Unveiled Treasures (14 page)

* * * *

Todd went back in the kitchen to check on the food.
She’s under your skin, Bradley.
Your halfway in love with her and falling fast
.
Would that be so bad? She is beautiful, witty, smart, caring, a little hellcat in the bedroom, and…
“Oh man,” he groaned. “Buddy, you’re hooked all the way, not half.”

“I’m sorry, did you say something to me?” Rachel asked as she walked in.

“No, just talking to myself.” Todd answered, a little too quickly.

She arched an eyebrow and looked at him quizzically. “Are you alright? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

“I’m fine. Hey, you offered to help with dinner. Why don’t you set the table? The steaks are done and I need to finish off the potatoes.”

“Sure, just show me where the plates are,” she said.

Todd didn’t think she was ready to hear his declaration of love. He wasn’t ready to tell her.
You’ve only known her for days! Not months or years, hell, not even weeks. We’re talking days here. How can you be sure it’s love? How can you be sure it’s not just a case of hot and heavy lust?
His inner voice said as he removed the potatoes from the oven
. I feel it. That’s how I know
. He knew Rachel would have been shocked to hear his thoughts. But since she wasn’t a mind reader, his thoughts remained his own.

“The food smells wonderful. I owe you an apology. You really can cook,” she said, smiling at him.

“Apology accepted. Now, let’s eat.”

They sat eating in silence for a few minutes and Todd asked, “Do you still want to have dinner with me tomorrow night?”

She looked at him sitting across the table from her. Once again, she was drawn to his eyes. “Yes, I’d like that very much,” she answered with a small smile on her lips.

They ate in silence. Each one was intent on their thoughts and starved from their bout of ravishing each other. “Thank you for dinner” she said after devouring everything on her plate. “Not only can you cook, but you’re an amazing cook.”

He cocked an eyebrow at her and grinned. “Still trying to get in my good graces?”

She giggled. “I insist you let me help you with the dishes.”

“Trust me, baby, you don’t have to insist. I accept your offer.” They cleared the dishes from the table and stood side by side in the kitchen as the hot soapy water filled the sink.

“You want to wash or dry?” he asked.

“I’ll wash, you know where everything goes,” she replied.

“I was afraid you’d say that,” he grumbled.

Once the dishes were washed, dried and put away, they went out to the deck again. “Are you cold?” he asked.

“A little,” she said as she shivered “I’m having a hard time remembering to wear a jacket or a sweater. This time of year, I’m usually still wearing t-shirts.”

“Here, put this on,” he said, draping his coat over her shoulders. Todd pulled her into his arms and kissed her. It was a warm, mind-numbing kiss that left him yearning for more. “Stay with me tonight,” he whispered into her hair.

“I can’t,” she replied. Looking up into his face, she smiled and continued. “Brutus is in the house by himself and I have things I need to do.”

“It’s getting late. Would you like me to drive you home then?”

She nodded against his chest. She inhaled the scent of him again. No matter what happened from here, she would always remember that scent as Todd Bradley.

Todd went inside to get his keys and grabbed another coat for himself. “Ready when you are,” he said as he walked down the steps.

Rachel followed him across the yard towards the truck. She stopped and looked at him over the hood of the vehicle. “Things are moving too fast,”  she blurted out. “We had the most amazingly incredible sex this afternoon and this evening, but I don’t want you to be upset with me because I won’t spend the night with you.”

Todd leaned on the hood and looked in to her blue eyes. “Rachel, I don’t think any less of you for not wanting to stay with me tonight. You have responsibilities you need to take care of. I understand and respect that. Now get in the truck, it’s freezing out here!”

They arrived at Rachel’s cabin before the heater had a chance to warm up. “Thank you again for dinner. I really need to get some food in the house.” She laughed softly. Todd pulled her across the seat so she was sitting in his lap. He buried his hands in her hair and kissed her long and hard. Rachel closed her eyes and let herself be swept away by the passionate kiss. When he let go of her mouth, she sighed. Opening her eyes, she saw him looking at her with the hint of a smile on his face.

