Reluctantly in Love (23 page)

I awoke from the best sleep I’d had in a long time. Rolling to my back, I stretched. Memories from the night before made my cheeks and insides warm. A sated smile enveloped my lips and I rolled to the other side of the bed.

My eyes shot open when I was met with only empty space and rumpled sheets.

Of course Chase hadn’t stayed the night. He was supposed to go to his parents. I had drifted off to sleep in his arms with the expectation I would awaken alone. And still, the bite of disappointment got to me.

Don’t be an idiot.
This was what I wanted. Casual.
What’s wrong with you?
One romp—
well,
many romps
—in the sack with a hot doctor and I was all out of whack.

“Ridiculous,” I mumbled and slipped my feet into the slippers at the side of my bed.

I needed coffee. Lots of coffee. Maybe then I wouldn’t worry about how weird it would be the next time Chase and I were in the same room. And I needed a bagel. Carbs would solve my irritation with all things male—and with myself. I was the one being weird about this.
It’s what I wanted.
I trudged down the hall.

I rounded the corner and reached to flip on the light in the kitchen.

“Hey.”

I screamed. My body leapt to an offensive stance—hands up, legs wide and bent at the knees, ready to propel me forward into a kick. It was a gut reaction ingrained by the self-defense lessons Uncle Leone insisted I needed, and hours training with Leo.

I realized too late that it was Chase in my kitchen, and not an early morning intruder. I had lived alone for so long that hearing another person’s voice in the morning was a shock. Especially when he wasn’t supposed to still be here.

My kick had built too much momentum with my jump. I couldn’t stop, but I rotated my hips. Instead of clipping him in the face, my foot kicked the drink carrier in his hands. The to-go coffee cups flew into the air, and so did the hot coffee, spilling on him and landing at his feet. He stared down at the cups before turning a blank stare on me.

“
Oh my God!
” I winced at the shrill tone to my voice. “Are you okay?”

His hands were still raised as if he still held the drink carrier. He put his arms down.

“I’m so sorry,” I said in to the silence. “I thought you left.”

“To get coffee. I couldn’t find coffee beans in the kitchen.”

“Apparently I don’t just have a twitchy trigger finger . . .” I gave him a stiff smile. “Oops?”

He unbuttoned the top button of his shirt. Then another, his lips breaking into a smile. “You say that a lot.”

“Seems like it,” I said, my eyes glued to the shirt he slipped from his shoulders.

“Looks like I need a shower.” He dropped the shirt to the floor beside the coffee cups.

“You definitely need a shower.” I nodded, yanking my gaze from his chest.

He reached out and pulled me closer. Pressed against his chest, I could feel his heart hammering against mine. “I’ll wash your back if you wash mine.”

“I’ll wash whatever you want,” I told him before rising to my toes to kiss him.

We didn’t get any backwashing done in the shower, but I didn’t mind.

Chapter Twenty-One

I grinned down at my cell phone, reading Chase’s text message in a slow sweep so I could savor his words.

“Look at you, all smiley,” Lexie said, and when I looked up from my phone, she tossed a filmy shawl at me from a pile she was tagging. I caught the burnt orange material in my hand. It was for a fall accessories display to hang in her window. I couldn’t believe how fast this year had passed—autumn was just around the corner.

“If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you are glowing,” Lexie said.

I rolled my eyes, but the smile didn’t go away. “I am not glowing.”

“Yeah, you’re glowing,” Michelle called from the other side of the boutique.

“Whatever. This is my skin. I’m
golden tan.
It’s good genes.” I crossed my legs then wrapped the shawl around my shoulders. “I love this shawl. I’m buying it.”

“It looks good on you.” Lexie winked at me. “Just like that smile looks good on you.”

Every time Chase crossed my mind, my lips smiled. It was impossible to control.

It was ridiculous, really. But I was on Cloud Nine these days. It had been a week since we slept together, and whatever we were fit. There wasn’t a better word for it than that. All my worries about crossing the sexy line with him were gone.

