Total pages in book: 57
Estimated words: 53698 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 268(@200wpm)___ 215(@250wpm)___ 179(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 53698 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 268(@200wpm)___ 215(@250wpm)___ 179(@300wpm)
The fragrance of dry cedar and refined spice hit her senses, and she smiled, melting into her accoster. See! Spices made everything better.
Conrad kissed her temple as he escorted her away. “Thank you, sweetheart.”
“You are more than welcome.” Oh, how she loved–liked, only liked, when he called her sweetheart. “But, um.” She chewed on her bottom lip. “Which of my wondrous deeds are you thanking me for?”
“Your honesty with Fiona… regarding my sizzling hot buttered buns.”
Jane nearly swallowed her tongue, her cheeks flushing hotter than ever. “What—how—oh!” Realization slapped her upside the head. Eek! She’d forgotten that her phone acted as a constant listening device for the evening, feeding straight to earpieces worn by Conrad and Beau. By her request! But oh, the app broadcasting her conversations to the boys was supposed to keep her from being accused of murder a third time, not put all her tush-admiring on blast.
Like a true gentleman, Conrad held up the rope that cordoned off the area designated for volunteers and wait staff. She ducked inside, and he followed her through. Aww. He strode over to pull the chair at her table. Even sweeter!
“Thank you.” Jane eased down. Hmm. She should have added a cushion, considering she’d be spending the next two hours sitting here. Or longer! Depended on the winner and how long it took them to unravel the (brilliant) mystery.
At least she had a gorgeous view of the reflection area—the perfect distraction from Conrad’s tantalizing nearness. A magnificent wisteria tree stretched long branches over a circle of benches. Beyond them, a handful of shop owners had set up booths. Other stalls lined the cobblestone walkway leading toward every subdivision of the cemetery. All but the former business center, near where the “murder” took place. According to Grandma Lily, that one-story Victorian cottage once acted as the hub for Garden of Memories. Now ivy grew in abandon over the yellowing paint and caving roof.
One day, Jane hoped to raise enough money to restore the building to its original glory.
“Ignoring me won’t do you any good. Me and my buns are still here.” Conrad moved to the front of the table, flattened his palms on the surface and leaned down. When the heat cranked up in her cheeks, he grinned, revealing straight, white teeth. “Do I need to give you another reason not to fall for me?”
To help her avoid the curse, he enjoyed teasing her with “terrible” facts about himself. She should say no—those facts only made her adore—like him more. But the game was too fun to stop.
“Yes. Absolutely.” She nodded with enthusiasm. “Make it the worst one yet, please.”
“All right. Here goes.” His amber eyes sparkled. “I don’t care how toilet paper hangs.”
She gasped. Actually, genuinely gasped. “Conrad! That’s insanity. There is a correct way and a wrong way, and that is irrefutable.”
His grin returned, only it was the lopsided one she found irresistible. “I better go. Do me a favor and try not to objectify me as I walk away.”
“Yes. Well,” she responded primly. “I can’t make any promises on that score.”
He snorted, then reached out to ghost his knuckles along the curve of her jaw. Her lips parted at the first brush of contact, and her breath hitched. His amusement evaporated, revealing something achingly tender.
Uh-oh. They were having a moment, weren’t they?
Lingering, he searched her gaze with his own. The rest of the world vanished, and she gulped. I do not love him. I don’t. I won’t. Getting her heart broken when things fell apart was one thing. Letting someone break her darling Rolex’s heart was quite another. What if her perfect little feline came to depend on Conrad, then boom, the special agent was gone?
“I want to take you on a date tomorrow night,” he intoned.
The moisture in her mouth dried. “A date date? As in, just the two of us?” Instead of sharing a meal at her place with the rest of the gang? AKA Fiona, Beau, his pals, and the sheriff. Team Truth, Jane liked to call them.
“Yes. A date date. Just the two of us. Think about it. Then say yes out loud.” Eyes twinkling again, he tapped his ear, reminding her that he would be listening. “I’ll come by and check on you in about an hour. We can discuss restaurants.” With that, he walked off, leaving her alone with her thoughts. And a bout of panic.
Not that she planned to indulge either one. Or think about dating. The people who’d stood off to the side, waiting for his departure, swarmed her. She answered question after question with few pauses. Time evaporated. She knew this for a fact because anytime she glanced at the clock, at least ten minutes had passed in a matter of seconds.
Exactly one hour later, Conrad returned as promised. The crowd parted like the Red Sea.