Page 28 of A Reaper's Secret

He had promised that man everything, andhe intended to make sure Lost Creek never got lost again. It waswhy he would check every problem himself, why he handled everything with an iron fist, andalso why he took the time to train when Amy went to work at thecafé. He’d hit the irons even before Amy, but now he made sure tohave a set routine. He never wanted anything to happen to hiswoman.

Rubbing the cream into her chest, he saw herchuckling.

“You’re being very thorough.”

He leaned in close, brushing his lipsagainst her ear. “In case you didn’t know, I happen to like thischest very much and I also love the tits that are attached.”

She let out a startled gasp.

“How could you speak to me in such a way?”She pressed the tips of her fingers to her chest, but then grippedthe back of his neck, pulling him in close and kissing hislips.

Just as he was about to get to her thighs tobe even more thorough, his cell phone went off. Daniel was temptedto ignore it, but Amy had already started to pull away. Pulling outhis cell phone, he saw it was a call from Nixon.

“Hey, man, what’s up?”

“You need to come to Flynn’sCafé. That bad feeling isgetting worse.”

“What happened?”

“Someone smashed in all the windows.”

Nixon hung up, and Daniel lookedat Amy.

“What? What is it?” she asked.

“We need to go to the café. Someone hasbroken your windows.”

Chapter Nine

Amy stood in the café with the glasscrunching beneath her feet, and she felt like bursting into tears.The fair was less than a week away. There was no way she could openthe café with boarded-upwindows. Between the wrong deliveries, and now the windows, Amydidn’t like this sick feeling she was getting.

Martha stepped into the café and then movedtoward her, putting her hands on her shoulders.

“I’m fine,” Amy said.

“You’re not fine, and lying about it is not going to do you anygood,” Martha said.

Amy sighed and leaned back toward theolder woman. “I’m sorry. I just … I don’t get it. Who would dothis?” She shook herhead. There was no way it could be a local. She didn’t think anyonein town would want to hurt her business so badly.

Martha spun her around and hugged herclose. “I’ve got you. I know it doesn’t seem like it right now, butI promise you, it’sgoing to be all right.”

Amy wrapped her arms around the olderwoman and tried not to cry. The tears, though, seemed to want to fall regardless. Shedidn’t sob, just cried. She hadn’t cried since her grandparentsdied.

At the sound of the door opening and thepanting, Amy pulled out of Martha’s arms and saw Penelope rushingtoward her. Her friend was dressed in a pair of shorts and a bikinitop.

“I came as soon as I heard.”

“You heard?”

“Everyone heard.” Penelope rushed towardher and pulled her into a hug, doing so tightly. Seconds passed andthen Penelope loosened her hold and cupped her face. “Oh, honey, don’t cry. Pleasedon’t cry.”

“I’m not crying.”

But, Penelope wiped away the tears forher.

“I mean, I don’t mean to cry. They’re justfalling as if they have a mind of their own.”

Daniel walked into the café, and Amy didn’t want to appearweak, so she pulled away from Penelope and swiped at her cheeks.Taking a step away from the group, she forced a smile to her lips.“I better start getting cleaned up.”

---