“What are you grinning at?” she asked.

“You. You wear your emotions on your gorgeous face for the whole world to see. I find it very endearing.”

“Well,” she said as she climbed out of his lap, glad it was dark and he couldn’t see her blushing. “I’m not sure how to respond to that one. Ummm, thanks?”

Todd laughed. It was a full rich sound that gave her a warm and fuzzy feeling inside. “Rachel, I need to get out of here before I grab you back up again,” he said playfully. They climbed out of the truck and he walked her to the door. Unlocking it, she turned and kissed him goodnight. Todd waited until she closed and locked the door to turn and leave. “You’re going down really hard and really fast, Bradley,” he said to himself as he climbed into his truck and headed for home.

Chapter 10

Brutus greeted her at the door as she let herself in the cabin. “Are you happy to see me, big guy?” she crooned. His tail thumped wildly as he pranced beside her on the way into the kitchen. He bent his head and rapped his food bowl with his nose, causing a resounding clang.

“Yes, piglet, I’ll feed you again,” she said teasingly. “First, I want you to go outside, no accidents allowed in the house.” Shooing him out the door to relieve himself, she spun into a waltz on the patio. “The moon and stars are shining just for us tonight, Brutus,” she said in a sing-song voice as she danced. Laughing at herself, she danced back into the house.

Brutus made quick work of his kibble and settled down in front of the fireplace. Rachel was curled up on the couch with her nose in a thriller novel. He sighed heavily. Rachel sat her book down, crawled over on the floor and lay down beside him. He leaned closer to her as she stroked his fur.

“I think we need to go to bed before we fall asleep out here,” she whispered in his ear. He yawned and stretched as he stood. Walking to the archway, he turned and looked back at her as if to say, “Well, come on then.” She double-checked the lock on the door and followed him down the hall.

* * * *

Saturday morning brilliance came streaming through her bedroom window again. The sunlight glinted off of the crystal she had hung in the window, sending a cascade of colors bouncing off the walls. She yawned and stretched before she climbed out of bed.
Dogs can teach you a lot if you pay attention
, she thought as she watched Brutus do the same. They shared a routine every morning. Wake up, yawn, stretch, get out of bed, Rachel made coffee and Brutus went outside. From there, their paths forked down different roads, Brutus wanted breakfast immediately, whereas Rachel wanted a shower. They managed to cohabitate peacefully within these parameters.

After two cups of coffee and a shower, Rachel got to work. She called contractors and scheduled appointments, then spent the rest of the morning finishing the painting in her living room.

* * * *

Downtown, Todd was working as well. He couldn’t get what Rachel had said about Ed having an office assistant out of his mind. The man worked alone. If he was out with a client or off wherever, the office was locked up and the answering machine switched on. Why had he lied to her? He was going to find out.

Todd managed to catch Ed by surprise as he walked into his office. Ed began acting nervously. His hands were shaking, he kept squirming in his seat and he averted his gaze to look anywhere, but at Todd.

“What can I do for you today, Sheriff? Do you need to speak with me about something?”

“Sorry to disturb you, Mr. Templeton. I’m following up on a lead in the Cat Burglar cases.”

“Am I a suspect?” Ed asked nervously.

“No, Mr. Templeton, I just need to ask you a few questions. It may help to clarify some things. I won’t take but a few minutes of your time.”

“Well, I can spare a few minutes for you, I suppose.”

“Thank you. The break-ins all occurred within a six week time span. Do you have an alibi for the nights in question?”

“I thought you said I wasn’t a suspect!” Ed said, jumping to his feet.

“Mr. Templeton, I am not accusing you of anything. I asked a simple question. Can you verify or have someone verify your whereabouts on the nights in question?”

