Page 7 of Tangled Up In You

ChapterThree

Molly almost knockedAdam Cole down again when he came out the door of the Blue Sky Café, but this time, Molly managed to stop herself from barreling into him. But as she stepped back, she couldn't escape the sizzle of attraction that surged between them.

"That was close," she said breathlessly.

"Are you always in a hurry?" he asked.

"I have a lot to do."

"Well, slow down a little. Whisper Lake doesn't move at the fastest pace."

"Phoebe used to say that to me, too. She told me I was too impatient to get to the next thing. I needed to enjoy where I was standing." The memory made her sad. "I had a hard time following her advice."

"You said you knew Phoebe when you were a teenager… You lived here when you were a kid?"

"From age fifteen to seventeen. It was a long time ago, but it feels like yesterday." She paused. "Did you grow up here?"

"No. I grew up in Denver. I moved here four years ago, so we wouldn't have met."

"I didn't think we had." She would have remembered meeting this man. She licked her lips, feeling oddly nervous. "Can I buy you a coffee or something as an apology for knocking you down before?"

"I just ate. But thanks."

"Okay. If you change your mind on any natural healing products, let me know."

"I won't change my mind."

"Once it's set, it's set?"

He frowned. "I wouldn't go that far." He cleared his throat. "I was thinking about what happened at your store earlier. I'm going to look into it. Without evidence of anything missing or stolen, you won't get much attention from the department, but I'm on leave at the moment, so I have a little time."

"That's very generous of you."

"It's not just generosity; it's also curiosity. It bothers me that there was an attempted break-in exactly one week ago, and possibly one today. I don't like patterns."

His words made her a little nervous. "Do you really think it's a pattern?"

"It could be a sign that someone is targeting the shop, knowing that it's in transition. Items could be taken with no one knowing."

"That's true. I have no idea what's even there to be taken. Do you know anything about Phoebe's death? Her lawyer said she had a heart attack while she was at work, and she died instantly. But he didn't give me any other details."

He shook his head. "I'm sorry. I don't know the details. That was the day I broke my foot. I believe the store manager found her and called for help, but it was too late. Did you talk to the manager?"

"No. The lawyer said that Nina moved to Miami the day after Phoebe died. I thought it was a little strange that she left so quickly. If you can find out anything about the previous break-in, I'd appreciate it."

"I'll let you know. In the meantime, lock your door."

"I will. I only unlocked it earlier, because I took a package down the street to Amelia Stone, one of Phoebe's long-time customers. She'd ordered something before Phoebe died, and it had just come in. When I got back, I forgot to lock the door behind me. When I lived here before, this was a sleepy town, especially in the off-season. It feels much bigger and busier now."

"It has become a top resort destination, which should be good for your business."

"I hope so. Phoebe left the store in a mess. But I know it can be good again, despite what some of my retail neighbors might think. Mrs. Hunt acts like I'll be selling drugs and casting spells on my customers."

"Phoebe did little to negate the rumors of her being a witch. I think she enjoyed them," Adam said.

"You're right. She didn't care what anyone thought. And she used to say that there was magic inside each of us. Some people just never recognized it, never used it."

"Do you believe that you have magic inside of you?"

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