Total pages in book: 60
Estimated words: 57350 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 287(@200wpm)___ 229(@250wpm)___ 191(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 57350 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 287(@200wpm)___ 229(@250wpm)___ 191(@300wpm)
She listened, completely entranced, losing herself in the low sound of his voice and the music he created. The hour slipped by almost without her noticing.
Finally, Adam finished the song and set the guitar aside as he stood. “I have to get back to work, ladies,” he said with a grin. “Thank you so much for dropping by. Any input?”
“Oh, Adam, it’s just lovely.” Mrs. Poppins clasped her hands together.
“I agree,” Mrs. Schiller added warmly. “I truly think you should record.”
Adam laughed and shook his head. “I’m not going to record.”
“I think you should,” Joan said smoothly. “If you want, I could help with that.”
Bianca just bet she could.
“All right, Joan, let’s go,” Mrs. Hudson said, tapping her arm lightly. “You stay here, Bianca. Have a nice chat with Adam.”
What a matchmaker. “Actually, I do need to speak with him,” Bianca admitted.
“Of course you do.” Mrs. Hudson gave her a quick hug. “Have a good day.” She winked at Adam, and the little group slowly made their way out the door, their voices drifting away onto the street.
The bar grew quiet again. Bianca looked across the room at Adam and then down at the empty glasses scattered across the table. Without thinking, she gathered them together in her hands and carried them over to the bar. “So you’re free entertainment, huh?”
Adam chuckled. “Yeah. We like getting together. Every once in a while it turns into a Mahjong game, but nobody brought their set today.”
Mahjong with elderly ladies. The thought made her smile. This guy had some surprising depths. She started rinsing the glasses in the sink.
“I can do that,” Adam said.
“No, I don’t mind,” she replied, drying one with a towel.
The quiet between them felt different now that the others were gone. The room still held the romance of the music he’d played, and Bianca could feel the steady pull of him standing so close.
“How was your morning?” he asked.
“Busy,” she murmured. “Not as fun as yours, though. You are really good,” she added, glancing up at him.
“Thank you.” He moved around the bar and stepped closer, reaching for her before she had time to react. His arm slipped around her waist and he pulled her gently toward him, brushing a kiss across her lips. “That’s the proper way to greet somebody.”
Her lungs stuttered. “You’re being proper now?”
“Ah,” he said lightly, “I have my moments.” His thumb brushed slowly along the side of her face, his expression shifting as he studied her. “What’s wrong?”
She blinked. “How could you tell something was wrong?”
He shrugged one shoulder. “Gut feeling.” He cleared his throat. “I heard Ellen is looking for a partner in the florist shop.”
Bianca blinked. “Huh?” The change of subject caught her completely off guard.
“Yeah,” Adam said, shifting his weight. “I thought I’d mention it.”
“Oh.” She took a small step back, the damp glass still in her hand. “Adam, I don’t want to own a florist shop.” Was he trying to get her to stay in town? The idea was oddly sweet—and a little overwhelming.
“It was just a thought,” he said. “You enjoy flowers.”
“No, no, no.” Bianca set the glass down and wiped her hands on the towel. “I enjoy planting shrubs and flowers in gardens. I don’t want to own a florist shop, and I don’t want to be a landscape designer.” She shook her head, trying to explain it clearly. “I just like to garden and plan a movie scene or two.”
Adam nodded slowly. “Oh.” His shoulders lifted in a faint shrug. “It was just a thought.” He seemed to withdraw without being obvious about it.
“Yeah,” Bianca said, clearing her throat. “Speaking of flowers, I received more this morning at Mrs. Shiller’s. Red ones.”
Adam frowned. “That’s getting weird.”
“You have no idea.” Bianca reached into her pocket and pulled out the folded card, handing it to him.
Adam took it and read the message. Every muscle in his body seemed to visibly tighten. “What the fuck?”
“That’s what I thought,” Bianca said quietly.
He looked up, his gaze burning. “You didn’t think I sent this, did you?”
“No,” she said immediately. “Honestly, not for a second.” She wrapped her arms around herself, the uneasiness that had been creeping through her all morning settling deeper now. “Somebody knows we spent the night together. I’m a little creeped out.”
Adam’s jaw tightened. “I’m a little creeped out too.” He set the card on the counter between them. “I think we should call the sheriff.”
Bianca hesitated. “It’s not exactly a threat, though. Can the sheriff really do anything?”
“Quinn can do a lot,” Adam said. His voice carried quiet certainty. “And we’re pretty much family. At the very least, he needs to know.” His phone buzzed on the counter. He glanced down at the screen. “Oh,” he said. “It’s about your car.” He answered the call and lifted the phone to his ear. “Hey, Elbert, what’s up?”