that.” I leaned back against his chest and felt his heart racing under me.
He put his arms around me and took my hands in his. “Then tell me what happened from the beginning.”
“I got a call from the pyro technician I’d hired to do the fireworks show for the Fourth of July. Really, I got three calls because I got caught up making fudge and forgot to check my phone.”
“You do get caught up in your fudge.” He slipped his fingers between mine and rubbed them gently. I could feel him smile as he kissed the top of my head. “Go on.”
“The last message Rodney sent asked me to come to the warehouse as soon as possible. Someone had messed with the fireworks.”
“I don’t understand. Why didn’t he call the police?”
“I don’t think he thought it was anything he couldn’t handle. He’s been working with these things for twenty years. I’m pretty sure he wanted to figure out logistics for bringing in new fireworks or he wanted to discuss what to do about the price of replacement fireworks. Those would be things I would need to handle.”
“Okay. So you went up to the warehouse? Which warehouse?”
“The big cinder block one near the airport. Rodney had brought in magazines and stored them in the warehouse. I rode my bike up and left it—” I paused.
“What?”
“There was another bike when I got there.” I sat up fast. So fast I narrowly missed hitting Trent’s chin with my head. I turned to him, my eyes large with concern. “There were two bikes there when I arrived, but after the explosion one of the bikes was gone.” I scrambled up, went over to the breakfast bar, and took my cell phone out of the date-night handbag I’d chosen to take tonight. “I need to call Rex.”
“Hey now,” Trent said, staying my hand. “I’m sure Rex doesn’t need this information tonight.”
I paused and looked into his handsome face. “Are you sure?”
“What would he do with the information?”
“He could track down the bike.”
“In the dark?” Trent pointed to the windows to show me that our eight PM date was happening under the dew-tipped stars.
“Right. Okay.”
“We have reservations. This sounds like a long and complicated story.”
“It is.” I made a face to show my regret. “And it’s not exactly romantic.”
“So before we go, tell me. How badly are you hurt?”
I lifted my cheeks and squinted my eyes. “I’ve got a few cuts and bruises, but nothing broken.”
He took my hand and stepped back at arm’s length and twirled me around. “I hadn’t noticed the bruising on your legs earlier. I was too busy admiring the dress.”
“If you don’t want to show me off—”
“Oh, no, I’m showing you off,” he said firmly. “As my beautiful and brave date.”
“I like the sound of that.” I let go of his hand.
“I’m ready.” I put the cell phone in the night clutch and walked with him to the door. As we passed the wrought iron coatrack and umbrella stand, I snagged my white pashmina scarf and slung it around my shoulders.
Trent opened the door and I walked into the hall with him, turned and locked the door.
“Do you have a cat?” he asked.
I froze for a moment. “Not on purpose. Do you see it?”
“Yeah,” he answered and nodded.
I followed his gaze. The cat was at the top of the stairs. It looked for all the world as if it belonged there as it sat and licked its front right paw.
“We need to catch it,” I said. “Rex let it in last night and we have had the devil of a time trying to catch it.”
“It’s just a cat,” Trent said with laugher in his eyes. “You just go get it.” He strode toward the cat with confidence. “Hello cat.” He leaned down and picked it up.
I swear that the cat let him. It did not run or even mildly protest as he lifted it up and slung it over his arm so he could scratch it behind the ears.
“She’s pretty,” Trent said.
I approached the two slowly and held out my hand for the cat to sniff first. “Yes,
He put his arms around me and took my hands in his. “Then tell me what happened from the beginning.”
“I got a call from the pyro technician I’d hired to do the fireworks show for the Fourth of July. Really, I got three calls because I got caught up making fudge and forgot to check my phone.”
“You do get caught up in your fudge.” He slipped his fingers between mine and rubbed them gently. I could feel him smile as he kissed the top of my head. “Go on.”
“The last message Rodney sent asked me to come to the warehouse as soon as possible. Someone had messed with the fireworks.”
“I don’t understand. Why didn’t he call the police?”
“I don’t think he thought it was anything he couldn’t handle. He’s been working with these things for twenty years. I’m pretty sure he wanted to figure out logistics for bringing in new fireworks or he wanted to discuss what to do about the price of replacement fireworks. Those would be things I would need to handle.”
“Okay. So you went up to the warehouse? Which warehouse?”
“The big cinder block one near the airport. Rodney had brought in magazines and stored them in the warehouse. I rode my bike up and left it—” I paused.
“What?”
“There was another bike when I got there.” I sat up fast. So fast I narrowly missed hitting Trent’s chin with my head. I turned to him, my eyes large with concern. “There were two bikes there when I arrived, but after the explosion one of the bikes was gone.” I scrambled up, went over to the breakfast bar, and took my cell phone out of the date-night handbag I’d chosen to take tonight. “I need to call Rex.”
“Hey now,” Trent said, staying my hand. “I’m sure Rex doesn’t need this information tonight.”
I paused and looked into his handsome face. “Are you sure?”
“What would he do with the information?”
“He could track down the bike.”
“In the dark?” Trent pointed to the windows to show me that our eight PM date was happening under the dew-tipped stars.
“Right. Okay.”
“We have reservations. This sounds like a long and complicated story.”
“It is.” I made a face to show my regret. “And it’s not exactly romantic.”
“So before we go, tell me. How badly are you hurt?”
I lifted my cheeks and squinted my eyes. “I’ve got a few cuts and bruises, but nothing broken.”
He took my hand and stepped back at arm’s length and twirled me around. “I hadn’t noticed the bruising on your legs earlier. I was too busy admiring the dress.”
“If you don’t want to show me off—”
“Oh, no, I’m showing you off,” he said firmly. “As my beautiful and brave date.”
“I like the sound of that.” I let go of his hand.
“I’m ready.” I put the cell phone in the night clutch and walked with him to the door. As we passed the wrought iron coatrack and umbrella stand, I snagged my white pashmina scarf and slung it around my shoulders.
Trent opened the door and I walked into the hall with him, turned and locked the door.
“Do you have a cat?” he asked.
I froze for a moment. “Not on purpose. Do you see it?”
“Yeah,” he answered and nodded.
I followed his gaze. The cat was at the top of the stairs. It looked for all the world as if it belonged there as it sat and licked its front right paw.
“We need to catch it,” I said. “Rex let it in last night and we have had the devil of a time trying to catch it.”
“It’s just a cat,” Trent said with laugher in his eyes. “You just go get it.” He strode toward the cat with confidence. “Hello cat.” He leaned down and picked it up.
I swear that the cat let him. It did not run or even mildly protest as he lifted it up and slung it over his arm so he could scratch it behind the ears.
“She’s pretty,” Trent said.
I approached the two slowly and held out my hand for the cat to sniff first. “Yes,
Similar Books
