Софи Райан - Buy А Whisker

We finished the meal talking about my grandmother and John and the house-building project they were working on in New Orleans. We both passed on dessert.

“Where are you parked?” I asked when we stepped out on to the sidewalk in front of The Black Bear.

Liz pointed down the street.

“I’ll walk you down,” I said, hooking my arm through hers.

She stuck out her foot in a black leather ankle boot with a two-inch spike heel. “Are you suggesting I can’t walk in these? Or are you afraid I’m too decrepit to make it on my own?” she teased.

“Maybe I’m afraid I’m too decrepit to make it to the corner,” I countered.

As we came level with Lily’s Bakery, I caught sight of Lily inside, wiping down the top of a small round table by the front window. And she caught sight of us. Don’t come out, I thought. But she dropped the cloth on the table and headed for the front door. I let out a breath, and Liz patted my arm with a gloved hand.

“It’s all right, Sarah,” she said softly.

Lily stepped in front of us on the sidewalk, blocking our way. Her dark-brown eyes flashed with anger, and the color was high in her cheeks.

“You had no right to try to do an end run around me by going to my mother,” she said to Liz, her normally soft voice laced with anger. Her long brown hair was pulled up in a high ponytail. She didn’t have a jacket on, only a white-and-blue-plaid shirt over a thermal tee and jeans, but she didn’t seem to notice the cold.

“You’re right,” Liz said in a calm, steady voice. “And I’m sorry.”

“That doesn’t change anything,” Lily said. Her hands were clenched into fists at her sides. “I’m not selling. Stop pressuring me. Stop hassling me. And stay the hell out of my business!” She turned and disappeared back into the bakery.

I felt a tremor go through Liz’s arm and I didn’t think it was due to the cold.

“I’ve never seen Lily that angry,” I said.

Liz swallowed and looked back over her shoulder at the little shop as we started walking toward the car again. “Neither have I,” she said. “I should have known Caroline would tell her.”

“That was very nice, apologizing to her like that.”

“I shouldn’t have gone to her mother,” Liz said, giving me a sideways look. “I don’t know why I thought it would make a difference. Lily’s her baby. Of course she’s going to stand by her.”

“It’ll work out,” I said as we came level with Liz’s car. “If this project doesn’t work out, maybe some other developer will be interested. Maybe someone will come up with a smaller project, a different one.”

Liz smiled at me. “Sometimes you’re so like your grandmother,” she said. She let go of my arm and touched my cheek for a moment before pulling out her car keys. “Can I drive you home?” she offered.

I shook my head. “Thanks, but it’s not windy and my coat is warm. I think I’ll walk. But thank you for dinner.”

“You’re welcome, my dear,” she said. “I’ll make sure Avery is ready in the morning. Have a good night.”

I waited until Liz pulled away from the curb. She looked in her rearview mirror and waved at me. I waved back; then I stepped to the curb and looked both ways, planning to jaywalk instead of going back to the corner to cross.

“You’re not planning on trying to cross the street, are you?” a voice said behind me. “Because that would be against the law, and I’d be forced to make a citizen’s arrest.”

I turned to see Nick Elliot standing behind me. He was wearing a black quilted jacket, a black-and-red knitted cap over his sandy hair and a big smile.

I folded my arms over my chest. “Let’s just say, hypothetically of course, that I was thinking about crossing here instead of at the corner: How would you be planning on apprehending me? I’m pretty fast.”

He frowned in mock seriousness. “Trying to avoid capture would be a waste of time. I know where you live.” He paused. “And I’d tell my mother on you.”

I held up a hand. “Okay. You win. I’ll walk to the corner. I don’t want any trouble with Charlotte Elliot.”

Nick laughed, his chocolate-brown eyes gleaming. I started across the sidewalk toward him and stepped on a small patch of ice. My foot skidded out from under me, and I pitched forward, right into Nick’s arms.

“I’ve got you,” he said, holding me tightly.

My hands had landed on his chest. I caught the scent of his Hugo aftershave, the same one he used to wear when we were teenagers. Jess swore the reason he still wore it was because he was still hung up on me. I thought habit was the more likely reason. That and I’d noticed Charlotte had bought it for him at Christmas.

“You all right?” Nick asked.

I was suddenly aware that his arms were still around me. And it was wonderfully warm, pressed up against his broad chest.

“I’m okay,” I said, taking a small step back out of his embrace.

Nick kept one hand on my arm. “Be careful. That’s not the first patch of ice I’ve seen tonight.”

I smiled up at him. “See? If I’d crossed the street, I’d be fine.”

He grinned. “No one ever said staying on the straight and narrow was easy.”

My mouth moved, but I didn’t say anything for a moment. Then I shook my head. “Nope,” I said. “I was trying to work in ‘heading down a slippery slope into a life of crime,’ but I can’t do it.”

Nick laughed. “What are you doing down here anyway?”

“I had supper with Liz at The Black Bear. I was just on my way home. What about you?”

He gestured over his shoulder. “I was at the bookstore.” He raised an eyebrow. “Are you parked close by, or did you walk?”

“I walked,” I said.

“So did I.” He smiled. “Can I walk you home?”

“I don’t know,” I said, working to keep a straight face. “Can you?”

Nick laughed and shook his head. “You spend too much time with my mother.” He raised an eyebrow. “Seriously. I’ll walk you.”

“You don’t have to do that,” I said. “I promise not to break any laws on the way there.”

He smiled at me. “Do you remember what I told you the last time I walked you home?”

That had been more than three months ago. But I remembered. “You said, ‘I am my mother’s son.’”

“Uh-huh,” he said, turning up the collar of his jacket, “and you said that we both get that same look when we’ve got our minds set on something.”

“In other words, don’t argue.”

He nodded. “Yes.”

I pulled up the zipper of my coat, pulled the sleeves down, and tied my scarf a bit tighter at my throat.

With a hand still on my arm, Nick moved me to his left side and tucked my hand in the crook of his elbow. “Just so you don’t get any ideas about breaking the law when we have to cross the street.” The smile went all the way up to his dark eyes.

We walked back to the corner, crossed over and headed down the street in the direction of my house. I was acutely aware of the warmth of Nick’s body beside me, and it seemed I could still smell his aftershave. My heart seemed to be beating a lot faster than made sense.

This was stupid, I told myself. This was Nick I was walking arm in arm with, not some romance-novel cover boy. Nick, whom I’d known since I was a kid. Nick, who once wiped his nose on my Mighty Morphin Power Rangers T-shirt.

I realized he’d just said something to me and I’d missed it. “I’m sorry. What did you say?” I asked.

“I just asked if you and Jess were going to be at the pub Thursday night. Where were you?”

“I was just thinking that you still owe me a T-shirt. A Mighty Morphin Power Rangers T-shirt, size medium.”