“No, I can’t. As embarrassing as it is to say, I don’t have much of a social life. I live alone, Sheriff. I frequent the diner on occasion, have a few drinks at the bar, but I spend my evenings at home—alone,” Ed said quietly, his beady eyes darting around the room.

“I see.” Todd paced the room. Returning to stand in front of the desk, he noticed a picture partially covered up. He continued to talk trying to get a closer look. “Ed, I didn’t come over here to give you a hard time,” he said, placing his hands on the desk. He put his head down and saw the picture was of the ladies club. The local chapter of the Red Hat’s Society and circled in the middle of the picture was Mrs. Riley. “I came over to see if you had any information that may help in our investigation,” he continued, looking up and smiling.

Ed grabbed for the paperwork and slid the picture underneath the pile. “Sheriff, I don’t understand what I have to do with any of this. I assure you, if I hear or see anything suspicious, you will be the first person I call,” he said, his thin smile never reaching his eyes.

“Thanks, Ed. I’d appreciate your cooperation. I’ll be in touch,” Todd said as he closed the office door. He shook his head. Ed was lying. He could smell it on him. Walking out to his truck, he called Mike on the radio. “Hey, Mike, light a fire under Phoenix PD, I need those prints back yesterday.”

“Sure thing, Todd,” Mike replied. “I’m on my way back to the office now. My interviews didn’t turn up a thing. I think we can cross the employees of Canyon Rentals off our already short list of suspects, and other than one fan who loves her books, no one has had any dealings with or had even heard of Ms. Rachel Hardy.”

“I’m beginning to think I know who it is, but I need that print analysis back from Phoenix P.D. before we can do anything about it.”

* * * *

Rachel stood in the archway between living room and kitchen admiring her own handiwork. She was pleased with the way the living room had turned out. She removed the plastic drop cloths from her sofa and loveseat. Peeling the painter’s tape off the window sill and cleaning up, she heard a vehicle pull in the drive.

Brutus started barking and prancing at the door. She looked out the window and saw Todd walking across the patio. She smiled and opened the door to greet him. Brutus bounded out and almost knocked him over with his exuberance. “Whoa, fella, it’s nice to see you too,” Todd said, laughing at the dog. He looked up and saw her standing in the doorway. She continued to knock him off his axis every time he saw her. “I came by to see if you wanted to go for a ride with me.”

“I will a little while later. I have some contractors on their way out to give me some bids.”

“Who did you call?”

“Come on in and I’ll tell you.”

The smell of fresh paint assailed him as he followed her inside. Glancing around the room, he was amazed by the transformation taking place. “Rachel, this is great. In just a few short days, you’ve managed to turn this dusty, decrepit old house into…a home.”

She smiled at him and continued walking into the kitchen. She grabbed the stack of business cards she’d left on the makeshift counter. “Jessica referred me to Jeff at JG Grading, Custom Cabinets by Sam and Tony from Roofing Unlimited. I was unable to reach anyone from Water Works but I’m hopeful the water heater will last a few more days.”

“They’re a good bunch of guys. I went to high school with Jeff and Tony, and I play softball with Sam. We play in a summer league.”

“Why do you have Jessica’s Jeep? Where is your truck?”

The wicked gleam in his eye was followed by his crooked grin. “You’ll have to come with me to find out.”

“Do you really like what I’ve done with the place so far?” she asked, walking towards the living room.

Todd came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist. Nuzzling her neck, he whispered in her ear, “Rachel, you’ve thoroughly impressed me. I really like what you’ve done in this room. It seems to say, come in and make yourself at home.”

She looked over her shoulder up into his eyes. “Thanks, your opinion means a lot to me.”

He turned her around to face him and lowered his head for a gentle kiss. A smoldering flame quickly ignited between them as they deepened the kiss. Todd felt her lean into his obvious arousal. Groaning against her lips, he asked, “I have a constant hard-on around you. When are you expecting those guys to show up?”