how she’d phrased her invitation, and her own cheeks felt like they were on fire.
He chuckled and shook his head. “And now you know how I’ve felt every time I’ve stepped inside this shop. I could never get out the right words.”
She wrinkled her nose. “Well, if you’d like to come to my place tonight for dinner, I’ll try not to embarrass us both too much.”
He cleared his throat. “Just so you know, I have no expectations, other than a good meal with good company. I’d like to get to know you.”
Leaning over the table, she said, “Just so you know, I have very high expectations…”
They both laughed. They finished eating and when he stood and came around to help her with her chair, she felt a little disappointed this impromptu “date” was ending.
When she was standing, she turned to him and gave him a bright smile. “I’ll just write my address down on a card for you.”
He gave a nod and followed her back to the counter.
Just as she began writing her address on the back of her business card, a loud noise sounded—the shattering of glass. They both turned to the front of the store. The large plate glass window that looked out onto Main Street had a section gone from the corner. A rock sat in the middle of glass shards on the floor.
Laura pressed a hand against her chest, shocked at the sight and unable to move.
Preacher didn’t suffer the same condition. “Stay here. Call the cops,” he said, then ran out the door.
Chapter 3
Preacher paused on the sidewalk outside and glanced up and down Main Street. No one was running away. In fact, this side of the street was completely clear of people. He ran to the side of the building and glanced down the alleyway. Nothing. He moved swiftly through the alley to the back of the building and around the other side. Still nothing.
When he returned to Laura’s shop, it was to find her sweeping up the glass on the floor.
“Let me,” he said, and held out his hand.
Her lips firmed, and she shook her head. “You don’t have to. This is my mess to clean up.”
“No, you go sit down. I don’t like how pale you are right now.” And it was true. Her cheeks were chalk white and tears filled her eyes. “Seriously, Laura, go sit.” When she handed him the broom, he quickly went to work, making several trips to the trash can behind the counter then removing the trash to the bin in the alleyway behind the shop he’d spotted when he’d searched the back of the building. When he came back, she was sitting at the table they’d shared, her hands clasped in front of her.
“We really should have called the police first,” he said, kicking himself for not thinking of it sooner. He’d been too concerned about her. He knelt beside her chair and reached for her hands. They were ice cold so he chafed them between his palms, not knowing what to do next to help.
“It’s just weird, you know?” she said, looking straight in front of her. “It’s the third time…”
“Someone broke your window three times?”
She shook her head. “No. I mean, the third time something’s happened. First, someone moved the trash bin outside close to the back door and set it on fire. Sheriff Brown said it was probably kids acting out. Could have happened to anyone. Then…” she drew a shaky breath and turned her face toward him. “Last week, someone broke in the back door and ruined my walk-in freezer. They took an icepick to the inside walls then tossed everything around in the kitchen before they left. It was an awful mess.”
“What did the sheriff say then?” he asked, anger beginning to build inside him.
“That maybe I had pissed someone off. He had me make a list of customers who’d made complaints, but those were all small things. An order that wasn’t right. Someone who’d arrived after I’d locked the door at closing. The list was short, and he had a deputy go around to talk to everyone on it, but he didn’t find anyone who seemed to hold a grudge.”
“Do you have surveillance cameras?” he asked, glancing around and not finding any.
“No, that was something he suggested I get, but I don’t have it in my budget.”
Preacher frowned. Laura was being targeted by someone. She needed cameras and an alarm system. ASAP. But first things first. He pulled out his cellphone.
“What are you doing?”
“Calling the sheriff.”
Her lips pressed into a thin line. “What’s he going to do?”
“The least he can do is have a deputy or two canvass the other businesses along the street to see if they saw something. But there’s a pattern now. Someone’s definitely targeting you. We need to find out who to put a stop to it.”
“We?” she said, frowning.
Preacher sighed and lowered his phone. “We, if you’ll let me help. I’m not just a bounty hunter. I’m former Delta Force. I don’t sit still when I see anyone in danger.”
“They haven’t attacked me.”
“But they might escalate. Your business, and you, aren’t safe. Let me do what I do best.”
Her lips twitched. “I doubt protecting a donut shop is what you do best.”
His own mouth stretched at her teasing tone. “It’s not. But I should save a little something to impress you with later.”
She chuckled and then drew up a deep breath. “Since I don’t know how to go about this, I’ll let you take the lead.”
“I knew there was something I liked about you.” Then he couldn’t help himself, he leaned toward her and kissed her mouth. Just a quick peck, then he moved back and winked before standing and lifting his cellphone once again.
Laura blinked kind of dreamily back at him then smiled and glanced away.
He hadn’t blown it by making a move too soon. A good thing, since he was pretty sure he wanted to spend a lot of time getting to know her. It was just too bad some creep was giving him his “in.” He didn’t like that she’d been frightened.
* * *
The sheriff left, promising to assign two deputies to canvass the block. He also said he’d have them ask if anyone had a camera feed they could review to look for anything that appeared suspicious. As well, he said twice might have been a fluke or the work of separate individuals, but three times was most certainly a pattern. He warned her again about improving the security of her shop and being aware of her surroundings whenever she was out and about.
She’d kept the sign on the window turned to closed but that hadn’t stopped people from dropping by the shop to check on her. She’d dispensed donuts and sandwiches while also contacting her insurance guy. When the deputies had been moving around the street, Preacher took the opportunity to hit Dead as a Doornail Hardware to pick up a sheet of plywood, ordered to size, and a hammer and nails.
The man behind the counter ringing him up was short and skinny with stooped shoulders. “You doing some construction?” he asked.
Preacher raised his eyebrows. A sheet of plywood did not constitute construction. Maybe the dude was just trying to be friendly. “I’m going to nail this up over a broken window.”