Page 97 of The Wicked

Darla headed out to the parking lot to offer drinks, and the stooges would probably get snacks as well because she’d brought several bags of treats back from the airport. I went to the break room to put the kettle on.

“Three coffees, two with milk, one without, and the black coffee needs sugar,” she announced when she came back. “We should plate up some of those cookies too.”

See?

“How was Virginia?”

“The new store is looking wonderful. It’s big enough for a proper coffee bar at the front, so I’m hoping that’ll lead to additional passing trade.”

“Come for the cappuccino, stay for the crochet class?”

“Something like that. We’ll have a lovely work area too. Paulo wants to add a couch, but I’m not so sure about that.”

Darla stacked half a dozen cookies onto a plate, then added some wrapped candies for good measure. I felt slightly guilty for ignoring Jack Morrow, but at the same time, I hated being followed constantly. Although I did feel safer with the team around. My head was just such a mess right now, and after Garrett, there was no way I’d ever get tangled up with another rich, handsome, sexy, strong, commanding man again. Especially one with a tongue like a lizard who— Gah. Ihadto stop thinking about him.

“I think a couch would be nice, especially if you want people to treat the place as a social hub as well as a store. People could sit there and knit.”

“Or read. We’re planning to put in a bookshelf, more of a little free library, where people can leave their old books and take home a new one.”

Brooke appeared behind me. “Speaking of ‘we,’ did you go on a date with Alex?”

Darla turned coy. “I did.”

“And?”

“A lady never kisses and tells.”

“Oh, so there was kissing?”

“I really should take these cookies out.”

“She’s definitely getting kissed,” Brooke whispered as Darla snatched up the plate and marched off. “Did you see her blush?”

“At least someone’s happy.”

“I’m so sorry. Did you hear anything from Garrett?”

“No, and I don’t want to.”

“What he did was wrong, but he didn’t deliberately set out to hurt you.”

“Please, can we not talk about this?”

“I’m just saying that he clearly still cares. The evidence is sitting in the parking lot.” Brooke stood on tiptoes and looked past me through the break room window. “And leaning against the wall out there.”

I turned to look, and stooge number three raised a hand to wave.

“When will this ever end?”

“Luca and Colt are both working on it, and a bunch of other deputies too. I mean, violent crime is rare around here.”

Apart from when it was committed by the Baldwins, obviously. Plus there was a vigilante who showed up occasionally, although he seemed to be on the side of good rather than evil. Last year, he’d rescued Brooke from a horrible situation, and rumour said he was responsible for saving Colt from impending doom as well.

“Have they ever tackled a case where they knew who was responsible, but they just couldn’t prove it?”

“I’m not sure about that. But I bet you Garrett has a team working on it as well.”

“Because he didn’t learn from his mistakes?”

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