Page 10 of All Mine

The gasps were audible. That happened here in Hart Valley? Nothing ever happened.

“So your young man is quite the hero,” Mrs. Pennington said.

“He’s not mine. I had two drinks with him, and that’s it,” I said.

“Who is he?” Sloane asked. “I can’t believe you’re holding out on me here.”

“All I know is his name is Camden Carter, he caught me when I tripped, and he’s in town looking to buy a boat.”

“Is he hot?” Sloane asked.

“Sally said if she were twenty years younger, she’d leave Fred for him,” Mrs. Pennington chimed in.

“Try thirty,” Jonah mumbled.

A line had formed behind the huddle. “All right,” I said, “Bethany, take Mrs. Pennington’s order, and the rest of you clear out. I have customers.”

“I need all the details on this guy later,” Sloane whispered, taking her plate and heading towards the front dining room with Jonah.

Five

Camden

I’d checked out of one of the worst hotels I’ve ever seen. There were a couple of decent hotels in this town. Unfortunately, I couldn’t get a room in either of them last night. I’d slept on a set of springs that was a sorry excuse for a mattress. Correction, I tried to sleep on that mattress. Between the adrenaline from having a gun pointed at me and worried about what diseases I’d catch from the bed, I got little sleep. I had a room at a better hotel booked for tonight.

The drive through Hart Valley was effortless, with no traffic to speak of. It turned out there were some better-kept areas of town. But the part that they could capitalize on was the most run-down. It made little sense. I’d planned to go to the bakery and get another opportunity to talk to Lauren, but I also required coffee today.

My client had pulled a switcheroo on me and changed our meeting to over the phone rather than in person. He couldn’t get to town, which worked out for me. I could take the call in my car and not risk anyone overhearing the conversation. The worst thing would be this getting out before it was a done deal.

From the Hart Bakery had once been an elegant example of Victorian architecture that was probably a crown jewel for someone once upon a time. That time was long ago. The paint was dull, dirty, and peeling in places. Inside, it was charming and cozy with warm honey-colored hardwood flooring and intricately detailed woodwork above the doors. The tables were full, and the place was bustling with a line of customers through the doorway into another room. I got in line and waited.

At one table sat Adrian with two other people— a man and a woman. They were in a lively conversation, and Adrian was smiling and laughing. An odd look on the man who only scowled and had a general air of always ready to kick ass last night. He relaxed only a smidge after the police arrived and began taking statements.

“Hey Camden,” someone called. I turned, and Adrian held up his hand. He sat at a table in front of a large window with an impeccable view of the lake.

I nodded in greeting.

“Join us,” Adrian called.

As the line moved up, I crossed the threshold into the other room. Behind the counter, Lauren darted about like a hummingbird. Her movements efficiently gathered orders, made coffee drinks, and kept it all organized with a genuine, comfortable smile. She’d laugh when a customer made a joke, but she engaged in little small-talk, all business at moving people along. Her eyes raked across the line, stopping for only a millisecond on me. But she didn’t acknowledge me or look my way again. Once again, she’d gathered her dark brown hair into a neat bun, and she wore a T-shirt and jeans covered in a full apron with the bakery logo emblazoned on it. Another girl behind the counter also wore an apron over her outfit with her hair pulled back. Eventually, my turn arrived.

“What can I get you,” the other girl asked. This wasn’t who I wanted to take my order.

“I wanted to talk to Lauren.”

“I’ll catch up with you in a minute, Camden,” Lauren called.

“That’sCamden?” the girl asked.

“Focus, Bethany,” Lauren said and kept on working.

“Right,” Bethany nodded, then turned to me. “What can I get you?”

So Lauren had spoken of me? What did she say? But, I played it cool and didn’t quiz the girl for answers.

I ordered a coffee and pastry and took them over to where Adrian sat. The woman at the table was blonde, pale, incredibly thin, and kind of familiar looking. However, I couldn’t place her. Adrian introduced her as Sloane.

“This is Jonah,” he said, referring to the guy with curly black hair, and we shook hands. I took the last chair at their table.

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