picked it up. Three days a week for two hours after her last Biology lab. Not bad. “This is great,” she smiled.
He looked as though he might say something, then turned to walk back to the door. Looking back over his shoulder, he said, “You be careful over there.”
“Yeah,” she said softly, gathering up her things to go home. Maybe, if she hurried, she’d have time for a nap before Noah came over.
Things didn’t go the way she’d hoped, though. After she’d changed clothes and let Bandit out for a quick run, she climbed into the bed, but lay wide awake for almost half an hour. Deciding finally that it was probably for the best, she went back downstairs to get a head start on dinner. If she slept this late in the day, she’d no doubt have trouble sleeping tonight anyway.
She’d stopped leaving the front door open after the cellar incident, and felt a rush of shyness when she heard Noah come up the stairs and ring the bell. Even though nothing had happened, it was still disconcerting to find him in her bed when she woke up. Carrying her dishtowel with her, she opened the door and headed back for the kitchen, turning around half way when she realized he was still outside.
“Aren’t you coming in?”
“Sure,” he wore an odd expression as he stepped just inside the door and stopped.
“What’s wrong?” she felt her heart skip a beat.
“You’ve already started dinner?” he asked.
“Just getting ready to,” she said, trying to read the expression on his face. “Is something wrong?”
He closed the door and rubbed a hand over his eyes as he moved to the kitchen table. “Nah,” he shook his head, taking a seat. “It’s okay. Can we go out to eat, though?” She saw the weariness around his eyes when he looked up at her.
“You sure you want to do that?” she asked. “You look tired.”
“I’d rather, if you don’t mind,” he said. Looking past him out the window, she saw his truck parked behind her car. Usually, he walked over.
“Okay,” she said meekly. “I’ll just get changed.”
She paused long enough to put away the vegetables she’d sat out on the counter, then dashed upstairs. Something was wrong; she didn’t care what he said. Trading her jeans for a pair of khaki slacks and a soft sweater, she stopped at the bathroom mirror to touch up her makeup and run a brush through her hair. A spritz of perfume and she was on her way downstairs, but didn’t find Noah there. He was waiting in the swing on the porch.
“Ready?” he smiled when she came out the door.
She nodded, following him to the truck after she flipped on the porch light and locked the door behind her. Sitting quietly, she stole occasional glances at his face as he drove into town. This was a side of him she hadn’t seen before. Usually he was almost childlike in his openness with her, something she hadn’t expected from a cop. But this, this was different.
“This okay?” he asked, pulling up in front of Steak and Ale.
“It’s fine.” Right now, it didn’t feel like anything was okay.
The hostess that greeted them gave them forced congeniality and ushered them rapidly to a secluded room illuminated only by candles.
“How’d you rate the private room?” Dani asked, looking at all the empty tables in the center of the room.
“Gotta know the right people,” he smiled, looking a little more like the Noah she knew. A waitress materialized immediately, taking their orders and returning with iced tea for both of them. Dani noticed the girl’s eyes giving him the once over. He did look even more attractive than usual. Dark, and brooding. The tight jeans were the only pants she’d seen him in, but instead of the usual snug fitting T-shirt, he wore a dark blue plaid shirt, open at the collar to reveal a significant vee of deeply tanned chest covered with curly golden hair that beckoned for a touch. On top of that, he wore an old black leather bomber jacket that made him look like the quintessential
He looked as though he might say something, then turned to walk back to the door. Looking back over his shoulder, he said, “You be careful over there.”
“Yeah,” she said softly, gathering up her things to go home. Maybe, if she hurried, she’d have time for a nap before Noah came over.
Things didn’t go the way she’d hoped, though. After she’d changed clothes and let Bandit out for a quick run, she climbed into the bed, but lay wide awake for almost half an hour. Deciding finally that it was probably for the best, she went back downstairs to get a head start on dinner. If she slept this late in the day, she’d no doubt have trouble sleeping tonight anyway.
She’d stopped leaving the front door open after the cellar incident, and felt a rush of shyness when she heard Noah come up the stairs and ring the bell. Even though nothing had happened, it was still disconcerting to find him in her bed when she woke up. Carrying her dishtowel with her, she opened the door and headed back for the kitchen, turning around half way when she realized he was still outside.
“Aren’t you coming in?”
“Sure,” he wore an odd expression as he stepped just inside the door and stopped.
“What’s wrong?” she felt her heart skip a beat.
“You’ve already started dinner?” he asked.
“Just getting ready to,” she said, trying to read the expression on his face. “Is something wrong?”
He closed the door and rubbed a hand over his eyes as he moved to the kitchen table. “Nah,” he shook his head, taking a seat. “It’s okay. Can we go out to eat, though?” She saw the weariness around his eyes when he looked up at her.
“You sure you want to do that?” she asked. “You look tired.”
“I’d rather, if you don’t mind,” he said. Looking past him out the window, she saw his truck parked behind her car. Usually, he walked over.
“Okay,” she said meekly. “I’ll just get changed.”
She paused long enough to put away the vegetables she’d sat out on the counter, then dashed upstairs. Something was wrong; she didn’t care what he said. Trading her jeans for a pair of khaki slacks and a soft sweater, she stopped at the bathroom mirror to touch up her makeup and run a brush through her hair. A spritz of perfume and she was on her way downstairs, but didn’t find Noah there. He was waiting in the swing on the porch.
“Ready?” he smiled when she came out the door.
She nodded, following him to the truck after she flipped on the porch light and locked the door behind her. Sitting quietly, she stole occasional glances at his face as he drove into town. This was a side of him she hadn’t seen before. Usually he was almost childlike in his openness with her, something she hadn’t expected from a cop. But this, this was different.
“This okay?” he asked, pulling up in front of Steak and Ale.
“It’s fine.” Right now, it didn’t feel like anything was okay.
The hostess that greeted them gave them forced congeniality and ushered them rapidly to a secluded room illuminated only by candles.
“How’d you rate the private room?” Dani asked, looking at all the empty tables in the center of the room.
“Gotta know the right people,” he smiled, looking a little more like the Noah she knew. A waitress materialized immediately, taking their orders and returning with iced tea for both of them. Dani noticed the girl’s eyes giving him the once over. He did look even more attractive than usual. Dark, and brooding. The tight jeans were the only pants she’d seen him in, but instead of the usual snug fitting T-shirt, he wore a dark blue plaid shirt, open at the collar to reveal a significant vee of deeply tanned chest covered with curly golden hair that beckoned for a touch. On top of that, he wore an old black leather bomber jacket that made him look like the quintessential
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