Marty would let me use his sedan. I was taking up too much of Chris’s time.
By the time he dropped me off at Uncle Marty’s, it was well past midnight. I’d texted Miralee and asked her to open the store in the morning. Tomorrow, I planned to sleep, sleep, and sleep some more.
Chris offered to walk me to the door. In fact, he offered to sleep on the sofa. But neither of the robbers knew where I was, and the kitties and I would manage.
In the foyer, Chris gently grabbed my hand and laced my fingers with his. “I’d love to see you tomorrow. We have so much to discuss. Did you know I already know who your favorite band is? You love the color magenta, and you ran track in college.”
“And you biked through Europe when you were twenty-two, your first girlfriend’s name was Heather, and you were an Eagle Scout.”
“How did we not figure it out until today?”
“Different names—both you and Maggie. And I thought you lived in New Jersey.”
He nodded. “Until last year. I thought your cat’s name was Goober. What happened to Goober?”
My eyes misted. “Goober was seventeen when he died last summer. Then Amee found Butterscotch sunning on the hood of her car. When nobody claimed him, she had him checked out at the vet and brought him to me. It was love at first sight. Then a couple of months later, I brought Ginger home.” I leaned against the coat closet door, resting my weary back. “Hey, why didn’t you know Ginger?”
“Never laid eyes on that cat. I’d walk in the door and she’d head for the hills. Some days I wasn’t sure if Ginger was real or merely a figment of Aunt Margaret’s vivid imagination.” Chris wrapped his arms around me and pulled me closer.
Light from the streetlights filtered through the frosted glass panes in the door. A halo effect lit up the air around Chris—he looked like an angel in the moonlight.
“What I don’t know is what it feels like to kiss you.” He tipped my chin up and gazed into my eyes. Tilting his head ever so slightly, his lips met mine.
My breath caught as his fingers tangled in my hair. Perhaps it was way too soon, but the sensation of tumbling headlong into love thrilled me to the core. Even if I hadn’t met this man in person until recently, he was the kind of man that could be forever.
He kissed me again.
And then I kicked him out. Because I wanted him to stay.
12
The next week flew by with nary a sign of the robbers. And no Chris, either. Jennifer had the flu, so he’d taken on extra shifts at the TV station. It seemed there was an increased demand for camera crews at Christmas even in our modest town. We talked every day on the phone, but it wasn’t the same. I missed him and longed to have his arms around me again. Soon.
In the meantime, the jewelry store stayed busy. Some people stopped for a glimpse of the crime scene, some for shopping. Necklaces, rings, and watches sold briskly. Todd kept numerous inexpensive gold and silver chains in stock for the impulse shopper and created a clever display of high-end, one-of-a-kind Christmas ornaments.
My favorite kind of shoppers drifted in with their hearts thrumming the beat of the besotted. I could spot these men as they came through the door, and I passed them off to Miralee before they could get away. Selecting the perfect engagement ring required the know-how of an expert with patience and panache. It was a rare gentleman who left the store empty handed.
I’d just finished writing up a sales ticket for a pair of diamond earrings when the office phone rang. I expected a call from my insurance agent, Martha, about the ruined contents of my home. With Amee’s help, I’d bought a new TV, ordered a new sofa, and gotten my locks changed. But between that and discharging Uncle Marty from the hospital, moving Amee’s belongings to his house, and running the business, I hadn’t had time to do much more than eat, sleep, and pet the occasional cat.
“Keaton’s Jewelers. This is Peri.” I
By the time he dropped me off at Uncle Marty’s, it was well past midnight. I’d texted Miralee and asked her to open the store in the morning. Tomorrow, I planned to sleep, sleep, and sleep some more.
Chris offered to walk me to the door. In fact, he offered to sleep on the sofa. But neither of the robbers knew where I was, and the kitties and I would manage.
In the foyer, Chris gently grabbed my hand and laced my fingers with his. “I’d love to see you tomorrow. We have so much to discuss. Did you know I already know who your favorite band is? You love the color magenta, and you ran track in college.”
“And you biked through Europe when you were twenty-two, your first girlfriend’s name was Heather, and you were an Eagle Scout.”
“How did we not figure it out until today?”
“Different names—both you and Maggie. And I thought you lived in New Jersey.”
He nodded. “Until last year. I thought your cat’s name was Goober. What happened to Goober?”
My eyes misted. “Goober was seventeen when he died last summer. Then Amee found Butterscotch sunning on the hood of her car. When nobody claimed him, she had him checked out at the vet and brought him to me. It was love at first sight. Then a couple of months later, I brought Ginger home.” I leaned against the coat closet door, resting my weary back. “Hey, why didn’t you know Ginger?”
“Never laid eyes on that cat. I’d walk in the door and she’d head for the hills. Some days I wasn’t sure if Ginger was real or merely a figment of Aunt Margaret’s vivid imagination.” Chris wrapped his arms around me and pulled me closer.
Light from the streetlights filtered through the frosted glass panes in the door. A halo effect lit up the air around Chris—he looked like an angel in the moonlight.
“What I don’t know is what it feels like to kiss you.” He tipped my chin up and gazed into my eyes. Tilting his head ever so slightly, his lips met mine.
My breath caught as his fingers tangled in my hair. Perhaps it was way too soon, but the sensation of tumbling headlong into love thrilled me to the core. Even if I hadn’t met this man in person until recently, he was the kind of man that could be forever.
He kissed me again.
And then I kicked him out. Because I wanted him to stay.
12
The next week flew by with nary a sign of the robbers. And no Chris, either. Jennifer had the flu, so he’d taken on extra shifts at the TV station. It seemed there was an increased demand for camera crews at Christmas even in our modest town. We talked every day on the phone, but it wasn’t the same. I missed him and longed to have his arms around me again. Soon.
In the meantime, the jewelry store stayed busy. Some people stopped for a glimpse of the crime scene, some for shopping. Necklaces, rings, and watches sold briskly. Todd kept numerous inexpensive gold and silver chains in stock for the impulse shopper and created a clever display of high-end, one-of-a-kind Christmas ornaments.
My favorite kind of shoppers drifted in with their hearts thrumming the beat of the besotted. I could spot these men as they came through the door, and I passed them off to Miralee before they could get away. Selecting the perfect engagement ring required the know-how of an expert with patience and panache. It was a rare gentleman who left the store empty handed.
I’d just finished writing up a sales ticket for a pair of diamond earrings when the office phone rang. I expected a call from my insurance agent, Martha, about the ruined contents of my home. With Amee’s help, I’d bought a new TV, ordered a new sofa, and gotten my locks changed. But between that and discharging Uncle Marty from the hospital, moving Amee’s belongings to his house, and running the business, I hadn’t had time to do much more than eat, sleep, and pet the occasional cat.
“Keaton’s Jewelers. This is Peri.” I
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