Page 118 of Meowy & Bright

Then my mantra chirps through my mind.Easy money.

I step back from her and open the passenger door. “Get in, Liza. Let’s go home.”

8

LIZA

Why didn’t he kiss me? It’s the only thing I can think about on the short drive to our homes. The inside of the vehicle is too quiet. I peek over at him as he pulls down our street. I was so sure he was going to. His mouth had been so close to mine. Had I read it all wrong? He seems stiffer now. One second he was there with me, and the next he wasn’t.

He pulls into his driveway. “Thanks for the ride.” I unclick my seatbelt to bolt out of the car. I’m barely out the door and he’s there standing beside it, closing it for me.

“I was going to get that for you.” He gives me one of his half-smiles.

“That’s very gentlemanly of you.” The glowing Christmas lights on my house reflect off his eyes, making them sparkle. Again, his gaze drops to my mouth.

“I’ll walk you to your door.”

“You don’t have to do that.” He puts his hand on the small of my back and starts to guide me toward my house. Why is this suddenly so awkward? Is it me? Am I making this weird? I reach into my purse to find my keys.

“Thanks again.” I fumble with them and end up dropping them. He picks them up before I can. He slides the key into my door, unlocking it for me before he hands them back over. His fingers graze mine.

“I’ll take you to your car tomorrow.”

“You don’t have to do that. I can—”

“I’ll take you to your car tomorrow.” Normally a man being so pushy would annoy me, but for some reason, with Crane, it’s having the opposite effect.

“Okay.” I lick my lips, drawing his attention there once again. We linger for a long moment before a very loud meow sounds from inside the house.

Crane turns his head toward the sound. “Krampus?”

“You remembered his name.” I have to say I’m pretty impressed. I bet neither Mick nor Clark would remember Krampus’s name, and they often drift into the library and see him.

“I pay attention to everything you say,” he responds easily.

“Being in your line of work, I bet you’re used to paying attention to your surroundings.” I hadn’t missed how he always takes everything in when he enters a room. He even did it at the diner. His eyes drifted across everyone inside.

“I think with you, I pay even more attention.”

I peek up at him through my lashes. Then how can he not tell I want him to kiss me?

A loud hiss sounds from the other side of the door this time. “I should feed him. He can get grumpy when his dinner is late.”

“Tomorrow,” he reminds me as I slip inside.

“Tomorrow,” I agree as I close it. My fingers linger on the deadbolt. Why does it feel wrong to flip it with him still on my porch?

“Lock it, babe.”

Babe, I mouth to Krampus, who is glaring at me. I flip the lock. “Good girl,” he says before I hear his feet go down the stairs as he makes his way off my porch.

“Good girl? Did he really say that?”

Krampus gives me an annoyed meow, breaking me from my thoughts.

“Fine!” I hurry into the kitchen and get his wet food before I pull off my coat and drop my bag on the counter. Krampus clearly isn’t going to help me out with this, so I call the one person that might have some kind of advice. Even though I know I’ll probably regret it at some point, I dial my best friend's number. She’s so gonna run with this ball.

“I swear I’m turning my lights on right now. I forgot. There is a special that came out on Netflix about serial killers, and I got distracted,” Eve immediately says.

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