He was still the same Chase—humorous, sexy, intense when it was just the two of us, easy to be with, and when we were with our friends it felt natural. I only wished I hadn’t pushed against a relationship with him for as long as I had. We were casual and it was perfect—and I couldn’t stop smiling.

“Hey, do you and Leo want to come over for dinner?” I asked. “I bought all the stuff to make his favorite pasta.”

“Ooh, is this a
double date
?” Lexie said, and waggled her eyebrows at me.

“Don’t do that.” I shook my head. “You look ridiculous.”

“You do it all the time,” she said.

“Yes, well, it’s my thing.” I waggled my eyebrows. “See? I make it look good.”

“Yeah, we’ll come over. What’s the occasion if it’s not a double date?”

“It’s dinner. It’s been a while since I’ve cooked for anyone. I’m out of practice.”

“And you would like to be
in practice
now?” She waggled her eyebrows at me again.

“Knock that off. You’re ruining it for me.” I turned my attention to my phone and Chase’s new message. “And whatever it is you’re trying to get me to say, you might as well stop. You know it’s not like that. We’re just hanging out.”

“Oh, I’m sure you’re hanging out.”

“You are not allowed to get pervy.” My phone rang and Beverly’s name flashed on the display. I stood and said, “Just be there around seven. We’ll eat and then have a few drinks. And then I’m kicking you out so I can
hang out—
” I waggled my eyebrows, “—with Chase.”

She laughed. “Okay.”

“Did you see how I did that? You can practice after I leave.” I held up my phone. “I need to take this. See you later.”

I clicked to answer. “Hi, Beverly.”

“Roxanna? There is no need to investigate Pretzel’s disappearance any longer. She’s home!” Her voice shook with emotion while the gears in my head clicked into place to catch up with her. “Can you believe it? It’s a miracle!”

“Yeah, it really is,” I said in wonder. To be honest, I’d begun to think Pretzels was gone for good. After installing the video camera to capture activity on the back patio, there’d been no sign of a prowler, no alien sightings, nothing. And then, out of the blue, a month after Pretzels’ disappearance, she reappears?

“I’m just so happy.”

“Who brought her back?” I asked. “Did you pay the reward?”

“Matthew brought her back. Someone showed up at his house with her this afternoon and he came straight here. He paid the reward with his own money.”

“That was kind of him. Is he still there?”

“Yes, he is. He’s staying for supper.”

“You know, I think I’ll swing by real quick on my way home. I’d love to see Pretzels in person. I’ll be there in about fifteen minutes.” Before I hung up, I said, “I’m really happy she’s home, Beverly. I was really worried about her.”

“Me too, dear.”

I hung up, my lips pursed in thought.

“What’s wrong?” Lexie asked.

“My missing cat just turned up.” I dug my wallet out of my purse. “Convenient. He’s been avoiding my calls for the last few weeks. Supposedly his schedule didn’t allow for a short meeting to discuss his stepmom’s case.”

“Sounds like a jerk.” She took the credit card I handed her.

I unraveled the scarf from my neck so she could scan the price tag. “Tell me about it. The guy is a louse. I don’t trust him, not one bit.”

“Do you want me to put the shawl in a bag?”

I shook my head. “Nah, don’t waste a bag on me.”

She handed me the shawl and my card. “I’ll see you tonight. I’ll bring dessert.”

“Yeah, sounds good,” I said over my shoulder, already on my way out the door.

I’d gotten into the habit of entering Beverly’s home through the back patio door. That’s where all the activity was centered. Today, though, I knocked at the front.

Beverly opened the door. For the first time since she walked through LM Security’s door, her smile was radiant. “Come in and meet Pretzels, Roxanna.”

Matthew Garrett looked up from where he sat on the couch. He commenced a lingering perusal, chest, hips, all the way down to my toes before reversing his examination and meeting my gaze. It took everything I had not to give him the bird. His smile was as I remembered—slick, toothy, but it didn’t quite reach his eyes.

“You must be Ms. Moss, the private investigator.” He stood and offered me his hand. I held back a quiver of revulsion when his hand closed around mine. “It’s nice to meet you in person finally.”

