Page 72 of I'm Watching You

‘You’re not. And they’ve always got pots on the stove simmering for dinner. I know we can scrounge a decent meal.’

The familiar smells of marinara and freshly baked bread swirled around her, and for a moment she was transported back to those few months when everything had been good between them. ‘The place is just as I remembered it.’

‘Mom wants to redecorate – she’s even called in a few contractors for bids. But Dad refuses. He says people like tradition, places that don’t change.’

Her gaze skimmed the small square tables covered withcrisp white linens. Even the napkins were cloth, pressed neatly into rectangles. On each table was a small hurricane lamp with an unlit candle.

Oddly, the restaurant had always made her feel at home. ‘Your dad is right. I always liked the place just like it is.’

‘Don’t let Mom hear you say that.’

Audrey Kier was a force to be reckoned with. A former stage actress, she had a flare for drama, which was accentuated by her short silver hair and still-trim body. She was outspoken, generous, and fiercely loyal to her family. Cross one of hers and you crossed her.

Lindsay’s unease returned. ‘Maybe this isn’t such a good idea.’

Zack grabbed his sunglasses and tucked them in his breast pocket. ‘You’re not afraid are you?’

Challenge punctuated each word. ‘No.’

He smiled. ‘Then stay and have lunch.’

He was daring her. ‘Fine.’

Zack’s brother, Malcolm, pushed through the kitchen door. Dressed in black, Malcolm possessed the same gray eyes as his brother, but his build was more muscular. Zack was the runner; Malcolm, the bodybuilder.

Malcolm frowned, clearly not happy to see Lindsay. ‘Zack. Lindsay. What’s up?’

Zack grinned. ‘Looking for some lunch.’

Malcolm glared at Zack as if to say:We’ll talk later. ‘There are a few things brewing on the stove.’

If Zack noticed his brother’s dissatisfaction, he ignored it. ‘Great. We’ll have two plates of whatever you’ve got. What are you doing here today?’

‘Mom’s got Dad wrapped around the axle about the party. I had a few days off so I offered to fill in today.’

Zack grinned. ‘You swore after high school you’d never work in the restaurant again.’

Malcolm shrugged. ‘Never say never, right? Go ahead and pick a table and I’ll send Eleanor out with bread. Pasta and marinara sound good?’

Zack looked at Lindsay, his eyebrow lifted. ‘Work for you?’

Malcolm could have offered rusty nails on a plate and she’d not have argued. She smiled. ‘Sure.’

Zack guided Lindsay to a back table tucked in a corner. He pulled out a chair for her, waited while she sat, then took the seat nearest to the wall – he always liked his back to the wall, eyes facing the door. This quirk was a holdover from his undercover days.

‘Well, that’s a first,’ she said as she sat.

‘What?’

This close she could smell his soap. She loved the simple, masculine scent. ‘You held out a chair for me.’

He opened a napkin. ‘Even an old dog can learn a new trick.’ Extra meaning punctuated the comment, and she didn’t know how to respond. An uneasy silence settled between them before he broke it. ‘How secure is your apartment?

She opened a pack of crackers. ‘K-bar in the sliding glass door. Dead bolts on front and back doors. Extra long screws in the doorjambs. Not real high tech but effective.’

‘Lose the key under the flower pot yet?’

Lindsay nodded. ‘I’m willing to admit it was stupid to keep the key under the pot. It is now gone.’

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