Janet Evanovich - Love in a Nutshell

A knock sounded at the front door. Kate considered this a good sign. So far as she knew, homicidal maniacs didn’t knock. Then again, she had limited experience with homicidal maniacs.

“Jeez, this is like one of those horror movies!” Ella said. “Don’t go to the front door. That’s the equivalent of the stupid babysitter who goes down into the basement. Just hide.”

Kate approached the door. “My car is out front, Ella. The lights are on in my house. Clearly, I’m here.” Funny how calm she sounded when her heart was slamming its way out of her chest.

Another knock…

“Do you have the knife?” Ella asked.

“Yes.”

Kate ducked below the door’s window. She had no intention of losing the element of surprise. Slowly, carefully, Kate moved the curtain. Inch by inch, Matt Culhane’s face appeared, lit to glowing perfection under the porch light.

“Oh, no.” Kate let the curtain drop.

“Who is it?” Ella asked. “Freddy Krueger? Your ex, Richard?”

“No. Worse. It’s Culhane.”

“You’re kidding!”

Kate rolled her eyes. “Nope. He’s here in all his glory.”

“Really! All his glory? Nice.”

Matt knocked again and called her name.

“I have to go,” Kate whispered into the phone, and disconnected over Ella’s pleas to stay on the line and eavesdrop. Then holding the phone and knife in one hand, Kate released the dead bolt and opened the door just enough to peek out.

Big, strong guy, eyes full of ambition, and a smile that was full of humor-at himself and the world-the kind of humor that only comes with a healthy dose of self-confidence. Yep, it was Culhane all right.

“Hey,” Matt said.

Kate tried to process how best to get rid of the knife, which now seemed a little excessive. “Gosh, this is a surprise. How’d you find my house?”

“Well, that’s an interesting story.”

That got Kate curious.

“I don’t suppose you’d consider letting me inside?” he asked.

Good grief, she thought. She was a wreck. Almost-empty wine bottle, ratty clothes, hair from hell, and she had a bread knife in her hand.

“I ther›ȁhought we were going to talk tomorrow?” she said to him.

His smile was crooked and endearing. “I decided I like tonight better. And, I come bearing gifts.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out a weirdly shaped object.

Kate squinted down at the thing, uncertain what it was.

“Is it chocolate?” she asked.

“Sorry, no chocolate. It’s metal.”

“Metal what?”

“A metal crow.”

Kate reached to accept the gift, inadvertently brushing her hand against Matt’s. A little tingle of heat rushed through her, leaving a breathless lump in her throat.

The knife in her other hand dropped to the floor, interrupting the moment. “Come in. I was having a glass of wine. Can I get you anything?”

He stepped inside. His gaze shifted from her to the knife at his feet, then back to her. He took his coat off and casually hung it on the rack. “No, thanks.”

Matt followed Kate into the living room. “So, why aren’t you drinking beer?” he asked.

Kate hastily cleared the coffee table of the remnants of her Not a Pity Party. “I’ve never been much of a beer drinker. To be honest, I hate the stuff. Have a seat.”

Matt settled on one end of the sofa, and Kate took a spot on the opposite end, leaving a fabric field of poppies and chrysanthemums between them. She was glad for the space, because he looked good. Really good.

“Let me get this straight,” Matt said. “I hired someone who hates beer to work in a microbrewery?”

“It looks that way.”

“I think I need a more detailed application form.” He pointed at her shirt. “Should I assume you hate both the things listed there?”

She glanced down at her SEX AND BEER T-shirt, then back at Culhane, who gave her a grin.

“Neither of them are at the top of my priorities these days. But this is a song title, and the shirt’s from Milwaukee 2006 Summerfest.”

“You sound pretty certain about that no sex or beer thing. I think I’m going to have to take you up on the challenge.”

Her heart stumbled. “You’re talking about the beer, right?”

“Of course I am. I have my priorities, too.”

Yeah, and not for a minute did Kate believe it was beer. Okay, truth was she hoped it wasn’t beer.

“So what is it we real, lspan› had to talk about?” she asked.

“First, you were right and I was wrong.”

Kate laughed. “That’s always a good start.”

He pointed to the ornament. “And this comes with the admission. I’m not much for eating crow, so I thought I’d give you one.”

She examined the weird little metal bird. “Thank you, but it looks more like a raven to me.”

“My family vote came out in favor of a raven disguised as a crow.”

She couldn’t have heard that right. “Your family voted?”

Matt shrugged. “Long story. It begins with my birth. Let’s just skip it and move on to me saying that I was nuts to have thought we could talk at Harborside Market.”

“It’s okay,” she said. “I think everyone in town is now pretty clear on the fact that you’re not attracted to me.”

“I’m not that good an actor,” he said. “ No one believes it.”

Kate bit into her lower lip.

Matt studied her for a beat. “I just admitted I’m attracted to you, and I can’t read your reaction.”

“Flustered,” Kate whispered.

He blew out a sigh. “I get that a lot. Why don’t you give me a quick rundown of what you learned this weekend?”

“Well, first, I learned that Jerry doesn’t seem too devoted to the concept of management once you leave town. He shows up for a little while, tells the staff to follow the usual program and call his cell should something break, burn, or blow up. Then he leaves.”

Matt raised his eyebrows ever so slightly, but he said nothing, so Kate plowed on. She might as well get all the bad stuff out of the way. He’d wanted an unfiltered report, and she would deliver it.

“Well, Steve thinks you’ve got some secret affair with a married woman, but I think he was just saying that to enhance his own romantic life.”

“I don’t think I want to know how that could possibly enhance his romantic life. And for the record, married women always have been and always will be off-limits.”

“I haven’t known you long, but you seem like a stand-up guy to me,” she said. Still, time would tell.

One life skill Kate had been working to develop was a keener eye for dishonesty. She’d missed the early warning signs with Richard, but eventually she’d caught on. Now she was at least marginally older and wiser, both of which rocked. And while she still planned to open her heart and trust, she’d do it with some initial caution. She wasn’t up for anolewt up fother loss of love or poodle.

“Is there anyone else I should know about?” Matt asked.

Kate shook her head. “It sounds like you’re golden with the rest of the staff. I didn’t hear anything, except a passing mention from Laila that her son couldn’t get a job with you.”

“He’d have to apply for a job first, which he won’t, because he likes his winters off from his marina job.”

“I got the feeling Laila believes he has applied.”

“Well, employee applications are confidential, so I won’t be clearing that up,” he said. “That’s it, then?”

“Yep.”

Matt nodded. “Any thoughts on who might have sabotaged the walk-in fridge?”

“That’s tough. It could have been anyone. Laila and Steve were in and out. The cooks were there. And so were the bartender, the busser, and the barback. It could have been Jerry, until he went on walkabout, or whatever it is he does. No one saw it happen and all of them had access. Add to that, it probably happened after hours, which means the back door was open while the trash was being hauled out. The walk-in is on a straight path from that door. It’s highly unlikely that the crew would have missed someone slipping in, but it’s possible.”