“Yes, finally. I’ve been calling your office for weeks now.” I studied his gaze for the slightest reaction, a flicker of guilt, anything. All I got was a grin that grated on my nerves.

“Yes, I’m sorry about that. I’m a very busy man.” He gestured to Pretzels. “And now it looks like there’s no reason for us to speak in the future, as Pretzels is home. A pity for that.” His laughter boomed through the house. “About not having a reason to speak to you—not a pity that Pretzels is home, of course.”

“Of course.” My smile didn’t reach my eyes—Matthew Garrett wasn’t any more likeable in person than through a pair of binoculars. I had no idea what the women in his life saw in him. He was handsome enough, his dark chestnut hair peppered at the temples and sideburns with grey. The suit he wore fit him well, tailored to his tall frame. He was one of those guys who probably spent a lot of time at the gym, eyeing the women like prey.

Pretzels lay sprawled on the loveseat, licking her paw. She was even more stunning in person than in all the photographs, her black spots and stripes vibrant on her coat. She gazed at me with yellow eyes.

“I hear you’re the hero of the day.” I took the chair across from the couch.

He crossed his legs and threw an arm over the back of the couch. “I think the real hero here is Pretzels.”

I raised my brows. “Yes, I suppose you’re right.”

Beverly sat down beside Pretzels and the cat snuggled into her side. As big as she was, having her as a lap cat might have been uncomfortable. Beverly scratched under Pretzels’ chin and said, “It’s as if she were never gone. She came right in and found her favorite spot on this couch.” She looked up at me with a smile. “I’m so happy she was found by a good family who took care of her.”

“Yes, she was very lucky,” I said with an eye on Matthew. “Did you pay this person the reward?”

“Of course. Beverly reimbursed me.”

“Yes, the reward was well worth it. They might not have returned her if not for the reward.”

“I’m curious, why did it take them so long to return her?” I cocked my head and peered at Matthew. “And how is it they thought to return the cat to you and not to Beverly herself, as was on the flyer?”

“That’s an interesting story.” Matthew flashed the smile that made my stomach queasy.

I bet it’s interesting.

“The family who found Pretzels didn’t realize there was a reward. They kept her, took her into their home as a pet. A friend came to their home and recognized her from a flyer he’d seen. He knew Beverly was my father’s widow, and brought Pretzels to me at Garrett Properties.”

“That’s . . . remarkable.”
And convenient.
“Who was this man?”

His smile faltered and his eyes narrowed. “I didn’t happen to get a last name. Paul was his first name, I believe.”

“Did you record it on your check register?” I asked.

Beverly’s hand stilled to rest on Pretzels’ back. “I think I would like to talk to this person, perhaps also send the family a gift basket for their honesty.”

“I paid the man in cash.”

I cocked my head, my brow furrowed. “That’s quite a large sum of money to pay with cash.”

“I keep that kind of money in the safe. For emergencies. There really wasn’t any need to write a check.” He laughed and held up his hands. “I suppose if I had been thinking on my toes I would have gotten more information from him. Finding Pretzels alive and well honestly blew me over.”

I stood; my smile felt like plastic. “Well, Beverly is very lucky to have you in her life, Matthew.” Kneeling before the cat, I said, “I’m so happy to see Pretzels home.”

I scratched the cat behind her ears then brushed a hand along her side. Her purr vibrated through my hand. “Matthew, could I talk to you outside quickly before I leave?”

“Certainly.” He followed me out onto the front porch.

I turned to face him. “Thanks for your time.”

His brow furrowed and he let out a labored sigh. “I can’t tell you how happy I am that this is all over. I’ve been so worried about Beverly.”

He seemed sincere. He even sounded like someone who was worried about his elderly stepmom. The frown tugging at his lips dripped concern. Maybe his only involvement in Pretzels’ disappearance was in him not being cooperative and returning my phone calls. Maybe he was just a busy man who hadn’t taken a private investigator seriously. That didn’t make him guilty; it just made him a prick. But I didn’t buy it. I couldn’t shake the feeling that he was the bad guy in this bizarre story.